Author: claimsbot

1. A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a reversible linker; causing the reversible linker to reversibly crosslink adjacent molecular chains to change a surface of the substrate from hydrophilic to hydrophobic or from hydrophobic to hydrophilic; causing at least some of the molecular chains to straighten and so that the hydrophilic group is furthest from the substrate; and causing at least some of the molecular chains to bend over so that the hydrophilic group is attached to the substrate.
2. A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising an ionic hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a photo-reversible crosslinker; exposing the substrate to a charge opposite to the charge on the ionic hydrophilic group, causing at least some of the molecular chains to straighten and so that the hydrophilic group is furthest from the substrate; exposing the substrate to a charge the same as the charge on the ionic hydrophilic group, causing at least some of the molecular chains to bend over so that the hydrophilic group is attached to the substrate; and thereafter exposing the molecular chains to ultraviolet light to crosslink adjacent molecular chains.
3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the crosslinked chains are exposed to ultraviolet light of a wavelength less than 260 nm to uncrosslink the same.
4. A method comprising providing a substrate with hydroxyl groups attached thereto, reacting the hydroxyl groups with perfluoro dicarbonyl chloride to provide a chlorinated segment attached to the substrate, reacting the chlorinated segment with an excessive amount of dry hydroquoine to produce attached phenol groups, reacting the phenol groups with cinnamic acid to provide molecular chains attached to the substrate, the molecular chains comprising a fluorocarbon segment, crosslinkable double bonds, and hydrophilic carboxylic acid or salt end groups.
5. A method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising imposing positive charges on the substrate through a direct current electric field or exposing the molecular chains to a hydrophilic solvent so that the chains on the surface are stretched with the ionic groups pointed away from the surface.
6. A method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising exposing the molecular chains to ultraviolet light of wavelength greater than 260 nm to promote UV curing through the photo-dimerizationf cinnamic acid linkages to provide crosslinked adjacent molecular chains.
7. A method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising exposing the crosslinked molecular chains to UV light of wavelength less than 260 nm to uncrosslink adjacent molecular chains.
8. A method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising imposing a negative charge on the substrate or exposing the molecular chains to a hydrophobic solvent so that the chains bend over and so that the ionic group attaches to the substrate.
9. A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a reversible linker, and causing the reversible linker to crosslink adjacent molecular chains, further comprising causing at least some of the molecular chains to bend over so that the hydrophilic group is attached to the substrate.
10. A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a reversible linker, and causing the reversible linker to crosslink adjacent molecular chains wherein the hydrophilic group is ionic, the exposing the substrate to a charge comprises exposing the substrate to a charge the same as the charge on the ionic hydrophilic group, causing at least some of the molecular chains to bend over so that the hydrophilic group is attached to the substrate.

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 coating composition, comprising:
(a) resin system, wherein said resin system includes at least one hydroxy functional unsaturated polyester and at least one hydroxy functional acrylic polymer;
(b) a crosslinker selected from the group consisting of amino resins and isocyanates; and
(c) a conductive pigment;
wherein said unsaturated polyester is unsaturated in the backbone of the polyester and does not undergo further crosslinking in the coating composition through its unsaturation.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polyester contains secondary hydroxyl functionality.
3. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polyester is the esterification reaction product of trimethylolpropane, propylene glycol, maleic anhydride, adipic acid, and phthalic anhydride.
4. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polyester has a weight average molecular weight from about 700 to about 1300.
5. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polyester has an OH value from about 50 to about 400 mg KOHg.
6. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polyester has an OH value from about 100 to about 300 mg KOHg.
7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said acrylic has an OH value from about 20 to about 200 mg KOHg.
8. The composition of claim 1, wherein said acrylic has an OH value from about 50 to about 100 mg KOHg.
9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said acrylic has a weight average molecular weight from about 1600 to about 7000.
10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the unsaturated polyester comprises from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the resin system.
11. The composition of claim 1, wherein said crosslinker is an isocyanate.
12. The composition of claim 11, wherein said isocyanate is an aliphatic isocyanate.
13. The composition of claim 11, wherein the crosslinker is present in a ratio of about 0.8 to about 1.2 based on the NCO:OH ratio.
14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conductive pigment is carbon black.
15. The composition of claim 1, wherein said crosslinker is an amino resin.
16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the unsaturated polyester is prepared by the esterification of at least on ethylenically unsaturated di- or higher polycarboxylic acid or anhydride with saturated or unsaturated di- or higher polyols.
17. The composition of claim 16, wherein said polyester is the esterification reaction product obtained by reacting about 5% to about 60% by weight, based upon the total weight of acids, anhydrides and polyols, of unsaturated dibasic acids or anhydrides with a polyol.
18. The composition of claim 16, wherein said polyester is the esterification reaction product obtained by reacting about 10% to about 40% by weight, based upon the total weight of acids, anhydrides and polyols, of unsaturated dibasic acids or anhydrides with a polyol.
19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the unsaturated acid or anhydride comprises maleic anhydride.

