A flow field plate for a bipolar plate or bipolar plate assembly of a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack has an electrode facing front side, a backside and at least a cooling fluid manifold for supplying cooling fluid to the flow field plate. The backside includes a cooling fluid flow field for substantially uniformly distributing the cooling fluid over the flow field plate. The flow field plate further includes a cooling fluid sub-manifold which is adapted to provide cooling fluid from the cooling fluid manifold to a cooling fluid flow field. The cooling fluid sub-manifold is fluidly disconnected from the cooling fluid flow field, a bipolar plate or bipolar plate assembly including a flow field plate, as well as a fuel cell or fuel cell stack including such a flow field plate and/or bipolar plate or such a bipolar plate assembly.

The present invention relates to a flow field plate, particularly for a bipolar plate of a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack, a bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell and a fuel cell or fuel cell stack comprising such a flow field plate and/or such a bipolar plate or bipolar plate assembly.
Usually fuel cells are arranged in fuel cell stacks which are built by stacking a plurality of repeating unit fuel cells between two end assembly units, which hold the stacked cells together. In the fuel cell stack there are features for distributing various fluids (reactants, cooling fluid) over the fuel cell stack. The features are called manifolds and flow fields. The features conducting fresh reactants and fresh cooling fluid are called inlet manifolds and the features removing unused reactants and products as well as outgoing cooling fluids are called outlet manifolds. For distributing the various fluids over active areas in the fuel cell, flow fields are used which often comprise channel-like structures. The active area of a fuel cell is defined as the area where the reactions take place.
The fuel cell stack further includes an oxidant inlet for supplying an oxidant, preferably air, to the fuel cell cathodes and a fuel inlet for supplying fuel, preferably a hydrogen containing fluid, to the fuel cell anodes and a cooling fluid inlet for supplying a cooling fluid to the cooling fluid channels. The fuel cell stack is normally operated within a specified temperature interval to maximize efficiency and/or durability.
The repeating fuel cell units comprise usually two sub-assemblies, namely a 5-layer-membrane-electrode-assembly (5-layer MEA) and a bipolar plate assembly. The 5-layer MEA comprises a membrane with two electrodes placed on the two major surfaces of the membrane, a porous anode electrode on the anode side and a porous cathode electrode on the cathode side. On each electrode, the anode and the cathode, a was diffusion layer, preferably made from a porous and electrically conductive material, is applied for conducting electricity and thermal heat to and from the electrodes as well as supplying reactants to and removing products from the electrodes. Besides the 5-layer MEA and the bipolar plate assembly further features may be present, e.g. at least a sealing layer which is adapted to seal the 5-layer MEA and the bipolar plate assembly.
The bipolar plate assembly comprises at least one flow field plate on which channel-like structures are formed which create flow paths for leading reactants from inlet manifolds to an active area of the fuel cell and unused reactants and products from the active area to the outlet manifold. The bipolar plate assembly further comprises a cooling fluid inlet manifold and a cooling fluid flow field for supplying and distributing cooling fluid to the fuel cell. The heated cooling fluid is subsequently removed by a cooling fluid outlet manifold.
For the distribution of the cooling fluid in an effective way, it is known from the state of the art, e.g. from PCT Application WO 2010/054744, to use flow field plates, which are placed adjacent to each other and are adapted to form a space between them for the distribution of the cooling fluid and to form a bipolar plate assembly. On the both sides of each flow field plate, flow field structures are arranged which are adapted to form fluid channels when the two fluid flow plates are placed in contact with each other or when the flow field plates are placed in contact with the gas diffusion layers of the respective 5-layer membrane electrode assembly. The channels between the two flow field plates are used for distributing a cooling fluid to the fuel cell stack for controlling the temperature of the fuel cell, wherein the channels on the electrode facing sides are used for distributing reactants.
Additionally, document WO 2010/054744 discloses that cooling fluid channels are arranged as a negative structure of the reactant channels and are also already present at the reactant inlet manifold. Thereby, it is alleged that the reactants are already influenced by the cooling fluid at their inlet manifold, which enables a better cooling of the reactants.
