Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A crankshaft for use as a component of an internal combustion engine and for converting reciprocating motion of pistons in the internal combustion engine to rotary motion, said crankshaft comprising:
a plurality of interconnected crank webs;
wherein one of said crank webs forms a primary drive gear, which is a helical gear; and wherein another one of said crank webs comprises a split crank web which is connected to the primary drive gear via a crankpin.
2. A crankshaft for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the helical gear is integrally formed with the crank web by grinding helical teeth along the periphery of the crank web.
3. A crankshaft for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the split crank web comprises a main crank web portion integrally formed with the crankpin, and a supplemental crank web which is removable from the main crank web.
4. The crankshaft of claim 3, wherein the diameter of the main crank web portion is larger than the diameter of the primary drive gear at the base of the teeth thereof.
5. A crankshaft for use as a component of an internal combustion engine, said crankshaft comprising a crankshaft body comprising:
a gear formed on a crank web located at one side of a crankpin;
a first balance weight mounting portion formed on a crank web located at the other side of the crankpin;
said crankshaft further comprising a first balance weight adapted to be mounted to the first balance weight mounting portion of the crankshaft body;
wherein the crankshaft body is formed with a second balance weight mounting portion separate from the first balance weight mounting portion, and wherein said crankshaft also comprises a second balance weight for attachment to the second balance weight mounting portion.
6. A crankshaft according to claim 5, wherein the first balance weight has a first mass, and wherein the second balance weight has a mass substantially equal to the first mass.
7. A crankshaft according to claim 5, wherein the first balance weight mounting portion is provided on the outside of said crankpin which is located at one end out of a plurality of crankpins, and wherein the second balance weight mounting portion is provided on the outside of a crankpin located at the other end of said plurality of crankpins.
8. A crankshaft according to claim 5, wherein the gear is a helical gear.
9. A crankshaft for use as a component of an internal combustion engine, said crankshaft comprising a crankshaft body which comprises:
a plurality of journals situated along a longitudinal axis of said crankshaft;
a plurality of crank pins displaced from said longitudinal axis;
a plurality of crank webs interconnecting said crank pins with said journals;
wherein one of said crank webs is configured as a helical gear with teeth formed externally thereon;
and further wherein one of said crank webs is formed in two parts including a first balance weight mounting portion and a first supplemental balance weight which is removably attached to the first balance weight mounting portion.
10. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein the first supplemental balance weight includes a flange which extends away from an edge portion thereof.
11. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein another of said crank webs is formed in two parts including a second balance weight mounting portion and a second supplemental balance weight which is removably attached to the second balance weight mounting portion.
12. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein said two-part crank web is disposed at a first end of said crankshaft.
13. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein said supplemental balance weight is attached to the balance weight mounting portion using a plurality of fasteners.
14. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein the supplemental balance weight has a cylindrical hole formed therein to receive a portion of the crankshaft body.
15. The crankshaft of claim 9, wherein the supplemental balance weight has a plurality of mounting holes formed therein to receive fasteners, and wherein the mounting holes include conically tapered portions to receive fastener heads therein.

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 detector comprising:
a receptor material that upon being impinged by an activator a by-product of a radioactive decay is generated, wherein said receptor material lacks a photoluminescent material and said by-product causes light via the Cherenkov effect to be generated, wherein said receptor material comprises a glass with an activator sensitive isotope dispersed therein, wherein said activator sensitive isotope becomes radioactive and emits said by-product when exposed to said activator; and
a light detector that receives said light and identifies a signal characteristic of said activator.
2. The detector of claim 1, wherein said activator is a neutron and said receptor material is a neutron sensitive material.
3. The detector of claim 1, wherein said activator is ionizing electromagnetic radiation and said receptor material is an ionizing electromagnetic radiation sensitive material.
4. The detector of claim 3, wherein said ionizing electromagnetic radiation has an energy above 1.69 MeV.
5. The detector of claim 1, wherein said activator is a charged particle and said receptor material is a charged particle sensitive material.
6. The detector of claim 1, wherein said receptor material is a substance selected from the group consisting of a glass, a ceramic, plastic, crystal and a liquid.
