A self-ligating module for removable attachment to a conventional orthodontic bracket includes a stem removably securable in the vertical slot in the bracket and a clip pivotably secured to the head of the stem. The clip can pivot between an open position in which the archwire slot of the bracket is open to receive an archwire, and a closed position in which the archwire is secured in the archwire slot by the clip. The module allows conventional orthodontic brackets to be selectively modified so as to become self-ligating brackets. The module can be readily removed when the self-ligating feature is not needed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of orthodontic brackets. More specifically, the present invention discloses a removable module that can be attached to a conventional orthodontic bracket to provide a selectively removable self-ligation capability.
2. Statement of the Problem
The orthodontic tooth brace (more correctly known as the orthodontic bracket) is a central component of current, conventional orthodontic treatment practice. For an orthodontic patient""s treatment, an orthodontist will typically attach brackets to each of a patient""s teeth to serve as the primary receptors of corrective tooth-positioning forces. Such corrective forces are transmitted through brackets to the crowns of the teeth and then translated to the roots of teeth where they elicit certain osteogenic responses from the adjacent supportive bone, allowing the slow corrective repositioning of teeth according to the vector sum of the combined corrective forces applied to the bracket and tooth.
FIG. 1 is front perspective view of a typical orthodontic bracket assembly. The bracket 30 has a bonding pad for secure attachment to a tooth 10. The rectangular shaft extending through the bracket 30 represents a section of an archwire 20. An elastomeric ligature 31 is retained under the four tie wings 32 of the bracket 30. The ligature 31 serves to retain the archwire 20 in the archwire slot of the bracket 30.
The orthodontic bracket was first developed by Dr. Edward Hartley Angle in the late 1800""s and in spite of significant improvement in design, materials and manufacturing processes that have occurred since Dr. Angle""s time, the bio-mechanical functioning of orthodontic brackets remains essentially unchanged. Central to the functioning of an orthodontic bracket is the archwire slot. The archwire slot is a generally horizontal, outwardly opening, rectangular-shaped trough formed in the structure of a bracket that accepts a separate, correspondingly rectangular-shaped archwire. The orthodontic bracket taught by Dr. Angle is known as the xe2x80x9cEdgewisexe2x80x9d bracket, Edgewise being a descriptive term referring to the rectangular interfit of the archwire slot and the archwire typically employed for Edgewise orthodontic therapy. The archwire is rectangular in cross-section and is retained in the rectangular-shaped archwire slot by ligation means that positively hold an archwire fully constrained and seated within the bracket""s archwire slot. During orthodontic treatment, an archwire normally extends around a patient""s arch and is ligated into the archwire slots of all of the brackets of a patient""s upper or lower dental arch. A patient will normally be treated with one set of brackets and an archwire for the upper dental arch and another set for the lower.
As can be appreciated, the Edgewise interfit of the wire and the slot allows for a semi-rigid connection between the archwire slot and the archwire. Being engaged in this way, an archwire can transmit corrective forces to the structure of a tooth that serve to cause that tooth to be uprighted to a desirable inclination, which is known as correction in terms of xe2x80x9ctorque.xe2x80x9d A tooth can also be uprighted laterally, known as correction in terms of xe2x80x9cangulation.xe2x80x9d An archwire can impart corrective forces known as xe2x80x9crotationxe2x80x9d which cause a tooth to desirably rotate around its central axis. Other corrective forces can be transmitted from an archwire to a tooth through its corresponding bracket that tend to intrude or extrude a tooth into or out of it""s bony support. Such corrective forces are known as xe2x80x9cintrusivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cextrusive.xe2x80x9d An archwire can influence a tooth to move bodily outward or inward, and such forces are said to position a tooth in terms of xe2x80x9cprominence.xe2x80x9d Since the Edgewise relationship between an archwire and a bracket""s archwire slot does not preclude a relative sliding movement between an archwire and a bracket, other tractive or compressive forces may be applied to a tooth that urge a tooth to desirably slide along the mesio-distal extent of an archwire into a new position. Over the course of orthodontic treatment, patient""s teeth are moved to corrected positions through a combination of most, if not all of these forces acting simultaneously on the teeth.
At the beginning of orthodontic treatment, a patient""s teeth are of course out of alignment. Since the exact location and orientation of a bracket on a patient""s teeth ultimately determines the final treated position of a tooth relative to an archwire, the skill with which an orthodontist can attach brackets at ideal positions and orientations on the teeth is paramount. To fully appreciate this, the brackets are first visualized on teeth that are ideally positioned at the conclusion of treatment. All bracket slot walls are aligned and coincident so that a full-size, naturally-curving archwire lies passively in all of the slots. Next, imagine the archwire removed and the teeth gradually moved out of position, carrying their brackets with them until the teeth are as malaligned as they were prior to treatment. The slots have of course become as malaligned as the teeth. This is in fact the condition that actually exists when brackets are properly sited on the crowns of a patient""s teeth.
After brackets have been placed on the teeth at the start of orthodontic treatment, an orthodontist ligates the first of a series of sequential archwires into the archwire slots of the brackets. Commercially-available archwires are manufactured to a form that mirrors the natural gentle curve of the human dentition. As described above however, the archwire slots at the beginning of treatment are as malaligned as the teeth they are attached to. Because of this, the archwire may be required to undergo sometimes severe bending and zigzagging as the orthodontist ligates the archwire into one archwire slot after another. In this manner, the act of deflecting an otherwise flat, elegantly curving archwire away from its passive form causes energy to be stored in the archwire just as energy can be stored in a spring. It is the slow dissipation of this stored energy the drives the slow biological responses allowing the teeth to desirably reposition.
As can be appreciated, at the onset of treatment, one tooth may be intruded, distal-ligually rotated and lingually inclined for example, and an adjacent tooth may be super-erupted, mesio-lingually rotated and flared labially. In such a case, an archwire passing through the archwire slots of the two brackets attached to the teeth of this example must undergo a severe deflection. Later during the course of treatment, after the two teeth in the example above have responded and moved into a somewhat closer alignment, the severity of the required deflection will be lessened. To exploit this, and to custom-tailor the forces applied to teeth as treatment progresses, orthodontists will typically begin a patient""s treatment with an archwire that has mechanical properties that include a relatively low tensile strength of about 140 KSI UTS, combined with a modulus of elasticity in the range of 5,000,000 to 12,000,000. Such wires are compliant and can tolerate such severe deflections encountered at the beginning of treatment without taking a permanent set, while still being capable of delivering physiologically-effective tooth-moving forces. Such initial archwires are typically round in cross-section and are not intended to mechanically take advantage of the rectangular Edgewise configuration of the archwire slot. Archwires fitting the above descriptions may for example be 0.012 inch in diameter and formed from a relatively soft temper stainless steel alloy, or 0.016 inch diameter super-elastic nickel titanium alloy. Other wires falling into this beginning category may be formed from a braided, multi-strand cable.
As treatment progresses, the severe deflections encountered at the beginning of treatment become less severe and an orthodontist can progress to a second and a third of a series of archwires used for a patient""s ongoing treatment. Mid-treatment wires tend to be somewhat stiffer, having both a higher tensile strength and a higher modulus of elasticity. Such wires ideally deliver the same physiologically effective forces as the initial wires, but since they encounter less strain or deflection, they must be somewhat stiffer in order to maintain physiologically-effective tooth-moving force levels.
Once a set of treatment conditions have been achieved in which there is a normal orthopedic relationship between the upper and lower arches, and all of the teeth have been generally intruded or extruded through a step termed xe2x80x9clevelingxe2x80x9d and the teeth have been bodily moved labially or lingually into general compliance with an anatomically-normal arch form, an orthodontist will begin what is known as the finishing phase of treatment. The goal of the finishing phase is to bring the teeth into their ideal and final aesthetic positions, in ideal relations to each other and with stable interproximal contacts, and with the roots parallel and positioned properly over the supporting bone. Even though earlier steps may have utilized Dr. Angle""s Edgewise philosophy and its use of rectangular cross-section archwires within the rectangular archwire slot, it is the finishing phase where the principles of Edgewise therapy are brought to bear in finishing a patient""s treatment.
Typically an orthodontist will first employ a less than full-sized archwire having a rectangular or square cross-section at the beginning of the finishing phase. The bracket""s archwire slot may, for example, have internal dimensions of 0.018 inch wide by 0.025 inch deep. The first finishing wire may exhibit a square cross-section measuring 0.016 per side. As can be appreciated, such a slot-to-wire relationship permits some xe2x80x9cslopxe2x80x9d. Even though this relationship intentionally introduces some slop, the combination nonetheless is capable of generating initial tooth-torqueing forces in the direction needed for final tooth alignment. Further, the combination drives a finer degree of alignment in terms of angulation, prominence and rotation. Another reason for this sequential or progressive approach of sequentially larger and stiffer archwires is that if an orthodontist were to proceed directly to a full-sized finishing archwire, several undesirable consequences might be encountered. First, by attempting to prematurely install a full-sized finishing archwire into the archwire slots, higher than physiologically desirable forces can be generated resulting in pain and discomfort for the patient, and trauma to the periodontal membrane surrounding the roots of the teeth. Additionally, in some cases, the structural integrity of a bracket or other oral hardware may be exceeded, causing distortion or breakage. Again, orthodontists typically work toward a point in treatment when a full-sized finishing wire can be installed in the mouth without excessive discomfort to the patient and without placing excessive structural loads on the orthodontic hardware.
