A portable electric heating apparatus for warming a liquid and maintaining the elevated temperature of a liquid held inside a hot beverage container. The housing (23) of the apparatus may be inserted within the perimeter of a bottom rim of the beverage container so that a heating plate (22) releasably contacts a bottom wall of the container. A controller (25) enclosed in the housing includes electrical circuitry for communicating with a supply of electric power and for energizing a heating element (31). In various embodiments, electric power may be provided from wall outlets, USB ports, or batteries, which may be disposable or rechargeable. The heating element is configured to transfer heat to the plate, which warms the liquid through the bottom wall of the container.

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
U.S. PatentsPatent NumberKind CodeIssue DatePatentee4,980,539B11990 Dec. 25Walton6,121,585B12000 Sep. 19Dam6,192,787B12001 Feb. 27Montalto5,148,688B11992 Sep. 22Pimm etal.6,267,110B12001 Jul. 31Tenenboum etal.5,072,095B11991 Dec. 10Hoffman9,186,006B22015 Nov. 17Soule8,274,016B22012 Sep. 25Montana6,870,135B22005 Mar. 22Hamm etal.9,265,371B22016 Feb. 23Glucksman et al.
U.S. Patent Application PublicationsPublication Nr.Kind CodePub. DateApplicant20160183730A12016 Jun. 30Design HMI LLC et al.20120061050A12012 Mar. 5Petrillo et al.
Many people purchase hot beverages "to-go" at coffee shops, convenience stores, espresso stands, and the like. Although there are several types of hot beverages such as coffee, caf latte, tea, chai, etc., at every coffee shop these beverages are commonly served in a container that the purchaser can dispose of after use. These disposable hot beverage containers are frequently made of waterproof cardboard or a paper-based material carrying a plastic lid on top. Many purchasers prefer to drink their beverages at a leisurely pace while walking or traveling on a train or in an automobile. Since such drinks may consist of 12 oz. or more in quantity, it is often desirable to consume them over a period of 15 minutes or more. The problem is that hot beverages cool rapidly in the paper container, and are less desirable or satisfying than when originally purchased.
Containers made of Styrofoam or a foam-based material are occasionally used to serve hot beverages, and may provide some thermal insulation to retard cooling, but many hot-beverage aficionados believe that Styrofoam imparts an unpleasant side-taste to the beverage. In addition, there is widespread and increasing resistance to the use of Styrofoam on environmental grounds. Establishments catering to the serious hot-beverage consumers invariably use the waterproof paper containers.
There is a large variety of insulated containers available, and many people simply transfer their hot beverages from the ubiquitous paper containers to the insulated ones, and thus consume their beverage at their leisure. Some of these containers also have provisions for electrically heating the contained beverage, and are shown by the following: Walton in U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,539 (1990), Dam in U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,585 (2000), Montalto in U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,787 (2001), and Bedi et al. in U.S. Pub No. 20160183730 (2016). These vessels can be quite effective in maintaining and/or heating a beverage to a desired temperature, but they require users to carry the insulated container to the beverage shop or have it available nearby. They also necessitate the user to wash the container after use. The convenience of the paper container, which can be disposed of after the beverage is consumed, is lost.
Similar heating containers exist, but they burn fuel or generate exothermic reactions to provide heat to the contained beverage. Examples of such vessels are shown by Pimm et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,688 (1992) and Tenenboum et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,110 (2001). In addition, One Step Ahead/Leaps And Bounds Co. of Lake Bluff, Ill. distributes a commercially available baby-bottle warmer utilizing an exothermic heating element, calling it "Reusable On-The-Go Bottle Warmer," Item No. 06918. However, all of these aforementioned containers and devices rely on the use of a specialized vessel for containing the hot beverage, and none can be adapted for use with the waterproof paper hot beverage containers presently distributed widely.
Also available are small hotplates designed to keep beverages in a container at or near optimum drinking temperature, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,095 to Hoffman (1991). Such hotplates, designed for use on a desk or counter, work well with conventional ceramic or metal beverage containers, but are not very effective when used with the conventional "to-go" paper containers. Since the bottom wall of the beverage-containing part of the container is recessed inside the bottom of its walls, this beverage-containing part does not contact the heated surface of the hotplate. Thus, Hoffman's hotplate is unable to effectively heat beverages contained in conventional waterproof paper containers.
Another approach to prevent hot beverages from cooling involves using phase change material, shown by Petrillo et al. in U.S. Pub. No. 20120061050 (2012). Small capsules of the material are placed directly in a hot beverage to maintain it at a drinkable temperature. However, the user has little control over the preferred temperature, and the user is at risk of swallowing the capsules. Similar to the vessel heaters, cleaning the device after use is also required, since it is surrounded by liquid.
There also exist heating devices that slip over paper hot beverage containers, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,186,006 to Soule (2015), U.S. Pat. No. 8,274,016 to Montana (2012), U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,135 to Hamm et al. (2005), and U.S. Pat. No. 9,265,371 to Glucksman et al. (2016). Although these inventions are able to heat liquid contained in paper beverage vessels, there are some problems with them. For one, the warming sleeve may be uncomfortably hot to touch, and therefore not optimal to hold in one's hand. Second, the apparatus requires an exterior force either by hand or from a horizontal planar surface, such as a table or cup holder, to remain in contact with the hot beverage container. Moreover, the invention described by Soule increases the thickness and length of the beverage-containing vessel. Hamm et al. asserts that it can easily be stowed in a pocket or purse, but it seems too bulky for that. Moreover, those of Soule's and Montana's are not portable and require connecting the apparatus to an external power source, such as a car outlet, while warming the beverage.
A device that serves as a hybrid between a hotplate and a warming sleeve for paper containers would be useful since one such device could offer the wireless convenience and portability of Hamm's yet also deliver heat to the beverage without uncomfortably burning the user's skin.
In conclusion, a diligent search of the patent literature failed to identify any portable device that could be used to warm or maintain the elevated temperature of a beverage ordered "to-go" without eradicating the look and feel of the disposable container.

