A method for reprocessing a phase substantially consisting of steryl glycoside/fatty acid alkyl ester/water agglomerates, which was formed when fatty acid alkyl ester generated by transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats was washed with water, wherein the water content is evaporated by heating the phase and subsequently the steryl glycosides are split into their sterol and sugar fractions in the presence of an acid catalyst.

For example from the specialist article "The Role of Sterol Glucosides on Filter Plugging", Inmok, Lee et al., Biodiesel Magazine, April 2007, it is known that in the transesterification of natural fats or oils with alkyl alcohol the steryl glycosides naturally present in the fats or oils largey lose their solubility both in oil or fat and in the fatty acid alkyl ester obtained by transesterification, so that they are precipitated as fine suspended particles and in use of the fatty acid alkyl ester as biodiesel lead to cloggings of the diesel filters and to deposits in the engine.
In natural fats and oils, the steryl glycosides largely are present in the so-called acylated form, i.e. a fatty acid residue is coupled to their sugar fraction via an ester bond, which provides for the dissolution in fat, oil and fatty acid alkyl ester. In the transesterification, in the presence of the alkyl alcohol and transesterification catalyst, however, the fatty acid residue is separated from the sterol glycoside molecule, so that the solubility gets lost and the above-mentioned disturbing precipitations are obtained.
To remove steryl glycosides from the fatty acid alkyl ester obtained by transesterification, the so-called crude biodiesel, several methods were proposed. As reported in WO 2009/132670, for example, a method exists in which the crude biodiesel is cooled and the precipitated particles then are filtered off. In its execution, however, this method is extremely expensive. WO 2009/132670 ifself proposes the use of an adsorbent consisting of a smectite/silica gel mixed phase.
In the above-mentioned specialist article by Lee, Inmok et al., a filtration of the biodiesel through diatomaceous earth is proposed.
WO 2009/106360 proposes to break down the steryl glycoside molecules into the sterol and the sugar fraction by means of an enzyme.
In this method it is disadvantageous that very special agents, the adsorbent, filter material or the enzyme must be purchased for carrying out the method, and that possibly, after carrying out the method, these auxiliary substances must be disposed of at high cost.
The German Patent Application 10 2008 050935.3-44, not disclosed yet, proposes to vary the acid wash of the crude fatty acid alkyl ester known from DE 10 2006 044 467 B4 such that it is able to also wash out steryl glycosides, beside the other impurities, from the fatty acid alkyl ester phase, the so-called crude biodiesel. During the wash, the steryl glycosides are dissolved out of the ester phase and form a new phase substantially consisting of steryl glycoside/fatty acid alkyl ester/water agglomerates. This process is explicable in that the steryl glycoside molecule consists of a hydrophilic part, the sugar part, and a hydrophobic part, the sterol part.
By intensive treatment of the agglomerate phase with mechanical stirrers its density is increased to such an extent that it is mechanically, e.g. by centrifugation, separable from the ester phase as so-called biodiesel sludge.
According to the prior art, no method exists for reprocessing this sludge, so that the same represents a considerable disposal problem and the valuable substances contained therein get lost.
Therefore, it has been the object to provide a simple method producing as little residues as possible for reprocessing a biodiesel sludge substantially consisting of steryl glycoside/fatty acid alkyl ester/water agglomerates.

Method for reprocessing biodiesel sludge


The present invention provides a method for selectively sealing a thief zone in a hydrocarbon reservoir located in a calcium-rich formation and penetrated by a borehole comprising injecting into the thief zone a sealing fluid comprising a mixture of and hydronium ions (H+) and a source of sulfate ions (SO42−) which mixture can provide precipitation of a designated calcium sulfate compound.

Recovery of hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs involves the drilling of one or more wells to the depth of the hydrocarbon reservoir. After well completion, the reservoir can be drained for hydrocarbon fluids that are transported to the surface.
The reservoir typically has different zones with different permeability. If the permeability of one zone is higher than the average permeability in the reservoir it is sometimes referred to as a "thief zone".
A thief zone is a permeable zone adjacent to a less permeable zone. Typically, a thief zone is classified as a zone that has higher than average permeability compared to the rest of the reservoir. A thief zone may be a naturally occurring region of the reservoir, such as layers and fractures formed during the natural geologic process. Thief zones may also be man made, such as wormholes created by acid injection (acid is often injected in an attempt to increase hydraulic conductivity in enhanced oil recovery, see for example Rege & Fogler, AIChE Journal 35(7), 1989, 1177-1185, and Singurindy & Berkowitz, Water Resources Research 39(1), 2003, 8.1-8.14; Emmanuel & Berkowitz, Advances in Water Research 28, 2005, 337-344; Singurindy & Berkowitz, Advances in Water Research 28, 2005, 507-521; that cites Rege & Fogler), or induced fracturing (such as described in e.g. WO 02/095188 A1).
Thief zones in the form of streaks of high permeability are common in carbonate reservoirs and can speed up, and increase the risk of the production well producing large volumes of water, if such thief zone connects the production well to a source of water.
Thief zones are also detrimental to the sweep efficiency, when fluid is injected into the reservoir from injection wells to displace oil. If the reservoir is compromised by a thief zone connecting the injection well with the production well, then the production well will produce large amounts of the injected fluid. Such short-circuiting in the reservoir further bypasses considerable amounts of hydrocarbons, as the thief zone will prevent an efficient sweep of the area beyond the thief zone. Thus, the existence of thief zones can cause inefficient production of hydrocarbons from a reservoir, and further reduce the recovery of hydrocarbons.
Consequently, much effort has gone into developing methods to and products that reduce the permeability of thief zones.
Many of these have attempted to reduce permeability either at the well face or within a few feet of the bore by using e.g. cement squeezes. When the thief zone is only sealed near the well, the flow behaviour of the thief zone will continue just beyond the sealed region as if no sealing had occurred. As the typical thief zone is not confined to a few feet, but rather may extend over a large distance from the well; measures that seal the thief zone near the well are of limited value.
Time delayed gelling and in situ polymerization methods have been previously attempted in the field to plug thief zones. These methods typically suffer from difficulty of placing the monomer and catalyst the desired place, and from the complexity of achieving the correct timing. Another problem associated with time delayed gelling and in situ polymerization methods are the fact that an injected fluid front will expand radially from the injection site. Consequently, this can result in the gel and polymer sealing other areas than the thief zone, which is also detrimental to sweep efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,780 to Shen describes a method for selectively sealing thief zones in a formation penetrated by an injection well and a production well. This is done by injecting a heat-sensitive sealing fluid into the injection well. As shown in FIG. 1 the injected fluid preferentially travels in the high permeability zone. However, it also travels into the low permeability zone. The injection of sealing fluid is followed by injection of a push water of high salinity. Induction of electrical resistance heating preferentially heats up the thief zones. Since most of the sealing fluid passes through the thief zone they are selectively heated, and consequently sealed. The selectivity of this method is dependent on timing and the sealing not having significantly diffused into the adjacent lower permeable zones before heating is initiated. Consequently, the method appears likely to suffer from at least some of the drawbacks mentioned for the time delayed gelling and in situ polymerization methods.
SU 775 294 A1 discloses a method for isolating water-saturated formations adjacent to oil and gas deposits using a sealing solution containing waste from alkylation of paraffins in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid. Effectiveness of the sealing of low-permeable formations at a temperature above 100° C. is enhanced by using alkylated sulphuric acid as a sealing agent. Alkylated sulphuric acid can be obtained as the waste from alkylation of paraffinic hydrocarbons with olefins in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid as a catalyst. Calcium compounds in the water-bearing formations reacts with sulphuric acid passing insoluble barrier. The process takes about 5 h. During this time the shaft should be closed.
This document does not teach to use an acid without a content of hydrocarbons.
SU 1 709 071 discloses a method for plugging up wells bottom zone by interaction of lime suspension and clay solution preliminarily pretreated and containing water-stable compounds e.g. aluminium sulphate. The wells fluid is substituted by a clay solution which has been treated with a chemical reagent forming with the solutions calcium oxide compounds which are stable in water e.g. Al2(SO4)3, Fe2(SO4)2, Na2SiF6. Then the bottom hole zone is subjected to action of streams of suspension containing lime. The streams drive the clay solution into the seam where part of it is coagulated due to presence of Ca-ions and compact it. The excess of lime forms with the clay hydrates increasing effeciveness of the screen.
Hence, there is a need for a method for sealing a thief zone that provides for a simple mode of operation. A need further exists for a method that, when injected into a subsurface formation, will substantially fill a thief zone. A need further exists for a method for sealing a high permeability zone that extends a considerable distance from the well. A need further exists for a method that, after setting in a high permeability zone, provides resistance to flow at pressure gradients experienced within the reservoir during normal operations.


