A closure stopper particularly for bottles or the like containing infusion solutions, having an elastic stopper part which is to be inserted in sealing fashion into the bottle neck and rests with a resting shoulder on the bottle neck and a cover part connected therewith. To obtain a solution of particularly optimal utility, cover part 15 coordinated with the stopper part by means of a clamping plug connection in the manner that the stopper part has a recess for the spreading insertion of a flange which protrudes from the cover part and is clamped between the stopper part and the cover part of a flanged cap.

The invention relates to a closure stopper, in particular for bottles or the like containing infusion solutions, having an elastic stopper part which is to be inserted in sealing fashion into the bottle neck and rests with a resting shoulder on the bottle neck and a cover part connected therewith.
In the known solutions of this type (German OS No. 32 39 302), a plug-shaped basic body of plastic with a grip piece integrally formed thereon is provided, the basic body being covered with rubber elastic material in the region of its sealing surfaces. The cover part serves in this connection as a support part. In order to obtain the connection, the base body has a skeletal-like shape, the openings being so closed by injection-molding the other material around them that both materials penetrate into each other to form an interconnecting part. This solution is disadvantageous from the standpoint of manufacture, sealing and handling. The coordinating of a flanged cap is difficult. The total hygienic isolation of a puncture surface which is to be exposed for a removal cannula is not present and not possible. It has furthermore been found that all the rubber-like materials (thermoplastic rubber=TPR) entering into consideration from the standpoint of injection molding and sealing technology are not sufficiently inert over extremely long periods of use with respect to all corresponding liquids. There is also occasionally the disadvantage that upon the insertion of the cannula through the stopper for the removal, minute torn-off pieces fall into the bottle or the like where they can cause mechanical and, upon further transport through the probe tube, even medical complications.

Stopper for infusion and transfusion bottles


Fuel rail assemblies include a tubular fuel rail for supplying fuel to a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine. Rigid conduits are coupled to the fuel rail so as to allow relative rotational movements therebetween and thus permit, during production, the correction of any angular mismatch between the injectors and the engine with which the injectors are to be associated. A longitudinally extending, lateral ledge may be provided so as to support a clip which retains the injectors in the fuel rail assembly during production. Countercurrent flow within some embodiments of the fuel rail assemblies is provided by positioning an inner conduit within an outer conduit so as to establish therebetween a fuel flow passageway. Thus, the supply and discharge nipples for the fuel rail may be provided in close physical relationship with one another and thereby more easily facilitate their interconnection to a vehicle's fuel system during production.

Fuel injected internal combustion engines have in recent years been employed by automotive manufacturers as a more fuel efficient alternative to conventional carbureted engines. Moreover, fuel injected internal combustion engines provide a more accurate means (as compared to carbureted engines) to control a variety of engine operating parameters via an on-board electronic control unit (ECU).
Fuel is typically supplied to the injectors by means of one or more rigid conduits (usually referred to as "fuel rails" in art parlance). The fuel rails are thus adapted to receiving the injectors at spaced-apart locations along the fuel rail so as to be in alignment with respective positions of the intake ports of an internal combustion engine. In such a manner, fuel from the vehicle's fuel system may be supplied to the individual injectors via the fuel rail.
During production of fuel injected internal combustion engines, the fuel rail will usually have the injectors dependently attached thereto in some fashion (usually via a clip). This fuel rail/injector subassembly may then be mated with an engine block during assembly line production so that the injectors are positioned within respective intake ports of the engine.
Mating of the fuel rail/injector subassembly usually presents little problems during production of in-line configured engines (e.g., a four cylinder engine in which all of the cylinders are oriented "in-line" relative to the engine block). However, potential problems relating to angular mismatch as between the injectors of the fuel rail/injector subassembly and the intake ports of the engine block in which the injectors are to be seated may occur with V-configured engines (e.g., six or eight cylinder engines in which one bank of cylinders is situated laterally of the other cylinder bank, with the respective cylinder banks being oriented in a V-shape as viewed from the end of the engine block). For these reasons, it would be very desirable if the fuel rail included the means by which any angular mismatch between the fuel rail/injector subassembly and the intake ports of the engine block could be corrected on line during manufacturing.
As indicated briefly above, fuel rails must ultimately be connected to the vehicle's fuel system which usually entails connecting an inlet and an outlet of the fuel rail to "quick connectors" of conduits (typically flexible conduits) associated with the supply and return sides, respectively, of the vehicle's fuel system. Hence, during production, it would also be very desirable if the inlet and outlet of the fuel rail were each closely located relative to one another so that the interconnection with the vehicle's fuel system may be more efficiently accomplished by an assembly line worker.
It is towards achieving such desired attributes of automotiVe fuel rails that the present invention is specifically directed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a novel fuel rail is provided which includes the means by which angular mismatch between the fuel rail/injector subassembly is capable of being corrected on line during manufacture of the engine. At least one end of the fuel rail defines a recess in which an end of a rigid fuel conduit is accepted. The fuel conduit is itself provided with an annular flange which is retained in the recess of the fuel rail by means of a fixed-position, arcuately shaped retainer flange. The end of the retainer flange thus bears against the annular flange of the fuel conduit so as to retain the latter within the recess of the fuel rail, while yet also allowing relative rotational movements between the fuel rail and the fuel conduit. This relative rotational movement may then be used during manufacture so as to correct any angular mismatch which may be present between the fuel rail/injector subassembly and the engine block.
Inlet and outlet nipples may also be provided closely adjacent one another according to another aspect of this invention. That is, the present invention also contemplates a fuel rail comprised of a pair of substantially concentrically disposed conduits which define therebetween an annular space through which fuel may flow. Means may be provided at a terminal end of the inner conduit so as to positionally concentrically retain it within the outer conduit, and to establish fluid communication between the inner conduit and the annular passageway. In such a manner, the fuel rails of this invention may establish countercurrent flow of fuel therewithin.
These, as well as other aspects and advantages of this invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments which follow.

Fuel rail assemblies for internal combustion engines

Siemens-Bendix Automotive Electronics L.P.


A food container formed of a single sheet of plastic, which includes a cup (12), a cover (16) that is movable between open and closed positions on the cup top, and a container (20,22) that is movable between a stowed position in the cup and an unstowed position out of the cup. The cup has a cup flange (34) and the container has a container flange (60) that is pivotally connected to the cup flange along a pivot line (64) that can be torn to separate the container from the cup. The cover is pivotally connected to the cup top at the cover flange, and the container has a lift tab (220) that lies on the cover flange. The container has a side wall that forms a vertical channel (190) on its outside for passing a straw into liquid in the cup.

There are many foods that are best packaged separately but commonly eaten together. Some examples are French fries, ketchup, and salt; and apple pieces and yogurt. A food packaging system that packaged the foods separately in closed container(s) that lay in a tamper resistant cup which also held food, would be of value. It would be desirable if the container(s), the cup, and a cover were initially joined together, as with the parts of the combination formed of a single sheet of plastic. The sheet of plastic could join the parts together with pivot joints which connected the parts when being loaded with food and when later placed in a compact configuration. The loaded container could be stowed in the cup and the combination closed, by simply pivoting the container and cover to their closed positions at which they automatically hold tightly together to resist unauthorized access to any of the food as by a person who wants to taste the food before buying it.

Integrated food packaging system having a cup, a container, and a cover


An optical recording/reproducing apparatus having drive means for rotating a recording medium, an optical head for applying light to the recording medium being rotated by the drive means, thereby to record data signals on the recording medium or reproducing data from the recording medium, and a signal-processing circuit for processing a signal detected by the optical head. The optical head comprises a light source for emitting light, an objective lens, and signal detecting means. The objective lens has a numerical aperture NA, where 0.5 less than NAxe2x89xa60.6. The apparatus can reliably record data on and reproduce data from high-density optical recording media that have different track pitches.