Disadvantageously, the cooling provided b the simple prolongation of the cooling channels is not sufficient for controlling the temperature during situations, where the anode gas and the cathode gas are significantly cooler or hotter than a specified temperature range. This deviation in temperature can, if not carefully controlled by additional components, be a problem for the fuel cell stack. Moreover, insufficient cooling may result in the generation of hot spots in the fuel cell, which in turn may result in an operation failure of the fuel cell stack. Consequently, even with the suggested design of WO 2010/054744, additional heat exchangers are necessary for controlling the temperatures of the reactants.
It is therefore desirable to provide an effective temperature control for a fuel cell, which allows for an omission of additional heat exchangers.
The invention, according to an aspect thereof, is based on the idea to provide a flow field plate for a bipolar plate or a bipolar plate assembly of a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack having an electrode facing front side and a backside, wherein the flow field plate comprises at least a cooling fluid manifold for supplying cooling fluid to the flow field plate and on its backside a cooling fluid flow field for substantially uniformly distributing the cooling fluid over the backside of the flow field plate, wherein the flow field plate further comprises a cooling fluid sub-manifold, which is adapted to provide cooling fluid from the cooling fluid manifold to a cooling fluid flow field, inventively, the cooling fluid sub-manifold is fluidly disconnected from the cooling fluid flow field of the own flow field plate.
That means the cooling fluid supplied to the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the flow field plate does nor supply cooling fluid to the own fluid flow field, but to a fluid flow field of another flow field plate which is adapted to be placed adjacent to the flow field plate. This design allows for an increased size and volume of the cooling fluid sub-manifold instead of the limited volume of the known channels structure so that an efficient cooling may be provided. Thereby the volume of a sub-manifold is defined by the length, width and depth of the sub-manifold, which is preferably designed as continuous space or recess in the flow field plate.
Preferably, the flow field plate further comprises on its electrode front side a reactant fluid flow field, which is preferably designed as a negative structure of the cooling fluid flow field. Forming the fluid flow fields as negative structure allows for a reduced thickness of the flow field plate, which in turn results in a desired reduced size of the fuel cell stack.
Advantageously, the flow field plate may further comprise at least a first reactant fluid manifold, which is fluidly connected to the reactant fluid flow field on the electrode facing surface of the flow field plate and a second reactant fluid manifold, which is fluidly disconnected from the reactant fluid flow field. When placing the flow field plates adjacent to each other, this arrangement of reactant manifolds allow for a distribution of the first reactant over the own fluid flow plate and of the second reactant over the adjacently placed fluid flow plate.
Having in mind this arrangement of reactant manifolds, it is clear that the cooling fluid of the cooling, fluid sub-manifold is in fact enabled to cool the reactant fluids of the adjacently placed flow field plate before the reactants enter the actual reactant flow field and thereby the active area of the fuel cell, it goes without saying, that it is also possible to heat the reactant fluids, provided the temperature of the cooling fluid is above the temperature of the reactant fluid. With other words, if the flow field plate is used as anode plate, the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode flow field plate is adapted to cool the oxidant, preferably air, supplied to the cathode flow field plate. Vice versa, the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate is adapted to cool the fuel, namely the hydrogen containing gas, supplied to the anode flow field plate. Preferably, the cooling fluid sub-manifold provides a volume, which may be filled with enough cooling fluid for providing the desired heat exchanging capacity, which is necessary for controlling a temperature of the fuel cell even during situations, where the temperature of the reactants is outside the operation temperature range of the fuel cell, as mentioned above. In the following this situation is described as temperature critical situation.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the cooling fluid sub-manifold is arranged between a second reactant manifold and the cooling fluid flow field. Consequently, the cooling fluid sub-manifold is adapted to provide an increased and sufficient cooling/heating of the reactant.
According to a further preferred embodiment, a length of the cooling fluid sub-manifold substantially extends at least over the width of the second reactant sub-manifold. Thereby, the complete reactant sub-manifold may be temperature-influenced by the cooling fluid.
It is further preferred, that a cross-section of the cooling, fluid sub-manifold is reduced in size along a cooling fluid flow direction of the cooling fluid sub-manifold. By this design it is ensured that the cooling fluid is distributed uniformly to each structure of the cooling fluid flow field. Preferably, the cross-section is reduced by about 10% to 90%, preferably by 20% to 80% and most preferred by 50% to 75%.
