An exclusively dry-land based modular housing unit intended for construction in floodwater-prone areas is factory built, utilizing wooden post-tension-frame construction for superior unit rigidity, and a sheathed, modular, solid foam whole-house float resides at the underside of the housing unit. A series of wooden piers serve as the housing unit fixed foundation preceding floodwater conditions. Additionally, a series of lubricated, oscillation damping, telescoping piers reside below the housing unit perimeter, and are securely and permanently connected to the perimeter beams, to serve as station keeping anchors for the housing unit during floatation and floodwater conditions. The housing unit is provided with integral water purification, septic, heating, and electrical backup systems for use during extended floodwater conditions.

As our "planetary village" grows, and the population with it, all available real estate is seriously considered for the building of residential and business use structures. To this end, a great population density is often found in areas near major water courses or ocean shores. This proximity provides for convenient shipping and transportation, recreation opportunities, environmental beauty, etc. Most often, these areas, including "riverbottom real estate" are among the most fertile farming areas available, and are very desirable for residences also. However, as present weather trends continue, these buildable areas near major watercourses become more and more subject to flooding and floodwaters, often severe, as was the case in the summer of 1993, in the American Mid-West lands.
When a building site is chosen near a watercourse, bay or estuary, which is subject to periodic floodwaters, traditional and conventional construction techniques require the placement of several fixed piers or pilings under the structure, to serve as an elevated foundation for the structure. These fixed piers permanently elevate the structure to a predetermined height above grade level. Oftentimes, a decorative skirting is added, to obscure the relatively unsightly pilings. This traditional building technique provides for a housing unit which is permanently supported off the ground and allows for a predetermined degree of floodwater to pass under the house, without actually flooding the house itself. This traditional system of flood plain construction essentially is that of a shore-based dock, and this method of riverbottom housing construction has been in use since the time of early civilization without change, as it has served well.
In very calm floodwaters, or in shallow floodwater conditions, this previous construction technique performs adequately. However, during periodic high floodwater conditions, oftentimes the housing unit can become flooded, even though it is elevated. During this time of flooding, the dwelling becomes uninhabitable, and usually suffers internal damage. In addition, this construction technique permanently places the dwelling high above grade level, where it then becomes necessary for a resident or visitor to climb or descend a large number of steps to enter or exit the dwelling--a necessary inconvenience predicated by the construction technique. Further, this traditional construction arrangement prevents or disallows convenient habitation by invalids or wheelchair housing unit owners.
Other previous techniques of providing for a "stabilized floating platform" are illustrated by the prior art references presented following. These techniques embody structures which intentionally have been designed exclusively for use on existing bodies of water, such as: U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,723, by inventor Jon Furst of St. Johns Canada, assigned to Nordco, Canada which discloses a Submersible dry-dock for use in lifting ships and boats for service; U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,656 from inventors Helmut Katemberg and Ingolf K.sup.- ohler of Federal Republic of Germany, assigned to MAN Germany, which discloses a floating dock for use in repairing ships and the like; U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,109 invented by Bertil and Evert Grip of Sweden, assigned to Bertil Group, Sweden, which discloses a pontoon bridge with automatic height adjusting and locking systems, for use at in-fill river water bridging needs, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,148 by inventors Charles N. White and Riley G. Goldsmith of Houston Texas, assigned to Texaco Inc, which discloses a heave restrained offshore oil drilling platform for use in rough waters. These references are brought to light as embodiments of state of the art moored platforms which are intended to be utilized in bodies of water, and these embodiments are not intended or designed to be utilized on dry land, as is the intent of the present invention.
Disclosed by the applicant to the PTO on Aug. 12, 1993 in a package submitted under the Disclosure Document Program, document #337,045, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide for a floatable housing unit for use in floodwater-prone areas, which overcomes the aforesaid disadvantages exhibited to this end by the prior art described above, by providing for an exclusively dry land based, grade level built, releasably moored, post tension frame, prefabricated, stabilized, floatable housing unit which utilizes contained solid foam as a floatation element, and is secured and anchored to the building site through the use of a series of extendable pier, shock absorbing foundation segments, in combination with a series of wooden pilings which serve as a fixed dry land foundation, and which housing unit is self contained with backup utility systems on board.


A double hook-bolt unit lock includes a lock barrel having a revolving rod connected thereto to cause a cam wheel assembly to move simultaneously so as to drive the stop keys of a stop frame assembly away from the upper notched portion of a brake frame assembly and to let the cam wheel assembly move the brake frame assembly rectilinearly via a lower notched portion of the frame assembly. By means of the push force from L-shaped guide slots of the side plates of a lockcasing and the guidance of oblique guide slots of a brake frame assembly, the two L-shaped bolts which are movably connected to the brake frame assembly are driven to smoothly into respective locking positions to lock the door.

Regular locking device generally utilizes a latch bolt having a rectilinear motion, or a hook bolt having a circular motion so as to lock or unlock a door. The former tends to be damaged or deformed while the latter is more difficult to drive in the notch of an associated striking plate. The hook bolt may produce noise during its operation.
The lock which locks a door by means of a rectilinear motion of the latch bolt may be easily destroyed by a burglar through violence. In a regular one-step locking device, the single latch bolt is driven to insert only a short distance into the notch of a striking plate mounted on a door frame. Through severe impact force against the door, the door panel and the latch bolt will be easily deformed, and the latch bolt will be pushed out of the associated striking plate to unlock the door (This is commonly seen in TV programs). In regular two or three-step locking device (which comprises two or three latch bolts), the door still cannot be well protected against violence. Although the latch bolts are inserted more deeply in the notches of a striking plate, the motion range of the latch bolts into the notches of a striking plate is still limited by the thickness of a door frame. If a regular two or three-step locking device is used to lock a door, a burglar may hit the door, open it after having inserted a crowbar into the gap between the door panel and the associated door frame (in order to facilitate the turning of a door panel against a door frame, a gap and possible tolerance must be remained therebetween) to pry the door panel in or out to a certain extent.


An embedded safety elevator includes a van body, a motor, a battery, a driving wheel, a transmission rod, an embedded elevating device, and an inwardly concave spiral guide rail. The embedded elevating device is embedded in the guide rail and can move up and down along the guide rail; the embedded elevating device is fixed on the van body to drive the van body to move up and down, the motor and the battery are mounted on the van body and are connected with the driving wheel, the driving wheel is connected with the transmission rod, and the transmission rod is further connected with the embedded elevating device. The motor is started to drive the driving wheel to rotate, the driving wheel drives the transmission rod to rotate, the transmission rod transmits the power to the embedded elevating device for driving the embedded elevating device to spirally elevate.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an embedded safety elevator, and more particularly to a spiral elevator which is capable of being embedded in the vertical track.
Description of Related Arts
Currently, there are three kinds of vertical and slope lifting elevators in the world: elevators hauled by counterweight steel wire ropes, rolling elevators and hydraulically vertical elevators. At present, elevators hauled by steel wire ropes are widely used at home and abroad, which are convenient for installation and maintenance and adapted for carrying passengers and cargoes in a building. However, elevators hauled by steel wire ropes are not adapted for currently personal residential elevators. Their main shortcomings are as follows. The hauling engine needs bearing very high torque, so that the hauling engine generally needs the power supply system with high power. However, the commonly household power supply systems are unable to load. Furthermore, during operating process, elevators hauled by steel wire ropes have a certain degree of security risk, so that there is need for regular maintenance, thereby leading to high maintenance cost.
To improve the security performance of elevators and reduce the horsepower needed by the elevator driving system, at present elevators driven by screw rods are developed, such as the spiral elevator disclosed by China Patent No. 98247710.4, which moves up and down via the spiral moving mechanism which comprises a screw thread guide rail and a screw rod pushing plate corresponding to the screw thread guide rail. An internal thread of the screw thread guide rail comprises a plurality of truckles and matches with an external thread of the screw rod pushing plate. The motor is connected with the screw rod pushing plate via a chain wheel transmission mechanism for drive the screw rod pushing plate to move up and down, so as to drive the van body of the elevator to move up and down. However, while the power is off, the brake is relieved, due to lack of the drive of the controllable power, the descent speed is not easy to be controlled, the van body of the elevator is not easy to be positioned at the normal opening position, it is difficult for passengers to normally open the door by themselves to leave the van body of the elevator. If the motor is out of operation or deadlocked, the above design is unable to have an effect. Furthermore, the above embedded safety elevator needs a very high spiral support to match the elevating height of the elevator. However, the spiral support has high manufacturing and installation cost and is not adapted for higher building elevators.
Patent No. JP2004-182362A also disclosed an elevator which adopts the spiral guide rail to move the elevator up and down. As the proximate prior art of the present invention, the Japan Patent resolves the problem that the spiral support has complicated structure and high manufacturing cost. However, compared with the present invention, Patent No. JP2004-182362A still has shortcomings as follows:
The elevator is unable to ensure the balance while operating and is easy to shake; which not only brings a certain degree of panic to passengers, but also leads to falling off of elevator parts after prolonged shaking, thereby resulting in damage of the elevator or more serious accidents.