The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprising an optical head for applying a laser beam to an optical recording medium, thereby to record data on and reproduce data from the optical recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus for use in combination with a plurality of optical recording media, each having recording tracks formed at a track pitch different from the track pitch of any one of the other optical recording media, or with an optical recording medium that have a plurality of recording regions, each having recording tracks formed at a track pitch different from the track pitch of any one of the other recording regions.
Data recording media, such as playback-only optical discs, phase-change optical discs, magneto-optical discs and optical cards, are widely used to store video data, audio data and other data such as computer programs. In recent years it has been increasingly demanded that these data recording media should record data at higher densities and in greater amounts.
In recent years, compact discs (CDs), recordable compact discs (CD-Rs) and rewritable compact discs (CD-RWs) have come into use as means for recording data in computers. Hence, CD-R/RW apparatuses for recording data signals on, and reproducing them from, these optical recording media are used in increasing numbers.
It is increasingly required that a great amount of data, such as image data, be stored. It is therefore desirable to increase the recording capacity of optical recording media such as CD-Rs and CD-RWs.
As is known in the art, tracking error signals are generated by DPP (Differential Push Pull) method or three-spot method in the optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus for use in combination with optical discs such as CD-Rs and CD-RWs.
FIG. 1 shows the positional relation between beam spots on a disc and beam spots on a photodetector, illustrating how a tracking error signal is generated in the DPP method.
A main spot SPm of the main beam is formed on an optical disc 211, while side spots SPs1 and SPs2 of two side beams are formed the optical disc 211, too. The side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm in the opposite radial directions, respectively, by a distance of Tp/2 (180xc2x0), where Tp is the intervals (track pitch) at which grooves GR (i.e., recording tracks) are arranged.
Photodiode sections 212M, 212S1 and 212S2 constitute a photodetector 212. Spots SPmxe2x80x2, SPs1xe2x80x2 and SPs2xe2x80x2 of light beams reflected from the optical disc 211, at the spots SPm, SPs1 and SPs2, are formed on the photodiodes 212M, 212S1 and 212S2, respectively. The photodiode section 212M comprises four photodiodes Da to Dd, which generate detection signals Sa to Sd. The photodiode section 212S1 comprises two photodiodes De and Df, which output detection signals Se and Sf. The photodiode section 212S2 comprises two photodiodes Dg and Dh, which output detection signals Sg and Sh.
FIG. 2 shows a circuit connection for generating a tracking error signal STE in the DPP method. A subtracter 221M subtracts the sum of the detection signals Sb and Sc from the sum of the detection signals Sa and Sd, generating a push-pull signal Sppm that corresponds to the light reflected from the main spot SPm. A subtracter 221S1 subtracts the detection signal Sf from the detection signal Se, generating a push-pull signal Spps1 that corresponds to the light reflected from the side spot SPs1. A subtracter 221S2 subtracts the detection signal Sh from the detection signal Sg, generating a push-pull signal Spps2 that corresponds to the light reflected from the side spot SPs2.
An adder 222 receives the push-pull signal Spps2 supplied via an amplitude adjuster 223 having gain G2. The adder 222 receives the push-pull signal Spps1, too. The adder 222 adds the push-pull signals Spps1 and Spps2, generating a sum signal Ss. A subtracter 224 receives the sum signal Ss via a amplitude adjuster 225 having gain G1. The substracter 224 receives the push-pull signal Sppm. The substracter 224 subtracts the sum signal Ss from the push-pull signal Sppm, generating a tracking error signal STE. Here, G1=A1/2A2, and G2=A2/A3, where A1 is the amplitude of the push-pull signal Sppm, A2 is the amplitude of the push-pull signal Spps1, and A3 is the amplitude of the push-pull signal Spps2. Thus, an offset is removed from the tracking error signal STE.
FIG. 3 depicts the positional relation between beam spots on a disc and beam spots on a photodetector, illustrating how a tracking error signal is generated in the three-spot method.
A main spot SPm of the main beam is formed on an optical disc 211, while side spots SPs1 and SPs2 of two side beams are formed the optical disc 211, too. The side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm in the opposite radial directions, respectively, by a distance of Tp/4 (90xc2x0), where Tp is the intervals (track pitch) at which grooves GR (i.e., recording tracks) are arranged.
Photodiode sections 213M, 213S1 and 213S2 constitute a photodetector 213. Spots SPmxe2x80x2, SPs1xe2x80x2 and SPs2xe2x80x2 of light beams reflected from the optical disc 211, at the spots SPm, SPs1 and SPs2, are formed on the photodiodes 213M, 213S1 and 213S2, respectively. The photodiode section 213M comprises four photodiodes Da to Dd, which generate detection signals Sa to Sd. The photodiode section 213S1 comprises a photodiodes Df, which outputs a detection signalsSf. The photodiode section 213S2 comprises a photodiode De, which outputs a detection signals Se.
FIG. 4 illustrates a circuit connection for generating a tracking error signal STE in the three-spot method. A subtracter 226 subtracts the detection signal Sf from the detection signal Se, generating the tracking error signal STE.
To increase the recording capacity of such an optical recording medium as described above, it is advisable to enhance the linear density or the track density. If the linear density of the optical recording medium is increased, the jitter in the signal reproduced from the medium will increase due to inter-code interference, unless the optical system for recording data signals on and reproducing them from the medium is modified in specification. If the track density is increased without modifying the optical system, a crosstalk will develop to make it difficult to reproduce the data signals reliably.
The problems described above can be solved by modifying the optical system, thereby reducing the diameter of the reading beam spot.
To reduce the diameter of the beam spot, various methods may be used. One method is to decrease the wavelength of the laser beam applied in the optical system. Another method is to increase the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens incorporated in the optical system. If the wavelength of the laser beam is changed, however, data signals will be neither recorded on, nor reproduced from, the existing CD-R. This is because the dye film, or recording layer, of the CD-R has reflectance that greatly depends on the wavelength of the laser beam. Further, if the NA of the objective lens is excessively large, coma-aberration will occur as the disc warps with respect to the axis of the laser beam or spherical aberration will develop due to the uneven thickness of the disc. The aberration, whether coma-aberration or spherical aberration, will increase the jitter in the signal reproduced from the medium.
Consider the detection of tracking error signals in the process of recording data signals on, or reproducing them from, various kinds of discs, each having recording tracks formed at a track density (track pitch) different from the track density of any one of the other discs. Then, the following problems seem to arise. To generate a tracking error signal STE in the DPP method, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced, as described above, from the main spot SPm in the opposite radial directions, respectively, by a distance of Tp/2(180xc2x0), where Tp is the intervals (track pitch) at which grooves GR (i.e., recording tracks) are arranged. Hence, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm by 1.6/2 xcexcm (180xc2x0) in the opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 5A, in an optical disc drive that uses a CD (Compact Disc) having track pitch Tp of 1.6 xcexcm.
In such an optical disc drive which holds an optical disc 211S having the track pitch Tp of 1.6 xcexcm, the push-pull signals Sppm, Spps1 and Spps2 change as shown in FIGS. 5B, 5C and 5D, respectively, with the position the main spot SPm takes in the radial direction. In this case, the push-pull signals Spps1 and Spps2 are in the same phase. The tracking error signal STE therefore has a sufficient amplitude as is illustrated in FIG. 5E.
Assume that the optical disc drive holds an optical disc 211D which has a track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm, i.e., two-thirds of the track pitch of CDs, and which therefore has greater recording capacity than CDs. If so, it will be difficult for the disc drive to generate tracking error signals STE that have a sufficient amplitude.
In this case, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm by 1.6/2 xcexcm (270xc2x0) in the opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 6A, in an optical disc drive. Hence, the push-pull signals Sppm, Spps1 and Spps2 change as shown in FIGS. 6B, 6C and 6D, respectively, with the position the main spot SPm takes in the radial direction. The push-pull signals Spps1 and Spps2 are therefore in the opposite phases. The tracking error signal STE has but a small amplitude as is illustrated in FIG. 6E.
As indicated above, in an optical disc drive wherein the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm by 1.6/2 xcexcm in the opposite directions, the tracking error signal STE generated by the DPP method has an extremely small amplitude if the disc drive holds an optical disc 211D which has a track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm, i.e., two-thirds of the track pitch of CDs. It is therefore difficult to use the optical disc 211D having track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm in this optical disc drive.
As mentioned above, too, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm in the opposite radial directions, respectively, by a distance of Tp/4 in the process of generating a tracking error signal STE by means of the three-spot method. Thus, in an optical disc drive that holds a disc having a track pitch Tp of 1.6 xcexcm as CDs, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm in the opposite radial directions, respectively, by a distance of 1.6/4 xcexcm (90xc2x0) as is illustrated in FIG. 7A.
Assume that this optical disc drive holds an optical disc 211S which has a track pitch Tp of 1.6 xcexcm. Then, the main signal Sm (i.e., the sum of detection signals Sa and Sd), the detection signal Se and detection signal Sf change as shown in FIGS. 7B, 7C and 7D, respectively, with the position the main spot SPm takes in the radial direction. The detection signals signals Se and Sf are therefore in the opposite phases. The tracking error signal STE has a sufficient amplitude as is illustrated in FIG. 7E.
Let us assume that this optical disc drive holds an optical disc 211D which has a track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm, i.e., two-thirds of the track pitch of CDs and which therefore has greater recording capacity than CDs. It is therefore difficult for the disc drive to generate tracking error signals STE that have a sufficient amplitude.
In this case, the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm by 1.6/4 xcexcm (135xc2x0) in the opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 8A, in an optical disc drive. The main signal Sm, detection signal Se and detection signal Sf therefore change as shown in FIGS. 8B, 8C and 8D, respectively, with the position the main spot SPm takes in the radial direction. The push-pull signals Spps1 and Spps2 are therefore in the opposite phases. The detection signals Se and Sf are not in the opposite phases. It follows that the tracking error signal STE has but a small amplitude as is illustrated in FIG. 8E.
As indicated above, in an optical disc drive wherein the side spots SPs1 and SPs2 are spaced from the main spot SPm by 1.6/4 xcexcm in the opposite directions, the tracking error signal STE generated by the three-spot method has an extremely small amplitude if the disc drive holds an optical disc 211D which has a track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm, i.e., two-thirds of the track pitch of CDs. Thus, it is difficult to use the optical disc 211D having track pitch Tp of 1.07 xcexcm in this optical disc drive.
This invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing. The first object of the invention is to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus that can reliably record and reproduce data on and from not only the existing optical recording media, but also a high-density recording medium.
The second object of the invention is to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus that can generates a tracking error signal which is a desirable one, regardless of the track pitch of the recording medium used in the apparatus.
An optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the invention is designed for use in combination with recording media that differ in track pitch, or a recording medium having recording regions that differ in track pitch. The apparatus comprises: drive means for rotating a recording medium; an optical head for applying light to the recording medium being rotated by the drive means, thereby to record data signals on the recording medium or reproducing data from the recording medium; and a signal-processing circuit for processing a signal detected by the optical head. The optical head comprises a light source for emitting light, an objective lens for condensing the light emitted by the light source on the recording medium and signal-detecting means for receiving the light reflected from the recording medium, thereby to detect signals. The objective lens has a numerical aperture NA, where 0.5 less than NAxe2x89xa60.6.
The objective lens has a numerical aperture NA, where 0.5 less than NAxe2x89xa60.6 in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus. The apparatus can, therefore, reliably record data on and reproduce data from a high-density optical recording media that have different track pitches.
An optical disc drive according to the invention is designed for use in combination with optical discs, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other optical disc, or an optical disc having recording regions, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other recording region. The optical head drive comprises: light beam applying means for forming a main spot, a first side spot and a second side spot on the optical disc, said first and second spots spaced apart from the main spot in the opposite radial directions; error signal generating means for generating a tracking error signal from light reflected from at least the first and second side spots, said tracking error signal representing a distance by which the main spot deviates from any recording track in the radial direction; and tracking control means for controlling the light beam applying means in accordance with the tracking error signal, thereby to move the main spot to a predetermined position on the recording track. The light beam applying means forms the first and second side spots, each between a first position and a second position. The first position is one each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc is one that has the longest track pitch. The second position is one each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc is one that has the shortest track pitch.
The first and second side spots are formed between the first position each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc and the second position each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc is one that has the shortest track pitch. Hence, the error signal generating means can generate a tracking error signal that has sufficient amplitude, regardless of the tracking pitch of the optical disc held in the disc drive. Thus, the disc drive can record and reproduce data on and from optical discs, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other optical disc, or an optical disc having recording regions, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other recording region.
The amplitude of the tracking error signal generated from the light reflected from an optical disc depends on the tracking pitch of the optical disc. In view of this, the optical disc drive may further comprise gain control means for controlling the gain of the error signal generating means, thereby causing the error signal generating means to generate a tracking error signal that has the same amplitude for different track pitches.
As has been described, the present invention can provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus that can reliably record and reproduce data on and from not only the existing optical recording media, but also a high-density recording medium, by using an optical pickup having a specified numerical aperture and by making the pits smaller.
Moreover, the invention can provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, wherein a main spot, a first side spot and a second side spot are formed on the optical disc. The first and second spots spaced apart from the main spot in the opposite radial directions. A tracking error signal is generated from light reflected from at least the first and second side spots. The tracking error signal represents a distance by which the main spot deviates from any recording track in the radial direction. In accordance with the tracking error signal, the main spot is moved to a predetermined position on the recording track. The first and second side spots are located, each between a first position and a second position. The first position is one each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc is one that has the longest track pitch. The second position is one each side spot takes to generate a tracking error signal of a maximum amplitude when the optical disc is one that has the shortest track pitch. Therefore, the apparatus can generate a tracking error signal of sufficient amplitude, regardless of the track pitch of the optical disc. Additionally, the apparatus can record and reproduce data on and from optical discs, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other optical disc, or an optical disc having recording regions, each having recording tracks and differing in track pitch from any other recording region.

