A safety belt of the present invention includes a first backing member attached to the back of the driver, a first waist belt attached around the waist of the driver, a pair of first shoulder belts attached around the shoulders of the driver, a second waist belt attached around the waist of the passenger, a pair of second shoulder belts attached around the shoulders of the passenger, a plurality of waist belt attaching portions enabling attachment of the second waist belt to the first backing member in a freely detachable manner, and a plurality of shoulder belt attaching members enabling attachment of respective portions of the second shoulder belts located at a front side of the passenger to the first backing member. An attachment position of the second waist belt and attachment positions of the second shoulder belts to the first backing member are selectable accordingly among the plurality of waist belt attaching portions and the plurality of shoulder belt attaching members.

When a passenger rides on the rear seat of a two-wheeled vehicle, the passenger puts both arms around the body of a driver, or holds a device, such as a holding belt provided between the driver's seat and the rear seat or a holding grip provided at the side or the back of the rear seat to ride on the vehicle, thereby maintaining the stability of the riding posture and preventing the passenger from falling from the two-wheeled vehicle at the time of starting and running a curved road. Moreover, like the belt with a grip for tandem riding on a two-wheeled vehicle disclosed in following patent document 1, a driver attaches a device in a belt shape around the body of the driver, and a passenger holds the holding grips provided at both ends of the belt, thereby maintaining the stability of the riding posture and preventing the passenger from falling from the two-wheeled vehicle.
However, such devices like the holding belt and the holding grip attempt to maintain the stability of the riding posture based on the gripping power of the passenger. Hence, it is difficult for women and children with a weak grip power to support the upper part of the body for a long time using the holding belt and the holding grip. Moreover, a function of suppressing a falling of the passenger from the two-wheeled vehicle is not ensured when the passenger falls asleep or releases the hand from the holding belt and the holding grip.
Following patent document 2 discloses a falling prevention device which maintains the stability of the riding posture of the passenger not by only the gripping power of the passenger riding on the rear seat of a two-wheeled vehicle. This device employs a configuration in which the driver and the passenger are coupled together through a double-structure waist belt, thereby maintaining the stability of the riding posture of the passenger. However, the stability of the riding posture of the upper part of the passenger from the waist needs to be supported by holding a holding belt or a holding grip, etc. Hence, when, in practice, the passenger fails to hold the holding belt, the holding grip, etc., by gripping power due to, for example, catnap, no structure is employed which maintains the stability of the riding posture of the upper part from the waist, and it is unavoidable that the passenger largely bends the body backwardly or tilts the body from side to side.
A safety belt device for tandem riding on a two-wheeled vehicle typical of a scheme disclosed in patent document 3 prevents the passenger from falling from the two-wheeled vehicle while maintaining the stability of the riding posture of not only the waist of the passenger riding on the rear seat of the two-wheeled vehicle but also the whole upper part of the body. This device includes a waist belt fastening respective waists of the driver and the passenger so as to tie both waists together, and a pair of shoulder belts fastening respective shoulders of the driver and the passenger tied together. According to such a device, the stability of the riding posture of the upper part of the passenger from the waist can be maintained without depending on only the gripping power of the passenger, thereby preventing the passenger from falling from the two-wheeled vehicle.
According to such a device, however, when the difference in physical size between the driver and the passenger is large and the seating position for the driver and the seating position for the passenger have the same height, as shown in FIG. 21, the device cannot be surely attached to the shoulder of the passenger, and the upper body of the passenger may be released from the device due to a rolling when the two-wheeled vehicle is running Moreover, according to such a device, when the difference in physical size between the driver and the passenger is substantially zero or when the physical size of the passenger is larger than that of the driver and when the seating position for the passenger is higher than the seating position for the driver, as shown in FIG. 22, the shoulder belt interferes with the neck of the driver, which may disturb the driving.

Safety belt for riding double on two-wheeled vehicle


Technologies are generally described herein for electrocaloric effect heat transfer devices and methods effective to facilitate thermal energy transfer while mitigating mechanical stresses caused by expansion or contraction of electrocaloric effect material layers during thermal energy transfer operations. Some example heat transfer devices may include heat transfer stacks with at least two electrocaloric effect materials. Expanding electrocaloric effect material and contracting electrocaloric effect material are utilized to cancel the aggregate longitudinal dimensional change during application of an electric field. Some example heat transfer devices may utilize segmented electrocaloric effect material layers with stress relief gaps separating segments to mitigate delamination stress caused by lateral expansion or contraction of the electrocaloric effect material.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Electrocaloric effect materials are materials that can experience a temperature change when subjected to an applied electric field. This temperature change can be reversed upon the removal of the applied electric field. By physically coupling and decoupling electrocaloric effect material to and from a heat source, thermal energy can be dynamically transferred in quantities that are greater in one direction than the other. The described principles may be applied to a heat transfer device that can be utilized to transfer thermal energy away from a heat source.
The present disclosure appreciates that the electrocaloric effect and other materials used in various types of heat transfer devices may experience dimensional changes with the application and removal of the applied electric field. As a result, the volume of the electrocaloric effect material layers may undesirably change in the longitudinal direction of the thermal energy flow during operation of the heat transfer device, creating a cumulative strain that may result in undesirable bending, which may decouple the material from the heat source, decouple the material from the heat dump, or may result in some other mechanical problem or failure. Moreover, because of the lateral dimensional change of the electrocaloric effect material layers in a heat transfer device, these layers may experience a delamination stress that is cyclical with the application and removal of the applied electric field. The cyclic delamination stress may result in delamination with adjacent material layers, potentially leading to reliability issues.

Electrocaloric effect heat transfer device dimensional stress control


A solenoid is provided for an electrical switch. The solenoid includes a coil having a passageway extending therethrough along a central longitudinal axis. The solenoid also includes a movable core having a coil segment and a magnet segment. The coil segment is received within the passageway of the coil such that the coil extends around the coil segment. The magnet segment includes a radially outer surface relative to the central longitudinal axis of the passageway of the coil. The movable core is movable relative to the coil along the central longitudinal axis such that the coil segment is movable within the passageway of the coil along the central longitudinal axis. A permanent magnet extends around at least a portion of the radially outer surface of the magnet segment of the movable core. The movable core is movable along the central longitudinal axis relative to the permanent magnet.

The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to electrical switches, and more particularly, to solenoids for electrical switches.
Electrical switches (e.g., contactors, relays, and the like) exist today for opening and closing an electrical circuit between various electrical devices. For example, electrical switches are sometimes used to electrically connect and disconnect an electrical device from an electrical power source. Typical electrical switches include an actuator and one or more movable contacts connected to the actuator. Electrical current is applied to the actuator to move the movable contact into or out of engagement with stationary contacts that are electrically connected to corresponding ones of the electrical devices. The electrical circuit between the electrical devices is thereby completed or broken depending on whether the movable contact is engaged or disengaged with the stationary contacts.
The actuator of some known electrical switches is a solenoid, which may include a coil that surrounds a movable core. A ferromagnetic coil shell typically extends around the coil. Energization of the coil with electrical power generates a magnetic flux that moves the movable core within the coil. The movable core is connected to an actuator rod that is connected to the movable contact of the electrical switch. As the movable core moves within the coil, the actuator rod and movable contact move along with the movable core to engage or disengage the movable contact from the stationary contacts.
The coil, coil shell, and/or other components of the solenoid and/or switch are selected to provide a predetermined amount of magnetic flux. The predetermined magnetic flux provides a predetermined movement force for moving the movable contact into or out of engagement with the stationary contacts. The movement force may need to be high enough to overcome the friction and/or inertia of the movable core and/or other components of the solenoid and/or switch, such as the actuator rod. The predetermined magnetic flux also provides a predetermined contact force for holding the movable contact in engagement with or disengagement from the stationary contacts. The movement force and/or the contact force may also need to be high enough to overcome the bias of a spring that biases the movable contact to be disengaged from or engaged with the stationary contacts. But, to provide even relatively small increases to the predetermined magnetic flux, a size of the coil, the coil shell, and/or other ferromagnetic components of the solenoid and/or the switch may need to be increased more than is desired. As the size of the coil, coil shell, and/or other ferromagnetic components increases, the solenoid and/or the switch may become undesirably bulky and/or heavy. Moreover, the increased amount of ferromagnetic material used to fabricate the coil, the coil shell, and/or the other ferromagnetic components may increase a cost of the solenoid and/or the switch. Further, at least some of the increased magnetic flux may be wasted because the physical coupling between the coil and the movable core may decrease as the size of the coil increases.

Magnet aided solenoid for an electrical switch


Stacked bodies each formed by alternately stacking power generation cells and separators are fixed to an end plate, the separators each having a flow passage portion, a gas flow-in port, and a gas flow-out port. The end plate includes upper and lower end plates sandwiching the stacked bodies. The stacked bodies are arranged side by side and a first thermal deformation absorbing portion configured to absorb thermal deformation in a direction orthogonal to a stacking direction is formed between the stacked bodies. Fixing means for fixing the stacked bodies to the end plate fix at least outer peripheral portions of the stacked bodies arranged side by side to the end plate.