7. The detector of claim 1, wherein said receptor material lacks scintillating materials.
8. The detector of claim 1, wherein said glass is optically clear.
9. The detector of claim 1, wherein said glass comprises a lead phosphate composition.
10. The detector of claim 1, wherein said activator-sensitive isotope is an isotope selected from the group consisting of scandium, Ag, Gd, Nd, In, Zn, Si, As, and rare earth elements.
11. The detector of claim 1, wherein said by-product is an energetic charged particle having a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
12. The detector of claim 11, wherein said energetic particle is a beta particle.
13. The detector of claim 11, wherein said energetic particle is a positron.
14. The detector of claim 1, wherein said by-product is ionizing electromagnetic radiation that interacts with an electron or positron so as to impart sufficient energy to said electron or positron so that said electron or positron has a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
15. The detector of claim 14, wherein said activator-sensitive isotope is an isotope selected from the group consisting of Ag, Gd, In, Zn, and As.
16. The detector of claim 1, wherein said glass comprises a high-Z element.
17. The detector of claim 16, wherein said high-Z element is selected from the group consisting of Pb, W, Bi, Hf, and Ta.
18. The detector of claim 1, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and activator sensitive isotope materials.
19. The detector of claim 18, wherein each layer of matrix materials is a substance selected from the group consisting of a glass, a ceramic, plastic, crystal, and a liquid.
20. The detector of claim 18, wherein each layer of activator isotope materials contains an isotope of an element wherein said isotope become radioactive and emits said by-product when exposed to said activator.
21. The detector of claim 20, wherein said matrix comprises a high-Z element that is selected from the group consisting of Pb, W, Bi, Hf, and Ta.
22. The detector of claim 20, wherein said by-product is an energetic particle having a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
23. The detector of claim 22, wherein said energetic particle is a beta particle.
24. The detector of claim 22, wherein said energetic particle is a positron.
25. The detector of claim 22, wherein said by-product is ionizing electromagnetic radiation that interacts with an electron or a positron so as to impart sufficient energy to said electron or positron so that said electron or positron has a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
26. The detector of claim 1, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials, moderator materials and activator-sensitive isotope materials.
27. The detector of claim 1, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and moderator materials.
28. The detector of claim 1, wherein said light detector is a counting apparatus.
29. A portal monitor comprising:
a frame defining a path;
a detector incorporated into said frame, said detector comprising:
a receptor material that lacks a photoluminescent material and is positioned to receive an activator that is present in an object on said path, wherein upon being impinged by said activator a by-product of a radioactive decay is generated and said by-product generates light via the Cherenkov effect, wherein said receptor material comprises a glass with an activator-sensitive isotope dispersed therein, wherein said activator-sensitive isotope become radioactive and emits said by-product when exposed to said activator; and
a light detector that receives said light and identifies a signal characteristic of said activator.
30. The portal monitor of claim 29, further comprising a conveyor that moves along said path.
31. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said activator is a neutron and said receptor material is a neutron-sensitive material.
32. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said activator is ionizing electromagnetic radiation and said receptor material is an ionizing electromagnetic radiation-sensitive material.
33. The portal monitor of claim 32, wherein said ionizing electromagnetic radiation has an energy above 1.69 MeV.
34. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said activator is a charged particle and said receptor material is a charged-particle-sensitive material.
35. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said receptor material is a substance selected from the group consisting of a glass, a ceramic, plastic, crystal, and a liquid.
36. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said glass is optically clear.
37. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said glass comprises a lead phosphate composition.
38. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said activator-sensitive isotope is an isotope selected from the group consisting of scandium, Ag, Gd, Nd, In, Zn, Si, As, and rare earth elements.
39. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said by-product is an energetic particle having a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
40. The portal monitor of claim 39, wherein said energetic particle is a beta particle.
41. The portal monitor of claim 39, wherein said energetic particle is a positron.
42. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said by-product is ionizing electromagnetic radiation that interacts with an electron or positron so as to impart sufficient energy to said electron or positron so that said electron or positron has a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
43. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said glass comprises a high-Z element.
44. The portal monitor of claim 43, wherein said high-Z element is selected from the group consisting of Pb, W, Bi, Hf, and Ta.
45. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and activator-sensitive isotope materials.
46. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials, moderator materials and activator-sensitive isotope materials.
47. The portal monitor of claim 46, wherein each layer of matrix materials is a substance selected from the group consisting of a glass, a ceramic, plastic, crystals and a liquid.
