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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention ."}
|
{"patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
465094361005a119007ce33a6b1646bab0ae049224d0b5bb570a09b860375321
| 0.176758 | 0.00885 | 0.371094 | 0.064453 | 0.648438 | 0.092773 |
null |
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention ."}
|
{"patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention .", "category": "Physics"}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
465094361005a119007ce33a6b1646bab0ae049224d0b5bb570a09b860375321
| 0.162109 | 0.087402 | 0.458984 | 0.322266 | 0.5 | 0.181641 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention .", "category": "Fixed Constructions"}
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{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention ."}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
465094361005a119007ce33a6b1646bab0ae049224d0b5bb570a09b860375321
| 0.071777 | 0.175781 | 0.145508 | 0.570313 | 0.375 | 0.314453 |
null |
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention ."}
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{"patent": "referring to figs . 1a and 1b , a stabilizing mechanism 10 embodying this invention is shown in radially expanded position relative to a well conduit 1 , which normally is a well casing . stabilizing mechanism 10 comprises a tubular housing 20 which is provided at its upper end with internal threads 20a for engagement with the bottom of a tool string . housing 20 is further provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced , vertically extending slots 20b . each slot receives a radially expandable linkage 22 comprising a pair of pivot arms 22a and 22b which are respectively pivotally mounted in the slots 20b by transverse pivot pins 20c and 20d . the medial portions of the pivot arms 22a and 22b are pivotally interconnected by a longitudinally extending link 22d which is secured to the pivot arms 22a and 22b by pivot pins 22e and 22f . the free ends of the links 22a and 22b respectively mount anti - friction devices , such as rollers 24a and 24b . an expansion link 22g is also secured at one end to the pivot pin 22f and the other end is pivotally secured to an axially shiftable force transmitting assemblage 26 by a pivot pin 22h . accordingly , when the force transmitting assemblage 26 is disposed in a downward position relative to the radially expansible linkages 22 , the linkages 22 are retracted to the position shown in fig2 a wherein all of the components of the linkage lie within the periphery of the housing 20 , and thus offer no opportunity for damaging contact with the conduit or casing wall as the stabilizer unit 10 is run into the well . a notch 22c in each link 22d clears pivot pin 20d in this position . each stabilizer linkage 22 is radially expanded to engage the rollers 24a and 24b with the bore wall of the casing 1 by upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 . such force transmitting assemblage comprises an upper sleeve 26a lower end by one or more shear screws 26b to an intermediate sleeve element 27 . sleeve element 27 is secured by threads 27a to an extension tube 26c which extends downwardly and abuts against an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36c provided on an annular spring anchor 36 . an inner sleeve 28 is threadably secured by external threads 20f to the lower end portion 20e of the housing 20 . such threads are secured by a set screw 20g . the inner sleeve 28 cooperates with the extension sleeve 26c to define an annular chamber 42 within which the lower portion of the lower sleeve element 27 is sealably mounted by seals 27b and 27c . a plurality of peripherally spaced ports 28b are provided in the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 to permit well fluids to freely enter the interior of the extension sleeve 28 and hence the bore of the housing 20 . the bottom end of the extension sleeve 28 is provided with internal threads 28a for the mounting thereto of a lower portion of the particular tool string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is to be incorporated or , in this case where the stabilizer mechanism is at the bottom of the tool string , a flow deflector 30 may be inserted and secured to the bottom of the extension sleeve 28 by threads 28a and set screw 28c . a spring anchor ring 32 is secured adjacent to the bottom end of extension sleeve 28 by a snap ring 32a to provide a seat for an actuator spring 34 . the top of actuator spring 34 engages an annular spring seat 36 which has a seal 36b engaging the lower end of the actuating sleeve extension 26c . as mentioned , the bottom end of actuating sleeve extension 26c abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 36c provided on the annular spring seat 36 . spring seat 36 is slidably and sealably mounted within the annulus 42 by an outer seal 36a and an inner seal 36b . thus , when no restraints are imposed upon upward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , the spring 34 moves the force transmitting assemblage 26 upwardly causing the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 to move outwardly to the position shown in fig . 1a where the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b are in engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit . to maintain the radially expansible stabilizer linkages 22 in a contracted position during run - in , fusible bolts 40 ( shown only in dotted lines ) abuts one of the links incorporated in one of the expansible linkages 22 and effectively secures all linkages 22 within the body of the housing 20 . for example , fusible bolts 40 are shown as abutting pivot arm 22a . the melting point of fusible bolts 40 is selected to produce melting within a reasonable time , say ten to thirty minutes , after the fusible bolts are exposed to the ambient well temperatures existing at the location of the stabilizer mechanism 10 in the well . thus , during the entire run - in of the stabilizer mechanism 10 , the linkages 22 are in their retracted positions and do not move into engagement with the bore wall of the casing 1 until the fusible bolts 40 have melted by exposure to the downhole well temperatures . to prevent the expansible linkages 22 from rapidly expanding into engagement with the bore wall of the well conduit and thus possibly damaging the anti - friction roller elements 24a and 24b , the annulus 42 between the sleeve extensions 26c and 28 is utilized to define a dash pot chamber immediately above the spring seat 36 . an internally projecting rib 28e is formed on extension sleeve 28 and lies within the dash pot chamber 42 . the dash pot chamber 42 is filled with an appropriate fluid through a plug fill port ( not shown ) formed in the internally projecting rib 28e . a check valve 44 is provided comprising a ring 44b mounting an o - ring 44a which is urged into sealing engagement between the lower end of the annular rib 28e and the adjacent external surface 26k of the actuating sleeve extension 26c by a light spring 46 . spring 46 abuts an upwardly facing internal shoulder 36d provided on the upper spring seat 36 . it will therefore be apparent that the dash pot chamber 42 in reality comprises two vertically spaced chambers 42a and 42b separated by the annular rib 28e and the check valve 44 . a constricted orifice passage 28f is formed in the annular rib 28e to permit fluid to flow at a controlled rate from the lower chamber 42a into the upper chamber 42b . thus the upward movement of the force transmitting assemblage 26 , and hence the radial expansion of the stabilizer linkage 22 , will be controlled in accordance with the rate of fluid flow through the orifice passage 28f . on the other hand , when the tool string is withdrawn from the well , it is quite common for the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b to contact internal ribs or other constrictions or obstructions formed on the bore wall of the well conduit . the anti - friction rollers 24a and 24b must be capable of rapid contraction movement in order to pass such obstructions without damage . this accomplished by the check valve 44 . when either anti - friction roller 24a or 24b encounters an obstruction , a downward force is applied to the force transmitting mechanism 26 . such downward force will cause a compression of the trapped fluid contained in the upper chamber 42b and the increased fluid pressure in such chamber will cause the check valve 44 to open to permit rapid fluid flow into lower chamber 42a and permit free downward movement of the force transmitting mechanism 26 , hence permitting free contacting movement of the stabilizer linkages 22 . the rollers 24a and 24b thus function to firmly and accurately hold the stabilizer housing in alignment with the axis of the well conduit , hence providing a centralizing action for the tubing string in which the stabilizer mechanism 10 is incorporated . despite the provisions for permitting the collapse of the stabilizing linkages 22 when encountering an obstruction through the opening of the check valve 44a , it sometimes happens that the check valve 44a will not function and thus the stabilizing linkages 22 become stuck in the well . the stabilizing linkage 22 may also become stuck in the well for a number of other reasons , such as an accumulation of particulars within or between the operating components , deviations in the well bore configuration . regardless of the cause , the stabilizing units may be released from such stuck condition through the application of upward jarring forces to the tubing string in which the stabilizing mechanism 10 is incorporated . such upward forces produce an upwardly directed shearing force on the shear pins 26b and effect the separation of the upper sleeve 26a of the force transmitting assemblage 26 from the lower sleeve 27 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a , the upper force transmitting sleeve 26a can move downwardly relative to the tubular body 20 and permit the stabilizing linkages 22 to assume a retracted position . this ability to effect the retraction of the stabilizing linkages when an obstruction is encountered and the normal releasing apparatus does not function is obviously a desirable adjunct to this tool . although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
465094361005a119007ce33a6b1646bab0ae049224d0b5bb570a09b860375321
| 0.139648 | 0.102539 | 0.232422 | 0.108398 | 0.369141 | 0.140625 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others ."}
|
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others ."}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.3125 | 0.040771 | 0.726563 | 0.017944 | 0.679688 | 0.050293 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
|
Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.019165 | 0.026367 | 0.040771 | 0.06543 | 0.040771 | 0.235352 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others ."}
|
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
|
Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.245117 | 0.000473 | 0.820313 | 0.026001 | 0.699219 | 0.009399 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"category": "Textiles; Paper", "patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others ."}
|
Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.034668 | 0.660156 | 0.077148 | 0.132813 | 0.067383 | 0.503906 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others ."}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.025513 | 0.061035 | 0.048096 | 0.15625 | 0.147461 | 0.12793 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.008301 | 0.000418 | 0.022949 | 0.008606 | 0.027954 | 0.036865 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Electricity"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.034668 | 0.002121 | 0.077148 | 0.018799 | 0.067383 | 0.016357 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"patent": "fig1 is a simplified elevational view showing relevant elements of an electrostatographic or xerographic printing apparatus , such as a printer , copier , or multifunction device generally indicated as 99 . certain elements of the apparatus are disposed within a cru , or cartridge , generally shown as 100 . as will be described in detail below , those parts of the overall machine 99 which require replacement or periodic service are typically placed within cru 100 , while longer - lasting parts are elsewhere in the machine . as is well known , an electrostatic latent image is created , by means not shown , on a surface of a rotatable charge receptor or photoreceptor 10 . the latent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of toner particles , such as with developer roll 12 , which may be of any of various designs , such as including a magnetic brush roll or donor roll , as is familiar in the art . the toner particles adhere to the appropriately - charged areas of the latent image . the surface of photoreceptor 10 then moves , as shown by the arrow , to a transfer zone created by a transfer - detack assembly generally indicated as 14 . simultaneously , a print sheet on which the desired image is to be printed is drawn from supply stack 16 and conveyed to the transfer zone 14 as well . at the transfer zone 14 , the print sheet is brought into contact or at least proximity with a surface of photoreceptor 10 , which at this point is carrying toner particles thereon . a corotron or other charge source at transfer zone 14 causes the toner on photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to the print sheet . the print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations , as is familiar in the art , such as a fuser and finishing devices ( not shown ). following transfer of most of the toner particles to the print sheet in the transfer zone , any residual toner particles remaining on the surface of photoreceptor 10 are removed at a cleaning station . fig2 is an elevational view showing a detail of a cleaning station , which in the embodiment is part of cru 100 . as can be seen in the figure , a cleaning blade 22 which is pressed against the surface of photoreceptor 10 scrapes the residual toner off the surface . the toner which is thus removed falls downward into a hopper 24 for accumulating the toner . a flexible flap seal 26 , extending the length of the photoreceptor 10 , prevents loose toner from escaping the hopper . an auger 28 , with an anti - bridging device 30 , is used to remove waste toner ( as opposed to carrier particles ) from the hopper 24 . further as shown in fig2 , there is associated with cleaning blade 22 a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 . the magnet 40 and blade 42 extend substantially the length of the cleaning blade 22 ( going into the page , in the view of fig2 ). the tip of pickoff blade 42 is disposed between 0 . 5 mm and 2 . 0 mm from the photoreceptor 10 . the pickoff blade 42 should exhibit some ferro - magnetic properties , so that magnetic flux passes effectively therethrough . the interaction of the magnet 40 and pickoff blade 42 results in a significant magnetic flux through the tip of the pickoff blade 42 . the magnetic flux emanating from the pickoff blade 42 attracts carrier particles , before or as they are stopped by cleaning blade 22 on the moving surface of photoreceptor 10 . by removing carrier particles from the photoreceptor surface in the cleaning blade area , the pickoff blade 42 prevents scratching of the surface of photoreceptor 10 by stray carrier particles . the cleaning blade 22 , of course , also removes residual toner particles from the photoreceptor 10 , but that action is largely irrelevant to the behavior of the carrier particles . as mentioned above , certain hardware elements of the overall machine 99 can be isolated into a cru ( customer - replaceable unit ), or more generally \u201c cartridge ,\u201d 100 , which is readily removable ( and thus replaceable ) relative to the whole printer . typically the cru 100 includes parts of the printer hardware that wear out , become dirty , or are consumed as the machine is used . in the illustrated embodiment , such parts include the photoreceptor 10 , as well as various seals and bushings ( not shown ). depending on an overall machine design , the cru 100 can include a supply of marking material in a container 50 , as shown in fig1 ; in other designs the marking material supply is in a second cru which is separate from a cru holding the photoreceptor 10 . in any case , a typical \u201c lifetime \u201d of a cru is in the tens of thousands of prints output by the machine 99 ; as used herein , the lifetime of a cru or cartridge is defined as an amount ( which can be expressed , for instance , as time , prints made , or consumable material used ) of satisfactory use of the cartridge before the cartridge needs to be replaced with a new or otherwise remanufactured or refurbished cartridge . when a cartridge is remanufactured or refurbished , it becomes for practical purposes \u201c new \u201d and gets a new lifetime . the lifetime of a cartridge is contrasted with the lifetime of the overall machine 99 , which is intended to be many multiples that of the cartridge . returning to fig2 , as carrier particles are attracted toward the pickoff blade 42 , the carrier particles remain on the pickoff blade for the remaining lifetime of the cru 100 . in practical terms , the particles remain on the pickoff blade 42 when the whole cru 100 is removed from machine 99 . only after the cru 100 is removed from machine 99 , thus ending the particular lifetime of the cru 100 , and a refurbishing process is carried out on the cru 100 are the particles removed from the pickoff blade 42 . of course , at the end of a lifetime the whole cru 100 may simply be discarded , and the removal of carrier particles therefrom rendered unnecessary . fig3 is a simple flow - chart showing some steps in a cru remanufacturing process . at step 300 a cru 100 , deemed to be at the end of its lifetime by one or more of various criteria such as time , prints made , detection of faults , etc ., is removed from a machine 99 . at step 302 the removed cru 100 is opened and generally cleaned , the cleaning including removing carrier particles which are magnetically attached to pickoff blade 42 . the removal of carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 can be carried out by generally - known means , such as the use of brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices ( generically called a \u201c wiper \u201d), and can be part of a general cleaning operation on the whole of cru 100 . the brushes , blades , and / or vacuum devices for removing the carrier particles from pickoff blade 42 are , in this embodiment , not part of the cru 100 itself . other common steps used in the remanufacturing of cartridges include replacement of photoreceptor 10 ( step 304 ), and refilling of the developer supply 50 ( step 306 ). once the cru 100 is re - assembled and tested for proper operation , the cru 100 is ready for re - installation in the same or another machine 99 ( step 308 ), and a new lifetime of the cru is deemed to begin . although in the illustrated embodiment the carrier particles are retained on a pickoff blade and is disposed a predetermined distance from the cleaning blade and from the photoreceptor , in other embodiments the pickoff blade or member could , for instance , be directly in contact with the cleaning blade . alternately , the pickoff member could be mounted from an inner wall of the cru . fig4 is a simplified elevational view of a pickoff device used in the prior art , in this case the xerox \u00ae 1090 \u00ae series of copiers and printers . in fig4 , like reference elements relate to corresponding structures in the above - described figures . there is present a permanent magnet 40 and a pickoff blade 42 , but the assembly thereof is surrounded by a rotatable sleeve 70 , a portion of which is disposed near the portion of photoreceptor 10 desired to have carrier particles removed therefrom . thus , carrier particles , indicated as c , drawn off of photoreceptor 10 do not contact pickoff blade 42 but rather the sleeve 70 . as sleeve 70 rotates , the carrier particles remain thereon , as shown , until the magnet 40 ceases to have sufficient influence to hold the carrier particles on the sleeve 70 , as is evident on the right - hand side of the sleeve 70 in the figure . the particles which thus fall off of sleeve 70 are then directed ( either directly , or indirectly , such as through augers and pipes , not shown ) to a separate collection bottle 72 , which , in this particular embodiment , is not part of a cru including photoreceptor 10 or pickoff blade 42 . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
0ed84fd8e68503edd07dccb12d25afbd6a0fb44295367017c27cf64e377ce64c
| 0.012817 | 0.039551 | 0.038574 | 0.06543 | 0.042725 | 0.092773 |
null |
{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.738281 | 0.425781 | 0.96875 | 0.890625 | 0.675781 | 0.613281 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.539063 | 0.203125 | 0.757813 | 0.578125 | 0.859375 | 0.398438 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.53125 | 0.111328 | 0.757813 | 0.326172 | 0.859375 | 0.245117 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.386719 | 0.195313 | 0.347656 | 0.640625 | 0.5 | 0.351563 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.648438 | 0.435547 | 0.859375 | 0.820313 | 0.902344 | 0.476563 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
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695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.539063 | 0.470703 | 0.757813 | 0.789063 | 0.859375 | 0.578125 |
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.185547 | 0.077148 | 0.710938 | 0.351563 | 0.431641 | 0.210938 |
