1. A pulley for an endless belt drive system, the pulley comprising:
a hub including an outer hub;
an outer rim; and
first and second pluralities of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim, the first and second pluralities being equal in number, wherein the radially outermost ends of the arms of the first and second pluralities of arms are, respectively, arcuately spaced apart at equal intervals about the outer rim;
wherein the arms of the second plurality of arms are angularly offset from the arms of the first plurality of arms about the axis of rotation of the pulley; and
wherein the arms of the first plurality of arms and the arms of the second plurality of arms are, respectively, oppositely disposed with respect to the lateral mid line of the pulley.
2. The pulley of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of arms connect the outer hub to the outer rim predominantly on a first side of the lateral midline, and wherein the second plurality of arms connect the outer hub to the outer rim predominantly on an opposite side of the lateral midline.
3. The pulley of claim 2, wherein the arms of the first and second pluralities of arms are sheet-like ribs.
4. The pulley of claim 1, wherein the arms of the first plurality of arms are canted with respect to the lateral midline, and wherein the arms of the second plurality of arms are oppositely canted with respect to the lateral midline.
5. The pulley of claim 4, wherein the arms of the first and second pluralities of arms are sheet-like ribs.
6. The pulley of claim 1, wherein at least the outer hub, outer rim, first plurality of arms, and second plurality of arms are a thermoplastic, a molded thermosetting plastic, or a plastic composite.
7. A method of constructing a low-noise pulley comprising the steps of:
constructing a hub, including an outer hub, and an outer rim;
constructing first and second pluralities of arms connecting the outer hub to the outer rim, the first and second pluralities being equal in number, wherein the radially outermost ends of the arms of the first and second pluralities of arms are, respectively, arcuately spaced apart at equal intervals about the outer rim; and
angularly offsetting the arms of the second plurality of arms from the arms of the first plurality of arms about the axis of rotation to eliminate lateral symmetry across the lateral midline of the pulley.
8. A pulley for an endless belt drive system, the pulley comprising:
a hub including an outer hub;
an outer rim; and
a plurality of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim;
wherein the radially outermost ends of proximate pairs of arms in the plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of relative spacings.
9. The pulley of claim 8, wherein the pitch sequence reduces the rotational symmetry of the pulley in comparison to that which would be present if there was no variation in arcuate spacing.
10. The pulley of claim 9, wherein the pitch sequence is repeated within the circumference of the outer rim.
11. The pulley of claim 8, wherein the pitch sequence eliminates the rotational symmetry of the pulley.
12. The pulley of claim 11, wherein the arms of the plurality of arms are sheet-like ribs.
13. The pulley of claim 12, wherein at least the outer hub, outer rim, and plurality of arms are a thermoplastic, a molded thermosetting plastic, or a plastic composite.
14. The pulley of claim 8, further comprising a second plurality of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim, wherein the radially outermost ends of proximate pairs of arms in the second plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of relative spacings.
15. The pulley of claim 14, wherein the pitch sequence of the first plurality of arms and the pitch sequence of the second plurality of arms are the same pitch sequence, and wherein the radially outermost ends of proximate pairs of arms between the first and second pluralities of arms are angularly offset by an angular spacing.
16. A method of constructing a low noise pulley comprising the steps of:
constructing a hub, including an outer hub, and an outer rim;
constructing a plurality of arms radiating outward from the outer hub to the outer rim;
selecting a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of spacings between proximate pairs of arms; and
arcuately spacing the radially outermost ends of the plurality of arms about the outer rim of the pulley in accordance with the selected pitch sequence.
17. A pulley for an endless belt drive system, the pulley comprising:
a hub including an outer hub;
an outer rim; and
first and second pluralities of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim, the first and second pluralities being equal in number;
wherein the radially outermost ends of proximate pairs of arms in the first and second pluralities of arms are, respectively, arcuately spaced apart about the outer rim according to a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of relative spacings; and
wherein the arms of the second plurality of arms are angularly offset from the arms of the first plurality of arms about the axis of rotation of the pulley.
18. The pulley of claim 17, wherein the arms of the first plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to the pitch sequence; and the arms of the second plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to the same pitch sequence.
19. The pulley of claim 18, wherein the first plurality of arms connect the outer hub to the outer rim predominantly on a first side of the lateral midline of the pulley, and wherein the second plurality of arms connect the outer hub to the outer rim predominantly on an opposite side of the lateral midline of the pulley.
20. The pulley of claim 19, wherein the arms of the first and second pluralities of arms are sheet-like ribs.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device communicatable through a network by using an address corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol and capable of entering a power-saving state, the device comprising:
a processing unit configured to start a first module for determining an address to be used by the device and a second module for processing the predetermined communication protocol; and
a storage unit configured to store the address being used by the device,
wherein the processing unit terminates the first module without terminating the second module when the device enters the power-saving state, and starts the first module to determine whether the address stored in the storage unit is usable, without re-starting the second module, when the power-saving state is released, and
wherein, if the address stored in the storage unit is usable, the device uses the address after the power-saving state is released.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device uses a new address after the power-saving state is released if the address stored on the storage unit is not usable.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit outputs information including the address to the network, and depending on existence of a response, determines whether the address is usable.
4. The device according to claim 1, the device further comprising:
a control information storage unit configured to store control information for returning a process from the power-saving state to the processing operation at the time when the device enters the power-saving state,
wherein the processing unit returns the process from the power-saving state to the processing operation by using the control information stored on the control information storage unit when the power-saving state is released.
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a name which is used by the device and used for identifying the device on the network;
the processing unit determines whether the name stored on the storage unit is usable when the power-saving state is released; and
the device uses the name when the name stored on the storage unit is usable.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the address is a protocol address of a protocol in which the protocol address can be dynamically changed.
7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the address stored on the storage unit includes a network number; and
the processing unit, by starting the first module, determines whether the address is usable depending on whether the address stored on the storage unit is within a range of a network number of a router.
8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit, by starting the first module, determines whether the address is usable depending on whether the address stored on the storage unit is used by the other devices.
9. A control method for a device communicatable through a network by using an address corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol and capable of entering a power-saving state, the method comprising:
starting a first module for determining an address to be used by the device;
starting a second module for processing the predetermined communication protocol;
storing an address being used by the device in a storage unit;
terminating the first module without terminating the second module when the device enters the power-saving state; and
starting the first module to determine whether the address stored on the storage unit is usable, without re-starting the second module, when the power-saving state is released,
wherein, if the address stored in the storage unit is usable, the device uses the address.
10. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for communicating through a network by a device by using an address corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol and capable of entering a power-saving state, the medium comprising:
computer-executable instructions for starting a first module for determining an address to be used by the device;
computer-executable instructions for starting a second module for processing the predetermined communication protocol;
computer-executable instructions for storing the address corresponding to the predetermined communication protocol in a memory;
computer-executable instructions for terminating the first module without terminating the second module when the computer enters the power-saving state; and
computer-executable instructions for starting the first module to determining whether the address stored on the memory is usable, without re-starting the second module, when the power-saving state is released,
wherein, if the address stored in the memory is usable, the computer uses the address.