Optical drive apparatus for use with different recording media, tracking control method for use therein, and optical disc


A windshield molding is used to install a windshield to a motor vehicle. Members composing the molding are bent or extended according to the upper and side edge portions of the windshield. The molding can assure a good sealing between the upper edge of the windshield and the vehicle body, and can conduct rain water through drain channels defined between the side edges of the windshield by means of a member disposed between the molding and the windshield. The members composing the molding can be made into one body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a molding for installing a windshield to a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
With an automobile, a molding is required to firmly install a windshield to a vehicle body panel and to completely seal a gap between the periphery of the windshield and the body panel.
In general, a windshield is wound a rubber or plastic strip around its periphery and is fixed to a body panel by means of an adhesive, a duplex adhesive tape or the like. Then a molding is installed in a gap between the body panel and the rubber or plastic strip so as to serve as a sealing member and a decorative member.
In the above-mentioned structure, drain channels are defined along side edges of the windshield. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 32915/1988 exemplifies a dam, which is made by carving a side molding so as to guide rain water. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 32916/1988 discloses a dam which is made on a side molding by means of the injection process.
In the former, a carved edge of the side molding sometimes suffers from burrs. It is necessary to take some measures to prevent the burrs. Besides, the side molding becomes narrower than the upper molding, which might impair external appearance of the whole molding. In the latter, a dam is added by means of the injection process after the molding is produced by the extrusion process. Therefore, part of synthetic resin composing the dam might leak to a decorative portion of the molding, thereby causing the boundary between the molding and the dam to be unclear, and damaging the decorative portion of the molding. In addition, there is an inconvenience that the part made by the extrusion molding and that made by the injection molding somewhat differ from each other in the appearance.


An embodiment of a device in accordance with the present invention is adapted to be positioned at least partially in a mouth of a user to reduce resistance of air flow in the oral pharyngeal region and to improve anatomic and functional relationships of the oral pharyngeal structure. The device comprises a base unit adapted to be removably mounted on a lower jaw of the mouth, a pair of tongue positioner guides, each tongue positioner guide connected at a proximal end to the base unit, and a pair of tongue positioners, each connected with a distal end of a corresponding tongue positioner guide. The tongue positioner guides each comprise a bendable material so that the pair of tongue positioners are repositionable relative to the base unit.