48. The portal monitor of claim 46, wherein each layer of activator isotope materials contains an isotope of an element wherein said isotope becomes radioactive and emits said by-product when exposed to said activator.
49. The portal monitor of claim 48, wherein said matrix comprises a high-Z element that is selected from the group consisting of Pb, W, Bi, Hf, and Ta.
50. The portal monitor of claim 48, wherein said by-product is an energetic particle having a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
51. The portal monitor of claim 50, wherein said energetic particle is a beta particle.
52. The portal monitor of claim 50, wherein said energetic particle is a positron.
53. The portal monitor of claim 50, wherein said by-product is ionizing electromagnetic radiation that interacts with an electron so as to impart sufficient energy to said electron so that said electron has a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
54. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and moderator materials.
55. The portal monitor of claim 29, wherein said light detector is a counting apparatus.
56. A method of detecting an activator, the method comprising:
impinging a receptor material lacking a photoluminescent material with an activator, wherein said receptor material comprises a glass with an activator-sensitive isotope dispersed therein,
generating a by-product of a radioactive decay due to said activator impinging said receptor material, wherein said activator sensitive isotope become radioactive and emits said by-product when exposed to said activator;
generating light from said by-product via the Cherenkov effect; and
identifying a characteristic of said activator based on said light.
57. The method of claim 56, wherein said activator is a neutron and said receptor material is a neutron-sensitive material.
58. The method of claim 56, wherein said activator is ionizing electromagnetic radiation and said receptor material is an ionizing electromagnetic radiation-sensitive material.
59. The method of claim 56, wherein said activator is a charged particle and said receptor material is a charged-particle-sensitive material.
60. The method of claim 56, wherein said receptor material is a substance selected from the group consisting of a glass, a ceramic, plastic, crystal and a liquid.
61. The method of claim 56, wherein said glass is optically clear.
62. The method of claim 56, wherein said by-product is an energetic particle having a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
63. The method of claim 62, wherein said energetic particle is a beta particle.
64. The method of claim 62, wherein said energetic particle is a positron.
65. The method of claim 56, wherein said by-product is ionizing electromagnetic radiation that interacts with an electron or a positron so as to impart sufficient energy to said electron or positron so that said electron or positron has a sufficient velocity to generate said light.
66. The method of claim 56, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and activator-sensitive isotope materials.
67. The method of claim 56, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials, moderator materials and activator-sensitive isotope materials.
68. The method of claim 56, wherein said receptor material comprises alternating layers of matrix materials and moderator materials.

1. A marine propulsion system, comprising:
at least one vessel propeller;
at least one electric motor, by which the at least one vessel propeller is drivable; and
a converter-fed power supply, adapted to supply the at least one electric motor with electric power, and including
at least one drive machine and at least one generator, adapted to be driven by the at least one drive machine, wherein the at least one electric motor and the at least one generator are three-phase synchronous machines, wherein at least one of the at least one electric motor and the at least one generator includes a rotor and a stator winding arranged following one another in the radial direction of at least one of the at least one electric motor and the at least one generator, wherein the stator winding includes an air gap three-phase winding whose bundled conductors are formed from insulated thin copper wires arranged in an annular gap between the rotor and an iron yoke, wherein the air gap three phase winding is at least one of reinforced by a plastic structure and at least one of encapsulated and impregnated with resin, and is connected to a cooling apparatus by which heat losses produced are adapted to be dissipated, wherein the air gap three-phase winding includes no slots in the iron yoke and the iron yoke is in the form of a laminated magnetic iron yoke, and wherein the air gap three-phase winding of at least one of the at least one electric motor and at least one generator for the power supply is installed in an annular container including insulating material surrounded by the laminated magnetic iron yoke, and wherein the cooling apparatus includes a coolant circuit adapted to introduce coolant into the annular container on one end face of the annular container holding the air gap three-phase winding, and adapted to carry the coolant away from the annular container on its other end face with the coolant flowing between the first end face and the second end face of the annular container between the air gap three-phase winding and the annular container.
2. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electric motor and the generator includes a rotating field winding on the rotor composed of high-temperature superconductor wire, arranged in a vacuum-insulated cryostat and cryogenically coolable to a temperature between 15 and 77 K.
3. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cooling apparatus includes at least one fan impeller, arranged on a rotor axis and by which a cooling gas flow is passable into at least one of the annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the rotor and an annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the laminated magnetic iron yoke of the at least one electric motor or generator.
4. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular container which includes the air gap three-phase winding without any slots in the iron yoke is formed from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic.
5. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulating cooling liquid is provided as the coolant for the cooling apparatus.
6. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a heat exchanger, arranged in the coolant circuit of the cooling apparatus, is coolable by use of the cooling water system of the vessel.
7. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged fixed in the vessel’s hull.
8. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a heat exchanger, arranged in the coolant circuit of the cooling apparatus, is coolable by use of seawater.
9. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged fixed in the vessel’s hull.
10. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marine propulsion system is in the form of a pod propulsion system and wherein at least one electric motor is arranged in a motor gondola of the pod propulsion system.
11. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the laminated magnetic iron yoke is shrunk into the housing of the motor gondola of the pod propulsion system.
12. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in an azimuth module of the pod propulsion system.
13. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in a strut module of the pod propulsion system, with tubes of the heat exchanger being thermally connected to the wall of the strut module.
14. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in an azimuth module of the pod propulsion system.
15. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in a strut module of the pod propulsion system, with the tubes of the heat exchanger being thermally connected to a wall of the strut module.
16. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a circulation pump, arranged in the coolant circuit, is arranged in or on an azimuth module of the pod propulsion system.
17. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coolant circuit is adapted to carry the coolant through further longitudinal channels in the air gap three-phase winding.
18. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein cooling lines, forming the coolant circuit for the cooling apparatus are designed to be flexible.
19. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the marine propulsion system is in the form of a pod propulsion system and wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in an azimuth module of the pod propulsion system.
20. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the marine propulsion system is in the form of a pod propulsion system and wherein a heat exchanger for the coolant circuit is arranged in a strut module of the pod propulsion system, with tubes of the heat exchanger being thermally connected to the wall of the strut module.
21. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling apparatus includes at least one fan impeller, arranged on a rotor axis and by which a cooling gas flow is passable into at least one of the annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the rotor and an annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the laminated magnetic iron yoke of the at least one electric motor or generator.
22. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein one fan impeller is provided on each of the two end faces, respectively, of the rotor.
23. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the air gap three-phase winding includes cooling slots which extend in its radial direction and by which heat losses which are produced in the air gap three-phase winding are dissipated to this cooling gas flowing through it.
24. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the radial cooling slots in the air gap three-phase winding are formed by Teflon filling bodies, insertable between stator bars of the air gap three-phase winding during its assembly, and can be removable after at least one of an encapsulation and impregnation process.
25. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a guide plate arrangement, through which the cooling gas flows are passed into the annular space between the rotor and the air gap three-phase winding, without any slots in the iron yoke, in the direction of the axial central area of the at least one electric motor or generator, with the cooling gas flows being passed through the radial cooling slots in the air gap three-phase winding from the annular space between the rotor and the air gap three-phase winding into the annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the laminated magnetic iron yoke, and then back to the end faces of the rotor.
26. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a guide plate arrangement, through which the cooling gas flows are passed into the annular space between the rotor and the air gap three-phase winding, without any slots in the iron yoke, in the direction of the axial central area of the at least one electric motor or generator, with the cooling gas flows being passed through the radial cooling slots in the air gap three-phase winding from the annular space between the rotor and the air gap three-phase winding into the annular space between the air gap three-phase winding and the laminated magnetic iron yoke, and then back to the end faces of the rotor.
27. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein an inlet opening, through which the fan impeller sucks in cooling gas is formed in a housing of the at least one electric motor or generator, for each fan impeller.
28. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one outlet opening is formed in the housing of the at least one electric motor or generator, through which the cooling gas is passed out of the housing of the at least one electric motor or generator after it has once again left the annular gap between the rotor and the iron yoke.
29. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 28, wherein an inlet opening and the outlet opening are arranged on one of the two end faces of the rotor in the housing of the at least one electric motor or generator.
30. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the cooling gas flow is carried in a circuit, and is coolable again by use of gaswater heat exchangers.
31. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one gaswater heat exchanger is arranged within the housing of the at least one electric motor or generator, in one axial space or in both axial spaces between at least one end face of the at least one electric motor or generator and at least one end wall of the housing, which gaswater heat exchanger is connected to a cooling circuit in the vessel and past which the heated cooling gas flow which emerges from the annular gap between the rotor and the iron yoke is passed, before it is forced back into the annular gap by the at least one fan impeller.