A typical full-size finishing archwire is sized to generally fully fill a bracket""s archwire slot leaving only sufficient clearance for insertion. Such archwires are generally very stiff, having a tensile strength of about 310 KSI UTS and a modulus of elasticity approaching 30,000,000. As can be appreciated, all of the archwire slots accepting a finishing wire must be very nearly aligned to allow the finishing wire to be installed without the problems of patient discomfort and excessive stresses.
Throughout the foregoing, it can be appreciated that orthodontic treatment is initiated with archwires exhibiting a low spring rate and high deflection, and sequentially superceded with subsequent archwires that exhibit progressively higher spring rates at lower deflections. In practice, handling and manipulation of the ligation means can further moderate or regulate the forces that the archwires transmit to the teeth. For example, at the stage described above where the first of the Edgewise finishing wires is inserted, an orthodontist may elect to not fully ligate the wire into an archwire slot. Partial engagement of an archwire in an archwire slot may be achieved through the use of elastomeric ligatures. Elastomeric ligatures are typically molded from a urethane elastomer, which also exhibits spring-like tractive properties. If an archwire is not fully seated in the slot due to a tooth being undesirably and excessively rotated for example, the tractive forces of the elastomeric ligature combine with the spring properties of the archwire to urge rotational correction, as shown in FIG. 1 for a maxillary central tooth.
Alternatively, stainless steel ligatures may be used. These are formed from a dead-soft 0.009 inch through 0.012 inch diameter round wire. The steel ligature is tied around the tie wings of a bracket and over the archwire thus retaining the archwire in its slot. Once tied, the loose ends of the wire are twisted and the twisted section is then tucked under the wings out of the way to avoid laceration of the soft tissues of the tongue or cheeks. An orthodontist has the option of tying such a steel ligature tightly or less tightly. In cases where a steel ligature is intentionally tied less tightly, it can usually be fully tightened at the patient""s next office visit after the tooth has further responded. So again, sequential ligation can be used in conjunction with sequential archwires as the teeth slowly respond and desirably reposition.
The Siamese-type Edgewise bracket, a variation of Dr. Angle""s original Edgewise bracket, provides yet other ligation options. Since a Siamese-type Edgewise bracket has one set of distal tie wings and a second set of mesial tie wings, either set may be used alone for ligation. Selective ligation of only one set of tie wings can facilitate movement of a particularly mal-rotated tooth. For example, if a tooth exhibits a significant distal-lingual rotation, only the distal wings of its bracket may be engaged by a ligature extending over the archwire. Contact of the archwire at the mesial end of the archwire slot combined with the tractive forces of a ligature pulling the tooth toward the archwire at its distal extent creates a particularly effective mechanical couple providing a significant mechanical advantage of forces acting to expedite correction of the undesirable rotation.
As can be appreciated, a large portion of an orthodontist""s time spent with his patients as well as a large portion of his staff""s duties revolve around routine ligation tasks and the removing and replacing of archwires. The time required to remove the previous archwire and install a subsequent one is considerable. In particular, the placing of individual ligatures over the tie wings of the brackets of each and every tooth is a very exacting and time-consuming procedure.
The advent of the elastomeric ligature described above, beginning about 1975 has reduced the time required to change a patient""s archwire because the twisting, cutting and tucking steps required by the older methods using steel ligatures are eliminated, but even using elastomeric ligatures, a large percentage of the total time a patient is seen by an orthodontist and staff remains associated with the routine steps of ligation.
An improvement over, or an alternative to the time-consuming ligation step has long been sought. U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,588 (Hanson) disclosed an all-metallic, self-ligating bracket. Hanson taught a new type of bracket assembly that incorporates a retaining clip capable of being slidingly positioned in a fully open or fully closed position. In the open position, an archwire can be inserted into Hanson""s bracket and, in the closed position, the archwire will be retained. The archwire-contacting points of the spring-temper sliding clip taught by Hanson aggressively hold an archwire in position in a slot, but it is also capable of limited flexing and limited torsion. Such flexing and torsioning capabilities act in a manner similar to the desirable spring property of elastomeric ligatures described above, and the spring clip would continuously act to urge the archwire to a fully-seated position. Such a self-ligating bracket as taught by Hanson could accommodate an excessively rotated tooth for example and facilitate correction in terms of rotation through dissipation of the energy stored in the spring clip of his innovative bracket. Subsequent improvements to Hanson""s bracket brought about a slight curvature to the archwire-contacting portions of Hanson""s spring clip that further enhanced his self-ligating bracket to continuously act to desirably position a tooth by the constant working action of the spring clip against an archwire.
Another innovation in the field of self-ligating brackets is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,445 (Voudouris). Voudouris introduced an all-metallic self-ligating bracket assembly configured to achieve a fully open and fully closed archwire retaining action through the use of a pivoting clip rather than a sliding clip as taught by Hanson. Voudouris"" clip positively snapped closed and therefore lacked the dynamic xe2x80x9cworkingxe2x80x9d quality of Hanson""s bracket. More importantly however, Voudouris provided the feature of self-ligation in combination with a Siamese-type configuration through the ""445 patent and subsequent improvements. The features of Voudouris"" bracket afforded the desirable selective ligation option of conventional brackets where either a distal or a mesial portion of the Voudouris bracket could be ligated if needed to achieve a rotational couple, thereby eliminating the need for the spring clip to actively function as taught by Hanson.
Other improvements to the art of self-ligating brackets can be found in the subsequent patent art relating to self-ligating brackets. In commercial terms and as a group, most major orthodontic manufacturers currently offer self-ligating bracket systems with various improvements over the two basic configurations brought forth by Hanson and Voudouris. From the orthodontist""s point of view, the availability of self-ligating brackets clearly reduces the amount of chair time required to change an archwire and thus provides the sought after solution to the excessive time required to deliver orthodontic care. In addition to these advancements, self-ligating brackets, being all-metallic, avoid growing concerns within the orthodontic profession over the safety and biocompatibility of the otherwise popular urethane elastomeric ligatures, which are suspected as providing a harbor for oral bacteria and the biocompatibility of the urethane polymer itself has been questioned.
In spite of the many advantages brought about by the self-ligating bracket, self-ligating brackets pose several new problems and disadvantages, which are successfully addressed by the present invention. As can be appreciated, self-ligating brackets inherently consist of multiple parts whereas conventional brackets are manufactured as monolithic structures. Because self-ligating brackets have additional structure associated with multiple parts, and because self-ligating brackets embody additional features to support the capability of self-ligatability, they are inherently more bulky and generally extend further from the tooth surface than conventional brackets. Orthodontic patients are typically young teens going through the years of self-consciousness. From the patient""s point of view, larger, more prominent brackets are undesirable from an aesthetic and a self-image standpoint. In addition, due their generally increased bulk as described above, current commercially available self-ligating brackets generally cause greater irritation to the insides of the cheeks and lips of an orthodontic patient. From the patient""s point of view, there are few if any tangible advantages to being treated with self-ligating brackets.
Another undesirable quality of conventional self-ligating brackets is that the pace with which archwires are sequentially replaced during the course of orthodontic treatment is not constant. Typically, archwires are changed much more frequently during one phase of treatment compared to another. The advantages of the self-ligating brackets therefore are realized by an orthodontist to the greatest extent during phases of treatment during which more frequent archwire changes are required than during other phases, yet a patient may endure discomfort continuously during the entire duration of his or her treatment.
Currently, once an orthodontist chooses to treat a particular case with self-ligating brackets, those brackets are bonded to the teeth at the start of treatment and remain in place during the entire duration of treatment. Certain phases of treatment, or certain steps required by some patients"" treatment may call for certain groups of brackets to be bypassed and unengaged to an archwire for a time. Certainly during such times there are clearly no advantages for either the patient or the doctor regarding the use of self-ligating brackets. As described above, patients being treated with self-ligating brackets commonly experience higher degrees of irritation and may be also be self-conscious about wearing more prominent and larger, more visible brackets. Again, for the patient, such problems may persist for the entire duration of treatment, which may be 26 to 30 months. So as can be appreciated, the advantages of self-ligating bracket use may be significant but sporadic only for the orthodontist, and for a patient there are no advantages, and in fact use of self-ligating brackets poses potential disadvantages.
3. Solution to the Problem. The present invention provides a removable module that can be readily attached to conventional orthodontic brackets to selectively provide a self-ligating feature. This allows conventional orthodontic brackets to be selectively modified so as to become self-ligating brackets, and then the modules can be removed when not needed.
This invention provides a self-ligating module for removable attachment to a conventional orthodontic bracket. The module includes a stem removably securable in the vertical slot in the bracket and a clip pivotably secured to the head of the stem. The clip can pivot between an open position in which the archwire slot of the bracket is open to receive an archwire, and a closed position in which the archwire is secured in the archwire slot by the clip. The module allows conventional orthodontic brackets to be selectively modified so as to become self-ligating brackets. The module can be readily removed when the self-ligating feature is not needed.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.