A face protector for shielding the face of the wearer while permitting observation and pivoting of the shield toward and away from the face comprising: an elongated flexible band of absorbent padding sized and adapted to, be fitted about the forehead; a first elongated flexible stiffening member attached therealong to a corresponding confronting portion of the band; a second elongated stiffening member having a length greater than the first stiffening member and pivotally attached to the first stiffening member at corresponding end portions of the stiffening members so that the stiffening members are spaced apart when the band is fitted about the head; a flexible transparent face shield with an integral anti-glare, anti-fog coating connected at a top portion thereof to the second stiffening member along its length whereby pivotal movement of the second stiffening member relative to the first stiffening member permits movement of the shield toward and away from the face; and, a void provided in one end portion of the second stiffening member for accepting the corresponding end portion of the first stiffening member, thereby limiting the pivoting movement of the second stiffening member relative to the first stiffening member and the shield toward the face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to face protectors and, more particularly to a face protector for shielding the face of the wearer while permitting observation and pivoting of the shield toward and away from the face, and even more particularly, pivoting on the shield toward and away from the face, but limiting the pivoting movement of the shield toward the face.
2. General Background
in the operating room and other medical situations such as emergency room and field treatment: the full face and its cavities must be protected from the splashing of blood and other bodily fluids to protect the medical care providers should the patient have HIV, AIDS or other infectious diseases. It is well known to provide a transparent face shield connected to some form of headband. However, once the flow of blood or other fluid has been stopped there may be a need lift or flip up the face shield so that the medical care provider has unobstructed visual or oral access to the patient or sanitary access to his own face.
A need, therefore, exists for a face protector which permits shielding of the face of the wearer while permitting observation and yet allows pivoting of the shield toward and away from the face.
It is a principal object of the present invention to meet the foregoing need by providing such a face protector.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a means for limiting the pivoting movement of the shield toward the face so that a proper spacing is always provided between the face and the shield.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a face protector with an integral anti-glare, anti-fog transparent face shield.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a headband with an absorbent pad to accumulate perspiration from the wearer's forehead.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a face protector commensurate with the aforementioned objects that is simple and economical in design yet extremely durable and safe to use.
The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A device for placing pipes (5') into a case (1) and taking pipes (5) out therefrom, wherein the pipes (5) are placed in stacks (2, 3, 4) each with one pipe across, and wherein the stacks are supported laterally by supports (6, 7, 8, 9) projecting upwardly from the bottom of the case (1). The bottom of the case 91) is provided with apertures (10, 11), and the case (1) is carried by a tilting device (13) capable of raising and lowering the case 91), respectively, and of turning it about an axis (14) parallel to the pipes (5) within the case (1), to take an unloading position and a loading position, respectively, wherein the supports (6, 7, 8, 9) are nearly horizontal, flushing with a substantially horizontal support for pipes (5), and wherein a pushing device (16) is adapted to be guided through the apertures (10, 11) in the nearly vertical bottom of the case (1), in order to push pipes (5) laterally out of the case (1), upon said support, which may be a conveyor belt or another conveyor (12).

The invention relates to a device for putting pipes into a case and taking them out therefrom.
Pipes guided down into oil wells, such as drill pipes, drill collars and casings of offshore oil installations, can advantageously be transported in protecting cases.
However, the use of such cases involves extra work of putting pipes into cases and of taking them out therefrom.

Device for packaging pipes into a case and taking them out therefrom


An electronic component having a coil includes a laminated body formed by laminating a plurality of magnetic body layers. The coil is formed by connecting coil electrodes in the laminated body. Nonmagnetic body layers are disposed on the laminated body to have a gap with the coil when seen in a plan view from a coil axis direction of the coil. The embodiment of an electronic component has a stair-like direct-current superposition characteristic.

As a related-art electronic component including a coil, for example, a laminated-type inductance element described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-214424 is known. The laminated-type inductance element includes a spiral coil made of an internal conductor, a first nonmagnetic body layer disposed perpendicularly to a coil axis of the coil, and a second nonmagnetic body layer disposed in the internal conductor.
With the laminated-type inductance element, the first nonmagnetic body layer is disposed to cross the coil, and thus the coil forms an open magnetic-path structure. As a result, even if a current of the laminated-type inductance element becomes high, a rapid decrease in inductance value due to magnetic saturation is not likely to occur. That is to say, the direct-current superposition characteristic of the laminated inductance element improves.
Incidentally, an electronic component including a coil is sometimes used for a DC-DC converter in an electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, etc. An electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, etc., has a normal state in which normal operation is performed, and a standby state in which many functions are stopped. In the normal state, a relatively high current flows through the coil of the electronic component included in the DC-DC converter (hereinafter referred to as a high-output current area). In the standby state, a weak current flows through the coil of the electronic component included in the DC-DC converter (hereinafter referred to as a low-output current area).
In the electronic component, in the low-output current area, a direct-current superposition characteristic in which a sufficiently large inductance value is obtained is desirable. At the same time, in the electronic component, in the high-output current area, a stable direct-current superposition characteristic in which an inductance value does not change significantly, even if a direct current value flowing through the coil is changed. In this manner, a direct-current superposition characteristic, in which a sufficiently large inductance value is obtained in a low-output current area while a stable inductance value is obtained in a high-output current area, is called a stair-like direct-current superposition characteristic.
However, in the laminated-type inductance element described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-214424, a stair-like direct-current superposition characteristic cannot be obtained. More specifically, in the laminated-type inductance element, a rapid decrease in inductance value due to magnetic saturation does not occur, and thus the laminated-type inductance element has a direct-current superposition characteristic in which an inductance value monotonously and gradually decreases with an increase in direct current. Accordingly, there has been a problem in that a laminated-type inductance element is difficult to be applied to a DC-DC converter.