Conventionally, a fuel cell generates power by supplying gas to stacked members including a power generation cell formed by sandwiching an electrolyte between a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode. In the fuel cell, the gas is sometimes supplied at high velocity or at high temperature depending on the situation. Accordingly, there is known a technique in which load applied to the stacked members is adjusted to protect the stacked members (for example, see Patent Literature 1).

Stack structure of fuel cell and method of absorbing thermal deformation in fuel cell stack


A device and method for regulating the pressure between a floor cleaning implement (22) and a floor, wherein the floor cleaning implement (22) is coupled to a floor cleaning machine (10). The device of one embodiment comprises a cantilevered arm (28) coupled to the floor cleaning machine (10) and a sensor (30) coupled to the cantilevered arm (28) and positioned to sense deflection or other deformation of the cantilevered arm (28). An actuator (26) is coupled between the cantilevered arm (28) and cleaning implements (22). The actuator (26) is also coupled to the sensor (30) and adapted to receive signals from the sensor (30) to cause actuation of the actuator (26). When pressure other than a predetermined amount causes the cantilevered arm (28) to deform, the sensor (30) senses this deformation and cause the actuator (26) to actuate in a direction that allows the cantilevered arm (28) to return to a position in which the pressure is within the predetermined amount.

The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the pressure between a floor cleaning implement of a floor cleaning machine and a floor. The floor cleaning machine can be one of many types of floor cleaning and treating machines, such as scrubbers, sweepers, and the like. These types of machines can be used for the cleaning of hard surfaces of large floor areas in hotels, factories, office buildings, shopping centers and the like.
In general such machines comprise a movable body supported by a pair of drive wheels and one or more caster wheels. With a scrubber, the body carries a scrubbing device, reservoirs for storing fresh and spent cleaning liquid, a device for dosing fresh cleaning liquid onto the floor, and a squeegee/vacuum pickup system for recovering spent cleaning liquid from the floor.
The scrubbing device normally comprises one or more brushes or scrubbing pads, a motor for driving the brushes, and a device for lifting the brushes off the floor when large areas are traversed without any cleaning action being required.
A typical conventional floor cleaning machine has the problem in that a force for pressing the pad against the floor-surface is changed during operation, due to various causes such as wear of the pad, reduced voltage of the batteries, state of the floor-surface, and the like, and as a result, the quality level of the polishing job for the floor-surface is changed. If the pad pressure is too strong, there is a possibility that the wax applied to the floor-surface comes off and the floor-surface may be scratched. In contrast, if the pad pressure is too weak, a sufficient polishing effect can not be obtained.
Conventional devices regulate brush/pad pressure many different ways. For example, some devices monitor the current within the scrubbing motors to determine the brush pressure and adjust the brush pressure actuating the lifting device for the scrubbing assembly.
The present invention has been designed to overcome some of the complications and/or problems inherent in the conventional devices.

Device and method for adjusting the pressure between a floor cleaning implement and a floor


A new concept of the light guide device has developed to have multi channels, the present invention comprises: a transparent body through which light can freely pass; channel condensing units disposed at predetermined intervals on the body to form a plurality of one-dimensional arrays; an optical module unit for independently sighting incident light, and re-sighting and focusing light which passes through the one-dimensional arrays formed by the channel condensing units disposed at predetermined intervals in the body; and a fiber channel module for creating independent light passages (fiber channels) which condense light from the left, right, up and down aspects of the optical module unit, at a one-to-one correspondence between the body and the optical module unit. The present device maximizes the efficiency of the solar energy utilization by reducing the guide distance of incident light. The simplified structure is easy to produce and install by using a flat, slim plate that is compact in size, lowering the production cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light guide device having multi-channels. More particularly, the incident lights at a predetermined angle will collimate in a form of a parallel light beam. Either one of an independent collimating means or a combined condensing means with the collimating means for connecting the parallel incident beams from its front will be selectively arranged to form an optical module. Each optical module will correspond one-by-one. The incident light beams from the optical module will be totally reflected to form its own light passages (also called "channels"). Accordingly, a light guide device of the present invention will simultaneously advance the multiple rays of light forwarding to a specifically intended direction. Specifically, the light guide device of the present invention is comprised of: a first horizontal reflection unit for totally reflecting the light beams from left to right, or front-side to rear-side; a first vertical reflection unit formed at the same height as the first horizontal reflection unit and separated by the unique distance, which is different from each other, for totally reflecting upward and downward the light rays incident from the first horizontal reflection unit; a second horizontal reflection unit corresponding, to the first vertical reflection unit one-to-one for totally reflecting the light beams from front-to-rear or left-to-right, incident from the first vertical reflection unit; and multiple light beams being incident front-to-rear from the second horizontal reflection unit through the light channel module formed with the second horizontal reflection unit will not be disturbed by the optical module, the first horizontal reflection unit, the first vertical reflection unit, or the second horizontal reflection unit. Each unit will form its own independent channel. At the same time, a large number of the optical lights will travel in its own light passage of the specific directions: front-to-rear, left-to-right, and upward-to-downward. The plain type of the present light guide device is arranged with a plurality of the optical modules for totally reflecting the incident lights at a predetermined angle to the specific direction. The present light guide device has merits to efficiently utilize the incident light beams, to increase the space utilization, to reduce the product cost, and is easy to handle, etc.
2. Related Prior Art
Generally, the solar energy can be converted to a form of light-work, such as when: the solar generation utilizes the solar energy to produce electricity; the solar energy collector and solar cell panels absorb the solar energy to generate hot water and to provide home heating; the natural day-light module or the light reflective panel utilize the solar energy to take advantage of photo-catalytic solar day lighting or photovoltaic plant-growth lighting or illumination.
In order to utilize the solar energy, the solar energy collector is essential for condensing the solar energy. The solar energy collector is used for the solar generator, the natural day-light module, and the solar cell panels, etc. The efficiency of the solar energy condensing device is directly related to the efficiency of the solar energy utilization.
The solar energy condensing device is classified as the Point Focus Dish Type, Point Focus Fresnel Lens Type, Linear Concentrating Fresnel Lens Type, and Heliostat Type/Gregorian/Cass-grain. Some solar concentrator device uses a holographic prism sheet condenser. The solar energy condensing device adopts the principle of optics and ultimately employs the condensing lens and condensing mirror.
The aforementioned conventional solar energy concentrator requires a large scale of structures to increase their capacity of the solar energy accumulation. For increasing the capacity of the solar generation, solar energy collection, or day-light collection, the facility of the solar energy concentration is inevitably growing in a larger structure. Therefore, the construction cost will increase, so that it is difficult to expect the economical benefit comparing the investment.
Accordingly, it is essential to develop the technology of the solar energy concentration having the maximum efficiency with the minimum collecting area in order to have the economical benefits compared to the investments.
There are a number of light guide devices for concentrating the solar energy or natural daylight, which has been previously published. However, the conventional device has a lot of problems to concentrate the incident light beams from front-to-side, and it has low efficiency.
A conventional light guide device known as a typical technology for concentrating solar energy was published in the Japanese Patent No. 2000-147262.
FIG. 8 shows a conventional light beam receiver (20). A plurality of optical transmitting layer (24, 34, 44) is transmitted the solar beams (45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100) downward. An optical deflector (28, 38, 48) is disposed under the optical transmitting layer. The optical deflector is the same size as the optical transmitting layer, and the solar cells have arranged oppositely at both ends of the optical transport layer lengthwise. The bottom surface of the optical deflector has formed a continuously serrated shape so that the light reflector (50) can be installed on its entire surface.
The solar beam permeates through the optical transmitting layer from the light beam receiver and totally reflects the solar beams coming from the serrated surface of the optical reflector to the incident angle being below the critical angle, or retransmitting to the optical transmitting layer for the repeating reflection within the optical transmitting layer. Finally, the solar beam transmits to the solar cells.
The conventional method described above has a disadvantage that the travel distance of the beam is prolonged depending on the beam incident angle and the number of reflections. Due to this disadvantage, the beam will decay out and be lost. Further, it forms a double structural layer of the optical transmitting layer and optical reflecting layer. Due to the complicated structure, the manufacturing cost will be relatively high. Also, the conventional device of the structure has a weak point for direct sunlight. If the sunlight has a vertical incident angle, then the reflecting rate will be lower.
Another conventional light guide device for concentrating the solar energy is shown in the U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010-0024805.
As shown in FIG. 9, a conventional solar beam concentration devise (900) has disclosed for concentrating the solar beam through the collecting lens. Then, the concentrated solar beam (750) is transmitted through the elements (754) of beam receiver (752) to the light wafer sheet (726) connected to the cross-sectional unit (910) for total reflection on the surface of the light wafer sheet. The concentrated solar beam (930) is passing through the channel? (726).
The second example of the light guide device is employing more than two optical collecting lenses for concentrating the solar beam. However, it has multiple sheets of the light transmitting membranes with a complicated structure. Due to the reflection in the complicated structure and the multiple light transmitting membranes, this device has a disadvantage to lose the concentrated beams. It will be especially complicated and expensive for the design of the critical reflecting angles to reflect the solar beam on the entire surface of the light transmitting membranes. Because the concentrated solar beam is not parallel, it is difficult to focus on one point, and the focus will be large. Therefore, the less expensive light guide device is required.
The third example, Korean Patent No. 933213 is published to show a conventional light guide device for concentrating the solar energy.
As shown in FIG. 10, another conventional light guide device comprises a collecting lens unit (100) forming a number of the convex lenses (110) for collecting the solar beams (111) on its upper surface, and the groove unit (120) is formed to correspond to the collecting lens on the lower surface of the collecting lens unit. The groove unit (120) has formed a conical shape at one side (122) and other side (121) designed not to permeate the reflected solar beams. Also, a number of the groove units (120) have formed the conical shape to be located on the axis of the optical focus (F1) of the collecting lens unit (110). Therefore, the optical focus of the collecting lens unit lies on the optical focus of the conical shape within a limited space. Accordingly, the solar beams transmitted to the collecting lens unit are collected on a focus of the collecting lens. Then, it will be reflected by the surface of the conical shape. Finally, the concentrated solar beams are collected on the surface of the solar cells.
However, the third example of the conventional device also has problems. Even though the device employs the collecting lens, the solar beams being collected by the collecting lens unit are not parallel. Therefore, this device has the same problems as the second conventional device. The conical surfaces require precise design and manufacturing. Thus, the cost of design and manufacturing of the conical surfaces of the groove units is expensive. Furthermore, the conical surfaces of the groove units have no compatibility, and so it is not an economical device.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the inventor of the present invention improves the solar energy concentrating device to make it a compact size and to arrange multiple arrays. The present device tracks the solar azimuth and the elevation angles, simultaneously. The transmitted solar beams are guided by the blinder to travel in parallel.
The present inventor has invented and published the Korean Patent No. 10-2009-0129310, which discloses the dual axis as having a solar tracking capability combined with a blinder applied to the solar energy generator, and the Korean Patent No. 10-2010-0000007, which discloses the dual axis solar tracking vertical hydro-blinder. The above patents are related to the improvement of the efficiency of the solar energy concentrating device for guiding the transmitted solar beam to be parallel by the dual axis of the solar tracking device. The third Korean Patent No. 10-2010-0004153 discloses the lateral solar energy concentrating device being applied to the dual axis of the solar tracking device. It has multiple solar beam-collecting units and reflecting units, which arrange the multiple beam collecting modules of the lenses and mirrors to collect the transmitted solar beams from the front. In order to improve the efficiency of the solar energy concentrating device, the solar beam collector has a lateral unit at either side below or above the solar beam concentrating unit. The purpose of this lateral unit is to make an initial transmission of the solar beam, and to reflect the first transmitted solar beam through the reflecting unit to the lateral unit, which then concentrates the solar beams. The fourth Korean Patent No. 10-2010-6250 discloses the hybrid prism solar energy concentrating device as a device that has multiple reflecting units on both the upper and the lower surfaces of the collecting units. This reduces the thickness of the solar energy concentrating device and provides a gradual concentrating and lateral solar beam collecting capability. The fifth Korean Patent No. 10-2010-0006756 discloses the prism solar energy concentrating device for maximizing the efficiency of the solar energy concentrating units and reducing the production cost to be economical versus the investments.
As described above, the present invention is provided to solve the problems in the conventional technology. The main objective of the present invention is to develop the light guide device adopting the Channel Prism for remarkably shortening the light traveling distance, when the solar beam transmits to the lateral concentrating device from the front.