Upper airway resistance to airflow afflicts millions of individuals and can have very serious medical consequences including significant morbidity and mortality. The health effects are brought about by the disruption of normal sleep with snoring and sleep apnea (i.e. a complete stoppage of breathing for a period of time). The effects of snoring and sleep apnea may also compromise the well being of those sleeping in proximity to the afflicted person by disrupting their ability to achieve healthy, restful sleep.
Sleep is impacted by both the increased effort needed to overcome increased resistance to airflow and by the fragmentation of sleep patterns brought about by awakenings that occur in both hyponia (i.e. reduced air flow) and apneic events (i.e. periods of stoppage of air flow). These conditions limit one's ability to enter deeper stages of sleep that are necessary to refresh and restore and are damaging to many body systems.
The primary treatment for snoring and apnea is the use of a device, referred to as a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device. The CPAP device delivers pressurized air from a pumping component through a hose to a mask which is secured over the nose of the individual. The CPAP device can be successful at correcting the problem but it is not well tolerated by a significant group of individuals due to discomfort and lifestyle issues, and due to the lack of portability of the CPAP device. Because of these factors a significant number of patients are forced to abandon the use of this therapy.
Surgical techniques that attempt to permanently correct snoring problems encountered by individuals have been available for many years. However, surgical techniques are complicated and invasive and sometimes permanently change the appearance of the individual. In addition, numerous medical drawbacks are inherent in surgical procedures, including cost, irreversibility, surgical risk, and long painful recovery periods.
Numerous alternative devices have been developed which attempt to alleviate or eliminate snoring problems without invasive surgery. Some devices have focused on improving airflow through the nose. These devices are used both in awake periods, during increased demand such as athletic usage, and during sleep to improve airflow as an anti-snoring device. One such device, taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,667 to Ruch, attaches to the external skin along the right and left sides of the nose by means of adhesives. The device is spring biased and pulls the skin outward to strengthen and expand the nasal passages. However, the device of Ruh '667 is disposable and the adhesives can irritate the skin. Another device, taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,543 to Corsaro, is designed to fit inside the nasal airway and push the inner walls of the nose out, expanding the air passage. The device of Corsaro '543 can irritate the sensitive inner lining of the mucosa of the nasal airway and is awkward to use.
Other devices have been developed which attempt to alleviate or eliminate snoring problems without invasive surgery by repositioning the lower jaw (mandible) in an anterior (forward) direction. The repositioning pulls the base of the tongue forward, thereby increasing the air passage in the posterior pharyngeal region (i.e. the breathing passage behind the base of the tongue). Devices which bring the mandible forward into a functional repositioning posture, and which hold the posterior airway open can be adjustable or non-adjustable. A non-adjustable device fits in the mouth at a prescribed position. The disadvantage of this is that there are changes that occur over time which require the position of the mandible in relationship to the maxilla to be changed. Available adjustable devices arrange significant components inside the mouth behind the teeth. These components take up space inside the mouth, restricting the space for the tongue and preventing the tongue from coming forward. Some devices also have projections which extend from the mouth out between the lips. These affect the user's ability to close their lips, making the appliance less comfortable and inhibiting the ability of the user to turn to different positions during sleep.
Simpler devices have recently been developed to treat sleep apnea. One such device is THE FULL BREATH SOLUTION®, developed by the Full Breath Corporation of Tarzana, Calif., which prevents blockage of the throat by the tongue by holding the base of the tongue down and forward. However, such devices rely on materials positioned at the back of the throat which can cause gagging.
There is a need for devices and techniques to improve airflow in nasal-pharyngeal airways that reduce or eliminate the disadvantages of available treatments.
DRAWINGS - Reference Numerals:102/202/base unit104lingual wall402/402106lateral wall108occlusal wall110/210ratchet housing111/211pawl114modular attachment point118bite surface120nasio-labial dilator122dilator stem130maxillary repositioning131dilator stem pocketflange132support shelf133support shelf pocket134access port135stem connection point136/236ratchet137/237ratchet teeth139support stem pocket140/340pos. vestibular padsupport142brace144tines146/346posterior vestibular pad150anterior vestibularpad support152pad stem153upper injection port154anterior pad valve155lower injection port156anterior vestibular pad158flange spacing pad159support stem160tongue positioner guide162tongue positioner403occlusal chamber430maxillary flange456anterior vestibular pad

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dental appliance with adjustable tongue repositioner


A heart valve prosthesis is proposed, including a housing, at least one leaflet installed within the housing, at least one sensor and/or valve performance monitoring device. The sensor and/or monitoring device is built into the housing and/or leaflet. In an embodiment, the housing and/or leaflet has an oscillating circuit including an inductor coil connected to the sensor and/or monitoring device. One such coil can be built into the housing, and another coil can be built into the leaflet. In another embodiment, one coil can be built into a first leaflet, and another coil can be built into a second leaflet, wherein the sensor and/or monitoring device determines a degree of opening/closing the leaflets by measuring inductive interconnection between the coils, and operation timing characteristics of the valve. In an embodiment, the valve may include an emission sensor disposed within the leaflet and/or housing capable of detecting the valve's open/closed positions.

Known in the art is a sensor for heart valve prostheses (WO 2016/028583, Feb. 25, 2016). The disclosed sensor is a separate implantable in the heart device being a frame body with sensing elements coupled to it.
Known in the art also a device for monitoring the heart valve performance, the device being an elongate tube connected to the left ventricle of the heart. A blood pressure sensor is attached to the tube (WO 2017/136733, Aug. 10, 2017). The disclosed sensor is a separate implantable device/unit.
Known in the art a device for monitoring physiological parameters of the human body implanted in vivo with various sensors (US 2017086683, Mar. 30, 2017).
In all of the above mentioned devices, their sensors are separate implantable articles, which do not substitute any native body organs and do not fulfill functions of any organs. The shortcoming/imperfection of such devices is that during the entire period of operation their sensor is washed by blood flow, which imposes special requirements on choosing the proper materials for sensor manufacturing and demands additional research assessment of compatibility of these materials with blood and human body tissues. Besides, there are appearing problems of blood clots agglomeration along the parts/components of the implanted devices, which may result in thrombosis, blood vessels occlusion and a patient's death.
The term "sensor" used in the present application may include, without limitation, electrical, temperature, mechanical, acoustical, magnetic, optical sensors and combinations thereof. An example of a combined sensor is the ultrasonic piezo transducer/emitter (electromechanical sensor or electroacoustic sensor depending on the usage variant).
Functionally, the implanted devices may have mechanisms of wireless power supply and wireless communication with the external devices including necessary antenna devices.


A non-invasive method for determining the tissue perfusion state in a patient, by measuring the variations in the skin CO2 pressure and in the perfusion index of the patient during the conducting of a localized hyperthermia test.

States of shock, whatever their origin (cardiogenic, hemorrhagic and/or septic), lead to a drop in tissue perfusion with a more or less marked effect on small vessel perfusion. This microcirculatory impairment leads to a dysfunction or even failure of various organs, which worsens patient prognosis. Currently, there is a need for monitors capable of reflecting the microcirculatory perfusion state. Among the instruments recently developed, some monitors measure tissue CO2 and perfusion index (or PI).
The measurement of the partial CO2 pressure in tissues (PtissueCO2) has been identified as a reliable marker of tissue perfusion in many publications: an increase in tissue CO2, in particular compared with arterial CO2 (calculation of the tissue-arterial gradient: Pt−aCO2), reflects tissue accumulation of CO2 due to a concomitant drop in perfusion. The devices currently available for measuring tissue CO2 are gastric tonometry (PgCO2) or sublingual measurement (PslCO2). Recently, the measurement of cutaneous CO2 (PcCO2) at the earlobe has been described as a measurement of tissue CO2 (WO 2011/024018). Like the other measurements of tissue CO2, an elevation in cutaneous CO2 at the earlobe is a marker for poor prognosis in states of shock and a reliable reflection of microcirculatory perfusion.
The perfusion index (PI), derived from the oxygen saturation (SpO2) plethysmography signal, reflects the pulsatile part of the SpO2 signal. This parameter and especially variations therein during the treatment of patients have been described as a reliable reflection of tissue perfusion.
However, the diagnosis of an impairment of microcirculatory perfusion during a state of shock does not make it possible to guide the therapy since these impairments can have various etiologies and therefore require very diverse therapies. Two situations may schematically be encountered:    (1) "Predominant central" problem: due to a generalized hypoperfusion owing to a low cardiac output leading to a macrocirculatory hypoperfusion and therefore also a microcirculatory hypoperfusion (situation encountered in the acute phase of a state of hemorrhagic or cardiogenic shock). In this situation, there is usually no damage to the integrity of the endothelial and microcirculatory function, the peripheral hypoperfusion is due to a drop in overall perfusion. After restoration of central hemodynamics, the microcirculatory hypoperfusion may either rapidly return to normal, or decrease without completely returning to normal due to vasoconstriction of the peripheral territories (such as the skin) favoring perfusion of the noble organs. This case corresponds to a "distributive" problem, due to the abnormality of redistribution from the central blood flow to regional flows, which leads to a residual peripheral hypoperfusion but without structural abnormality of the microvessels and of the endothelial function.    (2) "Predominant peripheral" problem: due to a functional impairment of the state of the microvessels with vascular rarefaction and destruction of the integrity of the vascular endothelium, leading to an abolition of reactional vasodilation and creating a real obstacle to tissue perfusion without any adaptive possibility. In this case, little or no central hypoperfusion is observed, but a direct effect on microcirculatory function, leading to peripheral hypoperfusion, is observed. This situation is encountered in cases of septic shock after initial hemodynamic treatment, but also in various pathological conditions where affected vascular reactivity and affected microcirculation are frequent and influence patient prognosis (for example in the case of diabetic patients, of patients with chronic hypertension, of patients suffering from system disease with angiitis, of patients suffering from renal failure, etc.).
These two situations can give the same quantitative evaluation of the impairment of microcirculatory perfusion (same elevation of tissue CO2 and same decrease in PI), although they require fundamentally different therapies. In situation (1), termed "predominant central", an attempt will be made to rapidly restore central hemodynamics in a long-lasting manner, which will lead to a gradual improvement in microcirculatory perfusion. In situation (2), termed "predominant peripheral", the prognosis is more serious because of the structural damage to the microcirculation; etiological treatment is predominant and therapies specific to this situation are still currently being studied.

