Author: claimsbot

1. Apparatus for detecting a discontinuity within a non-biological element located within a biological structure, the apparatus comprising:
a microwave energy source;
a first antenna coupled to the microwave energy source and arranged to transmit the microwave energy into the biological structure;
a second antenna arranged to receive at least a portion of the transmitted microwave energy;
an antenna carrier arranged to have the first and second antenna affixed thereon and including means for moving the first and second antenna with respect to the biological structure; and
a signal processing unit coupled to the second antenna and arranged to determine the phase andor magnitude response of the received microwave energy as a function of the position of the antennas with respect to the biological structure and provide an indication of the location of the discontinuity within the non-biological element according to the phase andor magnitude response.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to determine the phase andor magnitude response of the received microwave energy corresponding to a plurality of positions of the antenna relative to the biological structure and to process the determined phase andor magnitude responses to generate image data of the discontinuity.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to apply scanning radar techniques to generate the image data.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is also arranged to receive at least a portion of the transmitted microwave energy and the second antenna is also coupled to the microwave energy source and arranged to transmit the microwave energy into the biological structure.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to determine the phase andor magnitude response of the microwave energy transmitted from one antenna to the other and the phase andor magnitude response of the microwave energy reflected back to the same antenna it was transmitted from.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the location of the discontinuity is given by the relative position of the antennas and the biological structure where a peak or null in the magnitude response of the received microwave energy is detected.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of microwave energy sources and switching means for selecting one or more of the plurality of microwave energy sources.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of microwave energy sources are arranged to generate microwave energy at different frequencies.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microwave energy source is arranged to generate microwave energy across a plurality of frequencies.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the microwave energy source comprises an impulse system.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processor is arranged to perform two port transmission and reflection measurements of the microwave energy.
12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discontinuity comprises a cylindrical hole and the microwave energy source is arranged to generate the microwave energy at a frequency or range of frequencies at which the wavelength of the microwave energy propagated through biological structure and discontinuity is such that the cylindrical hole functions as a cylindrical waveguide.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises a dielectric loading element arranged to be inserted within the discontinuity.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the dielectric loading element has a relative permittivity substantially equal to or greater than the surrounding biological structure.
15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microwave energy source is arranged to generate the microwave energy in a pulsed mode.
16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second antennas comprises a helical antenna arranged to be inserted within the biological structure.
17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the helical antenna is mounted within a guide tube, the guide tube being made from a biocompatible material.
18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the helical antenna comprises a helical winding, the winding being located within the guide tube.
19. A method of detecting a discontinuity within a non-biological element located within a biological structure, the method comprising:
transmitting microwave energy into the biological structure from a first antenna;
receiving at least a portion of the transmitted microwave energy at a second antenna;
moving the first and second antenna with respect to the biological structure; and
measuring the received microwave energy and determining the phase andor magnitude response of the received microwave energy as a function of the position of the antennas with respect to the biological structure and providing an indication of the location of the discontinuity within the non-biological element according to the phase andor magnitude response.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the phase andor magnitude response of the received microwave energy is determined at a plurality of positions of the antenna relative to the biological structure and are processed to generate image data of the discontinuity.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the image data is generated by apply scanning radar techniques.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the transmitted microwave energy is also received at the first antenna and at least a portion of the transmitted microwave energy is also transmitted from the second antenna.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the determined phase andor magnitude response includes the phase andor magnitude response of the microwave energy transmitted from one antenna to the other and the phase andor magnitude response of the microwave energy reflected back to the same antenna it was transmitted from.
24. The method of claim 19, wherein the location of the discontinuity is given by the relative position of the antennas and the biological structure where a peak or null in the magnitude response of the received microwave energy is detected.
25. The method of claim 19 further comprising selecting one or more of a plurality of microwave energy sources for transmission into the biological structure.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of microwave energy sources generate microwave energy at different frequencies.
27. The method of claim 19, wherein the microwave energy is generated across a plurality of frequencies.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the microwave energy is generated by an impulse system.
29. The method of claim 19 further comprising performing two port transmission and reflection measurements of the microwave energy.
30. The method of claim 19, wherein the discontinuity comprises a cylindrical hole and the method further comprises loading the hole with a dielectric loading element.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the dielectric loading element has a relative permittivity substantially equal to or greater than the surrounding biological structure.