Removable self-ligating module for orthodontic brackets


The present invention relates to non-aging, impact-modified polycarbonate compositions and molding compositions comprising: A) from 60 to 86 parts by weight (based on the sum of components A+B+C) of aromatic polycarbonate and/or aromatic polyester carbonate, B) from 4 to 12 parts by weight (based on the sum of components A+B+C) of graft polymer comprising: B.1 from 10 to 50 wt. % (based on the graft polymer B) of a shell of at least one vinyl monomer, and B.2 from 90 to 50 wt. % (based on the graft polymer B) of a graft base of silicone-acrylate composite rubber, C) from 10 to 30 parts by weight (based on the sum of components A+B+C) of a polymer or copolymer based on vinyl monomer, and D) from 0 to 20 parts by weight of polymer additives.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to non-aging, impact-modified polycarbonate compositions and moulding compositions which are distinguished by an improved balance of multiaxial low-temperature impact strength and flowability, good dyeability and a high heat distortion resistance.
2. Description of Related Art
Compositions comprising polycarbonate, graft polymer based on rubbery-elastic, non-aging graft base and vinyl aromatic copolymer are known in principle.
DE-A 4434965, for example, discloses such compositions that have an improved balance of low-temperature strength, rigidity and flow behaviour and that comprise polycarbonate (A), graft polymer with rubbery-elastic graft bases having a specific particle size (B) and thermoplastic vinyl aromatic (co)polymer (C), wherein the relative proportions B to C are limited. Silicone-acrylate composite rubbers are not disclosed as the rubbery-elastic graft base in this application.
EP-A 0537014 discloses compositions having improved low-temperature strength that comprise a thermoplastic resin, for example a polycarbonate, a vinyl polymer or a mixture thereof, and an impact-modifying amount of a specific multiphase graft polymer based on polyorganosiloxane/polyvinyl. Compositions comprising polycarbonate, vinyl polymer and graft polymer in which the vinyl polymer and the graft polymer are used in specific relative proportions are not disclosed.
EP-A 0486853 discloses compositions having improved dyeability through the use of pigments comprising a specific graft polymer based on a polyorganosiloxane-polyalkyl (meth)acrylate compound rubber and optionally further thermoplastics such as, for example, polycarbonate.
EP-A 0430134 discloses compositions that have excellent impact strength, surface hardness and surface quality and that comprise polycarbonate and a specific polyorganosiloxane graft polymer based on a composite rubber as graft base, which comprises from 1 to 10 wt. % polyorganosiloxane rubber and from 99 to 90 wt. % polyalkyl (meth)acrylate rubber in non-separable form. It is disclosed that the compositions can additionally also contain homopolymers or copolymers based on vinyl monomers. There is no mention in this application of particular advantages that can be achieved in terms of properties when the three components are used in the specific mixing ratio.
EP-A 0307963 discloses compositions that have good resistance to chemicals, to weathering and to heat as well as good impact strength and that comprise polycarbonate, graft polymer based on a silicone-butyl acrylate composite rubber base and vinyl copolymer. However, the disclosed compositions exhibit a disadvantageous ratio of graft polymer content to vinyl copolymer content. The dyeing of such compositions in dark and brilliant colours requires large amounts of pigments, which result in a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the composition.
EP-A 1334153 discloses compositions that have improved stability to heat aging, a high surface quality and good processability and that comprise polycarbonate, graft polymer based on silicone-acrylate composite rubber, vinyl copolymer and mineral filler (glass fibres). These compositions have a strength that is inadequate for many applications—in particular at low temperatures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Impact modified polycarbonate compositions


A self-loading wheel lift with automatically powered wheel support members, such as L-arms, for engaging the wheels of a vehicle to be towed. The wheel lift may be rapidly disassembled in the field and converted to alternating towing assemblies such as tool bars employing frame fork attachments, hook ends, slings, pintle hooks, fifth-wheel plates, king pins, etc.

The present invention generally relates to devices for lifting and towing vehicles by a pair of the vehicle wheels, known as wheel lifts. More particularly, the invention is directed to a self-loading wheel lift that may be rapidly disassembled for transportation or repair and/or rapidly converted or transformed for other applications.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,623 and 4,798,509 to Alm, each entitled "Towing Apparatus," and U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,737 to Holmes entitled "Wheel Lift Tow Assembly," each disclosing known wheel lift assemblies, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,207 to Russ et al., entitled "Hydraulic Wheel Lift System For Tow Vehicles," are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application.
For years the standard hydraulic self-loading wheel lift, such as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,207 to Russ et al. has enjoyed a specific usage in the towing industry. While capable of automatically loading automobiles in seconds with ease and permitting operators to remain in the safe environment of their cab, self-loading wheel lifts can only load those automobiles possessing tires. Such wheel lifts are also limited by their inability to handle the weight of larger trucks and the like. The typical assembly of such wheel lifts includes a cross bar roughly 80 inches long for capturing the towed vehicle's tires. Two wheel support members such as L-shaped arms may be pivotally attached to the cross bar, swinging from inside and then outwardly to capture a towed vehicle's tires. Hydraulic cylinders, for example, may power L-arm movement. In the past, the wheel support members of self-loading wheel lifts have not been designed to be removed from the cross bar.
Conventional wheel lifts are also an industry standard and have been in the towing industry for years. These wheel lifts, exemplified by those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,623, 4,798,509 and 4,836,737, are more versatile than self-loading wheel lifts in some ways, as they are capable of loading vehicles with or without tires, as well as heavier vehicles such as heavy trucks. However, the process required to engage a towed vehicle using a conventional wheel lift is considerably longer than with a self-loading wheel lift, and may take ten minutes or longer. In addition, the tow truck operator must exit the cab to manually place the L-arms or other tow-engaging attachments, exposing him to the elements and traffic. The typical assembly of a conventional wheel lift includes a cross bar roughly 40-60 inches in length. Two shoes are slid over opposing ends of the cross bar, and pivoting collars may be mounted to the shoes. The collars engage L-arms that are manually placed to engage the tires or other locations on a towed vehicle. The L-arms are designed to engage points on the towed vehicle from the outside in, limiting their ability to engage tires located adjacent curbs, for example. While some conventional wheel lifts may be converted from using L-arms to a tool bar, the conversion has been manual and time-consuming, and the L-arms were unable to swing from the inside out, limiting their application.
Self-loading or conventional wheel lift assemblies have not been previously designed, to applicant's knowledge, to permit rapid disassembly in the field or to allow rapid conversion to an alternate towing mechanism. Often, the cross bar of wheel lift-type tow mechanisms includes shoes or brackets that are welded to the ends of the cross bars. Additionally, the presence of permanently attached powering mechanisms such as hydraulic cylinders may render it difficult and time-consuming to remove wheel support members and/or receivers from the cross bar. In short, it is not believed that self-loading wheel lifts have been designed with the ability to rapidly convert or transform the wheel lift device into an alternate towing mechanism, such as a tool bar or frame fork attachment.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a self-loading wheel lift that overcomes the current disadvantages of such wheel lifts, while providing new advantages.