Non-invasive method for measuring tissue perfusion state


A field-effect transistor, which contains: a gate electrode configured to apply gate voltage; a source electrode and a drain electrode, which are configured to extract electric current; an active layer formed of a n-type oxide semiconductor, provided in contact with the source electrode and the drain electrode; and a gate insulating layer provided between the gate electrode and the active layer, wherein the n-type oxide semiconductor is a triclinic crystal compound, a monoclinic crystal compound, or a trigonal crystal compound, each of which is substitutionally doped with at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of a divalent cation, a trivalent cation, a tetravalent cation, a pentavalent cation, and a hexavalent cation, and wherein a valence of the dopant is greater than a valence of a metal ion constituting the n-type oxide semiconductor, excluding the dopant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field-effect transistor, a display element, an image display device, and a system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a field-effect transistor containing an active layer composed of oxide semiconductor, a display element and an image display device each containing the field-effect transistor, and a system equipped with the image display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A field-effect transistor (FET) is a transistor which controls electric current passed between a source electrode and a drain electrode by voltage is applied to a gate electrode to provide a gate for a flow of electrons or holes with applying an electric field to a channel.
The FET has been used as a switching element or an amplifying element, because of properties thereof. Since an FET shows a small gate current and has a flat profile, it can be easily manufactured or integrated compared to a bipolar transistor. For these reasons, the FET is an indispensable element used in many of integrated circuits of current electric devices.
The FET is applied in an active matrix display as a thin film transistor (TFT).
In recent years, liquid crystal displays, organic EL (electroluminescent) displays, electronic paper, and the like have been made into practical use as flat panel displays (FPDs).
These FPDs are driven by a driving circuit containing TFT using amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon in an active layer. There are demands for the FPD to be increased in the size, resolution, and driving speed thereof. Along with these demands, TFTs are required to have higher carrier mobility, less characteristic change over time, and less inter-element characteristic variations in a panel.
However, TFTs using amorphous silicon (a-Si) or polycrystalline silicon (particularly, low temperature polysilicon: LTPS) for an active layer have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it has been difficult to achieve all of the requirements at the same time.
For example, the a-Si TFT has disadvantages that the mobility thereof is insufficient to drive a large-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) at high speed, and that a large shift of the threshold voltage occurs when being continuously driven. The LTPS-TFT has large mobility, but has problems that variations in threshold voltage is large, as an active layer is crystallized by excimer laser annealing, and a mother glass size of a production line cannot be made large.
Therefore, there is a need for a novel TFT technology, which has both an advantage of a-Si TFT and an advantage of LTPS-TFT. In order to meet this need, development of TFT using an oxide semiconductor, to which carrier mobility superior to that of a-Si can be expected, has been recently actively carried out.
Particularly, InGaZnO4 (a-IGZO), which can be formed into a film at room temperature, and exhibits greater mobility in the amorphous state than that of a-Si, is disclosed (see, K. Nomura and five others, Room-temperature fabrication of transparent flexible thin-film transistors using amorphous oxide semiconductors, NATURE, VOL. 432, No. 25, NOVEMBER, 2004, pp. 488-492). Since this disclosure, numerous researches on an amorphous oxide semiconductor having high mobility have been actively conducted.
However, an oxygen concentration of the aforementioned oxide semiconductor needs to be precisely controlled during a film forming process, as carrier electrons are generated by oxygen vacancy. If it is attempted to realize high mobility, the oxide semiconductor tends to be in a depression state, and a process window for realizing normally-off is extremely narrow. Moreover, the oxygen concentration in the film is changed by patterning or passivation process after forming the oxide semiconductor film, and therefore the properties thereof tend to be deteriorated.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, a countermeasure has been conventionally studied based on two viewpoints. The first viewpoint is to compensate carriers generated by oxygen vacancy with introduction of a p-type dopant (e.g., substituting In3+ with Zn2+) to thereby maintain the carrier concentration low (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2002-76356 and 2006-165529). In association with this method, it is also attempted to add a small amount of counter cations to stabilize the p-type dopant (for example, substituting In3+ with Zn2+, and adding a trace amount of Sn4+ ([Zn2+]>[Sn4+])) (see International Publication No. WO2008-096768). The other is a method, in which a certain amount of a metal element (e.g., Al, Zr, and H) having high affinity to oxygen is introduced to prevent generation of carriers (see, J. S. Park, five others, Novel ZrInZnO Thin-film Transistor with Excellent Stability, Advanced Materials, VOL. 21, No. 3, 2009, pp. 329-333).
However, all of the methods had a problem, such as insufficient stability, and low mobility.

Field-effect transistor, display element, image display device, and system


The present invention provides a method and system for determining three-dimensional refractive gradient index distribution. The method and system of the present invention determine inhomogeneity data and calculate index of refraction changes in three-dimensions (3D). The method and system provide 3D modeling of an optical object or system that determines the three-dimensional distribution of the refractive index in the object. In one embodiment, the optical object is a blank. In different embodiments, the optical system is more than one blank. In alternative embodiments, the optical system can be a projection optics system that can include optical components such as lenses, filters, plates, and prisms. The present invention also provides a method for selecting a plurality of preferred optical elements to assemble a composite optical system with predetermined parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optics and, in particular, to determining refractive index distribution in optics for microlitography.
2. Description of the Related Art
Improvement in the manufacturing accuracy of optical components requires more accurate techniques for measuring the properties of optical components.
A two-dimensional (2D) radial model of gradient index (GRIN) is a measuring technique that can be used to estimate the inhomogeneity of optical materials, such as glass or crystals. The existing 2D GRIN techniques estimate the inhomogeneity in two directions, defined according to a Cartesian axis system.
A 2D radial model for GRIN measurement is used to obtain approximate refractive index description. The 2D radial model estimates the inhomogeneity of the optical material by assuming that the refractive index can vary only in two directions. It also assumes that inhomogeneity is constant through the optical material, along a third Cartesian direction. These assumptions greatly simplify the method, system, and computational complexity required to determine the refractive index, encompassed in a workable range. But they introduce a relatively wide range of error.
As the requirements regarding optical components become stricter, the need for more precise measurement methods and systems becomes apparent. What is needed is a technique to determine the three-dimensional refractive gradient index for the optical components.
The present invention is directed to a method, system and computer program product for determining a three-dimensional refractive gradient index of an object. The object comprises an optical material. The optical material, such as a blank in lithography processes, can be a piece of glass, quartz, plastic or other transparent material, fabricated roughly by molding or shaped into the desired finished part. The method is carried out with an interferometric refractive index measurement system.
First the object is located, with a normal orientation, in the interferometric refractive index measurement system, along a first axis, between a reference surface and a retro-mirror surface. A second and a third axis are normal to each other and normal to the first axis.
Second, first through forth phase differences are measured between: a reference wavefront and a wavefront reflected from a first surface of the object; a reference wavefront and a wavefront reflected from a second surface of the object through the object itself; reference wavefront and wavefront reflected from the surface of the retro-mirror through the object and a reference wavefront and a wavefront reflected from the surface of the retro-mirror without object.
Based on these measurements, first through forth two-dimensional surface deformations are determined for the reference surface, the first surface and the second surface of the object, respectively. An average two-dimensional inhomogeneity of the object is then determined. In one embodiment of the invention, using Zernike polynomials, a plurality of coefficients of approximation are determined.
Further on, the object is moved through a plurality of rotation and positions by angles about the second and the third axis. Phase differences are measured between the reference wavefront and a wavefront reflected from the surface of the retro-mirror through the object for each one of the rotations. A plurality of three-dimensional coefficients of approximation are then determined based on the already-assessed surface deformations. The procedure concludes with the determination of a plurality of Aij coefficients describing a three-dimensional refractive gradient index distribution in the object.
The above method is applied, but not limited to, determining three-dimensional refractive gradient index of lens blank objects, lens objects, of cylindrical volumes of optical material. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the optical material is glass or plastic.
The interferometric refractive index measurement system is implemented using one of Fizeau, Michaelson, Twyman-Green, Mach-Zehnder or other known or future known interferometers.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the source for generating the reference wave front is a laser source.
The invention further provides a method for selecting a plurality of preferred optical elements used to assemble a composite optical system with predetermined parameters. The method comprises the steps of selecting a first through N groups of optical elements, wherein N has a predetermined value, testing each optical element of first through N groups of optical elements, using the above method for determining a three-dimensional refractive gradient index, determining a plurality of optical characteristics for each tested optical element, and selecting at least one preferred optical element from each of first through N groups of tested optical elements, based on the determined optical characteristics to design or otherwise assemble a composite optical system.
Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein.