Consequently, a preferred shape of the cooling fluid sub-manifold is a tapered shape, e.g. the cooling fluid sub-manifold is wedge-shaped or boomerang-shaped. Boomerang-shaped in this connection means an angled wedge-shaped form. With this inventive design of the cooling fluid sub-manifold, a spread in the flow velocity between the individual fluid distribution structures, e.g. the channel-like structures or the channels, may be minimized. Preferably, the flow velocity does not vary more than approximately 25%, preferably approximately less than 20% over the flow field plate.
As mentioned above, it is preferred to adapt the volume, i.e. the length, width and depth, of the cooling fluid sub-manifold so as w provide a desired heat exchanging capacity for the reactant supplied by the second reactant manifold, i.e. of the reactant streaming through the flow field structure of the respective other flow field plate, which preferably allows for an increase/decrease in temperature up to 200° C., preferably in a range of about 20° C. to 120° C., most preferred of approximately 40° C., provided there is no phase transition in the fluid.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the cooling fluid sub-manifold further comprises at least one guiding structure for guiding the cooling, fluid in the cooling fluid sub-manifold. The guiding structures may be elongated lands which are adapted to direct the cooling fluid over the whole length of the cooling fluid sub-manifold and guide approximately the same amount of cooling fluid to each channel-like flow field structure. The guiding structure may be further used as support structure for keeping two adjacent plates in substantially the same distance from each other.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the flow field plate further comprises on its backside a first reactant sub-manifold which is fluidly connected to the first reactant manifold and to the reactant fluid flow field on the front side of the flow field plate, preferably by tunnel like openings in the flow field plate. This arrangement allows for a uniform distribution of the reactant over the flow field plate.
Advantageously, the first reactant fluid manifold and/or the first reactant sub-manifold, and the second reactant fluid manifold and/or the second reactant sub-manifold exhibit a substantially axial symmetric size and/or substantially axial symmetric shape. Moreover, the flow field plate may exhibit a substantially rotational symmetry, preferably concerning its centre of mass.
Since the fuel flow is usually smaller than the oxidant now, it may be advantageous to design flow field plates having an asymmetrical shape, where the fuel manifolds are smaller than the oxidant manifolds. Moreover, also the fuel flow field may be designed differently from the oxidant flow field, which results in a different design for a flow field plate used as anode plate and a flow field plate used as cathode plate. For example, the fuel flow field of the anode plate may have fewer channel-like structures and/or the fuel channel-like structures may have a reduced cross-section. Advantageously, adapting the fuel flow field plate to the reduced fuel flow allows for smaller flow field plates, which in turn reduces the overall size of the fuel cell stack. Additionally, the smaller cross-section of the channel-like structures in the fuel flow field and/or the fewer fuel channel-like structures increase the fuel flow velocity to the same level as at the oxidant flow velocity, so that water droplets may be efficiently removed.
However, even if there are good reasons for an asymmetrical shape, the inventors have inventively discovered that using a symmetrical flow field plate allows for a more evenly distributed clamping force applied to each flow field plate and consequently to the fuel cell stack. Besides that, a symmetrical design allows for flipping the operation direction of the fuel cell, i.e. changing inlet and outlet, in order to increase the fuel cell's lifetime. This is due to the fact that usually the fuel cell is more worn at the inlet side than at the outlet side due to temperature differences and/or the dry gas.
Additionally, the tooling costs, the logistic costs and the storage costs may be reduced as only one tool for producing flow field plates is necessary and only one kind of flow field plates need to be handled and held on stock. It should be also noted that since the tool produces substantially identical flow field plates, the quality of a bipolar plate assembly is increased.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a bipolar plate assembly is provided which comprises at least a first flow field plate as mentioned above and a second flow field plate as mentioned above, wherein preferably the first and the second flow field plates are adapted to be arranged in contact to each other. It goes without saying that the invention may also be used for bipolar plates having flow field plates, which are separated by a further plate or layer.
The cooling fluid sub-manifolds and the cooling, fluid flow fields of the first and the second flow field plates are adapted to form channel-like cooling structures for the cooling fluid. Inventively, the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the first flow field plate is adapted to be fluidly connected to the cooling fluid flow field of the second flow field plate and the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the second flow field plate is adapted to be fluidly connected to the cooling fluid flow field of the first flow field plate when the first and the second flow field plates are placed in contact with each other or contact an intermediate layer. As mentioned above, this design allows that the cooling fluid sub-manifold may extend over the whole area of the respective other reactant sub-manifold which in turn enables a sufficient cooling of the respective reactants even during the above mentioned temperature critical conditions.