The invention reduces the loss of fluorescence intensity obtained from a specimen to acquire clear fluorescence images when irradiating the specimen with ultrashort-pulse laser light produced by a laser light source. The invention provides a laser-scanning examination apparatus including a laser light source for producing ultrashort-pulse laser light; a laser light source for producing continuous-wave laser light; a measurement head including an optical scanning unit for scanning the laser light on a specimen and an objective optical system; an imaging unit for detecting return light from the specimen in response to the ultrashort-pulse laser light; and an imaging unit for detecting return light from the specimen in response to the continuous-wave laser light. The laser light sources and one imaging unit are connected to the measurement head by an optical fiber, and the other imaging unit is connected to the measurement head by another optical fiber with a larger core diameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser-scanning examination apparatus.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-217605, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Known apparatuses in the related art for observing cellular function and the like by irradiating a specimen, such as a living organism, from the surface thereof with excitation light and detecting fluorescence generated at a comparatively deep position below the surface of the specimen include multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatuses (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-243641, page 3, etc.).
This multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus has a configuration in which fluorescence emitted from the specimen is detected by an external photomultiplier tube that is connected via a single-mode fiber.
However, the single-mode fiber suffers from the drawback that it is not possible to carry out measurement efficiently because the core diameter is narrow and thus fluorescence returning from the specimen is spatially confined. In order to more efficiently measure the fluorescence, it is preferable to dispose the photomultiplier tube directly after the objective lens in the measurement head; in such a case, however, since the photomultiplier tube is comparatively large, the measurement head itself becomes larger and therefore is not suitable for use in applications where it needs to be disposed at various orientations and positions according to the examination site in the specimen, for example, when carrying out in-vivo examination of small laboratory animals.
On the other hand, a multimode fiber has been considered for use as an optical fiber that has a large core diameter and thus does not confine the fluorescence from the specimen; however, light of multiple transmission modes propagates in multimode fibers. As a result, when ultrashort-pulse laser light from a laser light source is introduced thereto, multiple mode splitting occurs, which increases the pulse width. Such light has a drawback in that it is not possible to efficiently generate the multiphoton-excitation effect.


According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus supplies, in a normal mode, electric power to an image forming device, and limits, in a power saving mode, power supplying to the image forming device to be less than that in the normal mode. The image forming apparatus communicates, in the normal mode, with a germicidal lamp apparatus via a communication interface such that the germicidal lamp apparatus generates no germicidal light, and communicates, in the power saving mode, with the germicidal lamp apparatus via the communication interface such that the germicidal lamp apparatus generates germicidal light.

A convenient stand-type germicidal lamp that can be easily moved and placed in a kitchen of a cafeteria, a guest room of a hotel, or the like is known. This germicidal lamp is turned off when a human body detection sensor detects the entrance of a person into the application range of germicidal light that may affect the human body.
The use of germicidal lamps to sterilize equipment touched by humans has been considered. From the viewpoint of safety, it is desired to reliably control the germicidal lamp such that the germicidal light is applied when the person is not within the application range of the germicidal light, the germicidal light is not applied when the person touches the equipment, and the operation load is not imposed on the person.

Image forming apparatus that controls a germicidal lamp apparatus generating germicidal light


Provided are a data current generation circuit, a driving method therefor, a driver chip, and a display panel, where a threshold capture module of the data current generation circuit is connected between a gate and a second electrode of a first transistor and is configured to capture a threshold voltage of the first transistor, a data voltage generation module is configured to generate a data voltage, a data voltage transmission module is connected between the data voltage generation module and a threshold voltage acquisition and superposition module and is configured to transmit the data voltage generated by the data voltage generation module to the threshold voltage acquisition and superposition module when the data voltage transmission module is turned on, and the threshold voltage acquisition and superposition module is configured to acquire the threshold voltage of the first transistor.

The current-type pixel driver circuit includes a pixel drive current generation circuit that supplies a data current to a pixel circuit. The pixel drive current generation circuit may convert a data voltage into a data current to supply the data current to the pixel circuit.
In the process where the pixel drive current generation circuit converts the data voltage into the data current, since the transistor generating the data current has a threshold voltage, the converted data current may be deviated from the data voltage by a certain variation, resulting in poor uniformity of the display panel.

Data current generation circuit, driving method therefor, driver chip, and display panel


A multi-layered educational and entertaining device including a plurality of independent layers, comprising a top planar layer comprising a plurality of irregularly-shaped pieces assembled together to form a top educational and entertaining picture, at least one intermediate planar layer comprising a plurality of irregularly-shaped pieces assembled together to form at least one intermediate educational and entertaining picture, and a bottom planar layer including a bottom puzzle portion and a raised decorative border extending inward from the bottom layer's outer edges and abutting the bottom puzzle portion, the bottom puzzle portion comprising at least one piece which forms a bottom educational and entertaining picture. The overall dimensions of the top layer and the intermediate layers are substantially the same as the overall dimensions of the bottom puzzle portion of the bottom layer, such that the layers, when positioned such that the intermediate layers are on top of the bottom puzzle portion and the top layer is on top of the intermediate layers, cover one another and abut the raised decorative border of the bottom layer. Each of the educational and entertaining pictures on each of the layers shares a common theme.

In the amusement devices industry, puzzles are often utilized to perform the dual functions of providing entertainment to their users while simultaneously educating their users. By incorporating an educational theme into a puzzle, the puzzle may serve as an educational device. The education and entertainment functions may be enhanced by providing a puzzle with multiple layers.
Previous attempts to provide multi-layered educational and entertaining puzzles are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,709,660, to DeBracht;, U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,007, to Parks; U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,479, to Miller et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,331, to Rinken and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,742, to Augustine, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The devices described in each of these references generally function to both entertain and educate their users.
However, each of the devices described in these references includes a plurality of layers which depend upon each other in order to perform the educational and entertainment functions associated therewith. For example, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,709,660, to DeBracht, describes an amusement device embodying a number of elements or members which are assembled together into various combinations, each producing the completed picture or representation of an object, building, place, or scene. However, the individual elements or members described in DeBracht do not, independent of the remaining elements or members, produce a completed picture or representation of an object, building, place, or scene. All of the various elements or members of the device described in DeBracht must be assembled together in order to produce a completed picture. The same limitation holds true for the various layers of the devices described in the remaining patents which have been incorporated herein by reference.
The puzzles described in Great Britain Patent No. 1,210,452 to Whitehead, and Great Britain Patent No. 419,311 to Kinnard, incorporated herein by reference, when assembled, form three-dimensional objects either simulating the three dimensions of the object portrayed by the puzzle or simulating a geometrical solid structure such as a cube or pyramid. This geometrical solid structure also results when the puzzles in the patents to Parks and Miller are assembled. The disadvantage of these puzzles is that the user, knowing the geometrical solid structure portrayed, anticipates the order of assembly, making assembly easier. Storage of these type of puzzles is awkward, since the puzzles are large and variously shaped, unlike standard jigsaw puzzles and these geometrically solid puzzles cannot be displayed on the wall as a decorative work.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a multi-layered device which both educates and entertains its users.
There is an additional need in the art for such a device to perform its functions with layers capable of independently educating and entertaining the device's users.
There is an additional need in the art for such a device to include a plurality of layers which share a common educational theme.
There is an additional need in the art for a multi-layered device which resembles a standard one-layer jigsaw puzzle to provide for more convenient storage and allow for display as a decorative work.

Multi-layered educational and entertaining device including a plurality of independent layers


The polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions results in the formation of surface functionalized polymer "Clusters". The covalent crosslinking of these "clusters" produces gels which when processed under supercritical conditions, produce low density, organic aerogels (density.ltoreq.100 mg/cc; cell size .ltoreq.0.1 microns). The aerogels are transparent, dark red in color and consist of interconnected colloidal-like particles with diameters of about 100.circle.. These aerogels may be further carbonized to form low density carbon foams with cell size of about 0.1 micron.. TABLE I ______________________________________ Theo- [Form- retical Actual Formu- % alde- [Resor- density Density lation Solids hyde] cinol] Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 (g/cc) (g/cc) ______________________________________ A 5.0% 0.29M 0.58M 0.0029M 0.050 0.079 B 5.0% 0.29M 0.58M 0.0019M 0.050 0.073 C 5.0% 0.29M 0.58M 0.0015M 0.050 0.070 D 4.0% 0.24M 0.47M 0.0012M 0.040 0.054 E 3.5% 0.21M 0.41M 0.0010M 0.035 0.044 F 2.0% 0.12M 0.24M 0.0006M 0.020 0.030 ______________________________________