Portable electric heating device for disposable hot beverage containers


An aerodynamic structure for use on an upper surface of an aircraft wing is disclosed. The wing includes a slat operable between a stowed configuration in which the slat is stowed in a slat recess of the wing, and a deployed configuration in which the slat extends out of the slat recess. When the slat is in the deployed configuration, an end face of the slat recess is exposed, the end face intersecting with the upper surface of the wing at a recess edge. The aerodynamic structure, adjacent to the recess edge, has a volume shaped to encourage air flowing over the recess edge onto the upper surface during flight, to remain attached.

The present invention concerns aircraft wings. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention concerns the provision of aerodynamic structures for use on aircraft wings.
Aircraft wings may comprise discontinuities, e.g. sharp corners, in some wing regions, which may affect airflow around the wing, and consequently the performance of the aircraft during flight. Such discontinuities may be found, for example, as part of a slat recess, or cavity, for housing a leading-edge slat. A leading-edge slat is an aerodynamic surface on the leading edge of a wing which, when deployed, allows the wing to operate at a higher angle of attack. The slat may be stowed in the slat recess during cruise, and may be deployed to extend out of the slat recess during take-off and/or landing. With the slat stowed in, and flush with, the slat recess, the upper surface of the slat may be substantially continuous with the upper surface of the wing, thereby concealing the inner faces of the slat recess. However, with the slat deployed, the inner faces of the slat recess may be exposed. The inner faces of the slat recess, e.g. especially the two opposing end faces, may form sharp edges with the adjacent upper surface of the wing.
During flight and with the slat deployed, air may flow from the slat recess onto the upper surface of the wing. However, separation of the airflow may occur as the airflow is forced over sharp edges. For example, cross-flow from the vicinity of an end face of the slat recess may detach from the wing as it is forced over the edge between the end face and the wing upper surface. Such local flow separation can degrade the downstream boundary layer, e.g. by reducing the energy of the downstream boundary layer, which in turn renders the downstream boundary layer more susceptible to other causes of flow separation, e.g. adverse pressure gradients or surface imperfections. The local flow separation occurring adjacent to discontinuities on the wing planform can limit or reduce the maximum lift coefficient of the wing, and consequently of the aircraft as a whole, thereby affecting the performance of the aircraft.
The present invention seeks to mitigate one or more of the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved aircraft and aircraft wing.


A vapor recovery nozzle has a dual passage hose connector, a fluid control body connected to the connector, a fluid turbine body connected to the fluid control body, and a fluid venturi body mounted within the fluid turbine body, a barrier flange and a vapor impeller housing surrounding a fluid and vapor conduit spout and connected to the barrier flange and fluid turbine body. A fluid turbine and a vapor impeller are mounted on opposite sides of the barrier flange on bearings which are supported on an axle extended from the venturi body. Magnetic couplings drive the vapor impeller with the fluid turbine. Fluid vapor is actively withdrawn from the tank and is moved under a positive discharge pressure through the vapor channel and in the nozzle guard, past a check valve in the vapor channel and through the vapor passage in the hose. Fluid is controlled by a popper valve which is closed in the direction of fluid flow by a spring. An inner plunger opens a valve when the inner plunger is connected to an outer plunger by needle rollers. The outer plunger is moved by a cam connected to the fluid lever. Fluid flows inward through tangential openings in a turbine chamber, and then flows through a venturi and check valve. A radial opening near the check valve produces a reduced pressure, which is raised by vapor drawn through a sensor opening near a distal end of the nozzle. The opening is closed by liquid.

There are two major Stage 2 vapor recovery systems in use: the balanced system and the vacuum assist system.
The balanced system uses the positive pressure created in a gasoline tank during fueling, which forces the gasoline vapors from the tank through the vapor recovery nozzle and a special gasoline/vapor hose back into the service station storage tank.
The vacuum assist system, in addition to a vapor recovery nozzle and hose, requires a vacuum pump which provides a vacuum assist for transporting the vapors from the automobile tank back into the storage tank. Because of the additional equipment, the vacuum assist system is more costly to install and maintain. For that reason, the balanced system has been preferred by the industry.
The existing vapor recovery nozzles for either system are difficult to handle, difficult to insert and difficult to seal with automobile fill pipes. Both systems are prone to gasoline splash-back and spillage and are hated by both service station owners and motorists.
In addition, the rubber bellow/boot that is used to make a seal on the existing vapor recovery nozzles are prone to cuts. The cuts nullify the efficiency of the entire vapor recovery system. When detected by EPA inspectors, cuts in boots result in large fines to the service station owners.
One of the requirements for any type of vapor recovery system is that liquid must not be aspirated into the vapor return conduit from the vehicle tank or fill pipe or from other parts of the nozzle, otherwise customers would be charged for fluid which was aspirated back to the storage tank after having passed through the dispenser's meter.
To achieve the required efficiency of the vapor recovery system, the vacuum generated at the pump must be maintained at a particular level. If the vacuum is too high, fluid will be aspirated back into the vapor recovery line and the customer will be charged for fluid he has not received.
If the vacuum is not sufficient, or is too low, the required efficiency of the vapor recovery system will not be achieved, and an excessive amount of vapor will be released into the atmosphere.
In the vacuum assist vapor recovery systems currently in use, a centrifugal vacuum pump is positioned in the storage tank area. Vacuum is generated in the storage tank and must be transmitted through the piping and the entire length of the flexible hose that connects the dispenser with the vapor recovery nozzle.
This arrangement creates fluctuations of the vacuum level at the nozzle/filler neck connection due to variations in the number of dispensers used at the same time and changes in the hose restrictions as functions of vehicle-dispenser orientations.
Another arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,291 employs a positive displacement pump, such as a vane pump, at each dispenser. It must also maintain the sufficient vacuum through the entire length of the flexible hose to the nozzle. The initial high cost, as well as the inherent high wear and maintenance cost, make that solution an unattractive choice for service station owners.
A need exists for an improved system for vapor recovery in gasoline dispensing.