Preferably, the first fluid flow plate is designed as cathode plate and the second fluid flow plate is designed as anode plate, wherein preferably the cathode plate has an oxidant manifold as first reactant fluid manifold, an optional oxidant sub-manifold and/or an optional fuel sub-manifold, a fuel manifold as second fluid manifold, and an oxidant flow field as reactant flow field for providing, an oxidant, preferably air, to the electrode facing side of the cathode plate. Respectively, the anode plate has a fuel manifold as first reactant fluid, manifold, an optional fuel sub-manifold and/or an optional reactant sub-manifold, an oxidant manifold as second reactant manifold, and a fuel flow field as reactant flow field for providing fuel, preferably a hydrogen containing fluid, to the electrode facing side of the anode plate.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a bipolar plate assembly of a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack is provided, having a cathode plate with an oxidant flow field on a cathode facing front side and a cooling fluid flow field on a backside, and an anode plate with a fuel flow field on an anode facing front side and a cooling, fluid flow field on a backside. The cathode plate and the anode plate may further comprise at least a cooling fluid manifold for supplying cooling fluid to the bipolar plate and a cooling fluid sub-manifold for distributing the cooling fluid to the cooling fluid flow field, an oxidant manifold for providing oxidant, preferably air, to the bipolar plate assembly and an oxidant sub-manifold for distributing the oxidant to the oxidant flow field, and a fuel manifold for providing fuel, preferably a hydrogen containing fluid, to the bipolar plate assembly and a fuel sub-manifold for distributing fuel to the fuel flow field. Inventively, the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode plate is designed as space extending substantially over a length of the oxidant sub-manifold the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate is designed as space extending substantially over a length of the fuel sub-manifold. Thereby, the volume of the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode plate is adapted to provide a heat exchanging capacity for the oxidant, preferably to the oxidant streaming through the oxidant sub-manifold and/or the oxidant flow field. Analogously, the volume of the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate is adapted to provide a heat exchanging capacity for the fuel, preferably for the fuel streaming through the fuel sub-manifold and/or the fuel sub-manifold. Since, as mentioned above the cooling fluid sub-manifold may be designed as space extending over the respective reactant (sub-)manifold of the respective other plate, the heat exchanging capacity may be adapted so that further temperature controlling devices, particularly heat exchangers, for the reactants may be omitted. Thereby, it should be noted that the heat exchanging influence of the cooling fluid sub-manifold is not at the active area of the flow field plate, but at the reactant sub-manifold upstream of the active area. As mentioned above, the reactant sub-manifold is adapted to distribute the reactant to the corresponding flow field from which is adapted to guide the reactant to the active area of the fuel cell.
As mentioned above, the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate is preferably adapted to be fluidly connected to the cooling fluid flow field of the anode plate and the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode plate is adapted to be fluidly connected to the cooling fluid flow field of the cathode plate, preferably when the cathode plate and the anode plate are placed in contact with each other or contact the intermediate layer. Thereby, the above mentioned volume for the cooling fluid sub-manifold may be provided.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the bipolar plate assembly is shaped asymmetrically, wherein the fuel manifold is smaller than the oxidant manifold and/or wherein the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode plate is larger than the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate), and/or wherein the oxidant flow field of the cathode plate comprises more channel-like structures than the fuel flow field of the anode plate, and/or wherein a cross-section of the channel-like structures of the fuel flow field of the anode plate is smaller than a cross-section of the channel-like structures of the oxidant flow field of the cathode plate. Thereby, a bipolar plate assembly comprising the above mentioned advantages for an asymmetric flow field plate may be achieved.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the bipolar plate assembly is designed symmetrically, wherein the fuel manifold and/or the fuel sub-manifold and/or the fuel flow field is substantially equal sized to the oxidant manifold and/or the oxidant sub-manifold and/or the oxidant flow field, and/or wherein the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the anode plate is substantially equal sized to the cooling fluid sub-manifold of the cathode plate. Thereby, a bipolar plate having the above mentioned advantages of a symmetric flow field plate is achieved.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a fuel cell and/or a fuel cell stack having at least one flow field plate as mentioned above and/or having at least one bipolar plate and/or a bipolar plate assembly as mentioned above is disclosed.