Wheel lift that may be rapidly disassembled and converted


Two finite difference algorithms on rectangular grids are provided for viscoelastic ink ejection simulations. The first algorithm is first-order accurate in time, while the second algorithm is second-order accurate in time. Each of these two algorithms seamlessly couples or incorporates several features: (1) a coupled level set-projection method for incompressible immiscible two-phase fluid flows; (2) a higher-order Godunov type algorithm for the convection terms in the momentum equations and level set convection equation; (3) the central difference for viscosity, surface tension, and upper-convected derivative terms; (4) an equivalent circuit for inflow pressure (or inflow rate). In the first algorithm, a simple first-order upwind algorithm is designed for the convection term in the viscoelastic stress equations. But in the second algorithm, a second-order Godunov type upwind scheme is employed for the convection term in the viscoelastic stress equations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to two finite difference algorithms and associated models for viscoelastic ink ejection simulation. One algorithm is first-order accurate in time, while the other is second-order accurate in time. The algorithms may be embodied in software, hardware or combination thereof and may be implemented on a computer or other processor-controlled device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Results of ink-jet simulation have been very useful in the design of piezoelectric ink-jet print heads. A practical ink-jet simulation may be carried out using an analytical tool such as an equivalent circuit that receives as an input the dynamic voltage to be applied to a piezoelectric actuator and simulates the ink behavior under the influence of the ink cartridge, supply channel, vibration plate, and actuator. That is, from the input voltage and an ink flow rate, the equivalent circuit calculates an inflow pressure that drives computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The CFD code then solves the governing partial differential equations, i.e., the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase flows, for fluid velocity, pressure and interface position, and feeds back the ink flow rate to the equivalent circuit. The sequence is repeated as long as needed.
The dynamics of fluid flow through the ink nozzle, coupled to surface tension effects along the ink-air interface and boundary conditions along the wall, act to determine the shape of the interface as it moves. Designing the CFD code largely involves taking into account the dynamically changing ink-air interface, which is quite challenging.
One method that has been used to model the ink-air interface is the volume of fluid method (VOF). VOF performs fairly well with regard to mass conversation but is not so accurate on surface tension aspects of fluid flow, especially when the ink droplet is smaller than 5 pico liters. Considering that the capability of ejecting ultra small ink droplets is essential for any photo quality ink-jet printer today, VOF gave way to an improved modeling method which included the level set method to more accurately capture the ink-air interface in CFD simulations. Since there is a mathematical relation between the level set and the interface curvature, and hence the surface tension, the level set method excels whenever surface tension is important.
One way to solve the level set equations is by finite element analysis. However, because this solving method usually results in a serious mass conservation problem, finite difference analysis is usually the best choice among numerical schemes to be used with the level set method.
The present invention continues along this technological path of using finite difference analysis in ink ejection simulation. In so doing, the present invention provides substantial improvements in finite difference algorithms performed on rectangular grids for viscoelastic ink ejection simulations.

Coupled algorithms for viscoelastic ink-jet simulations


An improved ladder structure comprising a pair of stiles, a plurality of rungs, and a plurality of brackets. Wherein, each bracket consisting of two parallel arms, with a securing hole formed on each parallel arm, and a connecting surface running between the parallel arms, with a rivet hole formed thereon. Each rung has a pair of insertion recesses formed on either end, each recess being diametrically opposed with the other. At a predetermined distance inwards form each insertion recess is formed an insertion slot. Both the insertion recesses and insertion slots pass through one of a pair of through-holes formed internally on opposing arcuate surfaces of a rung, extending from one end to the other. Whereby, on either end of a rung, a pair of opposing brackets are inserted into corresponding insertion slots and insertion recesses, and subsequently secured in place by insertion of dowel pins into the through-holes. Each stile has a C-shaped cross-section with an opening running along its length, interrupted by semi-circular arcs defining entrances for corresponding rungs. An end of a rung is positioned within a stile so as to abut the arcuate surfaces of the rung against the arcuate edges of the stile entrances and align the rivet holes of the pair of opposing brackets with a corresponding pair of side holes formed on either side of the opening. Whereupon, a pair of pull-mandrel rivets secure the brackets to the stile.

The present invention relates to an improved ladder and more particularly to a ladder with an improved method of joining a rung to a stile.
Referring to FIG. 1, the stile 1 and rung 2 of a conventional ladder made of aluminum alloy are usually joined together with rivets, which does not produce a very sturdy structure, the rivets tending to buckle and shear. Moreover, being made of electrically conductive metal, a user would be exposed to possible shock hazards.
The use of fiberglass as the primary structural material would eliminate the shock hazard but would require different structural techniques. In particular, unlike the aluminum ladder, a fiberglass ladder would not normally have closed cross-section stiles, but would require a stile with an open cavity, traversed along its length by a slit-like opening.
In the ladder of the present invention, a structure catering this requirement is provided. Moreover, the structure lends itself to quick and simple assembly, even for a relatively unskilled consumer with modest hand tools.


The present invention relates to a hyaluronidase inhibitor containing poly-gamma-glutamic acid (PGA) as an active ingredient, a composition for maintaining skin elasticity and a composition for improving allergy, wherein each of the compositions contains PGA as an active ingredient. The inventive compositions containing PGA are effective in maintaining skin moisturization and skin elasticity by effectively inhibiting the activity of hyaluronidase which is an enzyme that degrades hyaluronic acid present in the skin dermis. Also, the compositions can relieve allergic symptoms by inhibiting the permeability of inflammatory cells.

Hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that hydrolyze hyaluronic acid. They are carbohydrate digestive enzymes that cleave the glycoside bond of carbohydrates, and are also called "mucinases or spreading factors". The kind of hyaluronidases includes endohexosaminidase types, endoglucuronidase types, endohexosamine cleavage types and endoglucosamine cleavage types. These hyaluronidases are present in the testis or sperm of the higher animal, lysosomes of the liver, snake venom, Klebsiella pneumoniae, or Streptococcus. Meanwhile, the connective tissue of the skin comprises collagen, hyaluronic acid polysaccharide, and the like. Hyaluronidases are enzymes that degrade the hyaluronic acid, and the activation of hyaluronidases causes the hyaluronic acid of skin connective tissue to degrade, and thus, make the skin connective tissue loose to reduce skin elasticity and cause wrinkles.
In the prior art for preventing the skin connective tissue from being loose, there is a method comprising treating the skin with vitamins A, C, E, and the like to stimulate collagen synthesis and prevent oxidation. However, this method has disadvantages in that these vitamins are expensive and are easily degraded in the external environment to make their long-term storage difficult. Also, methods including applying collagen directly to the skin or orally administering collagen were suggested but have no demonstrated effects. In addition, there is a method comprising treating the skin with an extract of plants, such as Areca catechu, Moutan cortex, and the like, which have hyaluronidase inhibitory effects. However, this method has the disadvantage of reduced economical efficiency, because it comprises cultivating plants and extracting an active ingredient from the cultivated plants.
Meanwhile, PGA is a mucous polymer consisting of D,L-glutamic acid bound to gamma-glutamyl and is produced by microorganisms. Specifically, PGA is produced from the genus Bacillus. strain isolated from Chungkookjang (Korean traditional fermented soybean food prepared using rice-straw), Natto (Japanese traditional fermented soybean food), Kinema (fermented soybean food prepared in Nepal), etc. PGA produced from the genus Bacillus strain is an edible, water-soluble, anionic and biodegradable polymer substance, which can be used as a raw material for humectants, moisturizers and cosmetics. Recently, studies on the use of PGA to develop materials substituting for non-degradable polymers and heat-resistant plastics by esterification and produce water-soluble fibers and membranes have been performed in developed countries.
In addition, studies reported on PGA include the effect of manganese ions on the production of PGA, the use of PGA as water-soluble polymer by ultrasonic degradation, and the development of low-water-soluble plastics by the synthesis of ester derivatives (Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 60:1239, 1996).
In prior patents relating to the use of PGA, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-32742 discloses the production of PGA by Bacillus subtillis, and its use in health food having the effect of treating osteoporosis, such as a calcium-dissolving agent. European Patent No. 838160 discloses that PGA has the effect of reducing water contamination by reducing the content of phosphorus in water. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. Hei 10-251402, 7-300522 and 6-322358 disclose the applications in hygienic products (e.g., diapers), food products and horticulture by preparing an absorptive and biodegradable resin with high gelatination rate and water absorption using PGA by irradiation of radiation. Also, it is known to use PGA as solidified biodegradable fibers, films or film moldings by the dissolution, precipitation and drying of PGA (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. Hei 7-138364 and 5-117388). In addition, the use of PGA as a polymer for drug carriers is known (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. Hei 6-92870 and 6-256220).
Meanwhile, the present inventors obtained a patent relating to a method for producing PGA using a halophilic Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang that produces PGA with high molecular weight (Korean Patent Registration No. 500,796). Also, we obtained patents relating to an anticancer composition, an immune adjuvant and an immune enhancing agent, which contain PGA (Korean Patent Registration Nos. 496,606; 517,114; and 475,406). In addition, we have been conducting studies on another use of PGA.
Thus, the present inventors have made extensive efforts to find other functions of PGA having the above-described various effects, as a result, found that PGA inhibits hyaluronidase that degrades hyaluronic acid, which is a component of skin connective tissue, and thus it can help to maintain the elasticity of the skin, and also it has good humectant and moisturizing properties and excellent skin compatibility, thereby completing the present invention.

Hyaluronidase inhibitor containing poly-gamma-glutamic acid as an effective component


Feedback for map information is based on an integrated navigation solution for a device within a moving platform using obtained motion sensor data from a sensor assembly of the device, obtained radar measurements for the platform and obtained map information for an environment encompassing the platform. An integrated navigation solution is generated based at least in part on the obtained motion sensor data using a nonlinear state estimation technique that uses a nonlinear measurement model for radar measurements. The map information is assessed based at least in part on the integrated navigation solution and radar measurements so that feedback for the map information can be provided.