Techniques for predicting the downtime of a software system due to an upgrade of the system are provided. In one set of embodiments, a computer system can receive training data comprising (1) measured downtimes, (2) upgrade object information, (3) upgrade configuration information, and (4) system hardware information for past upgrades of the software system across different operating environments. Using this training data, the computer system can train a machine learning (ML) model to predict (1) based on (2), (3), and (4). The computer system can then receive a query comprising upgrade object information for a future upgrade U, upgrade configuration information for upgrade U, and system hardware information for an operating environment E. Based on these inputs, the computer system can use the ML model to generate a downtime value indicating the predicted downtime that will be experienced by the software system when upgrade U is applied to the system in operating environment E.

When the components of a software system are upgraded, the software system will typically experience some downtime while the upgrade process is carried out. During this downtime, the software system is unavailable to end-users and cannot execute its normal functions/operations. In large-scale software systems such as, e.g., enterprise business applications, the length of downtime necessitated by a given upgrade can be difficult for the system's administrators to accurately predict. This, in turn, makes it challenging for the administrators to plan appropriately for the upgrade event.

Predicting downtimes for software system upgrades


A front vehicle-body structure includes a floor panel; a side sill; a floor frame extending in a front-rear direction on a vehicle-width-direction inner side of the side sill; a first cross member connecting a front portion of the side sill to the floor frame in a vehicle width direction; and a second cross member connecting the side sill and floor frame in the vehicle width direction on a rear side of the first cross member. The floor panel has a quadrilateral closed region surrounded by the side sill, the floor frame, and the cross members, on a periphery of the closed region, and the closed region has a bead linearly extending in a direction intersecting with a virtual line connecting front and rear portions on vehicle-width-direction outer and inner sides, respectively, of the closed region to each other at an angle of 45 degrees or more in plan view.

A front vehicle-body structure of a vehicle including a floor panel, side sills extending in the front-rear direction on both side portions of the floor panel, a floor frame extending in the front-rear direction on the vehicle-width-direction inner side of the side sills, a first cross member connecting front portions of the side sills and the floor frame to each other in the vehicle width direction, and a second cross member connecting the side sills and the floor frame to each other in the vehicle width direction on the rear side of the first cross member is known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-265536 discloses a vehicle body structure in which a plurality of lines of beads concentric about an intersection point between a side sill and a first cross member are formed on a floor panel. The plurality of lines of beads are formed so as to substantially orthogonally intersect with the side sill and the first cross member, and are planned to suppress deformation of the floor panel by receiving a collision load transmitted to the first cross member at the time of a frontal collision from a front surface thereof and by supporting the collision load.


A new and distinct Dieffenbachia seguine cultivar named ‘A1’ is disclosed, characterized by mottled variegated leaves in light green which fades to light grey along midrib, mottled light grey patches and dark green secondary venation, dark green margins and moderate light green primary vein. The new variety is a Dieffenbachia seguine, normally produced as an ornamental plant.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dieffenbachia, botanically known as Dieffenbachia seguine, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'A1'.
The new Dieffenbachia plant cultivar was discovered and selected by Michael K. Rimland from a naturally occurring, single plant mutation of Dieffenbachia within a population of Dieffenbachia plants in a shadehouse in a controlled plant nursery in Miami, Fla., U.S. Asexual reproduction of the 'A1' by tissue culture cuttings was first performed in September 2018 in Miami, Fla. U.S. and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced to true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


This specification discloses an image display apparatus of the see-through type having display means for displaying an image on a display surface, an image observation optical system for re-imaging the image forwardly of an observer, an exterior scene observation optical system for observing therethrough an exterior scene forward of the observer, visual axis detecting means for detecting the visual axis directions of the observer's both eyes, and control means for detecting the gaze distance of the both eyes on the basis of the visual axis directions of the observer's both eyes detected by the visual axis detecting means, and controlling the re-imaged position of the image on the basis of the gaze distance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image display apparatus, and particularly to a head mounted type display apparatus or a spectacle type display apparatus which enables an image such as characters or a projected image displayed on display means to be observed as an enlarged virtual image.
2. Related Background Art
With the development of the liquid crystal display element, a head mounted display (HMD) of the so-called see-through type, in which a liquid crystal display element and an observation optical system are provided in front of an observer's eyes, and the observer observes an exterior scene through the optical system and an image is displayed on the liquid crystal display element and simultaneously shown with another image superposed on the exterior scene.
There is also known an image display apparatus in which an image displayed on a display element is changed over according to an observer's visual axis.
The conventional HMD type image display apparatus has attached thereto a mechanism for adjusting the visibility of the optical system relative to the display element, but has suffered from the problem that when the distance of an exterior scene observed by an observer greatly fluctuates, for example, from infinity to several tens of centimeters in front of the observer's eyes, the distance of the virtual image of an image displayed while being superposed on the exterior scene is greatly in discord with the observation distance and a blurred virtual image is visually confirmed.
Also, sometimes the image superposed is not necessary in the whole observation distance and for example, in an observation distance within 2 m, image information is required and in the other observation distances, the image information is not required or becomes harmful.
Also, in an image display apparatus wherein the display image is changed over by the visual axis, it is often the case that the display image is not changed over to an entirely discrete image, but it is desired to move the image being displayed and change over it so as to represent a new portion, whereas the image display apparatus according to the conventional art could not accomplish such a thing.


An electronic component, such as an IGBT, that presents a control terminal for receiving a stepwise control signal and at least one other terminal adapted for reaching a given voltage level by effect of the application of the step signal, with the possibility of overshoot occurring; and a damping resistive element interposed between the control terminal and the at least one other terminal. The damping resistive element shows a current saturated behavior correlated to voltage increase applied at the terminals towards the given voltage level, thus eliminating the risk of occurrence of overshoot in the voltage of the IGBT collector, and preventing the undesired re-ignition of the IGBT when it is in a cut-off condition, by inducing an overvoltage on the collector terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to techniques for controlling the step response of electronic components, and with particular reference to electronic ignition systems in motor vehicles, particularly in the car sector.
2. Description of the Related Art
The tendency of using small-sized coils which considerably reduce both the occupied area and the costs of the system, also permitting the implementation of innovative solutions, such as the direct assembly on the engine head, without high-voltage wires, is continuously spreading.
The main disadvantage of using such systems is due to the fact that, since the primary inductance value is generally low driving by means of electronic components capable of switching high currents, e.g., IGBTs (acronym of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), must be resorted to in order to provide sufficient energy during the spark generation phase.
An additional phenomenon found in these systems is the establishment of high parasite capacitance values, which may result in an underdamped step response.
In the described systems, the charging time of the ignition transformer (usually called xe2x80x9ccoilxe2x80x9d) is generally determined by a microprocessor which makes the IGBT conduct by means of a trigger pulse.
Working as a closed switch, the IGBT allows the flow of current in the primary winding of the coil. As soon as the current reaches a suitable value, the trigger signal switches to low and cuts off the IGBT, thus causing an overvoltage in the primary winding. The overvoltage, which is limited (typically to a value of approximately 400 V) by a zener diode in the IGBT, is transferred to the secondary winding via the secondary/primary turn ratio of the coil to generate the high voltage needed to produce the spark at the plug.
In practice, the IGBT is energized by a voltage step. In the described conditions (i.e., with an essentially inductive load), an overshoot of the collector voltage is generated when the IGBT exits the saturation region. This phenomenon is unacceptable because, returning to the secondary via the turn ratio, it can originate undesired sparks.
Implementation of the diagram shown in FIG. 1 has previously been proposed to overcome this problem. The diagram is representative per se of both the prior art and of an application according to the invention.
The IGBT is indicated by the corresponding acronym in the diagram in FIG. 1. The diagram also shows the respective collector C, gate G and emitter E terminals.
The collector-emitter line of the IGBT is interposed between the battery voltage B and the ground T in the ignition system connected in series to the primary winding P1 of the ignition transformer (currently called xe2x80x9ccoilxe2x80x9d). Reference P2 indicates the secondary winding of the illustrated transformer, which is structured to power a spark plug SP.
The control action described above is implemented by applying a step control signal generated by a control device such as, for example, a microprocessor MP, to the gate G of the IGBT via a resistor R.
The description above to this point corresponds to principles of operation and implementation criteria which are well known in the art and consequently do not require a detailed description herein.
Equally known is the aforementioned solution consisting in interposing a resistor with a suitable value between the collector C of the IGBT and its control terminal G, which resistor is indicated with numeral 1 in the diagram in FIG. 1.
Particularly, it is possible to see that as the value of the resistor 1 decreases, the detrimental phenomenon of overshoot described above gradually decreases to total disappearance.
This solution however clashes with another difficulty, related to the practical impossibility of operating in fully satisfying ways in solutions which, as in the case of electronic ignition systems, high voltage values, e.g., in the order of 400 V, occur on the primary winding P1 when the IGBT is switched off.
Particularly, in this application, the voltage on the collector C does not reach the desired value because the resistor 1 would cause the IGBT to be switched on again when it should be cut off.
The disclosed embodiments of the invention provide a solution that is capable of overcoming the described shortcomings.
Particularly, the solution according to the invention is based on the use of resistive elements with current saturated behavior correlated to voltage increase.
The phrase xe2x80x9ccurrent saturated behavior correlated to voltage increasexe2x80x9d herein indicates those resistive elements (usually made of semiconductor structures) susceptible of showing:
a normal resistive behavior in a first range of voltage values applied to the terminals, i.e., a dependency that is essentially linear of the intensity of the current through the component on the voltage applied across the terminals; and
a phenomenon of current saturation for which the value of the intensity of the current through the element remains approximately constant (i.e., increases only very slightly, according to a typical asymptotic pattern) with the voltage applied across the terminals of the element as the applied voltage exceeds the first range of values (i.e., exceeds a certain neighbourhood of threshold values).
Resistive elements of this type are known, as documented, for example in European Application EP-A-0 996 158.
An element of this kind is also described in a co-pending U.S. patent application entitled A Structure for a Semiconductor Resistive Element, Particularly for High Voltage Applications and Respective Manufacturing Process filed concurrently herewith in the name of the Applicant.

System and process for controlling the step response of electric components


A passive RFID-based electronic seal having a lower body and an upper body, includes an upper, a central and a lower sleeve, two antennas, an RFID Chip, two sockets. When the first antenna of the upper body is inserted through a seal sleeve of the central sleeve of the lower body, a pawl suitably is placed at a middle of the first antenna gets stuck inside a pawl ring of the central sleeve of the lower body when passing through it and thus activates and completes the passive RFID-based electronic seal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passive RFID-based electronic seal using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to secure and to identify containers or other objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nowadays in global container transportation, in order to easily identify the container and its cargo, and to keep the cargo from being stolen or being exchanged with something else, two kinds of seals, namely mechanical container seal and active type RFID-based electronic seal, are being used, wherein:
1. Mechanical container seal: Presently mechanical container seals are applied to most containers. When the container is sealed up, it is not possible to break in the container unless using clipper to destroy the seal. Moreover, every seal contains a serial number corresponding to a specific container; when passing through customs, an inspector will check visually if the seal is destroyed, if so, then the container has been broken in. However, it is easy to counterfeit the mechanical container seal and the serial number and tends to undermine the security of the container.
2. Active type RFID-based electronic seal: some containers use active type RFID-based electronic seals to avoid being forged and to provide better security. However, active type electronic seals are more expensive and their costs are a hundred times higher than those of mechanical container seals. Besides, high recycle costs related to electronic seals are also obstacles to widespread application.
Therefore, the two devices mentioned above present several shortcomings to be overcome.
In view of the above-described deficiency of prior-art seals, after years of constant effort in research, the inventor of this invention has consequently developed and proposed a passive RFID-based electronic seal.


Balanced mixers with respect to their output stages are created by making the differential mixer output (A, B) a single-ended output (C) without a matching transformer. The circuitry can be used in all balanced transistor mixers, provided that both sides of the differential output are available for use.

The present invention relates to a circuit for converting the differential outputs of a balanced mixed into a single-ended output. The circuit is implemented by using semiconductors without transformer matching. The circuit can be used in all balanced transistor mixers, provided that both sides of the differential output are available for use.
Because of the construction of the conventional prior-art transistor mixer, shown in FIG. 1, the balanced output is located on the collectors of the transistors and has a high impedance (approximately 100 kohm). In general, the mixer is always followed by some kind of a filter by means of which non-desirable mixing results are eliminated. The impedances of the filters, for their part, are considerably lower, approximately 2.5 kohm-50 ohm. Traditionally, the matching necessary to achieve power transfer is carried out by using transformer matching, as shown in FIG. 2. The exploitation of balancing will in this case suppress any distortion of the output signal. An alternative method of matching the output impedance of such a mixer circuit for the filters is to use resistances, as shown in FIG. 3, or to use other similar impedance matching circuits.
The output signal in the single-ended output D of the prior-art matching circuit, shown in FIG. 2, based on a transformer M, fulfills the requirements imposed on the quality of the signal i.e. a matched impedance and a low value of distortion, but in present-day receiver-transmitter applications, transformers are no longer used, since they are large in size, heavy, expensive and need to be tuned.
In most commercial mixer circuits the output impedances are matched for the filters by using corresponding resistances, such as RL, shown in FIG. 3. The problem in this case is that, in the absence of transformer circuitry, only one side, either A or B, of this differential output can be used, since the inputs of the filters are not differential.
By using the mixer without the transformer circuit, the following problems may arise at high input signal levels: the output signal is clipped asymmetrically; the output signal collapses, the mixing gain disappears; the harmonics of the output signal dominate strongly.
In the case of a high-level input signal there are thus, in both branches A and B of the differential output of the mixer of FIG. 3, mixing results which have been clipped and distorted at the peak. Such high-distortion signals of the differential outputs of a conventional mixer are shown in FIG. 4.

Circuitry for making a differential output single-ended


A burner control for a condensing furnace having a flame proving circuit that incorporates the flame at the burner to be closed and that opens upon absence of a flame to cause a gas valve to close and block the flow of gas to the burner. A short circuit shunting the flame proving circuit includes a probe that projects into the outlet manifold of the condensing furnace. If liquid level in the outlet manifold reaches the probe, a short circuit is closed between the probe and a ground on the manifold. The control to the valve is energized to close the valve in the same manner as if the flame had extinguished at the burner. Upon closing the gas valve, the burner is extinguished.

The present invention relates to a furnace protective device for a condensing furnace to terminate the operation of a burner when there is an abnormal accumulation of condensate in the secondary heat exchanger. Particularly, the invention relates to a burner protective device for a heating system having a primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger connected in series. A burner burns a gas-air mixture and the resulting products of combustion flow through the primary heat exchanger and then through the secondary heat exchanger.
The combustion products generally remain gaseous in the primary heat exchanger. However, the cold room air contacting the walls of the secondary heat exchanger produce condensation of the combustion products, releasing latent heat of vaporization that transfers additional heat to the room air. This condensate flows with the remaining combustion gases from the secondary heat exchanger tubes to an outlet manifold. The gases escape through a flue. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,738,307 and 4,729,328.
The condensate normally flows from a secondary heat exchanger through an outlet that is piped to a suitable drain. If condensate backs up in the secondary heat exchanger for any reason, such as from a blockage of the condensate drain, the liquid may build up in the secondary heat exchanger to a level that will reduce combustion air flow and affect the combustion quality to the point that carbon monoxide will be produced.
The present invention provides a protection device to turn off the gas to the burner when the level of the condensate in the secondary heat exchanger rises to an abnormal level. This protective device is connected to an ignition control module. The control module includes a D.C. circuit that is closed by the presence of a flame at the burner and that opens when the flame is extinguished. A relay circuit to a gas valve is deactivated by the ignition control module to close the gas valve when extinguishment of the flame opens the circuit through the burner.
In the conventional mechanism, a pressure switch is connected in the thermostat circuit in series with the ignition control module. The pressure switch is positioned to respond to (negative) pressure in the condenser outlet manifold produced by an induction blower. If the condensate level rises to an abnormal level, the pressure switch will open the thermostat circuit to the ignition control module, shutting down the system, which closes the gas valve.
This conventional mechanism has several drawbacks. Primarily, the pressure switch is too sensitive and sometimes reads pressure signals falsely and shuts down the system. Different sized furnaces require different settings of the pressure switch. It is relatively costly, both in materials and installation. Overall, it is relatively expensive.


Disclosed is a switch control circuit, including an error amplifier, a compensation network and a control circuit, wherein the compensation network is connected to an output end of the error amplifier; and the control circuit includes switches from a first switch to a fifth switch and is configured to control operating states of the error amplifier and the compensation network by controlling on/off states of switches from the first switch to the fifth switch. Further disclosed are switch control method, a regulator including the above switch control circuit as well as a computer storage medium.

An error amplifier is a core part of a voltage control loop in a step-down conversion circuit (BUCK circuit), and stability of the whole BUCK circuit is directly influenced by an operating mode of the error amplifier. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a composition structure of the BUCK circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, in the voltage control loop, an inverted input end of the error amplifier is connected with an output sampling voltage VFB, and an in-phase input end of the error amplifier is connected with a reference voltage VREF. When the BUCK circuit operates in a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mode, an output voltage Vc of the error amplifier and sawtooth waves are mutually compared, and a state of a setting end of an SR latch is influenced by virtue of a PWM voltage comparator, so that an aim of changing a duty cycle of switching is achieved, and finally an output voltage of the circuit is stabilized.
A circuit is mutually switched between a Pulse Skip Modulation (PSM) mode and the PWM mode by virtue of a PWM_PSM control circuit under the condition that the BUCK circuit is in a light load mode. In order to reduce power consumption, the error amplifier is closed in the PSM mode by utilizing an enable signal PWM-PSM, so that the output end of the error amplifier is set at an very low level, and therefore, the output voltage of the circuit continuously drops and great and indeterminable ripples are caused due to an extremely small switching duty cycle when the BUCK circuit is switched from the PSM mode to the PWM mode. The loaded output voltage is gradually reduced if the error amplifier is not closed in the PSM mode, so that the output voltage of the error amplifier continuously rises, and therefore, an output level of the error amplifier is very high when the BUCK circuit is switched from the PSM mode to the PWM mode, and great ripples are caused when the output voltage is regulated by PWM. FIG. 2 is an oscillogram illustrating a circuit output voltage Vout and partial operating points of the error amplifier in the existing BUCK circuit during operating.
Accordingly, the output voltage of the circuit would generate great ripples in case of a light load when the BUCK circuit is mutually switched between the PSM mode and the PWM mode if a control circuit of the error amplifier and a compensation network cannot be well designed.

Switch control method, switch control circuit, regulator and storage medium


A pivoted float contains a solid-state inclinometer which produces sensitive electrical output responsive to angular displacement of the float from the direction of gravity. The float is capable of resolving very small changes in liquid level in a vessel, and thereby indicating or warning of small leaks from the vessel.

It is desirable that even minute leaks in liquid storage vessels be reliably detected, especially when the liquid is toxic, flammable or otherwise dangerous or highly valuable. A small change in stored liquid volume corresponds to an extremely small change in the quiescent surface level of the stored liquid. Yet a change of a few thousandths of an inch may, in a large vessel, represent a substantial leakage volume.
Prior-art liquid level detectors have attempted various methods of detecting very small changes in the height of a vertically-travelling float. Crude pivoting floats, such as used in automobile gasoline tanks, automobile carburetor float chambers, toilet tanks and the like, have heretofore been incapable of resolving the extremely small angular displacements of a pivoted float necessary for detecting a change in level of only a few thousandths of an inch reliably. The problem has primarily been the lack of a sensing and electrical transducing mechanism not only highly sensitive, but also immune to the various interfering factors, such as temperature, wave motion of the liquid surface, etc. Optical, electromagnetic and other sensing mechanisms each suffer from interfering impingement of the very medium (light, magnetism, etc.) which they are designed to sense. Furthermore, such prior-art level sensors are generally analog responsive to the particular sensed medium, ambient strength or intensity of which may vary to a greater extent than the minute variations sought to be detected.
In a pivoting float type sensor, linearity of the angular sensing transducer mechanism is important if an output is to be derived from which the actual value of level change may be calculated or displayed. Such linearity is of less importance when only a preset threshold angular displacement is to be monitored. One problem in a pivoting float is that the center of buoyancy changes position with inclination in an odd-shaped float, whereas predictability and linearity require that the radius from pivot axis to center of buoyancy remain constant at all angular displacements.
Where a shield, or stilling basin is employed to isolate a sensitive liquid level detector from an ambient surface wave motion of the liquid, it is desirable to be able to select and control the time constant, or rate of ingress and egress of the liquid between the sensitive inner portion of a stilling basin and the larger body of liquid.
Measurement errors of pivoting float type sensors also arise from motion of the vessel itself. Such a problem is evident, for example, in automobile gasoline tank gauges and in carburetor floats not mechanically compensated, during hard cornering, hill-climbing and the like. It is desirable in a sensitive leakage detector application to be able to distinguish between sensor output caused by actual change in liquid level, and that caused by change, even very minute change, in position of the vessel itself.
While a level sensor can indicate a quiescent, desired liquid level at a level somewhat above or below the middle of its measurement range, it is also desirable to be able to make a gross initial height adjustment, over a range considerably wider than the narrow sensor range, to accommodate relatively large differences in initial liquid level before the fine sensing of only thousandths of an inch change in level commences.
It is an object of the invention to provide a fluid level sensor capable of accurate, reproducible and reliable sensing of very minute liquid level changes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor which senses a readily available medium, which does not rely upon intensity of the measured medium, and which is relatively impervious to variations in ambient intensity of the measured medium.
A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor relatively immune to wave motion of the liquid, and which provides for selected time constant of response to such wave motion.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor having an electrical output conveniently convertible to alarm, readout or feedback-control-loop usage.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor having linear or predictable relationship between electrical output signal and actual fluid level in a vessel.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor capable of sensing and compensating for motion of the liquid storage vessel.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fluid level sensor having a gross initial level setting capability considerably wider than the usual sensing range of the operating sensor.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, self-contained package containing sensor and related electronics, easily insertable and replaceable in existing storage tanks.


The containment of plants and seedlings as such plants or seedlings are grown, transported, displayed and planted is provided. Containers are comprised of biodegradable materials that have the advantage of being formed into containers with various features, such as by an injection molding process, but that can be buried within the soil along with a plant's roots. Such containers allow for plant or seedling transplanting without having to separate the container from the plant's root system. More preferably, biodegradable plastics utilized in accordance with the present invention have properties such that the plastic can be injection molded and yet provide a stable structural container that will last in accordance with predetermined set needs, which needs may include environmental aspects, timing aspects and decompositional aspects. By utilizing injection molding, containers can be formed with many advantageous features.

Horticulture pots have long been provided for transport and the start of growth for plants of any number of varieties. Typically, small or seedling plants are started from seed within such pots so that the plants can be transported, displayed and sold to consumers. Plastic pots are common from which a gardener will remove the plant, its root ball and a quantity of potting soil comprising germination mix from the container just prior to transplanting within a prepared soil hole or depression. The removal or separation process can cause damage to the plants root system. Such plastic planting pots are often ganged together for easy transport of multiple plants. These plastic pots provide basic containment of the plant's root and potting soil and are not meant to be buried in the ground or to provide further purpose. Plastic pots can be easily formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be formed with integral features such as drainage openings, handling features, and connective portions for connecting ganged multiple pots.
Degradable pots have also been known for a long time, such as comprising a biological material like compressed peat moss. By known techniques, such pots can be formed from the compressed peat moss into the shape of a container. The frailness of the material itself does not, however, lend these pots to having many features that can be integrated with plastic pots. The pots can advantageously be deposited in the soil along with the plant roots so that no step of removing the plant roots from the container is needed. These peat pots biodegrade rather quickly and also have a nutritive effect. The decomposing biological material adds plant nutrients into the soil surrounding the plant roots during at least early grown after replanting of the plants.
More recently, other materials have been developed for seed planting and the transport and use of plant seedlings that are also capable of being buried into the ground with plant roots.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272033 describes biodegradable germinating pods for seedlings. The body of the tubular pods consists of 20 to 70% cellulose, 5 to 20% calcium carbonate, 30 to 70% calcium sulfate, and micronutrients.
European Patent No. 0 716 804 discloses soil decomposing seedling pots wherein coconut shell powder is mixed into a biodegradable plastic made of carboxylic acid-based compounds such as an aliphatic acid or lactic acid. The pot is made by injection molding.


A final drive system for a machine includes a stationary side housing in which a planetary gear assembly and an elongated brake hub member are disposed. The planetary gear assembly includes a ring gear disposed within the stationary side housing; a planetary gear carrier rotatably supported by the stationary side housing; and multiple planet gears that are disposed in mesh with the ring gear. The planetary gear assembly further includes a sun gear disposed in mesh with the planet gears to rotatably drive the planet gears. The elongated brake hub member axially extends from the sun gear and defines a set of internal and external splines that are located distally away from the integrally formed sun gear. The set of internal splines and the set of external splines are configured to mesh with a set of external splines from an axle shaft and a brake pack of the machine respectively.

Earth moving machines have long been known to employ final drive systems for selectively driving one or more ground engaging members present on the machine. These final drive systems typically include components that facilitate rotation of the ground engaging members and application of braking force on the ground engaging members. In some cases, these final drive systems may include several components in which each component may be configured to accomplish a unique function such as, but not limited to, the rotation of the ground engaging members, the application of braking force on the ground engaging members, and the like. In other cases, the final drive systems may require longer and/or large-diameter axle shafts to transmit the driving power from a differential assembly to the ground engaging members of the machine. Such configurations of components may entail a larger space claim by the components. Moreover, such components may be cumbersome and/or expensive to manufacture due to their bulky geometry and/or other design parameters besides a large number of components involved in forming the final drive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,514 (hereinafter referred to as "the '514 patent") discloses a wheel drive for a piece of construction equipment or the like. The wheel drive of the '514 patent has a hydraulic motor mounted in a wheel support on which is a rotatable wheel-carrying hub. The output shaft of the motor is connected to one member of a clutch whose other member is connected to a two-stage planetary-gear transmission whose output gear is a ring gear integrally formed in the wheel hub. The clutch is hydraulically actuatable through a passage extending axially through the motor shaft.
However, components of the '514 patent may not be compactly-sized and/or configured components. Moreover, the '514 patent does not disclose any components for facilitating transmission of a braking force to the wheel hub. Hence, there is a need for a system that is simple in construction while also being able to facilitate a transmission of driving power, and a transmission of braking force to the wheel hub of the machine.


The present document describes a method, a processor platform and a processor readable medium for controlling a supply chain for moving goods by agents according to orders. The method comprises: updating a knowledge base populated with statuses of the goods; statuses of the agents; rules for establishing expected behaviors of the goods and of the agents; and the orders. The method further comprises: determining, based on the knowledge base, instructions to be executed by the agents for moving the goods to achieve the orders wherein each elapsed time between each agent sending the status of a good or its own status to the knowledge base and the same agent receiving an instruction is smaller that the expected completion duration of the same instruction.

Supply chains are for carrying and moving goods from one place to several other places in the world with multimodal means by promising requesting parties (payers) to provide a specific service, knowing as precisely as possible, at any time, the status of the specific service ordered and reliably achieving the specific service. In this field, services are specified with several kinds of data including: origin and destination locations, parties, kind, quantity and conservation prescription of goods, delivery date and conditions, quality requirements, traceability requirements, etc.
In the field of carrying and moving goods, traditional systems manage services separately according to their respective transportation domain. These transportation domains could be: Container services, Truck Load (TL), Less Than Truck Load (LTL), logistic & brokerage and others means as fleet maintain labor management, geodesic and GPS tracking. Traditional systems cannot manage globally interchanging or shifting means of transportation. This involves increasing time and risk of error to consolidate traceability of goods when many transportation means are used. Moreover, traditional systems cannot optimize the utilization of common resources available to such services. Common resources could be trucks and trailers, locations in terminals, fleet, and other resources.
In the field of carrying and moving goods, traditional systems manage different steps as well as transportation domains separately beginning with submitting quotations and ending with invoicing orders. The first step consists generally in answering clients requesting information about their order in progress or submitting quotations to the clients or taking orders. This first step is generally managed by a first system specialized on the client relationship. The second step consists in regulating the traffic for achieving transportation orders. The last step consists in collecting information about an order and invoicing it according to standard practices. Each step needs new manual and independent entries with specific information and mainly into separate systems, per transport segment (container, LTL, or VL). Such multiple entries consume time, increase the risks of errors and delays invoicing.
Another characteristic of traditional systems in the field of carrying and moving goods is the asynchronous report of execution steps and the asynchronous instruction transmittal. Most of time, the reporting of deliveries is collected one or more days later when the operator returns to the office. These differences between reality and status in the database prevent the simulation of the best combination to react to an event or to promise a service to a client. The computed schedule is already wrong as soon as it is set. On the other hand, most of time, operators receive instructions on the phone without keeping a paper trail. Oral instructions cause several errors in executing the plan.
Another characteristic of traditional systems in the field of carrying and moving goods is the excessive amount of time for simulating transportation solutions. One the phone, clients cannot wait several minutes to receive a realistic quotation. In these kinds of cases, for the purpose of taking the order immediately, the quotation must be submitted immediately, within a single minute.


A self-contained soil stabilization system may include a chassis, at least one motor coupled to the chassis configured to actuate a locomotor configured to move the chassis, and a hopper disposed on the chassis and configured to contain a payload configured to stabilize soil. The payload may be deployed from the hopper to stabilize soil in a target soil stabilization area. In some embodiments, the payload may be a chemical soil stabilization agent, a pile, or a sheet pile.

Soil stabilization is a process which is commonly carried out where soil is not stable for ecological (e.g., erosion) or construction (e.g., foundations) purposes. Pile driving, the task of sinking posts or similar building elements into the ground, is a commonly used technique for soil stabilization for ecological management or construction projects. Conventionally, piles may provide foundation support, facilitate construction on steep slopes, hold back soil during excavations, or generally increase stability where surface soil is not stable. Traditional methods of pile driving include driving the piles into the ground with heavy-duty machinery and skilled human workers. In some cases, it may be sufficient to employ chemical stabilizers which are manually spread over a region and react with components of the soil to increase soil stability.

Self-contained soil stabilization system

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A hair treatment applicator head includes first and second elongate body members. That first body member has a handle portion at a first end and a first treatment surface proximate a second end. The treatment surface bearing a fluid absorbent material. The second body member has a flange for engagement with a treatment fluid supply at a first end and a second treatment surface proximate a second end. A fluid path extends through the body from proximate the flange to a plurality of apertures on the second treatment surface. The first and second elements are hingeably engaged to allow the first and second treatment surfaces to be brought into proximity each other.

The invention relates to hair treatment applicators, and in particular to the application head for hair treatment applicators. Such hair treatments include coloring dyes, bleaches, conditioners and like fluids.
Applicator combs for the continuous application of a fluid to the hair or scalp of humans and animals are known. Such devices comprise a reservoir for the fluid to be dispensed and a comb head and fluid communication with the reservoir. The comb head has a passage through which the fluid can pass, and a plurality of apertures in the area of the comb teeth. During the combing fluid is force from the reservoir through the passage and apertures and into the hair. The comb distributes the fluid through the hair strands.
The problem with known devices is that they give poor distribution of the fluid through the hair. The comb must be passed through the same patch of hair several times in order to ensure even distribution as the hair strand only contacts one surface of the comb at a time.
It is an object of the present invention to provides a hair treatment applicator and applicator head which overcomes or ameliorates the above disadvantage, or at least to provide the public with a useful alternative.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a hair treatment applicator head including:
a first elongate body member having a handle portion at a first end and a first treatment surface proximate a second end, the treatment surface bearing a fluid absorbent material, and
a second elongate body member having a flange for engagement with a treatment fluid supply at a first end and a second treatment surface proximate a second end, and a fluid path extending through the body from proximate the flange to a plurality of apertures on the second treatment surface,
the first and second elements hingeably engaged to allow the first and second treatment surfaces to he brought into proximity each other.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a hair treatment applicator including:
an elongate housing,
a tubular element removably located within the housing and serving as a reservoir for hair treatment fluid,
a pumping member located at the first end of the housing and in communication with a first end of the tubular element, and
a hair dye applicator head located at a second end of the housing and in communication a second end of the tubular element, the applicator head including:
a first elongate body member having a handle portion at a first end and a first treatment surface proximate a second end, the treatment surface bearing a fluid absorbent material,
a second elongate body member having a flange for engagement with the elongate housing at a first end and a second treatment surface proximate a second end, and a fluid path in fluid communication with the second end of the tubular element and extending through the body to a plurality of apertures on the second treatment surface,
the first and second elements hingeably engaged to allow the first and second treatment surfaces to be brought into proximity each other.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a hair treatment applicator including:
a deformable container closed at a first end and having a neck portion at a second end, the neck portion having an aperture therein providing a fluid path to the interior of the container, and
a hair dye applicator head including:
a first elongate body member having a handle portion at a first end and a first treatment surface proximate a second end, the treatment surface bearing a fluid absorbent material,
a second elongate body member having a flange for engagement with the neck portion at a first end, a second treatment surface proximate a second end, and a passage extending through the body from the flange to a plurality of apertures on the second treatment surface, the first and second elements hingeably engaged to allow the first and second treatment surfaces to be brought into proximity each other.
Preferably, the fluid absorbent material is removably attached to the first treatment surface.
Preferably, the fist treatment surface is removably engaged to the second end of the first elongate body member, and the fluid absorbent material is removably attached to the first treatment surface.
Preferably, the second elongate body has a plurality of teeth adjacent the second treatment surface.
Preferably, the tubular element of the treatment applicator has a worm drive longitudinally therethrough an a plunger disposed on the worm drive, the pumping element being a motor adapted to turn the worm drive and cause the plunger to eject treatment fluid from the second end of the tubular element.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only.

Hair treatment applicator and applicator head


A variable resistance exercising device is described for doing isometric, isotonic and isokinetic exercises. The device includes a unitary, tortuous rod, which is shaped to include at least one mandrel for receiving several turns of a rope, a first loop for receiving the rope near one end of the mandrel, and an overlapping curl for receiving both the rope and an adjustably mountable anchor strap at an opposite end of the mandrel. The shape of the rod is such that there are no tight radius curves. Also, the rod creates a cord-receiving throat that allows the rope to be readily inserted and removed; yet the throat inhibits the rope from falling out from within the loop when tension in the rope is released.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally pertains to exercising devices and more specifically to a portable device that employs a selectable number of wraps for adjusting the device's frictional resistance.
2. Description of Related Art
Various portable fitness devices have been developed in the past. Perhaps one of the best ones is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,612, which is specifically incorporated by reference herein.
Although the device disclosed in the '612 patent offers several advantages over other available devices, the '612 device does have some drawbacks. First, the rope to which the handles are attached can slip off the lower loops of the device when the rope slackens. Second, the unitary bar includes several tight radius bends, which can be difficult to form without leaving kinks or marks in the surface of the bar. If such marks are not removed, they can cut the rope when the device is in use.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved portable fitness device that overcomes the problems of current devices.