Further advantages and/or preferred embodiments are described in the description, the Figures and the attached claims.


A path detection method and apparatus for forwarding at least two layers of labels includes generating, by a first network device, a first request packet used for path detection, where the first request packet includes a label stack and a time to live (TTL), and an initial quantity of layers of the label stack matches an initial value of the TTL, and sending the first request packet, where the first request packet instructs a second network device to send a first response packet to the first network device when the TTL is 0 after being reduced by 1, and the first response packet reaches the first network device through an internet protocol route.

In a communications network, a traceroute path detection method is usually used to detect a delay or a fault status on a path. The path includes at least two nodes. For example, the path includes an ingress node, an intermediate node, and an egress node. The ingress node successively sends a request packet used for traceroute path detection to the intermediate node and the egress node respectively, the intermediate node (which may also be referred to as a forwarding node) or the egress node that receives the request packet feeds back a response packet to the ingress node, and the ingress node determines, based on the response packet fed back by each node, a delay and/or whether a link between nodes is normal.
In a network in which a plurality of layers of labels are carried in a packet and label forwarding is performed, when sending a detection packet, the ingress node encapsulates all labels (namely, a label stack) on a label forwarding path into the packet. In this case, when the ingress node initiates traceroute detection for the label forwarding path, the ingress node successively sends a request packet used for traceroute path detection to an intermediate node and an egress node respectively on the label forwarding path, and all the labels on the label forwarding path are encapsulated in the path detection request packet. After the intermediate node receives the path detection request packet sent by the ingress node, a fed back response packet continues to follow the label forwarding path based on the labels in the label stack, reaches the egress node, and then returns to the ingress node through an Internet Protocol (IP) route, but cannot directly be forwarded by the intermediate node through the IP route to return to the ingress node. Consequently, detection of a path delay or a fault status is inaccurate.


The present invention relates to a mixing device particularly adapted for mixing and delivering a mixture of food product containing large particulates from dehydrated material and a diluent. This device includes a mixing chamber including a propeller, at least one inlet for the dehydrated and diluent to enter the mixing chamber, and an outlet for the mixture to exit the mixing chamber. The propeller is arranged about a rotation axis to provide centrifugal forces upon rotating to create a pumping action in the mixing chamber. Also, the propeller describes a limit plane of rotation demarcating a centrifugal part and a suction part. The outlet has a cross section with an axial dimension of at least 12.5 mm and is positioned in the mixing chamber relative to the propeller so that at least 50% of the outlet surface area is located in the centrifugal part of the chamber.

The present invention relates to a device adapted for mixing and delivering food especially food containing large particulates obtained from a mixture of dehydrated material and a diluent such as water and the like, and to a method for providing a hydrated foods that are prepared from such large particulate dehydrated materials.
Dehydrated foods are often prepared in dispensing machines by mixing a metered amount of dehydrated material with a metered amount of water or other diluent in appropriate ratio to obtain a proper reconstitution that makes the final food palatable and as close as possible to the appearance and texture of homemade food, while also being dispenses at the desired serving temperature. The preparation of food in a dispensing device by mixing such a powdered food component with a diluent is practical, speedier and saves labor and catering space in foodservice areas such as in restaurant, fast foods, offices, convenient stores, other public or private work or commercial places, sport arenas, or other places.
Food products, in particular culinary products, that are provided by automatic dispensing systems suffer from several drawbacks. They are sometimes viewed as having relatively poor quality, appearance and/or taste.
There is actually an increasing consumer interest for on-demand food of improved texture, in particular for culinary products such as soup, potage or more solid food such as mashed vegetables and the like. One way for improving the quality is by adding discrete non-dispersible or non-soluble particulates in the dehydrated powder, therefore increasing the consumer""s acceptance for these types of food.