32. The method of claim 19, wherein the microwave energy is generated in a pulsed mode.
33. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second antennas comprises a helical antenna inserted within the biological structure.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein at least a portion of the helical antenna is mounted within a guide tube, the guide tube being made from a biocompatible material.
35. The method of claim 19, wherein the non-biological element comprises an intramedullary nail and the discontinuity comprises a locking hole within the nail.

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 belt retractor comprising
a frame (10),
a belt spool (12) that is rotatably mounted in said frame (10), and
a force limiter (22) that is adapted to reach a force limiting position,
a guide-in mechanism (26) being provided which causes said force limiter (22) to reach said force limiting position as a function of the length of belt webbing withdrawn.
2. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein said force limiter is a cutting body (22) that cuts material in said force limiting position.
3. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a control pin (24) is provided, said control pin (24) being part of said guide-in mechanism (26).
4. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a gearwheel (30) is provided on said frame (10).
5. The belt retractor according to claim 4, wherein a projection (28) is provided, said projection (28) being part of said belt spool (12) and said projection (28) meshing with said gearwheel (30).
6. The belt retractor according to claim 4, wherein a lever (34) is provided that is mounted at said belt spool (12).
7. The belt retractor according to claim 6, wherein a longer tooth (32) and a lever (34) are provided, said gearwheel (30) having said longer tooth (32) which can actuate said lever (34).
8. The belt retractor according to claim 4, wherein a spring-elastic member (36) is provided that urges said control pin (24) into an initial position.
9. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a drive dog (38) is provided that is stationarily mounted at said frame (10).
10. The belt retractor according to claim 9, wherein teeth (46), a transmission gearing (40), an input gear (42) and an output gear (44) are provided, said control pin (24) having said teeth (46) and said transmission gearing (40) having said input gear (42) and said output gear (44) and said output gear (44) engaging said teeth (46).
11. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a projection (54) is provided, said frame (10) having said projection (54) adapted to engage said control pin (24).
12. The belt retractor according to claim 11, wherein a lug (50) and a disc (16) is provided and said disc (16) has an opening (48), said control pin (24) having said lug (50) fitted thereto, which can move through said opening (48) of said disk (16).
13. The belt retractor according to claim 11, wherein a spring-elastic member (56) is provided that adjusts said control pin (24) axially.
14. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a rope (60) and a rope pulley (58) are provided at said frame (10), said rope (60) being adapted to be wound up on and withdrawn from said rope pulley (58).
15. The belt retractor according to claim 14, wherein said rope (60) is connected with said control pin (24).
16. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a member (64) is provided that rests on said belt webbing (13) and is adjustable radially in relation to said belt spool (12).
17. The belt retractor according to claim 16, wherein a plate (68) is provided which is adjustable axially in relation to said belt spool (12) and which can engage said control pin (24).
18. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate disk (78) is provided that is axially displaceable.
19. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a planetary gear having a ring gear (72) and a planet wheel (70) are provided.
20. The belt retractor according to claim 19, wherein a child safety mechanism is provided, said planetary gear being part of said child safety mechanism.
21. The belt retractor according to claim 19, wherein an elevated portion (74) is provided, said ring gear (72) having said elevated portion (74).
22. The belt retractor according to claim 18, wherein an elevated portion (76) is provided, said intermediate disk (78) having said elevated portion (76) that is adapted for alignment with said elevated portion (76) of said ring gear (72).
23. The belt retractor according to claim 18, wherein a magnet (80) and an iron core (82) are provided, said ring gear (72) including said magnet (80) and said intermediate disk (78) including said iron core (82).
24. The belt retractor according to claim 23, wherein an inclined plane (84) is provided on said frame (10).
25. The belt retractor according to claim 19, wherein a coupling disk (86) is provided which is coupled to said ring gear (72).
26. The belt retractor according to claim 25, wherein balls (92) are provided which are arranged between said coupling disk (86) and said intermediate disk (78).
27. The belt retractor according to claim 25, wherein an inclined plane (84) is provided, said intermediate disk (78) including at least one section having said inclined plane (84).
28. The belt retractor according to claim 19, wherein at least one lever (96) is provided which is adapted to engage said control pin (24).
29. The belt retractor according to claim 28, wherein an inclined plane (104) is provided, said at least one lever (96) having said inclined plane (104).