Method, system, and computer program product for determining refractive index distribution


A device executes a system tool for shutting down running applications. The system tool includes a media presentation module. While displaying a user interface of the system tool, the device detects a first trigger operation when the media presentation module operates in a first state that corresponds to a first level of computing resource footprint. In response to detecting the first trigger operation: the device executes an application-closing process, and continuously updates a progress of the application-closing process. After at least one running application has been shut down, the device operates the media presentation module in a second state that corresponds to a second level of computing resource footprint and that displays media information that is receive from the server, including allocating an amount of computing resources to operating the media presentation module in the second state based on an amount of resources freed up by closing applications.

Generally, most tool applications all have a media information presentation function. Specifically, the applications may be management-type applications, of terminals, for supporting functions such as installation and offloading of applications in the terminals and space cleaning of the terminals. Media information content includes, for example, advertisement content. On one hand, most media information in tool applications is presented by using a title bar, that is, presented by using a newly added rectangular area such as a banner. On the other hand, the tool applications generally have no media information platform, that is, the media information presented in the tool applications is not controlled by the tool application parties, leading to relatively low controllability and a low hit rate of the media information.

Information processing method, terminal, server, and computer storage medium

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A board game includes a game board with four food groups represented on four sides by individual spaces for particular food items in the food group. The object is to complete the preparation of a food item from each group. Each space assigns a preparation time for the food item, and further time adjustments can be made through xe2x80x9cSimmerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBoilxe2x80x9d cards having time adjustments and other instructions, and by landing on a xe2x80x9cStewxe2x80x9d space that adds time. Rolling numbered dice and landing on a food item starts the preparation or process. The player must then land on a xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d space and roll a pair of dice with time amounts displayed, with the displayed time amounts being subtracted from the accumulated preparation time. The first to complete this process for four food items wins.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a board game and, more specifically, to a board game based upon the preparation of a dinner in which the players must prepare a dinner consisting of food items from four food groups.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other board games designed for recreational activities but do not contain a board including necessary measures needed to prepare a dinner. Another difference is that other board games do not function in the same manner as the present invention with regard to the necessary objectives and procedures that must be met in order to win.
While these board games may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a board game based on the preparation of a four course dinner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a board game containing a pair of dice that contain various amounts of minutes marked thereon.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a board game containing a pair of dice that when rolled the total does not exceed eight.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide two decks of cards containing various instructions to affect game play.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a game board based on the preparation of a dinner including food groups, foods, and cooking time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a board game where it is necessary to land on one food from each food group and deplete the related cooking time to win.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a board game that teaches children mathematics and provides food preparation information.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a board game for recreational use centered on the preparation of a dinner that also teaches mathematics and food preparation information. The board game is based upon the preparation of a dinner in which the players must prepare a dinner consisting of a food item from each of four food groups.
Each of the four food group items is along a separate side of the game board. Two of the corner spaces are marked with instructions either to draw a card from the xe2x80x9cSimmerxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cBoilxe2x80x9d stacks, and to follow the instructions on the card. A third corner is marked as xe2x80x9cStewxe2x80x9d and causes the addition of 60 minutes to the accumulation of preparation/cooking times for the food item. The fourth corner is the xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d space that serves as the starting place for the player""s tokens.
The object of the game is to roll numbered dice, move the player""s token and land on a food item from one of the four food groups and then continue rolling the dice and moving the token until the player""s token lands on the space predefined as xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d. The food item and various game features create an accumulation of preparation/cooking time that must be eliminated. After landing on the Get Cooking space the player rolls a second pair of dice marked with various amounts of preparation/cooking times, each displayed sum of time amounts being taken from the accumulated preparation/cooking time until all accumulated time is eliminated. The first player to complete this process for a food item from each of the four food groups is the winner.
A board game is provided for a number of players, the game designed to select and prepare food items for a meal, each player accumulating a total food preparation time during play for each food item, the apparatus comprising: at least two player tokens; at least one numbered die having at least four sides, each side having a number displayed; a game board defining a platform upon which the game is played, the board having at least four sides, each side representing a group of food items, each side having a plurality of individual spaces delineated for player token advancement according to a roll of the at least one die, each delineated space representing and displaying an item of food within the group of food items represented by the side on which the space is located, and each delineated space displaying a time indicia indicating the amount of preparation time required for the item of food displayed on said delineated space, one of said game board sides having a delineated space for player token occupation at the game beginning, and one of said game board sides having a delineated preparation time penalty space displaying the amount of the time penalty; at least one time indicia die having at least four sides, each side having an amount of time displayed; at least one stack of cards, each card having an instruction, with at least one card""s instruction affecting the player""s board position, and with at least one card""s instruction affecting the player""s total preparation time accumulation, the game board further having a designated area for placement of the at least one stack of cards, the game board further having at least one delineated space having an instruction to draw from the at least one stack of cards.
In another embodiment, the number of numbered die is two and the highest combination of displayed numbers equals four.
In another embodiment, the number of numbered die is two and the highest combination of displayed numbers equals eight.
In another embodiment, the at least one numbered die is six-sided.
In another embodiment, the at least one numbered die is eight-sided.
In another embodiment, the at least one time indicia die is six-sided.
In another embodiment, the at least one time indicia die is eight-sided.
In another embodiment, the number of stacks of cards is two.
In another embodiment, the first stack has cards labeled xe2x80x9cSimmerxe2x80x9d and the second stack has cards labeled xe2x80x9cBoilxe2x80x9d.
In another embodiment, the starting space is labeled xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the main course food group.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the vegetable food group.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the food group including soups and salads.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the dessert food group.
In another embodiment, the board game further comprises a set of instructions.
A method of playing a board game is provided for a number of players, the game designed to select and prepare food items for a meal, each player accumulating a total food preparation time during play for each food item, the comprising the steps of: providing at least two player tokens; providing at least one numbered die having at least four sides, each side having a number displayed; providing at least one time indicia die having at least four sides, each side having an amount of time displayed; providing a game board defining a platform upon which the game is played, the board having at least four sides, each side representing a group of food items, each side having a plurality of individual spaces delineated for player token advancement according to a roll of the at least one die, each delineated space representing and displaying an item of food within the group of food items represented by the side on which the space is located, and each delineated space displaying a time indicia indicating the amount of preparation time required for the item of food displayed on said delineated space, one of said game board sides having a delineated space for player token occupation at the game beginning, and one of said game board sides having a delineated preparation time penalty space displaying the amount of the time penalty; providing at least one stack of instruction cards, each card having an instruction, with at least one card""s instruction affecting the player""s board position, and with at least one card""s instruction affecting the player""s total preparation time accumulation, the game board further having a designated area for placement of the at least one stack of cards, the game board further having at least one individual delineated space having an instruction to draw from the at least one stack of cards; placing the at least one stack of cards face down in the designated area on the game board; placing the player tokens on the delineated starting space; requiring each player to roll the at least one numbered die and to advance said player""s token a number of delineated spaces to correspond with the numbered displayed on the die following the roll; requiring each player to draw an instruction card when said player""s token lands on the at least one delineated space that indicates the instruction card is to be drawn, and to follow the instruction on the drawn instruction card; requiring each player to prepare a four course meal including one food item from each side of the game board, the inclusion resulting from said player""s token landing on the food item; as each food item is so included: requiring the player to roll the at least one numbered die and advance said player""s token until said player""s token lands on a delineated food preparation space; requiring the player to roll the at least one time indicia die until time amounts displayed on the rolled die equals or exceeds the newly included food item""s designated preparation time, as adjusted by any preparation time adjustments that are made per the instruction card instructions or the preparation time penalty space penalty; requiring the player to return to the numbered die after so equaling or exceeding said time amounts for the first three included food items; declaring the player who equals or exceeds said time amounts for the fourth included food item as the winner.
In another embodiment, the delineated food preparation space is labeled xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d
In another embodiment, the delineated food preparation space is labeled xe2x80x9cGet Cookingxe2x80x9d and is the same space as the starting space for player tokens.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the main course food group.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the vegetable food group.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the food group including soups and salads.
In another embodiment, one game board side is for the dessert food group.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration the preferred embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. This embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.