Attempts have been made to employ traditional hot beverage dispensers for reconstituting and dispensing culinary food from dehydrated material such as soup, mashed potatoes and the like. However, those machines of the prior art are not well fitted to properly deliver products of desired texture and quality from dehydrated materials that contain large particulates without risking clogging of the equipment after a limited number of dispensing cycles.
Furthermore, the powder used for making beverages in beverage dispensers, for example, is usually powder that is agglomerated. Once partly moisturized, agglomerated powder is known in the art to more freely flow than a non-agglomerated powder. However, agglomerated powder is also more costly than non-agglomerated powder as an additional step is required during the processing of the powder. Therefore, it is more expensive to use agglomerated material for reconstitution of food preparations, especially for culinary preparations. While agglomeration of powder improves powder flow, it does not necessarily prevent the device from clogging when large particulates are to be delivered.
In fact, traditional machines have proved to be completely inappropriate to deliver food preparations containing large non-dispersible or non-soluble particulates. After being hydrated, these particulates can end up with a size of up to 15-20 mm, and the machines can clog after a few cycles only. Clogging is due essentially to the formation of pieces that are larger than the discharge outlet of the mixing chamber, or due to two or more particles of equal or lesser size than the discharge outlet of the mixing chamber trying to exit the chamber simultaneously. In addition, the mixing devices of the prior art have a tendency to damage the particulates by breaking or cutting them to a smaller size that is unacceptable for preparing the desired food products. The resulting food preparation has poor texture with particulates of reduced size and it does not provide the added value that is expected by the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,927 discloses an apparatus for quickly mixing a liquid with a dry particulate food or beverage material, especially mashed potato mix with hot water, to produce a palatable serving of mashed potatoes. In this mixing machine, a centrifugally agitator rotates on a horizontal axis. The food product enters the mixing chamber in substantially horizontal flow through an inlet port of an end wall and the mixture leaves the chamber in substantially horizontal flow through an outlet port wholly spaced below the inlet port and extending down to the level of the bottom of the chamber. Centrifugal action maintains a pressure difference between the ports that assures fast movement of materials through the mixing chamber to prevent plugging of the machine by the mashed potato mix. However, this device is not designed for dispensing dehydrated material containing large particulates.
Therefore, there is a need for a mixing and delivering device capable of undertaking the preparation from dehydrated food material which contains particulates of desired size, and preferably of larger sizes, to repeatedly make, without clogging the device, final food preparations of richer, better quality and texture. The present invention now satisfies this need.
The invention relates to a mixing device of high versatility as it is able to very effectively mix and deliver food of various types from dehydrated material for serving in a cup or other container at the desired texture. The invention is particularly useful for mixing and delivering food preparations from dehydrated material containing large particulates, such as pieces of vegetable, meat, fish, seed, fruit and the like, while preserving at best the integrity of the particulates and delivering a particulate product of a higher organoleptic and nutritional value into the serving container.
In a preferred embodiment of the device, there is provided a mixing chamber for receiving at least one dehydrated component and at least one hydrating component. The dehydrated component may preferably include large particulates. At least one inlet is provided in the chamber for the dehydrated component and hydrating component to enter the chamber. The inlet may be common to the at least two components or separate inlets may separately deliver the components. An outlet is provided in the chamber that allows the mixture of the at least two components to exit the chamber. A propelling means, later called xe2x80x9cpropellerxe2x80x9d herein, is arranged in the mixing chamber to provide centrifugal forces in a main centrifugal direction. In particular, the propeller is configured in rotation about an axis of rotation to mix and propel the combination of components. The propeller is also positioned in the mixing chamber to provide a pumping action in the mixing chamber as a result of the centrifugal effect. The propeller has a limit plane of rotation corresponding to the rearmost limit in the mixing chamber where the material is submitted to the centrifugal effect. The limit plane of rotation substantially demarcates a suction part on one side and a centrifugal part of the mixing chamber on the other side of the limit plane. Therefore, all material passing forward the limit of the limit plane undergoes centrifugal forces by the propeller in the centrifugal part.
According to an essential aspect of the invention, the outlet is enlarged in its axial dimension as compared to the existing mixing device to be of at least 12.5 mm, preferably at least 15 mm. Importantly, the outlet remains positioned in the mixing chamber relative to the propeller so that at least 50% of its surface area, more preferably 65% and even more preferably 80%, is located in the centrifugal part forward of the rear rotational plane.