The invention described herein pertains generally to organic gels and more specifically to organic aerogels and methods for their preparation.
Foamed organic polymers and organic foam composite materials are well known and are used in the insulation, construction and similar industries. These foams, generally, are of relatively high density and are not suitable for applications where very low density (.ltoreq. 100 mg/cc) organic foams are needed, such as in many high-energy physics applications, or as parts for inertial confinement fusion targets. Another requirement for such organic materials are not only the very low density, but generally at least over an order of magnitude smaller in cell size than foams produced using other conventional techniques such as the expansion of polymer/blowing agent mixtures, phase-separation of polymer solutions and replication of sacrificial substrates, to name a few. Some of these prior art methods have produced phenol-formaldehyde and phenol-urea foams but again, these foams have a compact cellular structure and densities much greater than the 100 mg/cc level required for high-energy physics applications. The following patents exemplify the phenol-formaldehyde and phenol-urea type of resins produced using the earliermentioned conventional techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,028, issued Sept. 15, 1987, to Yukio Saeki et al., describes a method for the production of a phenol resin foam exhibiting a compact cellular structure, a high closed cell ratio and improved heat resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,972, issued Mar. 18, 1986, to James Lunt et al., discloses closed cell foams produced from modified, low cost phenol formaldehyde resoles. These foams exhibit high closed cell content, low friability and low thermal conductivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,119, issued Oct. 8, 1985, to James Lunt et al., teaches a foam produced from phenolic resins and a method for the production thereof. These foams have low thermal conductivity and low friability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,492, issued June 25, 1985, to Mary H. Rastall et al., discloses a modified phenolic foam produced from phenol-formaldehyde resins with a phenol to formaldehyde ration of abut 1:3 and 1:4.5. These foams are thermally stable, fire resistant and low in cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,175, issued Dec. 18, 1984, to Heinz Baumann, describes a method for the preparation of an urea formaldehyde combination foam with a low content of formaldehyde which is dimensionally stable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,004, issued Nov. 22, 1983, to Krishnan K. Sudan, teaches a two-part pack for the in-situ production of a phenol formaldehyde foam. The packs contain premixed ingredients which are placed at the site and mixed to produce the foam at the desired site.
While these foams are useful for thermal insulation in the building industry, the methods or the materials produced by these prior art methods do not exhibit the desired low density, the continuous porosity or the ultrafine cell size (.ltoreq. 0.1 microns) required for high energy physics applications or as parts for inertial confinement fusion targets.
A few low density foams that have been produced are illustrated in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,048,issued July 22, 1986, to Harold R. Penton et al., discloses a composition of low density polyphosphazene foam made from gums which are substituted with phenoxy, alkyl phenoxy and alkenyl phenoxy substituents. The preferred alkyl phenoxy groups are those where the alkyl group contains 1-4 carbon atoms. Fillers include inorganic materials such as carbon black or glass fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,623, issued June 17, 1986, to Preston S. Du Pont et al., describes a fiber-reinforced, syntactic foam composite with a low specific gravity. The foam is produced by dispersing microscopic particles in a thermosetting composition and then curing. The particles incorporated may be carbon or phenolic resins. Carbon fibers are added to the syntactic foam to improve the strength of the composite.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,792, issued Aug. 14, 1984, to Donald G. Carr et al discloses a flexible foam composition in which inorganic reinforcements such as carbon fibers, glass, paper, cloth or woven tape, may be incorporated. Accelerators and promoters, such as commercially available naphthenates may be added to supply metal ions to improve the cure time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,613, issued Sept. 20, 1977, to Dwain M. White, discloses a method for the production of carbon fiber-polyetherimide matrix composites, with high strength and superior solvent resistance. Dihydricphenols can be used to make alkali metal diphenoxides which are then used to make the polyetherimides.
However, these materials do not exhibit the desired low density, the stability or the ultra fine cell structure and are thus not suitable for applications in high energy physics or as parts for inertial confinement fusion targets. The current production of low density materials (less than 100 mg/cc) with ultrafine pore sizes (less than 1 micron) has largely been limited to aerogel technology, particularly to silica aerogels.
Gels are a unique class of materials which exhibit solid-like behavior resulting from continuous, three-dimensional framework extending throughout a liquid. This framework consists of molecules interconnected through multifunctional junctions. These junctions can be formed through covalent crosslinking, crystallization, ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding or chain entanglements. In some cases, junction formation is reversible and the gels revert to liquid-like behavior upon a change in temperature.
Gels have been synthesized for a variety of applications, and their properties studied for these various applications. The following examples illustrate a few of these applications. Electrophoresis of protein mixtures is quite often performed with crosslinked polyacrylamide gels. Some chromatographic packings are composed of styrene/divinyl benzene gel particles. Hydrogels containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate are used in many soft contact lens applications. Thus, the gel framework is tailored to the specific end use. As an example, the molecular weight between crosslinks partially determines the water content of a soft contact lens.
In other examples, these gels serve only as an intermediate phase in materials processing. High modulus fibers are made by solution spinning a polyethylene/decalin solution, quenching the filaments to form a gel, and stretching to a high draw ratio. Gels produced from the phase separation of dilute polymer solutions serve as precursors to membranes and low density foams.
Sol-gel processing of ceramics has gained considerable attention in recent times because various metal oxides can be formed from gels at relatively low temperatures when compared to conventional melt processing. In the case of silica gels, the solvent is slowly evaporated to form a dry, porous xerogel which can be sintered into a glass. If the solvent is removed from the silica gel by a supercritical drying process, a transparent low density foam results. Foams of this type are referred to as inorganic aerogels. In these systems, solutions of the appropriate constituents are reacted to form colloidal particles which are covalently linked together to form a three-dimensional network. The solvent for the reaction is carefully removed using a procedure such as critical point drying, resulting in a low density aerogel which is translucent because the ultrafine pore size minimizes light scattering.
Silica gels, generally, are produced from the polycondensation of tetramethoxy silane (TMOS) or tetraethoxy silane (TEOS) in the presence of an acid or base catalyst. Under acidic conditions, linear or slightly branched polymers are formed which entangle and then crosslink to form a gel. Under alkaline conditions, the reaction produces branched polymeric "clusters" which crosslink together. This is similar to gel formation from the destabilization of colloids. The size of the "clusters" and their interpenetration can be manipulated under appropriate reaction conditions.
The small cell size (.ltoreq. 500 A) of the silica gel necessitates supercritical drying. Large capillary forces at the liquid-vapor interface cause the silica gel to shrink or crack if the solvent is removed by evaporation. In the case of supercritical drying, no surface tension is exerted across the pores, and the dry aerogel retains the original morphology of the silica gel.
Silica gels are unaffected by the solvent which fills their pores. The gel can be exchanged into an organic solvent from its original alcohol/water environment without swelling or deswelling. In gels such as cross-linked polystyrene, on the other hand, the solvent interaction parameter determines the equilibrium swelling behavior.
In spite of the many advantages of these silica aerogel systems, the presence of silicon (Z=14) in the composition, however, often limits its effectiveness for many applications, such as in high energy physics or as parts for initial confinement fusion targets and the like, where a low number for Z (atomic number) is preferred. Pure organic foams or aerogels, consisting of mostly carbon (Z=6), and hydrogen (Z=1) with some oxygen (Z=8), would be suitable for such applications, if stable, low density aerogels of ultrafine pore size could be produced. However, no relationship or analogy has been stated to exist between silicic acid polymerized in an aqueous system and condensation-type organic polymers.
A need exists, therefore, to produce low density organic foams or aerogels which exhibit continuous porosity and ultra fine cell size, similar to those of silica aerogels, for applications in high energy physics, parts for inertial confinement fusion targets, and, with modifications, for other applications such as chemical catalysis and ion exchange reactions.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide different types of low density organic aerogels which exhibit continuous porosity and ultra fine cell size of the order of about 0.1 microns.
Still another object is to provide low density organic aerogels with a density of .ltoreq. 100 mg/cc.
Another object of the invention is to provide a synthetic route for the production of the organic aerogels.
Yet another object is to produce organic aerogels from formaldehyde and other phenolic substances.
Still another object of the invention is the incorporation of other organic and inorganic components into the aerogels.
Yet another object is to provide carbonized aerogels of low densities and ultrafine cell size.
An additional object is to provide modified aerogels which would be suitable for applications in chemical catalysis and ion exchange reactions.
Another object is to provide a low density, inertial confinement fusion targets with Z=8 or less.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention, together with additional features contributing thereto and advantages accruing therefrom will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustration of one or more embodiments of the invention and the description of the preparation techniques therefor, as described hereinafter. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Low density, resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