Light guide device having multi channels


Provided are a conveyor belt further enhancing the durability of loop coils embedded in the conveyor belt so as to detect vertical tears in the conveyor belt; and a belt conveyor system using the conveyor belt. A conveyor belt includes a core layer having a plurality of metal cords extending in the belt longitudinal direction arranged in parallel in the belt width direction; an upper cover rubber and a lower cover rubber disposed so as to interpose a core layer from above and below; a plurality of loop coils embedded at intervals in the belt longitudinal direction in the lower cover rubber; and protective layers being disposed between the core layer above and each of the loop coils below and embedded in the lower cover rubber at intervals in the belt longitudinal direction.

In order to detect a vertical tear of a conveyor belt (cracks continuous in the belt longitudinal direction), a conveyor belt in which loop coils are embedded is known (see Japan Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2014-31241 and 2015-71493). In such a conveyor belt, a sensor arranged adjacent to the conveyor belt senses the induced current occurring in loop coils passing near the sensor. If a sharp object or the like to be conveyed pierces the conveyor belt and a vertical tear is generated, the loop coils are damaged, so no induced current is generated in the loop coils. In this case, the sensor does not detect the induced current even though the loop coils have passed through the vicinity. Thus, it is possible to determine whether a vertical tear has occurred in the conveyor belt depending on whether the induced current is detected by the sensor. If it is determined that a vertical tear has occurred on the basis of the detection of the sensor, the operation of the conveyor is stopped in order to prevent expansion of the vertical tear.
Local impacts and external forces are exerted on conveyor belts due to objects to be conveyed or the like to be loaded. Even if a vertical tear does not occur in the conveyor belt due to the impact or external force, the loop coils may be damaged. If loop coils are damaged in this way, the sensors do not detect the induced current even if the loop coils passing through the vicinity. Thus, if judged based on the detection of the sensor, it will be erroneously recognized that vertical tears occur in the conveyor belt.
Japan Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-71493 proposes loop coils comprising a metal part and a stretchable conductive material. In this proposal, the durability of the loop coils is improved by mitigating the impact or the like acting on the conveyor belt with the stretchable conductive material. However, in the case where a large impact or stress locally acts on the conveyor belt, it is difficult to prevent damage to the loop coils even if a part of the stretchable conductive material is provided. In addition, when a large impact or stress directly acts on the metal part, the mitigating effect by the stretchable conductive material can hardly be obtained and damage to loop coils cannot be prevented. Therefore, there is room for improvement in improving the durability of loop coils.


A tongue maneuvering apparatus has a body, a first attachment site, and a second attachment site. The body includes a bulb, a tongue receiving portion, a tongue aperture, and a slot. The body may be a thin, pliable plastic, such as silicone, so as to create proper suction with the tongue when inserted into the tongue receiving portion. A healthcare provider is able to extend and manipulate a patient's tongue so as to clearly view the mouth and throat without activating the gag reflex and maintaining control of the tongue by the provider.

Tongue depressors have been used for several centuries to evaluate the mouth and throat during medical and dental examinations. Early tongue depressors were made of metal, but due to the time to make the device, the cost, and sterility issues, they were replaced by simple disposable wooden depressors. Today, these disposable wooden depressors can be found in the hands of healthcare providers in every corner of the globe. The wooden tongue depressor is cost-effective and simple to use, which is why it has been used for so many years.
There have been many technological breakthroughs in medicine since the inception of the tongue depressor, and many medical devices have been improved. However, there have not been improvements to the wooden tongue depressor. In fact, the same tongue depressor that was used a hundred years ago is still used today. The wooden tongue depressor has not benefitted from the advances in technology like many other medical devices. While the wooden tongue depressor has many good attributes, there are many significant shortcomings.
When a healthcare provider introduces a tongue depressor into the mouth of a patient, the act of depressing the tongue can cause an uncomfortable and undesirable gag reflex, which is present in nearly all humans and may induce vomiting. In addition, many people induce a gag reflex with just the thought of a tongue depressor touching the back of their tongue. This often prevents a healthcare provider from ever using a tongue depressor on this group of people.
Further, the current tongue depressor does not allow a healthcare provider the control needed for many examinations and procedures. While the tongue can be flattened somewhat with the tongue depressor, the patient still has the ability, and often does, protectively and subconsciously, move the tongue up and back. This can completely block the healthcare provider from viewing the throat, tonsils, and back of the tongue.
Using the current tongue depressor requires the use of one hand at all times by the provider to hold the depressor in place, while the other hand is occupied with a light or a swab during a procedure or test. This limits the efficacy of such procedures and tests, potentially causing increased procedure time, contamination of testing specimens, and procedure complications. When a healthcare provider has both hands occupied, one hand on the depressor and the other hand holding, for example, a swab, it is difficult to visualize structures in the back of a non-illuminated throat. In order to visualize the structures of the throat, a separate light, often an otoscope, must be utilized to view the structures of the back of the throat when one of the healthcare provider's hands is not occupied with a tongue depressor or swab. Alternatively, the healthcare provider would always need an assistant to hold a light while performing a procedure.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tongue depressor that prevents a patient from experiencing a gag reflex, gives more control to the healthcare provider, frees the hands of the healthcare provider, and illuminates the back of a patient's throat. The present disclosure seeks to solve these and other problems.