Self-driving vehicles have the potential of reducing the number of annual causalities by eliminating the human error factor. By enabling self-driving vehicles, numerous intelligent transportation systems can be deployed and used for traffic management and a multitude of safety and entertainment applications. One of the major challenges facing researchers and engineers working on the development of autonomous vehicles, is fulfilling the system requirement of estimating the vehicles' pose or positioning in real-time within certain accuracy and availability constraints. Traditional systems used for such estimation include Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). IMU-based systems provide relative pose estimation accurate in short time but due to the process of mechanization, standalone IMU-based systems, such as inertial navigation systems (INS), accumulate errors in the states exponentially with time due to drift and other sensor characteristics. On the other hand, the position estimated by the GNSS receiver is absolute and does not drift over time. However, GNSS signals are sometimes completely blocked or affected by severe multipath. Due to the complementary error characteristics of motion sensors and GNSS systems, a traditional approach to accurately estimate the pose of the vehicle, is by using sensor fusion algorithms to integrate IMU and GNSS signals. The performance of the GNSS system can also be enhanced by using Differential GPS stations that can broadcast ionospheric and tropospheric errors to adjacent GNSS receivers.
Due to very high accuracy and reliability requirements imposed by autonomous driving applications, traditional IMU/GNSS or INS/GNSS integration is not enough. In dense urban areas, skyscrapers block several positioning satellites and reflect signals (i.e., multipath) from visible and non-visible satellites, leading to low positioning accuracy. Moreover, due to the geometry of the visible satellites, which are mostly collinear in dense urban areas, the GNSS positioning accuracy and availability is usually limited. Hence, traditional IMU/GNSS or INS/GNSS integration systems are not capable of achieving the accuracy requirements for autonomous driving applications. Regardless of the environment surrounding self-driving vehicles, achieving a minimum level of positioning accuracy is needed. Correspondingly, suitable techniques for providing an additional source of information that may be used in determining a positional and/or navigational solution using radar information are disclosed in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/420,143 referenced above, wherein radar measurements are integrated with information from an IMU to help overcome the limitations of the conventional GNSS integration.
The positioning techniques noted above may be used in conjunction with map information, such as to improve both the reliability and positioning accuracy of the navigation system. Examples of algorithms using map information to aid a navigation system include geometric, topological, probabilistic and other advanced techniques. However, conventional approaches may not account for position determinations that are made at increased resolution, such as those obtained by integrating radar measurements. For the sake of illustration, typical uses of map information include constraining techniques that seek to limit the position of the device to possible paths, but such uses do not necessarily benefit from the improved resolution as the map information may not have enough detail or the constraints may not be sufficiently limiting to provide a practical aid in determining navigation solutions. Further, existing map information may suffer from inaccuracies due to mistakes during the original data gathering process as well as temporary or permanent changes that have occurred subsequently. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide feedback that may be used to improve map information using the navigation solutions determined by integrating radar measurements with IMU-based systems. As will be described in the following materials, this disclosure satisfies these and other needs.

Method and system using tightly coupled radar positioning to improve map performance


A vehicle frame structure includes a front pillar having an internal space defined by a forward wall, a rear wall, an outer lateral side wall, and an inner lateral side wall. The internal space is partitioned by longitudinally extending first and second ribs connecting inside faces of the forward and rear walls and a laterally extending third rib connecting an inside face of the inner side wall and the first rib. The first, second and third ribs separate the front pillar into a plurality of interior hollow portions. Two laterally adjacent hollow portions define an outer lateral portion of the front pillar and two longitudinally adjacent hollow portions define an inner lateral portion of the front pillar.

A front pillar of a vehicle body is a critical structural member for front crash modes. On conventional steel white bodies the front pillar is formed of an inner panel and an outer panel that are welded together. Stiffeners, bulkheads, and/or reinforcements are added inside of the front pillar to improve its strength. A front weld flange of the front pillar typically connects to a dashboard lower. A rear weld flange of the front pillar can function as a door seal flange. High strength steel is generally used for strength. In aluminum vehicle frames the front pillar can be made of a stamped aluminum construction that is similar to the typical steel construction. An aluminum extrusion can also be used, and in some instances part of the front pillar can be cast aluminum.


A method and system for remotely managing mobile devices over a communication network including transceiving user input data generated at a mobile management terminal to a management computer over a communication network. The transceived user input data is analyzed to determine whether the user input data corresponds to a stored command function and the stored command function is executed at the management computer in response to determining that the user input data corresponds to a stored command function. Data is transceived from the management computer to one or more mobile host devices over the communication network.

Wearable, mobile, and/or portable computer devices are used for a wide variety of tasks. Such devices allow the workers using them ("users") to maintain mobility, while providing the worker with desirable computing and data-processing functions. Furthermore, such devices often provide a communication link to a larger, more centralized management computer and/or computer system that directs the activities of the user and processes any collected data. One example of a specific use for a wearable/mobile/portable device is a product management system that involves product distribution and tracking as well as product inventory management, where these communication systems may sometimes be referred to as mobile warehouse management systems. In conventional systems, the mobile devices typically include an interface with a headset having a microphone and speakers such that users of the devices may receive spoken instructions related to tasks to be completed, and may answer with speech. Such systems are referred to as speech-directed work systems.
In conventional systems, mobile devices used by workers may be loaded with a specific profile associated with the device, the user, and the tasks the worker will be performing, where the loaded profile may change several times per day. In some conventional systems, device profiles may correspond to a specific worker and may include worker speech preferences, such as speed of verbal instructions (i.e. rate of playback), language of verbal instructions, and other configuration settings related to the mobile devices such as functions of buttons, etc. In conventional systems, workers may input data using speech into the mobile device related to the tasks being performed, thus in some mobile device systems, data related to a worker's speech patterns may be stored in a device profile such that the worker's unique speech characteristics may be accounted for when converting the worker's speech input into input data. Different profiles associated with different tasks, job functions, and/or employees may be stored in the management computer, such that the profiles may be loaded onto worker devices by supervisors as different profiles are needed on a mobile device. For example, when a worker finishes a shift, the worker may deposit a mobile device loaded with a profile associated with the tasks the worker performed in a centralized location, and a second worker beginning a shift may retrieve the mobile device and have a profile loaded onto the device associated with the tasks the new worker will be performing, where the profiles are likely to be different. In another example, a worker may complete a set of tasks associated with a first profile, and the worker may need a second profile loaded to complete a second set of different tasks.
In conventional systems utilizing mobile devices, a supervisor may load specific devices with a desired profile utilizing the management computer. In addition, some elements of a profile may be loaded by a worker using the mobile device, including for example, the worker's speech patterns. However, each time a device is loaded with a different profile or a profile is changed, the supervisor must return to the management computer and select the appropriate profile to load on the appropriate mobile device. As one can imagine, this leads to decreased efficiency of the supervisor and the employee using the mobile device, as the manager must end supervising workers and go to the management computer to load the correct profile. In addition, the employee using the mobile device must wait for the supervisor to travel to the management computer and load the appropriate profile. Moreover, in many workplace environments utilizing these mobile device systems, workers may not be permitted to perform any work without supervision for safety reasons.
Accordingly, there is a need, unmet by current communication systems and mobile devices, to address the issues noted above. There is particularly an unmet need in the area of increasing efficiency in managing mobile devices.


A process includes adding a particulate toner additive to toner particles to form a slurry, filtering the slurry to form a filter cake, the particulate toner additive functioning as a filtration aid, and washing the filter cake, after the washing step the toner particles have a portion of the particulate toner additive adhered thereto, and de-agglomerating/drying the toner particles with the additive, after the drying step the toner particles have a portion of the particulate toner additive adhered thereto.

The present disclosure relates to processes for the handling of toner particles. In particular, the present disclosure relates to expanding the function of downstream toner additives to improve cycle time in toner particle handling processes.
In the manufacture of chemical toners, washing is a processing step whereby toner particles are de-watered and washed to meet final quality specifications including, moisture content and removal of residual surfactants and ions. In an exemplary washing process, filter press plates are pressed down tightly against an interweaving filtration cloth creating one or more chambers configured to receive a slurry comprising toner particles. The slurry is fed into the chambers creating a wet filter-cake on the filter cloth while allowing liquids to flow through as a filtrate.
Dynamic washing can also be performed inside the same filter press, by passing wash liquid through the retained particles and then the filter cloth for additional washing as needed. Air drying is then typically performed on the washed cake to meet a desired moisture specification. The dried toner particles can be further processed to manufacture toner compositions comprising toner additives which are typically blended with the toner particles. These additives are designed to provide the toner composition with various properties such as flow control, overall charge, and other desirable characteristics of the toner.
The desirability of using smaller toner particles is it increases the image quality, reduces the amount of toner needed, and can provide potential cost savings in materials. However, one challenge that arises with the use of smaller toner particles is that the filtration cloth may be prone to blinding. Furthermore, smaller toner particles can cause increased cycle times for both filtration and dynamic washing. These effects are due to smaller toner particles decreasing cake porosity and hindering the path of liquids through the toner particle filter cake and filter cloth ultimately reducing washing efficiency and increasing cycle time.


An automatic alarm system that indicates the presence of a fish strike at an unattended fishing pole comprises a small transmitter located at an upper tip of the fishing pole activated by a motion sensor that energizes a transmitter and a light whenever a fish moves the rod. The sensitivity of the movement is adjustable via a switch, which allows the user to ignore small movement caused by breezes or other effects. A receiver is carried by the fisherman, comprising a small enclosure which is provided with both a vibrating and audible alarm. The receiver is capable of receiving pages up to hundreds of feet away. Both components are powered by user replaceable batteries.

The technology used by anglers to catch fish has become increasingly complex in nature. Fishermen no longer rely on the traditional hook and worm approach to attract their game. Instead, a broad range of products have hit the market, all designed to aid the fisherman in catching fish more quickly.
In general, fishermen have to hold the fishing rod no matter the additional technologies utilized. While some may argue that this is a perfect way to spend a day, long periods of holding a rod while nothing is happening is boring and tedious.
As a result, many fishermen resort to attaching or bracing their rod against something while waiting for a fish to bite. While this method may work, it often results in a lost catch or even a lost fishing rod if a fish should strike when the fisherman is away or unaware.
Various attempts have been made to provide apparatuses which alert a fisherman as to a bite upon a fishing line. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,688, issued in the name of Sondej et al., describes a fish strike alarm system actuated when a fish pulls downwardly on a fishing line. The Sondej system emits a high pitched alarm or similar indicator means when actuated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,931, issued in the name of Morris et al., describes an electrical strike alarm including a tension detector placed in line with the fishing line to activate both an audio and visual alarm when a struck fish affects a change in the fishing line tension.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,510, issued in the name of Klein, describes a fishing bobber including a transmitter housed within the bobber which is actuated when a line attached to the bobber is placed under tension such as by a fish.
While these apparatuses fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such apparatuses include alarms which can be easily missed in many situations. Also, many such apparatuses limit a user's movement either physically or to a certain range according to the type of alarm. Furthermore, many such apparatuses do not provide features of adjustability which allow a user to adjust parameters of the sensor and alarm to accommodate their particular situation and preferences. In addition, many such apparatus include sensors which are difficult or time consuming to set up or which may require significant resetting between activations. Accordingly, there exists a need for a fish strike alarm without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.


A support system for use in an appliance includes at least one brace including a locking bar and at least one substantially vertical track configured to support the at least one brace. The at least one track includes a first side wall and a second side wall defining a channel therebetween, and a first series of teeth extending from the first side wall into the channel. The locking bar is configured to be supported at a first end on a tooth of the first series of teeth at a selected height within the appliance.

1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments described herein relate generally to a shelving support system, and more particularly to a shelving support system that may be used within an appliance.
2. Description of Related Art
At least some known appliances, such as refrigeration appliances, include cantilevered shelves for supporting items within a storage compartment of the appliance. At least some of these shelves can be adjusted to different heights within the storage compartment by a user of the appliance. For example, some known shelves are removed from the storage compartment and re-attached into the storage compartment at a different height. In such known shelving systems, a series of holes into which the shelf can be coupled are visible when the storage compartment is accessed. Further, it can be difficult to re-attach a shelf to a set of holes at a desired height.
At least one other known cantilevered shelving system includes a track having relatively narrow notches defined along side walls of the track. A shelf is moveable along the track to different heights without being removed from the track. However, such notches may be difficult for the user to find and/or couple the shelf within when adjusting a height of the shelf. As such, the shelf may not be oriented properly within the storage compartment, i.e., not substantially horizontally oriented, and/or may not be completely seated within a notch, which may cause the shelf to become inadvertently disengaged from the notch.

Support system for use with an appliance


An analog signal is input to a converter where a feedback signal is subtracted to form an analog error signal. The analog error signal is then processed through a first quantizer to provide a course output bit. The difference between the input and output of the first quantizer is then processed through a second quantizer to provide a trim output bit. The two bits are combined and returned as the feedback signal and are provided to a decimation filter which will provide the digital output representation of the analog input.

There are two basic techniques for performing analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion, open loop and feedback techniques. The open loop converter generates a digital code directly upon application of an input voltage; and is generally an asynchronous operation. The feedback technique generates a sequence of digital codes; reconverts these digital codes to an analog signal; and uses the reconverted signal to correct the input. For a more indepth discussion of these techniques, see Renschler, "Analog-to-Digital Conversion Techniques", Application Note AN-471, Motorola Inc. (1974).
Sigma-delta (.SIGMA.- .DELTA.) modulators have been known in the industry since the early l960s, but were used in limited capacities until more recently. With the advent of 16 and 32 bit processing, the .SIGMA.- .DELTA. modulators have found more use in audio and signal processing applications such as codersdecoders (codecs), modem front-ends, and Integrated System Digital Network (ISDN) applications. .SIGMA.- .DELTA. modulators have also found use in non-signal processing applications such as dc measurement.
The .SIGMA.- .DELTA. technique is attractive because it achieves high resolutior by precise timing instead of precisely matched on-chip components (resistors or capacitors). In addition, the expertise needed to produce thin film, laser trimmed analog components are difficult to obtain; whereas, high speed digital switching capability is commonplace in the semiconductor industry. This makes the .SIGMA.- .DELTA. technique, the technique of choice for many manufactures.
A basic .SIGMA.- .DELTA. ADC receives an analog signal which is summed with the inverse feedback of the digital output signal (after being reconverted to an analog signal) to provide an error signal. The error signal is then processed through a quantizer to provide a digital output bit stream. The digital output bit stream is also used to provide the feedback signal.

Sigma-delta type analog to digital converter with trimmed output and feedback


An adapter assembly for releasably connecting an accessory connector to an exercise rope is provided. The assembly comprises a connection part being formed by a first portion and a second portion, each having a bottom end and top end, wherein the first and the second portion of the connection part forms, at its bottom end, a cavity configured to receive an end portion of said rope, and wherein the top end of the connection part is configured to releasably connect the accessory connector.

A person can improve his/her physical health and strength in many ways. One tool for improving both cardiovascular fitness and strength is an exercise rope, e.g. a battle rope. An exercise rope is typically between 8 and 15 meters long, 3 to 5 centimeters thick and weighs between 6 and 10 kg. Exercise ropes can be made from both natural fibers and various plastic materials and come in e.g. twisted or braided constructions. Exercise ropes usually have plastic or rubber end sections for use as handles.
In use, the rope may be folded at the center using a post/anchor point. A user holds on to the ends of the two equal lengths of the rope with either hand. Alternatively, one end of the rope is fastened in an anchoring device, and the practitioner use one single rope, or two ropes. The user swings the rope, or ropes, in various ways/directions, either synchronized or unsynchronized, to create waves in the rope. By repeating the movement, the practitioner trains the muscles and cardiovascular system.
The diameter of exercise ropes make exercising difficult for people with smaller hands, especially to hold the ropes for extended times. Accordingly, the diameter of existing exercise ropes limits their usefulness in workout routines. There is thus a need for an exercise rope which can be used for longer periods of time and which is gentler to smaller hands. In addition, there is a need to extend the workout possibilities provided by an exercise rope and to obtain a more ergonomic grip in order to increase effectivity for the practitioners, and potentially avoid injuries among the users.
A known type of exercise rope is disclosed in US20150283421A1, which shows an exercise rope intended to be suitable for persons with smaller hands. A problem with this exercise rope is that, in order to make the rope more comfortable to hold, the diameter is reduced, which means that the weight is reduced as well, meaning that people with smaller hands or weaker grips are limited in the potential intensity of their work out. Since also persons with smaller hands may want to exercise with greater intensity and/or heavier weights, this exercise rope is less effective in providing a challenging workout. It is thus understood that there is room for improvements.


A method of fabricating a memory device includes defining a cell region on a substrate and defining a dummy region around the cell region, forming bit lines on a top surface of the substrate, the bit lines extending in one direction, forming cell vertical structures on top surfaces of the bit lines corresponding to the cell region, each cell vertical structure including a cell diode and a variable resistive element, forming dummy vertical structures on top surfaces of the bit lines corresponding to the dummy region, each dummy vertical structure including a dummy diode and a variable resistive element, and forming word lines in contact with top surfaces of the cell vertical structures and dummy vertical structures, the word lines intersecting the bit lines at right angles. The cell diode includes a first impurity pattern and a second impurity pattern, the dummy diode includes a first lightly doped impurity pattern and a second impurity pattern, and the variable resistive element includes a first electrode, a variable resistor, and a second electrode.

Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a method of fabricating a memory device, and more particularly, provide a method of fabricating a nonvolatile variable resistive memory device.
A variable resistive memory device may include a cell region in which data may be stored and read therefrom and a dummy region disposed around the cell region. Both the cell region and the dummy region may include memory cells, each memory cell including a diode and a variable resistor. The memory cells included in the dummy region may operate independently of the memory cells in the cell region. However, leakage currents that may occur in the memory cells in the dummy region may affect operations of the memory cells of the cell region. Accordingly, various techniques for preventing the memory cells of the cell region from being affected by the memory cells of the dummy region have been proposed.

Method of fabricating a variable reistance memory device


An opening/closing body control device may include an actuator, a drive device configured to drive the actuator configured to at least one of open and close an opening/closing body of a vehicle, an operation switch, and a signal output device. The signal output device may be configured to drive the actuator via outputting a signal to the drive device when the operation switch is operated. The signal output device may include a signal line, a submergence detection circuit configured to detect submergence of the vehicle in water, a switch, and a pullup resistance connected via the switch to a power source. The switch may be configured to turn on when submergence of the vehicle in water is detected and the operation switch is not operated. The pullup resistance may be connected electrically to the signal line when the switch turns on to output a signal to the drive device.

A power window device drives a window glass of a side door or the like in a vehicle by an actuator of a motor or the like for up-and-down movement. The power window device is provided with an operation switch for a user to instruct an up-and-down movement of a window, a drive device for driving the window, and a signal output device for outputting a signal to the drive device in response to an operation of the operation switch. The signal output device inputs a signal of a low-voltage level below a predetermined value to the drive device when the operation switch is operated, for example.
However, in a case where a vehicle is submerged in water due to accidents, disasters or the like, a conductive part including a welding portion of a circuit component in the signal output device gets wet with water, and therefore, in some cases the signal to be outputted to the drive device is lowered to a low-voltage level. In this case, although the user does not operate the operation switch, the signal of the low-voltage level is outputted to the drive device, possibly creating an erroneous operation of the window. For preventing the erroneous operation of the window, there is made a proposal that an insulating epoxy resin with excellent water resistance is filled in an inner part of a case accommodating the circuit component in the power window device to mold the circuit component inside of the case (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-20601 A).
However, a manufacturing cost of the device increases by filling the epoxy resin into the inside of the case. For suppressing the manufacturing cost, a proposal of applying waterproof coating onto the circuit component is also made. There are some cases where even when the waterproof coating is applied onto the circuit component, the waterproof performance is not sufficient as the waterproof to the circuit configuration. The power window device is required to ensure a time for up-and-down movement of the window in response to the operation of the user by preventing the erroneous operation of the window even when the device is submerged in water.


A device having a function of simultaneously charging and backing up data is provided. The device includes a transmission interface, a power supply circuit, a storage circuit, and a main control circuit. The transmission interface is connected to an electronic device. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the electronic device to charge the electronic device. The storage circuit is configured to access data of the electronic device, or to provide data stored in the storage circuit to the electronic device. The main control circuit is connected to the transmission interface, the power supply circuit and the storage circuit. The main control circuit is configured to control the power supply circuit to supply the power to the electronic device and the storage circuit to back up the data simultaneously.

With the rapid development of society, people are increasingly dependent on electronic products. Sizes of the electronic products have become smaller and smaller, such that batteries accommodated in the electronic products often cannot supply sufficient power. Therefore, mobile power banks have been developed. The mobile power bank is connected to the electronic product through a charge and data transmission wire and configured to supply sufficient power to the electronic product, such that the electronic product operates normally. However, the electronic product such as a mobile phone often needs to be charged for a longer period of time.
Data of the electronic products such as the mobile phone may be transmitted to a computer through the charge and data transmission wire and be backed up by the computer. However, when a user loses the cell phone or failures occur on the cell phone, the cell phone needs to be recovered and then a large amount of data needs to be backed up for very long periods of time, which is an inconvenience for the daily life of the user.
A conventional charger device only has a charging function. Therefore, when the conventional charger device such as the mobile power bank is used to charge the cell phone and then a data storage device such as the computer is used to back up the data of the cell phone, long periods of time are required and it is extremely inconvenient for the user.

Device having a function of simultaneously charging and backing up data


This invention relates to an automatic vehicle wash apparatus employing one or more rotary cloth or foam rubber brushes, and more particularly to the way how the rotary brush to vehicle surface contact is managed using one or more encoders connected to the rotating shaft of each brush and one or more programmable logic controllers (PLC). The encoders, recording the revolutions per minute (RPM) of each brush shaft, provide input to the programmable logic controller. If the RPM value is at or above the high RPM limit, the pivoted boom will move the brush toward the vehicle to achieve a desired brush-to-washable surface contact. If, on the other hand, the RPM value is at or below the low RPM limit, the pivoted boom will move the brush away from the vehicle to achieve a desired brush-to-washable surface contact.

This section discusses briefly the relevant prior art.
One type of an automatic car wash apparatus is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,506,394B2 by Prater et al. issued Mar. 24, 2009. Claim 1 (subsection d)) mentions that the apparatus includes "a power cylinder" "which forcibly drives the brush". And further, claim 1 (subsection e)) discloses a "control system for toggling the power cylinder between actuation conditions as a function of angular displacement of the brush support relative to the support base". Still further, claim 12 discloses a "control system for triggering actuation of car wash function in response to a pre-determined degree of angular movement of a pivotally mounted brush support boom."
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,231A issued to Turner et al. on Jun. 15, 1999, an automatic car wash apparatus is disclosed in which the car wash is a "drive-through" vehicle wash including a "plurality of gantries defining a tunnel through which the vehicle passes."
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,745A issued to Nittoli on Oct. 31, 1995, a vehicle wash apparatus employing a "curtain assembly for prolonging the life of the brush assembly . . . " is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,574A issued to Inoue on Sep. 5, 1995, discloses the use of a "plurality of photo sensors" which "detect the vehicle body", and thereby control the "movement of the portal frame".
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,974A by Yasutake, issued on Jul. 18, 1995, discloses (Abstract) "a car washing machine having a tunnel-shaped stationary car washing machine body installed on the floor and adapted to continuously wash a vehicle as the latter is transported by a pair of roller conveyors". Section "Description of the preferred embodiments" (Column 5 (lines 63-68), and Column 6 (lines 1-30)) disclose the utilization of weights, pullies, sprockets and chain to move the brush toward and away from the vehicle surface to be washed. (Claim 10) discloses that a "pair of swing brushes" is provided "on each respective side and rotating around a vertical shaft", and "at least one swing brush being movable toward and away from the other swing brush". Claim 11 repeats the same statement for a "pair of side brushes" provided on each "respective side", and that "one side brush" is "movable toward and away from the opposed side brush".
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,770A by Nittoli, issued on May 2, 1995, discloses (in claim 20) a car wash apparatus in which the "position of each individual brush element" "can be adjusted independently" "to compensate for wear".
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,559A issued to Belanger et al. on Jul. 5, 1994, discloses (in the Abstract section) about the structure of a car wash apparatus that the apparatus consists of "booms" pivoting "relative to the structural frame "allowing the wraparound wheels" (brushes) "to follow the contour of the vehicle". The section "Best Modes" (Paragraph 6) discloses further that the brush axes "are inclined" from the vertical. The same section ("Best Modes", Paragraph 7) further discloses that the "proper force of the side wheels" (brushes) "is maintained by actuators", and further that the actuators "include a spring member, providing means to urge the side wheels" (brushes) "inwardly, as well as a hydraulic damper".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,848A issued to Messing et al. on Jan. 7, 1986, discloses (in Section Summary of the Invention, lines 8-13, and in claim 5) the utilization of "photocells" "to permit non-contact guidance of the cleaning element along the contour of the car".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,126A by Belanger, issued on Jul. 24, 1985, discloses (in section "Abstract") a vehicle wash apparatus which includes a "pneumatic-hydraulic circuit" and an "actuating cylinder" for the purpose of "moving the wheel arms and connected scrubbing wheels" (brushes) "relative to the predetermined path to the vehicle". Further, (in section "Summary of the Invention", Paragraph 6, as well as in claim 5, in claim 14, and in claim 14) the invention discloses that the "hydraulic-pneumatic circuit includes a pilot operated check valve for locking the arms so as not to do damage to the vehicle".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,284A, issued on Jun. 13, 2984 to Schleeter, discloses (in section Abstract) that "a car washer for a stationary car" utilizes "upright rotary scrubbers on arms which swing toward and away from the automobile body", and the rotary scrubbers "requiring reversing" of the rotation direction when the "mobile arc frame reverses its direction". Further, the same patent (in section "Summary of the Invention", column 3, lines 18-22) discloses that the "side scrubbers, operating under relatively low torque, can be stopped easily in the event one of the scrubber strips . . . should become entangled".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,602A, issued on Jan. 10, 1984 to Belanger et al., discloses (in the section "Operation" (column 9, lines 63-68) that as a result of the "frictional action between the scrubbing wheel" (brush) "as it rotates with respect to the vehicle body, the carriage moves along the boom and operatively along the corresponding side or portion of the car body". It is further disclosed (column 10, lines 34-38) that the "air pressure during such movement is still applied to the boom cylinder which holds the rotating wheel against the car body and dampens the vibrations of the boom." A limit switch (section "Operation", column 10, lines 39-48) is used at each end of the "boom" to identify corners of the vehicle. The limit switches actuate and operate the air pressure cylinders for the wash operation of the front, side and rear of the vehicle. Claim 1 (column 12, lines 48-55) discloses that the "rotating wheel in registry with the side of the vehicle body and said carriage being adapted to move freely toward said one end of said boom as the wheel scrubs the side of the vehicle body as a result of contact between the rotating wheel and the moving vehicle".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,796A issued to Holbus et al. on Nov. 23, 1982, disclose that the brush support "cage can be tilted" and the boom can be moved outwardly and inwardly between two positions. It is further disclosed that the boom and cage mechanism are "positioned by the action of the passing car" and "moved relative to a support by gravity".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,003A issued to Ennis on Nov. 11, 1981, disclose that a rotating brush uses friction to move the brush ("walks the brush along the surfaces of the vehicle"). It is further disclosed that the invention uses a "flexible coupling" on the brush shaft and support "to permit the brush too tilt or swing in any direction.". In the "Summary" section it is stated, that the "rotating brush assembly" is capable of washing the vehicle "without the use of any positive action power control system for moving the brush assembly relative to the position of the vehicle."
Still other related inventions, including U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,243A (Takeuchi, Nov. 25, 1975), U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,931A (Bivens, Oct. 15, 1974), U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,725A (Shelstad, Nov. 21, 1973), U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,262A (Mello, Jul. 12, 1972), U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,419A (Dini, May 16, 1972), U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,537A (Wilson, Dec. 14, 1971), U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,334A (Follis, Jun. 1, 1971), U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,034A (Lanfrankie, Mar. 16, 1971), U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,983A (Seakan, Feb. 25, 1969), U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,416A (Hurwitz, Oct. 2, 1968), U.S. Pat. No. 9,290,162B1 (Gesy, Mar. 22, 2016), disclose various biasing means, brush shaft angles, gravity, weights, cables, pullies, tensions springs, and counter weights to enable the wash operation and affect the rotating brush to vehicle surface contact force.
The relevant international patent EP1106457A2 (European Patent Office), issued to Messing on Jun. 13, 2001 discloses the use of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders to affect pressing the rotating, tiltable (in German "schwenkbar" see section "Beschreibung" [0011]), vertical brush against the vehicle surface (in German, "gegen das Fahrzeug gedrueckt wird", see section "Beschreibung" [0011]). It is further stated in claim 2 and in claim 3 (section in German "Patentansprueche"), that the pressure in the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders is adjustable and preset (in German "mit einem voreinstellbaren Druck").
The herewith reviewed and referenced patents describe various structures, components, brush arrangements and operating principles for an automatic vehicle wash apparatus. The problem identified, but not satisfactorily solved, is how to continuously manage the rotating brush to the vehicle contact to achieve the best possible, uniform, brush to vehicle contact, and, thereby, the best possible vehicle wash outcome. The various mechanical—, electromechanical,—and gravity based biasing means to effect pressure or force between the rotating brush and the vehicle surface do work, and are in many cases manually adjustable, but do not result into a uniform satisfactory wash outcome.