An article of clothing has a main body formed of high-tightness, main-body knitting fabric made of power net. The article of clothing includes front and back support pieces disposed around the waist and having no elasticity in a longitudinal direction thereof. The front support pieces are sewn to a front body at positions inside the left and right ilia of the abdominal pelvis. The back support pieces are sewn to a back body at left and right positions near the sacrum of the pelvis in central hip portions. Side waist pieces disposed between the front and back support pieces are formed by sewing high-tightness, net-like knitting fabric to the main-body knitting fabric at the top edge while leaving the bottom edge unsewn. The article of clothing has a pant-like shape with left and right leg parts that can be tightly fitted around the thighs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article of clothing with effects of back pain exercise, which can be worn as underwear or outerwear for preventing or relieving back pain and which has functions of posture improvement and body shape correction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many people suffer from back pain due to various causes. Back pain is generally treated with conservative management and lifestyle education for maintaining and increasing physical strength. However, the biggest problem with back pain is that it often recurs. Back pain may lead to various diseases, the most common of which is lumbago. Although lumbago patients show no abnormality in the results of X-ray examinations and other tests, they suffer from pain caused by load concentration and accumulation of fatigue at the lumbar region due to insufficient muscle strength, posture problems, etc. Lumbago is generally treated with exercise therapy. Although the pain can be relieved by bed rest, it is difficult for the patients to take bed rest in modern living and in the economic environment. Therefore, the patients often exacerbate their symptoms.
The weight of the upper half of the body is supported by the lumbar spine that is positioned substantially at the center of the body. The lumber spine supports the weight of the upper half of the body and also receives a ground reaction force at the same time. Therefore, stress concentration occurs at the lumbar spine. As body weight increases, load on the lumbar spine, of course, also increases. The lumbar spine inherently has physiological lordosis. However, if the lordosis is increased, the pelvis tilts forward and force applied to intervertebral disks serves as a shear force. As a result, a stress is applied to paravertebral muscles and ligaments, which often leads to back pain. Displacement of sacroiliac joints is also considered to be the cause of back pain. The pelvis is constituted of two ilia and a sacrum with the sacroiliac joints disposed therebetween. Different from diarthroses, the sacroiliac joints are called plane joints or synarthrodial joints and are disposed at the center of movement. If the pelvis including the sacroiliac joints is tilted, it becomes difficult to stand upright. Accordingly, the abdominal muscle group mainly serves to reduce the lordosis of the lumber spine by tilting the pelvis rearward. If the abdominal muscles are strong, a high abdominal pressure is generated and force applied to the lumbar spine and the paravertebral muscles can be distributed.
Back braces, such as back supporters and back bands, have been described in reports regarding corsets. Back braces are generally prescribed in orthopedic clinics, but are also used outside medical facilities by many athletes irrespective of whether or not they have a lumbar disease. The purposes of using them are: (1) to limit vertebral segment motion; (2) to reduce load on the spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure; (3) to suppress trunk muscle activity; (4) to reduce trunk muscle fatigue; and (5) to obtain a heat insulation effect. In research studies carried out in 1997, the effects of back braces in the acute phase of lumbago were studied by surface electromyogram. As a result, it was found that back braces have an effect of reducing dorsi muscle activity and fatigue. However, it has also been found that long-term use of back braces may cause disuse of dorsi muscles and reduction in lumbar spine mobility, which may lead to chronic lumbago. Therefore, it is important to begin exercise therapy after the pain is relieved by using a back brace for a certain period. The above-mentioned purposes corresponding to the advantages of corsets can be reliably achieved by the corsets. In particular, it is commonly known that it is important to reduce load on the spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure for preventing and relieving back pain.
To enhance the above-described advantages, Williams has proposed Williams exercises, which is the most common method of exercise therapy for back pain. Regular practice of Williams exercises leads to posture correction, recovery of joint function, increase in muscle strength, and improvements in muscular coordination and tolerance so that motion velocity can be increased. In other words, supporting characteristics and mobility of the muscles, ligaments, and intervertebral joint capsules around the lumbosacral spine are normalized and posture is corrected for curing back pain. Various kinds of back pain exercises have been suggested. One common principle of the various back pain exercises is to extend muscles, ligaments, joint capsules including synovium and fibrous membrane, etc., in the lumbar portion of the back and the legs and to increase the muscle strength of the trunk muscles. In particular, importance is generally placed on strengthening abdominal muscles for reducing lumbar lordosis and increasing abdominal pressure.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-89856 describes leggings having highly elastic parts in predetermined areas in the back, the predetermined areas corresponding to areas where the skin is highly stretched at the buttocks and back thighs when the thighs are raised. The highly elastic parts have a higher modulus of elasticity in the height direction than those of parts in areas other than the predetermined areas in the back and in areas corresponding to at least an abdomen and front thighs in the front.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-192903 describes a girdle made of elastic knitting fabric and capable of improving the stability of hip joints, creating a youthful body shape and posture, relieving back pain, and aiding in the prevention of falling for old people.
In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-345866 describes a waist belt for relieving back pain.
Very few people are patient enough to continue Williams exercises for back pain, and it is difficult to manage time and have a suitable environment for restarting the exercises. Accordingly, there has been a demand for an article of clothing capable of assisting and extending muscles in the lumbar portion of the back and back thighs and strengthening the muscles in the abdomen and front thighs during daily life on the basis of the principle of back pain exercise. To comply with such a demand, an article of clothing capable of assisting the muscles and skeleton construction has been developed. Accordingly, development of an article of clothing that provides effects of back pain exercise based on the principle of Williams exercises or the like in a daily life environment is demanded.

Article of clothing with effects of back pain exercise


A tine for mounting on a rotatable shaft of soil aeration and cultivation equipment, comprising: mounting means at an attachment end of the tine; a tip at a ground-engaging end of the tine opposite the attachment end; leading and trailing convex curvilinear edges disposed opposite each other and converging toward the attachment end and the tip; and bevelled sections on each of the leading and trailing convex curvilinear edges. The unique shape of the tine has been found to create a wider range of soil disturbance than is the case with conventional straight-edge tines, requires less material to manufacture, and penetrates the ground surface more easily than conventional straight-edge tines due to the convex leading edge.

The use of tines is well known in the art of soil aeration and cultivation, and a variety of tine shapes have been employed with varying success. The applicant, Holland Equipment Limited, has manufactured tines having a variety of shapes, including commercially known products such as the Shattertine™, Finetine™, and Sportstine™ tines. Tines are commonly comprised of an attachment member for mounting the tine on the appropriate equipment, and a tip at a point distant from the equipment. The tine is provided with a leading edge which penetrates the ground surface upon rotation of the tine due to mounting on a rotatable shaft or roller on the equipment.
There have also been numerous attempts to provide implements or equipment having improved aeration potential, comprising novel tine assemblies and means of manipulating such assemblies. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,580 to Huxford teaches an implement comprising a frame moveable in a direction of travel, the frame housing two rotatable shafts each having a plurality of tines situated thereon. The rotatable shafts are angled off a line perpendicular to the direction of travel (known as the "swing angle") to cause the shafts to rotate when drawn in the direction of travel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,232 to Mayer teaches yet another implement with angled shafts. The Mayer implement comprises a frame having side members and centre members, the rotatable shafts with tine assemblies extending therebetween comprising tines similar to the Shattertine™ tines of the applicant. Each of the inner ends of the shafts in Mayer is in rotatable, pivotable engagement with a centre member by means of a swivel point, and the outer ends communicate with the side members of the frame at one of a plurality of selectable receiving positions, affording the ability to adjust the swing angle of the shafts.
Conventional tines for use with the above devices have been found to provide only a limited range of soil disturbance (in terms of volume and surface area, at various swing angles), even with the various innovative implements that employ them. Creating larger, heavier and thus more costly tines to produce greater soil disturbance results in undesirable manufacturing cost increases. Also, some conventional tine configurations fail to provide a structure that will penetrate the ground surface with ease, resulting in poor or uneven aeration and/or cultivation efforts.


To facilitate account information setting, in a communication system including a management apparatus which manages account information to be used to use a service provided by a server apparatus, and a user apparatus which uses the service, the management apparatus selects, based on device classification information acquired from the user apparatus, account information to be provided to the user apparatus from one or more pieces of account information stored in a storage unit, and provides the account information to the user apparatus. The user apparatus sends the device classification information of the user apparatus to the management apparatus, receives, from the management apparatus, the account information selected based on the device classification information, and uses the service provided by the server apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus for providing a parameter such as a user account to an external apparatus, and the invention also relates to the user apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has recently been a growth in opportunities of using a service on the world wide web by a communication apparatus. Some web services require authentication using the user account (for example, user ID and password) of a user in order to be used by the user. To use such a web service, a user account creation process and registration process are necessary. A user often uses the function of a web browser or the like to create and register a user account for a web service via the Internet. The user inputs, via a user interface (UI), a user account to be newly created so that the creation process is performed in the server of the web service and a form message or the like in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). To make the created user account usable, the user accesses a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for user account registration to register the user account.
It is difficult for a communication apparatus without the web browser function to create and register a user account. There has been proposed a technique of creating a user account in a communication apparatus and connecting it to a web service. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-167269 proposes a technique of dynamically generating a user account from part of information associated with a communication apparatus based on a user account generation rule.
In some web services, however, the web browser function is mandatory for the user account creation process. For example, some services require an image authentication code for creation. The image authentication code requests a person to read and input random numbers or characters displayed as an image so as to prevent automatic registration by a program or a robot. Use of the image authentication code makes it difficult for a communication apparatus without the web browser function to create a user account automatically.
In addition, services that designate a user's e-mail address as a user ID are increasing in number. That is, an e-mail address is necessary for user account creation in some cases. For the user account creation process of such a web service, an apparatus having a web browser function or e-mail sending/receiving function is necessary.
If a communication apparatus without the web browser function is to use a web service which needs a new user account, it is necessary to create the user account in another communication apparatus having the web browser function. Then, user account information identical to the created user account needs to be set and input in the communication apparatus without the web browser function again. The operation of setting and inputting the user account again is cumbersome, and decreases the convenience of the user.