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"patent": "the present invention was designed for and is particularly adapted for use in the post hydration processing section of an automated contact lens production facility . contact lenses molded in an automated production line , such as that described in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 654 entitled &# 34 ; consolidated contact lens molding &# 34 ;; hydrated in a hydration system as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 856 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; system for handling contact lenses during hydration &# 34 ;; and automatically inspected as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 entitled &# 34 ; lens inspection method and apparatus &# 34 ; now abandoned are particularly benefited by the present invention . the present invention envisions a multi - purpose disposable lens package carrier which transports a contact lens during inspection thereof , and serves as a portion of the final packaging after inspection . a suitable package carrier 20 is illustrated in fig1 and is formed from injection molded or thermal formed plastic sheet material , such as polypropylene and includes a planar essentially rectangularly shaped base member 34 having an angularly depending wall portion 38 at one end thereof forming a first flange member and a pair of registration flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), one of which is visible in fig1 , at the other end thereof which are used to align the package carrier for robotic handling . this package carrier is more fully described in copending application u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference thereto . registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) are provided on either side of the base 34 to cooperate with registration pins on various support pallets used in the processing and packaging operations to register the package carrier and lens for further handling or treatment . offset from the center of the package is a cavity 36 integrally formed therein which is of an essentially semi - spherical configuration , generally in conformance with a curvilinear shape of a contact lens ( not shown ) which is adapted to be stored therein in a sealed condition while immersed in a suitable sterile aqueous solution in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 691 , 820 to martinez ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which being incorporated herein by reference thereto . the height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; of flange member 38 depending from the planar base member 34 is complimentary to the height or depth of cavity 36 , and provides for self alignment of the package carrier in cooperation with depending flanges 33 ( a ),( b ) on specially configured pallet carriers , as will hereinafter be described . depending flange 38 is also used in the final packaging of the product in cooperation with a plurality of generally &# 34 ; chevron - shaped &# 34 ; ridges 32 , which will subsequently assist in supporting the cavity structure of an inverted and superimposed package carrier when said packages are to be cartoned for final distribution . the cavity 36 also includes a plurality of tick marks 37 which are used to assist in holding a contact lens in the centered position in the cavity during the removal of deionized water at one of the post hydration processing stations . the package carrier is also equipped with an annular flange 39 which is used for heat sealing a foil laminate cover in order to provide a hermetic seal for the contact lens during final distribution . a cut - out 35 is used to facilitate gripping the flange 38 and the package when the cover stock or foil laminate is removed by the consumer to use the lens . base member 34 also includes a smooth planar surface 34 ( a ) to provide a suitable engagement zone for vacuum grippers on the upper side , and a vacuum rail on the lower side , which are used to transport the package carrier during various stages of the operation . an inspection carrier for transporting the package carriers through the automated lens inspection system is illustrated in fig1 . the inspection carrier 10 includes a first and second row 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ) of cavities 40 which receive the bowl 36 of the package carrier and provide an optical sight path for the automated lens inspection system . each of the intermediate registration pins 41 engage a package carrier on either side , with the end registration pins 41 ( a ) engaging a single package . these registration pins engage the registration notches 31 ( a ),( b ) in the package carriers and provide for precise registration of the package carrier in the longitudinal dimension of the inspection carrier while a pair of hard edges 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) provide a reference point for the downwardly descending flanges 33 ( a ), 33 ( b ), which together with pins 41 register the carrier package against rotational skewing . the inspection pallet 10 is further provided with three registration openings 43 on either side of the pallet which are used to transport the pallet through the automatic lens inspection station and to lock the pallet in place during loading and unloading of the package carriers . the inspection pallet is further provided with a pair of grooves 44 ( a ), 44 ( b ) which provide a positive grip for an overhead transport mechanism that places and then removes the inspection pallet from the automatic lens inspection system . a pair of slanted faces 45 provide clearance for the downwardly descending flange member 38 of the package carrier 20 . as illustrated in fig3 an injection mold machine 30 is used to mold the polypropylene lens carriers 20 which serve a dual purpose in the invention concept . first , to provide a carrier for the inspection of the lens by the automated lens inspection system , and secondly , to provide a receptacle for the final packaging of the lens for distribution to end use consumers . these package carriers are molded in predetermined array , typically in a 4 \u00d7 4 cluster of sixteen package carriers per mold cycle , and removed from the injection mold by a robotic transfer means 60 having a rapidly reciprocating low mass transport carrier 62 . the carrier 62 includes a hand member 64 having a plurality of vacuum gripper means thereon which are arranged to correspond to the array of mold cavities within the injection molding machine 30 . carrier 62 reciprocates along support member 66 and is rotatable from a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 to a horizontal orientation necessary to place the packaged carriers into a secondary transfer shuttle 68 . secondary transfer shuttle 68 is used to transport a plurality , i . e . sixteen of the package carriers from a first receiving position 68 ( a ) illustrated in fig3 to a second position 68 ( b ) where the package carriers are picked up by a robotic handling device 50 . robotic handling device 50 is articulated , having first and second arms 51 , 52 and a vertically reciprocating arm and hand ( not shown ) having a plurality of vacuum gripping means thereon which engage each of the package carriers transported by the transfer shuttle 68 . the package carriers 20 are then removed from the transfer shuttle 68 and placed on an inspection pallet 10 at a pallet loading station 11 . in the preferred embodiment the package carriers are molded in a 4 \u00d7 4 array to maximize the efficiencies inherent in such an array for molding , which are transported in the inspection pallet 10 in a 2 \u00d7 8 array . when these two arrays are used , robotic handling device 50 makes two separate transfers , and transfers a 2 \u00d7 4 array in each transfer . the loaded pallet 10 is then moved by conveyor 12 ( a ) to a deionized water injection station 16 wherein each of the package carriers transported on the inspection pallet are partially filled with degassed and deionized water . the inspection pallet is then transferred by a push conveyor 17 to a lens loading area 18 where it is batched with a second pallet to provide a contiguous loading area with thirty - two package carriers , each of which has been dosed with degassed and deionized water . the present invention utilizes degassed and deionized water with a small amount of surfactant therein as an inspection media for the automatic lens inspection system described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 993 , 756 now abandoned . when only deionized water is used in the package carrier bowl , friction or hydrophobic attraction between the contact lens and the surfaces of the carrier that form the recesses may occasionally prevent the lenses from moving or sliding completely into the desired , predetermined positions . for example , in one known process , contact lenses are formed from a liquid hydrogel monomer , which is polymerized in the presence of an inert diluent such as boric acid ester , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 313 . the inert diluent fills up the spaces in the hydrogel lens during polymerization , and the diluent is subsequently exchanged for deionized water during a hydration process . after this hydration process is completed , small amounts of the acid groups may remain on the lens surface . when the lens is placed inside the recess of the lens carrier , these acid groups may cause the lens to stick to the surface of the bowl of the carrier . without freedom of movement , the lens might not move completely into the desired predetermined position . when this happens and the lens is subsequently inspected using an automatic lens inspection system , the lens may be rejected for being outside the field of view , or may otherwise be erroneously identified as irregular or imperfect . in application u . s . ser . no . 08 / 258 , 266 now abandoned , entitled &# 34 ; a method of positioning ophthalmic lenses &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto , a solution to this problem was described in which a small amount of surfactant was added to the deionized water . the surfactant reduces the friction and retards the hydrophobic attraction between the lens and the surface of the holder forming the recess , helping to insure that the lens is pulled into the desired , predetermined position . any suitable surfactant may be used in the practice of the invention . for example , the surfactant may be polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate , more commonly known as polysorbate 80 , or tween 80 or tween 80k c . it has been found that the addition of tween 80 at a concentration as low as 25 parts per million parts of solution allows the lens to move in package carrier 20 without sticking . larger amounts of the surfactant may be used , and for example , the weight percent concentration of the surfactant in the solution may be between 5 . 0 % and 0 . 01 %. the surfactant may be mixed in any suitable liquid carrier , such as deionized water , to form the desired solution . preferably , the surfactant concentration in solution is in the lower end of the above - given range , and for example , the surfactant concentration may be below fifty parts per million parts of deionized water . using the surfactant at this lower concentration helps to avoid , or to reduce , any foaming or bubbling of the surfactant in the solution and helps to reduce subsequently the surfactant concentration below a predetermined level . degassed water is preferred to the prevent the formation of air or gas bubbles when the water emerges from a pumped high pressure fluid line into a low pressure ( atmospheric ) environment . when deionized water which has not been degassed is used , small air bubbles may form in the package before the lens is transferred or , on the contact lens when it is transferred to the package carrier . these bubbles are formed from dissolved gasses in the deionized water which are &# 34 ; seeded &# 34 ; by the lens or a small irregularity in the package carrier surface . the apparatus for degassing the deionized water is illustrated in fig1 and 13 . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the degas module , while fig1 is a detailed elevation view as the degas unit . deionized water is provided through input line 112 from a deionized water source , which may be the same source as that used for hydration . if drawn from a container , a optional pump 114 may be provided . the deionized water then passes through filter 118 in order to remove extraneous particulate contaminates that may be present in the water . the deionized water is then provided to the inlet 121 of the degas unit 122 . within the degas unit , the deionized water is divided among a plurality of tubes 124 , and then recombined into a degas unit discharge 126 . the degas unit is operated under a low ambient pressure typically from 4 to 25 torr which is provided by vacuum pump 128 . this vacuum pump is attached to the degas unit 122 by line 130 and discharges the excess air from the degas unit by way of line 132 . after the deionized water exits degas unit 122 by discharge line 126 , it passes through line 136 ( a ),( b ) into manifolds 138 ( a ),( b ). the manifolds are used as a common source to supply a plurality of precision dose pumps 140 that fill individual contact lens package carriers at the dosing station 16 and the robotic transfer array 102 mounted on robotic transfer device 100 . the pumps 140 used to pump the degassed and deionized water to manifold 138 are f . m . i . pumps ( fluid metering , inc ., oyster bay , n . y .) that are mounted to drive units manufactured by oyster bay pump works , inc ., oyster bay , n . y . these pumps provide precision doses of degassed and deionized water solution to pre - wet the package surface thereby reducing bubble formation and lens sticking , to avoid overfilling ( i . e . water on the sealing area of the package ) and to promote the proper water level for the inspection system . turning now to fig1 , there is shown in greater detail the monomer degas unit 122 . the degas unit is comprised of a pressure boundary consisting of an outer cylindrical wall 144 , a top plate 146 and a bottom plate 148 . contained within the cylindrical side wall 144 is a port 130 , which is connected to vacuum pump 128 ( not shown ). top plate 146 and bottom plate 148 are attached to the cylindrical side walls 144 by use of flanges 150 compressed upon o - rings 152 and 154 found on the bottom and top plates , respectively . compression of the o - rings and attachments of plates 146 and 148 to flanges 150 is accomplished by bolts 156 that attach the plates to the flanges . passing through top plate 146 is the water inlet line 121 . this inlet line passes through the top plate 146 , divides within the chamber 122 by means of a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; connector into two or more lines 157 of equal length . lines 157 are preferably of equal length in order to provide equal back pressure resulting in equal flow through both lines to two separate headers 158 . each of these headers is connected to ten silicon tubes 160 which are permeable to gas . the tubes 160 are arranged in a 3 - 4 - 3 offset array , 0 . 300 spacing center - to - center . the flow through the tubes is from the bottom up in order to fill the tubes and not entrain voids in the liquid . a static mixer 170 is provided in each of the tubes 160 to increase the efficiency of mass transfer . these static mixtures are made of delrin , 1 / 4 inch in diameter and 6 inches long , as produced by koflo , inc . of carrie , ill . the internal structure of the degas unit stands off the bottom of chamber with stainless steel pipe 167 supporting delrin blocks 168 at the desired separation and these blocks , in turn , support manifolds 158 and 162 containing therebetween extended gas permeable tubes 160 . alternately the degas unit may be suspended from top flange 146 . during its time of residence in the silicon tube 160 in the low pressure degas chamber 144 , dissolved gasses migrate out of the deionized water through tube wall 160 , drawn out by the vacuum pump through chamber outlet 130 . as the water approaches the top of the chamber it is essentially free of dissolved gasses . the silicon tubes near the top of the chamber are connected to second headers 162 which combine silicon tubes 160 back into common tubes 164 . these tubes may also be made of a silicon , or may be made of an impervious material . they are of the same length in order to avoid pressure differences which could result in flow imbalances . tubes 164 are then connected in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; fashion to provide a single degas unit outlet 26 . the preferred material for the gas permeable tubing is stht tubing produced by sanitech inc . of andover , n . j . from q74780 medical grade silicone rubber manufactured by dow corning of midland , mich . the apparatus is arranged so that each set of tubes 124 contains ten tubes , each 1 / 4 inch inner diameter with a wall thickness of 1 / 32 inch , having a 80 durometer hardness . the apparatus of the present invention that prepares the contact lenses for inspection and subsequent packaging is best illustrated in fig1 which is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fig2 and 3 with particular emphasis on the transition between the hydration line and the post - hydration line of the present invention . the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the invention disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 258 , 556 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 476 , 111 entitled &# 34 ; automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses &# 34 ;, assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . as illustrated in fig1 a second hydration carrier 860 having a top chamber plate mounted thereon is advanced into the separation station 120 for removal of the top chamber plate and transferred to the return conveyor 141 . the hydration base emerges from the separation station 120 to the position illustrated at 860 ( a ) having a plurality , e . g ., thirty - two contact lenses 8 therein , with a single lens carried in each of the convex lens carriers attached thereto . an articulated robotic transfer device 100 having an adjustable 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 of convex lens carriers then positions the array over the second hydration carrier 860 ( a ) as illustrated in fig6 and 7 ( a ). as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), a single contact lens 8 is carried within the concave lens carrier 861 and is positioned immediately below a convex lens carrier element 104 mounted on the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . the concave carrier 861 includes at least one port 862 for introducing a fluid between the surface of the concave lens carrier element , and the lens 8 . the fluid is supplied through a channel 866 cut into the lower side of upper plate member 867 , which communicates with a fluid manifold and a plurality of upstanding fluid connectors 863 which extend above the surface of the concave lens carrier elements 861 as best illustrated in fig6 . the fluid connectors 863 are adapted to engage fluid couplings 864 formed on the underside of the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 . each of these couplings is connected to a fluid conduit 874 which supplies a transfer fluid for the transfer of the contact lens 8 from the concave lens holding means 861 to the convex lens holding means 104 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and in particular for the transfer of contact lenses from the hydration carrier 860 to the robotic array 102 , a pneumatic fluid transfer is desired , and thus conduits 874 provide pressurized air to the coupling members 864 which in turn supply the pressurized air to fluid coupling 863 to the channel passageway 866 , and the port 862 . as illustrated in fig7 ( a ), the contact lens 8 is still wet having recently been hydrated and flushed in the hydration station . further , the lens has been hydrated with deionized water having a small amount of surfactant therein which may be advantageously employed to promote the handling of the wet contact lens by centering the lens within the concave surface of lens holding means 861 . when the air pressure lines 874 are actuated , a puff of air will emerge through the port 862 and lift the contact lens upwardly from the surface of the concave carrier and into engagement with the convex lens carrier element 104 . while the lens will adhere to element 104 with or without the surfactant , the surfactant wets the surface of the convex carrier element 104 and promotes adhesion thereto by virtue of the surface tension of the deionized water and the surrounding atmospheric pressure . in the transfer , it is desirable to position each of the convex carrier elements 104 within 1 . 5 mm of the lens to ensure a direct and precise transfer . after transfer of the lens 8 to the convex element 104 , the robotic transfer device then moves the array of lenses to a &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 illustrated in fig3 . in fig1 the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 overlies station 70 . the bubble blow off station 70 includes a manifold arrangement similar to manifold 860 with a plurality of cup members 106 , each of which has a concave surface 108 of approximately the same configuration as the convex surface of the second lens carrier element 104 . while a concave surface such as surface 108 has been found to be desirable , a single jet device will also provide the same function . the concave surface 108 also includes at least one port 110 defined therein for admission of pressurized fluid through a central passageway 109 formed in the cup member . the use of a small amount of surfactant in the deionized water promotes the transfer of the lens from first to second carrier elements , but also enables the formation of small air bubbles 105 in the layer of deionized water which coats the contact lens 8 . by subjecting the lens to a jet of pressurized fluid , the small bubbles 105 are migrated outwardly and dissipated prior to the transfer of the lens to the inspection carrier . removal of the air bubbles is desirable to avoid false negative reports from the automatic lens inspection system which is used to inspect the lenses . while pressurized air is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention , deionized water is also suitable . as was described earlier with respect to fig1 and 13 , deionized water is degassed in a degas unit 122 and distributed by a plurality of precision dosing pumps 140 to a deionized water dosing station 16 , which is more fully illustrated in fig1 and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , a rubber belt conveyor 12 ( a ) having a pair of belts carries the inspection carrier 10 from the package carrier loading area 11 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to the deionized water dosing station 16 . a pneumatic stop 170 having a paul 171 is used to hold a series of inspection carriers 10 upstream of the dosing station 16 . when a new inspection carrier 10 is to be loaded , the pneumatic stop mechanism 170 retracts paul 171 , allowing the inspection carrier 10 to be carried into the dosing station on conveyor 12 ( a ). a separate set of jaws mounted on a pneumatic locking mechanism 172 ( illustrated in fig1 ) engage the inspection pallet 10 and hold it securely in position for package dosing . a plurality of dosing nozzles 174 are mounted on a horizontal reciprocating beam support member 176 and are connected to the f . m . i . pumps 140 by virtue of a plurality of tubing members 178 with a separate pump for each nozzle . each of the nozzle members 174 terminates in a sixteen gauge teflon needle having an id of 0 . 045 inches - 0 . 048 inches which is suspended directly above the package carriers 20 , and more particularly , above the bowl member 36 . in operation , a pneumatic cylinder 180 which is fixably secured to support frames 181 and 182 reciprocates carriage member 184 , vertical supports 185 , 186 and the horizontal mounting beam 176 to enable the teflon needle tips to be lowered into the recessed bowl 36 of the package carriers 20 . the tips are reciprocated downwardly , and approximately 600 microliters of degassed and deionized water is injected therethrough to partially fill the bowl 36 . after the bowls are filled with the desired dosage , pneumatic cylinder 180 is actuated and the reciprocal support beam 176 is raised to lift the teflon needles free of the package carriers 20 . the use of a reciprocating dosing needle eliminates agitation or splashing in the dosing of the degassed and deionized water . undue agitation or splashing may also lead to the enlargement of air and the formation of air bubbles which may generate a false negative inspection signal . the inspection carrier 10 is then advanced out of the dosing station 16 to the end of conveyor 12 ( a ) where it engages a push conveyor 17 , driven by a servo motor , which pushes the inspection carrier 10 across a stainless steel platform 190 to the lens loading area 18 . the lens loading area 18 is specifically designed to accommodate two inspection pallets 10 and provide a ganged array of thirty - two package carriers for receipt of thirty - two individual contact lenses . when these two inspection pallets 10 are in the lens transfer position 18 , tapered pins ( not shown ) engage registration cavities on the pallets ( 2 per pallet ) and provide precise positioning during lens transfer . while 2 \u00d7 8 and 4 \u00d7 8 arrays have been utilized in the post - hydration processing section of the present invention , it is understood that a variety of array configurations could be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the 4 \u00d7 8 array of the hydration carrier 860 is different than the 4 \u00d7 8 array of package carriers in the lens loading area 18 . the second 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 mounted on robotic transfer means 100 is adjustable to accommodate the first 4 \u00d7 8 array in the second hydration carrier 860 which has 30 mm centers between lenses , and the &# 34 ; bubble blow off &# 34 ; station 70 , and then expands to 30 \u00d7 50 mm centers , which is the dimension of the third 4 \u00d7 8 array at the lens loading area 18 as will be hereinafter described with respect to fig8 and 9 . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is illustrated in an expanded configuration in fig8 and a collapsed configuration in fig9 . the array 102 includes thirty - two convex lens carrier elements 104 as previously described with respect to fig6 and 7 . along the center line of the array are four fluid coupling members 864 which engage conduits 863 on the second hydration carriers 860 . the array is made of four separate lines or elements 190 - 193 , each of which carries eight convex carriers 104 . each of the linear members 190 - 193 is mounted for reciprocation along internal guide rods 194 and 195 as more fully illustrated in fig8 . a pneumatic chuck 196 , 197 is positioned on either side of the array , and upon actuation draws the outer most elements 190 , 193 outwardly as illustrated in fig8 along the guide rods 194 , 195 . each of the outer most arrays 190 , 193 also carries a pair of internal sliding stops , one of which is illustrated in fig8 at 198 which draw the inner most linear elements 191 and 192 outwardly , with linear element 190 drawing linear 191 , and linear element 193 drawing linear element 192 . compression springs 199 also assist in separating the linear elements of the array . it should also be noted that the array 102 is rotatable about turntable 103 to provide for the proper orientation of the array when transferring lenses from the hydration station to the lens loading area . the robotic transfer device 100 also includes first and second articulated arms 107 , 109 and a vertical arm 105 having a reciprocal servo motor 106 ( see fig2 ) mounted therein which enables complete three dimensional movement of the 4 \u00d7 8 array between each of the various transfer points which the robotic transfer device serves . as illustrated in fig2 the weight of the 102 is substantially offset by a preload spring 108 which carries much of the weight of arm 105 and array 102 , thereby reducing the load on vertical servo motor 106 . each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 also includes an interior conduit 110 terminating in at least one port 111 which may be used to introduce a fluid between the convex lens carrier element and the contact lens 8 . when the array 102 is positioned over the plurality of lens carrier elements at the lens loading area 18 , the array elements 191 - 193 are spread to align each of the convex lens carrier elements 104 with an associated package carrier immediately therebelow , and a small amount , nominally 300 \u03bcl , of degassed and deionized water is pumped by precision dosing pumps 140 through conduit 110 to transfer the contact lens 8 from the convex carrier 104 to the bowl 36 of the package carrier 20 . again , the use of degassed deionized water enables transfer of the lens without risking the development of small air bubbles from dissolved gasses in the deionized water that might otherwise &# 34 ; seed &# 34 ; on the contact lens 8 . after the lenses 8 have been transferred to the package carrier 20 , the 4 \u00d7 8 array 102 is collapsed by actuating air chucks 196 , 197 , to return the array to a configuration that matches the configuration of the hydration carrier 860 . when both pair of inspection carriers 10 have been loaded at the lens loading area 18 , a second servo motor actuated push arm 18 ( a ) transfers both pallets from the lens loading area to a staging area 19 ( a ) as illustrated in fig1 . at staging area 19 ( a ), an overhead double axis transport carrier 21 singulates one of the inspection carriers and picks up a single pallet 10 for transfer to the automatic lens inspection station 15 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . the overhead transport 21 is a double axis hauser transport mechanism , and is used to isolate the automatic lens inspection system 15 from the remainder of the post - hydration line . by utilizing a double axis transport mechanism , the pallet 10 can be gently conveyed to the automatic lens inspection system , and thereby avoid any vibration that might otherwise impair the inspection results . after the first pallet 10 has been lifted from the staging area 19 ( a ), a push arm 19 moves the remaining pallet 10 ( b ) into the staging area 19 ( a ) for transfer by the double axis transport mechanism 21 to the automatic lens inspection system 15 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the automatic lens inspection system illustrated in fig3 as the inspection carriers are conveyed through the system by conveyors 15 ( b ) a light beam or pulse is directed from sources 15 ( c ) and through a lens to be directed and focused on a screen ( not shown ) to produce an image of the lens therebelow . preferably , the screen includes an array of pixels , each of which generates a respective one electric signal proportional to , or representing , the intensity of the light incident on the pixel . those electric signals are then processed to determine if the lens is acceptable for consumer use . any suitable procedure may be used to process or analyze the electric signals from the pixel array ; and , for instance , suitable procedures are disclosed in copending patent application ser . nos . 993 , 756 and 995 , 281 , both now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; automatic lens inspection system &# 34 ;, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . as illustrated in fig3 separate systems are utilized to inspect the sixteen lenses carried in inspection carrier 10 . after completing the test for the last bank of lenses , the automatic lens inspection system sends a datablock with the vision inspection results to the programmable logic controller used to consolidate the lenses for packaging . after the lenses have been inspected by the automatic lens inspection system 15 , the inspection pallet is lifted by the second double axis overhead transport 22 and placed on conveyor 12 ( b ) for transport to the deionized water removal station 24 . the deionized water is removed by a specially configured nozzle , as described in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 999 , 234 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; solution removal nozzle &# 34 ;, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto . as described earlier , the deionized water is used to center the lens within the package carrier during the inspection process , but is removed prior to packaging , to enable a precise dosing of a buffered saline solution in the final package , as will hereinafter be described in detail . after removal of the deionized water , the lenses , package carriers and inspection pallet are transported to the package removal pick point 25 which clamps the inspection pallet 10 to enable a second robotic transfer device 200 to remove the package carriers and lenses therefrom . as illustrated in fig2 and 16 , the second robotic transfer device 200 is positioned adjacent conveyors 12 , 13 and has mounted thereon a 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 of sixteen independently actuable vacuum gripping means . inspection pallet 10 ( b ) is conveyed along conveyor 12 to a predetermined product pick point 25 , as illustrated in fig3 and the 2 \u00d7 8 array 202 is positioned thereabove to remove each of the sixteen products from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), immediately following the removal of the deionized water as previously described with respect to fig3 . in the practice of the present invention , a programmable logic controller is used to control the various elements of the present invention and receives a vision datablock from the automated inspection system having a flag set for each of the products in inspection carrier 10 ( b ) that is out of product specification . after the products 20 have been removed from the inspection carrier 10 ( b ), the robotic transfer device 200 positions the 2 \u00d7 8 array over conveyor belt 14 and selectively discharges the out of spec products . those products are then removed by conveyor 14 for subsequent destruction or recycling . the robotic device 200 then places the remaining products on a vacuum consolidation buffer 230 as indicated at 230 ( c ). the vacuum consolidation buffer of the present invention will be described with respect to fig1 - 19 in which 230 ( a ),( b ) diagrammatically represent a pair of elongated vacuum rails defined by housing members 231 ( a ),( b ) which enclose vacuum plenums 242 ( a ),( b ) and which define a plurality of vacuum slits 244 ( a ),( b ). the product array as deposited at 230 ( c ) includes gaps or random variations in the product flow resulting from the removal of the defective products from the serial product flow . the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of pneumatic product followers 232 , 234 which are used to consolidate the product group 230 ( c ) with the other already consolidated products on consolidation rail 230 . each of the pneumatic followers 232 , 234 is independently advanced in the direction of arrow c until each product stream is consolidated , thereby eliminating gaps or voids in the product stream which result from the inspection and rejection of defective products . for example , as product 20 ( f ) encounters product 20 ( g ), the entire stream of product driven by product follower 232 will advance and trigger an optical sensor 236 , which generates a control signal for the programmable logic controller to de - energize product follower 232 and return the follower to the initial start position . likewise , optical sensor 238 generates a similar return signal for product follower 234 when the second product stream has been consolidated . after consolidation of the product , a separate indexing mechanism 240 returns both product streams in the direction of arrow d to a predetermined registration point for subsequent robotic handling . in the present invention , the consolidation buffer 230 includes a pair of vacuum rails 230 ( a ), 230 ( b ) which lightly grip the product to permit sliding movement of the product along the rails in response to product followers 232 , 234 , but which will prevent &# 34 ; shingling &# 34 ; or overlapping of adjacent edges of product packages which might otherwise occur during consolidation . as illustrated in fig1 and 19 , the product followers 232 , 234 are mounted on pneumatically driven carriages , one of which is visible in elevation view of fig1 and two of which are visible in plan view in fig1 . the carriage includes a rodless cylinder 250 mounted for reciprocation on pneumatic cylinder 252 and guided by guide rod 251 . the product followers 232 , 234 are each mounted to the respective carriages by virtue of a pair of parallel rods 254 ( a ),( b ), 254 ( c ),( d ) which are mounted for reciprocation within housings 250 ( a ),( b ). the product string is advanced in the direction of arrow c until they trigger one or both of the optical sensors 236 , 238 . when the optical sensors are triggered , the programmable logic controller reverses the pneumatic bias on rodless cylinder 252 and the carriage 250 is then retracted to its original position as illustrated in fig1 . in addition , a proximity sensor ( not shown ) at the end of the stroke will also generate a signal to reverse the direction of carriage 250 if no product has been deposited on either of the consolidation buffer rail 230 ( a ),( b ). after the respective product streams have been advanced from position 230 ( c ) to actuate the optical sensor 238 , a product indexing mechanism 240 is actuated to return the product string to a predetermined location for registration with the third robotic transfer device 300 which transfers product onto the packaging indexing table 400 . the product indexing mechanism 240 includes a pneumatic cylinder 264 which actuates a push rod 266 and a pusher plate 262 into engagement with the product stream on the vacuum consolidation rails . the product pusher arm 262 then returns the leading edge of the first package carrier on each vacuum rail to a predetermined index position for registration with the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 mounted on the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . a package feed robotic handling device 300 is positioned between the consolidation buffer 230 and a packaging station 400 , and is equipped with an array 302 which contains ten vacuum gripping means arranged in a 2 \u00d7 5 matrix . the 2 \u00d7 5 array 302 is first positioned over product group 20 ( d ) and the vacuum gripping means is actuated to withdraw the first ten products from the vacuum consolidation buffer 230 . the packaging robotic handling device 300 then positions the 2 \u00d7 5 array and product group 20 ( d ) over position 1 on the packaging indexing table 400 , and drops the array of products onto support pallet 410 mounted on the packaging indexing table 400 . during packaging , the package indexing turntable 400 rotates support pallets 410 from position to position to enable the products to undergo subsequent packaging steps . in the event there is a malfunction or delay in the operation of the package indexing turntable 400 , the incoming product arriving on consolidation buffer 230 may be temporarily stored in a buffer area 308 which has a plurality of buffer pallets 310 positioned therein . when the packaging index table 400 resumes operation , the package robotic handling device 300 will then transfer products in the 2 \u00d7 5 arrays from the buffer pallets 310 to the support pallets 410 on a first - in , first - out basis . if the product being handled is time sensitive , the programmable logic controller can generate a time stamp to be placed with each product array as it is transferred from any given processing station to any subsequent processing station . thus , a time stamp may be placed on the product when inspected , or when transferred to the buffer area 308 . if the product is transferred to buffer 308 , the x , y coordinates of the array are also stored with the time stamp . if the time sensitive allotment expires before packaging index table 400 has resumed operation , the packaging robotic handling device 300 will then discard expired time sensitive product , and will transfer only product meeting the time sensitive criteria to the support pallet 410 . likewise , if a problem in the production line results in an inordinate number of products being rejected , so that less than five products are available on either consolidation string 230 ( a ),( b ) at position 20 ( d ) then the robotic handling device 200 will transfer product as necessary to balance product streams on both sides of the packaging consolidation buffer 230 , and thereby enable removal of product as a 2 \u00d7 5 product array . buffer area 308 will accommodate approximately fifty pallets for intermediate storage , or approximately 10 minutes of product stream in the event the packaging operation is temporarily interrupted for resupply , maintenance or adjustments . after the 2 \u00d7 5 array of package carriers has been deposited on support pallet 410 , the pallet is rotated to position 412 where optical sensors verify that a package has been loaded at each position and that the packages are correctly aligned on the pallet . indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again to station 414 wherein each of the individual package carriers are dosed with approximately 950 microliter of a saline solution . station 414 is illustrated in elevation view in fig2 , wherein five dosing nozzles 415 are positioned above five package carriers 20 . dosing nozzles 415 are mounted . on a cantilever support arm 450 to thereby suspend the nozzle over the rotating table 400 . a plurality of saline tubes 417 carry a buffered saline solution , from a plurality of precision dosing pumps , similar to the f . m . i . pumps used to pump the deionized water to dosing station 16 depicted in fig1 and 3 . the use of deionized water in the hydration and inspection steps significantly speeds the production line as a whole since the time consuming ionic neutralization of the polymer from which the lenses are made does not occur until after the inspection process . when deionized water is used for hydration and inspection , the final step of the process is to introduce buffered saline solution into the final package with the lens and then seal the lens within the package so that final lens equilibration ( ionic neutralization , final hydration and final lens dimensioning ) is accomplished in the package at room temperature or during sterilization after the lens has been packaged and sealed . it has been determined empirically that it is desirable that soft contact lenses produced in accordance with the present invention be exposed to atmosphere for no more than sixty minutes between the removal of the deionized water at station 24 ( illustrated in fig3 ) and the dosing of the saline solution at station 414 in fig5 . the programmable logic controller which previously received the inspection results from the automated lens inspection system and correlated those results to the individual lenses , also time stamps the individual lenses at the pick up point 25 , immediately following the removal of the deionized water at station 24 . this time stamp is transferred through consolidation and into the 2 \u00d7 5 array when removed by the packaging robotic transfer device 300 . in the event the indexing turntable 400 is not operational , and the 2 \u00d7 5 array is stored in the buffer 308 , then the x , y coordinates of the 2 \u00d7 5 array are stored with the time stamp to enable the packaging robotic transfer device 300 to select &# 34 ; fresh &# 34 ; product , e . g . less than sixty minutes old , at the time the packaging dial 400 resumes operation . after operation is resumed , the robotic transfer device 300 will then dispose of the &# 34 ; expired &# 34 ; product , rather than transferring it to the packaging dial . after saline dosing at station 414 , the saline level is checked at station 415 and the support pallet is then rotated under a final product check station 416 to a foil receiving station 418 . as described earlier , each group of 5 package carriers 20 receives a single laminated foil cover sheet which is heat sealed to the package carriers . the lens package is more fully described in u . s . ser . no . 995 , 607 , now abandoned entitled &# 34 ; packaging arrangement for contact lenses &# 34 ;, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto . the laminated foil stock 432 is fed from a large indefinite spool through a tensioning device 434 to an ink jet printer 436 which prints the lot , batch and power number of the lenses to be packaged . the foil laminate is cut from an indefinite length product into two strips that are heat sealed to the 2 \u00d7 5 product array to provide two separate 1 \u00d7 5 product strips . the foil in between each of the package carriers is also partially severed , scored or perforated to enable the consumer to separate individual packages from the 1 \u00d7 5 array at the time the product is used . the partial scoring is done with a series of rolling blades 440 ( a )-( d ) which are pneumatically biased into a drum 439 . the foil is then split into two strips by a foil slitter blade 441 and the foil passes through a stationary gripper and sensing mechanism 442 . a video camera 438 and a series of sensors at station 442 are used to provide precise alignment of the information printed by the ink jet printer 436 , with the printing fields into which said printing is placed , and the alignment of the perforations or scores provided by rolling blades 439 . an advancing gripper 434 provided to draw a length of foil laminate corresponding to the 1 \u00d7 5 array and sever the strips with a rotating knife 444 . at the completion of this cut , the advancing gripper 434 has advanced in the direction of arrow e in fig4 to place the 1 \u00d7 5 foil strips under vacuum gripping heads 418 ( a ),( b ). these vacuum gripping heads then reciprocate downwardly to grip the foil , lift it from the advancing and cutting station 434 , and transfer the foil to the package indexing turntable 400 at the foil placement station 418 . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated again , and a heat seal mechanism 420 seals a single strip of foil to five separate package carriers in a single high temperature short cycle sealing operation . as illustrated in fig2 and 22 , the foil strips are heat sealed to the two 1 \u00d7 5 arrays of package carriers 20 . a heated seal head 510 , heated by a plurality of electric heaters 512 ( two of which are illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 ) mounted in a heating plate 514 . the heating plate 514 is secured to the back of the seal head 510 , and is supported by a pneumatic cylinder or press 516 which presses the heated seal head 510 against the laminar foil sheet on the package carriers 20 , which are supported by the pallet 410 such that the foil laminate and package carrier flanges are squeezed between the heated seal head and the pallet 410 as supported by the index turntable . the heated seal head is electrically heated , and the temperature thereof is measured by thermocouples 518 on each side of the seal head 510 to maintain the temperature at a high temperature , when compared to similar prior art arrangements . the temperature is maintained in a range from 210 \u00b0- 265 \u00b0 c ., preferably at 258 \u00b0 c . the heated seal head comprises a 2 \u00d7 5 array of cylindrical sealing elements 520 , each of which secures one of the foil laminar sheets to each group of package carriers 20 with an annular seal 39 around the cavity 36 in the package carrier 20 . the pneumatic cylinder is coupled to the heated seal head by a mount jack bolt 522 and cylindrical support struts 524 . the support struts 524 are biased upwardly by springs 526 , such that the heated seal head is raised and normally biased to the upper position illustrated in fig2 , unless the pneumatic cylinder 516 forces it down for a sealing operation . in operation , the back force generated by the pneumatic cylinder is measured by an in - line load cell 528 , and a solid state timer is initiated when a force is reached of approximately 2700 newtons , which is approximately 75 % of the peak force of approximately 3600 newtons . the solid state timer times a relatively short time period of approximately 0 . 4 to 0 . 48 seconds , after which the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 516 is released . this approach , when compared with similar prior art approaches , is very hot , very hard and very short , which creates a seal which is both detachable and customer friendly . the package indexing turntable 400 is preferably reinforced under the seventh angular position to withstand the heat sealing forces imparted thereto by the pneumatic cylinder 516 . the indexing turntable 400 must be maintained in a substantially level position for the operations described herein . the pneumatic cylinder 516 at the seventh position applies a substantial force to the indexing turntable , and accordingly to maintain the turntable level , an approximately 21 / 2 \u00d7 31 / 2 inch support block 530 of a durable plastic material , similar to teflon \u00ae, is placed on top a central support 532 and surrounding supports 534 positioned beneath the pneumatic press . the support block 530 is in constant contact with the indexing turntable 400 to ensure that the deflection of the indexing turntable 400 under the pneumatic cylinder 516 is minimal . alternatively , a pneumatically actuable movable support could be positioned in contact with the bottom of the indexing turntable prior to operation of the pneumatic cylinder driving the heated seal head , and be repositioned out of contact with the bottom of the table after operation of the pneumatic cylinder . the package indexing turntable 400 is then rotated to position 422 where a reciprocating transfer head 446 removes the sealed product from the indexing turntable 400 and transports it in the direction of arrow f for sterilization and cartoning . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing , and other changes in form and details , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
