1. A ballast system comprising:
a ballast attachment block comprising:
a first end and a second end, each end defining an outside diameter configured to couple to an inside diameter of a geophysical survey cable;
a first attachment location medially disposed on the ballast attachment block;
a passage extending between the first end and the second end, the passage disposed within the ballast attachment block;
a first ballast weight abutting the ballast attachment block at the first attachment location, the first ballast weight defining a first aperture;
a first depth release mechanism coupling the first ballast weight to the ballast attachment block, the first depth release mechanism comprising
a piston disposed within a cylinder defined in the ballast attachment block, the piston defining an outer face exposed to ambient pressure;
a link member coupled to the piston and to the first ballast weight, wherein at depths in water above a predetermined depth the link member holds the piston in a non-triggered state; and
wherein at the predetermined depth and below ambient pressure acting on the outer face of the piston creates a tension force that breaks the link member and releases the first ballast weight from the first attachment location.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the link member defines a central axis, the piston defines a central axis, and wherein the central axis of the link member is coaxial with the central axis of the piston.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the link member is a copper-based alloy.
4. The system of claim 1:
wherein the link member is brass and has at least one portion defining an outside diameter of about 0.2 centimeter (cm); and
wherein the piston has an outside diameter of about 2.5 cm.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined depth is about 55 meters.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a counter bore within the first ballast weight; and
an extension portion of the piston defined on the distal end of the piston, and in the non-triggered state the extension portion of the piston is telescoped within the counter bore of the first ballast weight;
wherein at the predetermined depth and below ambient pressure acting of the outer face of the piston retracts the extension portion out of the counter bore of the first ballast weight.
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 liquid crystal panel, comprising:
a liquid crystal cell;
a first polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell; and
a second polarizing plate placed on an opposite side of the viewer side of the liquid crystal cell,
wherein a dimensional change ratio (C1) of the first polarizing plate is larger than a dimensional change ratio (C2) of the second polarizing plate.
2. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein a difference (\u0394C=C1\u2212C2) between the dimensional change ratio (C1) of the first polarizing plate and the dimensional change ratio (C2) of the second polarizing plate is 0.02% or more.
3. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein:
the liquid crystal cell includes a liquid crystal layer, a first substrate placed on one side of the liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate placed on the other side of the liquid crystal layer; and
a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed on the first substrate or the second substrate.
4. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the dimensional change ratio (C1) of the first polarizing plate is 0.03% to 0.20%.
5. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the dimensional change ratio (C2) of the second polarizing plate is 0.01% to 0.18%.
6. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein a difference (\u0394W=W2\u2212W1) between a moisture content (W2) of the second polarizing plate and a moisture content (W1) of the first polarizing plate is 0.1% to 0.5%.
7. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein:
the first polarizing plate includes a first polarizer, a first protective layer placed on the liquid crystal cell side of the first polarizer, and a second protective layer placed on an opposite side of the liquid crystal cell side of the first polarizer; and
the first protective layer exhibits substantially optical isotropy.
8. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, further comprising a surface treatment layer on a side opposite to the first polarizer side of the second protective layer.
9. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein:
the second polarizing plate includes a second polarizer, a third protective layer placed on the liquid crystal cell side of the second polarizer, and a fourth protective layer placed on a side opposite to the liquid crystal cell side of the second polarizer; and
the third protective layer exhibits substantially optical isotropy.
10. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, further comprising a first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate.
11. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, further comprising a second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate.
12. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 10, wherein the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer andor the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed by cross-linking a pressure-sensitive composition containing a (meth)acrylic polymer (A) and a peroxide (B).
13. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising the liquid crystal panel according to claim 1.
14. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 11, wherein the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer andor the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed by cross-linking a pressure-sensitive composition containing a (meth)acrylic polymer (A) and a peroxide (B).