Encoder and programmable logic controller (PLC) implementation for a rotary brush automatic car wash system


A ground rodent repeller includes a main rod, a cover, a battery base and a control circuit board. One end of the main rod has an opening and a first screw thread. The cover has a second screw thread and a first locking part. The second screw thread and the first screw thread engage with each other. One end of the battery base has a second locking part, which engages with the first locking part of the cover. By this configuration, the components are designed for simple assembly, have a low production cost, can be promptly installed, and have ideal sealing and water proof effects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ground rodent repeller; in particular, to a repeller for repelling rodents by using audio frequencies.
2. Description of Related Art
Since ground rodents (such as groundhogs) like to dig the soil around roots of crop plants and tunnel extensive burrows, the growth of plants is directly damaged, and inhabitance of pests and rats are likely attracted, further causing plant diseases, creating losses and troubles for farmers. In current techniques, sound waves can be emitted at regular intervals to drive away underground rodents, thereby achieving the object of repelling rodents.
For example, Publication TW 303600 discloses a "Groundhog Repeller with Easily Replaceable Battery," including: a tube, an installation frame slidably disposed therein, a repeller unit disposed on the installation frame, and a top cover covering the top opening of the tube. A connection piece is connected between the top cover and the installation frame, enabling the installation frame to be pulled out of the tube in conjunction with the top cover, facilitating the replacing of battery of the repeller unit. Additionally, a screw passes through the top cover and a nut fixes the connection piece onto the underside of the top cover. Additionally, a handle is disposed at the head of the screw, and lies flat on the top cover when not in use so as to reduce its height of protrusion.
However, the groundhog repeller requires the handle to be turned about ten to twelve seconds during operation in order to loosen the screw with the nut, so that the top cover, waterproof pad and the tightening piece are loosened with gaps in between them, allowing a human hand to apply force on the handle to pull out the installation frame for battery replacement. The implication is that during operation, much time needs to be spent on turning the handle to form gaps between the various parts before they can be pulled out (because the top cover, waterproof pad and the tightening piece must be in a tightened state to be waterproof, the three components cannot be pulled out without first turning the handle to loosen the screw with the nut and gaps are formed between the three loosened components.)
Therefore, the groundhog repeller has a complicated and time consuming procedure for battery replacement, and a higher production cost due to the relatively high number of components. Moreover, the top cover, waterproof pad and tightening pad all have apertures for the screw to pass through. Since the device is installed outdoors for long periods of time and subject to indiscriminate weather, it is easily corroded. The constant tightening and loosening between the screw and the nut also causes wear. The aperture of the waterproof pad is easily stretched and deformed, eventually creating gaps for air and water to seep through and into the device, further leading to short-circuiting and corrosion of the circuit within the installation frame.
Hence, the present inventor believes the above mentioned disadvantages can be overcome, and through devoted research combined with application of theory, finally proposes the present disclosure which has a reasonable design and effectively improves upon the above mentioned disadvantages.


A method for monitoring a packaging process of at least one article. In the method, a sort of an article is acquired before it is placed in a transport container. At least one image and at least one depth measurement of the article are recorded after it is placed in the transport container. The three-dimensional dimensions of the article are calculated and are compared with a specification for the acquired sort of the article. If the dimensions of the article do not agree with the specification, a warning is issued.

In a distribution center, at stationary work stations, packaged articles are packaged in transport units by employees. The packaged articles must be entered into a WMS (Warehouse Management System), with product number, quantity, and further information.
For this purpose, the employee identifies the article and the packaging quantity by visually inspecting the label. If the product number is present on the label as a barcode, then the barcode is acquired using a hand scanner, instead of visually. Subsequently, the employee manually counts the number of packagings of this article, and enters the quantity in the WMS.
If additional information, such as manufacturing date, batch number, or serial number, is to be acquired, this information is read from the label by the employee and is also entered in the WMS. Individually, this information is given on a separate barcode on the label that can be acquired by a hand scanner. This manual acquisition of information concerning the packaged articles in the WMS represents a large part of the overall work that goes into the packaging of articles for transport.
Following the identification and the counting, the employee packages the products into the transport unit. This step is not further acquired in the WMS. Because the packaging process is the final step in the supply chain, errors that occur due to human acquisition of the data, such as quantity errors (oversupplying or undersupplying) and identification errors (supplying the wrong product) are first discovered only by the customer.

Method and camera system for monitoring a packaging process


An apparatus for dispensing soft serve frozen food product, such as soft serve ice cream and the like, provides the ability to select the fat content or other characteristic of the ice cream dispensed from the machine.

Current soft serve ice cream machines are only able to serve two flavors of soft serve ice cream, such as vanilla and chocolate, and a combination of those two flavors, the so-called "twist." Moreover, there is no convenient way to provide additional flavors of ice cream supplied by the machine or to change or control the fat content, overrun, or other characteristics of the ice cream dispensed from the machine. There also is no way to add any additional ingredients, such as nuts, candies, toppings, sauces, whipped cream, variegates, sodas, and other flavorings or mix-ins, to the basic ice cream provided by the machine, except by manually adding such ingredients to the ice cream after it has been dispensed from the machine.

Dispensing system for blended frozen food compositions