Communication system having management apparatus and user apparatus, management apparatus, user apparatus, and method of controlling the same


A system and method for enabling multi-indexing of objects. The system may index an object inserted into an object store. The system index the entire object or record when an object or record is inserted into the object store. Multiple indexes may be created upon inserting an object into the object store. The indexes may be created based on particular fields in the object. An alias may be assigned to the object.

The invention relates to a system and method for multi-indexing of objects. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for creating multiple indexes with a single insert.
Modern database applications are typically designed using relational data models that are implemented by well known technologies such as DB2. For many applications, a relational data model works well. For some applications, however, the relational database model limits the ability to represent complex conceptual information. Such systems typically store data in tables that include one or more columns. When data is stored in the tables, the data may not occupy all or a portion of one or more columns. Therefore, data storage space that includes unused columns may be unused. Additionally, such systems typically require a new table schema to be defined for each data collection to be saved. Therefore, data to be stored must be assembled by the system to populate the table""s schema within the table. Additionally, systems typically only allow navigation through the table in a downward direction.
These tables contain named columns of information and one row for each data observation. Related tables may be joined by one or more columns that contain a common field. The descriptions of all tables, columns, and relationships are contained in the database schema, which is typically maintained by a full-time database administrator (DBA). The definition of new tables, columns, or relationships usually requires the intervention of a DBA.
Many applications typically store dense lists of information, such as financial data or employee records, where most data columns are fully populated. Other applications, such as name and address directories or product catalogues, contain sparse information. That is, out of many potential data elements, only a few may exist in any particular record. Address directories and product catalogues typically maintain relationships, especially inheritances that are usually more easily understood when expressed in hierarchical trees rather than joined relational tables.
Another drawback of existing systems is that data collections to be stored must be transformed to a format compatible with a table to be used to store the data. This may require modification of existing schema or reformatting a database to a particular format. This may include reorganization and possible downtime for the database.
Another drawback with existing systems is that multiple disk reads may be necessary for retrieving rows within a table. For example, if a user desires to further limit a search, and the user inserts additional criteria for searching an object, existing systems typically access a server each time an additional search criteria is input. This may slow the performance of the server and increase processing time.
Relational databases are used to store relationships among tables. Relational databases, however, are not very suitable for storing hierarchies. Therefore, hierarchical databases typically are used to store hierarchies. Data elements are stored as fixed lengths. If a data element does not occupy the fixed lengths, the excess data storage space may be wasted.
Existing systems are typically slow to resolve queries. For example, a query may take one hundred (100) milliseconds to be resolved. Another drawback is that applications are typically coded to retrieve one or at most a few attributes on any one server call. This may lead to multiple calls being issued to a server against the same data collection. Furthermore, because only portions of a data collection are retrieved, existing systems typically parse the data collection for particular information being requested. Parsing may occur for each call issued to a server. This may also increase processing time.
These and other drawbacks exist.
One object of the invention is to overcome these and other drawbacks of the existing systems.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for enabling multi-indexing of objects.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for enabling multi-indexing of objects using a single insert.
The invention relates to a system and method for enabling multi-indexing of objects. The invention indexes an object inserted into an object store. The invention indexes the entire object or record when an object or record is inserted into the object store. Multiple indexes may be created upon inserting an object into the object store. The indexes may be created based on particular fields in the object.
The invention also relates to a system and method for storing and transmitting data. The data may be stored as a hierarchical data list (HDL), hierarchical data container (HDC), or hierarchical data element (HDE). An HDE may include a structure that comprises a xe2x80x98namexe2x80x99, syntax, and value. Additionally, an HDE describes its relationship to sibling objects and/or a parent HDE. One example of an HDE is a linked attribute value pair (LAVP). An HDC is a particular type of HDE that comprises a name and pointers to a list of zero or more HDEs. An example of an HDC is a linked attribute value list (LAVL). An HDL may be an HDC and its collection of zero or more HDEs. An example of and HDL may be an LAVL and zero or more LAVPs.
The invention provides a system and method for representing, storing, transmitting, and retrieving information. The invention uses a hybrid data object containing hierarchical information and references back-end databases that may be stored with one or more keys that are dynamically derived from an HDE""s content when the object is stored. The invention enables sufficient storage and retrieval of HDLs using indexing with Structured Query Language (SQL)-like complex query capabilities. Each HDL and HDE may be a self-defining entity. That is, each HDL and HDE contains its own schema. Each HDL may contain information to determine the attributes of the HDL, HDE, and each data element. The invention also enables rapid navigation, transmission, searching, construction, manipulation, and deletion of HDLs and HDEs.
The HDL may include collections of HDEs and possibly, other subordinate HDLs. This recursive data architecture enables complex hierarchies of data objects and enables data inheritance. Navigation through an HDL may be forward, backward, up, or down, through a navigational tree. The HDL may be broken apart and rearranged in any manner desired.
The invention also enables referencing back-end databases such as LDAP, DB2, and Oracle. These data references may be cached and subsequently retrieved without referring to the back-end databases. This enables faster retrieval of the data objects from such systems. A time-to-live for each cache entry may be set individually for each cached HDL. The invention also enables invalidation of a cached reference and rereading of a cached reference regardless of a status of the reference.
Each HDL may be stored as an ordinary xe2x80x9cflat file,xe2x80x9d and may be copied, moved, backed-up, or deleted using known operating system commands. HDLs may also be replicated to remote locations. Preferably, replication is performed in real-time.
Other objects, advantages, and embodiments of the invention are set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

System and method for enabling multi-indexing of objects

International Business Machines Corporation


A light emitting device includes: a base member including: a first lead, a second lead, and a supporting member, the base member having an upper surface including a first surface, which is a surface of the first lead, a second surface, which is a surface of the second lead, and a third surface, which is a surface of the supporting member; a light emitting element located on the first surface; a protective element located on the second surface; a wire having a first end connected to the first surface, and a second end connected to a terminal electrode of the protective element; a resin frame located on the upper surface of the base member; a first resin part surrounded by the resin frame and covering the light emitting element and the first end of the wire; and a second resin part covering the resin frame and the first resin part.

The present disclosure relates to a light emitting device.
A light emitting device including a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode is widely used in various applications, due to its high light emission efficiency, small size, and long operation life. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-206895 A discloses a light emitting device including a light emitting element and a pedestal part (i.e., a base member) in which a first lead frame and a second lead frame are integrally molded with resin. The light emitting device is manufactured by: mounting the light emitting element on the first lead frame; connecting the light emitting element and the second lead frame to each other; and thereafter encapsulating the light emitting element on the pedestal part. In the light emitting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-206895, in encapsulating the light emitting element, a resin frame is provided on the pedestal part (i.e., the base member) to stop the flow of the encapsulating resin for encapsulating the light emitting element. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-206895 teaches that this structure provides an optical semiconductor device that can exhibit high heat dissipation property and high durability at lower costs. Further, while not explicitly described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-206895, what is often employed is a structure in which a protective element such as a Zener diode is mounted together with the light emitting element on the pedestal part (the base member), in order to protect the light emitting element.


One or more embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for providing media presentations to users of a media presentation system. A media presentation generally includes a plurality of media segments provided by multiple users of the media presentation system. In one or more embodiments, a user of the media presentation system may share a media presentation with a co-user. The media presentation system can enable the co-user, if authorized by the user, to contribute (e.g., add a media segment) to a media presentation shared with the co-user.