695986bc48412b3fa80cdfcc9febf9ba785544e2ee032b8b3bb383c9a7571fe3
| 0.498047 | 0.275391 | 0.882813 | 0.734375 | 0.652344 | 0.361328 |
null |
{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.138672 | 0.000828 | 0.095215 | 0.00383 | 0.067383 | 0.004608 |
null |
{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.138672 | 0.024048 | 0.095215 | 0.014954 | 0.064453 | 0.162109 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.273438 | 0.002625 | 0.324219 | 0.002472 | 0.369141 | 0.002884 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
|
Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.294922 | 0.000668 | 0.341797 | 0.001366 | 0.427734 | 0.001808 |
null |
{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.138672 | 0.178711 | 0.095215 | 0.734375 | 0.067383 | 0.5625 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.142578 | 0.200195 | 0.068359 | 0.21582 | 0.257813 | 0.320313 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.212891 | 0.010681 | 0.223633 | 0.095215 | 0.384766 | 0.112793 |
null |
{"patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof , only enough of the structure of the switch or control cable arrangement has been illustrated therein as is needed to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of this invention . turning now specifically to fig1 of the drawings , the arrangement depicted by way of example and not limitation therein will be seen to comprise a switch or control cable 9 which contains a first switch or control cable section 10 and a second switch or control cable section 11 which are intended to be coupled or decoupled depending on the type of operation to be selected or controlled by means of the switch or control cable arrangement . fixed to the right - hand end of the first switch or control cable section 10 is a first cable head 12 which is fixedly anchored in a bushing 13 . at the left - hand end of the second switch or control cable section 11 , there is fixed a second cable head 14 which , however , is displaceably guided in the bushing 13 . this second cable head 14 possesses a groove 15 into which there project two spherical or ball - shaped locking bodies 16 . furthermore , these locking bodies 16 project into radial bores or holes 17 in the bushing 13 , whereby there is prevented a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 are thus rigidly interconnected by means of the bushing 13 and the two locking bodies 16 . the bushing 13 , in turn , is displaceably guided in a further bushing 18 and consequently , the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 can be displaced conjointly with the bushing 13 and the locking bodies 16 . in fig2 there is depicted the left end position of the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 . for the following , it will be assumed that a compression spring 19 connected with the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 has the tendency to displace the switch or control cable 9 , i . e . at least the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 towards the left . it will be further assumed that a schematically illustrated clamping or holding device 20 is provided at the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 for clamping or holding or releasing at least the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 . as can be seen from fig2 when the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is released or opened , the switch or control cable 9 including the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaced in its entirety towards the left and the compression spring 19 can be released . in accordance with fig1 the further bushing 18 is mounted in a housing 21 and is displaceable therein under the force of a compression spring 23 from a blocking position shown in fig1 to a releasing position shown in fig3 . a sleeve 22 is fastened to this housing 21 and the compression spring 23 is displaceably guided at the sleeve 22 . this compression spring 23 is supported at a collar of the sleeve 22 and via a washer at the further bushing 18 . the compression spring 23 has the tendency to displace the further bushing 18 in the housing 21 towards the left into the releasing position , as will be evident from fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 due to the displacement of the further bushing 18 towards the left and into the releasing position , the aforementioned locking bodies 16 arrive at a groove 24 provided in the inner wall of the further bushing 18 . the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 is thereby released because the locking bodies 16 no longer project into the groove 15 of such second cable head 14 . consequently , this second cable head 14 is freely displaceable in the bushing 13 . thus , the compression spring 19 is enabled to displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 towards the left , as can be seen in fig4 . a pawl 25 , see fig2 serves for releasing the further bushing 18 . the pawl 25 is operable in a manner here not particularly shown , i . e . by hand , by means of a cartridge or any other suitable operating means . in this case , a displacement of the first or left - hand switch or control cable section 10 is rendered possible even if the second or right - hand switch or control cable section 11 is retained by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . in accordance with fig5 a further housing 26 is secured to the housing 21 and a sleeve - shaped piston 27 is displaceably guided in such further housing 26 . the further housing 26 is closed by means of a cover 28 . two pressure chambers 29 and 30 are provided for displacing the sleeveshaped piston 27 in the further housing 26 and connected to a here not particularly shown source of hydraulic oil by means of hydraulic conduit connections 31 and 32 . a plunger 33 is displaceably guided in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and can be prevented from displacement by means of locking bodies 34 . these locking bodies 34 project into a groove 35 of the plunger 33 and into radial bores or holes 36 of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 . a spring 37 is supported at a shoulder of the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and at a shoulder of the plunger 33 . this spring 37 has the tendency to press the plunger 33 against the bushing 13 . as soon as the sleeve - shaped piston 27 is pushed somewhat towards the right in the further housing 26 , see fig5 the locking bodies 34 can enter a wide groove 38 in the further housing 26 and thus no longer project into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 , as shown in fig6 . in accordance with fig6 the piston 27 has been hydraulically displaced completely towards the right and has pushed the further bushing 18 towards the right to such an extent that the compression spring 23 has been compressed and the further bushing 18 has been returned into the blocking position already shown in fig1 . consequently , also the plunger 33 has been displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 , thus compressing the spring 37 . furthermore , the further bushing 18 has been displaced relative to the bushing 13 . as a consequence , the locking bodies 16 have been pushed into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 such that the second cable head 14 can no longer be displaced in the bushing 13 . in accordance with fig7 the hydraulic piston 27 was again partly displaced towards the left . however , the further bushing 18 is held by means of the pawl 25 and therefore can no longer be displaced towards the left under the force of the compression spring 23 . as soon as the starting position shown in fig1 is reached again , i . e . when the hydraulic piston 27 has been pushed completely towards the left , then the locking bodies 34 are pushed through the inner wall of the housing 26 back into the groove 35 of the plunger 33 . thus , the plunger 33 can no longer be displaced in the sleeve - shaped piston 27 and likewise the locking bodies 16 are pushed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 , so that this second cable head or body 14 can no longer be displaced in the further bushing 18 . the mode of operation of the switch or control cable 9 containing the coupling constituted by the bushing 13 , the locking bodies 16 and the further bushing 18 , as described hereinbefore , is as follows : in accordance with fig1 the switch or control cable 9 containing the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 is displaceable by an amount a in the housings 21 and 26 as soon as the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened and the compression spring 19 can be released . the two switch or control cable sections 10 and 11 of the switch or control cable 9 are coupled to each other because , as previously mentioned , the locking bodies 16 are pressed through the inner wall of the further bushing 18 into the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the aforementioned second switch or control cable section 11 . a displacement of the second cable head 14 in the bushing 13 , therefore , is impossible and the first cable head 12 of the aforementioned first switch or control cable section 10 in any case is fixedly anchored in the bushing 13 . the second switch or control cable section 11 is displaceably guided in the sleeve 22 and the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceably guided in the plunger 33 . in accordance with fig1 and 4 , only the first switch or control cable section 10 is displaceable in the housings 21 and 26 by the amount a as soon as the pawl 25 , see fig2 is operated . when the pawl 25 is operated , the compression spring 23 can displace the further bushing 18 towards the left into the releasing position in which the groove 24 of this further bushing 18 is located in the area or region of the locking bodies 16 , see fig3 . consequently , these locking bodies 16 can enter this groove 24 of the further bushing 18 and , as can be seen in fig3 can be pushed out from the groove 15 of the second cable head 14 of the second switch or control cable section 11 . therefore , the second cable head 14 is freely displaceable relative to the bushing 13 . however , a displacement of the second switch or control cable section 11 and the second cable head 14 is prevented by the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 . conversely , the compression spring 19 can displace the first switch or control cable section 10 conjointly with the first cable head 12 and the bushing 13 fastened thereto by the amount a , see fig1 towards the left as will be evident from fig4 . during this operation , the second cable head 14 is displaced relative to the bushing 13 and secures the locking bodies 16 in their outermost position in which they project into the groove 24 . it will be evident from the mode of operation described hereinbefore that the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 by the amount a , see figure 1 , can be achieved either by operating the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 or by operating the pawl 25 , see fig3 . the herein described switch or control cable coupling 13 , 16 , 18 is suited , for instance , for use in a gatling gun which has to be switched - off when encountering a delayed firing of a cartridge as well as after a single shot . in the presence of a delayed firing cartridge , the clamping arrangement or holding device 20 is opened . if a single - shot operation is desired , then the pawl 25 is operated by means of the first cartridge to be fired for releasing the further bushing 18 . in both cases the displacement of the first switch or control cable section 10 has the effect that a series or continuous firing operation of the gun is immediately interrupted . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
dcd4c08f20b51f32551b712476f10d0d0c1449b627ecceaa8ece6f0f78a70f5a
| 0.149414 | 0.769531 | 0.06543 | 0.609375 | 0.129883 | 0.914063 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.009705 | 0.050293 | 0.091309 | 0.261719 | 0.150391 | 0.287109 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.114258 | 0.002808 | 0.087402 | 0.002396 | 0.306641 | 0.012451 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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{"category": "Textiles; Paper", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.009705 | 0.126953 | 0.091309 | 0.002396 | 0.150391 | 0.40625 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.306641 | 0.084961 | 0.625 | 0.914063 | 0.550781 | 0.613281 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.014526 | 0.002319 | 0.091309 | 0.022583 | 0.151367 | 0.040283 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.112793 | 0.018799 | 0.087402 | 0.027222 | 0.306641 | 0.25 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Electricity"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.114258 | 0.006287 | 0.087402 | 0.027954 | 0.306641 | 0.091309 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a spa 10 having a general tub enclosure shape with side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 . the side wall has a customary lip 16 about its upper edge and a plurality of fluid jet nozzles generally indicated at 18 . each fluid jet nozzle includes a trim ring 20 on the inside surface of the wall 12 and a nozzle body 22 which communicates with a fluid distribution conduit 24 . there are various shapes and designs on the jet nozzles available ; typical of jet nozzles are those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 297 , 025 ; 3 , 745 , 994 ; and 4 , 349 , 923 . regardless of the particular jet nozzle employed in the therapeutic spa , the typical therapeutic spa includes a fluid circulation system such as the water circulation system generally indicated as 26 in the figures . this includes a water return line 28 from a drain 30 or similar outlet port of the tub enclosure 10 which leads to a pump , typically a centrifugal pump 40 , having a suitable drive 42 , typically an electric motor drive . the pump discharge 34 is connected to the water distribution conduit 24 , previously described which is in open communication with each of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . most of the modern therapeutic spas include a provision for induction of air into the pressure water line immediately prior to discharge of the water as a jet into the spa . this is illustrated in the figure where an air distributor conduit 36 is illustrated with a plurality of branch conduits 38 that extend into open communication with the nozzle portion 22 of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . in some of these applications , the air introduction conduit is positioned at a low pressure point in the jet nozzle and the air is inducted into the nozzle which functions similar to a venturi . in alternative embodiments , the air is supplied with a blower 40 having a suitable motor drive 42 which supplies a pressured source of air for introduction into the nozzles immediately prior to discharge into the spa . the massage unit of the invention is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a casing 46 having a vibrating pad undersurface 48 and a dependent handle 50 . preferably , handle 50 also supports a operator 52 for a valve in the fluid supply line to casing 46 . the portable massager is interconnected to the spa system by sleeve 54 which can be detachably interconnected to one of the plurality of jet nozzles 18 . as illustrated , sleeve 54 has a slightly tapered or conical shape for insertion into the generally conical shape of jet nozzle 18 , thereby permitting secure insertion of sleeve 54 to a jet nozzle 18 . a flexible hose 56 interconnects sleeve 54 to handle 50 whereby the pressured fluid delivered from the jet nozzle 18 is transmitted to the interior of casing 46 for operation of the fluid motor therein , described hereinafter in greater detail . referring now to fig2 an alternative construction is provided for the connecting sleeve 55 . as there illustrated , hose 56 carries a sleeve 55 provided with external threads 57 . the latter are received within the internally threaded fitting 59 of the jet nozzle 18 . this construction is typical of that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 349 , 923 and is a preferred construction because of the secure attachment of the sleeve and portable massage unit 44 . referring now to fig3 the massage unit 44 is illustrated in greater detail . as illustrated , casing 46 has a generally inverted cup - shape configuration with side walls such as 60 and a top wall 62 . the upper portion of the casing 46 has a fluid inlet port 64 which communicates with the hollow interior of handle 50 and with serially connected flexible hose 56 . a suitable shut - off valve ( not shown ) is also included in handle 50 with a button valve operator 52 whereby the fluid supply through handle 50 can be controlled by the user . the fluid under pressure is discharged through the inlet port 64 to impinge against a plurality of curvalinear radial blades 66 and 68 which are mounted on opposite sides of a disk 69 that is rotatably mounted in the casing by its dependent shaft 73 . disk 69 and the plurality of blades 66 and 68 thus provide a turbine blade in casing 46 and , together with the fluid pressure delivery system , provide a fluid motor for operation of the massager unit . a transverse partition 70 is provided at an intermediate elevation in the casing 44 . this partition is perforate , with apertures 72 , to permit discharge of the pressured fluid such as water from the motor chamber 74 . the shaft of the turbine blade is rotatably mounted in the transverse partition 70 , preferably by suitable bearing means 78 and 79 such as a lubricated bronze bushing and the like . shaft 73 distally supports a spur gear 80 which is meshed with driven gear 82 carried on shaft 84 . one end of shaft 84 is received in a suitable bearing 86 in transverse partition 70 and the opposite end supports spur gear 88 . a second transverse partition 90 , also with perforations 72 , is provided beneath transverse partition 70 to provide support for the shafts of the gear transmission means of the massager unit such as shaft 87 which is received in bearing 89 . the spur gear 88 is meshed with gear 91 which is rotatably mounted to transverse partition 90 by stub shaft 94 , which also can be supported in a bearing . cam wheel 92 has a cam follower 96 projecting downwardly from its undersurface . the follower 96 can be a pin or can be a roller 97 carried on a shaft that is secured to the cam wheel 92 . the lower end of the follower 96 is received in a straight , lateral or transverse slot 98 of the massage pad 100 . the massage pad 100 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the assembly between side rails 102 and 104 , each of which have a lateral groove 106 on their inside faces to receive a longitudinal tongue 108 on the mating or coacting edges of the massage pad 100 . in a preferred embodiment , massage pad 100 has an undersurface which supports a soft rubber pad 110 that can be formed of a suitable elastomer or , preferably , is formed of a sponge material . in operation , the release of pressured fluid through the inlet port of the massage unit imparts a high speed rotation to the turbine blade in the motor chamber 76 . this movement is transmitted through the transmission gears to the massage pad 110 which reciprocates to provide a suitable massaging action , the intensity of which can be controlled by valve operator 52 . as shown in fig4 the turbine blade 71 has a plurality of radial vanes or blades such as 66 having a slightly arcuate curvature . the inlet port 64 is provided with deflecting baffles 63 and 65 that direct the pressured fluid such as water and air into reaction against the blades 66 of the turbine fan 71 . preferably , baffles 63 and 65 converge slightly as shown to impart a suitable velocity to the fluid discharged against the turbine blades . referring now to fig5 the massage unit can be provided with a replacement massage pad generally indicated at 120 . this massage pad includes a plate 122 having longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 for reception in the longitudinal grooves 106 of the opposite side rails 102 and 104 mounted on the bottom edges of the casing 44 . the particular massage unit shown in fig5 includes a plurality of rollers 128 that are rotatably mounted on shafts 130 carried by downwardly dependent legs 132 which project from the undersurface of the plate 122 . fig5 also illustrates the transverse groove 98 in the plate 122 which receives the cam follower pin 96 as previously described . preferably , this groove 98 has a slightly curved portion 134 which serves to arrest the motion of the slide momentarily during its reciprocating movement and provides a smoother vibratory action . the cam and slot thus provide what is commonly known as an inverse cam drive relationship . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated an alternative massage pad 136 . this pad has a plate 138 similar to the plate 122 with a transverse cam groove 98 to receive the cam follower pin 96 . plate 136 also has similar longitudinal tongues 124 and 126 to adapt the plate for reciprocating movement mounting in the casing 44 . the undersurface of the plate 138 bears a plurality of bristles 140 whereby the massage unit can provide a brushing action . the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated and presently preferred embodiments . it is not intended that the invention be unduly limited by this disclosure of presently preferred embodiments . instead , it is intended that the invention be defined by the means , and their obvious equivalents , set forth in the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
9b906b5d6104b8cc08b6ab8fe474780ad72669a7e88846eb83447d5c999268f9
| 0.023682 | 0.114258 | 0.099609 | 0.061768 | 0.233398 | 0.067383 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.009705 | 0.00592 | 0.003937 | 0.005737 | 0.010681 | 0.008301 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.002548 | 0.041504 | 0.002045 | 0.031738 | 0.007355 | 0.359375 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
|