A multi-tank indirect liquid level measurement device and method are disclosed. The device and method may be implemented using a sealable reservoir that holds an indicating liquid and pressurized air, a pump that supplies and/or pressurizes the air in the reservoir, a plurality of pipes each of which connect on one end to the tanks to be gaged and on their other ends to a valve for selectively and exclusively connecting to the pressurized air, and a manometer tube that displays the pressure difference between the sealable reservoir and atmospheric pressure as a height reading of the indicating liquid.

This disclosure relates to the measurement of liquid levels in recreational vehicle wastewater holding tanks.
Many recreational vehicles, such as campers, trailers, fifth wheelers, and motor homes, have one or more tanks for storing the effluent or wastewater originating in the toilet, sink, or shower. These tanks are typically called black water or gray water tanks. The effluent stored in black water and gray water tanks can easily clog or render inoperable a liquid level measurement apparatus or sensors in direct contact with the wastewater. Examples of typical direct wastewater measurement devices are ones that use conductance, capacitance, floats, or other direct means for measuring the liquid in a tank. Despite the numerous cleaning methods and chemicals that have been developed, many of the existing wastewater level measuring methods and systems can fail within several weeks, resulting in the owner of a recreational vehicle draining the wastewater tank or tanks too frequently or running the risk of a tank overflow.
A typical modern recreational vehicle has a plurality of wastewater holding tanks. There are normally separate tanks for black water (human waste from the toilet) and gray water (waste water from the kitchen sink). There may be a second gray water tank for effluent from a shower.
Indirect liquid level measurement systems exist. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,389,688 by John Vander Horst. These devices work, but it was desired to make a simpler purely mechanical device that requires no transducers and is capable of measuring the liquid level in multiple tanks using a single gage.

Multi-tank indirect liquid-level measurement


Photoconductive compositions of methine dye and aggregated pyrylium dye which, when incorporated into charge generation compositions for use in photoconductive film elements, display extended spectral sensitivity, enhanced visibility, and high resolution characteristics compared to either dye used separately. Preferred methine dyes are cyanine dyes with near infra red region sensitivity. The film elements also display reduced energy requirements for discharge.

Methine dyes are known to be useful in photoconductive compositions and elements, as are certain aggregated methine dyes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,022 describes photoconductive compositions and elements containing methine dyes in the J-aggregate state.
Aggregate photoconductive elements have been described extensively in the prior art, and, in particular, photoconductive compositions containing aggregated pyrylium dyes have been taught; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,615,418 and 3,973,962.
However, so far as is known, combinations of non-aggregated methine dyes with aggregated pyrylium dyes have not heretofore been known.

Sensitization of methine dyes by aggregated pyrylium dyes


Processes for the production of ethers from alcohols and isoolefins are disclosed. Isoolefins having four to five carbon atoms per molecule are combined with a monohydroxy alcohol having from one to five carbon atoms per molecule and with a recycle stream comprising alcohol and water to form an etherification zone feed stream which is passed through an etherification zone to produce the desired ether. The effluent from the etherification zone is separated into an ether product and an aqueous product containing unreacted alcohol which is recycled to provide a portion of the etherification zone feed stream. Distillation can be employed to separate the effluent from the etherification zone into a bottoms product stream, comprising the ether, a distillate product comprising other hydrocarbons and the above-mentioned recycle stream. When producing ethyl-tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), azeotropic grade ethanol, i.e., about 5 vol. % water, is preferably utilized. The utilization of the alcohol/water recycle stream can obviate the need for additional alcohol recovery from the distillate product.

The production of ethers by the reaction of an isoolefin with an alcohol is well known and is practiced commercially. This highly selective reaction is also used to remove isoolefins, especially isobutylene, from mixed hydrocarbon streams such as the C.sub.4 streams produced in an ethylene-producing steam cracking plant or in an FCC unit. Much attention has been focused on ether production due to the rapidly increasing demand for lead-free octane boosters for gasoline such as methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE).
A detailed description of processes, including catalysts, processing conditions and product recovery, for the production of MTBE from isobutylene and methanol are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,720,547 and 4,219,678 and in the following article; Stinson, New Plants, Processes Set for Octane Booster, CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS, June 25, 1979 at pp. 35-36. The preferred etherification zone is described in a paper presented at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 85th National meeting on June 4-8, 1978 by F. Obenaus et al., entitled Huls-Process: Methyl Tertiary Butylether.
More recently, there has been an increased commercial interest in the use of ethyl-tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE) as a lead-free octane booster for gasoline. Note, for example, the following publications: Iborra et al., Getting The Lead Out With Ethyl t-Butyl Ether, CHEMTECH, Feb. 1988, pp. 120-122; and Berbonic, ETBE: Ethanol's Motor Fuel Hope?, CHEMICAL BUSINESS, Oct. 1988, at pp. 38-39, and the paper presented at the DeWitt Petrochemical Review, Houston, Tex. Mar. 28-30, 1989 by Nierlich et al., entitled Huels/UOP Technology for ETBE/MTBE Production.
Ethyl-tertiary-butyl ether has long been recognized as a suitable blending cosolvent for hydrous ethanol in gasoline stocks. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,076. ETBE can be blended into a fuel gasoline at about a 10 to 20 volume percent level, more usually about 9 to 12%, in which the fuel comprises about 70 to 84% gasoline and 5 to 20% of 95% ethanol, i.e., grain alcohol. ETBE solubilizes grain alcohol in gasoline in all proportions thereby allowing a wide latitude in the precise amount of ethanol which can be blended with the gasoline. In addition, the presence of ETBE in the blend considerably increases its octane rating, both motor and research.
ETBE and MTBE are produced by reacting isobutene with either ethanol or methanol, resulting respectively in the formation of ETBE or MTBE. The reaction normally is conducted in liquid phase with relatively mild conditions. While mixed butene streams can be employed, only the tertiary olefin, isobutene, reacts as the conditions employed. The isobutene can be obtained from various sources, such as naphta cracking, catalytic cracking, etc. For example, refer to, Muddarris et al., Now, MTBE from Butane, HYDROCARBON PROCESSING, Oct. 1980, at pp. 91-95. This highly selective reaction can also be used to remove isobutene from mixed hydrocarbon streams such as the C.sub.4 streams produced in steam cracking plants which produce ethylene.
The resulting reaction product stream contains the desired MTBE or ETBE, as well as unreacted isobutene and other C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and methanol or ethanol. A problem that persists has been the separation of the unreacted alcohol from the ETBE or MTBE product. At equilibrium conversion, considerable alcohol remains in the reactor effluent, is difficult to remove by simple distillation, and may form troublesome azeotropes with ETBE and MTBE.
Several solutions to this problem have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,942 discloses the removal of methanol from the unreacted hydrocarbons withdrawn from an MTBE reaction zone through the use of molecular sieves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,565 discloses the removal of alcohols from the effluent of an etherification reaction zone through absorption of the alcohol on solid calcium chloride. The reference also discloses that the absorbent can be regenerated with a hot hydrocarbon stream which can be charged to the etherification reactor to recycle the alcohol. This absorption step is a bulk removal which replaces fractional distillation of the etherification reaction zone effluent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,718 discloses that the effluent of the MTBE reactor may be fractionated to yield a C.sub.4 stream which is then passed through methanol adsorption zones. The adsorption zones are regenerated with hot hydrocarbons which are then passed into the MTBE reactor. The methanol-free C.sub.4 stream is then passed into an alkylation zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,963 discloses a process wherein the fractionation of the methanol- or ethanol-containing methyl-(or ethyl)-tertiary-butyl ether reactor effluent is improved by employing 2-methylpentane to azeotrope methanol or ethanol overhead, or by using 1,1,3-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (F113) to azeotrope methanol overhead, leaving a substantially pure MTBE or ETBE bottoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,563 discloses a process wherein MTBE is recovered from an ether-containing effluent by fractionation. In one aspect of the process of the above-described patent, when driers are not used to pretreat the hydrocarbon feed to MTBE manufacture, i.e., water-containing feeds, a separate water-methanol phase occurs in the fractionation overhead which is separately processed in a methanol fractionator and the water recovered is used to water wash the separated hydrocarbon phase from the overhead while methanol is recycled to MTBE manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,298 discloses a process for isolating methyl tert-butyl ether contained in the reaction product of methanol with a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut containing isobutene, comprising fractionating said reaction product by introducing it at an intermediate point of a distillation zone, recovering methyl tert-butyl ether at the bottom thereof and, at the top thereof, a mixture of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons with methanol. The C.sub.4 hydrocarbons mixture is washed with water to form a water-methanol fraction and a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction, a portion of which is fed back as reflux to the top of the distillation zone and another portion discharged. The remaining water-methanol mixture is fractionated by distillation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,964 discloses a method for separating mixture of reaction products produced in the catalytic etherification of a lower isoolefin with methanol which comprises adding water to said reaction product to form a hydrocarbon phase containing the product ether and an aqueous phase containing methanol and a tertiary alcohol. The products are thereafter separated by distillation and the methanol is recycled to the reaction feed stream.
The processes described above provide, by methods including distillation, absorption and adsorption, for the recovery and recycle of the monohydroxy alcohols, e.g., methanol and ethanol, to the etherification reactor feed. These separation steps are effective to avoid alcohol losses with the product streams. However, some separation steps, particularly those which provide for the recovery of the monohydroxy alcohols from the azeotropic mixtures of unreacted alcohols and hydrocarbons, can unduly increase the overall process complexity. Accordingly, processes for the etherification of monohydroxy alcohols and isoolefins are sought which can provide for the recovery and recycle of unreacted alcohols without complicated separation steps. Such processes are especially desired in the production of ETBE wherein the azeotropic ethanol content with hydrocarbons is typically lower than the corresponding azeotropic methanol content in MTBE production. Moreover, since ethanol is often obtainable in azeotropic form, i.e., about 5 vol. % water, processes are sought for the production of ETBE which can utilize azeotropic ethanol as a feed source.

