EP0847567B1 - A vending machine - Google Patents

A vending machine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0847567B1
EP0847567B1 EP96929400A EP96929400A EP0847567B1 EP 0847567 B1 EP0847567 B1 EP 0847567B1 EP 96929400 A EP96929400 A EP 96929400A EP 96929400 A EP96929400 A EP 96929400A EP 0847567 B1 EP0847567 B1 EP 0847567B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
radiator
vending machine
transducer
machine according
panel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96929400A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0847567A1 (en
Inventor
Henry Azima
Martin Colloms
Neil Harris
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NVF Tech Ltd
Original Assignee
New Transducers Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GBGB9517918.0A external-priority patent/GB9517918D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9522281.6A external-priority patent/GB9522281D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9606836.6A external-priority patent/GB9606836D0/en
Application filed by New Transducers Ltd filed Critical New Transducers Ltd
Publication of EP0847567A1 publication Critical patent/EP0847567A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0847567B1 publication Critical patent/EP0847567B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/02—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein
    • H04R1/028—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
    • G07F9/02—Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/02—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein
    • H04R1/021—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein incorporating only one transducer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/02—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein
    • H04R1/025—Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R3/00—Circuits for transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R3/04—Circuits for transducers, loudspeakers or microphones for correcting frequency response
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R7/00—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones
    • H04R7/02—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones characterised by the construction
    • H04R7/04—Plane diaphragms
    • H04R7/045—Plane diaphragms using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R5/00—Stereophonic arrangements
    • H04R5/02—Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to vending machines.
  • US-A-5,091,713 of UNIVERSAL AUTOMATED SYSTEMS discloses a vending machine comprising a store of articles or product to be dispensed, user operated means for selecting the product or article to be dispensed, means authorising dispensing, a dispensing outlet and a loudspeaker.
  • Embodiments of the present invention use members of nature, structure and configuration achievable generally and/or specifically by implementing teachings of our co-pending PCT publication No. W097/09842 of even date herewith.
  • Such members thus have capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in operative area(s) extending transversely of thickness often but not necessarily to edges of the member(s); are configured with or without anisotropy of bending stiffness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said area(s) beneficially for acoustic coupling with ambient air; and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means, particularly operationally active or moving part(s) thereof effective in relation to acoustic vibrational activity in said area(s) and signals, usually electrical, corresponding to acoustic content of such vibrational activity.
  • This invention is particularly concerned with vending machines incorporating active acoustic devices e.g. in the form of loudspeakers for the purpose of providing information concerning the manner of operation of the machine or its contents.
  • the term 'vending machine' is intended to encompass not only food and drink and the like dispensers but also ticket dispensers, automated Bank telling machines, cash dispensers, and the like.
  • distributed mode radiators are intended to be characterised as in the above PCT application and/or otherwise as specifically provided herein.
  • the invention is a vending machine of the kind comprising a store of articles or product to be dispensed, user operated means for selecting the article or product to be dispensed, means, e.g. a coin-freed mechanism, authorising dispensing, a dispensing outlet and a loudspeaker, characterised in that the loudspeaker comprises a member having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said at least one area and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means and having a transducer mounted wholly and exclusively on said member at one of said locations or sites to vibrate the member to cause it to resonate forming an acoustic radiator which provides an acoustic output when resonating.
  • the loudspeaker comprises a member having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have reson
  • the radiator may form a visual display means.
  • the radiator may comprise a stiff lightweight panel having a cellular core sandwiched between a pair of skins.
  • the panel may be surrounded by a frame.
  • the radiator may be mounted in the frame by means of a resilient suspension.
  • the vending machine may comprise a body and the frame may be on or integral with the body.
  • a second transducer may be coupled to the radiator to produce a signal in response to resonance of the radiator due to incident acoustic energy. At least two said second transducers may be provided, at spaced locations on the radiator.