30. The belt retractor according to claim 19, wherein a lever (106) is provided.
31. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein a reduction gear is provided having a reduction gearwheel (110) and a switching fork (117).
32. The belt retractor according to claim 31, wherein a switching rocker (118) is provided which is shifted rotationally by said switching fork (117).
33. The belt retractor according to claim 31, wherein a switching lever (119) is provided which is shifted translationally by said switching fork (117).

1. A feedback control system for a power supply, comprising:
a feedback signal indicative of one or more parameters in the power supply for indicating operational conditions;
a compensation circuit coupled to the feedback signal and operable to condition the feedback signal to provide a power supply feedback control signal;
a response speed control circuit coupled to a parametric signal indicative of an operating condition of the power supply, and coupled to the compensation circuit and being operable to influence the compensation circuit to modify a response speed of the compensation circuit whereby the feedback control loop for the power supply has a modified response speed.
2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the parametric signal is the feedback signal.
3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the feedback signal is indicative of a transient when a transient occurs during operation of the power supply.
4. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the response speed control circuit is operable to modify stability of the power supply feedback control loop.
5. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a switch coupled to the compensation circuit and operable by the response speed control circuit to modify a response speed of the compensation circuit.
6. The circuit according to claim 5, wherein operation of the switch produces a location change in a major low frequency pole in the compensation circuit.
7. The circuit according to claim 6, further comprising an electrical component coupled to the switch, whereby operation of the switch connects or disconnects the component to the compensation circuit.
8. The circuit according to claim 7, wherein the electrical component is a passive element.
9. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein response speed control circuit further comprises a reference comparison circuit operable with the parametric signal to determine if the parametric signal is beyond a given threshold.
10. The circuit according to claim 9, wherein the reference comparison circuit includes a comparator having a reference input and a parametric signal input and an output of the comparator indicating when the parametric signal has a value beyond that of the reference value.
11. The circuit according to claim 10, further comprising a second comparator with a second reference input and a parametric signal input and an output of the second comparator indicating when the parametric signal has a value beyond that of the second reference signal.
12. The circuit according to claim 9, wherein the reference comparison circuit exhibits hysteresis.
13. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the response speed control circuit further comprises a counter operable to indicate a number of times the response speed control circuit is active to modify the response speed of the compensation circuit.
14. The circuit according to claim 13, wherein the counter further includes an output operable to influence the output of the response speed control circuit to disable modification of the response speed of the compensation circuit.
15. The circuit according to claim 14, further comprising a timer coupled to the counter and a response speed control signal, and operable to reset the counter when the response speed control signal is active for a predetermined time interval specified by the timer.
16. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the response speed control signal indicates a disabled state based on the counter reaching a predetermined value.
17. A method for varying the response speed of a control loop in a power supply, comprising:
deriving a parametric signal based on operating parameters of the power supply;
determining whether the parametric signal is beyond a predetermined reference level; and
modifying a response speed of a compensation circuit influencing the parametric signal based on the outcome of the determination.
18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising modifying a major low frequency pole in the compensation circuit to modify the response speed of the compensation circuit.
19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising disabling the response speed modification based on criteria indicative of prior response speed modification activity.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the criteria includes a pulse count or a time interval.
21. A response speed controller for a power supply control loop comprising:
a compensation circuit in the control loop and applicable to condition a feedback signal for control of an input power converter;
an electric-component selectively coupled to the compensation circuit to selectively modify a major low frequency pole location in the compensation circuit to vary a response speed of the compensation circuit; and
a response speed controller operable to influence the selective coupling of the electrical component to the compensation circuit, the controller having a parametric signal input indicative of an operating condition of the power supply.
22. The circuit according to claim 21, wherein selectively coupling the electrical component to the compensation circuit modifies a stability characteristic of the power supply control loop.

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 wafer container including a container body that having a plurality of slots therein for placing a plurality of wafers and an opening formed on a sidewall of said wafer container for exporting said plurality of wafers or importing said plurality of wafers, at least a pair of socket holes being disposed at the edge of said opening of said container body; and a door with an outer surface and an inner surface with at least a pair of latch holes corresponding to said pair of socket holes being disposed at the edge of said door, said door joining with said opening of said container body via said inner surface for protecting said plurality of wafers in said container body, the characteristic in that:
a recess is disposed on said inner surface of said door and located between two platforms, and in each of said platform is disposed with a latch component, said latch component including an oval cam, a pair of moving bars contacting two ends of said oval cam, at least one roller disposed in said platform of said door and fixed in a slide groove of said moving bars, and a locating spring being an integral part of said moving bars for controlling the turning of said oval cam to drive said moving bars to move to and fro between said pair of socket holes and said pair of latch holes.
2. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein a locating roller is further disposed on one end of said moving bars and said locating roller contacts said oval cam.
3. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of locating grooves is further disposed on said oval cam.
4. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein the material of said oval cam is selected from the group consisting of: the metal and the polymer plastic material.
5. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein the material of said moving bars is selected from the group consisting of: the metal and the polymer plastic material.
6. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein the material of said locating spring is selected from the group consisting of: the metal and the polymer plastic material.
7. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein the material of said roller is selected from the group consisting of: metal and polymer plastic material.
8. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein at least a restraint module is further disposed respectively on each of said two platforms.
9. The wafer container according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of restraint modules includes a base portion for fixing said restraint modules on said platforms with said base portion, and a plurality of curve portions is formed with a space at interval on a longer side of said base portion, a semicircle-like protruding portion being formed between each of said curve portions and its free-end, and a guide notch being disposed on each of said semicircle-like protruding portion of each of said restraint modules 30 for contacting wafers.
10. The wafer container according to claim 9, wherein a wear-resisting material is coated on contact area between said guide notch of said protruding portions and said wafer
11. The wafer container according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of restraint modules consist of a plurality of restraint components with a space at interval, and each of said restraint components is aligned with a restraint component of restraint module located on another side of said recess; each of said restraint component including a base portion which is fixed on said inner surface of said door, said plurality of base portion connecting to a curve portion on one side adjacent to said recess, each of said curve portion further extending to the central portion of said recess to form a bent arm, and said bent arm being disposed on a top of said recess.
12. The wafer container according to claim 11, wherein said restraint component is a springy component.
13. The wafer container according to claim 11, wherein a first contact head is formed where said bent arm and said curve portion cross, and a second contact head is formed on the free-end of said bent arm.
14. The wafer container according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of restraint modules consist of a plurality of restraint components in arrangement, and each of said restraint components is aligned with a restraint component of restraint module located on another side of said recess; each of said restraint component including a base portion with one end of said base portion fixed on said inner surface of said door and another end connecting to a first bent arm, said first bent arm having two free-ends with a first contact head formed at one of said two free-ends that is located farther from central part of said recess and the other of said two free-ends opposite to said first contact head further connecting a second bent arm, said second bent arm including a second contact head and a third contact head.
15. The wafer container according to claim 14, wherein a pivot is disposed between said two free-ends of said first bent arm and on one side of said inner surface.
16. The wafer container according to claim 15, wherein said pivot is fixed to said inner surface.
17. A wafer container including a container body that having a plurality of slots therein for placing a plurality of wafers and having an opening formed on a sidewall of said wafer container for exporting said plurality of wafers or importing said plurality of wafers, at least a pair of socket holes being disposed at the edge of said opening of said container body; and a door with an outer surface and an inner surface with at least a pair of latch holes corresponding to said pair of socket holes being disposed at the edge of said door, said door joining with said opening of said container body via said inner surface for protecting said plurality of wafers in said container body, the characteristic in that:
at least a latch component is disposed between said inner surface and said outer surface of said door, said latch component including an oval cam, a pair of moving bars contacting two ends of said oval cam, at least one roller disposed between said inner surface and said outer surface of said door and fixed in a slide groove of said moving bars, and a locating spring being an integral part of said moving bars for controlling the turning of said oval cam to drive said moving bars to move to and between said pair of socket holes and said pair of latch holes.
18. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein a locating roller is further disposed on one end of said moving bars.
19. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of locating grooves is further disposed on said oval cam.
20. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein the material of said oval cam is selected from the group consisting of metal and polymer plastic material.
21. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein the material of said moving bars is selected from the group consisting of metal and polymer plastic material.
22. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein the material of said locating spring is selected from the group consisting of metal and polymer plastic material.
23. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein the material of said roller is selected from the group consisting of metal and polymer plastic material.
24. The wafer container according to claim 17, wherein at least a restraint module is further disposed on said inner surface of said door.