A direct-write method, apparatus and end use device for selective separation of at least one layer of material from another layer of material at the interface between them using a beam of electromagnetic radiation from an ultrashort pulse source is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct-write method and apparatus for the selective separation of one layer of material from another layer using an ultrashort pulse source of electromagnetic radiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,528,342 by Dashi incorporated herein by reference in its entirety describes a method and apparatus for selective material removal of at least one layer of material on another using an ultrashort pulse laser. In this patent Dashi states "In ultrafast laser processing the threshold fluence of the material is clearly defined. Hence by controlling the pulsed laser fluence, material with lower threshold fluence can be selectively removed without ablating the underlying material of higher threshold fluence." Further along in the text Deshi states "It is not imperative that the entire overlying layer have a lower threshold fluence then the underlying layer (which should not be ablated). For precise machining, only the layer immediately above the underlying layer where the ablation/machining should stop, need to have the threshold fluence lowers (sic) than the underlying layer."
Thus Dashi relies on the well-known fact that a lower ablation threshold material can be removed from a higher ablation threshold material by precisely controlling the fluence of the light incident on the lower ablation material so that it ablates the lower ablation threshold material but not the higher ablation threshold material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,485 by Haight, et al included herein in its entirety by reference produces a similar outcome as it is applied to the repair of an opaque defect on a photomask without damaging the underlying layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,832 by Mayer, included herein in its entirety by reference describes the precision deposition of electrically conducting film by the forward transfer of a metal onto a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,015 by Young incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes the advantages of direct-write and the forward transfer of a rheological fluid.
United States Patent Application 20080139075 by Birrell, et al incorporated herein in its entirety by reference describes deposition repair apparatus and methods that employ methods similar to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,825,015 and 6,159,832.
These patents and patent applications rely on the precise, well defined difference in ablation threshold of the two layers to achieve to their objective. More specifically, they rely on the fact that the layer that is ablated has a threshold for ablation that is lower than that of the underlying substrate. And thus by arrange the incident fluence to be above the threshold for ablation of the layer removed and below the threshold for ablation of the underlying layer or substrate, it is possible to remove or separate the lower ablation threshold from the higher threshold ablation layer without damaging the underlying layer or substrate with the higher ablation threshold.
This condition misses an important understanding that is enabling in several identifiable situations and is the subject of this invention. When the threshold for ablation at the interface between two materials is lower than the threshold for ablation of the layers that form the interface, it is possible to induce the separation of one layer from another without expending as much energy as is needed when ablating the bulk. And thus by exceeding the threshold for ablation at the interface with an ultrashort pulse of electromagnetic radiation it is possible to achieve separation between two layers of material under conditions that imbue the process, the product, and consequently the end use device, with all the well-known benefits that accrue to the use of ultrashort pulses of electromagnetic radiation to separate layers of materials; benefits such as reduced heat affected zone (HAZ) reduced or eliminated recast layer, reduced splattering, undesirable delamination of adjacent layers or structures, the creation of microcracks, a well-defined and highly repeatable zone of separation of the two materials, and the highly deterministic precision and reproducability of the separation process.
An important additional benefit is the ability to create a zone of separation whose size is smaller, sometimes even substantially smaller, than the size of the beam incident on the interface. Thus, for example, in some situations it would be advantageous to use ablation at an interface to induce the forward transfer a layer of material of sub-micron dimensions to another surface by precisely controlling the fluence of the incident pulse such that only the very top of the spatial profile of the beam is above the threshold for ablation at the interface.
In some cases it is possible, and even desirable, to induce this separation by locally exceeding this threshold for ablation at the interface as, for example, when it is desirable to increase the rate of separation so that the one layer can be patterned more rapidly and thus with higher throughput and lower cost.
In addition, there are cases wherein it is possible to remove the higher ablation threshold material from the lower ablation threshold layer without damaging the lower ablation threshold layer or the material or structures adjacent to it, as is the case, for example, when it is desirable to use ultrashort pulses of radiation to ablated a thick layer of material with a higher ablation threshold from a lower ablation threshold polymer substrate. In this instance the higher ablation threshold layer of material may be first thinned to dimensions wherein an evanescent wave of sufficient energy to exceed the threshold for ablation at the interface builds up in the interface and causes the two layers of material to separate.
In paper M503 presented at the ICALEO Conference in 2006 titled "NANOSCALE ANALYSIS OF LASER ABLATED THIN FILMS USE IN INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING OF FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS" by Matt Henry, et al, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the authors briefly comment on several sources that might be used to pattern flat panel displays. With respect to using an ultrashort pulse of femtosecond or picosecond duration. The authors write state " . . . in all cases ultrafast lasers have relatively low pulse energies—in the order of 1 mJ. Thus to achieve thin film removal they are focused to fine spot sizes in the order of 10 μm to achieve sufficient energy density (Fluence). This makes them unsuitable for creating large area TCO structures at the commercial rates required for large area FPD manufacture, although smaller scale FPD applications such as OLED may be viable." Contrary to this statement this innovation clearly demonstrates that it is possible to create large area TCO structures at commercial rates in TCO films in the manufacture of devices such as touch screens and FPDs with pulse energy substantially below 1 mJ/pulse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,083 by Kumar, et al, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a method for fabricating a display cathode by " . . . patterning and etching . . . " Clearly this patent refers to a chemical (wet etching) process. No mention is made of using an ultrashort pulse source that would imbue the method with all the benefits in quality that accrue to the use of this technology without having to employ wet etching process.
United States Patent Application 20050074974 incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, Stoltz describes " . . . methods and systems for ablation based material removal configuration for use in semiconductor manufacturing that includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-ti-me (sic) optical pulse in an optical pulse generator, amplifying the initial pulse, compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than about 10 picoseconds and applying the compressed optical pulse to the wafer surface, to remove material from, e.g., wafer surface." A " . . . wavelength-swept-in-time . . . " source is another way of describing a chirped pulse amplifier system known to those skilled in the art of laser source technology whose invention is attributed to Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou, Optics Communications, Volume 56, Issue 3, 1 Dec. 1985, Pages 219-221. This application focuses on semiconductor materials and makes no mention of TCO on transparent substrates, nor does it make use of the fact that the threshold for ablation is lower at an interface compared to the threshold for ablation of the bulk material.
United States Patent Application 20050226287 incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, reads in part "Often, portions of such layers must be removed and/or inspected, while causing minimal damage to the underlying substrate. In such cases, the optimal choice of laser wavelength often depends upon the nature of the substrate material. In the case of a thin target layer (or layers) on a transparent substrate, near IR femtosecond pulses may be preferred since they can be precisely focused upon the target layer without interacting with the transparent substrate (whereas linear absorption might be significant when using a UV source). In the case of a thin transparent layer (or layers) on an opaque substrate, UV femtosecond pulses may be preferred because of their high absorption coefficient (and correspondingly thin optical penetration depth) thereby confining energy deposition to a thin layer at the surface." Again, this application relies on the threshold of ablation at the surface rather than at the interface between two surfaces.
As noted in United States Patent Applications 20090107707 and 20090107707, a conductive paste containing mainly metal powder and is widely used in electronic device components since it shows excellent conductive properties and for example, is used as material for an electrically-conductive path when forming an electric circuit on a wiring board, display or touch screen. The conductive paste is produced in the form of a paste by dispersing metal powder and glass frit in an organic vehicle. This conductive paste is applied to a ceramic, glass substrate or the like by screen printing or the like so as to form a wiring pattern. When the conductive paste is sintered at high temperatures, the organic vehicle evaporates and the metal powder is sintered so as to form a continuous film. Such conductive pastes provide excellent conductive properties since the metal powder is sintered to form a continuous solid film.
United States Patent Application 20080128397 incorporated herein in its entirety by reference makes no mention of employing the lower threshold for ablation at the interface or the evanescent wave propagating into the interface to separate one layer of material from another.
Kasuga, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,736 writes "A conductive silver paste including silver powders is printed on a surface of a base material using various types of printing methods, or is applied thereon using various types of coating methods, dried, and is further heat-treated as required, thereby forming a conductive film such as a conductor wiring," and "As various types of electronic equipment are miniaturized, it is also required that the conductor wiring composed of the conductive film is made fine. For example, in a conductor wiring having a line shape, it is required that the line width of the conductor wiring and the space width between adjacent conductor wirings are respectively not more than 100 microns. In the future, it is predicted that the conductor wiring is required to be made finer," and "When the above-mentioned conductor wiring is formed by a screen printing method using the conductive silver paste, for example, a screen having a screen opening sufficiently smaller than the line width of the conductor wiring and the space width between the conductor wirings must be used in order to satisfactorily reproduce the fine plane shape. However, such a screen having a small opening is liable to be clogged with large-diameter silver powders having an average particle diameter of not less than 1 micron. When the screen is clogged, there occurs such inferior printing that the printed conductor wiring is scratchy and a line of the conductor wiring is broken halfway. Particularly in an edge portion of the conductor wiring, the granularity of sufficiently larger silver powders than the fine plane shape is noticeable, so that there also occurs such inferior printing that it is recognized that the edge portion of the conductor wiring is blurred."
Thus the drive toward smaller electronic components encounters a problem when attempting to screen print conductive paste material on a substrate to create conductive features such as wires with at least one dimension below about 100 microns. Kasuga, et al above referenced patent deals with using silver conductive paste composed of particles of smaller size. Here we apply this invention to shape sintered conductive pastes using standard production techniques and direct-write the pattern therein that in order to create features such as wires on sub-100 micron dimensions.
Medical implants are another area where the invention described herein will be useful. Here there is a continuous drive to fabricate devices such as electrode arrays that are smaller, with improved functionality and at the same time are robust enough to tolerate the stresses that are incurred during implantation. As an example, the electrode array of the cochlear implant consists of a bundle of platinum wires assembled by hand under a microscope. This fabrication induced stress compromises the plasticity of the platinum electrodes which can result in electrical breaks during the additional stress caused by surgical implantation in the scala tampani. Similarly electrode arrays that are implanted in the brain for use in the local detection and monitoring of brain waves, or for providing a signal to actuate or control a bionic device, would benefit from a precise and reliable method of fabrication that have minimal impact on brain tissue during implantation.