As a result, such an enlargement of the outlet shows a vast improvement in the dispensing of the dehydrated component with large particulates without risks clogging whereas the outlet relative position ensures that an optimal mixing action is still maintained. Therefore, in addition to the benefit of promoting the flow of large particulates by the elongated configuration of the outlet, the pumping action is sufficiently effective to provide a satisfactory level of mixing and hydration. In particular, there is no significant amount of material passing all the way through the mixing chamber to exit the outlet without having been submitted to the centrifugal force of the propeller beforehand.
It has also been found that the definition of the outlet above provides the proper residence time for the product to remain in the chamber. In other words, the product remains in the chamber long enough to allow proper dissolving and mixing, but also short enough that air does not become entrained in the mix and particulates do not get destroyed.
In a preferred embodiment, the outlet has a cross section that is elongated and oriented so that its longer axial dimension is substantially parallel to the rotational limit plane of the propeller and positioned forward this rotational plane. The elongated configuration of the outlet promotes, at the same time, a proper passage adapted for large particulates and an appropriate relative position of the outlet to ensure an effective pumping action.
In an even preferred embodiment, the outlet is positioned so that its is wholly placed forward the rotational limit plane of the propeller. As a result, it ensures that all material in transit in the mixing chamber is centrifuged by the propeller and that there is no area of the outlet capable of receiving material coming directly from an area of the chamber located upstream of the propeller.
In the preferred embodiment, the axial dimension of the outlet, or xe2x80x9clengthxe2x80x9d of the outlet, is at least equal to 0.5 times, preferably 0.75 times the size of the diameter of the circular path of the propeller. Even more preferably, the axial dimension of the outlet is at least the same size of the diameter of the circular path of the propeller. Similarly, the transverse dimension or xe2x80x9cwidthxe2x80x9d of the outlet is at least equal to 0.5 times, preferably 0.75 times the size of the projected width of the propeller. Even more preferably, the transverse dimension of the outlet is at least the same size as that of the projected width of the propeller.
The invention also relates to a method and delivering a rehydrated mixture of dehydrated food material containing particulates and a diluent. This method comprises providing dehydrated food material and a diluent in a mixing zone, providing a centrifugal mixing force to form a rehydrated mixture in the mixing zone, and delivering the rehydrated mixture through a dispensing outlet having a cross section that has an axial dimension of at least 12.5 mm by a pumping action created as a result of the centrifugal force exerted in the mixing zone so that the rehydrated mixture does not clog the mixing zone or the dispensing outlet.
Preferably, the outlet is positioned in the mixing zone relative to the propeller so that at least 50% of the outlet surface area, more preferably 65% and even more preferably 80%, is located in the centrifugal part in front (i.e., forward) of the limit plane of rotation of the propeller.
According to one advantageous aspect of the invention, the method provides a delivery of particulates of a size larger than 5 mm, even preferably larger than 10 mm, without clogging and without significant reduction of the particulates size. In particular, the method enables to deliver a rehydrated mixture from dehydrated material containing at least 5 wt. % of large particulates, even more preferably at least 8 wt. %.
The invention also relates to a dispensing device comprising means for storing a supply of a dehydrated component, means for dosing the dehydrated component from the supply, means for providing a diluent from a diluent source, a serving area, and one of the mixing devices disclosed herein.

Mixing device for reconstituting dehydrated food particles


The invention relates generally to a material handling device to perform the tasks of mixing and dispensing a mixture of materials, either simultaneously or sequentially. The material handling device may comprise an enclosure, a mixing component, a dispensing orifice, a dispensing component, and a material storage region, wherein the mixing component is positioned within the material storage region and configured to mix, stir, agitate, loosen, grind, shred, or otherwise reposition a mixture of materials within the material storage region.