  • a further transducer may be provided on the radiator to produce a signal in response to resonance of the radiator to due to incident acoustic energy, and means may be provided for comparing the signal generated by the said further transducer with that of those generated by the said second transducer(s).
  • the comparison means may comprise a signal receiver and conditioner and signal output means.
  • a panel-form loudspeaker (81) of the kind described and claimed in our co-pending International publication No. W097/09842 of even date herewith comprising a rectangular frame (1) carrying a resilient suspension (3) round its inner periphery which supports a distributed mode sound radiating panel (2).
  • a transducer (9) e.g as described in detail with reference to our co-pending International publication Nos. W097/09859, W097/09861, W097/09858 of even date herewith, is mounted wholly and exclusively on or in the panel (2) at a predetermined location defined by dimensions x and y , the position of which location is calculated as described in our co-pending International publication No. W097/09842 of even date herewith, to launch bending waves into the panel to cause the panel to resonate to radiate an acoustic output.
  • the transducer (9) is driven by a signal amplifier (10), e.g. an audio amplifier, connected to the transducer by conductors (28).
  • a signal amplifier (10) e.g. an audio amplifier
  • Amplifier loading and power requirements can be entirely normal, similar to conventional cone type speakers, sensitivity being of the order of 86 - 88dB/watt under room loaded conditions.
  • Amplifier load impedance is largely resistive at 6 ohms, power handling 20-80 watts. Where the panel core and/or skins are of metal, they may be made to act as a heat sink for the transducer to remove heat from the motor coil of the transducer and thus improve power handling.
  • Figures 2 a and 2 b are partial typical cross-sections through the loudspeaker (81) of Figure 1.
  • Figure 2a shows that the frame (1), surround (3) and panel (2) are connected together by respective adhesive-bonded joints (20).
  • Suitable materials for the frame include lightweight framing, e.g. picture framing of extruded metal e.g. aluminium alloy or plastics.
  • Suitable surround materials include resilient materials such as foam rubber and foam plastics.
  • Suitable adhesives for the joints (20) include epoxy, acrylic and cyano-acrylate etc. adhesives.
  • Figure 2 b illustrates, to an enlarged scale, that the panel (2) is a rigid lightweight panel having a core (22) e.g. of a rigid plastics foam (97) e.g. cross linked polyvinylchloride or a cellular matrix (98) i.e. a honeycomb matrix of metal foil, plastics or the like, with the cells extending transversely to the plane of the panel, and enclosed by opposed skins (21) e.g. of paper, card, plastics or metal foil or sheet.
  • the skins are of plastics, they may be reinforced with fibres e.g. of carbon, glass, Kevlar (RTM) or the like in a manner known per se to increase their modulus.
  • RTM Kevlar
  • Envisaged skin layer materials and reinforcements thus include carbon, glass, Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM) i.e. aramid etc. fibres in various lays and weaves, as well as paper, bonded paper laminates, melamine, and various synthetic plastics films of high modulus, such as Mylar (RTM), Kaptan (RTM), polycarbonate, phenolic, polyester or related plastics, and fibre reinforced plastics, etc. and metal sheet or foil.
  • Investigation of the Vectra grade of liquid crystal polymer thermoplastics shows that they may be useful for the injection moulding of ultra thin skins or shells of smaller size, say up to around 30cm diameter. This material self forms an orientated crystal structure in the direction of injection, a preferred orientation for the good propagation of treble energy from the driving point to the panel perimeter.
  • thermoplastics allow for the mould tooling to carry location and registration features such as grooves or rings for the accurate location of transducer parts e.g. the motor coil, and the magnet suspension. Additional with some weaker core materials it is calculated that it would be advantageous to increase the skin thickness locally e.g. in an area or annulus up to 150% of the transducer diameter, to reinforce that area and beneficially couple vibration energy into the panel. High frequency response will be improved with the softer foam materials by this means.
  • Envisaged core layer materials include fabricated honeycombs or corrugations of aluminium alloy sheet or foil, or Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM), plain or bonded papers, and various synthetic plastics films, as well as expanded or foamed plastics or pulp materials, even aerogel metals if of suitably low density.
  • Some suitable core layer materials effectively exhibit usable self-skinning in their manufacture and/or otherwise have enough inherent stiffness for use without lamination between skin layers.
  • a high performance cellular core material is known under the trade name 'Rohacell' which may be suitable as a radiator panel and which is without skins. In practical terms, the aim is for an overall lightness and stiffness suited to a particular purpose, specifically including optimising contributions from core and skin layers and transitions between them.
  • piezo and electro dynamic transducers have negligible electromagnetic radiation or stray magnet fields.
  • Conventional speakers have a large magnetic field, up to 1 metre distant unless specific compensation counter measures are taken.