Method and apparatus for the selective separation of two layers of material using an ultrashort pulse source of electromagnetic radiation


A fishing rod having a structurally tapering rod section and a handle connected to the tapering rod section. The handle has a longitudinal bore, and a rod having an external surface with weight calibrations is slidably disposed in the longitudinal bore. A calibrated compression spring helically surrounds the external surface of the rod within the longitudinal bore. The compression spring biases the rod towards the structurally tapering rod while in the longitudinal bore. A hook support member connects to an end of the rod, and a hook member pivotally connects to the hook support member. A method for measuring the length of a fish and for weighing the fish. A scale for weighing an object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a fishing rod. More particularly, the present invention is related to a fishing rod and to a method for measuring the length of a fish and for weighing a fish. The present invention also provides a scale for weighing an object.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A patentability investigation was conducted and the following U.S. patens were discovered: No. 2,237,370 to Shelster; No. 2,750,184 to Warndahl; No. 2,994,622 to Miller; No. 3,276,527 to Nelson; No. 4,721,174 to Letzo; and No. 4,785,897 to Keinert. None of the foregoing prior art U.S. patents teach or suggest the particular scale, and the particular fishing rod and method of this invention.

Fishing rod and method for weighing a fish and a scale for weighing an object


A storage system including a first controller and a second controller, where the first controller and the second controller each coupled to at least one interface card, and each interface card includes at least one port. A bound port group is preconfigured in the storage system, and the bound port group includes ports from the first controller and the second controller. A link handover method includes when the first controller detects that a link of a first port in the bound port group is faulty, marking a status of the first port as unavailable in the bound port group, selecting a second port in an available state from the bound port group, and handing over a service carried on the link of the first port to a link of the second port.

With the rapid development of network application, a growing number of users face a problem of network link stability. A most direct way to resolve this problem is to provide a link redundancy function in a system using a link aggregation technology.
In the link aggregation technology, the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is mainly used. The LACP is a protocol that is proposed based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ad standard to implement dynamic link aggregation. Both parties of communication exchange information with a peer device using an LACP data unit (LACPDU) to perform dynamic link aggregation and disaggregation, thereby implementing dynamic redundancy backup.
In other approaches, a storage device aggregates links in a controller using the LACP. That is, the storage device binds a group of ports in a same controller together into one logical port, to form an aggregated link between the controller and a switch. That is, communications links between the switch and all ports in the group of ports are aggregated into one logical link, and in a data transmission process, a redundant path is handed over according to a status of each physical link. When a port in the group of ports is faulty, the controller can quickly perceive that the port is faulty, and use a physical link of another port to carry a service. However, if the controller is faulty, all physical links between the controller and the switch are disconnected, and therefore there is no redundant path any more. Therefore, in the other approaches, when a single point of failure occurs on the controller of the storage device, a service link corresponding to a port of the controller is faulty, and the service is forced into interruption.

Link handover method for service in storage system, and storage device


An approved apparatus is provided to protect an electrical device in a vehicle against transient changes in voltage provided by a power source. The transient voltage protector is connected with a conductor which conducts current from the power source to the electrical device. The transient voltage protector responds to the rate of change of voltage in the conductor to shunt at least a portion of the electrical current in the conductor away from the electrical device when the rate of change of voltage in the conductor exceeds a predetermined rate. The transient voltage protector includes a high pass filter which provides an output signal when the rate of change of voltage in the conductor exceeds a predetermined rate. In response to the output from the high pass filter, a combined comparator and shunt controller effects operation of a shunt switch from an open condition to a closed condition. This completes a path through which current is directed away from the electrical device.

The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for use in a vehicle to protect an electrical device against transient changes in voltage from a power source disposed in the vehicle.
During operation of a vehicle, such as an automobile or truck, relatively large transient voltages may occur. These transient voltages are of relatively short duration, less than 0.5 seconds, and may result from a loose battery connection or other causes. When electrical devices on the vehicle are exposed to the relatively large transient voltages, the devices could be damaged.
In the past, fixed voltage varistors have been used in vehicles to protect electrical devices against relatively large voltages. When the voltage being conducted to an electrical device becomes excessive, the resistance of the varistor drops and the excessive current is shunted away from the protected device. A varistor responds to changes in the absolute magnitude of the voltage from the vehicle power source. Therefore, if the magnitude of the voltage remained below a threshold voltage, a rate of change of voltage could occur without causing the varistor to shunt current away from the protected device.
Since the varistor responds to a predetermined voltage, the varistors provided in association with electrical devices in a vehicle must have characteristics which correspond to the normal magnitude of the voltage provided by the vehicle power source. Thus, a varistor used with a vehicle having a 12 volt power source must have characteristics which are different from the characteristics of a varistor used with a vehicle having a 24 volt power source. The use of different varistors for electrical devices used with different vehicles complicates the providing of electrical devices for vehicles having different power sources.


A sliding platform system for moving a vehicle parked on a platform, the sliding platform system including at least one rail and at least one vehicle platform slidably movable upon the at least one rail, a chain drive assembly comprising a chain, motor and sprockets, a chain guide channel positioned adjacent the at least one rail, and at least one latching mechanism mounted to the platform and slidably engaged in the chain guide channel, wherein the chain drive assembly is operably coupled to the latching mechanism and wherein a portion of the chain is positioned in the chain guide channel, wherein the chain guide channel includes at least one detent operable to engage the latching mechanism when the latching mechanism is positioned in alignment with the detent and to disengage the chain from a chain engagement element in the latching mechanism. The chain drive assembly is operable to move one or more platforms along the rail to pre-selected positions. The system may include a latch set device operable to move the latch mechanism to an engaged state with the chain.

Sliding platforms are useful in moving cars to be parked to maximize the space available for parking in a parking system, deck or lot. Sliding platforms are used to move vehicles to available space, such as behind equipment, walls and columns, which cannot be reached by normal means. Sliding platforms are also used in mechanical parking systems to free up space thus enabling other platforms to be moved to that space.


A bonded abrasive wheel is disclosed comprising a plurality of abrasive particles disposed in a binder, a first grinding surface, a second surface opposing the first grinding surface, and an outer circumference. The wheel comprises a rotational axis extending through a central hub and a circuit configured as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) unit coupled to the abrasive wheel. The circuit comprises an antenna configured to communicate with one or more external devices and comprising a first end and a second end, wherein antenna has a radius of curvature about an axis along at least a portion thereof such that the first end is disposed adjacent to but is spaced from the second end, and an integrated circuit (IC) operably coupled to the antenna and configured to store at least a first data.

Abrading tools and associated consumable abrasive products are used in numerous industries. For example, consumable abrasive products are used in the woodworking industries, marine industries, automotive industries, construction industries, and so on. Consumable abrasive products can include bonded abrasive wheels such as cut-off wheels and grinding wheels that are used for physically abrading workpieces. Bonded abrasive wheels are typically in the shape of a circular wheel and are arranged around a central hub. Bonded abrasive wheels include abrasive particles such as rods bonded together by a bonding medium (i.e., a binder). The bonding medium may be an organic resin (e.g., resin bond wheels), but may also be an inorganic material such as a ceramic or glass (i.e., vitreous bond wheels).
Consumable abrasive products are consumable in the sense that they can be consumed and replaced much more frequently than the abrading tools with which they are used. For instance, a grinding wheel for an angle grinder can only last for a few days of work before needing to be replaced, but the angle grinder itself can last many years.

Embedded electronic circuit in grinding wheels and methods of embedding


A brake control system for a vehicle is comprised of a first braking device that generates a braking torque by operating a driving source of the vehicle and a second braking device that generates the braking torque by operating a hydraulic brake system of the vehicle. A controller of the brake control system is arranged to calculate a desired braking torque according to a driver""s demand, to divide the desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, to command the first braking device to generate the high-frequency component, and to command at least one of the first braking device and the second braking device to generate the low-frequency component.