1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments relate to systems and methods for providing media content to multiple users. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for distributing media content among multiple users.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Through advancements in computing devices and computing technology, users can often share user-generated media with other users. As such, users are increasingly capturing and sharing experiences using various computing devices. For example, modern mobile devices enable users to capture and share pictures, videos, and text with co-users (e.g., family members, co-workers, friends, or with the public at large). For instance, a user can share user-generated content with a group of friends via a variety of communication systems (e.g., IM, text, or social networks).
Despite advances in technology, a number of drawbacks remain for a user wanting to share user-generated media with other users. For example, conventional communication systems that allow users to share user-generated media often provide a cluttered and confusing presentation of the shared content. To illustrate, a user can create a new media post upon sharing a picture or video with a group of co-users. One or more co-users in the group may respond to the post by sharing another picture or video with the group. Accordingly, the user, the co-user, and other co-users in the group can continue to share pictures and/or videos under the original post. As the number of shared pictures and shared videos increase, conventional systems typically create a list of response posts, and thus the list of responses can become long, cluttered, and difficult to navigate.
Another disadvantage of conventional systems is that many conventional systems are directed toward media posts that are individualistic in nature. In other words, a thread of posts between multiple users focuses on interactions between the individual user that created the post and the other co-users interacting with the user, rather than a group of users interacting with each other as a group. Thus, many conventional systems do not provide an environment where a group of users can co-create and share group-created media with each other.
Some conventional systems that allow users to share user-generated media with other users attempt to reduce interface clutter by removing, deleting, or denying additional access to shared media once a co-user accesses the shared media. Specifically, in these conventional systems, a co-user's access to the shared media ends after the co-user accesses the shared media (e.g., views a shared photo or video). Although these conventional systems provide an effort to reduce clutter, these conventional systems do so at the expense of further increasing the isolation of each post between users. In other words, because users view each media post in isolation, and because each media post is removed automatically after a user accesses the media, participating in a media conversation using these conventional systems is difficult. This is especially the case with a group media conversation involving multiple users.
Accordingly, there are a number of considerations to be made in improving a user experience in relation to creating and participating in multimedia conversations with a group of users.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A fine pitch test clip is provided, which assures accurate alignment of the test lead contacts with the IC (integrated circuit) device leads. The test clip includes a center for lying over the IC body and four arms (e.g. 41 in FIG. 4 ) pivotally mounted on the center, with each arm including a row of contacts (52) mounted in the arm housing. Lower portions of the contacts, which engage the IC device leads (30), are separated by barriers of the housing with endmost barriers (106, 108) being positioned so they can engage the endmost leads (30E) of the IC device to assure alignment of the lower contact portions with the IC device leads. A rigid board (204, FIG. 11) with connectors (211-214) thereon is mounted on the center of the test clip frame, above the arms, and flexible resilient circuit boards (231-234) each extend in a horizontal loop between the top of the contacts that lie at the top of an arm, to the rigid board where they are coupled to terminals of one of the connectors on the rigid board.

Modern high density IC (integrated circuit) devices commonly have bodies with flat horizontal lower surfaces that lie facewise adjacent to a circuit board, and multiple leads that project from two or four sides of the body and extend downwardly to conductive pads on the circuit board. Such a mounted IC device can be tested by a test clip which has multiple contacts that engage the multiple leads of the IC device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,580 describes a test adaptor or clip of this type, which includes four frames or arms pivotally mounted on an inner housing or center, with each arm carrying a row of contacts. Each arm can be pivoted to move the lower portions of the contacts against a row of leads extending from one side of the IC device to establish contact therewith. Of course, it is important that each contact engage a predetermined lead, and the above patent assures this by providing barriers on the arm that lie between adjacent contacts, with the barriers entering between pairs of leads as the contacts engage the leads. While such a test clip works well for IC devices with leads of moderately small pitch such as with leads spaced 50 mil (one mil equals one thousandth inch) apart, it is difficult to use such alignment techniques for fine pitch IC devices, where the leads may be closely spaced, such as where they are spaced about 25 mil apart or even less. However, it is still essential that the test clip contacts be aligned with the fine pitch IC leads.
The test adaptor or clip described in the above U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,580 positions the upper ends of the contact so they lie at the top of the arm, where they are accessible for single point probes such as mini grabbers or flying leads. However, such contacts are not convenient for concurrent signal testing used with logic analyzers, which must connect to all the contacts of an arm or of all arms. A fine pitch test clip which aligned its contacts with those of the leads of an IC device sufficiently to assure engagement of each contact with a predetermined lead, and which facilitated the coupling of a logic analyzer or the like to many or all contacts of the leads simultaneously, would be of considerable value.


A photoelectric conversion module has an optical element to transmit/receive optical signals, a stem to fix the optical element, a cap to cover the optical element, and a plurality of leads to impose electric signals to the optical element or to transmit electric signals from the optical element, wherein a flat section is disposed at an end of a predetermined lead located inside the package formed of a stem and the cap, and on the flat section, there is provided an electric circuit component one end of which is connected to the optical element and the other end of which is connected to the lead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion module which includes an optical element and a lead to pass through a package, and an optical transceiver using the same.
2. The Related Art of the Invention
FIG. 1 shows a conventional photoelectric conversion module 81. The conventional photoelectric conversion module 81 mounts a semiconductor laser (LD) element 82 on a heat sink (column) 84 inside a package 83 through a sub-mount 85.
The package 83 includes a disc-shaped stem 83s, and a cylindrical cap 83c to cover an upper surface of the stem 83s and the LD element 82. In general the package 83 is called "Can package" and used most widely as an inexpensive package of a photoelectric conversion module (LD module) for a container of the LD element 82.
The heat sink 84 is fixed on the stem 83s, and a plurality of substantially columnar leads 86 passing through the package 83 and made of metal of Fe group, are installed in the stem 83s. A lens 87 is mounted on an upper part of the cap 83c to collect a laser beam L from the LD element 82.
A cathode of the LD element 82 is electrically connected to the lead 86 by wire-bonding a gilded cathode electrode 88 formed on the surface of the LD element 82 to the lead 86 with a wire 89.
Further, an anode as a backside of the LD element 82 is soldered to the sub-mount 85 through a gilded anode electrode 90 formed on the sub-mount 85. The sub-mount 85 to which the LD element 82 is soldered, is fixed to the heat sink 84 with solder.
In case the stem 83s is an anode-type, which is not illustrated in detail, the anode of the LD element 82 is electrically connected to the heat sink 84 by a via hole to penetrate the anode electrode 90 and the sub-mount 85, or by wire-bonding the anode electrode 90 to the heat sink 84 with a wire. In the case of a floating-type, the anode of the LD element 82 is electrically connected to a different lead 86 by wire-bonding the anode electrode 90 to the different lead 86 with a wire.
The LD element 82 is so small that it is not easy to treat and locate it, and thus, as stated above, the LD element is mounted on the sub-mount 85 in advance in order to make the treatment easier, and then the sub-mount 85 gets installed on the heat sink 84.
The photoelectric conversion module 81 is used as built in an electronic device. The electronic device includes an LD driver for driving the LD element 82, and a substrate on which a semiconductor element such as the LD driver is installed.
Besides, since an optical communication is performed at a high transmission speed exceeding Gbps in recent years, an electronic device used for the optical communication, for instance an optical transceiver, may include a coaxial cable to transmit a high-frequency signal from the LD driver to the LD element 82.
It is noted that Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-327617 exists as a technical document relating to the present invention.
However, in such photoelectric conversion module 81 it is not designed to make impedance matching between the LD element 82 in the package 83 and the components outside the package 83, such as the LD driver, the substrate, the coaxial cable, and the like.
In general the impedance of the LD element 82 (for instance, approximately 7 Ω) is different from that of the LD driver or the substrate (for instance, 25 Ω). As a result, in the module 81, when the LD element 82 emits light particularly at a high-frequency signal, the high-frequency signal causes reflection between the LD element 82 and the LD driver, or between the LD element 82 and the substrate, and thus the LD element 82 or the LD driver doesn't work accurately. Consequently the high-frequency characteristic is deteriorated.
The reflection of the high-frequency signal is also produced between the LD element 82 and the coaxial cable (for instance, impedance 50 Ω), and therefore, there occurs also a problem that the high-frequency characteristic of the photoelectric conversion module 81 is deteriorated.
In order for the impedance of the LD element 82 to match that of those components outside the package-83, there are the following two methods to be considered.
A first method achieves the impedance matching by disposing a terminal resistor to be connected with the LD element 82 outside the package 83. However, since in the first method, the distance between the LD element 82 and the terminal resistor tends to be long, there is a case where reflection of the high-frequency signal between the LD element 82 and the terminal resistor can be produced. That still causes a problem of deteriorating the high-frequency characteristic of the module 81. That is, unless the terminal resistor is set adjacent to the LD element 82, the impedance-matching is not performed efficiently.
A second method achieves the impedance matching by receiving a terminal resistor to be connected with the LD element 82 inside the package 83. However, since in the second method, the package 83 is so small, it is difficult to receive a new terminal resistor inside the package 83 from the spatial point of view. Accordingly if the new terminal resistor is installed inside the package 83, the photoelectric conversion module 81 will become bigger in size. In addition, in this case heat generated by the terminal resistor can be another problem.

Photoelectric conversion module and optical transceiver using the same


An end effector for use with a surgical instrument having a first cartridge assembly configured to deploy a first set of fasteners and a second cartridge assembly disposed distally of the first cartridge assembly. The second cartridge assembly is configured to move between an open position and an approximated position relative to clamp tissue. A central rod extends between the first cartridge assembly and the second cartridge assembly.