32. The marine propulsion system as claimed in claim 21, wherein a gaswater heat exchanger is arranged outside the housing of the at least one electric motor or generator.
33. A marine propulsion system, comprising:
at least one vessel propeller;
at least one electric motor, by which the at least one vessel propeller is drivable; and
at least one drive machine and at least one generator, adapted to be driven by the at least one drive machine, wherein at least one of the at least one electric motor and the at least one generator is a three-phase synchronous machine including a rotor and a stator winding, wherein the stator winding includes an air gap three-phase winding whose conductors are formed from wires arranged in an annular gap between the rotor and an iron yoke, wherein the iron yoke is connected to a cooling apparatus by which heat losses produced are adapted to be dissipated, wherein the air gap three-phase winding includes no slots in the iron yoke and the iron yoke is in the form of a laminated magnetic iron yoke, and wherein the air gap three-phase winding is installed in an annular container including insulating material surrounded by the laminated magnetic iron yoke, and wherein the cooling apparatus includes a coolant circuit adapted to introduce the coolant into the annular container on one end face of the annular container holding the air gap three-phase winding, and adapted to carry the coolant away from the annular container on its other end face with the coolant flowing between the first end face and the second end face of the annular container between the air gap three-phase winding and the annular container.

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 backlight unit, comprising:
a light source for generating light; and
an element comprising an incident portion, through which light generated by the light source enters into the element and an emitting portion through which the entering light is emitted after traveling through the element,
wherein a rib is provided on at least a portion of a periphery of the element to reinforce the element, and a panel receiving portion is provided at a portion of the element surrounded by the rib.
2. A backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein the element is a light guide plate comprising a side through which light generated by the light source enters into the element and a first broad side through which the light is emitted after traveling through the element.
3. A backlight unit according to claim 2, wherein:
the light guide plate is provided with a groove along at least a edge thereof and the light source is provided in the groove; and
light generated by the light source enters through a first side of the groove into the light guide plate.
4. A backlight unit according to claim 2, wherein:
a dot pattern of minute pits and projections is provided on the first broad side of the light guide plate; and
the light guide plate further comprises a second broad side opposed to the first broad side, a plurality of grooves being arranged in parallel on the second broad side.
5. A backlight unit according to claim 3, wherein a light reflective thin film is provided on a second side of the groove and not on the first side thereof.
6. A backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein:
a side of the element on which the emitting portion is provided is in the shape of a rectangle having four corner portions; and
the rib is provided in the vicinity of any of the four corner portions.
7. A backlight unit according to claim 6, wherein:
at least an additional rib is provided on at least a portion of the periphery of the element; and
a plurality of ribs including the rib and the additional rib are provided in the vicinity of two adjacent corner portions of the four corner portions, in the vicinity of two opposing corner portions of the four corner portions, or in the vicinity of the four corner portions.
8. A backlight unit according to claim 6, wherein the rib is provided on any of the four corner portions as well as in the vicinity thereof.
9. A backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein:
the element is a frame having a buried portion in which a light-transmissive material is buried; and
the buried portion comprises a side through which light generated by the light source enters into the element and a first broad side through which the entering light is emitted after traveling through the element.
10. A backlight unit according to claim 9, wherein:
the buried portion is provided with a groove along at least an edge thereof and the light source is provided in the groove; and
light generated by the light source enters through a first side of the groove into the buried portion.
11. A backlight unit according to claim 9, wherein:
a dot pattern of minute pits and projections is provided on the first broad side of the buried portion; and
the buried portion further comprises a second broad side opposed to the first broad side, a plurality of grooves being arranged in parallel on the second broad side.
12. A backlight unit according to claim 10, wherein a light reflective thin film is provided on a second side of the groove and not on the first side thereof.
13. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:
a liquid crystal panel; and
a backlight unit for illuminating the liquid crystal panel,
wherein the backlight unit comprises:
a light source for generating light;
an element comprising an incident portion, through which light generated by the light source enters into the element, and an emitting portion through which the light is emitted after traveling through the element,
wherein a rib is provided on at least a portion of a periphery of the element to reinforce the element, and a panel receiving portion is provided at a portion of the element surrounded by the rib.