The present invention relates to a brake control system, which generates braking torque by controlling a driving source of a vehicle and a hydraulic brake system.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-223532 discloses a brake control system, which controls a regenerative brake system and a hydraulic brake system according to a demanded braking torque calculated according to a depression degree of a brake pedal.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-33254 discloses a brake control system, which controls a hydraulic brake system by feeding back a difference between an actual deceleration and a driver""s demand deceleration.
On the assumption that these two techniques are combined, when a desired deceleration is calculated by adding a feedback compensation quantity obtained from an actual deceleration and a deceleration according to the driver""s demand, when both of a hydraulic brake system and a regenerative brake system are controlled to achieve the desired deceleration and when it is intended to improve a fuel consumption, regenerative braking is executed prior to hydraulic braking.
However, the feedback compensation quantity as to the deceleration has a frequency higher than that of the deceleration according to the driver""s demand. Accordingly, if the regenerative brake system generates a maximum braking torque in reply to the deceleration according to the driver""s demand, the feedback compensation quantity tends to be generated by the hydraulic brake system. Since the hydraulic brake system is lower in responsibility and resolution than the regenerative brake system, there is a possibility that this brake control system performs an insufficient responsibility in generating the feedback compensation quantity and thereby degrading the following performance relative to the deceleration according to the driver""s demand.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a brake control system which improves a controllability including a following performance to a driver""s deceleration demand.
An aspect of the present invention resides in a brake control system for a vehicle equipped with a hydraulic brake device and a driving source for driving the vehicle, the brake control comprises a controller configured to divide a desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, to command the driving source to generate the high-frequency component, and to command at least one of the hydraulic brake device and the driving source to generate the low-frequency component.
Another aspect of the present invention resides in a brake control system for a vehicle which comprises a first braking device that generates a braking torque by operating a driving source of the vehicle, a second braking device that generates the braking torque by operating a hydraulic brake system of the vehicle, and a controller connected to the first braking device and a second braking device. The controller is configured to calculate a desired braking torque, to divide the desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, to command the first braking device to generate the high-frequency component, to command at least one of the first braking device and the second braking device to generate the low-frequency component.
A further another aspect of the present invention resides in a method of controlling a brake control system for a vehicle equipped with a hydraulic brake device and a driving source for driving the vehicle. The brake control comprises a step for dividing a desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, a step for distributing the high-frequency component to the driving source to generate a braking torque corresponding to the high-frequency component, and a step for distributing the low-frequency component to at least one of the hydraulic pressure brake device and the driving source to generating a braking torque corresponding to the low-frequency component.
The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.


A microstrip antenna including an orthogonal planar array (12) of patch radiators (10) with specially configured feed boards (16) provided for each column of array elements. Each such board includes a portion disposed parallel to the plane of the array and one or more portions bent or folded to extend in the direction of the array axis for a distance sufficient to accommodate necessary circuitry (36) and active devices (40). A metal supporting frame (18) serves both as a common ground for the assembly and as a heat sink for conducting some of the heat generated by the active devices mounted to the feed boards. An additional planar circuit board (22) is positioned beneath the supporting frame to accommodate the power combining circuit and to interconnect all of the elements. Connection between feed boards (16) and combiner board (22) is accomplished using via-connections or a coaxial cable network. The hollows formed by the specially configured feed boards provide passageways for cooling air circulation and further enhance heat dissipation within the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to microstrip antenna apparatus and more particularly to an improved microstrip antenna array structure in which bent or folded circuit boards are used to significantly increase the surface area available for the integration of circuits and components on a single layer of feed circuit board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional microstrip printed array antennas employ multiple layer, planar laminated circuit boards to accommodate the multitude of interconnections required to connect discrete active components such as amplifiers and phase shifters to the printed array. The use of such boards requires complex interboard connections, and the size of the discrete active components to be integrated into the array is constrained by the spacing between the array radiating elements. In addition, dissipation of heat in such structures poses a substantial problem.
More specifically, the conventional multiple layer laminated structure consists of multiple layers of circuit boards with patch radiating elements, RF power combining network, control logic circuit, and active components residing on the various layers. The electrical interconnections between boards is usually accomplished by via-holes. The use of multiple layers is necessary because the spacing between the antenna elements, typically on the order of 0.5 to 0.7 wavelengths, is too small to allow sufficient surface area behind each radiating element to accommodate all of the circuitry in one layer. Accordingly, fabrication of such an antenna is usually complex and expensive. Furthermore, it requires a high degree of precision in aligning the various boards which often have different thermal and mechanical properties. Via-hole etching through multiple boards can be used to overcome some of the problems but is very costly and the heat dissipation associated with any active components embedded in the mid-layers is nearly always a problem.


The invention discloses a rotation-type flow path switching valve, which includes a driving component and a valve body component connected with a driving shaft. The valve body component includes a valve body, and a spool. The valve body component further includes: a driving disc, and a driven disc which is connected, by means of a first gap linkage mechanism, with the driving disc to transfer an axial movement within a preset swivel stroke of the driving disc. The driving shaft and the spool are connected by means of a second gap linkage mechanism to transfer the axial movement to the spool within a preset swivel stroke of the driving shaft. The valve body component further includes a spring which makes the spool abut against the valve body.

At present, a large-scale parallel piston switching valve is the primary switching valve as one of cooling control components of a commercial air-conditioning system, and the application of the product in markets has been mature. But the market feedback and the technical analysis indicate that the parallel switching valve is not beneficial for reducing the cost and improving the energy utilization efficiency because of high cost, large pressure loss and other causes. So, the field of commercial control system starts to consider replacing the parallel switching valve with a rotation-type switching valve. For example, in Chinese Patent CN102042422B, a rotation-type switching valve technology which is used in the commercial cooling system is provided, whose specific working manner is as follows:
1. in a cooling steady state: a spool and a valve port of a valve body are in a force-fit state; via a switching passage in the spool, high-pressure gas enters a condenser, and low-pressure gas enters a compressor by an evaporator outlet to suction; 2. in a reversing process: the spool is presses downward to be separated from the valve body, then a gap generates between the valve body and the spool; the switching valve further rotates to reverse, at this point, the spool and the valve body do not contact, thereby ensuring successful completion of reversing; then the spool is reset under an action of a spring to make the spool and the valve port of the valve body in a pressed state; 3. in a heating steady state: the spool and the valve port of the valve body are in a force-fit state; via the switching passage in the spool, the high-pressure gas enters a heat exchanger.
In the technical solution, for avoiding a problem that in form of metal hard seal, the spool is stuck to not reverse because of the influences of impurity, temperature, lubrication and other factors, a manner of spool ejecting to spool rotating to spool resetting is adopted, which achieves the reversing aim of high flowing performance, and effectively solves the problem of reversing stuck.
However, for achieving the aim of intermittent transfer, the traditional art adopts a planetary gear, a mechanical telescoping mechanism, a thread linkage, and so on; so the structure is relatively complicated, and the cost is relatively high. Besides, because the moment and reversing pressing force generated by mechanism drive in a piece of large-scale cooling equipment are very large, after the product runs for a certain period of time, the gear and thread of a metal component are easy to wear, which influences the accuracy of running linkage, decreases the reliability of the product, and causes a hidden trouble to safety.
Meanwhile, a further problem in the traditional art is that the spool is an inverted-cone-shaped structure matching with the valve body. Because a sealing surface between the spool and the valve body makes, under an action of pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure of the valve, the spool subject to force towards a pressing direction, and in the large-scale commercial cooling system, the pressing force may be relatively large, it is difficult to separate the spool from the valve body by the set spring alone, and the reliability is low. And for this, how to provide a switching valve with high reliability and simple structure which is applied to a large-scale cooling control system is the problem to be solved by those skilled in the art.


Provided herein are methods of treating or ameliorating a pediatric cholestatic liver disease by non-systemically administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a pediatric formulation comprising an Apical Sodium-dependent Bile Acid Transporter Inhibitor (ASBTI) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Also provided are methods for treating or ameliorating a pediatric liver disease, decreasing the levels of serum bile acids or hepatic bile acids, treating or ameliorating pruritis, reducing liver enzymes, or reducing bilirubin comprising non-systemically administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a pediatric formulation comprising an ASBTI or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Pediatric cholestatic liver diseases affect a small percentage of children, but therapy results in significant healthcare costs each year. Currently, many of the pediatric cholestatic liver diseases require invasive and costly treatments such as liver transplantation and surgery. An effective and less invasive treatment that is suitable for the pediatric population is not available.
It is well understood and accepted that the therapeutic needs of children are sufficiently different than those of adults as to require specific studies of medications in children. For example, oral administration of a solid dosage form of medication is painless and simple for most adult patients, but for the pediatric patient population, swallowing an oral solid dosage form produced for adults can be problematic. In addition, the drugs used in solid dosages often have an unpleasant taste. More importantly, oral administration of adult medication targeting cholestatic liver diseases may result in side effects such as diarrhea and intestinal discomfort. Such problems pose a safety risk and affect compliance. Effective and acceptable forms of pediatric medication for pediatric cholestastatic liver diseases are needed.

Bile acid recycling inhibitors for treatment of pediatric cholestatic liver diseases


An information handling system may load first data from a location information area of a first memory, specifying a plurality of locations of metadata for a plurality of stages of basic input/output system (BIOS) initialization. The information handling system may then load first metadata for a first stage of BIOS initialization from a first metadata location of the plurality of locations specified by the first data. The first metadata may contain information for indexing first initialization data located at a first initialization data location. The information handling system may then index the first initialization data of the first initialization data location based, at least in part, on the first metadata. The information handling system may then perform the first stage of BIOS initialization based, at least in part, on the first initialization data.