1. An apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, said apparatus comprising:
a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
difference signal generating means for generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
threshold setting means for setting a threshold value on the basis of a level of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
selection means for selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said threshold value with the difference signal generated by said difference signal generating means; and
output means for outputting the difference signals corresponding to the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said threshold setting means sets the threshold value based on the difference signals corresponding to two photoelectric conversion elements equally spaced from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said threshold setting means sets the threshold value at the difference signal corresponding to the greater difference signal of the two photoelectric conversion elements equally spaced from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said threshold setting means sets the threshold value at the difference signal corresponding to the smaller difference signal of the two photoelectric conversion elements equally spaced from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
difference signal detecting means for detecting the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal,
wherein said threshold setting means sets the threshold value based on the difference signals of a predetermined number of photoelectric conversion elements adjacent to the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
pixel calculation means for calculating which photoelectric conversion element the light is incident on based on the difference signals outputted by the effective photoelectric conversion elements.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pixel calculation means calculates a centroid pixel number of a selected effective signal, further comprising position calculation means for calculating a position coordinate of a designation device based on an output result of said pixel calculation means.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;
storage means for storing an output result of said pixel calculation means, which is obtained at the light of a predetermined position on the screen, and information on said predetermined position.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
first integration means for integrating the output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point;
second integration means for integrating the output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point; and
difference signal generating means for generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal between the integrated output signal of when the light cycle is at the first point and the integrated output signal of when the light cycle is at the second point.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light comprises a light-emitting element that projects a light spot onto the screen surface.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light comprises a light-emitting element positioned adjacent to the screen surface.
12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means receives light diffused through the screen surface from the light.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device.
14. An apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, said apparatus comprising:
a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
difference signal generating means for generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
first threshold setting means for setting a first threshold value on the basis of a mean value of output of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
second threshold setting means for setting a second threshold value to either of the difference signals outputted by a photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal and two photoelectric conversion elements, which are equally spaced by the predetermined number of pixels from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal;
selection means for selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said first threshold value and said second threshold value with the difference signal generated by said difference signal generating means; and
output means for outputting the difference signal obtained from the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.
15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:
determining means for determining whether there is a designation device or not, by comparing the first threshold value set by said first threshold setting means with the second threshold value set by said second threshold setting means.
16. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a display device.
17. A method for controlling an apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, comprising the step of:
detecting by a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
setting a threshold value on the basis of a level of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said threshold value with the difference signal generated in said difference signal generating step; and
outputting the difference signals corresponding to the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.
18. A method for controlling an apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, comprising the step of:
detecting by a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
setting a first threshold value on the basis of a mean value of output of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
setting a second threshold value to either one of the outputted difference signals of a photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal and two photoelectric conversion elements equally spaced by the predetermined number of pixels from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal;
selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said first threshold value and said second threshold value with the difference signal generated in said difference signal generating step; and
outputting the difference signals obtained from the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.
19. A coordinate input apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, said apparatus comprising:
a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
difference signal generating means for generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
threshold setting means for setting a threshold value on the basis of a level of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
selection means for selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said threshold value with the difference signal generated by said difference signal generating means; and
output means for outputting the difference signals corresponding to the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.
20. A coordinate input apparatus for outputting position information corresponding to light having a cyclically varying intensity, said apparatus comprising:
a detection device that receives the light, said detection device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in a predetermined physical array;
difference signal generating means for generating, for each photoelectric conversion element, a difference signal corresponding to a difference between an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a first point and an output of the photoelectric conversion element when the light cycle is at a second point, the first point being at a higher intensity than the second point;
first threshold setting means for setting a first threshold value on the basis of a mean value of output of said difference signal obtained from each photoelectric conversion element;
second threshold setting means for setting a second threshold value to either one of the outputted difference signals of a photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal and two photoelectric conversion elements equally by spaced the predetermined number of pixels from the photoelectric conversion element having the largest difference signal;
selection means for selecting effective photoelectric conversion elements by comparing said first threshold value and said second threshold value with the difference signal generated by said difference signal generating means; and
output means for outputting the difference signal obtained from the selected effective photoelectric conversion elements.