1. Technical field
The present disclosure relates generally to surgical instruments and methods for performing surgery. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and methods for clamping, cutting, and/or joining tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
Certain surgical stapling instruments are used for applying rows of staples through compressed living tissue. These surgical stapling instruments are employed, for example, for fastening tissue or organs prior to transaction or resection or during anastomoses. In some cases, these surgical stapling instruments are utilized for occluding organs in thoracic and abdominal procedures.
Typically, such surgical stapling instruments include an anvil assembly, a cartridge assembly for supporting an array of surgical staples, an approximation mechanism for approximating the cartridge and anvil assemblies, and a firing mechanism for ejecting the surgical staples from the cartridge assembly.
In use, a surgeon initially approximates the anvil and cartridge assemblies. Next, the surgeon can fire the instrument to place staples in tissue. Optionally, the surgeon may use the same instrument or a separate device to cut the tissue adjacent or between the row(s) of staples.

Surgical instrument with double cartridge and anvil assemblies


A shredding appliance for shredding vegetables or other food articles, includes a housing having an inlet for introducing the food articles to be shredded, and an outlet for outletting the shredded food articles; a rotatable shredding member of hollow construction; an electrical motor for rotating said hollow shredding member; and a transmission coupling said electrical motor to said hollow shredding member. The hollow shredding member has an outer surface aligned with said inlet and formed with shredding elements bordering openings for shredding the inletted food articles and for feeding the shredded food articles into the interior of the hollow shredding member. One end of the hollow shredding member is open and is aligned with the outlet for outletting the shreded food article.

The present invention relates to shredding appliances for shredding vegetables or other food articles.
Many types of multi-purpose food processor appliances include shredding members which are selectively usable for shredding vegetables and the like. Generally speaking, such shredding members are in the form of discs introducible into the appliance to adapt the appliance for shredding vegetables or other food articles. However, there are many known appliances, such as juicer or grinder appliances described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,761,993 and 6,397,736 which do not include a shredding operation. Including such an operation would substantially enhance the usefulness of such appliances. In addition, efforts are continuously being made to simplify the construction or improve the performance of shredding appliances, both when the shredding members are embodied in multi-purpose food-processing appliances, as well as in stand-alone shredding appliances.
An object of the present invention is to provide a shredding appliance having improvements in one or more the above respects.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shredding appliance for shredding vegetables or other food articles, comprising: a shredding appliance for shredding vegetables or other food articles, comprising: a housing having an inlet for introducing the food articles to be shredded, and an outlet for outletting the shredded food articles; a rotatable shredding member of hollow construction; an electrical motor for rotating the hollow shredding member; and a transmission coupling said electrical motor to the hollow shredding member; the hollow shredding member having an outer surface aligned with the inlet and formed with shredding elements bordering openings for shredding the inletted food articles and for feeding the shredded food articles into the interior of the hollow shredding member; one end of the hollow shredding member being open and aligned with the outlet for outletting the shredded food article.
In the preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the shredding member is of conical configuration, being of large diameter at its open end aligned with the outlet. The opposite end of the conical shredding member, of smaller diarneter, is coupled to the transmission to the electrical motor.
According to one preferred embodiment described below, the housing comprises a base including the electrical motor, a top cover including the inlet and defining, with the base, a compartment for receiving the hollow shredding member, and a locking bar pivotally mounted to the base and engageable with the top cover for locking the two together. Such an arrangement enables the shredding compartment to be conveniently opened, e.g. for cleaning the shredding member, for replacing it with another shredding member, etc.
In a second described preferred embodiment, the housing comprises an upper section including the inlet, the outlet, and the shredding member; a lower section including the electrical motor and transmission coupling the electrical motor to the shredding member; and a base for supporting the appliance on a flat horizontal surface. In the described preferred embodiment, the upper section is of a T-configuration having a vertically-extending portion including the inlet, a first horizontally-extending portion at one side and including the outlet and the shredding member, and a second horizontally-extending portion at the opposite side attachable to the lower section of the housing.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

Shredding appliance for shredding vegetables or other food articles


A paper-feeding device of an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the same include a paper-feeding cassette detachably mounted to a mounting section of a paper-feeding cassette in a body of the image forming apparatus, including a loading portion with plural sheets of paper and a front panel connected to the loading portion by a sliding member, a pick-up device provided at one side of the mounting section of the paper-feeding cassette, a pick-up bracket rotatably connected to a frame at an upper side of the mounting section and rotating around a rotating shaft, with one end of the pick-up bracket being connected to the pick-up device, and a pick-up controller operating in cooperation with the front panel when the paper-feeding cassette is mounted and removed to and from the mounting section, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a paper-feeding device capable of moving a pick-up device up and down in cooperation with a mounting/removing operation of a paper-feeding cassette of a dam division type in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses, such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine, sequentially pick-up and convey an uppermost paper sheet of a paper pile loaded in a paper-feeding cassette detachably mounted at a body of the image forming apparatus to an image forming section, thus forming an image.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a conventional image forming apparatus and a paper-feeding device thereof. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the conventional paper-feeding device in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a detailed plan view showing the pick-up device in FIG. 2.
With reference to FIG. 1, the conventional paper-feeding device includes a paper-feeding cassette 20 and a pick-up device 30. The paper-feeding cassette 20 loads plural sheets of paper. The pick-up device 30 is installed at an upper side of a paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, and conveys the sheets of paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20 to an image forming apparatus (not shown). The paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10 is provided at a body 1 of the image forming apparatus.
The pick-up device 30 includes a pick-up roller 31, an up-down section 32, and a driver 33. The pick-up roller 31 conveys the paper in a direction perpendicular to a removing direction of the paper-feeding cassette 20. The up-down section 32 drives in cooperation with a mounting and removing operation of the paper-feeding cassette 20, and moves the pick-up roller 31 up and down to the paper-feeding cassette 20. The driver 33 provides the rotational driving force to the pick-up roller 31 to sequentially convey the paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20 in the base 5 of the body 1.
The pick-up roller 31 is installed to pick up the paper in a direction perpendicular to the removing direction of the paper-feeding cassette 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the paper-feeding cassette 20 is mounted and removed to and from a direction perpendicular to a pick-up and transferring direction of the paper for the body 1 of the image forming apparatus.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the up-down section 32 includes a cam projection 21, a support frame 35, a cam lever 40, a first rotating shaft 42, a locking arm 50, and a pick-up bracket 60. A curved cam portion of the cam projection 21 protrudes to one front end of the paper-feeding cassette 20. The support frame 35 is installed at the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10 of the body 1. The cam lever 40 is installed at the support frame 35. Upon removing the paper-feeding cassette 20 from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the cam lever 40 rests on the cam projection 21 and is rotated by the cam projection 21. The first rotating shaft 42 is rotated in cooperation with the cam lever 40. The locking arm 50 is rotated in cooperation with, and in a direction opposite to a rotating direction of, the cam lever 40. The pick-up bracket 60 is rotatably connected to a third rotating shaft 61 installed at the support frame 35, and up and down movement of the pick-up bracket 60 is restricted by the locking arm 50.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cam lever 40 is installed to be resiliently biased to the paper-feeding cassette 20 by the first coil spring 41, and is connected to the locking arm 50 through the first rotating shaft 42. The first coil spring 41 is installed at the body 1.
When the locking arm 50 rotates, a hook pin 51 provided to a free end of the locking arm 50 connects with the paper-feeding cassette 20 of the pick-up bracket 60 to restrict up and down movement of the paper-feeding cassette. Accordingly, the pick-up bracket 60 cooperates with the hook pin 51, and is moved up and down.
A free end portion of the pick-up bracket 60 rotatably supports the pick-up roller 31, and is installed to be resiliently biased to the paper-feeding cassette 20 by a second coil spring 62. The second coil spring 62 is installed at a support member 62a of the support frame 35. When the paper is conveyed, the pick-up roller 31 conveys the paper while pressing the uppermost sheet of paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20 at a suitable pressure.
Furthermore, the pick-up bracket 60 includes a protrusion member 38 which protrudes downward from the pick-up bracket 60. The protrusion member 38 contacts a hook member 72 to be described below, thus restricting an operation of the pick-up bracket 60.
The driver 33 of the pick-up device 30 includes a driving motor 34 and a power transmission section (not shown). The driving motor 34 is installed at the support frame 35, and produces a rotational driving force. The power transmission section is installed inside the pick-up bracket 60, and provides the rotation rotating force of the driving motor 34 to the pick-up roller 31.
A locking/unlocking section 36 includes a solenoid driver 70, a third rotating shaft 71, and the hook member 72. The solenoid driver 70 is installed at the support frame 35. An operation of the solenoid driver 70 controls whether the solenoid driver 70 contacts with a connecting member 70a that is provided at one side of the paper-feeding cassette 20. The second rotating shaft 71 is installed at the support frame 35, and rotates by the operation of the solenoid driver 70. The hook member 72 is provided at one end of the second rotating shaft 71. As the second rotating shaft 71 rotates, the hook member 72 contacts and locks/unlocks the pick-up bracket 60.
That is, upon mounting the paper-feeding cassette 20 into the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the cam projection 21 and the cam lever 40 contact each other. Further, the connecting member 70a provided at the one side of the paper-feeding cassette 20 comes in contact with the solenoid driver 70. At this time, the hook pin 51 is released due to the contact between the cam projection 21 and the cam lever 40, and the operation of the solenoid driver 70 rotates the second rotating shaft 71, and the pick-up bracket 60 is released, thus permitting the pick-up bracket 60 to be lowered.
When the paper-feeding cassette 20 is removed from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the cam projection 21 no longer is in contact with the cam lever 40, and the solenoid driver 70 no longer contacts the connecting member 70a provided at the one side of the paper-feeding cassette 20. Consequently, the pick-up bracket 60 is raised according to a rotation of the hook pin 51 that is engaged with the cam lever 40. Furthermore, the hook member 72 constrains the protrusion member 38, immobilizing the pick-up bracket 60.
Hereinafter, an operation of the conventional paper-feeding device will be described.
As the paper-feeding cassette 20 in which paper is loaded is inserted into the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10 of the body 1, the cam lever 40 contacts the cam projection 21 provided at the front end of the paper-feeding cassette 20, and is thus rotated upward. At the same time, the locking arm 50 is rotated downward.
Accordingly, the immobilized state of the pick-up bracket 60 due to the hook pin 51 provided at the free end of the locking arm 50 is released, whereas the immobilized state of the pick-up bracket 60 due to the hook member 72 is maintained. As a result, the pick-up bracket 60 is maintained in an initial state.
When the paper-feeding cassette 20 is further inserted into the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the connecting member 70a provided at one side of the paper-feeding cassette 20, and the solenoid driver 70 contact each other. At this time, the solenoid driver 70 operates to rotate the rotating shaft 71, and the state of the pick-up bracket 60 immobilizing the protrusion member 38 is released. Accordingly, the pick-up bracket 60 descends by a self-weight, and contacts the uppermost sheet of paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20.
At this time, as the pick-up bracket 60 is resiliently biased downward by a tensile force of the second coil spring 62 installed at a front end of the pick-up bracket 60, the pick-up roller 31 comes in contact with the uppermost sheet of paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20, while pressing it at a suitable pressure.
In such a state, when a printing command is inputted to an image forming apparatus, a rotational driving force of the driving motor 34 is transferred to the pick-up roller 31. The pick-up roller 31 sequentially conveys the paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20 by using the rotation driving force of the driving motor 34, so that a printing operation begins.
Through the above-mentioned operations, after the paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20 has been used, to load a new paper pile therein, the paper-feeding cassette 20 is removed from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10. Upon removing the paper-feeding cassette 20 from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the interference between the cam projection 21 and the cam lever 40 is released, so that the cam lever 40 rotates downward by a restoring force of the first coil spring 41, and simultaneously the locking arm 50 rotates upward. Accordingly, the pick-up bracket 60 also ascends via the hook pin 51 that is provided at the free end of the locking arm 50. As the paper-feeding cassette 20 is removed from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the contact between the connecting member 70a provided at one side of the paper-feeding cassette 20 and the solenoid driver 70 is released. At that time, the solenoid driver 70 operates to rotate the second rotating shaft 71. The hook member 72 becomes engaged with the rotation of the second rotating shaft 71 and restricts a protrusion member 38 that is provided at the pick-up bracket 60.
According to the conventional image forming apparatus and the paper-feeding device as described above, in the case wherein upward and downward operation of the pick-up bracket 60 is restricted due to the hook member 72, in cooperation with the solenoid driver 70, upon mounting the paper-feeding cassette 20 in the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the pick-up bracket 60 descends in a state in which the paper-feeding cassette 20 is not completely inserted into the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10. Then, the pick-up roller 31 descends to pull and twist the uppermost sheet from the paper loaded in the paper-feeding cassette 20. When a printing process starts and the paper is picked-up, a paper skew or jam occurs. Furthermore, upon removing the paper-feeding cassette 20 from the paper-feeding cassette mounting section 10, the pick-up roller 31 ascends and may be caught on the paper-feeding cassette 20, resulting in a breakdown of a part of the pick-up roller 31.