As the value and use of information increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available for such a purpose is the information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. Variations in information handling system build and capabilities allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Initialization of information handling systems is longer than desired and detracts from a user's experience with the system. One step in initializing an information handling system is initializing a basic input/output system (BIOS), which may include initialization of a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI). Firmware for the BIOS/UEFI may be stored in a file system of a flash memory, and may be loaded to complete initialization of drivers, components, applications, and an operating system of the information handling system. The BIOS/UEFI may provide a user interface to allow a user to direct the initialization of the information handling system, such as by selecting an operating system boot device and configuring components and firmware. Flash memory, such as NOR flash memory, for storing BIOS/UEFI initialization data and other firmware may be limited by space and cost constraints of the NOR flash memory. These constraints may inhibit implementation of rich graphical environments and fonts in a BIOS/UEFI user interface. Initialization of the BIOS/UEFI may include indexing of a BIOS/UEFI memory containing information for drivers, fonts, applications and other BIOS/UEFI elements prior to loading the information and initializing the BIOS/UEFI. Indexing can be time consuming, and BIOS/UEFI initialization time may exceed forty-five seconds. Such a long delay can negatively impact a user experience.
Shortcomings mentioned here are only representative and are included simply to highlight that a need exists for improved information handling systems, particularly for BIOS/UEFI implementations. Embodiments described herein address certain shortcomings but not necessarily each and every one described here or known in the art. Furthermore, embodiments described herein may present other benefits than, and be used in other applications than, those of the shortcomings described above.

Boot assist zero overhead flash extended file system


This invention is vehicle seat, which provides enhanced occupant protection in the event of a vehicle rollover. The seat includes a rollover sensor and mechanisms compatible with power-adjustable seat design, that cause rapid distancing of the occupant from the vehicle roof in the event of a rollover. The mechanisms include high-speed motors operating reclining, lateral position, and seat lowering mechanisms, as well as pyro actuators for these mechanisms.

The invention relates to vehicle seats, particularly seats for automobiles and light trucks. The seats of this invention will provide increased occupant protection in the event of a rollover accident. Rollover accidents occur relatively slowly compared to other accidents, such as front, side, or rear impacts. Thus rollover accidents require a different response compared to conventional impact restraint systems to achieve occupant protection. Rollover occupant protection system design involves the integration of a number of components in the vehicle which must be compatible with each other. One element of the vehicle available to vehicle designers in developing effective rollover occupant protection system designs is the seat with integral restraint. One element of the vehicle that is particularly hazardous to restrained occupants is the intruding roof. This invention moves the occupant's head away from the vehicle roof automatically during a rollover.
It has been known in the art for some time, recognized by the inventors for almost ten years, that an important tool available to designers of occupant safety in a rollover, along with, for example, stronger roof structures, better occupant packaging, more effective restraint systems, active or passive rollbars and other available technology, is to dynamically move the occupant away from the roof before the roof crushes. In large vehicles such as truck cabs, there is room to move the entire seat straight down a large distance away from the roof, and several approaches for this problem have been proposed. Three concepts for accomplishing rollover protection in light passenger vehicles with power (electric) integrated seats (all-belts to seats) are identified: dynamically tilt the seat back rearward in order to effectively move the occupants head away from the roof and rearward in the vehicle, reorienting the torso-head/neck complex to a more advantageous orientation; compress the seat back and seat cushion to be smaller than their normal dimensions to increase headroom in conjunction with rollover actuated pretensioning seatbelts; under certain circumstances move the seat cushion forward or rearward or laterally to better position the occupant relative to the roof structure and/or to allow for the downward deployment of the seat back in restricted compartment space conditions
Although solutions to some of the concepts have been previously proposed, none have been implemented in light vehicles to date. The inventors believe that the reason for the lack of implementation in production power-adjustable integrated seats is that the proposed solutions do not address the requirements of powered integrated seats. The earlier proposed solutions are not compatible with the integrated, power-adjustable seats found increasingly, for example, on light passenger vehicles.
In order to make these features available, innovative solutions, that are workable and usable on modern, powered seats, must be employed. This invention provides greatly increased protection to vehicle occupants in a rollover accident by providing novel safety mechanisms that are usable in existing power-adjustable seats.

Vehicle seat with rollover safety features


This disclosure relates to detergent compositions containing tiron, a ligand capable of binding iron, an iron-displacing species, and iron. Methods for altering the color in a tiron-containing detergent composition are also disclosed.

Catechols are defined as members of a family of aromatic diols having a substituted 1,2-benzenediol skeleton. Tiron, also known as 1,2-dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonic acid, is one member of the catechol family and has the molecular structure shown in Scheme 1. Other sulphonated catechols also exist. In addition to the disulfonic acid, the term "tiron" may also include mono- or di-sulfonate salts of the acid, such as, for example, the disodium sulfonate salt.

Tiron and other catechols bind to ions of certain transition metals, such as ions of iron and titanium, and form colored metal/chelant complex. For example, in solutions tiron binds to ferric iron (Fe3+) to form a burgundy red metal/tiron complex. The presence of this colored Fe3+/tiron species may be detected at metal ion concentrations of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) or even lower. Thus, tiron has traditionally been used as a colorimetric indicator/chelant for the presence of titanium or iron.
Catechols, such as tiron, are also small molecule chelants that may be used as cleaning agents. For example, tiron delivers robust hydrophilic cleaning benefits and may also drive particulate cleaning via clay peptization, suspension, and/or synergy with polymeric dispersing systems. In addition, tiron may be compatible with certain enzymatic cleaning agents used in certain detergent compositions.
However, many detergent compositions contain low concentrations of soluble iron, such as ferric iron. The concentration of ferric iron in these detergents is enough to form sufficient metal/chelant complexes with certain catechols, such as tiron, to give the detergent an undesirable reddish color. This is particularly true for liquid detergent compositions in which the soluble ferric iron may freely complex with the tiron in the liquid detergent. For example, addition of low levels of tiron to commercially available detergents results in the detergent acquiring a reddish hue associated with the formation of the iron/tiron complex.
Many consumers may disfavor reddish colored detergents. For example, a reddish color in detergent may be associated with rust. Thus, in order to allow production of detergent compositions within the broadest possible color space, many detergent producers specifically avoid red chromophores. The presence of red chromophores in a detergent formulation may result in additional cost required to remove the red color from the detergent. Since detergents comprising certain catechols, such as tiron, would result in a reddish hue to the detergent composition due to the presence of ferric iron, many catechols, including tiron, have not traditionally been used in detergent applications, particularly in liquid detergents.
It would be desirable to produce a detergent possessing the cleaning benefits associated with tiron without the concomitant formation of the reddish iron/chelate complex.


A method of recording information by changing a recording medium through irradiation with an energy beam such as a light beam, electron beam or the like. A single pulse or a plurality of pulses are employed for forming recorded dots. The pulse has a pulse width shorter than a time required for the center of energy beam spot to move from one to other end of the dot upon recording thereof. By virtue of the possibility of reversible change even in a recording film susceptible to high rate speed of change, the rate of information transfer can be increased. Overwrite recording can also be accomplished with the single laser beam. An increased amount of information can be handled in the recording and reproduction.

The present invention relates to a method of recording information by using a recording medium which allows information to be rewritten through irradiation with an energy beam such as a light beam, electron beam or the like. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an information recording method which can be effectively applied to a phase change type disc adapted for recording, erasing and rewriting by using a laser beam.
As methods of recording/erasing information on or from the phase change type optical disc recording medium, there is known a method disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. JP-A-59-71140. According to this known method, erasing through crystallization of information recorded already on a recording film thereof is accomplished by maintaining the recording film for a relatively long period at a temperature at which the recording film can be crystallized through irradiation of a light spot of elliptic shape having a major axis extending trackwise. Subsequent recording of new information is realized by irradiating an adequately focused circular light beam modulated by the information signal to be recorded. Recently, in the course of studies conducted by the inventors of the present application in an effort to improve the material for the recording film, a method was developed which allows the recording film to be crystallized by means of an adequately focused circular light spot moving on the disc. More specifically, information on the disc could be erased with the circular light spot during one rotation of the disc, and subsequently recording could be accomplished during the single succeeding rotation of the disc through irradiation with the laser beam having power modulated correspondingly. Further, by modulating the laser power in accordance with the information signal between the crystallizing power level and the amorphizing power level, rewriting of the information could be accomplished in the course of the single revolution of the disc.
However, in the case of the abovementioned technique, rate or speed of the change in atomic arrangement (e.g. crystallization) in the recording film has to be further increased when the rotating speed of the disc is increased with a view to realizing higher information transfer rate. In that case, even when the crystalline material is molten under irradiation by the energy beam (e.g. laser beam), the atomic arrangement resumes the original state (e.g. through recrystallization) during cooling after the irradiation, making it impossible to bring about the change in the atomic arrangement in the reverse direction (e.g. amorphization).