Tongue maneuvering apparatus and method of use


An apparatus for producing ozone from oxygen includes at least one discharge electrode and counterelectrode which are separated by a dielectric of high heat conductivity and tightly bear on the dielectric that is cooled in a direct manner. The discharge electrode, around which oxygen flows, forms a non-closed surface and is in the form of a wire. By applying an electric field, the discharge electrode triggers a discharge in the gas space surrounding the discharge electrode and on the dielectric. The discharge electrode is made of molybdenum, tungsten, niobium or tantalum and is directly exposed to the oxygen flow.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for producing ozone from oxygen.
2. Description of the Art
From German Laying-Open Specification 37 31 168, an apparatus for producing ozone from oxygen has become known which has two electrodes separated by a dielectric in the form of a tube and having a high conductivity. The discharge electrode, therewith, is constructed as a discrete structural element and tightly bears on the circumference of the dielectric. The discharge electrode, around which the oxygen flows, forms a non-closed surface and is in the form of a wire. By applying an electric field, a discharge is triggered in the gas space surrounding the discharge electrode and on the dielectric which is made of a ceramic material. By means of this apparatus, with which ozone is produced in accordance with the principle of silent electric discharge, high production densities per unit of area are attained with a discharge of medium frequency as compared to other arrangements. Since an "open" electrode in the form of a wire is used, direct cooling is possible. The electrode wire is made of high-grade steel, nickel or copper. It is true that the production of ozone by means of the known apparatus enables high production densities per unit of an area to be achieved with an operation of medium frequency, but energy yield and the attainable production density per unit of area, with high concentrations, are limited and, in part, inferior to comparable results of ozone-producing apparatus of a conventional kind in which the arrangement is made up of the combination of electrode-dielectric-air gap-dielectric.
To the technical use of an ozone-producing apparatus, energy yield is of great importance. In addition, more recent applications of ozone necessitate particularly high ozone concentrations. The semiconductor industry shall serve as a relevant example. There, ozone is increasingly used for cleansing processes and as a process gas and, therefore, the availability of high ozone concentrations not only leads to an acceleration of the cleansing processes; but, also, to qualitative improvements, e.g., of precipitated SiO.sub.2 -coatings.
It, therefore, is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing ozone from oxygen in which energy yield and production density per unit of area, with high concentrations, are improved.

Apparatus for producing ozone from oxygen


The beverage producing machine comprises a brewing chamber and at least one hydraulic actuator for controlling closing and opening movement of the chamber. A water pump, fluidly connected to the chamber through a first water path and fluidly connected to the actuator through a second water path delivers pressurized water to the chamber and actuator, respectively. A water heater and a first valve arrangement are arranged along the first water path. A second valve arrangement is positioned along the second water path, between the water pump and the actuator. The first and second valve arrangements are configured and controlled such that during a brewing chamber closure step the first valve arrangement is closed, and the second valve arrangement is open. Upon reaching a closure pressure in the actuator, the second valve arrangement is closed and the first valve arrangement is opened, allowing water to be delivered to the chamber.

For producing hot drinks and beverages, such as for example coffee, tea, vegetable based infusions and the like, single dose packaging in the form of so-called capsules or pods are often used. Herein after the term capsule will be used to designate any such single dose packaging, including rigid or soft cartridges, pods or capsules, both gas tight or perforated. It shall be understood that, unless specifically indicated, the term encompasses any kind of single dose packaging suitable for preparing beverages by extraction using hot and possibly pressurized water. A single dose packaging can include sufficient ingredients to prepare more than just one portion beverage, for instance two portions. The term beverage as used herein designates any edible, mainly liquid or semi-liquid product.
Some known beverage producing machines comprise a brewing chamber having at least a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, which are movable one with respect to the other for receiving a capsule therebetween and sealingly closing the capsule in the brewing chamber. Once the brewing chamber is closed, hot and possibly pressurized water is caused to pass through the brewing chamber and the capsule retained therein. The hot water extracts the ingredients contained in the capsule, producing the hot beverage.
In some beverage producing machines opening and closing of the brewing chamber is performed manually by means of a lever. Other known beverage producing machines are comprised of a hydraulic mechanism for opening and closing the brewing chamber.
For instance US 2013/0112084 discloses a beverage producing machine wherein a pump supplies cold water to a hydraulic piston-cylinder actuator, which opens and closes the brewing chamber. The same pump supplies additional water through a water heater, wherefrom hot water is then dispensed through a pressure regulating valve in the brewing chamber. A capsule can be arranged in the brewing chamber for receiving hot water and dispensing the beverage extracted from the ingredients contained therein by the hot water.
WO2012/049596 discloses a further coffee producing machine, having a hydraulic opening and closing mechanism. The pump provides hot water to the brewing chamber and cold water to a piston-cylinder actuator, which closes and maintains the brewing chamber in the closed position during brewing.
WO-A-02/058523 discloses a brewing unit comprising a brewing chamber having at least a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, movable one with respect to the other, configured and arranged to take an open position and a closed brewing position. A hydraulic actuator is provided, for controlling the closing and opening movement of the brewing chamber. A water pump is further provided, which is fluidly connected to the brewing chamber through a first water path and further fluidly connected to the hydraulic actuator through a second water path, such that the pump can deliver pressurized water to the brewing chamber and to the hydraulic actuator, respectively. A water heater is arranged along the first water path. A first valve is positioned along the first water path and a second valve is positioned along the second water path, between the water pump and the hydraulic actuator. The first valve comprises a shutter and a spring and is calibrated to open when the water pressure in the first water path achieves a pre-set pressure value. The second valve is an electro-valve which is selectively switched between a first position and a second position. In the first position the second valve fluidly connects the hydraulic actuator to the pump and the first water path. In the second position the second valve fluidly connects the hydraulic actuator with a water return line, through which cold water from the hydraulic actuator is returned to a water tank. When a brewing cycle is performed, the second valve is switched in the first position and the pump starts pumping water in the second water path. The first valve remains closed until the pressure in the first and second water paths achieves the per-set pressure at which the first valve opens. When the first valve opens, water flows through the brewing chamber. The second valve remains open such that the same water pressure is present in both the first and second water paths. The closure pressure of the hydraulic actuator is thus set by the opening pressure of the first valve.
In these known machines having a hydraulic closing mechanism, presurized, hot water is dispensed through the brewing chamber; the pressure must be sufficient to enable the hydraulic actuator to safely maintain the brewing chamber in the closed position, while hot water flows therethrough.
These known devices, therefore, suffer from some limitations concerning the selectable pressure at which the beverage can be extracted, which is determined by the closure pressure. The extraction pressure affects the organoleptic characteristics of the beverage and thus the final result of the brewing process.
A need therefore exists, to further improve these known machines, to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the limitations of the known machines.


A dual handle brake (10) has a dual master cylinder (12) having a dual master cylinder rear brake fluid pipe (12A) attached thereto connected to a first master cylinder. A half pipe configured front brake handle (14A) is movably attached to the dual master cylinder front brake connector (12D). A cylindrical rear brake handle (14B) is movably attached to the dual master cylinder rear brake connector (12C). A U-shaped brake connector (14C) has a sufficient width to accept the cylindrical rear brake handle (14B) having the front brake handle (14A) contained therein. An attacher (16) securely connected to the dual master cylinder (12) and removably connectable to a handle bar (18).

Braking systems for motorcycles, bicycles and all terrain vehicles are well known in the art. They differ in size, shape and components such as disc, drum or dual pad brakes. However, there is no prior art describing or claiming a dual brake system utilizing pressurized fluid and a dual master cylinder. The uniqueness of the present invention allows the brake handle to act as a single brake handle or a double brake handle by the way the user positions his/her hand.
Numerous innovations for braking systems have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,746, titled, Single hand-operated dual brake actuator, by inventor Pruett, a single hand-operated actuator for effecting operation of two devices, such as the front and rear caliper brakes of a bicycle or the like. The actuator includes a base adapted to be secured to the handle bars of a bicycle and having two Bowden sliding wire or cable linkages thereon with the linkages being interconnected to a lever operated by one hand for effecting actuation of both the front and rear brakes of the bicycle via the linkages. In another version of the actuator of this invention, a mechanical power assist is provided for aiding operation of the actuator. Other US related patents include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,960,030, 4,267,746, 1,674,751, 1,763,096 and 1,910,527.
The above patented inventions differ from the present invention because they fail to describe or claim at least one combination of the following features depicted in the present invention such as dual master cylinder, half pipe shaped front brake handle with front brake handle inner end lever and front brake handle inner end lever adjuster, rear brake handle with rear brake handle inner end lever and rear brake handle inner end lever adjuster, and brake connector.
Numerous innovations for braking systems have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A method and apparatus for processing data by a pipeline of a virtual multiple instance extended finite state machine (VMI EFSM). An input token is selected to enter the pipeline. The input token includes a reference to an EFSM instance, an extended command, and an operation code. The EFSM instance requires the resource to be available to generate an output token from the input token. In response to receiving an indication that the resource is unavailable, the input token is sent to a wait room or an initiative token containing the reference and the operation code is sent to a wait queue, and the output token is not generated. Without stalling and restarting the pipeline, another input token is processed in the pipeline while the resource is unavailable and while the input token is in the wait room or the initiative token is in the wait queue.