Paper-feeding device of image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same


An implant assist apparatus is disclosed for implanting material such as a suture in tissue to reapproximate or reinforce the tissue. A cannula is provided having a hollow body and an open proximal and distal end. Point means is detachably fixed to the open proximal end of the cannula for penetrating tissue. A method of implanting the material in tissue for reapproximating or reinforcing the tissue with the implant assist apparatus is also disclosed whereby a length of the implant material is attached to a guide wire for partial containment within the cannula. The cannula with detachable point is passed into the tissue at an entry point remote from one side of the defect and out an exit point on the opposite side remote from the defect such that the distal end of the hollow body extends from the entry point and a proximal end extends from the exit point. The detachable point is removed from the cannula and a guide wire with implant material attached is drawn out of the proximal end of the hollow body until the implant material is exposed at both the distal and proximal ends of the hollow body. Thereafter, the cannula is withdrawn from the tissue leaving the implant material in place and the implant material is anchored to reapproximate or reinforce the defect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for effectively joining and/or reinforcing separated soft tissues in humans and animals. More particularly, the invention is directed to a method and apparatus for placement of implants for reapproximating separations in or reinforcing weakened or separated soft tissues normally subject to flexure or strains such as for example, muscles, tendons or ligaments without excessive abrasion.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, end to end repair of elastic tissue such as muscles, tendons and ligaments, separated either by surgical procedure or injury, involves suturing the ends of the tissue together for a time sufficient to permit normal healing. The ends of the tissue are joined with a wide variety of both absorbable and nonabsorbable suture and implant materials. With nonabsorbable suture materials, the sutures are typically removed within one or two weeks of implantation or left in place.
Conventional curved suture needles, with their small radii, significantly limit the distance over which the suture can be buried. This limitation requires that the sutures be positioned proximal to the severed ends of the tissue. Particularly, in the case of soft elastic tissue such as muscles, tendons or ligaments, conventionally implanted sutures have a tendency to prematurely pull through the joined ends of the tissue when it is flexed or subject to slight strains. When this occurs, the tissue ends separate and healing is arrested necessitating further surgery to repair the damage. One particularly advantageous suture for use in joining ends of soft elastic tissue is a braided suture. Braided sutures are well known in the art and are more supple and workable than conventional monofilament sutures for a given tensile strength. Braided sutures, however, tend to abrade these types of soft tissue as they are implanted. It is desirable to be able to introduce a relatively rough-surfaced braided suture without causing tissue damage because, once in place, this type of suture may provide some frictional resistance to pull-out, keep the two ends of the tissue being reapproximated from pistoning and provide a scaffold for tissue ingrowth as healing progresses thus reinforcing the repair.
It is also common to repair, reinforce or replace tendons and ligaments with prosthetic devices, as for example the anterior cruciate ligament. Prosthetic ligaments such as the Gore-Tex cruciate ligament device are generally implanted through tunnels and anchored at either end. After the tunnels are drilled, it is generally viewed as important to chamfer both the internal and external surfaces to remove sharp edges in an attempt to prevent damage to the prosthesis during placement.
Other common types of procedures involving the reapproximation or reinforcing of tissue ends by implant material include, inter alia, patellar reconstruction, collateral ligament repair, knee repair, rotator cuff, tendon suturing, muscle facia suturing, tendon advancement, reattachment or grafting as well as muscle transfer.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a method and apparatus which permits implant materials of all types to be easily and efficiently positioned in soft or hard tissue over an extended distance remote from ends of the tissue to be joined without excessive abrasion.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide apparatus which facilitates placement of implant materials within soft or hard tissue over extended distances beyond the ends of the tissue to be joined.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which protects the soft or hard tissue and the implant material from abrasion during implantation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for implanting an implant material within soft or hard tissue over extended distances without excessive abrasion to the tissue or implant material.
These and other highly desirable and unusual results are accomplished by the present invention in a method and apparatus for implanting an implant material over extended distances within soft or hard tissue to reapproximate and/or reinforce separated ends of the tissue and thus resist the tendency to prematurely pull through the ends of the reapproximated or reinforced tissues when subject to flexure or slight strain. The apparatus and method further permit implantation of a wide variety of implant materials such as sutures, including braided sutures, prosthetic devices such as, for example, tapes, ribbons, braided hollow tubes or other elongated structures, in whole or in part, or tissue augmentation devices without excessive abrasion to the tissue or the implant material.
Objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious therefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, which is realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. The invention consists of novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations, steps and improvements herein shown and described.