Recording waveform for mark-length modulation optical recording


Assembly of turret and disconnectable buoy, in which the turret at its lower end and the buoy at its upper end are provided with mating coupling provisions. The coupling provisions comprise an annular projection protruding from one of the turret and buoy towards the other of the turret and buoy and a correspondingly shaped annular recess on the other of the turret and buoy for receiving the annular projection. The annular projection has a base which is wider than a top thereof, whereas the annular recess has a top which is wider than a base thereof.

The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Aspects of the invention relates to an assembly of turret and disconnectable buoy, in which the turret at its lower end and the buoy at its upper end are provided with mating coupling provisions.
In offshore oil production, use is made of so called FPSO's (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading). FPSO's are ships which are permanently or semi-permanently anchored offshore at an oilfield for the purpose of receiving well fluids from the oil reservoir, separating the oil from the water and gas and storing the oil on board for later transfer to another vessel. Generally, the FPSO's are anchored by means of single point mooring systems of the internal or external turret type.
In some areas of the world, weather conditions can deteriorate so badly, such as due to hurricanes, that it is required to enable the FPSO to disconnect from its anchoring system and sail temporarily to safer waters. Likewise, in iceberg infested waters it is sometimes necessary to disconnect the FPSO to avoid damage to the vessel.
In these instances use is made of an disconnectable turret mooring system, which can be of the internal or the external type (in the one case the turret is fitted within the confines of the vessel hull, in the other case the turret is fitted forward of the bow of the vessel), comprising a disconnectable buoy, wherein the turret at its lower end and the buoy at its upper end are provided with mating coupling provisions.
In the design of a disconnectable turret particular care needs to be given to the interface between the lower end of the turret and the upper end of the disconnectable buoy.
Ideally this interface is preloaded in such a way as to avoid that a gap is created between the turret and the buoy under external anchoring and wave load conditions. Since generally the turret and the buoy are cylindrical or conical structures with a large diameter, it is also important to interlock these structures in such a way that both act as a single structure when connected. Another objective is to achieve a good fit between the structures at their interface, without resorting to tight and hence expensive machining tolerances.
The assemblies according to the state of the art provide a buoy with a protruding conical upper end which has to be received in a correspondingly shaped conical lower recess of the turret. These known assemblies suffer from the significant drawback that whereas the conical interface eases fit up of the two structures, the conical recess must be fabricated extremely heavy and sturdy to resist the radial loads which follow from the two parts being connected. Very significant preload is required to assure that the buoy and turret do not separate under external loads arising from anchoring and waves. If such preload cannot be achieved sufficiently, locking means, which connect the disconnectable buoy to the turret, are subject to high cyclic load variations following from these anchoring and wave loads and hence may fail prematurely.


The use of chip cards, with the level of security of the type associated with chip cards of the type used by banks, is extended to move widespread use by organizing a secure dispatch of blank chip cards to customers wishing to program specific applications therein. The system consists in sending this customer the blank chip card itself and a programming access key to this card, by separate routes. To prevent any additional risks, the access key is itself enciphered and can be deciphered only be a deciphering element in the possession of the customer. The card can then be programmed only if this card is confronted with its deciphering key.

1. Field of the Invention
An object of the present invention is a security system to protect protection zones of a chip card. The chip cards in question are memory cards in which the storage element is an electronic, integrated circuit known as a chip. Cards of this type are used in the banking sector. They act as means of payment and can be used both to manage an account, by indicating the balance recorded therein and by accounting for the various flows to which it is subjected, and to safeguard its use by the introduction of a secret code. Owing to their purpose, cards of this type are placed in an environment where the chief danger to be avoided resides in faulty security. A great many systems have been perfected for this purpose. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to place chip cards with different functions at the disposal of sectors of industry other than the banking sector, while ensuring that these cards possess the same level of security in certain programming zones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chip card applications in the banking sector are well known. In brief, in the handling of current expenses, they consist in debiting and crediting operations with respect to the account managed in the card, possibly in authorizing a certain line of credit to certain customers. In addition, they enable safe use, through the recognition of a secret code, known to the bearer of the card. So as to introduce no risk into the distribution of memory cards, the banking sector has chosen a simple practice for the manufacture of these cards. Manufacturers of electronic equipment are entrusted, by contract, with several tasks. Their first task is to manufacture the integrated circuits, and the cards which contain them. A second task is to directly program the manufactured, integrated circuits (which, besides, have a universal character) to make them suitable for use in banking applications which are now well known and which, in the final analysis, are quite simple.
At this stage in the manufacture of the cards, the manufacturers further have the task of encoding the secret code that provides access to the card and of sending this secret access code to the future bearer of the card (i.e. to the bank's customer), while the card itself is sent to the bank. When the future bearer of the card receives his secret access code, namely his operating code, he is informed, at the same time, that he must go and get his card from the bank. Thus the end result obtained is that, in no case, do the card and the secret access code travel physically, in a detectable way, at the same time and by one and the same means of transport. This method of dispatch is now entirely satisfactory, and provides sound resistance to attempts at theft or fraud.
In practice, there is no existing means of finding the secret access code, namely the card operating code, through the customer's account number which is indicated on it. Besides, the loss of the secret access code number makes it necessary to destroy the card: it becomes unusable. Moreover, it is then possible for the manufacturer to undertake all kinds of procedures, notably of a technological type, to prevent the contents of the card from being pirated. Banking cards are, in fact, technologically inviolable.
It is necessary to create a similar environment of security in applications other than those of the banking sector. For example, a bearer of a card should be able to gain access to strategic defense-related places and, in these places, he should be authorized to perform a certain number of operations with this card. The essential difference between these operations and banking operations is that the former are not known, in principle, to the card manufacturer. He, therefore, cannot program them. The card manufacturer therefore has to export technical means, to perform certain manufacturing operations, to his customer who manages these cards. These manufacturing operations conclude programming operations performed by this customer, and ensure the desired security. To put it simply, it can be said that these operations may consist of a logic lock which, after it is shut, prevents certain zones of the card from being programmed, or certain programmed zones of this card from being read. However, this method cannot be envisaged when the customer does not intend to manufacture and use a very large number of cards. The customer cannot invest sufficient means in an application of limited use. In the alternative method, it is easy to understand the reluctance of a customer of this type, all the more so if he represents a country's defense set-up, to give an integrated circuit manufacturer an explanation of the operating algorithms which are to be introduced into the cards and which he wishes to keep secret.
The manufacturers' problem, therefore, is to place, at the disposal of these customers, who are concerned with specific applications, chip cards possessing a system of technological security and operating security of a level equivalent to that currently used in the banking system, and to do so in such a way that the manufacturing costs do not become prohibitive (with the export of the manufacturer's manufacturing means to the customer), and without the customer's being obliged to reveal the specific programming application that he intends to program in his cards. A simple solution would lie in sending chip cards of this type to this customer, with the secret access code, for subsequent operation, so that he programs them in his specific application. At the end of this programming operation, he could make a logic lock flip over, thus irrevocably preventing any access to the programmed zones of this chip card (so that no fraudulent person or thief could in any way attempt to reconstitute secret algorithms recorded therein).
The drawback of this method is that, under these conditions, the cards travel without any security. And for good reason, since the purpose of the security system is to prevent their subsequent programming, whereas this programming has not yet taken place and whereas it is precisely in order to be programmed that these cards are travelling. The situation faced then is one where systems with highly powerful functions travel by standard means of transportation (for example, through the postal system or by train). The systems may be intercepted, before reaching their consignees, by ill-intentioned persons who might be tempted to program them in their own way, with a view to counterfeiting an application of which, as it happens, they have knowledge and to which they do not normally have access.
An object of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a security system to protect the programming zones of a chip card wherein, by its principle, a programming key is prepared when the card is manufactured. In practice, this key is a logic key: it is represented by a sequence of decimal, binary or other logic states. This logic key is conveyed to the customer by channels different from those used to convey the chip card itself. In other words, the interception of the card alone is not enough to enable misappropriation of its use. Without the programming key, this card is unusable. By contrast, upon receiving the card and the key, the normal customer himself can gain access to the programming zones of this card by introducing the logic key into the card. When this programming is over, he can ask the card (i.e. cause a programme, pre-recorded for this purpose, to be executed in the card) to produce its own operating key (which is, of course, different in its essence from the programming key). Once this operating key is known, this customer can lock in the programming of the card in making an irreversible technological lock flip over. All this customer has to do then is to distribute his cards in the same way as the chip card manufacturer does in banking applications.
In one improvement, the programming key is enciphered. This means that the key which travels cannot be directly used to validate the operations for programming the card. The programming key has to be first deciphered before it is applied to the card. In this improvement, the manufacturer has an enciphering machine while the customer has a deciphering machine. Thus a situation is prevented where resourceful thief, who might manage to procure both the programming key and the card, would be able, despite everything, to perform dishonest operations with his card.
In another improvement, the programming key function in the card comprises a one-time reading function. This function is designed to recognize the right key only once. If a wrong key is recognized, or if a second programming operation is attempted after the first one has been performed, and after the power supply of this card has been cut off, this programming function will have flipped over and will have become inaccessible.