A pipelined virtual multiple instance finite state machine (VMI FSM) runs multiple logical instances of a FSM concurrently. If a resource required by a FSM instance is unavailable at the target of an output token to be generated and sent by the FSM instance, then the output token cannot be sent to the target. If one of the FSM instances encounters a resource problem (i.e., a resource required by the FSM instance is unavailable) (e.g., a buffer is missing), conventional techniques stall the pipeline until the unavailable resource becomes available. Other FSM instances in the pipelined VMI FSM, however, cannot execute (i.e., cannot process input tokens) while the pipeline is stalled, even though the other FSM instances may not have the same resource unavailability problem because they are in a state that is different from the state of the FSM instance that has the resource unavailability problem. Similarly, a pipelined virtual multiple instance extended finite state machine (VMI EFSM) runs multiple logical instances of an EFSM concurrently and an output token cannot be sent to a target if a resource required by an EFSM instance is unavailable at the target, The VMI EFSM pipeline is stalled if a resource required by an EFSM instance is unavailable, thereby preventing other EFSM instances from executing, including any other EFSM instance that does not have the aforementioned resource unavailability problem. Thus, there exists a need to overcome at least one of the preceding deficiencies and limitations of the related art.

Virtual multiple instance extended finite state machines with wait rooms and/or wait queues

International Business Machines Corporation


A burner and a cooker including the burner are provided. The burner includes a burner port, an ignition unit configured to ignite a mixture gas in the burner port, a combustion member located between the burner port and the ignition unit, a plurality of combustion compartments defined by portions of the burner port and the combustion member to allow combustion of the mixture gas in the combustion compartments, and an ignition compartment defined by the remaining portions of the burner port and the combustion member to allow ignition of the mixture gas supplied from the combustion compartments, whereby a flame generated by igniting the mixture gas in the ignition compartment is propagated to the combustion compartments. The cooker includes a cooking cavity, the burner, mixing tubes for the mixture of gas, and a door closing the cooking cavity.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a burner and a cooker including the burner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cookers are used to cook food by heating the food using gas or electricity. Cookers using gas as fuel include a burner for heating food by burning gas. For example, an infrared burner provides thermal energy necessary for heating food by burning a mixture of air and gas on the surface of a combustion member. Such an infrared burner includes a burner port and a combustion member. The mixture gas supplied to the burner port may be burned on the combustion member.
Generally, the burner port has a hexahedral shape with an opened side. Thus, the supplied mixture gas may flow uniformly throughout the inside of the burner port, and thus the mixture gas may be uniformly burned on the entire surface of the combustion member. Usually, the combustion member has a rectangle or square shape.
The infrared burner is usually disposed in a cooking chamber in which food is placed for cooking. The cross sectional area of the infrared burner (that is, the cross sectional areas of the burner port and the combustion member) is determined according to the cross sectional area of the cooking chamber for uniformly heating the inside of the cooking chamber.
The combustion member is usually formed of a ceramic material. Thus, if the combustion member has a rectangle or square shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the cooking chamber, it may be necessary to reinforce the combustion member to prevent deflection of the combustion member. The strength of the combustion member may be improved by increasing the thickness of the combustion member. However, in this case, the thickness of the infrared burner is also increased.
Alternatively, a plurality of infrared burners having relatively small cross sectional areas may be disposed in a cooking chamber. However, in this case, a plurality of ignition units may be necessary to ignite the mixture gas on the surfaces of combustion members.


Provided is an image forming method excellent in reduction in color unevenness, optical density unevenness, bleeding, inter-color bleeding, a drying time, caused by the printing order; and an image forming apparatus excellent in adaptability to a higher speed. The image forming method and the image forming apparatus are characterized by use of an ink-set, wherein an average value of rates of change over time in contact angle of the respective inks on plain paper is from 1.25 to 3.5 degrees/sec, a rate of change over time in contact angle of each ink on plain paper is less than 4.5 degrees/sec, a rate of change over time in contact angle of a mixed liquid of each ink and the liquid composition on plain paper is from 5 to 10 degrees/sec and the number of coarse particles each of 5 xcexcm or more in diameter in the mixed liquid is 1xc3x97104 particles/xcexcL or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming method and an image forming apparatus, both adopting an ink-jet recording technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called ink-jet printer expelling an ink such as a liquid, molten solid or the like from an ink expelling egress such as a nozzle, a slit, a porous film or the like has been well employed as a commercially available printer since it can be down-sized and is not expensive and for other reasons. Known among ink-jet printers are a piezo ink-jet technique in which an ink is expelled using deformation of a piezoelectric element, a thermal ink-jet technique in which a boiling phenomenon of an ink by heat energy is used, or the like technique for reasons of a high resolution, a high speed printability and the like. The above ink-jet printers have been used in printing not only on so-called paper such as plain paper, ink-jet only paper and the like, but also on a film such as an OHP sheet, a cloth or the like as a recording medium.
Now, high speed printing is demanded in an ink-jet printing technique. As one of means effective for realizing high speed printing, there can be named bidirectional collective printing in which printing is performed in forward and return transits of a carriage motion to print pixels in a single scan. In the bidirectional collective printing technique, the printing order of inks is reversed during each scan; therefore, color unevenness caused by the printing order occurs that a hue alters during each scan in an image formed by superimposing plural colored inks one on another. Though this mechanism has not become clear, it is thought that the unevenness originates from a penetrating property of an ink into paper, overlapping between inks or the like.
On the other hand, a method has been proposed in which a treatment liquid (a liquid or a reactive liquid) other than an ink is used for the purpose to improve image quality, better print dryability and the like. For example, a method is publicly disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2667401 and the like, in which after a liquid including a compound having a cationic group therein is deposited on a recording medium, the liquid then penetrates into the recording medium and stays therein and immediately after the liquid deposit disappears on a surface of the medium, an ink including an anionic dye is deposited onto the surface to form an image. This purports to earn not only dryability, water resistance and light resistance of a printed image, but also a high image quality concerning resolution, clearness, sharpness, image density and the like and further, to improve reliability of a printer such as prevention of nozzle clogging.
Furthermore, a method is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-115303 and the like, in which an ink-jet recording technique is adopted in which a reactive liquid is deposited on a recording medium after an ink composition is applied thereon and an interval between coating of the ink composition and the reactive liquid is 5 ms or more and 500 ms or less. This purports to ensure an image having an improved print quality and an increased line width.
In a case of forming an image having at least a secondary color (in the present application, the phrase xe2x80x9chaving at least a secondary colorxe2x80x9d denotes having at least one of a secondary color and tertiary color) at high speed in a technique using inks and a liquid other than the inks or a reactive liquid (a treatment liquid), it has been found that color unevenness and solid color density unevenness is seen due to the printing order of the inks and the treatment liquid. While the mechanism of the unevenness deterioration has not become clear yet, the mechanism is thought to be as follows.
That is to say, in the case where printing performed by printing the treatment liquid, followed by printing at least two colors of ink, colorants coheres and the cohered colorants are stacked in a layered structure according to the printing order. Thus, it is thought that the reason for the unevenness deterioration is because the influence of the hue of the ink, which is printed last, is strong for the hue of secondary colors. In another case where printing is performed with at least two colors of ink, followed by printing of the treatment liquid, if inks with high penetrating property are used, the inks penetrate into the recording medium when printing is performed with the treatment liquid because of high speed penetration of the inks. Therefore, a sufficient effect from a reaction between the inks and the treatment liquid cannot be sufficiently obtained, reducing an improvement to image quality. In addition, color unevenness caused by the printing order also occurs. On the other hand, when inks with a low penetrating property are employed, a surface tension of the inks is large, causing the inks to form a liquid droplet on the recording medium. Thus, portions, at which ink is present, and portions, at which ink is absent, are formed. Therefore, it is supposed that solid color density unevenness tends to worsen.
In a conventional method, in the case where at least two colors of ink and a liquid or a reactive liquid are used, increased image quality, such as improved color unevenness, optical density, bleeding, and inter-color breeding, and higher speed, such as improved drying time, cannot be accomplished simultaneously.
The present invention is intended to solve the above problems in the prior art and achieves the following object as a task. That is, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming method excellent in reduction of color unevenness, optical density unevenness, bleeding, inter-color bleeding, a drying time and the like, caused by the printing order; and an image forming apparatus excellent in applicability to higher speeds.
In order to solve the above task, a serious study has been conducted and as a result, it has been found that in order to simultaneously achieve reduction in color unevenness, optical density unevenness, bleeding, inter-color bleeding, a drying time and the like, caused by the printing order, the printing order of the ink and a liquid composition having a function of cohering the ink, and a penetrating property of the inks into paper are very important, thus achieving the invention.
According to the first aspect the invention, the invention is an image forming method comprising the steps of:
printing at least two colors of ink onto a recording medium using an ink-set, which satisfies the below conditions (i) to (iv) and includes the at least two colors of ink and a liquid composition including an effect of cohering the at least two colors of ink; and
forming an image, which includes a pattern of at least a secondary color, by printing the liquid composition on the printed ink, wherein
(i) an average value of rates of change over time in contact angle of the respective inks on plain paper is at least 1.25 degrees/sec and no more than 3.5 degrees/sec,
(ii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of each ink on plain paper is less than 4.5 degrees/sec,
(iii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of a mixture of each ink and the liquid composition on plain paper is in the range of from 5 to 10 degrees/sec and
(iv) the number of coarse particles, which have a diameter of at least 5 xcexcm, in the mixture is at least 1xc3x97104 particles/xcexcL.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming method, wherein a surface tension of each of the inks is at least 25 mN/m and no more than 40 mN/m.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming method, wherein a viscosity of each of the inks is at least 1.5 mPaxc2x7s and no more than 6.0 mPaxc2x7s.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming method, wherein a recording head reciprocates along a direction intersecting with a conveyance direction of the recording medium to form an image by adhering the at least two colors of ink on the recording medium, and prints in both forward transit and return transit with the at least two colors of ink, and then prints the liquid composition on the ink printed on the recording medium to form the image including a pattern of at least a secondary color.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming method, wherein an image is formed with a thermal ink-jet technique.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming apparatus comprising:
an ink set, which satisfies the below conditions (i) to (iv) and includes at least two colors of ink and a liquid composition including an effect of cohering the at least two colors of ink;
an ink recording head for printing at least one color of ink, by discharging the at least one color of ink onto a recording medium;
a plurality of liquid composition recording heads for printing the liquid composition on the printed ink, wherein the liquid composition heads are disposed at both ends of the ink recording head in a main scanning direction of the ink recording head, and
(i) an average value of rates of change over time in contact angle of the respective inks on plain paper is at least 1.25 degrees/sec and no more than 3.5 degrees/sec,
(ii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of each ink on plain paper is less than 4.5 degrees/sec,
(iii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of a mixture of each ink and the liquid composition on plain paper is in the range of from 5 to 10 degrees/sec and
(iv) the number of coarse particles, which have a diameter of at least 5 xcexcm, in the mixture is at least 1xc3x97104 particles/xcexcL.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming apparatus, wherein a surface tension of each of the inks is at least 25 mN/m and no more than 40 mN/m.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming apparatus, wherein a viscosity of each of the inks is at least 1.5 mPaxc2x7s and no more than 6.0 mPaxc2x7s.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus reciprocates along a direction intersecting with a conveyance direction of the recording medium to form an image by adhering the at least two colors of ink on the recording medium, and prints in both forward transit and return transit, then prints the liquid composition on the ink printed on the recording medium to form an image including a pattern of at least a secondary color.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is an image forming apparatus, wherein the image is formed with a thermal ink-jet technique.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is a set of inks and liquid composition, wherein the inks satisfy the below conditions (i) to (iv) and includes the at least two colors of ink and the liquid composition including an effect of cohering the at least two colors of ink,
(i) an average value of rates of change over time in contact angle of the respective inks on plain paper is at least 1.25 degrees/sec and no more than 3.5 degrees/sec,
(ii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of each ink on plain paper is less than 4.5 degrees/sec,
(iii) a rate of change over time for a contact angle of a mixture of each ink and the liquid composition on plain paper is in the range of from 5 to 10 degrees/sec and
(iv) the number of coarse particles, which have a diameter of at least 5 xcexcm, in the mixture is at least 1xc3x97104 particles/xcexcL.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is a set of inks and a liquid composition, wherein a surface tension of each of the inks is at least 25 mN/m and no more than 40 mN/m.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is a set of inks and a liquid composition according to claim 11, wherein a viscosity of each of the inks is at least 1.5 mPaxc2x7s and no more than 6.0 mPaxc2x7s.