{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.009705 | 0.001137 | 0.003937 | 0.014038 | 0.010681 | 0.009155 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.002548 | 0.002716 | 0.005219 | 0.001167 | 0.007355 | 0.002716 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Fixed Constructions"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.002548 | 0.067383 | 0.002045 | 0.248047 | 0.006287 | 0.316406 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Physics"}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.002975 | 0.002716 | 0.002808 | 0.003082 | 0.03064 | 0.025146 |
null |
{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Physics"}
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{"patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling ).", "category": "Electricity"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.00193 | 0.001549 | 0.003281 | 0.000504 | 0.02063 | 0.001411 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "referring to fig1 , ( 1 ) a payout is based on % of stock value change since last spin ; ( 2 ) after spin stops , the total payout figure progressive builds with bell sounds chiming ( not an instantaneous result ) and the wheels stop sequentially . logic is based \u2018 spin formula \u201d ( see below ); the button ( 3 ) takes the player to the settings and themes application page ; the button ( 4 ) takes the player to the details application page ; and the button ( 5 ) takes the player to the stock portfolio application page ; an area ( 6 ) aggregates the total stock portfolio performance and displays as a single trend line graph ; an area ( 7 ) captures the history of each spin and displays a single \u2018 tile .\u2019 extended historical tiles can be viewed by sliding a finger horizontally across the spin tiles . data of each spin captured includes wallet ( total portfolio ) value at the time of the spin and trend of value since previous spin ; a button ( 8 ) starts machine / wheel spin ; and the application ( 9 ) calculates the total portfolio value and inserts this within the \u201c wallet total \u201d field . referring to fig2 , a stocks application page allows a player to add valid stock symbol by selecting the \u201c stocks \u201d button ( this button is found as # 5 in fig1 ). the player can add a stock symbol by selecting the \u201c add new \u201d button . the player can enter the number of shares that have been previously purchased . application system calculates the value of the stock based on the number of shares times the current value of each share . the application pulls in data automatically from yahoo finance . referring to fig3 , on a news application page allows a player to access the latest news feed from yahoo finance by selecting a stock in the portfolio as displayed within the stocks application page , followed by selecting the \u201c news \u201d button . more detailed news can be obtained by selecting each news headline . the application takes the player to the detailed news article as found on yahoo finance . this invention uses stock market performance and translates that data into slot machine results . in the case of the first time user , he or she builds a portfolio by entering the symbol ( s ) for the shares of stock ( s ) that he / she owns , and entering the number of shares of each owned . this determines the initial wallet . for example , assume the user entered an initial portfolio of stocks in two companies , ibm ( ibm ) and apple computer ( aapl ). also assume they entered quantities of 10 shares of ibm and 1 share of apple at current market prices of $ 50 and $ 800 respectively . the initial wallet amount would be $ 1300 . 00 ( 10 \u00d7 50 + 1 \u00d7 800 ). the user then spins the wheels , and the application queries for current market prices of both stocks in the portfolio . assume for this example that the price of ibm increase to $ 51 per share , and the price of apple stock stayed the same at $ 800 per share . the spin gain percentage is then determined by dividing the result of the spin ( s =$ 10 ) by the original portfolio and multiplying by 100 . in this example , it is 10 / 1300 * 100 , or 0 . 76 %. note that the spin gain percentage may be positive or negative . reels ( see device default view drawling , fig1 ) are built using a strip sized 100 wide by 1300 high ( pixels ) see fig1 below \u201c classic slots \u201d strip . the stop positions of the reels are then determined by comparing the spin gain percentage to the reel log charts ( see fig4 , 5 and 6 below ). for a stock price gain of 0 . 76 % there are six possible matches . the invention generates a random number between 1 and 9 ( or the number of combinations ) to determine which of these symbol combinations would be used . let us assume in this example that the random number generated is 1 , so the combination is bell , bell , bell . when the spin button is pressed , the reels begin the animation of spinning . each reel is a 100 wide by 1300 high , graphic , with the symbols being evenly spaced vertically at 100 pixel increments . the wheels are started at different times so as to guarantee that they are not all showing the same symbols at the same time as they spin . the symbol combination ( bell , bell , bell in this example ) is translated into a stop position for each wheel . in the 100 \u00d7 1300 graphic , the bell is at position 6 , so in this case , for each wheel , the stop positions are defined as 600 , 600 , 600 for each reel . the invention gives each reel a minimum spin time ( 0 . 5 seconds for the first reel , 1 second for the second reel , and 1 . 5 seconds for the third reel ) to guarantee that they stop in sequential order . after each minimum spin time has passed , the corresponding wheel animation is slowed . this allows for more accurate sampling of its current position . each reel &# 39 ; s vertical position is sampled as fast as the processor and os of the device allow . when the current vertical position of the current reel is equal to its stop position , the wheel is stopped . the next wheel ( left to right ) is then slowed and sampled until all wheels are stopped on the correct symbol . in summary , the invention translates an entered stock market portfolio of shares into a slot machines wheel logic . this logic also translates resulting combinations of symbols into \u201c winnings \u201d and therefore \u201c wallet \u201d ( see default device view drawling )."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
3a32f3bebe6a241fd90653e31b463dec524b4d5b5248462151367394924b4a19
| 0.002472 | 0.291016 | 0.005219 | 0.054932 | 0.007355 | 0.225586 |
null |
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.206055 | 0.000085 | 0.210938 | 0.001244 | 0.121582 | 0.00885 |
null |
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.355469 | 0.051025 | 0.628906 | 0.146484 | 0.130859 | 0.102539 |
null |
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.125 | 0.605469 | 0.359375 | 0.871094 | 0.086426 | 0.40625 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
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{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.451172 | 0.000881 | 0.902344 | 0.001595 | 0.476563 | 0.00383 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
|
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.451172 | 0.617188 | 0.902344 | 0.902344 | 0.476563 | 0.675781 |
null |
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
|
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.451172 | 0.002182 | 0.90625 | 0.028442 | 0.476563 | 0.021973 |
null |
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.128906 | 0.519531 | 0.359375 | 0.894531 | 0.086426 | 0.769531 |
null |
{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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{"patent": "a crucible 1 shown in fig1 has a base 2 and a plurality of side walls 3 rigidly connected to the base 2 . the base 2 and the side walls 3 partially surround an interior 4 to receive a silicon melt . the crucible 1 has a longitudinal axis 5 oriented perpendicular to the base 2 . a coating 8 is provided on an inner side 6 of the base 2 and on inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 . it is also possible for the crucible 1 to be uncoated . a plurality of nuclei 9 are anchored in the base 2 , the nuclei 9 being arranged distributed in a structured manner in the base 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 are provided in such a way that they project through the coating 8 into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 and come into contact with the silicon melt to be poured into the crucible 1 . it is also possible for the nuclei 9 to be anchored in accordance with a statistical distribution and therefore without a specific preferred orientation in the crucible 1 . in particular , it is also possible to provide the nuclei 9 in at least one side wall 3 . the nuclei 9 have at least one compound from a group of elements from the iii , iv or v main group of the periodic table of elements . in particular , compounds of elements of the iii , iv or v main group with oxygen are also possible , al 2 o 3 being above all particularly suitable . beo has also proven to be a suitable nucleating agent for the crucible 1 according to the invention even if be is an element of the ii main group . moreover , ceramic materials have a small lattice disregistry with respect to silicon and are well wetted by the silicon melt as they have a chemical affinity to silicon , such as , for example sic . moreover , further carbides , but also nitrides , phosphides and oxides and therefore also silicates are possible as alternative nuclei 9 . compounds of elements of the iii and v main group have proven to be particularly suitable as these elements are also used as doping materials and therefore their effect as extraneous materials is reduced . further possible materials for the nuclei 9 are therefore sio , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , bn , bp , alp , alas and an . these compounds have in common that their melt temperature is above that of silicon and is therefore greater than 1412 \u00b0 c . the effective nuclei density for the method according to the invention to produce silicon is particularly important , which will be dealt with in more detail below . the effective nuclei density in the crucible 1 according to the invention is between 0 . 001 and 100 nuclei per cm 2 , in particular between 0 . 01 and 10 nuclei per cm 2 and , in particular , between 0 . 03 and 5 nuclei cm 2 . in this case , the nuclei 9 used have a size of 0 . 01 to 50000 \u03bcm , in particular between 0 . 1 and 5000 \u03bcm and , in particular , between 1 and 500 \u03bcm . the method according to the invention for producing silicon with the crucible 1 according to the invention will be described in more detail below . firstly , the crucible 1 with the base 2 and the side walls 3 is provided . nuclei 9 are then provided at least on the inner side 6 of the base 2 in such a way that they are rigidly anchored to the base 2 and can come into direct contact with the silicon melt , even when the base 2 and / or the side walls 3 have a coating 8 . this crucible 1 is filled with the silicon melt , the silicon melt , proceeding from the nuclei 9 , firstly solidifying primarily in a planar manner until the inner side 6 provided with the nuclei 9 is substantially covered with planar silicon particles . a bulk crystal growth then takes place in a preferred growth direction 10 oriented perpendicular to the inner sides 6 , 7 . finally , the silicon body which has solidified in the crucible 1 is removed . the nucleation on the nuclei 9 will be described in more detail below . owing to the use of the nuclei , a critical undercooling necessary for nucleation compared to the remaining regions of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible , which have no nuclei 9 , is reduced . the use of nuclei 9 means that the nucleation starts at a temperature reduction of a few k in relation to the melt temperature of silicon , whereas a nucleation at a greater temperature difference from the silicon melt temperature is to be expected at the remaining points of the inner sides 6 , 7 of the crucible . the nuclei 9 growing first determine the structure of the semiconductor body . a second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig2 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with an a placed afterwards . an important difference of the crucible 1 a is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 , which are provided directly on the base 2 a of the crucible 1 a . in this case , the nuclei 9 can also be arranged randomly distributed as in the first embodiment of the crucible according to the invention and also be arranged on the inner sides 7 of the side walls 3 a . accordingly , it is also possible to configure the crucible 1 a without a coating 8 . a third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig3 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a b placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 in the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b . this means that the nuclei 9 are independent of the base 2 b and the side walls 3 b of the crucible 1 b . in particular , neither the base 2 b nor the side walls 3 b have nuclei 9 and are also not connected to the nuclei 9 . the nuclei 9 are arranged in the coating 8 b in accordance with the first embodiment in such a way that they project at least partially into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 b for nucleation . in the third embodiment , the coating 8 b of the crucible 1 b is imperative . thus , the nucleation proceeding from the nuclei 9 starts directly on the coating 8 b . as also in the two first embodiments , the nuclei 9 may be arranged statistically distributed in the coating 8 b . in particular , it is possible for only certain walls of the crucible 1 b to be provided with nuclei , while other walls are free of nuclei . in the embodiment shown , the inner side 6 of the base 2 b and the inner side 7 of the side wall 3 b shown on the left in fig3 has nuclei 9 . a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to fig4 . structurally identical parts have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment , reference being hereby made to the description thereof . structurally different , but functionally similar parts have the same reference numerals with a c placed afterwards . the important difference from the first embodiment is the arrangement of the nuclei 9 on the coating 8 , it being possible for the nuclei 9 to be loosely applied or burnt into the coating 8 of the crucible 1 d . the nuclei 9 project into the interior 4 of the crucible 1 d and , as an alternative to the arrangement shown distributed in a structured manner , may also be arranged statistically distributed . it is also possible for the side walls 3 of the crucible 1 c to have nuclei 9 . according to a further embodiment not shown in a figure , monocrystalline nuclei 9 are used on the crucible base 2 , which have a preferred growth direction 10 , which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 5 . for this purpose , sic scales are preferably used , which , because of their planar geometry embed on or in the coating 8 of the crucible 1 and therefore have the preferred growth direction 10 along the growth direction of the silicon melt . accordingly , the preferred growth direction 10 also applies to the solidifying silicon , which has a particularly positive effect on subsequent processes during the production of silicon cells . this applies , in particular , to a surface texture of a silicon cell . a preferred possibility for producing the nucleating particles on the inner sides 2 , 3 of the crucible 1 or on its coating 8 , is the use of a carrier medium in the form of a paste or a liquid with dispersed nuclei , in the form of a paste with dispersed metal , such as , for example , aluminium paste with rear metalisation , or in the form of precursors . in this case , the paste or the precursor is applied with the aid of a spray device , such as , for example , according to the principle of an inkjet print by spraying on , in accordance with a \u201c gateau cream spray bag \u201d by dropping on or by punch pressure on the inner sides 2 , 3 . by means of a following temperature process step , the starting materials of the paste with dispersed metal or of the precursor react to form the nucleating material and the particles of the paste with dispersed nuclei sinter with the crucible surface or its coating 8 . the carrier medium evaporates before the silicon melts .", "category": "Electricity"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
bb1d4ab42443c9c1a4833fa4b48d18de6ef501807d06f8f85b9a5ce5de431afc
| 0.351563 | 0.002319 | 0.291016 | 0.013611 | 0.040771 | 0.014526 |
null |
{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention ."}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.004913 | 0.000058 | 0.002472 | 0.000881 | 0.109863 | 0.005219 |
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.000881 | 0.004333 | 0.003601 | 0.006897 | 0.018799 | 0.08252 |
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.000778 | 0.005219 | 0.003174 | 0.006287 | 0.024048 | 0.021606 |
null |
{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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{"category": "Textiles; Paper", "patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.000216 | 0.041992 | 0.001701 | 0.002884 | 0.019775 | 0.189453 |
null |
{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Fixed Constructions"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.000755 | 0.02002 | 0.002975 | 0.055908 | 0.024048 | 0.176758 |
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting"}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Physics"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.000357 | 0.002182 | 0.002808 | 0.036865 | 0.013611 | 0.114258 |
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{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention ."}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "Electricity"}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.012024 | 0.001701 | 0.003937 | 0.046143 | 0.163086 | 0.263672 |
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{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention ."}
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{"patent": "the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , an internal combustion engine and cooling system or circuit is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the engine and cooling system 10 includes an internal combustion engine 12 having an engine block 14 including cylinders and pistons , a head 16 including valves and an integrated exhaust manifold 18 . these components of the internal combustion engine 12 are surrounded by a cooling jacket 20 through which a liquid coolant is circulated by an electric pump 24 . the coolant pump 24 is driven by an electric motor 26 . from the electric pump 24 , the liquid coolant is circulated in a coolant supply line 28 to the components of the internal combustion engine 12 , a turbocharger 32 , a surge tank 34 and a heater core 36 . the coolant passing through the components of the internal combustion engine 12 exits in a coolant line 42 which includes an engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . the coolant then enters a first inlet port 48 of a two section coolant control valve 50 . a first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow from the internal combustion engine 12 through the first inlet port 48 and directs it to either a first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to a radiator 60 or a second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to a line 64 which bypasses the radiator 60 and returns coolant to the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . a second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 receives coolant flow in a second inlet port 72 from both the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 in a line 74 which also communicates with the inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . a third inlet port 76 of the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 is connected to the electric pump 24 through the fluid supply line 28 . the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 also includes two exhaust ports : a third exhaust port 82 which directs coolant flow to an engine oil heater 84 and a fourth exhaust port 86 which directs coolant flow to a transmission oil heater 88 . return coolant flows from the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 are carried in the line 64 which communicates with the inlet or suction side of the electric pump 24 . the coolant control valve 50 also includes a single , i . e ., tandem , spool or flow control element 92 which is linearly and bi - directionally translated by an electric or hydraulic actuator or operator 94 . both the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 and the linear actuator or operator 94 of the coolant control valve 50 are under the control of an engine control module ( ecm ) 96 or other , similar global or dedicated electronic control module have i / o devices , static and transient memories and processors or microprocessors as well as associated electronic components . turning now to fig1 and 2 , a diagrammatic map of the position of the spool or flow control element 94 of the coolant control valve 50 is illustrated and designed by the reference number 100 . the upper portion 102 of the map 100 relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 and the lower portion 112 relates to the second section 68 of the coolant control valve 50 . while the map 100 presents two portions 102 and 112 relating specifically to the two respective sections 52 and 68 of the coolant control valve 50 , it should be understood that since there is but a single linear operator 94 and a single ( tandem ) spool or flow control element 92 , the action of one section relative to the other is always the same . stated somewhat differently , at any given position of the spool or flow control element 92 , the actions or flow control conditions of the two section 52 and 68 will always be the same . turning next to the upper portion 102 of the map 100 , as noted , it relates to the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 . at the full left position of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 , all of the coolant flow is directed to the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 connected to the line 64 as indicated by the area 104 . as the spool 92 translates to the right , flow through the ( bypass ) second exhaust port 62 decreases while flow through the first exhaust port 54 connected through a line 56 to the radiator 60 increases . the latter flow is represented by the area 106 . at approximately the mid or center position of the spool or flow control element 92 all coolant flow from the first inlet port 48 of the first section 52 of the coolant control valve 50 is directed to the radiator 60 . as the spool or flow control element 92 continues to translate to the right , flow through the first inlet port 48 and the radiator 60 begins to decrease while flow through the second ( bypass ) exhaust port 62 and the line 64 begins to increase , as represented by the area 108 , until the limit of travel to the right is reached and all coolant flow bypasses the radiator 60 and flows through the second exhaust port and the line 64 . referring now to the lower portion 112 of the map 100 , it will be appreciated that for a short distance of travel of the spool or flow control element 92 neither of the inlet ports 72 and 76 are open . after this region , the second inlet port 72 from the integrated exhaust manifold 18 and the turbocharger 32 opens rapidly , represented by the area 114 , and stays open until the center point of the region or area 106 in the upper portion 102 is reached . at this center point , the second inlet port 72 is closed and the third inlet port 76 connected by the supply line 28 to the electric pump 24 is opened as represented by the area 116 . this condition persists for the remainder of translation to the right of the spool or flow control element 92 . when opened , the flows from the second inlet port 72 and the third inlet port 76 are provided to both the engine oil heater 84 and the transmission oil heater 88 . with reference now to fig3 , a graph presents current in amps ( a ) to the electric motor 26 of the pump 24 of fig1 on the x axis versus pump flow in liters per minute ( lpm ) in the y axis for several speed ( r . p . m .) conditions of the electrically powered pump 24 between 1000 r . p . m . and 5900 r . p . m ., which are labelled from left to right 1000 , 2000 , 3000 , 4000 , 5000 , and 5900 . note that at the slower pump speeds , particularly 1000 r . p . m . to 3000 r . p . m ., the locus of points is nearly vertical meaning that the relationship between pump current and flow cannot be utilized to accurately infer pump flow from current draw and voltage . contrariwise , at the higher speeds , such as 5000 and 5900 r . p . m ., the slope of the locus of points provides a readily utilized and accurate relationship between current flow and pump flow . the ability to accurately infer pump flow ( output ) from current flow is an important aspect of the present invention , and as fig3 illustrates , is most reliable and accurate when the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 are rotating at speeds above 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher . turning now to fig1 and 4 , a flow chart of a program , sub - routine or flowchart of the method of operating an electrically driven pump and control valve such as the pump 24 in an internal combustion engine cooling system or circuit 10 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 150 . preferably , the program or sub - routine embodying the method 150 may be contained within the control module 96 or a similar electronic device . the program or method 150 begins with a start or initializing step 152 of a continuous loop program and moves to a process step 154 which reads the current or instantaneous coolant temperature from the engine outlet temperature sensor 44 . next , a decision point 156 is encountered which determines whether the current coolant temperature is at or above a predetermined or design threshold temperature . this temperature will typically be engine and application specific . if the current temperature is below the predetermined threshold temperature , the decision point 156 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at a stop or exit step 160 and repeats , as noted , in a continuous loop . if the current temperature is at or above the predetermined threshold temperature sensed in the process step 154 , the decision point 156 is exited at yes and the method moves to a process step 162 which infers from the current draw or senses or reads the present speed ( r . p . m .) of the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 . a decision point 164 is then encountered which determines whether the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above a predetermined or design threshold value . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is below the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at no and the method 150 terminates at the stop or exit step 160 and repeats . if the speed of the electric motor 26 is at or above the predetermined or design threshold , the decision point 164 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 166 . it should be appreciated that optimum control is achieved by the present method 150 , utilizing current sensing to infer motor speed , when the speed of the electric motor 26 and the pump 24 is at least 4000 r . p . m . and preferably 5000 r . p . m . or higher , as noted above , which is the optimal pump accuracy range . the process step 166 then determines the pump output or coolant flow which is a function of the speed ( r . p . m .) of the pump 24 , the electric current drawn or consumed by the electric motor 26 driving the pump 24 , the voltage supplied to the electric motor 26 . from this data , and utilizing an application specific look up table or similar computational or memory device or application , the present coolant flow is determined . the position of the coolant control valve 50 is also monitored by the control module 96 which may be achieved without feedback by reading the signal provided to the linear actuator or operator 94 or may be provided by feedback from a linear sensor ( not illustrated ) associated with the actuator or operator 94 . next , in a decision point 168 , the desired coolant flow is compared to the present coolant flow . the desired coolant flow is found in , for example , a look up table or read only memory which is engine specific and based upon prior dynamometer tests . the primary factors utilized to determine the desired coolant flow are engine speed , engine temperature and engine mode as well as other , optional , secondary factors . if the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow such that more heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is lower than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at no and the method 150 moves to a process step 172 . if the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow such that less heat is being transported out of the engine 12 and its temperature is higher than is optimal , the decision point 168 is exited at yes and the method 150 moves to a process step 174 . since the process step 172 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is less than the present coolant flow and the process step 174 is executed when , in the decision point 168 , it is determined that the desired coolant flow is greater than the present coolant flow , it should be appreciated that the two process steps 172 and 174 provide closed loop feedback in opposite directions : the former ( 172 ) reducing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate and the latter ( 174 ) increasing the coolant flow to the desired level or rate . turning first to the process step 172 , a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . a flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by subtracting the flow correction factor f c from the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then computed as the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected pump flow signal is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate reduction in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . similar though inverse activity occurs in the process step 174 wherein a flow correction factor f c is computed which is the difference between the desired and currently measured coolant flow . the flow learn value f l which represents all previous corrections as a function of coolant valve position is also computed . then , a flow multiplier f m which is a correction factor for coolant backpressure based on present coolant valve position is computed by adding the flow correction factor f c to the flow learn value f l . the corrected or new pump flow is then the open loop ( unrestricted ) pump flow times the just computed flow multiplier f m . the computed corrected or new pump flow is then provided to the coolant control valve 50 by the control module 96 to adjust its position and to the electric motor 26 of the coolant pump 24 to provide an appropriate increase in the coolant flow . the method ends at the stop or exit step 160 and then repeats . it will thus be appreciated that an internal combustion engine cooling system of circuit having an electrically driven pump and coolant control valve which is operated according to the just described method is capable of not only matching coolant flow to varying operating conditions of the engine such as speed and ambient temperature but is also capable of compensating for short and long term variations in system backpressure that would otherwise interfere with attaining and maintaining optimal system operating temperatures . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
a7d8a6c680ee46ee5d7321fc5f40e99e718435e4a2a135688737c9b7c9feb72a
| 0.011353 | 0.008301 | 0.002396 | 0.041992 | 0.198242 | 0.091309 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.039063 | 0.022949 | 0.15625 | 0.013245 | 0.294922 | 0.046143 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.075684 | 0.000418 | 0.255859 | 0.026367 | 0.269531 | 0.016357 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.178711 | 0.285156 | 0.101074 | 0.030273 | 0.503906 | 0.155273 |
null |
{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.273438 | 0.164063 | 0.574219 | 0.355469 | 0.777344 | 0.640625 |
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{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.039063 | 0.050293 | 0.160156 | 0.017944 | 0.294922 | 0.369141 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Physics"}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.07373 | 0.010986 | 0.255859 | 0.05835 | 0.271484 | 0.074707 |
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{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.214844 | 0.328125 | 0.353516 | 0.470703 | 0.53125 | 0.589844 |
null |
{"patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "fig1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 20 for printing on a print medium passing along a print path . in fig1 the print path is closed . the thermal printer 20 includes a first housing 22 and a second housing 24 . the first housing 22 encloses electrical components mounted on printed circuit boards . the first housing 22 also includes a control panel 26 which allows the thermal printer 20 to be controlled and adjusted by a user . the control panel 26 includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 28 , a plurality of buttons 30 , and a plurality of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 32 . the lcd 28 provides an alphanumeric display of various commands useful for the user to control and adjust the thermal printer 20 . the buttons 30 implement the user &# 39 ; s choices of controls and adjustments , and the leds 32 provide displays of the status of the thermal printer 20 . for example , one of the buttons 30 can be used to toggle the thermal printer 20 on - and off - line , with one of the leds 32 lighting to indicate when the printer is on - line . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to select an array of menus including choices of print speeds and media types , among other choices . another one of the buttons 30 can be used to reload or advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . yet another button 30 can be used to open the thermal printer 20 in order to change the print medium . the second housing 24 includes a printer module 34 and a motor drive module 36 which are normally latched together . the printer module 34 and the motor drive module 36 are separated by a print medium path 38 along which the print medium passes . by activating another one of the buttons 30 , the printer module 34 can be caused to unlatch from the motor drive module 36 so that it can be rotated backwards , in a clockwise direction , to the position seen in fig3 . this action opens the print medium path 38 and allows the adjustment and replacement of the print medium which is introduced into the print medium path 38 from a print medium roll 40 ( see fig1 ). the print medium supplied on the print medium roll 40 is available in a variety of thicknesses , thermal sensitivities , and materials , depending upon the use to be made of the print medium . the print medium supplied from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 and exits through an opening 42 at the front of the second housing 24 . if the print medium is a thermal transfer medium , a thermal transfer ribbon is placed in a separate drive mechanism ( not shown ) contained within the printer module 34 . this separate drive mechanism provides supply and take - up rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon . the rolls for the thermal transfer ribbon are controllable independently of the movement of the print medium . this allows saving the ribbon when the print medium contains areas where no printing is required . the motor drive module 36 also contains a cooling fan ( not shown ) which exhausts air through a side grill 44 . a conventional print medium 45 shown in fig2 comprises a long strip of backing material 46 with self - adhesive labels 48 adhered at spaced - apart positions along the length of the backing material , and the print medium is rolled to form the print medium roll 40 . fig2 shows three labels 48 adhered to a short segment of the backing material 46 . the backing material 46 has a pair of parallel straight edges 50 extending in the direction the backing material travels along the print medium path 38 . the labels 48 are spaced away from each of the edges 50 by a predetermined distance d . the labels 48 are separated from one another in the direction of travel of the backing material 46 by gaps 52 , which extend perpendicularly to the edges 50 . the invention is adapted to sense the presence of the gaps 52 , or more precisely , the leading edge of a label , by the change in transmissivity of light through the backing material 46 which is caused by the presence or absence of a label 48 . the print medium 45 from the print medium roll 40 passes through the print medium path 38 with the side of the backing material to which the labels 48 of the print medium are attached facing up . as best shown in fig5 the print medium 45 is advanced through the print medium path 38 by an advancement mechanism ( to be described subsequently ) and forced to pass between a platen roller 53 positioned within the motor drive module 36 at the opening 42 of the print medium path 38 and a thermal printhead 80 ( to be described in fig5 ), which is positioned within the printer module 34 . the print medium 45 , including the labels 48 which have been printed on , exit through the front opening 42 ( see fig1 ). when the printer module 34 is latched to the motor drive module 36 , the side of the print medium to which the labels 48 are adhered , is forced against the thermal printhead 80 by the platen roller 53 . in order to accommodate a wide variety of print media , the pressure between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 is variably adjustable . fig3 is a perspective view of the thermal printer 20 of fig1 with the print medium path 38 being open . fig4 is a perspective view of the tracking section of the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 includes a stepper motor 51 having a shaft 52 with a drive gear 54 attached near its end . the stepper motor 51 is controlled by electrical circuitry contained in the first housing 22 . the electrical circuitry will be described subsequently . the drive gear 54 engages a large gear 56 which drives a pulley 58 . the pulley 58 engages a belt 60 which also passes over two equally - sized pulleys 62 and 64 . the pulley 62 is attached to the end of a platen shaft 66 which drives the platen roller 53 . the pulley 64 is attached to the end of a slew roller shaft 68 which supports a slew roller 70 . a pinch roller 72 , which is held by member 73 , can be caused to rotate about a pivot shaft 74 toward the slew roller 70 with the print medium therebetween . when this happens , any print medium 45 passing through the print medium path 38 will be driven toward the front opening 42 by the driven slew roller 70 . the speed at which the print medium is advanced toward the front opening 42 is governed by the rotational speed of the slew roller shaft 68 . the platen shaft 66 , which is driven at the same speed as the slew roller shaft 68 , causes the print medium to pass between the platen roller 46 and the thermal printhead 80 ( shown in fig5 ) at the same speed . when the thermal printer 20 is printing , the platen roller 53 moves the print medium 45 . otherwise , as will be seen , the platen roller 53 is not frictionally engaged with the print medium and the slew roller 70 working in conjunction with the pinch roller 72 advance the print medium through the thermal printer 20 . the motor drive module 36 also includes a guide mechanism 78 for guiding the backing material 46 through the print medium path 38 . it includes edge guides 79 which guide the edges 50 of the backing material 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an advancement mechanism 81 used with the thermal printer 20 of fig1 . the advancement mechanism 81 is placed below the guide mechanism 78 shown in fig3 and 4 . in the advancement mechanism 81 the printhead 80 pivots about a shaft 82 rotatably supported by a frame portion 83 of the printer module 34 . the shaft 82 has one end affixed to an arm 84 . accordingly , a clockwise movement of the arm 84 ( as viewed in fig5 ) rotates the shaft 82 clockwise and causes the printhead 80 to move toward the platen roller 53 . the printer module 34 is connected to the motor drive module 36 when the thermal printer 20 is in use by a latch 120 which pivots about a latch shaft 122 that is rotatably supported by a frame portion 37 of the motor drive module 36 . the latch 120 , which is driven by a mechanism ( not shown ) in the motor drive module 36 , engages a pin 124 which projects from the printer module 34 . when latched , the printhead 80 is moved so that it is engaged against the print medium 45 passing between the platen roller 53 and the printhead 80 . fig6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a guide mechanism for use with the invention . the mechanism includes a frame 130 having two arms 132 which are arranged parallel to one another to guide the backing material 46 received from the roll 40 through the print medium path 38 of the thermal printer 20 . a first pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the frame 130 and a second pair of the edge guides 79 is attached to the ends of the arms 132 . the edge guides 79 engage the edges 50 of the 1 backing material 46 and keep the backing material properly located in the print medium path 38 . the thermal printer 20 uses a &# 34 ; center tracking &# 34 ; scheme which keeps the print medium 45 centered in the print medium path 38 regardless of the width of the print medium , which can range between 2 . 2 and 5 . 2 inches . the arms 132 are adjusted automatically to fit the width of the backing material 46 specified through the control panel 26 of the thermal printer 20 . the frame 130 is located in the motor drive module 36 above . it has an aperture 134 through which the pinch roller 72 can reach the backing material . an array of light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 136 is attached to one side of the frame 130 , and extends perpendicularly to one of the arms 132 to cast a substantially uniform beam of light upward from the frame 130 toward the print medium path 38 . preferably the leds 136 emit infrared ( ir ) light . if the print medium 45 is loaded in the print medium path 38 , the light cast by the array of leds 136 will strike the downward facing side of the backing material 46 . opposing the array of leds 136 is a fiber optic holder 138 , which holds an end portion of a flexible fiber optic 140 oriented perpendicularly to the array of leds 136 and a light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 facing toward the array to receive light it generates . the fiber optic holder 138 moves with the arm 132 to which it is attached . as noted above , the arm 132 moves laterally inward and outward to adjust to the width of the backing material 46 being used . the fiber optic 140 is held by the holder 138 so as to always be positioned inward of the adjacent edge 50 of the backing material 46 being guided through the print medium path 38 . therefore , depending upon the width of the backing material 46 , the light receiving end of the fiber optic 140 will always be opposite one of the leds in the array of leds 136 with the backing material 46 therebetween . the light collected by the end of the fiber optic 140 is directed to its other end 141 which is located opposite a conventional photodiode 225 which comprises part of a sensor 226 , shown in fig7 b and 8 . the photodiode is terminated in a selectable load resistance , as will be described subsequently the sensor 226 produces an electrical signal whose level depends upon the amount of light collected by the fiber optic 140 . this amount of light depends , in turn , upon whether the backing material 46 passing between the leds 136 and the fiber optic 140 has a label 48 attached thereto . this signal is sent to an analog - to - digital converter in the sensor 226 . the information in the resulting digital signal is processed by a conventionally programmed print engine microprocessor to measure the actual lengths of the labels 48 , the lengths of the gaps between the labels 48 , or other features relating to the spacing of the labels 48 along the print medium 45 , or even to sense the absence of the print medium 45 in the print medium path 38 . the components described above operate to detect changes in transmissivity between the print medium 45 above ( a gap ) and the print medium 45 with a label 48 adhered thereto . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that , while most labels 48 are somewhat transmissive , some could be opaque . in this case , the above - described components will still serve their functions well . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the same operation might be accomplished in some applications by placing the light source and the light detector in the same side of the backing as the print labels and detecting the changes in reflectivity as the labels pass by . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that to accommodate for both the variation in the sensitivity of the components chosen to implement the functions of the present invention and the wide range of transmissivity ( or opacity ) of the print media , the sensor 226 requires a gain setting that can be varied . that is accomplished by choosing an appropriate load resistance for the photodiode 225 . as shown in fig8 the load resistance is comprised of the resistors 227a , 227b , 227c , and 227d . these resistors 227 can be grounded through activation of their associated open collector devices 229a , 229b , 229c , and 229d . if the values of resistance of the resistors 227 are chosen correctly , the load resistance that could be applied to the photodiode 225 could have 2 4 different values . this can be accomplished by causing each of the resistors 227 to have a resistance that differs from the resistance of the others by a factor that is an integral power of two . the open collector devices 229 ( which can be field effect transistors , open collector logic gates , etc .) are selectively activated , under software control , by the prior engine microprocessor 208 . with the above - described sensor 226 , the thermal printer 20 can be calibrated to account for the variations described above . this is accomplished by passing a particular print medium through the printer 20 in a special calibrate mode that can be chosen by a user . in this calibrate mode , each available gain of the sensor 226 will be tried and one selected . the gain that is selected is the one that results in the largest difference between readings of the a / d converter 231 for the backing only and the backing and label together . fig7 a - 7c comprise a block diagram of the electrical circuitry used with the guide mechanism of fig6 . the electrical circuitry includes a print engine microcomputer 202 and an image microcomputer 204 . the print engine microcomputer 202 is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of the print medium 45 and the thermal transfer ribbon ( if any ) through the print medium path 38 and supplying print timing commands to the printhead 80 . the image microcomputer 204 produces the images which are to be printed on the print medium . the print engine microcomputer 202 includes a print engine microprocessor 208 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 210 , an input interface 212 , and an output interface 214 . the rom 210 communicates with the print engine microprocessor 208 over bidirectional lines . the input interface 212 transmits input signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 and the print engine microprocessor 208 transmits output signals to the output interface 214 . the image microcomputer 204 includes an image microprocessor 216 . the print engine microprocessor 208 and the image microprocessor 216 both communicate over bidirectional lines with a shared random access memory ( ram ) 206 . in addition , the print engine microprocessor 208 communicates interrupt signals to the image microprocessor 216 and the image microprocessor 216 communicates interrupt signals to the print engine microprocessor 208 . through the output interface 214 , the print engine microprocessor 208 sends control signals to a ribbon take - up drive 218 , a ribbon supply drive 220 , a stepper motor drive 222 , and a head motor drive 224 . the stepper motor drive 222 produces appropriate drive signals and transmits them to the stepper motor 51 . movements of the print medium 45 caused by the stepper motor 50 are sensed by the sensor 226 which produces signals that are transmitted to the input interface 212 . the head motor drive 224 also produces appropriate signals and transmits them to the stepper motors 92 , 150 . movements of the printhead 80 caused by the stepper motor 92 , 150 are sensed by two sensors , the optical caliper detector 114 and a print module position sensor 228 . the optical caliper detector 114 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printhead 80 is in the print mode or the idle mode . the print module position sensor 228 transmits signals to the input interface 212 , indicating whether the printer module 34 is disengaged from the motor drive module 36 . as indicated above , detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein . however , other embodiments , which may be detailed rather differently from the disclosed embodiments , are possible . consequently , the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative : yet in that regard , they are deemed to afford the best embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein , which define the scope of the present invention ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
5be3f953883cac2f6a530c6e1d959034156329d83c49da809277df3a2ac64085
| 0.052734 | 0.460938 | 0.157227 | 0.5625 | 0.296875 | 0.388672 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.014954 | 0.230469 | 0.039063 | 0.496094 | 0.019409 | 0.734375 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.022583 | 0.013611 | 0.024414 | 0.015442 | 0.017456 | 0.004913 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
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{"patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.018311 | 0.004456 | 0.026001 | 0.009155 | 0.011353 | 0.002182 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.014954 | 0.027954 | 0.036865 | 0.390625 | 0.019409 | 0.255859 |
null |
{"patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
|
{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.002716 | 0.03418 | 0.006897 | 0.029785 | 0.002045 | 0.08252 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
{"patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention .", "category": "Physics"}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.004333 | 0.476563 | 0.003708 | 0.140625 | 0.0065 | 0.232422 |
null |
{"patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention .", "category": "Human Necessities"}
|
{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.000805 | 0.005066 | 0.003937 | 0.014954 | 0.02002 | 0.007111 |
null |
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
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{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
46c2e50bc032e3f859fa8cd4a1fcf7b3564b8a521cd3206ddb964ae159e4dfba
| 0.012451 | 0.585938 | 0.0065 | 0.78125 | 0.006104 | 0.353516 |
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.040771 | 0.002808 | 0.667969 | 0.000431 | 0.292969 | 0.001282 |
null |
{"patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
|
{"category": "Performing Operations; Transporting", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.013611 | 0.035645 | 0.070801 | 0.033203 | 0.112793 | 0.067383 |
null |
{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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{"patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud .", "category": "Textiles; Paper"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.014038 | 0.001503 | 0.141602 | 0.000519 | 0.200195 | 0.000668 |
null |
{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
|
{"patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud .", "category": "Fixed Constructions"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.106934 | 0.010315 | 0.671875 | 0.034668 | 0.470703 | 0.099609 |
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{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.014038 | 0.001648 | 0.141602 | 0.001137 | 0.200195 | 0.008606 |
null |
{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
|
{"patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud .", "category": "Physics"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.103516 | 0.003937 | 0.683594 | 0.004456 | 0.470703 | 0.015442 |
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{"patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
|
{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.014526 | 0.004211 | 0.070801 | 0.003174 | 0.112793 | 0.002258 |
null |
{"category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
|
{"category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology", "patent": "the polyglycerol used in the examples below has the following composition ( in molar %): glycerol : about 27 % ( between 24 and 30 %); diglycerol : about 31 % ( between 28 and 34 %); triglycerol : about 23 % ( between 20 and 26 %); tetraglycerol : about 12 % ( between 9 and 15 %); pentaglycerol : about 7 % ( between 4 and 10 %); ie . it has a degree of polymerization ranging between 2 and 3 , in fact of about 2 . 4 , and an average number of hydroxyl funtions of about 4 . 4 . it is then esterified with a mole / mole stoichiometry with a c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid to reach a mono - c8 \u2013 c10 polyglycerol majority distribution called pg 8 / 10 below , with a free oh / esterified oh molar ratio of about 3 . 4 : 1 . \u201c c8 \u2013 c10 fatty acid \u201d is understood to be an industrial acid consisting essentially of c8 or c10 acids , but possibly also containing small quantities of heavier or lighter acids , this resulting from the natural origin and from the manufacturing process . the purpose of tests or experiments in porous media is to simulate passage of the filtrate through a reservoir rock and to study the interaction thereof on the saturations in place in the rock . two types of experiments are conducted : in both cases , the residual water saturation of the rock is observed to change , as is the oil permeability in the direction opposite the filtration direction ( backflow ). the experimental device is diagrammatically shown in fig1 . the porous medium 2 is placed in a hassler cell 1 . a confining pressure of 2 mpa is applied to the medium by means of a squeeze cap 3 . brine , oil , or a simulated filtrate can be circulated in the porous medium . the flow rate of the injected solution is controlled by a pharmacia type piston pump 4 . a differential pressure sensor 5 is placed between the inlet and the outlet of the cell . the device is connected to a computer 6 which allows to calculate , among other things , the permeability of the rock to the injected liquid . core sample 2 is made of clashack sandstone for experiments ( i ) or vosges sandstone for experiments ( ii ). it has the following dimensions : length 60 mm , section 32 . 7 mm , pore volume vp approximately 8 . 5 cm 3 , porosity approximately 17 %. the porous medium must be under conditions similar to those of the reservoir . the core sample must therefore be saturated with brine , then with oil ( a ) saturating rock with brine : the core sample is saturated in a vacuum drier , then subjected to a confining pressure of 2 mpa and brine is passed therethrough ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ) at 10 cm 3 / h for 48 hours with 10 bars pore pressure . ( b ) measuring permeability to brine : brine is passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( q : 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the pressure difference ( \u03b4p ) between the ends of the porous medium is measured . the slope of the line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to brine kw ( in milidarcy ) to be calculated . ( c ) measuring permeability to oil : injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( refined oil sold by phillips chemical co . having a viscosity 0 . 7 mpa . s at 80 \u00b0 c .) at 10 cm 3 / h for 24 hours , then gradual increase of the flow rate from 100 cm 3 / h to 500 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the saturation rate of the oil ( so ) and water ( sw ) to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at different flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko ( in millidarcy ) to be calculated . the solution simulating the filtrate ( brine or brine + additive or brine + polymers or brine + polymers + additive ) is injected at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of oil collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates to be calculated . production start is simulated by backflow injection of oil ( i . e . in the opposite direction to injection of the filtrate ) at 10 cm 3 / h . the volume of water collected enables the new water and oil saturation rates sw and so to be calculated . oil is then passed through the core sample at various flow rates ( 300 , 200 , 100 cm 3 / h ) and the differential pressure \u03b4p is measured . the slope of line q = f ( \u03b4p ) enables the permeability of the rock to oil ko 1 ( in md ) to be calculated . 2 . dynamic filtration ( 600 s \u2212 1 ) under pressure ( 3 . 5 mpa ) and temperature : once saturated under the conditions of a reservoir , the core sample is placed in a dynamic filtration cell . a water - based drilling mud is then filtered , and an external and internal cake forms during filtration . this experiment is closer to real conditions because a real water - based mud filtrate , and no longer a simple simulated filtrate , passes through the core sample . the core sample is then transferred into the hassler cell and the water and oil saturations and the return permeability to oil are measured as before , by backflow injection of oil . the tests consist in injecting a brine , to which the additive according to the invention is or is not added , into a porous medium previously saturated in the presence of oil and water under swi ( initial water saturation ) conditions ( type ( i ) test ). sw is the water saturation ( percentage water contained in the pore volume ) ko is the permeability of the core sample to oil expressed in millidarcy ( in si units , the conversion factor is : 1 darcy = 9 . 87 . 10 \u2212 13 m 2 ). in the presence of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive in the brine , the results become : these filtration tests show that addition of 0 . 1 g / l of pg8 / 10 additive allows to remove most of the residual water . addition of the additive to a brine injected into a porous medium thus enables the saturations to be changed by displacing residual water , thus leading to higher oil saturations . note that permeability to oil also increases after backflow . the same experiments are conducted in the presence of 0 . 5 g / l of polymer ( polyacrylamide pam ) to approximate the real composition of a water - based mud filtrate . in the presence of pam alone , there is no change in residual water saturation . however , the oil permeability is decreased due to adsorption of the polymer on the rock and to clogging of its pores by the polymer aggregates . as can be seen from the example below , when pg8 / 10 is added , most of the residual water is displaced . note also that the decrease in the oil permeability of the rock is less than when pam alone is present . one may conclude that , even in the presence of polymers , addition of pg8 / 10 removes most of the residual water and limits the reduction in oil permeability . to come closer to actual conditions , dynamic filtration is carried out , then reinstitution of well production is simulated ( type ( ii ) test ). the water - based mud formulation is called flopro , it is marketed by the mi drilling fluids company ( usa ). these tests , carried out on a complete formulation , confirm the good results obtained with saturation ( saturation with residual water after oil backflow of 29 % in the presence of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 is obtained , as opposed to 53 % without additive ). the goal is to show the effect of the additive on the wettability of the rock . for this purpose , spreading of a drop of oil on the surface of a rock ( claschach sandstone ) immersed in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive according to the invention is observed . the experimental device ( fig2 ) is a crystallizer 10 containing an aqueous solution 11 ( 40 g / l nacl , 5 g / l kcl ), a rock support 12 , a slice of rock 13 , and a drop of oil 14 ( soltrol \u00ae) deposited with a syringe 15 . the method of operation is as follows : a slice of a claschach sandstone type rock is suspended in a salted aqueous solution that contains or does not contain the additive . after immersion for about 40 seconds , a drop of soltrol \u00ae oil coloured with sudan blue is introduced at the surface of the rock with a needle . the form of the drop is then observed in the presence or not of the additive according to the invention contained in the solution . in the salted water alone , the oil drop is round and does not spread ( fig2 ). the rock is thus preferentially water wet . from a concentration of 0 . 3 g / l pg8 / 10 in the brine , the oil drop is observed to spread on the rock and it even penetrates it at 2 g / l of active product . these tests , not illustrated here , confirm that pg8 / 10 increases the oil wettability of the rock . the surface tension ( brine / air ) and interfacial tension ( brine / soltrol ) were measured at 25 \u00b0 c . the brine used contains 40 g / l nacl and 5 g / l kcl . with no additive , the brine / air surface tension is 72 mn / m . with 100 ppm of additive , it drops to 25 mn / m . without additive , the brine / soltrol interfacial tension is 38 mn / m . with 10 ppm of additive it drops to 19 mn / m , reaching 14 mn / m with 15 ppm of additive . the results show that pg8 / 10 has a definite interfacial activity because it can reduce the surface tension of water to 25 mn / m and the brine / soltrol interfacial tension to 14 mn / m for low concentrations , less than the cmc ( critical micellar concentration ) of pg8 / 10 which is approximately 100 ppm . the efficiency of the present invention is shown by a reservoir damage simulation test conducted on 40 - cm long rock samples . the details of the experiment can be found in the following document : \u201c performance evaluation and formation damage potential of new water based drilling formulations ,\u201d argillier j - f , audibert a ., longeron d . spe drilling and completion , 14 , no . 4 , 266 \u2013 273 , 1999 . the rock used is claschach sandstone with the following composition : 94 . 7 % quartz , 2 . 6 % potassium feldspar , 0 . 5 % chlorite , and 0 . 7 % illite ( including mica ). the conditions to which the sample is subjected are known as irreducible water saturation ( swi ) by evacuation , saturation with brine , then injection of soltrol 130 \u00ae oil ( approximately 10 pore volumes ). the oil permeability of the sample is then measured ( ko at swi ). the rock sample is made to contact the drilling and / or workover fluid circulating along the front face of the sample under the following conditions : overpressure 0 . 35 to 2 mpa in stages of 0 . 5 mpa every 2 minutes , then stabilization at 2 mpa where the mud circulates at a rate of 5 l / min . during filtration , oil is produced at the end of the sample , corresponding to invasion of the core sample by the mud filtrate . the test is stopped at the filtrate breakthrough , i . e . when the first drop of filtrate comes out at the end of the core sample . the mud used here is a formulation marketed by mi drilling fluids ( usa ) and it contains : 6 g / l flovis \u00ae ( xanthan ), 7 g / l flotrol \u00ae ( starch ), 20 g / l nacl , 20 g / l kcl , and 360 g / l calcium carbonate ( test 1 ) to which 0 . 1 g / l pg8 / 10 may be added ( test 2 ). the results of these two tests are provided in the table hereafter for comparison : we observe a significant difference in return permeability ( after backflow ) when pg8 / 10 is added to the mud , particularly in the first few centimeters of the core sample . this indicates that , during backflow , the porous medium once more becomes more easily saturated with oil in the case of mud with the presence of additive . thus , the additive entrained with the filtrate preferentially clogs the adsorption sites , thus limiting adsorption / retention of polymers contained in the mud and hence entrained with the filtrate into the porous medium . this limits clogging or shrinking of the pores by polymers , thus improving oil permeability . since the additive is added to the drilling fluid or to the well fluid , it is essential for it to be able to penetrate the permeable rock formation . in the case of a drilling fluid , it is essential for the molecule to be able to pass through the cake into the filtrate . passage of the molecule through the cake was therefore studied . the tests presented below were conducted on green bond ( 70 g / l green bond \u00ae, bentonite marketed by the sbf company ; 1 g / l of pac lv , an anionic low - viscosity cellulose polymer , 1 g / l nacl ), and flopro muds ( example 3 ). first , the muds are centrifuged with and without pg8 / 10 to find out the adsorption of pg8 / 10 and polymers on the clay . also , the muds are filtered for 30 minutes at 0 . 7 mpa and room temperature . all the solutions obtained are subjected to toc analysis in order to establish a material balance in ppm of carbon . to find out the correspondence between the ppm of molecule and of carbon , the pg8 / 10 calibration curve was obtained . for the green bond \u00ae mud , the results show that 35 % of the gp8 / 10 adsorbs on clay and of the remaining 65 %, 84 % passes through the cake . for flopro \u00ae mud , the material balance is more complex because of the presence of the polymers that contribute to the carbon value measured in the filtrate . even so , when pg8 / 10 is used , there is a sharp increase in carbon in the filtrate , due largely to the presence of pg8 / 10 in the filtrate . these tests show that part of the pg8 / 10 molecules passes through the cake and is thus available for modifying the saturations in the oil formation . the compatibility of the product with the various constituents of a mud was tested . for this purpose , the properties of the mud containing the additive were studied in terms of rheology and filtration . the results of this study on the green bond \u00ae and flopro \u00ae muds with and without pg8 / 10 , before ( a - v ) and after ( p - v ) aging , are summarized in the table below : addition of 1 g / l pg8 / 10 does not significantly affect the filtration or rheology properties of the muds tested , which shows that such an additive , as defined in the present invention , is compatible with the conventional constituents of drilling and / or workover fluids . in order to avoid any additional damage at the well bore , it is necessary to evaluate if any in situ emulsion can be generated between reservoir fluids ( brine , oil ) and the mud filtrate . thus , one of the conditions is that the water - based mud filtrate is compatible with the reservoir fluids . the proportion of each phase is varied in order to plot a ternary diagram . emulsion formation and stability are determined by means of the so - called \u201c bottle test \u201d as described hereunder . brine ( nacl 20 g / l ), an organic phase , i . e ., oil reservoir constituting reservoir fluids , are put into contact with a mud filtrate containing the additive of this invention . the filtrate is constituted from water , salts , and polymers ( xanthan 0 . 5 g / l , starch 0 . 5 g / l ). a mixture a composed of 80 ml of reservoir oil and 20 ml of aqueous phase and a mixture b composed of 60 ml of reservoir oil and 40 ml of aqueous phase are prepared . the aqueous phase is composed of brine ( reservoir fluid ) and mud filtrate containing 1 g / l of the additive here described with the following proportions 25 / 75 , 50 / 50 and 75 / 25 by volume . the agitation is performed with a magnetic stirrer for a reservoir oil ( low agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by a high speed agitation during 15 min .) or with an hamilton beach for a model oil ( low speed agitation during the drop by drop addition , followed by an agitation period of 15 min . at the same speed ). the emulsion is transferred in a flask and it is observed whether the emulsion breaks or not . results are obtained with the following additives used at a concentration of 1 g / l . 1 . polyglycerol mono oleate ( c18 ) 2 . polyglycerol mono myristate ( c14 ) 3 . polyglycerol mono laurate ( c12 ) 4 . polyglycerol mono c8 \u2013 c10 5 . polyglycerol mono hexanoate ( c6 ) the reservoir oil is a real one with the following properties : density ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 850 kg / m3 viscosity ( 20 \u00b0 c . ): 8 . 3 cp composition ( sara method ): some tests have been performed with a model oil ( soltrol 130 \u00ae), which contains no natural surfactants . the risk of emulsion is indicated in the following table ( observation performed after 16 hours unless otherwise indicated ). in all the cases , the presence of the additive within the filtrate induces the emulsion breaking if any . the longer the alkyl chain , the faster the breaking . the results of the additional tests performed with a model oil , soltrol 130 \u00ae, are summarized in the following table : it was further observed that , in the absence of stirring , the additives corresponding to the longer acid chains have the tendency of forming light white precipitates , this denoting approaching the solubility limit . such a phenomenon can cause interactions with the other components of the mud ."}
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Does the category match the content of the patent?
| 0.25 |
c399415e2e9786246914ba62abd4735904a3c670fe29344202c4c9f009ac2fba
| 0.037842 | 0.279297 | 0.667969 | 0.480469 | 0.292969 | 0.226563 |
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
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{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.005371 | 0.006683 | 0.072754 | 0.017944 | 0.222656 | 0.031128 |
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.124023 | 0.012451 | 0.070801 | 0.128906 | 0.386719 | 0.292969 |
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.004456 | 0.000278 | 0.072754 | 0.003372 | 0.21875 | 0.009155 |
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
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{"category": "Textiles; Paper", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.005371 | 0.009399 | 0.072754 | 0.000626 | 0.222656 | 0.07373 |
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
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{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.00383 | 0.208984 | 0.037354 | 0.824219 | 0.175781 | 0.392578 |
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.314453 | 0.043457 | 0.566406 | 0.029297 | 0.53125 | 0.21875 |
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "Physics"}
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{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.005371 | 0.21875 | 0.068359 | 0.439453 | 0.168945 | 0.351563 |
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{"category": "Physics", "patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims ."}
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{"patent": "referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a principal portion of a tape recorder with a mode selector assembly according to the present invention , especially in the stop mode . on a main chassis 1 there is mounted an actuator lever 2 ( since this lever is a play actuator lever in the illustrated embodiment , this lever is called a play actuator lever ) and a stop lever 3 . by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1f and 1g into guide holes 2a and 3a formed in the main chassis 1 , both the lever 2 and 3 are made to be slidable between a non - actuated position ( in stop mode ) and an actuated position in the directions of the arrows c and d . furthermore , both the levers are constantly urged into the non - actuated position in the direction of the arrow d by means of springs 15 and 16 extending between pins 1k and 1l standing on the main chassis 1 and pins 2b and 3b . of these levers , the play lever 2 has a lock pin 2c and the stop lever 3 has an unlock pin 3c . the play lever 2 further includes a projection 2d in an extension of its rear end . a lock plate 4 is held to be slidable in directions ( as denoted by the arrows a and b ) normal to the sliding movement of the respective levers 2 and 3 by inserting a guide hole 4a about a guide shaft 1h seated on the main chassis 1 . moreover , the lock plate 4 is constantly biased in the direction of the arrow a due to a spring 17 extending between a pin 4b and a pin 1m seated on the main chassis 1 . the lock plate 4 is further provided at its side edge facing against the play lever 2 with a lock portion 4c which engages with the lock pin 2c of the play lever 2 and holds the play lever 2 in the actuated position , and at another side edge facing against the stop lever 3 with an inclined portion 4d which engages with the unlock pin 3c of the stop lever 3 . a trigger arm 5 is made of a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about a support shaft 1c of the main chassis 1 , which has a horizontal segment or a pressure member 5c held in contact with the rear end of the play lever 2 and a vertical segment carrying a projection 5b at its rear end . a spring 18 extending between the pin 5a and the pin 1n on the main chassis 1 biases the trigger arm 5 in the direction of the arrow f while the span of the rotating movement of the trigger arm 5 is limited by a pin 18 seated on the main chassis 1 . when the pressure portion 5c is depressed upon actuation of the play lever 2 , the trigger arm 5 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 18 . a stop arm 6 is of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; configuration and a spring 19 extending between a pin 6a at the tip portion of a horizontal segment of the stop arm 6 and a pin 10 on the main chassis 1 urges the stop arm 6 in the direction of the arrow f . the stop arm 6 also bears a projection 6b at the bottom of the tip portion of its vertical segment . while the stop arm 6 is constantly held in contact with the pin 1t under the influence of the spring 19 , it will rotate in the direction of the arrow e by a predetermined amount against the force of the spring 19 upon actuation of the stop lever 3 . a subchassis - actuating arm 7 is made of an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped member pivoted about the support shaft 1b on the main chassis 1 . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 includes a sliding hump 7a at the bottom of the central portion of its horizontal segment traversing the top surfaces of the vertical segments of the trigger arm 5 and the stop arm 6 and a bearing surface 7c . a spring 20 extending between the pin 7b and a pin 1p seated on the main chassis 1 constantly forces the subchassis - actuating arm 7 to rotate in the direction of the arrow f . the spin of such rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is limited by a pin 1v . the subchassis - actuating arm 7 pivotably carries , at a shaft 7d on the top surface of its horizontal segment , one end of a link arm 12 more closely to the pin 7b than the sliding hump 7a . the projection 2d of the play lever 2 is snugly fitted into an elongated slot 12a at the other end of the link arm 12 . when the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the force of the spring 20 with rotation of a cam gear 8 to be discussed below , the play lever 2 slides toward the actuated position . the cam gear 8 is pivoted about the support shaft 1a on the main chassis 1 , which gear has at its periphery a tooth - free portion 8a and at its top surface a cam 8b of an annular strip with a radius of curvature varying gradually about a third hump 8f removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 and about the support shaft 1a . the cam 8b in its inner surface 8c consists of a maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the furthermost position with regard to the tooth - free portion 8a , a minimum diameter portion 8c 1 somewhat forward of the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the direction of the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 and an inclined portion 8c 2 intermediate the minimum and maximum diameter portions . the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 slides on the cam inner surface 8c of the cam 8b so defined . especially in the play mode , ( including record mode ) the sliding hump 7a slides on the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 , rotating the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and bringing a subchassis to be discussed below back to the play position . otherwise ( including stop mode ), the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 is aligned with the sliding hump 7a to place the subchassis - actuating arm 7 into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 . defined on the periphery of the cam 8 are first and second projections 8d and 8e which extend upwardly and radially from positions front and behind the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 with regard to the direction of the rotating movement of the cam 8 . the first projection 8d is removably engaged with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and , when in such engaging relationship , is also engaged with one end of a starter spring 22 wound around a support shaft 1r on the main chassis 1 , so that the starter spring 22 is compressed and maintained in an energy storage state with the aid of a pin 1u on the main chassis 1 . at the moment where the first projection 8d is disengaged from the trigger arm 5 , the starter spring 22 in the energy storage state gives a kick at the first projection 8d due to its restoring force , enabling the cam gear 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow . moreover , the second projection 8e is removably engaged with the projection 6b of the stop arm 6 . a driving gear 9 is pivoted about a support shaft 1e on the main chassis 1 by means of a pulley 9a which is driven by a driving motor 10 via a conveyor belt 23 bridging the distance between the pulley 9a and a pulley 10b attached to a motor shaft 10a , thus driving the cam gear 8 under the engaging relationship where it is in meshing with teeth in the cam gear 8 . it is noted that in the stop mode the cam gear 8 is positioned against the tooth - free portion 8a due to the engagement between the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 and the first projection 8d . the subchassis 11 is movable forward and backward on the main chassis 1 by inserting upstanding guide shafts 1i and 1j on the main chassis 1 into guide holes 11a and 11b formed therein , which chassis carries an erase head 13 and a record / play head 14 mounted thereon . when the subchassis is moved in the directions of the arrows c and d , a magnetic tape in a cassette not shown comes into or out of contact with the respective heads . the subchassis is constantly biased toward the stop position by the action of the spring 21 in stop mode and then , upon rotation of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , moves upward from the stop position toward the play position in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 21 by the action of the arm 7 . the mode selector assembly as discussed above will operate in the following manner . stop mode will be described by reference to fig1 . in stop mode both the play and stop levers 2 and 3 are forced into the forward or non - actuated position under the influence of the springs 15 and 16 . the subchassis 11 , on the other hand , stands in a stop position where the erase and record / play heads are out of contact with the magnetic tape in the cassette under the influence of the spring 21 . the cam gear 8 is in engaging relationship with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 with its first projection 8d in contact with the pin 1a ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ;) so that the rear end of the tooth - free portion 8a ( the end of the cam gear 8 in the direction of its rotation ) is positioned opposite the driving gear 9 and the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 . because the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 in the cam inner surface 8c is faced against the sliding hump 7a , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 is drawn into contact with the pin 1v under the influence of the spring 20 with its bearing surface 7c spaced away from the subchassis 11 ( this is referred to as the &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). the stop lever 6 is in contact with the pin 1t ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; first position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ) and ready to engage with the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 . change of mode takes place from stop mode to play mode as best shown in fig1 and 2 . when the play lever 2 is actuated in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 in the stop mode , the trigger arm 5 turns in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 18 . the projection 5b on the trigger arm 5 is disengaged from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 at a point in time where the lock pin 2c is about to contact the inclined surface 4c &# 39 ; of the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . as a result , the cam gear 8 immediately rotates in the direction of the arrow f under the influence of the starter spring 22 , previously held in an energy storage state , and comes into engagement with the driving gear 9 . this results in further rotation of the cam gear 8 . afterward , the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by means of the lock pin 2c and held in an actuated position . since the diameter of the cam inner surface 8c in contact with the sliding hump 7a with the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 gradually decreases , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 20 and enables the subchassis 11 to move slowly backward of the stop position via the bearing surface 7c . as soon as the cam gear 8 makes substantially a complete revolution and the forward end of the tooth - free portion 8a is aligned with the driving gear 9 or immediately before the first projection 8f reaches the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 , the cam gear 8 is no longer driven by the driving gear 9 . furthermore , since the sliding hump 7a comes into contact with the minimum diameter portion 8c 1 of the cam inner surface 8c and then into the inclined surface 8c 2 , the cam gear 8 is given the rotating torque , as denoted by the arrow f by the spring 20 via the sliding hump 7a , to rotate to some extent . the cam gear 8 , however , discontinues rotating as soon as the third projection 8f engages the projection 6b on the stop arm 6 . at the same time the subchassis - actuating arm 7 shifts the subchassis 11 to the backward or play position and holds the same in this position where the erase and record / play heads 13 and 14 are in contact with the tape ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 ). under this circumstance the tape is driven to travel at a normal speed by a normal speed driving mechanism ( including two reels ) which becomes operative when the play lever 2 is locked in the actuated position ). the trigger arm 5 is still rotating in the direction of the arrow e in association with the play lever 2 in the actuated position , with its projection 5b being out of a path for the rotating movement of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the trigger arm ). the above procedure places the tape recorder completely into the play mode . the following aspects of the present invention should be emphasized in connection with transition from stop mode to play mode . provided that the play lever 2 is actuated to disengage the projection 5b on the trigger arm from the first projection 8d on the cam gear 8 and thereupon the cam gear 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow e to cause the rotating movement of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 in the direction of the arrow e , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 during rotation draws the play lever 2 in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 15 via the link arm 12 so that the play lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 by way of the lock pin 2c when the subchassis - actuating lever 7 reaches the second position . in other words , as long as the play lever 2 is actuated , the projection 5b of the trigger arm is disengaged from the first projection 8d of the cam gear to rotate the cam gear until the lock pin 2c of the lever 2 is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . since the play lever 2 is forcedly brought toward the actuated position in response to the rotating movement of the cam gear , the play lever 2 is shifted to the actuated position automatically , even if the play lever 2 is released from depression or actuation force before the lock pin 2c of the play lever is locked with the lock portion 4c of the lock plate 4 . accordingly , the tape recorder is placed as a whole into play mode as well as the play lever 2 . in the play mode as shown in fig2 the stop lever 3 is depressed in the direction of the arrow c against the spring 16 so that the unlock pin 3c of the lever 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 4d of the lock plate 4 and the lock plate 4 moves in the direction of the arrow b against the spring 17 . thus , the play lever 2 is unlocked from the lock portion 4c and comes into contact with stop arm 6 in the first position due to engagement between the third projection 8f of the cam gear 8 and the projection 6b . this results in rotating the arm 6 in the direction of the arrow e against the spring 19 and moving the arm out of its engaging position with the third projection 8f . the stop arm moves to the position where it is at an engageable distance with respect to the second projection 8e of the cam gear 8 ( this is referred to as &# 34 ; second position &# 34 ; of the stop arm ). as soon as the stop arm 6 is disengaged from the third projection 8f , the cam gear 8 , which is in contact with the sliding hump 7a of the subchassis - actuating arm 7 at the inclined surface 8c 2 of the cam inner surface 8c , is prevented from rotating under the influence of the spring 20 but will restart rotating in the direction of the arrow f . since the sliding hump 7a is aligned with the maximum diameter portion 8c 3 of the cam inner surface 8c with rotation of the cam gear 8 , the subchassis - actuating arm 7 returns to the first position by the force of the spring 20 and at the same time the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position under the spring 21 . the spring 15 forces the play lever 2 , unlocked from the lock plate 4 , back to the non - actuated position . at the point in time where the subchassis 11 returns to the stop position and the play lever 2 returns to the non - actuated position , the projection of the stop arm 6 engages with the second projection 8e of the cam gear to stop rotation of the cam gear 8 temporarily and the trigger arm returns to the first position . under this circumstance the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 is ready to engage with the first projection 8d . it is noted that the starter spring 22 is in an energy storage state . the above events occur when the stop lever 3 is actuated ( see fig3 ). then , if the stop lever 3 is released from the actuating force , the lever 3 returns to the non - actuated position under the spring 16 and the stop arm 6 returns to the first position under the spring 19 . because the projection 6b is out of engagement with the second projection 8e due to the returning movement of the stop arm 6 and the cam gear 8 is given a rotational torque in the direction of the arrow f by the starter spring 22 in energy storage state , the cam gear 8 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f in response to the starter spring 22 and then stops rotating when the first projection 8d comes into contact with the projection 5b of the trigger arm 5 , already in the first position . through the above procedure the respective components are now in the stop mode as shown in fig1 and the normal speed driving mechanism is rendered nonoperative because of the play lever in the non - actuated position . 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 are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
c26c94b5e504ccd3b59e3206399be1b089a7c3bba7d5097e491c1069396d7bc7
| 0.255859 | 0.05835 | 0.458984 | 0.22168 | 0.40625 | 0.143555 |
null |
{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"category": "Human Necessities", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.001167 | 0.012451 | 0.003479 | 0.007568 | 0.002808 | 0.011658 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "Performing Operations; Transporting"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.013611 | 0.071777 | 0.004211 | 0.047363 | 0.005371 | 0.203125 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "Chemistry; Metallurgy"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.014038 | 0.000116 | 0.004211 | 0.001457 | 0.005371 | 0.000231 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
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{"category": "Textiles; Paper", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
Is the categorization of this patent accurate?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.007111 | 0.002625 | 0.002396 | 0.000246 | 0.002121 | 0.001595 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
{"category": "Fixed Constructions", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.003174 | 0.010986 | 0.003708 | 0.049561 | 0.003937 | 0.007355 |
null |
{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"category": "Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
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Does the patent belong in this category?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.000278 | 0.004456 | 0.001167 | 0.002975 | 0.001549 | 0.018311 |
null |
{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "Physics"}
|
{"category": "Electricity", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
|
Is the category the most suitable category for the given patent?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.001503 | 0.001701 | 0.004608 | 0.004913 | 0.028931 | 0.002808 |
null |
{"category": "Physics", "patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent ."}
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{"patent": "exemplary methods , systems , and computer program products for managing access to documents are described with reference to the accompanying drawings . 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 \u201c a \u201d, \u201c an \u201d, and \u201c the \u201d are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms \u201c comprises \u201d and / or \u201c comprising ,\u201d 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 . 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 . one or more embodiments of the invention relate to methods , computer program products and apparatus for dynamic authorization of documents . this is based on an authorization plug - in for a document viewer ( for example powerpoint , word and acrobat reader etc ), which will interact and extend any local authorization mechanism ( for example password protection ) associated with the document viewer . the term document is intended to encompass all types of data which can be accessed and / or created by a user in a computer or programmable environment . this includes , without limitation , files , documents , data files , presentations , multimedia files , application files etc . fig1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of one embodiment of the system . an authorization plug - in 100 is located at the client 102 and is associated with a document viewer 104 . the document viewer may be associated with word , powerpoint or any other document related application . the plug - in is capable of contacting an authorization server 106 . the contact is made by means of an authorization request which requests information to decrypt a particular document or file . the decryption is based on a set of metadata stored in the document which will allow the document to be opened if the correct decrypt information is received . this will be described in greater detail below . the authorization server may access the encrypted document 110 to retrieve from the document the encryption metadata ( 111 ) and process the authentication to grant or deny specific key information 108 to open document 112 . the authorization server and the remote authorization service may be simultaneously accessed by a plurality of viewer plug - ins . the authorization server is configured to release the specific key information based on criteria stipulated by the document owner . for example , the criteria may be that the document is opened on or after a specific time . obviously , other criteria may be used , for example access to the documents for users on a specified list : uses having different access levels and the document being available only to those above a certain access level etc . in one embodiment of the invention , a policy for access to a particular document is : \u201c document with id qwerty - 12345 , and may be viewed by hosts in ibm . com domain starting from dec . 4 , 2007 , noon gmt ; and may be viewed by any host , starting from 5 p . m . gmt on the same day \u201d. referring now to fig2 , in another embodiment of the invention , the method associated with creation and protection of the document starts at 202 . at step 204 user a creates a document doc 200 that is to be presented at a meeting at a time t . user a stores doc 200 on the central repository but wants to prevent any other user from reading the document before the meeting . in order to prevent others from accessing doc 200 before time t , at step 206 user a may put doc 200 on a website or \u201c team room \u201d with metadata containing rules for activation . the metadata may be located either in the location where document is stored or in the document itself . the document may be encrypted and some of the metadata will describe the access rules . these metadata cannot be modified or changed to open the document using traditional security mechanisms such as hashing . it will be appreciated that user a may store or put the document in a different location to the website or \u201c team room \u201d depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the document . the authorization server is not typically updated each time a document is saved with a new authentication mechanism . the authorization server is responsible for collecting information received by the authorization plug - in and processing the request to provide or deny a decrypt key . the authorization viewer plug - in retrieves information from the system ( e . g . the operating system , user information , local time etc .) along with the document metadata ( that may be decryptable only by the authorization server ) and sends a request to the server . the server will process the metadata and the local information and then grant or deny access as appropriate . the authorization server may then create a decrypt key for doc 200 on request as illustrated in step 218 . the process then ends at step 210 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment of the invention , the method relating to access to document doc 200 starts at step 300 . at step 302 user b wishes to access doc 200 and at step 304 user b opens the software viewer through which doc 200 could be viewed . at step 306 the viewer plug - in , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is associated with the software viewer accesses the authorization server by means of an authorization request . the authorization server then determines at step 308 if local data associated with the client is trying to open the document ( e . g . username , operating system , local time etc .) match the metadata constraints and if so provides a decrypted key for viewing doc 200 . if the server identifies that the access request does not have the necessary security prerequisites ( no ) user b is notified at step 310 that access to doc 200 has been denied . the process then ends at step 312 . in another embodiment of the invention , if the server identifies that the access request satisfies the necessary security prerequisites encoded into document metadata ( yes ) the decrypt key is sent to the viewer plug - in as illustrated in step 314 . user b may then view doc 200 in step 316 and the process ends at step 318 . the communication between the authorization plug - in and the authorization web service may be secured using a public key embedded in the document meta data ( secure signing ) and a corresponding private key in the web service . these keys are specific to the document identity and or the metadata . in one embodiment of the invention . user a may at any time change the protection afforded to the document . this can take the form of extending the protection through a longer time or may be to remove all protection as the document may now be freely used by anyone who wishes . if the protection is changed metadata will be updated or removed as the case may be . each time a document is opened the metadata may be collected and sent to the server . if a document has no restrictions to access , the viewer plug - in is not invoked as the document viewer can automatically open the document without other restrictions . one embodiment of the invention may be used in a communication meeting where a new organizational chart is to be presented . in such situations , it is essential that the new organizational chart is not disclosed prior to the meeting . however , it is important that when required the chart can be presented to an audience ( often in many different locations ) simultaneously . the author of the organizational chart may set a trigger time and date , at which the organizational chart can be accessed through means of the viewer plug - in . as a result , at the trigger time and date , the organizational chart can be accessed by means of the present invention and prior to that trigger no access can be achieved . the document access can also be linked to a calendar event so that , for example , a document will be activated when a communication meeting is held . in this way , for example , security metadata of the document can contain reference to a meeting identifier as the access constraint . in this way , the constraint will not be a static time but a dynamic one that is able to reflect any rescheduling of the meeting accordingly without requiring metadata update with a new scheduled time for the meeting . in another embodiment of the invention , the document can be readable until a specific moment in time and then after that specific moment in time the document is considered to be out of date and reading must be prevented . in this situation , there is no protection at the start of the document existence , it is at a predetermined time period from that start point that the document becomes protected and inaccessible without the necessary decrypt key . the metadata will be appropriate to the requirement . in yet another embodiment , it may be possible to use different triggers from time , for example using the activation of another document as the requirement that must be met . for example , the help document from lotus notes 7 . 5 . 2 can only be read in a situation where a certain fixpack is installed . the document may include one or many different levels of activation or protection , for example certain users may have access to the document after a first time t 1 and a second set of users can only have access to the document after a second time t 2 . there can clearly be many more than two levels of protection or activation . one or more embodiments of the invention act at the application level by providing the current viewer with a plug - in that is able to contact a remote authentication or authorization server in order to access a specific document . the access may be controlled from the viewer plug - in and based on metadata and decryption associated with the metadata . there are many different parameters or criteria that can be used to control or manage the access , for example calendar events , time , authorization levels etc . in addition , these can be easily changed and updated should circumstances dictate this . if no changes are required the document merely moves from inaccessible to accessible ( or vice versa ) at a predetermined moment or criteria without additional access from the user who originated the document . the access to the document may be controlled by other global factors based on the status , for example , ready for review , approved , published or whatever . the activation for access without restriction can , in this situation , be attributed to a document once it has reached the published stage in all other static access is denied . since , in one embodiment of the invention , the authorization plug - in acts at the client side , all authorization access to a particular document happens in the same place . the viewer plug - in and the document viewer work in conjunction to authorize the user to view the document . this means user controlled access in accordance with the present invention and , for example , password access to the document viewer are handled at the client side . due to the fact that the data transmitted between the plug - in and the server are merely \u201c an authorization request \u201d or \u201c an acknowledgement \u201d, security issues are improved . it is not necessary to send any additional information other than these two messages , which also means that bulk data transfer is avoided . it is only necessary for the authorization information to be protected and not the entire document during the transmission from plug - in to a server ( and vice versa ) as it is only this that is transmitted . embodiments of the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be a non - transitory medium that contains or stores the program , or a transitory medium that communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the non - transitory medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). the transitory medium can be any propagation medium . examples of a non - transitory computer - readable medium ( a non - exhaustive list ) include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it should also be understood that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of many modifications . to the extent such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , they are intended to be covered by this patent .", "category": "General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology"}
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Is the patent correctly categorized?
| 0.25 |
691eb4438b39b45c9f454a3e095e1bac8b7e36a13084519df0623ea84e4c9552
| 0.014038 | 0.014954 | 0.004211 | 0.049561 | 0.005371 | 0.07373 |
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