  • electrical connection can be made to the conductive parts of an appropriate DML panel or an electrically conductive foam or similar interface may be used for the edge mounting.
  • the suspension (3) may damp the edges of the panel (2) to prevent excessive edge movement of the panel. Additionally or alternatively, further damping may be applied, e.g. as patches, bonded to the panel in selected positions to damp excessive movement to distribute resonance equally over the panel.
  • the patches may be of bitumen-based material, as commonly used in conventional loudspeaker enclosures or may be of a resilient or rigid polymeric sheet material. Some materials, notably paper and card, and some cores may be self-damping. Where desired, the damping may be increased in the construction of the panels by employing resiliently setting, rather than rigid setting adhesives.
  • Effective said selective damping includes specific application to the panel including its sheet material of means permanently associated therewith. Edges and corners can be particularly significant for dominant and less dispersed low frequency vibration modes of panels hereof. Edge-wise fixing of damping means can usefully lead to a panel with its said sheet material fully framed, though their corners can often be relatively free, say for desired extension to lower frequency operation. Attachment can be by adhesive or self-adhesive materials. Other forms of useful damping, particularly in terms of more subtle effects and/or mid- and higher frequencies can be by way of suitable mass or masses affixed to the sheet material at predetermined effective medial localised positions of said area.
  • An acoustic panel as described above is bidirectional.
  • the sound energy from the back is not strongly phase related to that from the front. Consequently there is the benefit of overall summation of acoustic power in the room, sound energy of uniform frequency distribution, reduced reflective and standing wave effects and with the advantage of superior reproduction of the natural space and ambience in the reproduced sound recordings.
  • FIG 3 illustrates a vending machine (108), e.g. a drinks dispenser incorporating a loudspeaker (81) whereby the loudspeaker forms part of the front face (109) of the vending machine.
  • the loudspeaker (81) is arranged to provide audio information as to the dispensable contents of the machine and/or the manner it is to be operated.
  • the front (109) of the machine carries the normal coin or the like freed mechanism (143), product selector panel (137) and dispenser outlet (142).
  • the loudspeaker (81) comprises a rectangular lightweight rigid distributed mode radiator panel (2) comprising a cellular core (22) having skin layers (21) on both faces, the panel being supported around its periphery on a resilient suspension (3), e.g. of foam rubber.
  • the suspension is mounted in a rectangular frame (1) mounted in the front face (109) of the machine (108).
  • Visual information e.g. in the form of graphics and text, may be applied to the panel (2) as desired.
  • the panel (2) carries a transducer (9), e.g. of the kind described with reference to our co-pending International publication Nos. WO97/09859, WO97/09861, W097/09858 of even date herewith, whereby the panel can be vibrated to cause it to resonate to produce an acoustic output.
  • the machine will incorporate the required signal generator to produce the necessary messages and amplifier means (not shown) for driving the transducer (9).
  • the device can be made to be proactive by arranging that the distributed mode panel (2) is capable of use both as a loudspeaker and as a sound receiver or microphone, as shown in Figure 5.
  • the panel is driven to resonate and produce an acoustic output by a transducer (9) of the kind described in our co-pending International publication Nos. WO97/09859, WO97/09861, WO97/09858 of even date herewith, which in turn is connected to and driven by an amplifier (10).
  • the panel also carries a pair of vibration transducers (63) which may be piezo-electric transducer of the kind shown in Figure 6 which are coupled in parallel to drive a signal receiver and conditioner (65) connected to an output (66).
  • FIG. 6 shows a transducer (9) for a distributed mode panel (2) in the form of a crystalline disc-like piezo bender (27) mounted on a disc (118), e.g. of brass, which is bonded to a face of the panel (2), e.g. by an adhesive bond (20).
  • a transducer (9) for a distributed mode panel (2) in the form of a crystalline disc-like piezo bender (27) mounted on a disc (118), e.g. of brass, which is bonded to a face of the panel (2), e.g. by an adhesive bond (20).
  • a transducer (9) via leads (28) will cause the piezo disc (27) to bend and thus locally resiliently deform the panel (2) to launch bending waves into the panel.
  • the device is configured such that verbal instructions can be given to the vending machine.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
  • Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Formation And Processing Of Food Products (AREA)
  • Soil Working Implements (AREA)
  • Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
EP96929400A 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 A vending machine Expired - Lifetime EP0847567B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9517918 1995-09-02
GBGB9517918.0A GB9517918D0 (en) 1995-09-02 1995-09-02 Acoustic device
GBGB9522281.6A GB9522281D0 (en) 1995-10-31 1995-10-31 Acoustic device
GB9522281 1995-10-31
GB9606836 1996-03-30
GBGB9606836.6A GB9606836D0 (en) 1996-03-30 1996-03-30 Acoustic device
PCT/GB1996/002159 WO1997009698A1 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 A vending machine