Image forming method, image forming apparatus, and a set of inks and liquid composition


A glass heating furnace is disclosed, comprising a furnace body, an interior of which is formed with a chamber; plural upper heating elements which are disposed in the chamber; plural lower heating elements, which are disposed in the chamber and are located oppositely below the upper heating elements; plural rollers, which are disposed in the chamber and are locate between the upper heating elements and the lower heating element to carry glass to be heated up; and a roller power module, which is disposed outside the furnace body and is connected with the rollers. The rollers are controlled by the roller power module to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, driving glass to displace along a transversal direction. In addition, the upper heating elements and the lower heating elements are arranged in the chamber alternatingly and asymmetrically at an upper and lower position.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glass heating furnace, and more particularly to a glass heating furnace in which upper heating elements and lower heating elements are disposed in an alternating arrangement asymmetrically at an upper and lower position, and rollers rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, so that glass can be heated up more uniformly, thereby reducing effectively the thermal stress marks which are formed on the glass.
b) Description of the Prior Art
Glass is equipped with the excellent permeability and is scratch-proofed. Therefore, glass is widely used in a daily life, such as buildings and general articles for daily use. Furthermore, even in electronic products or vehicles, there are related glass products. Accordingly, it is apparently that the glass-related merchandises have already been everywhere in the people's life.
Glass is mostly made by the procedure of dosing, melting, forming and annealing. After making glass, glass can be also processed by an automatic apparatus such as a glass heating furnace. Glass is heated up by the glass heating furnace to improve the strength.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a conventional glass heating furnace includes a chamber which is provided with plural upper heating elements 1 and lower heating elements 2 aligned symmetrically at an upper and lower position. In addition, plural rollers 3 are disposed between the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2 to carry glass A. The glass A stays in the chamber for a fixed time at a fixed position and is heated up by the thermal radiation from the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2. After being heated up for the fixed time at the fixed position, the glass A is driven by a roller power module 4 to be transmitted out of the chamber, and is then cooled down rapidly, thereby improving the strength. However, when the glass A receives the thermal radiation, the molecules in the glass will displace microscopically to be realigned and stacked with one another. Hence, if the glass A does not move at that fixed position, a part in the glass A directly below the upper heating elements 1 and directly above the lower heating elements 2 will be irradiated by the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2 directly, resulting in a higher temperature at that part. This enables the glass molecules at that part to displace more easily and to be realigned and stacked with one another more tightly. On the other hand, for other area on the glass A which is not irradiated by the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2 directly, such as the area that is not directly below the upper heating elements 1 and not directly above the lower heating elements 2, the temperature is lower in comparison with the part that is irradiated by the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2 directly. This allows the glass molecules at that area to displace less easily and to be less easily realigned and stacked with one another, so that the molecules will be stacked less tightly comparing to the part that is irradiated by the upper heating elements 1 and the lower heating elements 2 directly. As the molecules are stacked more tightly at that part, the density in that part is higher; whereas, as the molecules are stacked less tightly at that area, the density in that area is lower. Therefore, the thermal stress marks will be formed by the heating due to the difference in density in the abovementioned two portions, and the refractive index will be different due to the difference in density. In addition, when light passes through the glass, the thermal stress marks in the glass can be identified visually due to the angle of refraction, thereby affecting the quality of uniformity for a same piece of glass.

TUNG CHANG MACHINERY AND ENGINEERING CO., LTD.


An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficient continuous production of aliphatic polyester having good quality. The invention relates to a continuous production method of aliphatic polyester, wherein the polyester is obtained through a preparation step of slurry containing aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol, an esterification reaction step and a polycondensation reaction step, wherein temperature range of the slurry during the preparation step thereof is from the coagulation point of the aliphatic diol to 80° C., and moisture content in the slurry is from 0.01 to 10% by weight.