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 process for the combined production of high purity para-xylene HPPX and benzene from a first feed principally comprising xylenes and ethylbenzene, and from a second feed principally comprising toluene, in a facility comprising at least the following:
a unit for the selective disproportionation of toluene to benzene and xylenes;
a unit for para-xylene crystallization;
a SMB unit for simulated moving bed adsorption, comprising at least one chromatographic column containing a plurality of beds of an absorbent having a different selectivity for para-xylene, ethylbenzene, meta-xylene and ortho-xylene, said column using a desorbant;

in which:
a) during the whole of at least one operational cycle of the process:
an adsorption feed comprising at least a fraction of said first feed is separated by simulated moving bed adsorption in said simulated moving bed adsorption unit SMB to produce an extract E* which is rich in para-xylene and at least one raffinate which is depleted in para-xylene and contains ortho-xylene and meta-xylene;
said raffinate is distilled to recover a distilled raffinate (R) which is substantially free of desorbant;
the extract E* is distilled to recover a distilled extract E, substantially free of desorbant;

b) during an initial fraction IF of said operational cycle of the process, high purity para-xylene HPPX is produced comprising substantially all of the distilled extract E, the crystallization unit being, during said initial fraction IF, either stopped or essentially supplied with at least a portion of a C8 disproportionation stream essentially comprising xylenes and more than 50% by weight of para-xylene, derived from effluents from conversion of said second feed in said selective disproportionation unit;
c) during a final fraction FF of said operational cycle of the process;
said second feed is converted in the unit for selective disproportionation of toluene to benzene and xylenes, to produce benzene and a C8 disproportionation stream essentially comprising xylenes and more than 50% by weight of para-xylene;
the largest portion or all or said C8 disproportionation stream is integrated into the adsorption feed;
the distilled extract E is divided into a first fraction Ea and a complementary second fraction Eb;
the crystallization unit is essentially supplied with Ea to produce higher purity para-xylene PX1 and a mother liquor ML;
and the PX1 and said complementary second fraction Eb are mixed to produce high purity para-xylene HPPX.
2. A process according to claim 1, in which said final fraction of said operational cycle of the process is the part of the cycle which is complementary to the initial fraction of the operational cycle.
3. A process according to claim 1, in which during the initial fraction IF of said operational cycle, the high purity para-xylene HPPX produced is constituted by all of the distilled extract E.
4. A process according to claim 1, in which Ea represents between 20% and 70% of E.
5. A process according to claim 1 in which, during the initial fraction IF of said operating cycle, the crystallization unit is supplied with a crystallization feed constituted by at least part or all of the C8 disproportionation stream.
6. A process according to claim 1, in which during said initial fraction IF of the operational cycle, the crystallization unit is not in service.
7. A process according to claim 1 in which, during said final fraction FF of said operational cycle, the purity of PX1 is at least 99.8%, that of Ea and Eb is less than 99.7% and that of HPPX is at least 99.7%.
8. A process according to claim 1, in which the flow rate of the crystallization feed is substantially higher during the final fraction FF of the cycle than during the initial fraction IF of the cycle.
9. A process according to claim 8, in which the flow rate of the crystallization feed is at least doubled during the final fraction FF of the cycle compared with the initial fraction IF of the cycle.
10. A process according to claim 1, in which at least a part or all of the mother liquor ML is recycled to the adsorption feed.
11. A process according to claim 1, in which said distilled raffinate is supplied to an isomerization unit and at least a portion of said isomerization effluent is recycled and integrated into the adsorption feed.
12. A process according to claim 11, in which the chromatographic column produces a first raffinate R1* comprising ethylbenzene, and a second raffinate R2* which is substantially free of ethylbenzene and comprises ortho-xylene and meta-xylene, and in which the first raffinate R1, after distillation to substantially eliminate the desorbant it contains, is supplied to a first isomerization unit in the gas phase to convert at least a portion of the ethylbenzene to benzene andor xylenes and the second raffinate R2, after distillation to substantially eliminate the desorbant it contains, is supplied to a second isomerization unit in the liquid phase, and at least a portion of each of the isomerization effluents is recycled to the adsorption feed.
13. A process according to claim 11, in which said distilled raffinate: R or R1 is supplied to a dealkylating isomerization unit to convert at least a portion of the ethylbenzene to benzene, and benzene is produced a portion of which derives from the toluene disproportionation unit and a portion derives from said dealkylating isomerization unit.
14. A process according to claim 12, in which said first isomerization unit, in the gas phase, is a dealkylating isomerization unit to convert at least a portion of the ethylbenzene to benzene, and said second isomerization unit, in the liquid phase, is a converting and non dealkylating isomerization unit to convert at least the major portion of the ortho-xylene and para-xylene into a mixture of xylenes comprising PX, and benzene is produced a portion of which derives from the toluene disproportionation unit and a portion of which derives from the dealkylating isomerization unit.
15. A process according to claim 1, in which the first feed is initially distilled in a xylene distillation column, from which an overhead fraction comprising the major portion of meta-xylene, para-xylene, ethylbenzene and at least a portion of the ortho-xylene is withdrawn, which overhead fraction is integrated into the adsorption feed, and a bottom fraction is withdrawn comprising C9-C10 hydrocarbons andor the remaining portion of the ortho-xylene.