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0847567A1 EP0847567A1 (en) 1998-06-17
EP0847567B1 true EP0847567B1 (en) 1999-02-17

Family

ID=34865246

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96929400A Expired - Lifetime EP0847567B1 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 A vending machine

Country Status (11)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0847567B1 (es)
AT (1) ATE176826T1 (es)
AU (1) AU699890B2 (es)
CA (1) CA2230459A1 (es)
DE (1) DE69601554T2 (es)
DK (1) DK0847567T3 (es)
EA (1) EA002337B1 (es)
ES (1) ES2130849T3 (es)
HK (1) HK1008593A1 (es)
RO (1) RO119033B1 (es)
WO (1) WO1997009698A1 (es)

Families Citing this family (26)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9905038D0 (en) 1999-03-05 1999-04-28 New Transducers Ltd Loudpeakers
DE19943084A1 (de) * 1999-09-09 2001-04-05 Harman Audio Electronic Sys Schallwandler
JP3591578B2 (ja) 1999-11-09 2004-11-24 ヤマハ株式会社 音響放射体
GB2369232B (en) 2000-11-18 2005-01-12 Talksign Ltd Display signs
US11431312B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2022-08-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10158337B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2018-12-18 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US8284955B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2012-10-09 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10848118B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10848867B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US9615189B2 (en) 2014-08-08 2017-04-04 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Artificial ear apparatus and associated methods for generating a head related audio transfer function
US10069471B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2018-09-04 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US11202161B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2021-12-14 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US10701505B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-06-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US9264004B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2016-02-16 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for narrow bandwidth digital signal processing
US9883318B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2018-01-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for stereo field enhancement in two-channel audio systems
US9906858B2 (en) 2013-10-22 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US9615813B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. Device for wide-band auscultation
US10639000B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-05-05 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Device for wide-band auscultation
US10820883B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-11-03 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Noise reduction assembly for auscultation of a body
US9564146B2 (en) 2014-08-01 2017-02-07 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing in deep diving environment
US9638672B2 (en) 2015-03-06 2017-05-02 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for acquiring acoustic information from a resonating body
US9906867B2 (en) 2015-11-16 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
US9621994B1 (en) 2015-11-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
CA3096877A1 (en) 2018-04-11 2019-10-17 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Audio enhanced hearing protection system
WO2020028833A1 (en) 2018-08-02 2020-02-06 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
AT525365B1 (de) 2022-05-25 2023-03-15 Cale3D Prime Gmbh Elektroakustischer Wandler

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5091713A (en) * 1990-05-10 1992-02-25 Universal Automated Systems, Inc. Inventory, cash, security, and maintenance control apparatus and method for a plurality of remote vending machines
WO1992003024A1 (en) * 1990-08-04 1992-02-20 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Panel-form loudspeaker
US5445295A (en) * 1992-01-17 1995-08-29 Brown; Graham Automated vending machine system for recorded goods
JPH05290256A (ja) * 1992-04-13 1993-11-05 Erugonomikusu Kenkyusho:Kk 自動販売機
JPH06139454A (ja) * 1992-10-26 1994-05-20 Satoru Tsurusaki 文字・図形情報の自動販売機

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1997009698A1 (en) 1997-03-13
ATE176826T1 (de) 1999-03-15
EA002337B1 (ru) 2002-04-25
EA199800261A1 (ru) 1998-10-29
CA2230459A1 (en) 1997-03-13
EP0847567A1 (en) 1998-06-17
DK0847567T3 (da) 1999-09-20
RO119033B1 (ro) 2004-02-27
HK1008593A1 (en) 1999-05-14
AU699890B2 (en) 1998-12-17
DE69601554T2 (de) 1999-09-16
ES2130849T3 (es) 1999-07-01
AU6881596A (en) 1997-03-27
DE69601554D1 (de) 1999-03-25

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