In recent years, environmental problems are regarded as important, and countermeasures to the problem in depletion of fossil fuel raw material which becomes a raw material of plastics and the problem in environmental load on a global scale of carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere are required.
Under the background, aliphatic polyester comprising aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol is the polymer, raw material supply of which becomes unrelated to depletion of fossil fuel raw material and additionally can greatly contribute to carbon dioxide emissions reduction because of absorption of carbon dioxide caused by the growth of plant, and furthermore, which is expected as biodegradable plastics, because the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid as a raw material such as succinic acid or adipic acid can be produced from plant-derived glucose using a fermentation method, and the aliphatic diol as a raw material such as ethylene glycol, propanediol or butanediol can be produced from a plant-derived raw material.
Aliphatic polyester is generally obtained by subjecting aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol to esterification reaction and melt polycondensation reaction. Those reactions are generally conducted by a batchwise method, a continuous method or a combination of a batchwise method and a continuous method. Of those, in the case of industrially mass-producing, a continuous method is advantageous from productivity, quality stability, economic efficiency and the like. In the embodiment that polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate or the like is mass-produced, a continuous method is predominantly used.
In the case of producing aliphatic polyester by a continuous method, slurry comprising aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol is generally used as an esterification reaction raw material, and the slurry is continuously supplied to a reaction step, thereby proceeding esterification reaction. In this case, it is important that the slurry is stably supplied to the reaction step, but there is the problem such that the slurry comprising aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol is frequently instable in, for example, precipitation of aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and slurry viscosity.
Patent Document 1 describes properties of slurry comprising terephthalic acid as aromatic dicarboxylic acid and 1,4-butanediol (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "BG"), and Patent Document 2 describes properties of slurry comprising terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. However, those patent documents do not describe slurry comprising aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3755426    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2007-9154

Production method of aliphatic polyester


A motor vehicle drive train assembly includes an axial flux induction motor including a stator, a first rotor and a second rotor. The stator, the first rotor and the second rotor are concentric with a motor center axis. The first rotor is axially spaced from a first axial side of the stator by a first air gap and the second rotor is axially spaced from a second axial side of the stator by a second air gap. The axial flux induction motor is configured such that the first rotor is rotatable about the motor center axis by the stator at a first rotational speed to drive a first drive shaft non-rotatably connected to the first rotor while the second rotor is rotatable about the motor center axis by the stator at a second rotational speed that is greater than the first rotational speed to drive a second drive shaft non-rotatably connected to the second rotor.

Most vehicles with rear or front wheel drive have a differential. The differential balances the torque in the two axles. If an e motor is attached to the axle of the vehicle the e motor also needs to be connected with a differential. The differential is connected to the e motor output and axles of the drive train. The e motor provides torque input to the differential and the differential splits the torque into two axles. The e motor rotor may or may not be concentric, but the differential is used to split the e motor torque into two axles, each connected to a respective wheel.

Electrical differential motor assembly with torque vectoring


The present invention provides a low-cost and safe image forming apparatus that has a first state in which first and second resistance heating bodies of a heater are connected in series, a second state in which the first and second resistance heating bodies are connected in parallel, and a third state in which a first switching unit shuts off a power supply path and a second switching unit is connected to a first power source terminal to block power supply to the heater.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier and a laser-beam printer, and in particular to an image forming apparatus including a fixing section including an endless belt, a heater that contacts the inner surface of the endless belt, and a nip portion forming member that forms a fixing nip portion together with the heater via the endless belt.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus for use in an area where the commercial power source voltage is around 100 V (for example, 100 V to 127 V) may be used in an area where the commercial power source voltage is around 200 V (for example, 200 V to 240 V). In such a case, the maximum power that can be supplied to the heater of the fixing section may be quadrupled compared to a case where the apparatus is used in the 100-V area. As the maximum power that can be supplied to the heater becomes larger, a harmonic current, flicker, or the like produced in heater power control such as phase control and wave number control becomes more significant. In addition, power produced when thermal runaway occurs in the fixing section is quadrupled, which requires a more responsive circuit. Therefore, in many cases, a single apparatus that may be used in both the 100-V area and the 200-V area is provided with heaters with different resistance values for the respective areas.
Meanwhile, a technique for changing the resistance value of a heater using switching units such as relays is proposed to provide a universal apparatus that may be used in both an area where the commercial power source voltage is 100 V and an area where the commercial power source voltage is 200 V. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199702 proposes an apparatus including first and second resistance heating bodies provided on a heater substrate. Switching can be made between a first operating state, in which the first and second resistance heating bodies are connected in series with each other, and a second operating state, in which the first and second resistance heating bodies are connected in parallel with each other, to change the resistance value of the heater in accordance with the commercial power source voltage in order to allow the apparatus to be used in both the 100-V area and the 200-V area.
According to the technique for switching the first and second resistance heating bodies between the series connection state and the parallel connection state in accordance with the commercial power source voltage, the resistance value of the heater may be changed without changing the heating region of the heater. In other words, both the two resistance heating bodies generate heat irrespective of whether the apparatus is used in the 100-V area or the 200-V area. Thus, the temperature distribution in the fixing nip portion in the recording material conveying direction is the same irrespective of the area of use. This is advantageous in that the fixing performance of toner images is not affected by the area where the apparatus is used.
A technique that uses power shutoff elements such as relays is widely employed as safety measures for a case where power supply to a heater may not be controlled to cause thermal runaway of the heater. In addition, a technique in which relays are provided on both sides of a heater to insulate the heater from an alternating-current power source for electric shock prevention is also known. However, separately providing power shutoff relays as safety measures to the apparatus in which the first and second resistance heating bodies are switched between the series connection state and the parallel connection state using the connection state switching relays as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199702 would increase the cost.


A multi-purpose dental applicator including a handle and an interchangeable removable member which can be a yoke supporting a length of dental floss, a toothbrush, a spiral wound wire tooth cleaning brush, a rubber tip gum massager, or a length of abrasive tape. The handle has an elongated shank for gripping purposes and a head piece having a receiving cavity for receiving the shank of the interchangeable removable member. The handle further incorporates threads on the outer surface of the head surrounding the receiving cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the receiving cavity is an opening extending into the body of the head in a generally inverted frustum shaped configuration which then extends into a spherical shaped cavity and thereafter extends into an arcuate section having the circumferential length of approximately twenty degrees to either side of the vertical or longitudinal axis of the head. This cavity is designed to receive a specially designed shank which design is common to all of the interchangeable removable members. The handle further comprises a slidable and threaded collar which can be slid onto and screwed around the opening to tighten the interchangeable removable member to the handle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of dental apparatus used by the consumer such as dental floss, toothbrushes, spiral wire tooth cleaning brushes, and dental massaging rubber tips. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of dental flossing apparatus which are designed to hold a length of dental floss in a given manner such that it can be used to clean the interstices between adjacent teeth. The present invention also relates to an interchangeable multi-purpose applicator which can retain a dental floss apparatus, a toothbrush, a wire tooth cleaning brush, and a rubber gum massager.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The inventor is also the inventor of co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/420,424 for Dental Flossing Apparatus which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,992 on May 1, 1990 for Dental Flossing Apparatus. Through prosecution of that patent application, the inventor has become aware of the following prior art. In most conventional practice, an individual using dental floss to clean the interstices between the user's teeth unwraps a length of dental floss from its container and wraps one end of the floss around a finger of one hand and wraps the opposite end of the floss around a finger of the other hand and thereafter holds the length of floss taut between the two fingers so that it can be inserted between two adjacent teeth and moved back and forth to clean the area., One problem with this method is that a large amount of floss is used. Second, it is sometimes difficult to reach back areas of the mouth when holding the length of floss in this manner.
In some instances, attempts have been made to provide devices for holding the length of floss, which usually takes the form of a yoke across which a portion of the floss is trained while the opposite ends are wrapped about the projecting legs of the yoke. The entire apparatus is then placed in the user's mouth while the fingers manipulate the device between the teeth for cleaning. Several prior art patents disclose variations on this concept. They are as follows:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,686 issued in 1975 to Zambito for "Dental Floss Holder".
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,869 issued in 1972 to Espinosa for "Dental Floss Holder".
3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,168 issued in 1974 to Schlegel for "Tooth Cleaning Appliance".
4. U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,098 issued to 1958 to Sorboro for "Dental Floss Holder And Dispenser".
5. U.S. Pat. No. 1,480,101 issued in 1924 to Ogden for "Dental Floss Appliance".
6. U.S. Pat. No. 2,187,899 issued in 1940 to Henne for "Dental Floss Throw-Away Unit".
7. U.S. Pat. No. 1,346,125 issued in 1982 to Hasbrook for "Sanitary Teeth Cleaner".
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,595 issued in 1982 to Ulrich for "Dental Care Unit".
The apparatus disclosed in Zambito has several disadvantages. Besides being expensive to manufacture, the method of attaching the head holding the floss to the handle cannot provide a firm and secure grip on the head. As a result, when used with vigorous action as is common when flossing, it is possible for the head to come loose and fall into the user's throat and cause the user to choke. In addition, the device does not provide a universal choice of positioning the head orientation and therefore certain parts of the mouth such as the back teeth may be difficult to reach and clean with this device. Further, Zambito does not provide a choice of flossing means and it is also vitally important to prevent sagging of the floss itself.
The apparatus disclosed in Espinosa also has several problems. Not enough tension can possibly be applied to the floss by this method. During flossing, the floss would sag and make the floss device useless. As with the device in Zambito, the device does not provide a universal choice of positioning the head orientation and therefore certain parts of the mouth such as the back teeth may be difficult to reach and clean with this device. In addition, this device with its many grooves, channels, indentations and other slot attachments is an expensive device to manufacture.
The apparatus disclosed in Schlegel is also an expensive and cumbersome device to manufacture and further has a complicated way for retaining the floss. The floss can easily become loose and sag making it worthless for flossing. In addition, the yoke has only one orientation, making it difficult to reach certain parts of the mouth.
The apparatus disclosed in Sorboro, Ogden, Henne, and Hasbrook also have many of the disadvantages previously discussed. The yoke holding the floss is once again in a fixed orientation making it difficult to reach certain parts of the mouth. The complicated structure is also expensive to manufacture.
The apparatus in Ulrich is a dental water pik.
Overall, the prior art embodiments of yoke apparatus which retain a length of dental floss all have in common one or more of the following defects. First, the yoke is oriented in a fixed position and cannot be adjusted to accommodate difficult locations in the mouth. Second, the device is complicated and expensive to manufacture. Third, the floss itself is not held securely and can easily sag and come loose during use, thereby making it worthless. Therefore, there is a significant need for a flossing apparatus which overcomes these defects.
There is no device known to the inventor which operates as a multipurpose apparatus to interchangeably support a dental floss device, a toothbrush, a spiral wound wire tooth cleaning brush and a rubber tip gum massager.