Security system for the protection of programming zones of a chip card


In a system comprising a first processing route for a first color photosensitive material, typically negative film including a developing tank, a blix tank, and a washing tank, and a second processing route for a second color photosensitive material, typically color paper including a developing tank, a blix tank, and a washing tank, the first and second processing routes are arranged in juxtaposition. Their corresponding tanks are channeled such that (1) the blix solution from the blix tank of the second route is passed to the blix tank of the first route, (2) the color developer from the developing tank of the first route is passed to the developing tank of the second route, and (3) the wash water from the washing tank of the first route is passed to the washing tank of the second route. A used processing solution overflowing from one route is reused in a corresponding tank of the other route.

Silver halide color photosensitive material (often referred to as "color photosensitive material"), after exposure, is typically processed through a series of steps including color development, desilvering, water washing, and stabilization. It is a common practice to use a color developer for color development, a bleaching, bleach-fixing or fixing solution for desilvering, city water or ion-exchanged water for washing, and a stabilizing solution for stabilization. The respective solutions are typically adjusted to a temperature of 30.degree. to 40.degree. C. while the color photosensitive material is dipped in the solutions for respective processing purposes.
Commonly used types of color photosensitive material include picture-taking color photosensitive material (often referred to as "negative film") and color printing photosensitive material (often referred to as "color paper"). To develop these different types of color photosensitive material in a laboratory, separate automatic developing machines are used for the respective materials. Installation of two automatic processors for negative film and color paper inconveniently occupies a substantial space in small area photo laboratories and print corners.
One approach to space saving is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (JP-A) Nos. 129747/1985 and 34759/1986 relating to "an automatic developing machine comprising in a machine housing, separate processing tanks for separately processing different types of photosensitive material, and processing tanks each for commonly processing the different types of photosensitive material, the tanks being joined together in an array."
JP-A No. 169162/1987 discloses "a method for processing silver halide color photographic photosensitive material using an automatic developing machine comprising at least a color developing tank, a processing tank including a bleaching tank, and a stabilizing tank substituting for water washing, said method comprising processing two types of silver halide color photographic photosensitive material having different iodine contents in processing tanks having substantially the same bleaching capacity, characterized by processing a photosensitive material having an iodine content of up to 0.3 mol % and a bromine content of up to 80 mol % among the two types of photosensitive material in a processing tank having a bleaching capacity for it for a time of up to 1 minute."
JP-A No. 52549/1987 discloses "a color photographic photosensitive material processing apparatus comprising at least two color developing tanks for processing different types of color photographic photosensitive material, a tank having a bleaching function, and a stabilizer tank, said apparatus being devoid of a washing tank for washing the photosensitive material with water flow."
The developing machines disclosed in JP-A Nos. 129747/1985 and 134759/1986 are designed mainly for processing of color negative film and color paper. Developing tanks are separately provided as processing tanks for the respective purposes, whereas a bleach-fixing tank, a stabilizing tank or the like is provided as a common processing tank serving for both the purposes. This design is effective in reducing the installation space. Since processing tanks for bleach-fixation, stabilization and the like subsequent to development are common, no satisfactory photographic properties are accomplished unless the composition of respective processing solutions such as a bleach-fixing solution and a stabilizer is carefully chosen. In fact, JP-A No. 134759/1986 discloses in Experiments 1 and 2 that stains and insufficient desilvering occur with some bleaching agents used, and that surface soiling occurs and silver sulfide forms with some stabilizer compositions. Also, surface soiling occurs and silver sulfide forms with most stabilizers at a processing temperature because the processing temperature is common to the different types of photosensitive material. These references pay no attention to the recycle of used processing solutions including color developing, bleach-fixing, and stabilizing solutions or the reduction of replenishing amounts therefor.
The method of JP-A No. 169162/1987 is intended for processing two types of silver halide color photographic photosensitive material having different iodine contents in a common bleach-fixing tank. This method is effective in reducing the installation space, but imposes complexity in that the halogen composition of color photosensitive material is limited and the processing time must be accurately controlled in order to accomplish satisfactory photographic properties. This reference pays no attention to the recycle of used processing solutions or the reduction of replenishing amounts therefor.
The apparatus disclosed in JP-A No. 52549/1987 is designed mainly for processing of color negative film and color paper. An automatic processor for color negative film and another automatic processor for color paper are disposed side by side such that an overflow from a developing tank of the other processor for color paper is transferred to a developing tank of the processor for color negative film as a replenisher. This design is not only effective in reducing the installation space, but also achieves some improvements in the replenishing amount reduction and the recycle of a used solution.
However, JP-A No. 52549/1987 refers to only a color developer in connection with the replenishment saving and solution reuse, but not to other processing solutions such as a bleach-fixing solution. Regarding the stabilizer, it discloses to direct an overflow of the stabilizer from a late stage tank to a former stage tank within the same color negative film processing section. For the color developer, the travel direction of an overflow of the color developer is limited to the direction of flow from the color paper developing tank to the color negative film developing tank. This is still insufficient in replenishment saving and solution reuse. The amount of a replenisher required for a color negative film developer is generally large as compared with the amount of a replenisher for a color paper developer. Thus, the limited direction of overflow from the color paper developing tank to the color negative film developing tank indicates that the amount of a replenisher for the color paper developer should be unnecessarily increased in order to provide an optimum amount of replenishment to the color negative film developing tank.
If the direction of overflow were reversed for the purposes of used solution recycle and replenishment reduction, no satisfactory photographic properties would be available for the color paper for the following reason. Most often, the silver halide constituting the color negative film is silver iodobromide and the silver halide constituting the color paper is silver chlorobromide. Therefore, the overflow from the negative film developing tank contains the compound which is dissolved away from the color negative film and will deleteriously affect the processing of the color paper.

Photosensitive material processing system


Various compositions and methods are provided for identifying and selecting plants with enhanced resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Further provided are transgenic plants, plant parts, and seed and methods of their use comprising a heterologous polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter active in the plant are provided, as are methods of making such plants and methods of use, wherein said heterologous polynucleotide comprises at least one, or any combination thereof, of Glyma18g2580, Glyma18g2590, Glyma18g2600, Glyma18g2610; and Glyma18g2570 or an active variant or fragment thereof. Expression of the heterologous polynucleotide enhances the resistance of the plant to cyst nematode.

Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is a parasitic pest which has threatened soybean production in the U.S. for more than fifty years. SCN resistance is an economically important trait as infection can substantially reduce yields. Despite this, two primary sources of resistance contribute to elite Pioneer germplasm: Peking and PI88788. Several loci have been reported to confer SCN resistance, arguably the most important of these rhg1 maps to linkage group G and is comprised of at least two alleles: rhg1 derived from Peking and rhg1-b derived from PI88788.
Cloning of the rhg1 allele was reported previously, and a candidate receptor-like kinase gene is the subject of a competitor's patent applications; despite this, no genetic evidence has been provided to support these claims. Furthermore, a recent study fine-mapped the rhg1-b allele to a 67-kb region which does not include the rhg1 candidate gene. In light of these reports, the true molecular nature of rhg1 and rhg1-b SCN resistant alleles remains unclear of the same gene and it is uncertain whether rhg1 and rhg1-b are alleles of the same resistant gene or represent two distinct albeit tightly linked genetic loci.
Molecular characterization of these alleles would have important implications for soybean cultivar improvement.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Genetic loci associated with resistance of soybean to cyst nematode and methods of use