Production of ethers by the reaction of alcohols and olefins


The invention teaches a method for determining levels of T-cell surface antigens in humans, specifically, V.beta. molecules. Measurement of such levels allows for diagnosis of pathological conditions, such as infections, where changes in these levels are indicative of a superantigen initiated pathological condition.

In recent years, the mechanism by which mammalian immune systems, such as human and murine systems react to infections, foreign antigens, and to so-called "self antigens" in connection with autoimmune diseases has begun to be established. See, in this regard, Grey, et al., Scientific American 261(5): 56-64 (1989); Male, et al., Advanced Immunology (J. P. Lippincott Company, 1987), especially chapters 6 through 10.
Well known, both to the skilled artisan and to the general public is the role of antibodies, sometimes referred to as "immunoglobulin" or the less correct and older "gammaglobulin" in response to infection. Antibodies are protein molecules which are produced by B cells in response to infection. It is well known that these antibodies act to "disable" or to inactivate infectious agents in the course of combating the infection.
In order for antibodies to be produced, however, preceding events must occur which lead to stimulation of the B cells which produce the antibodies. One of the key events involved in the processes leading to antibody production is that of antigen recognition. This aspect of the immune response requires the participation of so-called "T-cells", and is less well known than the antibody response commented on supra.
Briefly, and in outline form, antigen recognition requires interaction of an "antigen presentation cell", a "processed antigen", and a T-cell. See Grey and Male, supra. The "processed antigen", in an infection, is a molecule characteristic of the pathogen which has been treated, i.e., "processed", by other cells which are a part of the immune system. The processed antigen interacts with a receptor on the surface of an antigen presented in a manner not unlike a lock fitting into a key hole or, perhaps more aptly, two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
The configuration of the complex of processed antigen and receptor on antigen presentation cell allows the participation of T-cells. T-cells do not join the complex unless and until the processed antigen has fit into the receptor on the antigen presentation cell. This receptor will hereafter be referred to by its scientific name, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). Generally, MHC is used to refer to murine systems, and HLA to humans.
These receptors fall into two classes. MHC-II molecules are involved in most responses to pathogens. In contrast, MHC-I molecules are involved when the pathogen is a virus, or a malignant cell is involved. When MHC-I participation is involved, there is no antibody stimulation; rather, the interaction of MHC-I, processed antigen and T-cell leads to lysis of cells infected with the pathogen.
The foregoing discussion has focused on the events involved in responding to "infection", i.e., the presence of pathogenic foreign material in the organism. Similar mechanisms are involved in autoimmune diseases as well. In these conditions, the organism treats its own molecules as foreign, or as "self-antigens". The same type of complexing occurs as described supra, with an antibody response being mounted against the organism itself. Among the diseases in which this is a factor are rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosis, and others.
The ability of the T-cell to complex with the processed antigen and MHC/HLA complex is dependent on what is referred to as the T-cell antigen receptor, referred to as "TCR" hereafter. The TCR is recognized as a heterodimer, made up of alpha (.alpha.) and beta (.beta.) chains. Five variable elements, coded for by germline DNA and known as "V.alpha., J.alpha., V.beta., D.beta., and J.beta." as well as non-germline encoded amino acids contribute to the TCR. See, in this regard, Marrack, et al., Immunol. Today 9: 308-315 (1988); Toyonaga, et al., Ann. Rev. Immunol 5: 585-620 (1987); Davis, Ann. Rev. Immunol 4: 529-591 (1985); Hendrick, et al., Cell 30: 141-152 (1982). With respect to the binding of TCR with processed antigen and MHC, see Babbitt, et al., Nature 317: 359-361 (1985); Buus, et al., Science 235: 1353-1358 (1987); Townsend, et al., Cell 44: 959-968 (1986); Bjorkman, et al., Nature 329: 506-512 (1987).
Generally, both the alpha and beta subunits are involved in recognition of the ligand formed by processed antigen and MHC/HLA molecule. This is not always the case, however, and it has been found that so-called "superantigens" stimulate T-cells with a particular V.beta. element, regardless of any other element. See Kappler, et al., Cell 49: 273-280 (1987); Kappler, et al., Cell 49: 263-271 (1987); MacDonald, et al., Nature 332: 40-45 (1988); Pullen, et al., Nature 335: 796-801 (1988); Kappler, et al., Nature 332: 35-40 (1988); Abe, et al., J. Immunol 140: 4132-4138 (1988); White, et al., Cell 56: 27-35 (1989); Janeway, et al., Immunol. Rev. 107: 61-88 (1989); Berkoff, et al., J. Immunol 139: 3189-3194 (1988), and Kappler, et al., Science 244: 811-813 (1989). This last reference discloses information which is also incorporated into the subject patent application.
The "superantigens" mentioned supra, while generally stimulating T-cells as long as they possess a V.beta. element, are somewhat specific in terms of the particular form of the V.beta. moiety which is present on the stimulated T cell. This feature is one aspect of the invention, i.e., the ability to assay for particular subtypes or subclasses of T-cells, based upon the cell surface antigens presented by these subclasses.
Staphylococcus aureus has long been implicated in morbidity and mortality in humans. See Bergdoll, in Feed Bourne Infections and Intoxications (Riemann and Bryan, ed., Acad. Press, N.Y.) pp. 443-494 (1979). The various toxins presented by S. aureus are responsible for most food poisoning cases, as well as severe shock, and other life threatening pathological conditions. The mechanism of action of the toxins associated with S. aureus is unknown. The primary structure of the toxins, while showing some relationship, also show some great differences in primary structure. See Betley, et al., J. Bacteriol 170: 34-41 (1988); Jones, et al., J. Bacteriol 166: 29-33 (1986); Lee, et al., J. Bacteriol 170: 2954-2960 (1988); Blomster-Hautamaa, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 261: 15783-15786 (1986). For the time being, it cannot be said with any certainty whether the various S. aureus antigens function in the same way in terms of the immunological response they generate.
The ability of S. aureus to stimulate powerful T cell proliferative responses in the presence of mouse cells bearing MHC-II type molecules is taught by, e.g., Carlson, et al. J. Immunol 140-2848 (1988); White, et al., Cell 56 27-35 (1989); Janeway, et al., Immunol. Rev. 107:61-88 (1989). White, et al., and Janeway, et al. showed that one of these proteins is not mitogenic, in that it selectively stimulates murine cells which bear particular V.beta. elements. These papers, however, did not extend the study to human cells. It has now been shown, however, that certain antigens do selectively stimulate specific V.beta. subclasses of human T cells, making it possible to diagnose pathological conditions by assaying for particular V.beta. subtypes.
Hence, it is an object of the invention to describe a method for diagnosing a pathological condition in a human by assaying a biological sample from the subject being tested for levels of particular V.beta. subtypes. These levels are then compared to normal levels, where a difference between the two is indicative of a pathological condition.
It is a further object of the invention to carry out the assaying using antibodies which are specific for the particular V.beta. subtype. Especially preferred are monoclonal antibodies.
It is still another object of the invention to perform the above described assay by measuring DNA coding for specific V.beta. molecules. This can be done via utilizing, e.g., the polymerase chain reaction.
How these and other objects of the invention are achieved are detailed in the disclosure which follows.

Method for diagnosing a superantigen caused pathologial condition via assay of T-cells

National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine