A method and apparatus for allowing a user to select and encrypt a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from a remote location without requiring clear transfer of the user-selected PIN and the account number during a single communication is disclosed. The preferred embodiment includes a host computer connected by a modem to a telephone line, along with appropriate communication software, and a security module connected to the host via a secure communication path. The security module generates an encrypted PIN using the user-selected PIN and a sequence number generated by the host. The security module can also processes the encrypted PIN and user account number to generate a Pin Verification Number (PVN) or other user authorization code. The PVN is subsequently used by a transaction system to verify the identity of the authorized user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secured transaction systems and more particularly to systems for encrypting a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from a remote site.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems that are secured for use only by authorized individuals commonly rely upon a PIN that is assigned to, or selected by, the individual and which must be remembered by the individual for use in the system to verify his or her identity as an authorized user. For enhanced security against unauthorized users, a secured system should permit selection of a PIN by the authorized user rather having the PIN be assigned by, or otherwise known to, the authorizing institution that operates the secured system. Additionally, any use made of the PIN by the authorizing institution should ideally be only in encrypted form (i.e., encoded in a manner to mask the PIN) or within a security module so that the PIN of an authorized user is never available in unsecured form or in clear, readable text. Further, where large populations of users must be authorized to use the secured system, each user should be provided with a unique authorization by a scheme that is conducive to mass handling, with little opportunity for error and at low cost. In order to enhance security, the institution operating the secured system usually requires a record signature of the authorized user.
Conventional secured transaction systems typically assign a PIN or require the user to appear in person to select a PIN and to provide other information and the record signature. Alternatively, at least one existing secured transaction system allows the user to select a PIN from a remote location using a paper encryptor which is mailed or otherwise transmitted to the operator of the secured system without compromising the security of the PIN or other information about the user. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,683 to Atalla. The procedure described in this patent requires either clear text transfer of the user-selected PIN or that the user have one of the paper encryptors available to encrypt the PIN. Additionally, the user must typically wait several days or longer for the user-selected PIN to be activated by the operator of the secured system before access to the system is allowed.

Personal identification encryptor and method


A method may include the steps of: (a) providing a tire mold; (b) providing an extruder operatively connected to a head with a die assembly; (c) inserting at least a first compound into the first extruder; (d) forming an extrudate from the die assembly; (e) applying the extrudate directly from the die assembly into the tire mold to form a tire tread component; and, (f) controlling movement of the tire mold to correspond to the extrudate delivery.

A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses regarding the manufacture of tires, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses regarding the application of tire tread components directly from an extruder/gear pump into a tire mold.
B. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, tires are made by first assembling a tire carcass on a flat drum. The drum is then expanded to place the carcass into the required toroidal shape. Separately, a tread is formed, typically using an extruder, and a belt package is made. The belt package is placed over the carcass and the tread is subsequently placed over the belt package. This creates an unvulcanized or "green" tire. The green tire is then placed into a tire mold where internal pressure is used to push the green tire against the mold, forcing the tread into the specific mold pattern. After sufficient time and temperature within the mold, the green tire becomes vulcanized, or cured. While such conventional tire making processes work well for their intended purposes, they have disadvantages.
One disadvantage is related to the well known fact that tires are generally assembled from many separate components. In order to maintain high quality for tires, each of these components must be precisely located and accurately shaped within the completed tire. Maintaining the required shapes and obtaining sufficient accuracy in the positions of the components is extremely difficult in practice because of the readily deformable nature of the unvulcanized material that is used and because of the conventional gross changes in shape which are impressed on the tire during assembly. What is needed, then, is an improved way to position tire components to minimize these disadvantages.

Extruding tread components directly into a tire mold


A glass substrate for a CIGS solar cell, having high cell efficiency and high glass transition temperature is provided. The glass substrate for a vapor-deposited CIGS film solar cell has a glass transition temperature of at least 580° C. and an average thermal expansion coefficient of from 70×10−7 to 100×10−7/° C., wherein the ratio of the average total amount of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate to the total amount of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate is at most 0.35, and the ratio of the average Na amount within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate after heat treatment to such average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 1.5.

Since group 11-13 and group 11-16 compound semiconductors having the chalcopyrite crystal structure, and group 12-16 compound semiconductors having the cubic or hexagonal crystal structure have large absorption coefficients for light having a wavelength within a range of from the visible region to the near-infrared, such compound semiconductors are expected as materials for highly-efficient thin-film solar cells. Representative examples of such compound semiconductors include Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (hereinafter also referred to as "CIGS" or "Cu—In—Ga—Se") and CdTe.
In the field of CIGS thin-film solar cells, soda-lime glass has been used as a substrate to obtain a solar cell since it is inexpensive and its thermal expansion coefficient is close to that of a CIGS compound semiconductor.
Further, for the purpose of obtaining a solar cell having high efficiency, a glass material having resistance to a high temperature for heat treatment has also been proposed (Patent Document 1).

Glass substrate for Cu-In-Ga-Se solar cell and solar cell using same


An aluminosilicate zeolite and substituted version designated UZM-16 have been synthesized. These zeolites are prepared using benzyltrimethyl-ammonium (BzTMA) cation or a combination of BzTMA and at least one other quaternary ammonium cation These zeolites have a structure that is related to offretite, but shows structurally different and distinct features. The UZM-16 zeolites can be dealuminated to form UZM-16HS zeolites which have different acidity, porosity and ion-exchange properties. Both UZM-16 and UZM-16HS are useful in various hydrocarbon conversion processes.

This invention relates to an aluminosilicate zeolitic material identified as UZM-16. The material can be dealuminated to form UZM-16HS providing materials with different acidity, porosity, and ion-exchange properties. UZM-16 and UZM-16HS are useful in hydrocarbon conversion processes.
Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicate compositions which are microporous and which are formed from comer sharing AlO2 and SiO2 tetrahedra. Numerous zeolites, both naturally occurring and synthetically prepared are used in various industrial processes. Synthetic zeolites are prepared via hydrothermal synthesis employing suitable sources of Si, Al, as well as structure directing agents such as alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, amines, or organoammonium cations. The structure directing agents reside in the pores of the zeolite and are largely responsible for the particular structure that is ultimately formed. These species balance the framework charge associated with aluminum and can also serve as space fillers. Zeolites are characterized by having pore openings of uniform dimensions, having a significant ion exchange capacity, and being capable of reversibly desorbing an adsorbed phase which is dispersed throughout the internal voids of the crystal without significantly displacing any atoms which make up the permanent zeolite crystal structure. Zeolites can be used as catalysts for hydrocarbon conversions, which can take place on outside surfaces as well as on internal surfaces within the pore.
A synthetic zeolite designated Zeolite T has been prepared in the Na, K system and disclosed by Breck and Acara in U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,952. A subsequent crystallographic investigation employing electron diffraction (J. M. Bennett and J. A. Gard, Nature, 214, 1005 (1967)) provided distinctions and established the uniqueness of the offretite and erionite frameworks and classified Zeolite T as an intergrowth of the two structures. A synthetic zeolite with the offretite structure free of erionite intergrowth was prepared in the Na, K, TMA and K, TMA systems (R. Aiello and R. Barrer, J. Chem. Soc. (A), 1470, (1970)). Rubin and Rosinsky were able to prepare a material related to erionite in the benzyltrimethylammonium (BzTMA), Na, K system (U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,139). Working in the same system, an offretite sample free of x-ray diffraction lines due to erionite were prepared (M. L. Occelli, R. A. Innes, S. S. Pollack, and J. V. Sanders, Zeolites, 7, 265 (1987)). An electron diffraction study of offretite, erionite, and offretite-erionite species resulting from syntheses that cover six organic template systems, including BzTMA, characterize the many types of faults that occur in this system (J. V Sanders, M. L. Occelli, R. A. Innes, and S. S. Pollack, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, Ed. Y. Murakami, A. Iijima, and J. W. Ward, Elsevier, New York, 28, 429, (1986)).
Applicants have now prepared a zeolite designated UZM-16 which has some similarities to offretite, but has sufficient differences rendering it a unique new structure. UZM-16 can be prepared in the benzyltrimethylammonium (BzTMA) system with a small amount of additional potassium. The x-ray diffraction pattern is similar to offretite, lacking the lines associated with erionite, but also includes a broad line in the pattern centered at about d=21.5 xc3x85, that includes unresolved peaks extending from d=18 xc3x85 to about 27 xc3x85. This feature is observed in the electron diffraction patterns of the crystals and as fringes in high resolution lattice images. In addition, a unique periodicity observed in the a-b plane that is not known for offretite and erionite is observed in the electron diffraction patterns of UZM-16. UZM-16 has more mesoporous character than offretite.
This invention relates to a new family of zeolites, a process for preparing the zeolites and processes using the zeolites. Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is a microporous crystalline zeolite having a composition in the as-synthesized form in terms of mole ratios of the elements given by                               M          m                      n            +                                            xe2x80x83                                  R          r                      p            +                                            xe2x80x83                                  Al                      (                          1              -              x                        )                                            E          x                                  xe2x80x83                                  Si          y                                  xe2x80x83                                  O          z                                    (        1        )
where M is at least one exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metals, xe2x80x9cmxe2x80x9d is the mole ratio of M to (Al+E) and varies from 0 to about 0.75, R is benzyltrimethylammonium (BzTMA) cation or a combination of BzTMA and at least one quaternary ammonium cation, xe2x80x9crxe2x80x9d is the mole ratio of R to (Al+E) and has a value of about 0.25 to about 5.0, E is an element selected from the group consisting of Ga, Fe, In, Cr, B, and mixtures thereof xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d is the mole fraction of E and varies from 0 to about 1.0, xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d is the weighted average valence of M and has a value of about +1 to about +2, xe2x80x9cpxe2x80x9d is the weighted average valence of R and has a value of +1 to about +2, xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d is the mole ratio of Si to (Al+E) and has a value from greater than 3 to about 25 and xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9d is the mole ratio of O to (Al+E) and has a value determined by the equation:
z=(mxc2x7n+rxc2x7p+3+4xc2x7y)/2;
the zeolite characterized in that it has an x-ray diffraction pattern having at least the d-spacings and relative intensities set forth in Table A.
Another embodiment of the invention is a process for preparing the above-described zeolites which comprises forming a reaction mixture containing reactive sources of M, R, Al, Si and optionally E and heating the reaction mixture at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C., the reaction mixture having a composition expressed in terms of mole ratios of the oxides of:
aM2/nO:bR2/pO:(1xe2x88x92c)Al2O3:cE2O3:dSiO2:eH2O
where xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d has a value of 0 to about 5, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d has a value of about 1 to about 120, xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d has a value of 0 to about 1.0, xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d has a value of about 5 to about 100, and xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d has a value of about 50 to about 15000.
A further embodiment of the invention is a microporous crystalline zeolite having an empirical composition on an anhydrous basis in terms of mole ratios of the elements of:             M1      n              n        +                        xe2x80x83                  Al              (                  1          -          x                )                        xe2x80x83                  E      x                  xe2x80x83                  Si              y        xe2x80x2                        xe2x80x83                  O              z        xe2x80x3                    xe2x80x83
where M1 is at least one exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals, ammonium ion, hydrogen ion and mixtures thereof, a is the mole ratio of M1 to (Al+E) and varies from about 0.01 to about 50, E is an element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, boron, chromium, indium and mixtures thereof, x is the mole fraction of E and varies from 0 to about 1.0, n is the weighted average valence of M1 and has a value of about +1 to about +3, yxe2x80x2 is the mole ratio of Si to (Al+E) and is greater than about 3 and zxe2x80x3 is the mole ratio of O to (Al+E) and has a value determined by the equation:
zxe2x80x3=(axc2x7n+3+4xc2x7yxe2x80x2)/2;
the zeolite characterized in that it has an x-ray diffraction pattern having at least the d-spacings and relative intensities set forth in Table B.
Another embodiment of the invention is a process for preparing a modified microporous crystalline zeolite having an empirical composition on an anhydrous basis in terms of mole ratios of the elements of:             M1      n              n        +                        xe2x80x83                  Al              (                  1          -          x                )                        xe2x80x83                  E      x                  xe2x80x83                  Si              y        xe2x80x2                        xe2x80x83                  O      z              xe2x80x83
where M1 is at least one exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals, ammonium ion, hydrogen ion and mixtures thereof, a is the mole ratio of M1 to (Al+E) and varies from about 0.01 to about 50, E is an element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, boron, chromium, indium and mixtures thereof, x is the mole fraction of E and varies from 0 to about 1.0, n is the weighted average valence of M1 and has a value of about +1 to about +3, yxe2x80x2 is the mole ratio of Si to (Al+E) and is greater than about 3 and zxe2x80x3 is the mole ratio of O to (Al+E) and has a value determined by the equation:
zxe2x80x3=(axc2x7n+3+4xc2x7yxe2x80x2)/2
the process comprising treating a starting zeolite at treating conditions thereby removing at least a portion of the framework aluminum and optionally inserting silicon into the framework to provide the modified zeolite; the starting zeolite having an empirical formula on an anhydrous basis of:       M          m      xe2x80x2              n      +              xe2x80x83          R          r      xe2x80x2              p      +              xe2x80x83          Al          (              1        -        x            )              xe2x80x83          E    x          xe2x80x83          Si          y      xe2x80x2              xe2x80x83          O          z      xe2x80x2
where Mxe2x80x2 is an exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of ammonium ion, hydrogen ion, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals and mixtures thereof, n is the weighted average valence of Mxe2x80x2 and varies from +1 to about +3, mxe2x80x2 is the mole ratio of Mxe2x80x2 to (Al+E) and varies from 0 to about 5.75, R is benzyltrimethylammonium (BzTMA) cation or a combination of BzTMA and an organoammonium cation selected from the group consisting of protonated amines, protonated diamines, protonated alkanolamines, quaternary ammonium ions, diquarternary ammonium ions, quaternized alkanolammonium ions and mixtures thereof, p is the average weighted valence of the organic cation and varies from about +1 to about +2, rxe2x80x2 is the mole ratio of R to (Al+E) and varies from 0 to about 5.75, rxe2x80x2+mxe2x80x2 greater than 0, yxe2x80x2 is the ratio of Si to (Al+E) and varies from greater than 3 to about 25 and zxe2x80x2 is the mole ratio of O to (Al+E) and has a value given by the equation:
xe2x80x83zxe2x80x2=(mxe2x80x2xc2x7n+rxe2x80x2xc2x7p+3+4xc2x7yxe2x80x2)/2.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is a hydrocarbon conversion process using any of the above-described zeolites. More specifically the hydrocarbon conversion process is conversion of cyclic compounds to non-cyclic compounds, i.e. linear or branched compounds.
These and other objects and embodiments will become more apparent after the following detailed description of the invention.

UZM-16: a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolitic material


The present disclosure provides an automated warehousing system, a display panel production line and a logistics delivery method. The automated warehousing system includes a plurality of zones, a server host, a controller, and at least one moving device. Each zone corresponds to one manufacturing process for an in-process product. The server host is configured to manage production information of the in-process product and send the production information to the controller. The controller is configured to, based on the received production information, after completion of one corresponding manufacturing process, control the moving device to move the in-process product to the zone that corresponds to the next manufacturing process to be performed at the in-process product.

In the related art, in high-generation (G8.5 and above) display panel manufacturing plant, an automated warehouse is longer in length. In the process of manufacturing display panels, management for carrying products in the automated warehouse, i.e., the process of moving the product to a next destination after a corresponding manufacturing process has been completed, only refers to management of carrying, and does not refer to management of storage, resulting in that the automated warehouse has a low efficiency for carrying, the process time is longer and then affects productivity of the production line.

Automated warehousing system, display panel production line and logistics delivery method

HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A dispenser pump e.g. for toothpaste has a plunger (21) connected to a proximal end of an elongate flexible plastics strip (22) which is run slidably along a guide track built into the discharge nozzle (14) of the pump alongside the discharge channel (63). The distal end of the guide track defines a bend which opens through a lateral slot into the discharge channel (63) just inside its external opening. Action of the plunger causes the strip (22) to slide back and forth along the track and round the bend, so that the tip of the strip is moved out of the mouth of the nozzle during dispensing but returns to block it and cut away residual product when the plunger is released.

This invention has to do with dispenser pumps for dispensing discrete doses of a flowable material from a container on which the pump is fitted. The present proposals have particular relevance to dispenser pumps for use with viscous or pasty materials. They are also relevant when material to be dispensed needs to be protected from contact with air e.g. to prevent drying out or degradation. We particularly envisage that the invention may be embodied in a toothpaste dispenser.
In recent years toothpaste dispensers have become widely available in which a relatively large volume of paste is contained in a free standing container, and a piston-and-cylinder dispenser pump with a fixed discharge nozzle is provided at the top of the container to dispense a dose of toothpaste when the pump piston is depressed. Known pumps include arrangements for covering, blocking or shielding the discharge nozzle outlet between operations of the pump to keep the residual paste in the pump from drying out and to help separate the tail end of each dispensed dose from the nozzle tip. Toothpaste is extremely sticky and there are often problems in that slugs of paste issuing forth are not cleanly cut off, leading to toothpaste being smeared over the outside of the nozzle tip by the cover arrangement which is precisely the opposite of what is wanted.
The aim here is to propose new and useful dispenser pumps including a novel arrangement for blocking a discharge nozzle of the pump. A particular aim is to provide a pump which is for use with materials of the kinds mentioned above e.g. toothpaste.
In general terms, a dispenser pump of the relevant kind has a pump chamber whose volume is alterable in a pumping stroke by relative movement between a body of the pump and a plunger which is reciprocable relative to the body by hand actuation. Typically the plunger has a piston which works in a cylinder of the pump body, the piston and cylinder defining a pump chamber between them. An inlet is provided for flowable material to enter the pump chamber from a container to which the pump is secured, and an outlet of the pump chamber leads to a discharge passage which extends along a discharge nozzle to an external nozzle opening. Usually a one-way inlet valve is necessary and a one-way discharge valve is preferred.
A blocking element is provided, dimensioned to close off the discharge passage and arranged for guided movement transverse to the discharge passage between blocked and open positions. Preferably the blocking element traverses the discharge passage at a blocking location which is at or adjacent the external nozzle opening. The discharge nozzle construction includes a guide track leading around a bend to the blocking location. Preferably this bend or angle is substantially in longitudinal register with the blocking location. An elongate drive connector extends along this guide track, and is longitudinally slidable relative to it. This connector has a proximal part connected to the pump plunger, so that operation of the pump by moving the plunger relative to the pump body drives longitudinal movement of the drive connector along the guide track. A distal portion of the drive connector acts on the blocking element, preferably by being joined to or integral with it. The drive connector is also flexible, so as to be able to negotiate the bend in the guide track. By these means, operation of the pump by moving the plunger relative to the body drives movement of the blocking element across the discharge passage between the blocked and open positions.
By having the distal part of the drive connector joined to or integral with the blocking element, it can both push and pull the blocking element. Correspondingly, it is preferred that the proximal part of the drive connector is connected to the pump plunger in such a way that the two directions of plunger movement positively drive respectively the opening and closing of the discharge passage. The drive connector may include one or more non-flexing parts which do not pass around a bend and are thickened or reinforced relative to the flexing part(s), helping to avoid buckling under longitudinal compression.
The guide track preferably has a portion which extends alongside the discharge passage, leading around a distal bend to a transverse portion adjacent the blocking location. Guide track engagement at the outside of the bend, preferably by one or more curved elements, enables transverse action of the blocking element by pushing. Guide track engagement on the inside of the bend enables transverse action of the blocking element by pulling. Preferably both are present.
In preferred pumps the discharge nozzle extends generally transversely to the direction of the plunger action. In this situation the guide track may have a proximal corner which is between a longitudinal portion extending along the discharge nozzle and a proximal portion extending in the plunger""s direction of action. Again, guide track engagements to the inside and outside of such a corner enable pulling and pushing actions of the connector respectively and are preferably combined.
By these means, plunger movement in one direction may drive movement of the blocking element relative to the transversally-extending discharge passage in substantially the opposite direction.
Even when the discharge nozzle and plunger action are mutually transverse, it is possible to avoid the need for the drive connector to flex around more than one corner. This may be desirable because it reduces the longitudinal extent of the connector required to be flexible, and therefore reduces any tendency for it to buckle under compression. A way of achieving this is by having a coupling between the plunger action and the drive connector proximal end which is pivoted around an axis perpendicular to the plunger axis and to the guide track, the coupling and the proximal end of the drive connector being joined (preferably flexibly) at a joint substantially at a tangent point of the drive connector with respect to the coupling""s pivot axis. Such a coupling may for example be comprised in a pivoted actuating lever for the dispenser pump which acts on both the pump plunger stem and the drive connector for the blocking element.
A preferred disposition of the pump for these purposes, as indeed for the others, has the pump arranged with its plunger axis generally upright at the back of the dispenser, the discharge passage extending from the outlet at the bottom of the pump, up in front of the pump and then forwardly along the discharge nozzle to the discharge opening. The discharge nozzle is preferably at substantially the same height at the actuating portion at the top of the pump plunger.
A preferred form of the flexible elongate drive connector is a strip or tongue form, since this flexes more readily in one sense than in the perpendicular sense, facilitating guiding. It is generally convenient to arrange all guide track bends to be in one plane. A strip-form connector is also easy to form in plastics material. It may be formed as an integral projection on one of the pump components e.g. a plunger part. Furthermore the blocking element may itself be an integral continuation of the drive connector, e.g. an end thereof.
A blocking element which is a continuation of a flexible connector strip may itself pass around a corner of the guide track adjacent the blocking location, reducing the transverse dimension required for the nozzle. The blocking element may therefore also be flexible.
For a strip-form connector the guide track is preferably an elongate slot. A suitable track may be formed between complementarily-shaped opposed surfaces of two discharge nozzle components.
Means may be provided for reducing friction along the guide track. One or both components, preferably at least the connector, may be made from low-friction material or provided with a friction-reducing coating. A guide track for a strip-form connector can have one or more localised surface projections e.g. ribs to engage the connector with reduced contact area.
A preferred refinement of the pump assures at least partial opening of the discharge passage before the pump pressurizes the material in it. This is achievable by connecting the drive connector to an actuating part of the pump plunger such as a button or lever, and providing some lost motion in the connection between the actuating part and a piston part, so that driving of the piston begins only after some movement of the blocking element away from the blocked position.
As suggested above, a preferred embodiment of the invention is a toothpaste dispenser in which the dispenser is mounted at the top of a container for toothpaste adapted for airless dispensing e.g. by a container base in the form of a follower piston which rises up the container as material is dispensed, or by means of a flexible container or flexible container liner which gradually collapses as material is dispensed.
Combining various preferred features disclosed above, a preferred dispenser pump of such a toothpaste dispenser is as follows. The fixed pump body incorporates a fixed discharge nozzle projecting laterally. The pump plunger carries a piston operable in a cylinder of the pump body, with the plunger axis generally upright. The pump chamber inlet is into the bottom of the cylinder through a pump body base spanning the top of the container. The pump chamber outlet opens downwardly from the pump chamber e.g. into a annular discharge space leading to an initial riser portion of the discharge passage alongside the pump cylinder and them round an angle into a transverse portion of the discharge passage in the projecting discharge nozzle. The discharge nozzle includes inner and outer nozzle parts which fit together to define between them a guide track extending along the discharge nozzle and round a distal bend adjacent its end to open transversely onto the discharge passage adjacent its exterior opening.
In one version the inner end of the guide track bends inwardly and down around the angle between the first and second parts of the discharge passage, and accesses the side of the moveable plunger. A flexible strip is attached to the side of the plungerxe2x80x94e.g. formed integrally with itxe2x80x94and extends along the guide track up around the inside bend, along the nozzle and down out of the guide track""s distal opening to act across the discharge passage.
In another version a pivoted coupling is provided, connected to both the flexible strip and the pump plunger so that no inside bend of the strip is required.
The end of the strip fully blocks the discharge passage in the raised position of the plunger; its end edge may then seat in a recess on an opposing lower side of the discharge passage. Depression of the plunger pulls the strip along the guide track, flexing as it passes round the bend(s) and drawing the end blocking portion up out of the discharge passage and at least partially into the distal bend of the guide track. On release the plunger rises under the force of a restoring spring, pushing the flexible strip back along the guide track and its tip back across the discharge passage adjacent the nozzle opening to close it off. The closeness of fit of the strip in the guide track can be selected, along with suitable thickness of the strip, to enable this pushing effect without kinking or crumpling of the strip.
Embodiments of these proposals are now described by way of example.


A carbon nanotube array is provided. The carbon nanotube array includes at least two isotope-doped carbon nanotube sub-arrays. Each isotope-doped carbon nanotube sub-array includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes in different isotope-doped carbon nanotube sub-array are composed of different kinds of carbon isotopes. The present disclosure also provides a method for making the carbon nanotube arrays.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a carbon nanotube array and methods for making the carbon nanotube array, and particularly to an isotope-doped carbon nanotube array and methods for making the isotope-doped carbon nanotube array.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Isotope labeling is a powerful tool in the study of nano-material growth mechanisms and in nano-sized isotope junction synthesis. Methods of isotope labeling use reactants containing different isotopes of a special element (usually light elements such as carbon, boron, nitrogen, and oxygen), which are fed in designated concentrations (pure or mixed) and sequences into a nano-material synthesis process to provide in situ isotope labeling of nano-materials.
A typical example is shown and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,751B2, entitled, "ISOTOPE-DOPED CARBON NANOTUBE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SAME," issued to Fan, et al. on Apr. 18, 2006. This patent discloses an isotope-doped carbon nanotube array and method for making the same. The isotope-doped carbon nanotube array includes a plurality of identical isotope-doped carbon nanotubes which are used for labeling. However, the number of labels is limited by a single kind of isotope-doped carbon nanotubes in the isotope-doped carbon nanotube array, which limits isotopic labeling.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a carbon nanotube array which includes a plurality of isotope-doped carbon nanotube sub-arrays, and a method for making the same, to overcome the above-described shortcomings.

Carbon nanotube array and method for making same


A tiltable seat apparatus comprises a mounting structure attachable a vehicle chassis and including spaced-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between the upstanding portions. A seat assembly includes a seat frame having spaced-apart downstanding portions. Each one of the downstanding portions is pivotably attached to a respective one of the upstanding portions such that an axis of rotation extends through the downstanding and upstanding portions whereby the seat frame pivots about the axis of rotation. A resilient member is engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, and allows the seat assembly to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation. The resilient member exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat assembly when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation.

It is generally desirable for the operator of a vehicle such as an agricultural tractor or a highway mower to sit level relative to the horizontal while operating the vehicle. Afflictions such as fatigue, back pain and the like can result if the operator is made uncomfortable due to an unlevel seat. Sustained operation of the vehicle over inclined areas, such as mowing the grassy banks adjacent limited access highways, can quickly lead to these afflictions when the operator sits on a seating surface that is generally parallel with incline d terrain over which the vehicle is travelling. Moreover, the operator of a vehicle travelling across an inclined terrain is less able to maintain safe control of the vehicle and/or preclude contributing to a vehicle roll-over if he or she is not seated in a generally upright orientation.
Various tiltable seat mounting structures that maintain a vehicle seat level with respect to the horizontal are known. Examples of such known tiltable seat mounting structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,372,347; 4,515,337; 4,500,062; 4,183,492; 4,095,770; 3,970,274; 4,466,089 and 1,640,812. While these prior devices meet some of the objectives for a horizontally tiltable vehicle seat, they have not completely met the objectives or the requirements for such a seat, and are thus known to have shortcomings. Examples of such shortcomings include, but are not limited to, complexity in design, being cumbersome to operate, offering limited tiltability, being relatively expensive and being expensive to manufacture. Therefore, a self-levelling seat structure that overcomes shortcomings associated with conventional self-levelling seat structures would be advantageous, desirable and useful.


A resin waterproof cover for covering an outside of a motor apparatus is comprising a cylindrical cap, a cap cover, a lead wire guide portion for inverting and leading out a power supply lead wire from inside of a motor case to the outside of the waterproof cover into a U shape, and cap engagement portions. The resin waterproof cover further comprises a first seal portion made of a photo-curable adhesive formed between the outer periphery near the bottom of the motor case, the other end of the cylindrical cap, and an end bracket of a reduction gear structure, a second seal portion made of a photo-curing adhesive formed on the lead wire guide portion, and a third seal portion made of a light curable adhesive formed between the periphery of one end of the cylindrical cap and the cap cover.

For a lock mechanism or for a pop-up mechanism of a door handle apparatus of a vehicle, a DC motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is used as a driving source of them.
For example, a two pole permanent magnet DC motor apparatus with brush system is widely used as a driving source for various actuators of vehicles, because a DC motor has many advantages such as the same torque characteristics regardless of rotation in either forward and reverse directions, withstanding long-term use, small size to use, and low price.
Such a DC motor is also suitable as a drive source of a pop-up mechanism required forward and reverse rotation. Namely, for the motor apparatus with reduction gear, the operation time required to change the position of the door handle is short. Therefore, even a compact DC motor has sufficient characteristics to withstand long-term use as a drive source of the pop-up mechanism.
On the other hand, in Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publication No. 2016-98629, an example in which a waterproof mechanism is provided in a closer device for a locking mechanism for door of a vehicle is disclosed. In this example, a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is housed in a case made of a body and a housing, and a waterproof cap is provided in the opening portion at the tip of the case.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publication No. 2012-46989, another example in which a waterproof mechanism is provided in a drive unit of a power slide apparatus in a vehicle is disclosed. In this example, for constituting a drive unit, a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is accommodated in a case formed of a waterproof cover and a bracket.
Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publications No. 2015-31083 and No. 2014-95251, examples using a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure as a drive source of a pop-up mechanism for a door handle of a vehicle is disclosed, respectively. In the pop-up mechanism, an outside door handle provided on the door is displaced by the motor apparatus with reduction gear structure installed in the door, via a transmission mechanism including a cam, a lever, and the like.
That is, usually, the pop-up mechanism places the outside door handle inside the door of the vehicle to reduce the running resistance, and only when the user opens the door, projects the outside door handle outward of the door so that the user can grasp the outside door handle.

Motor apparatus with waterproof cover for vehicle


Methods and systems may provide for technology to initiate an injection of ozone for a predetermined cycle time into a cabin of a vehicle via a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem of the vehicle only when the vehicle is in a locked state and a window-closed state, the vehicle cabin is vacant, and the vehicle is in park. The technology may also cease the injection of the ozone into the cabin in response to an override request detected before expiration of the predetermined cycle time and maintains the vehicle in the locked state for a predetermined wait time after the injection of the ozone into the cabin is ceased.

A recent increase in the prevalence of ridesharing services (e.g., UBER, LYFT, TURO) has led to private vehicles being exposed to substantially more occupants/passengers. Due to the relatively heavy passenger throughput, maintaining the cabins of such vehicles free of unpleasant smells may be challenging to the owners and/or operators of the vehicles.

Active control over vehicle access by an ozone-based vehicle deodorization system

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


In a pluggable optical module, to easily and compactly house an optical fiber for connecting optical components in a housing in which a plurality of optical components are mounted. A pluggable optical module includes a first optical fiber housing unit a second optical fiber housing unit, and a housing. The first optical fiber housing unit can house a first optical fiber connected to a first optical component. The second optical fiber housing unit can house a second optical fiber connected to a second optical component. The housing can house the first optical fiber housing unit and the second optical fiber housing unit. The pluggable optical module is configured to be capable of being inserted into and removed from an optical communication apparatus and the housing constitutes an outer shape of the pluggable optical module.

In an optical communication system, an optical module used for communicating an optical signal (e.g. Patent Literature 1) is mounted. Among such optical modules, a pluggable optical module (e.g. SFP: Small Form-factor Pluggable, XFP: Ten (X) gigabit small Form-factor Pluggable, and CFP2: C Form-factor Pluggable 2) includes a plurality of optical components in a relatively narrow housing. Especially, the pluggable optical module used for digital coherent communication includes more optical components, and these optical components are connected by connecting optical fibers disposed in the housing (e.g. Patent Literatures 2 and 3).

Pluggable optical module and optical communication system


An image forming apparatus forms a predetermined test image, detects a spatial frequency characteristic of the test image, and determines an optimum image forming condition on the basis of the detected spatial frequency characteristic.

This invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic process.
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process. In FIG. 1, a photosensitive drum 1 bears an image thereon and rotates in the clockwise direction. A discharge device 2, comprising a corona wire and grids, uniformly applies electrostatic charge to the photosensitive drum 1. A preconditioning exposure device 8 exposes the photosensitive drum 1 prior to the corona discharging by the discharge device 2 so as to make the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 at approximately zero voltage level. An optical system 3 projects the reflected light from an original document onto the photosensitive drum 1. A developing device 4 develops an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 with toner. A cleaning device 5 cleans residual toner on the photosensitive drum 1. A transfer charging device 7 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 onto a recording medium P. A test image 11 is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. A light emitting diode (LED) 12 exposes the test image 11 and a photoelectric sensor 13 detects the amount of the light reflected from the test image 11. A density conversion circuit 6 converts the output voltage from the photoelectric sensor 13 into density values. A central processing unit (CPU) 10 controls various image forming conditions in accordance with the density values input from the density conversion circuit 6.
An image forming operation of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will now be described.
The photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the discharging device 2. Next, the light image corresponding to the original image is exposed through the optical system 3 whereby the electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 4 with toner and becomes a visible image. Then, the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium P by the transfer charging device 7.
The density of the toner image thus transferred onto the recording medium P depends upon the various image forming conditions, for example, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 1 applied by the discharge device 2, the density of toner in the developing device 4, the developing power of the developing device 4 and the transfer power of the transfer charging device 7. The density of the toner image in a laser beam printer, which exposes a light image on the photosensitive drum with a laser beam, also depends on the image signals for modulating the laser beam or the intensity of the laser beam.
Accordingly, it is necessary to control the various image forming conditions and monitor and if necessary adjust them so as to form an image with an optimum density. Therefore, prior to the image formation, the density of the test image 12 formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is detected by the photoelectric sensor 13, and the CPU 10 controls the various image forming conditions in accordance with the detected density of the test image 12. The above mentioned test image 12 is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 in accordance with the electrophotographic process by exposing a predetermined light image through the optical system 3.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the test image 12 formed on the photosensitive drum 1. A black image 14 where the toner adheres and a white image 15 where the toner does not adhere are formed within the detection area of the photoelectric sensor 13 on the photosensitive drum 1. By detecting the densities of the black image 14 and the white image 15 by means of the photoelectric sensor 13, the maximum black density and the contrast between the black and white images can be determined. The various image forming conditions can be controlled in accordance with the determined results so as to control the density of the image to be formed.
In the above described construction, the density of the test image 11 is detected by the single photoelectric sensor 13, so that the density of the simple test image formed within a predetermined small area on the photosensitive drum 1 can be detected.
However, the image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 on the basis of the original document is usually more complex than the test image 11, accordingly it is impossible to control the density of the complex original image to be formed.


The present invention relates to novel Pancreatic Polypeptide Family (“PPF”) polypeptides. The PPF polypeptides of the invention generally include at least two PPF motif, have at least 50% sequence identity to PYY (3-36) over its length and will generally retain, at least in part, a biological activity of a PP, PYY or NPY. Preferred PPF polypeptides of the invention are those having a potency in one of the assays described herein (preferably food intake, gastric emptying, pancreatic secretion, or weight reduction assays) which is greater than the potency of PP, NPY, PYY, or PYY(3-36) in that same assay. In one aspect, the PPF polypeptides of the invention include novel PYY analog polypeptides. In another aspect, the PPF polypeptides of the invention include PPF chimeric polypeptides including a fragment of a PP family polypeptide linked to a second PP family polypeptide, wherein each of the first and second fragments includes a PPF motif. Methods of using the PPF polypeptides of the invention, and pharmaceutical compositions including the PPF polypeptides of the invention are also disclosed.

A number of related hormones make up the pancreatic polypeptide family ("PPF"). Pancreatic polypeptide ("PP") was discovered as a contaminant of insulin extracts and was named by its organ of origin rather than functional importance (Kimmel et al., Endocrinology 83: 1323-30 (1968)). PP is a 36-amino acid peptide (SEQ ID NO: 1) containing distinctive structural motifs. A related peptide was subsequently discovered in extracts of intestine and named Peptide YY ("PYY") (SEQ ID NO: 2) because of the N- and C-terminal tyrosines (Tatemoto, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79: 2514-8 (1982)). A third related peptide was later found in extracts of brain and named Neuropeptide Y ("NPY") (SEQ ID NO: 4) (Tatemoto, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79: 5485-9 (1982); Tatemoto et al., Nature 296: 659-60 (1982)).
These three related peptides have been reported to exert various biological effects. Effects of PP include inhibition of pancreatic secretion and relaxation of the gallbladder. Centrally administered PP produces modest increases in feeding that may be mediated by receptors localized to the hypothalamus and brainstem (reviewed in Gehlert, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 218: 7-22 (1998)).
Release of PYY (SEQ ID NO: 2) occurs following a meal. An alternate molecular form of PYY is PYY(3-36) (SEQ ID NO: 3) (Eberlein et al., Peptides 10: 797-803 (1989); Grandt et al., Regul. Pept. 51: 151-9 (1994)). This fragment constitutes approximately 40% of total PYY-like immunoreactivity in human and canine intestinal extracts and about 36% of total plasma PYY immunoreactivity in a fasting state to slightly over 50% following a meal. It is apparently a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP4) cleavage product of PYY. PYY(3-36) is reportedly a selective ligand at the Y2 and Y5 receptors, which appear pharmacologically unique in preferring N-terminally truncated (i.e., C-terminal fragments of) NPY analogs. Peripheral administration of PYY reportedly reduces gastric acid secretion, gastric motility, exocrine pancreatic secretion (Yoshinaga et al., Am. J. Physiol. 263: G695-701 (1992); Guan et al., Endocrinology 128: 911-6 (1991); Pappas et al., Gastroenterology 91: 1386-9 (1986)), gallbladder contraction and intestinal motility (Savage et al., Gut 28: 166-70 (1987)). The effects of central injection of PYY on gastric emptying, gastric motility and gastric acid secretion, as seen after direct injection in or around the hindbrain/brainstem (Chen and Rogers, Am. J. Physiol. 269: R787-92 (1995); Chen et al., Regul. Pept. 61: 95-98 (1996); Yang and Tache, Am. J. Physiol. 268: G943-8 (1995); Chen et al., Neurogastroenterol. Motil. 9: 109-16 (1997)), may differ from those effects observed after peripheral injection. For example, centrally administered PYY had some effects opposite to those described herein for peripherally injected PYY(3-36) in that gastric acid secretion was stimulated, not inhibited. Gastric motility was suppressed only in conjunction with TRH stimulation, but not when administered alone, and was indeed stimulatory at higher doses through presumed interaction with PP receptors. PYY has been shown to stimulate food and water intake after central administration (Morley et al., Brain Res. 341: 200-3 (1985); Corp et al., Am. J. Physiol. 259: R317-23 (1990)).
Likewise, one of the earliest reported central effects of NPY (SEQ ID NO: 4) was to increase food intake, particularly in the hypothalamus (Stanley et al., Peptides 6: 1205-11 (1985)). PYY and PP are reported to mimic these effects, and PYY is more potent or as potent as NPY (Morley et al., Brain Res. 341: 200-3 (1985); Kanatani et al., Endocrinology 141: 1011-6 (2000); Nakajima et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 268: 1010-4 (1994)). Several groups found the magnitude of NPY-induced feeding to be higher than that induced by any pharmacological agent previously tested, and also extremely long-lasting. NPY-induced stimulation of feeding has been reproduced in a number of species. Among the three basic macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrate), the intake of carbohydrates was preferentially stimulated. No tolerance was seen towards the orexigenic effect of NPY, and when administration of the peptide was repeated over 10 days, a marked increase in the rate of weight gain was observed. Following starvation, the concentration of NPY in the hypothalamic PVN increased with time, and returned rapidly to control levels following food ingestion.
Pharmacological studies and cloning efforts have revealed a number of seven transmembrane receptors for the PP family of peptides, and these receptors have been assigned the names Y1 through Y6 (and a putative PYY-preferring receptor Y7). Typical signaling responses of these receptors are similar to those of other Gi/G0-coupled receptors, namely inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Even with fairly low sequence homology among receptors, it is apparent that there is a clustering of amino acid sequence similarity between Y1, Y4 and Y6 receptors, while Y2 and Y5 define other families. Other binding sites have been identified by the rank order of potency of various peptides. The NPY-preferring receptor, which has not been cloned, has been termed Y3, and PYY-preferring receptors have also been shown to exist (putative Y7) (reviewed in Michel et al., Pharmacol. Rev. 50: 143-50 (1998); Gehlert, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 218: 7-22 (1998)).
The Y5 and Y1 receptors have been suggested as the primary mediators of the food intake response (Marsh et al., Nat. Med. 4: 718-21 (1998); Kanatani et al., Endocrinology 141: 1011-6 (2000)). The prevalent idea has been that endogenous NPY, via these receptors, increases feeding behavior. Proposed therapies for obesity have invariably been directed toward antagonism of NPY receptors, while therapies for treating anorexia have been directed toward agonists of this ligand family (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,939,462; 6,013,622; and 4,891,357). In general, PYY and NPY are reported to be equipotent and equally effective in all Y1, Y5 (and Y2) receptor assays studied (Gehlert, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 218: 7-22 (1998)).
Pharmacologically, the Y2 receptor is distinguished from Y1 by exhibiting affinity for C-terminal fragments of neuropeptide Y. The Y2 receptor is most often differentiated by the affinity of neuropeptide Y(13-36), although the 3-36 fragment of neuropeptide Y and peptide YY provided improved affinity and selectivity (see Dumont et al., Soc. for Neurosci. Abstracts 19:726 (1993)). Signal transmission through both the Y1 and Y2 receptors are coupled to the inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Binding to the Y2 receptor was also found to reduce the intracellular levels of calcium in the synapse by selective inhibition of N-type calcium channels. In addition, the Y2 receptor, like the Y1 receptors, exhibits differential coupling to second messengers (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,478). Y2 receptors are found in a variety of brain regions, including the hippocampus, substantia nigra-lateralis, thalamus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. The human, murine, monkey and rat Y2 receptors have been cloned (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,532 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,478).
The main characteristic of putative Y3 receptors is that they recognize NPY, while PYY is at least an order of magnitude less potent. The Y3 receptor represents the only binding site/receptor that shows a preference for NPY.
There is an additional binding site/receptor which shows preference for PYYs, termed PYY-preferring receptor, which is referred to herein as the Y7 receptor(s). Different rank orders of binding to this receptor, or class of receptors, have been reported, suggesting that there may be more than one receptor in this family. In most cases it has been applied to describe a receptor where PYY was three to five times more potent than NPY. The International Union of Pharmacology recommendations for the nomenclature of NPY, PYY and PP receptors are that the term PYY-preferring receptor is not used unless a potency difference of at least twenty-fold between PYY and NPY is observed (Michel et al., Pharmacol. Rev. 50: 143-50 (1998)). However, for purposes of this disclosure, reference to the Y7 receptor or pharmacology of a PYY-preferring receptor means a receptor having any degree of preference for PYY over NPY.
Obesity and its associated disorders are common and very serious public health problems in the United States and throughout the world. Upper body obesity is the strongest risk factor known for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a recognized risk factor for hypertension, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon, and increased incidence of complications of general anesthesia (see, e.g., Kopelman, Nature 404: 635-43 (2000)). It reduces life-span and carries a serious risk of co-morbidities above, as well disorders such as infections, varicose veins, acanthosis nigricans, eczema, exercise intolerance, insulin resistance, hypertension hypercholesterolemia, cholelithiasis, orthopedic injury, and thromboembolic disease (Rissanen et al., Br. Med. J. 301: 835-7 (1990)). Obesity is also a risk factor for the group of conditions called insulin resistance syndrome, or "Syndrome X." Recent estimate for the medical cost of obesity and associated disorders is $150 billion worldwide. The pathogenesis of obesity is believed to be multifactorial but the basic problem is that in obese subjects nutrient availability and energy expenditure do not come into balance until there is excess adipose tissue. Obesity is currently a poorly treatable, chronic, essentially intractable metabolic disorder. A therapeutic drug useful in weight reduction of obese persons could have a profound beneficial effect on their health.
There remains a need to develop further PYY analog polypeptides. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such PYY analog polypeptides and methods for producing and using them.
All documents referred to herein are incorporated by reference into the present application as though fully set forth herein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Pancreatic polypeptide family motifs and polypeptides comprising the same


A living support system connected to a chair including a movable seat through a communication network includes a robot including a main body, a moving device that moves the main body in a freestanding state, a handle provided at the main body and gripped by a user, and a handle load detector that detects a handle load applied to the handle by the user; a support control device that controls seat movement for a stand-up motion of the sitting user, using the detected handle load; and a communicator that transmits support control information including a movement speed at which the chair moves the movable seat, to the chair through the communication network. The support control device includes a seat speed calculator that calculates a speed at which the movable seat is inclined with respect to a floor on which the chair is placed, as the movement speed using the detected handle load.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a living support system and a living support method that support a stand-up motion of a user sitting on a chair.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years in which the number of elderly people rises while the birthrate falls in developed countries, the need for watching and living support for the elderly people increase. In particular, elderly people may have difficulty in keeping the quality of life (QOL) for living at home due to degradation in physical ability with increasing age. To prevent the elderly people from getting Sarcopenia etc. and to keep the physical ability, it is important to keep the muscle mass by continuing an exercise by a certain amount or more. However, the elderly people who have difficulty in going out due to the degradation in physical ability and hence likely stay at home may be caught in a vicious cycle that keeping a certain amount of exercise is difficult and the muscle mass is more decreased.
In recent years, regarding such the situation, there are suggested various devices that support a stand-up motion from a chair which is the starting point of living action.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-200409 discloses a stand-up motion assisting robot in which a support unit of the robot assists a stand-up motion of a user sitting on a chair by following the movement of the chest of the user. The stand-up motion assisting robot with such a configuration can assist the stand-up motion of the user only with the assisting robot.
Also, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-10874 discloses a dental treatment chair that assists a stand-up motion of a patient by elevating a pad part supporting the elbow of the patient obliquely upward. The dental treatment chair with such a configuration can assist the stand-up motion of the patient only with the chair.

Living support system and living support method


A packing box includes a separation line in a shipping configuration, the separation line allowing separating a separation part from the packing box to leave a display part in a display configuration. First to last panels are sequentially interconnected, and flaps are connected to the panels. The flaps cooperatively define further sides of the packing box in the shipping configuration, and adjacent flaps connected to adjacent mutually connected panels are attached to one another. The separation line extends through a single panel from a first end associated with a position between adjacent first separation and display flaps to a second end associated with a position between adjacent second separation and display flaps, the separation flaps being associated with the separation part and the display flaps being associated with the display part. The separation flaps, and the adjacent display flaps are attached to one another, respectively, in a releasable manner.

Packing boxes are widely applied for holding, storing and transporting articles. The articles, or products, are produced at a manufacturing site, where they generally are packed into the packing box in dedicated packing lines. Subsequently, they are usually shipped to a location, such as a retail store, where the articles will be distributed or sold. In between packing and shipping, and in between shipping and distribution the packing boxes with articles may be stored and/or change from one transportation means to another. The packing boxes should therefore be well suited for packing, transportation and handling.
It has become customary to display the packing box or part of the packing box with articles in, for instance, a super market. Customers can take the articles directly from the packing box. Packing boxes have been proposed specifically for this purpose. However, they usually appear quite damaged when put up for display with the products.
Further, packing boxes that are designed to allow to put up products for display in the packing box are not well suited for packing, storing and transportation of products or articles in the packing box. Therefore, there is a need for an improved packing box.

Packing box convertable from a shipping configuration to a display configuration


An electrical connector, for mating a mating connector having two metal elastic sheets, includes: an insulation body having a base portion and a tongue located at a front end thereof; an upper and lower rows of terminals fixed to the base portion, each terminal having a contact portion exposed from an upper or lower surface of the tongue; a middle shielding sheet, fixed to the base portion and tongue, and located between the two terminal rows; two snap-fit portions disposed at two sides of the middle shielding sheet and exposed from two sides of the tongue, where the two metal elastic sheets buckle the snap-fit portions to prevent disengagement; and an outer metal casing wrapping peripheries of the base portion and tongue. When the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector after it's assembling, the two snap-fit portions are fixed to the mating connector to ensure stable high-frequency performance.

With fast development of electronic elements, design specifications of the USB organization are also always being updated and upgraded. From USB2.0 at beginning to USB3.0 and USB3.1 at present, or even the USB TYPE C specification, the transmission speed is faster and faster. To satisfy higher high-frequency requirements, applicant has spent a large quantity of efforts and capitals in cooperatively developing those types of products, so that mass production can be implemented, and efficiency can be improved.
Therefore, it is necessary to design an improved electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly, so as to overcome the foregoing problem.

Electrical connector with central shield


This ferritic stainless steel pipe contains, by mass %: C: 0.001% to 0.100%; Si: 0.01% to 2.00%; Mn: 0.01% to 2.00%; P: 0.001% to 0.05%; S: 0.0001% to 0.005%; Cr: 10.5% to 20.0%; Sn: 0.001% to 0.600%; Ti: 0.001% to 1.000%; Al: 0.001% to 0.100%; and N: 0.001% to 0.02%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, the ferritic stainless steel pipe includes a pipe-end-thickened portion at a pipe end portion, and a gap distance d (μm) formed at the pipe end portion satisfies a relationship of d≥Cr2/(1000Sn) (in the expression, Cr and Sn represent amounts (mass %) of respective elements).

Ferritic stainless steels are used in a wide range of fields such as household electronics, electronic devices, automobiles, and the like. Particularly in the automobile field, a stainless steel to be used is required to have heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and the like since it is used in various parts from exhaust manifolds to mufflers. In addition, since these parts are subjected to welding in most cases, strength, rigidity, and corrosion resistance of welded portions are also required.
In recent years, cases of examining thinning of materials used for each part have increased for the purpose of weight reduction of automobiles. However, a certain thickness is required in some cases in order to secure strength, rigidity, and weldability of welded portions, and a thickness may be thick even in non-welded portions. Therefore, thinning of the entire exhaust system is hindered. On the other hand, a technique is known in which, by increasing a thickness of a steel pipe end portion (an end portion of a steel pipe) that forms an exhaust pipe and is joined by being welded to other parts, welded portions are thickened to increase strength; and thereby, rigidity and weldability are secured. This is called pipe-end thickening (increasing a thickness of a pipe end portion of a steel pipe). In this case, non-welded portions can be made thinner. Thereby, the entire exhaust system can be made thinner and lighter.
Several techniques related to pipe-end thickening as described above have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 discloses a processing method in which a roller is pressed to an end portion while rotating a pipe to bend the end portion radially inward, and then the end portion is adhered by the roller for the purpose of securing strength of a pipe end portion and reducing a weight of the pipe. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of forming a pipe end in a double tubular shape and doubling a wall thickness to prevent burn-through at the time of welding. Patent Document 3 discloses a patent related to a raw pipe for folding a pipe end and increasing a thickness thereof, in which an inner bead portion of a welded portion protrudes to an inner surface of the pipe, and an amount of protrusion is defined as 4% to 15% of a sheet thickness.
The pipes disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 in which a pipe end is thickened have a crevice structure (gap structure) with a height of several micrometers (μm) to several hundreds of micrometers (μm) at a bent portion. With regard to this crevice portion (gap, gap portion), in the case where the end portion is bent inward as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, exhaust gas condensate water generated in an interior of an exhaust system part tends to stay (remain) in the crevice portion. In the case where the end portion is bent outward as in Patent Document 3, salt water adhering from the outside of the exhaust system part tends to stay (remain) in the crevice portion.
Corrosion that occurs in this environment is not crevice corrosion but is salt damage corrosion that is promoted by the fact that salt water and exhaust gas condensate water tend to stay (remain) in the crevice environment (gap environment). As described above, since there is a possibility of promoting corrosion in a crevice portion, a steel type having excellent corrosion resistance against salt damage in a crevice portion (salt tolerance in a gap) is required as a stainless steel to be used. Particularly in exhaust system parts, perforation due to corrosion leads to leakage of exhaust gas. Therefore, it is important to apply a material having high resistance to perforation.
Patent Document 4 discloses a ferritic stainless steel which has excellent crevice corrosion resistance, and which contains: by mass %, C: 0.001% to 0.02%; N: 0.001% to 0.02%; Si: 0.01% to 0.5%; Mn: 0.05% to 1%; P: 0.04% or less; S: 0.01% or less; Cr: 12% to 25%; either one or both of Ti: 0.02% to 0.5% and Nb: 0.02% to 1%; and Sn: 0.005 to 2%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. In the technique described in Patent Document 4, crevice corrosion resistance is improved by adding Sn, but there is no description regarding a relationship with a gap distance.
Patent Document 5 discloses an alloy-saving type ferritic stainless steel for automobile exhaust system members, which has excellent corrosion resistance after heating, and which contains: by mass %, C: ≤0.015%; Si: 0.10% to 0.50%; Mn: 0.05% to 0.50%; P≤0.050%; S: ≤0.0100%; N: ≤0.015%; Al: 0.020% to 0.100%; Cr: 10.5% to 13.05%; either one or both of Ti: 0.03% to 0.30% and Nb: 0.03% to 0.30%; and either one or both of Sn: 0.03% to 0.50% and Sb: 0.03% to 0.50%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which a value of A defined by Equation (2) is 15.23 or greater.A=[Cr]+[Si]+0.5[Mn]+10[Al]+15([Sn]+[Sb])  Equation (2)In the technique described in Patent Document 5, corrosion resistance after heating is improved by adding Sn and Sb, but there is no description regarding corrosion resistance when a (crevice) gap is present.
Patent Document 6 discloses a Mo-saving type ferritic stainless steel for automobile exhaust system members, which has excellent corrosion resistance after heating, and which contains: by mass %, C: ≤0.015%; Si: 0.01% to 0.50%; Mn: 0.01% to 0.50%; P≤0.050%; S: ≤0.010%; N: ≤0.015%; Al: 0.010% to 0.100%; Cr: 16.5% to 22.5%; either one or both of Ti: 0.03% to 0.30% and Nb: 0.03% to 0.30%; and Sn: 0.05% to 1.00%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. In the technique described in Patent Document 6, corrosion resistance after heating is improved by adding Sn, but there is no description regarding corrosion resistance when a (crevice) gap is present.
Patent Document 7 discloses a ferritic stainless steel for automobile exhaust system members, which contains: by mass %, C: ≤0.015%; Si: 0.01% to 0.50%; Mn: 0.01% to 0.50%; P≤0.050%; S: ≤0.010%; N: ≤0.015%; Al: 0.010% to 0.100%; Cr: 16.5% to 22.5%; Ni: 0.5% to 2.0%; Sn: 0.01% to 0.50%; and either one or both of Ti: 0.03% to 0.30% and Nb: 0.03% to 0.30%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. In the technique described in Patent Document 7, corrosion resistance of exhaust system parts after heating is disclosed, but there is no description regarding corrosion resistance in a crevice environment.
Patent Document 8 discloses a ferritic stainless steel for automobile exhaust system members, which has excellent oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance, and which contains: by mass %, C: 0.0150% or less; Si: 1.0% to 1.5%; Mn: 0.15% to 1.0%; P: 0.050% or less; S: 0.0100% or less; N: 0.0150% or less; Al: 0.010% to 0.200%; Cr: 13.0% to 16.0%; Sn: 0.002% to 0.050%; and either one or both of Ti: 0.03% to 0.30% and Nb: 0.03% to 0.50%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which a value of A defined by Equation (1) is 0.024 or greater.A=[Si]×[Sn]+0.014[Si]  (1)
[Si] and [Sn] respectively represent amounts of Si and Sn in terms of mass %.
In the technique described in Patent Document 8, corrosion resistance of exhaust system parts after heating is disclosed, but there is no description regarding corrosion resistance in a crevice environment.
Patent Document 9 discloses a ferritic stainless steel for exhaust system members, which has excellent corrosion resistance, and which contains: by mass %, C: 0.0150% or less; Si: 0.2% to 0.7%; Mn: 0.2% to 0.6%; P: 0.050% or less; S: 0.0100% or less; N: 0.0150% or less; Al: 0.010% to 0.20%; Cr: 10.5% to 11.5%; Mo: 0.02% to 0.20%; Sn: 0.005% to 0.050%; and either one or both of Ti: 0.03% to 0.30% and Nb: 0.03% to 0.50%, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which a value of A defined by Equation (1) is 0.00065%2 or greater.A=[Mo]×[Sn]  (1)
In the technique described in Patent Document 9, corrosion resistance of exhaust system parts after heating is disclosed, but there is no description regarding corrosion resistance in a crevice environment.
As described above, in the related art, no method has yet been proposed to improve corrosion resistance in a crevice environment formed at a pipe end portion of a pipe of which a pipe end is thickened.

Ferritic stainless steel pipe having excellent salt tolerance in gap, pipe-end-thickened structure, welding joint, and welded structure

NIPPON STEEL STAINLESS STEEL CORPORATION


There is provided magnetizing apparatus and magnetizing method for a magnetized pulser ring, by which magnetic force to which a cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized can be enhanced, and yet in which centering of a magnetizing yoke is easy to achieve. A magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to an axis thereof. The magnetizing yoke is inserted into a cylindrical steel plate of the magnetized pulser ring so that the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is brought into close contact with one axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member.

The present invention relates to magnetizing apparatus and magnetizing method for a magnetized pulser ring, as well as to a magnetized pulser ring.
Conventionally, rolling bearing units for rotatably supporting automobile wheels to a suspension system have been known in various structures. Among those rolling bearing units, there is one equipped with a rotational speed detecting device for detecting the rotational speed of wheels in order to control an antilock brake system (hereinafter, referred to as ABS) or traction control system (hereinafter, referred to as TCS).
Like this, the rotational speed detecting device to be incorporated in a rolling bearing unit includes a magnetized pulser ring which rotates along with the wheels, and a rotational speed sensor which outputs an output signal that varies at a frequency proportional to the rotational speed of the magnetized pulser ring (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication HEI 10-115628).
The magnetized pulser rings are grouped in axial magnetization type and radial magnetization type. This radial-magnetization type magnetized pulser ring includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical steel plate 21, and a cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22 provided over the entire periphery of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical steel plate 21.
Conventionally, there have been provided magnetizing apparatuses for radial-magnetization type magnetized pulser rings, which have a magnetizing yoke 23 having a cylindrical surface whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22, so that the magnetizing yoke 23 is made easier to insert into the cylindrical steel plate 21. Although not shown, N-pole areas and S-pole areas are alternately provided over the entire circumference on the outer periphery of the magnetizing yoke 23.
With the magnetizing apparatus of this construction, the magnetizing yoke 23 having a cylindrical surface is inserted into the cylindrical steel plate 21 so that the magnetizing yoke 23 is radially opposed to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22, thus achieving the magnetization of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22. As a result of this, N-pole areas and S-pole areas are alternately formed over the entire circumferential periphery of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22.
However, according to this conventional magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring, because the outer circumferential surface of the magnetizing yoke 23 is a circumferential surface having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22, there would occur a gap D between the magnetizing yoke 23 and the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22 in performing the magnetization of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22. This would cause defect that the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22 can be magnetized only to about 80% of a target magnetic force. For example, using the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22 of such a weak magnetic force in an ABS-use rotational speed detecting device would cause the output signal of the rotational speed detecting device to become unstable.
Also, since the outer diameter of the cylindrical surface of the magnetizing yoke 23 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22, the magnetizing yoke 23 is more likely to be decentered with respect to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22. This causes a defect that the centering of the magnetizing yoke 23 with respect to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member 22 is difficult to achieve.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide magnetizing apparatus and magnetizing method for a magnetized pulser ring, as well as to a magnetized pulser ring, by which the magnetic force to which the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized can be enhanced, and yet in which the centering of the magnetizing yoke is easy to achieve.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring, in which a magnetizing portion of a magnetizing yoke is radially opposed to a cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on a circumferential surface of a cylindrical steel plate so that magnetic-pole areas of opposite polarities are alternately formed circumferentially on the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, wherein:
the magnetizing portion is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to an axis of the magnetizing yoke.
With this magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring, for magnetization of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, the magnetizing yoke is inserted into the cylindrical steel plate so that the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is radially opposed to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member. In this operation, when the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is brought into close contact with at least an axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, the magnetizing yoke becomes in its entire circumference close to or in contact with the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, because the magnetizing portion is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to the axis. Accordingly, the magnetic force to which the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized can be enhanced. That is, the cylindrical elastic magnetic member can be magnetized sufficiently and reliably.
Also, because the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to the axis, bringing the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke into close contact with at least an axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member makes the cylindrical elastic magnetic member and the magnetizing yoke concentric with each other. Accordingly, the magnetizing yoke can be centered with respect to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member easily and reliably.
Also, because the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a conical surface tilted with respect to the axis, the insertion of the magnetizing yoke into the cylindrical steel plate can also be achieved easily.
In an embodiment, the conical surface which is the magnetizing portion is a convex surface, whereby the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized from an inner circumferential surface side of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical steel plate.
With the magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring in this embodiment, because the conical surface, i.e., the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a convex surface, the cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical steel plate can easily be magnetized from its inner circumferential surface side.
In an embodiment, the conical surface which is the magnetizing portion is a concave surface, whereby the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized from an outer circumferential surface side of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical steel plate.
With the magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring in this embodiment, because the conical surface of the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a concave surface, the cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical steel plate can be magnetized easily from its outer circumferential surface side.
A magnetizing method for a magnetized pulser ring of the present invention comprises the step of bringing the conical surface which is the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing apparatus for a magnetized pulser ring into close contact with at least an axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, thereby allowing the cylindrical elastic magnetic member to be magnetized.
According to the magnetizing method for a magnetized pulser ring, the magnetizing yoke is inserted into the cylindrical steel plate so that the conical surface, i.e., the magnetizing portion is brought into close contact with at least an axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member. Then, the magnetizing yoke becomes in its entire circumference close to or in contact with the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, because the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to the axis. Accordingly, the magnetic force to which the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is magnetized can be enhanced. That is, the cylindrical elastic magnetic member can be magnetized sufficiently and reliably.
Also, when the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is brought into close contact with at least an axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, the cylindrical elastic magnetic member and the magnetizing yoke become concentric with each other, because the magnetizing portion of the magnetizing yoke is a conical surface slightly tilted with respect to the axis. Accordingly, the magnetizing yoke can be centered with respect to the cylindrical elastic magnetic member easily and reliably.
The present invention also provides a magnetized pulser ring comprising a cylindrical steel plate, and a cylindrical elastic magnetic member provided on a circumferential surface of the cylindrical steel plate, wherein
magnetic force of one axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is stronger than magnetic force of the other axial end portion of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member, and
magnetic force of the cylindrical elastic magnetic member is generally uniform along its circumferential direction.
The magnetized pulser ring of the invention can be manufactured with the use of the magnetizing apparatus or the magnetizing method as described above. Accordingly, this magnetized pulser ring has an advantage that the magnetic force is strong and does not vary in the circumferential direction, because the magnetized pulser ring is magnetized in a centered state by the magnetizing apparatus.

Magnetizing apparatus and magnetizing method for magnetized pulser ring, and magnetized pulser ring


A nanocarbon separation method includes: a step of preparing a plurality of liquids with different specific gravities in which at least one of the plurality of liquids is a dispersion liquid in which a mixture of nanocarbons with different properties is dispersed; a step of sequentially injecting the plurality of liquids into an electrophoresis tank so that the specific gravities of the liquids decrease from a bottom to a top of the liquids in a direction of gravitational force; and a step of separating the mixture of the nanocarbons by moving a part of the mixture toward an electrode side disposed in an upper part of the electrophoresis tank and moving a remainder of the mixture toward an electrode side disposed in a lower part of the electrophoresis tank by applying a direct current voltage to the electrodes.

In recent years, carbon materials having a size in a nanometer range (hereinafter referred to as "nanocarbons") are expected to be applied to various fields due to their mechanical properties, electrical properties, chemical properties, and the like.
In the case of nanocarbons, nanocarbons with different properties are simultaneously produced in a manufacturing stage in some cases. When nanocarbons with different electrical characteristics are used in an electronic material when mixed together, a problem such as the deterioration in the characteristics thereof is likely to be caused. Thus, it is necessary to separate nanocarbons with different properties.
In order to separate nanocarbons, Patent Document 1 describes a nanocarbon material separation method which includes: a step of introducing a dispersion solvent including nanocarbon materials dispersed in nanocarbon micelle groups having a plurality of different charges and introducing a holding solution having a specific gravity different from that of the nanocarbon materials into an electrophoresis tank by laminating the solutions by disposing them in a predetermined direction; and a step of separating the nanocarbon micelle groups into two or more nanocarbon micelle groups by applying a voltage in a serial direction to the introduced, disposed, and laminated dispersion liquid and holding solution.


A roller assembly for a single sheet feeder includes a stack damper which is rotatably suspended on or near a pre-feed roller axis to prevent buckling of thin media sheets and to impart a slight bend to thick media sheets during sheet movement by the pre-feed roller. The stack damper has a surface which extends from a location proximate the pre-feed roller parallel to the surface of a stack of media from which individual sheets are to be removed.

None
The present invention relates generally to the art of document processing equipment such as scanners, printers, facsimile machines and combination devices which use single sheet feeders to pick single sheets of media to be processed from a stack thereof. Such equipment includes sheet moving rollers, belts or wheels and, in particular, the sheet feeders with which the present invention is concerned employ both a pre-feed roller and a separation roller spaced downstream from the pre-feed roller. A stack stop is positioned to be moved into and out of the path of sheet movement between the rollers. Worn or otherwise damaged rollers in such equipment occasionally require replacement necessitating a service call and attendant expense. It is accordingly desirable to provide a modular single sheet feeder which can be easily assembled at the factory and which also has easily replaceable rollers which can be serviced by the user without the necessity to involve a skilled service technician.
The present invention therefore provides a single sheet feeder roller assembly comprising:
a) a frame;
b) a pre-feed roller rotatably supported on said frame for rotation about a first axis; and
c) a stack damper pivotally mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, said stack damper having a surface which extends from a location proximate said pre-feed roller parallel to a surface of a stack of media from which individual sheets are to be removed in a direction of sheet movement from said pre-feed roller.

Sheet feeder roller assembly with stack damper

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


To increase the function and safety of a weapon, it is proposed that the molded part, as connecting site particularly between a projectile and a preferably combustible sleeve containing a driving mechanism, be constructed in such a way that, in a predefined region, said molded part has a felt with an energetic material and/or an inert material.

Certain parts of a cartridge, in particular with a combustible sleeve, are produced from inert material. Such inert materials are provided for instance at connecting points between the driving mechanism and the projectile.
There are two decisive factors for the selection of explosive-free material. The strength of the noncombustible molded part together with the adhesives used on the tail part of the projectile to be attached has proven to be one such factor. Far more important, however, is that the inert material is flame resistant.
Noncombustible inert molded parts must be erosively removed by the mechanical effect of the weapon housings and the hot gases. This means that corresponding connecting parts, which in the case of 120 mm cartridges are known as cartridge covers, must be broken up on firing, and/or so weakened by erosion that only fragments remain. This generally takes place when there is increasing pressure and formation of hot gases in the breech area. The destroyed parts are then flushed out of the breech area and the gun barrel by the gas flow. However, the effect of the combustion gases is not always adequate, so that larger, and in particular thicker, residual pieces are left over in the breech area or may become attached to the cone piece between the breech area and the barrel. The desired removal mechanisms are counteracted, however, by the additional use of polyethanes in the molded parts to provide appropriate strength.
A further problem arises, however, from the fact that, in an ammunition container and in the assembly area of a weapon, the cartridge has at this connecting point direct contact with holding devices or the like. Under the relatively rough handling conditions of heavy cartridges and additional adverse environmental influences, vibration and associated mechanical stresses at these points can become a possible source of risk to the function of the cartridge in the breech area of the weapon. This has the consequence that the function of the weapon and safety are adversely affected, since under some circumstances the next cartridge can no longer be loaded or the smoldering residual particles of the cartridge cover could set off the next cartridge prematurely.

Molded part, and method for the production of the molded part


A control device has a rotating actuator which is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation so that control parameters can be input by rotation. The rotating actuator is mounted displaceably along a movement curve so that control parameters can be input into the device by means of a longitudinal displacement of the rotating actuator. The additional degree of operating freedom increases the information density of the exchange between user and machine in an ergonomically particularly advantageous manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control device, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a rotating actuator which is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation, it being possible for control parameters to be input into the device by means of rotation of the rotating actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increasing complexity of devices, in particular within the context of functions of mechanical subassemblies being taken on by electric or electronic subassemblies, in particular in combination with servomotor drives, control devices of the generic type have become greatly diverse. The great advance in innovations in conjunction with function displays in the control of devices has revolutionized the ergonomics of control devices. Advantageous operating concepts take into consideration the particular characteristics of human anatomy and the particular application. The increasing complexity of devices necessitates an increase in the bidirectional flow of information between the person and the machine and so further sense organs in addition to the eye are included.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,772 discloses a control device of the generic type, in which, in addition to an optical display, a haptic feedback indicates in sensory fashion to the user the function which has been selected. A great disadvantage of this control device resides in the extremely limited input possibilities. The device has too few ergonomically advantageous mechanical degrees of freedom. The implementation of a high number of degrees of freedom in a control device of the generic type places the ergonomics before problems which have not been solved to date, since a high number of degrees of operating freedom can become too complicated for convenient operation, in particular in a motor vehicle, and too low a number of degrees of operating freedom can force the user, in the case of a complicated device having a large number of functions, to move through endless menus in an unacceptably time-consuming manner in order to select the desired function.

Control device having a rotating actuator