A vehicle occupant restraining system includes a plurality of safety restraint devices and utilizes a main controller and a safing controller to determine whether or not conditions are proper for deploying each safety restraint device. The system discriminates between front, side, rear, and roll-over impact events and determines which safety restraint devices should be deployed in response to an impact event. The system also independently determines whether to activate a fuel cut-off switch in response to an impact event. The main and safing controllers utilize vehicle data from a main center tunnel sensor assembly and various satellite sensors to make deployment decisions. The safing controller is used to independently verify whether or not the safety restraint should be deployed.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining whether conditions are proper for deploying a safety restraint device in a vehicle occupant restraining system.
Vehicle occupant restraining systems utilize various different safety restraint devices, such as airbags, to prevent passengers from experiencing severe injuries in the event of a vehicle crash. The airbags can be located at different locations within the vehicle, such as in the steering wheel, dashboard, or door panels, for example.
In response to a vehicle crash, a central controller determines which of the safety restraint devices should be deployed and also determines whether the crash conditions are sufficient to warrant deployment. To make this decision, the central controller analyzes data from many different vehicle sensors. These sensors can include accelerometers, roll angular rate sensors, and crash sensors, for example.
One disadvantage with this system is that if the central controller is experiencing problems, improper deployment decisions could be made. For example, the central controller could decide to deploy an airbag in a situation where a deployment is undesirable or could fail to issue a deployment command when an airbag should be deployed. The central controller may not be operating properly for various different reasons. There could be problems with the sensors, which could result in a fault or non-receipt of data error. In this situation, the central controller may not have sufficient data to make a decision. Or, there could be a problem with the central controller itself, in which case the central controller may not be able to process the steps in an efficient and accurate manner to generate the proper control signal.
Thus, it is desirable to have a method and apparatus that can verify whether or not deployment of the safety restraint device is proper, as well as overcoming the other above mentioned deficiencies with the prior art.
A vehicle occupant restraining system includes a plurality of safety restraint devices and utilizes a main controller and a safing controller to determine which safety restraint devices should be deployed, and further determines whether or not conditions are proper for deployment. The system discriminates between front, side, rear, and roll-over impact events and independently determines whether to activate a fuel cut-off switch in response to an impact event. The main and safing controllers utilize vehicle data from a main center tunnel sensor assembly and various satellite sensors to make deployment decisions. The safing controller is used to independently verify whether or not the safety restraint should be deployed.
In one disclosed embodiment, the main center tunnel sensor assembly includes a longitudinal sensor for generating a longitudinal sensor signal, a lateral sensor for generating a lateral sensor signal, and a vertical sensor for generating a vertical sensor signal. The satellite sensor assembly includes at least one front impact sensor for generating a front impact sensor signal and a plurality of side impact sensors, positioned at various different locations on the sides of the vehicle, for generating a plurality of side impact sensor signals. The satellite sensor assembly also preferably includes at least one rear impact sensor for generating a rear impact sensor signal.
In a front impact event, the main controller determines whether to deploy a front impact related safety restraint device via primary and secondary safing actuators. The main controller generates an arming threshold based on the longitudinal sensor signal or the front impact sensor signal and subsequently generates a safety restraint device deployment request based on the longitudinal sensor signal and the front impact sensor signal. The safing controller generates a deployment decision for front impact related safety restraint devices based on the longitudinal sensor signal. The safing controller does this independently of the arming threshold and safety restraint device deployment request as generated by the main controller. The primary and secondary safing actuators are enabled only after the deployment decision for front impact related safety restraint devices and the arming threshold have been generated. The front impact related safety restraint devices are deployed in response to the primary and secondary safing actuators being enabled in combination with the safety restraint device deployment request being generated. Preferably, the primary safing actuator comprises a transistor switch and the secondary safing actuator comprises a deployment enable signal that enables activation components necessary for the deployment of the associated safety restraint devices, with the exception of the primary safing actuator.
In a side impact event, the main controller determines whether to deploy a side impact related safety restraint device via primary and secondary safing actuators. The main controller generates an arming threshold based on at least one of the side impact sensor signals and subsequently generates a safety restraint device deployment request based on either the longitudinal sensor signal and at least one of the side impact sensor signals, the lateral sensor signal and at least one of the side impact sensor signals, or at least two side impact sensor signals. The safing controller generates a deployment decision for side impact related safety restraint devices based on at least one of the side impact sensor signals. The safing controller does this independently of the arming threshold and safety restraint device deployment request as generated by the main controller. The primary and secondary safing actuators are enabled only after the deployment decision for side impact related safety restraint devices and the arming threshold have been generated. The side impact related safety restraint devices are deployed in response to the primary and secondary safing actuators being enabled in combination with the safety restraint device deployment request being generated. The primary and secondary safing actuators operate similarly to that described above.
In a rear impact event, the main controller determines whether to deploy a rear impact related safety restraint device via primary and secondary safing actuators. The main controller generates an arming threshold based on the longitudinal sensor signal or the rear impact sensor signal and subsequently generates a safety restraint device deployment request based on the longitudinal sensor signal and the rear impact sensor signal. The safing controller generates a deployment decision for rear impact related safety restraint devices based on the longitudinal sensor signal. The safing controller does this independently of the arming threshold and safety restraint device deployment request as generated by the main controller. The primary and secondary safing actuators are enabled only after the deployment decision for rear impact related safety restraint devices and the arming threshold have been generated. The rear impact related safety restraint devices are deployed in response to the primary and secondary safing actuators being enabled in combination with the safety restraint device deployment request being generated. Preferably, the primary and secondary safing actuators operate as described above.
In one disclosed embodiment, the main sensor assembly includes a roll angular rate sensor for generating a roll angular rate signal. In a roll-over impact event, the main controller determines whether to deploy a roll-over impact related safety restraint device with primary and secondary safing actuators. The main controller generates an arming threshold based on the roll angular rate sensor signal or the lateral sensor signal and subsequently generates a safety restraint device deployment request based on the roll angular rate sensor signal and the lateral sensor signal or the vertical sensor signal. The safing controller generates a deployment decision for roll-over impact related safety restraint devices based on the roll angular rate sensor signal. The safing controller does this independently of the arming threshold and safety restraint device deployment request as generated by the main controller. The primary and secondary safing actuators are enabled only after the deployment decision for roll-over impact related safety restraint devices and the arming threshold have been generated. The roll-over impact related safety restraint device is deployed in response to the primary and secondary safing actuators being enabled in combination with the safety restraint device deployment request being generated. The primary and secondary safing actuators operate similarly to that described above.
In one disclosed embodiment, the main controller determines whether to generate a fuel-cut-off signal in response to an impact event. The main controller determines whether to generate the fuel cut-off signal independently from the safety restraint device deployment decisions. The main controller compares the lateral and longitudinal sensor signals to a predetermined threshold and generates the fuel cut-off signal if a sum of the lateral and longitudinal sensor signals exceeds a first static threshold. The main controller discriminates between roll-over, front, side, and rear impact events before generating the fuel cut-off signal and compares the sum of the lateral and longitudinal sensor signals to a second static threshold, lower than the first static threshold. If the second static threshold is exceeded, the main controller determines a velocity direction of the longitudinal sensor signal and activates a fuel cut-off switch if the velocity direction indicates a rear impact event.
The subject system and method provides a more accurate and efficient method for determining whether or not conditions are proper for safety restraint deployment by utilizing independent deployment verification. These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specifications and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

Method and apparatus for determining deployment of a safety restraint device in an occupant restraining system