Certain mixtures of materials contain solid or semi-solid media mixed with or coated in liquids, especially highly viscous liquids such as glycerin, honey, and molasses. One example of such a mixture is a preparation of smoking tobacco. For example, tobacco preparations intended for use in a "hookah" are often sticky, clumpy, and require mixing and loosening to be properly dispensed for smoking or packaging. As a result, such tobacco preparations can be messy to handle and typically settle after being stored over time. In order to achieve increased heat and mass transfer through the tobacco preparation during smoking, a user must agitate the mixture before introducing it into the hookah. Individuals desiring to use such preparations of tobacco must manually manipulate the mixture which results in materials being deposited on the user's hands or another utensil being used. Some users also desire to create a mixture by combining two or more materials, to mix two different mixtures together, or to introduce additional material(s) into a mixture. In these situations, a consistent mixture is the desirable end product, and the user must manually manipulate multiple materials, and it may be difficult or inefficient to achieve a uniform mixture with currently available tools. Other users may desire to dispense materials or mixtures of materials without having to touch the materials with their hands or a foreign object. In this situation, a user is unable to properly manipulate the materials and it may be difficult to achieve accurate or efficient dispensing. Therefore, a need exists for a device that enables a user to execute one or more of these tasks in a clean, efficient, and effective manner. Such a device should enable the controlled dispersal, storage, and/or transportation of a relatively consistent mixture of materials, including, for example, tobacco. Thus, as will be discussed in greater detail below, the present invention is generally directed to a material handling device that performs the tasks of mixing and dispensing a mixture of materials, either simultaneously or sequentially.


A method comprising providing a programmable non-volatile memory (PNVM) circuit fabricated together with a processor on an integrated circuit chip (IC) in an implantable medical device (IMD), partitioning the PNVM circuit into a plurality of portions based on how often that the processor accesses a portion, and selectively providing power or selectively restricting power to one or more of the portions according to how often that the processor accesses a portion.

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) are devices designed to be implanted into a patient. Some examples of these devices include cardiac function management (CFM) devices such as implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization devices, and devices that include a combination of such capabilities. The devices are typically used to treat patients using electrical or other therapy and to aid a physician or caregiver in patient diagnosis through internal monitoring of a patient's condition. The devices may include one or more electrodes in communication with sense amplifiers to monitor electrical heart activity within a patient, and often include one or more sensors to monitor one or more other internal patient parameters. Other examples of implantable medical devices include implantable diagnostic devices, implantable insulin pumps, devices implanted to administer drugs to a patient, or implantable devices with neural stimulation capability. IMDs often include microcontrollers or microprocessors along with memory to store information such as program instructions and data. The present inventors have recognized a need for improved performance, life, and reliability of IMDs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Implantable medical device with embedded programmable non-volatile memory


An infant incubator including: an infant chamber in which an infant is placed; an air-supply passage for supplying supply-air to the infant chamber; and a heater equipment for heating the supply-air having a mount base which is mounted in the air-supply passage and a heater which is held to the mount base rotatably, wherein the heater has: a support part provided at a base end of the heater and supported by the mount base rotatably; and a heating part provided at a top end of the heater and heating the supply-air, and the heating part is formed by winding a heating-wire into a coil-shape and disposed so that an axial direction of the coil-shape is orthogonal to a flow direction of the supply-air passing through the air-supply passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infant incubator having a function of controlling temperature environment in an infant chamber for holding an infant.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-114351, filed May 18, 2012, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related art
In order to protect and grow an infant in most appropriate environment dividing from external air, in an infant incubator, an infant chamber is ventilated by an air-conditioning equipment filtering the external air so as to absorb into the infant incubator, and air is circulated as heated by heater equipment so as to maintain temperature environment in the infant chamber. Action of the air-conditioning equipment should be quiet in order not to stress the infant.
In the infant incubator, in order to maintain the inside of the infant chamber hygienically, the heater equipment should be also maintained hygienically not only the inside of the infant chamber. Therefore, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the inside of the infant chamber and also the heater equipment. However, since the heater equipment is attached to the infant incubator, the structure in the infant incubator is complicated. Therefore, it is hard to clean and disinfect, so that there is a burden of cleaning and disinfection on an operator.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H10-165461 (hereinafter, "Patent Document 1"), unitized heater equipment (i.e., a heater assembly) is suggested so as to detach the heater equipment easily from the infant incubator. However, even though the heater equipment is unitized as disclosed in the Patent Document 1, it is necessary to clean and disinfect in a state in which the heater equipment is detached. Therefore, the burden on the operator is still big.
Consequently, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-70368 (hereinafter, "Patent Document 2"), an apparatus in which a heater formed by wounding heater wires into a coiled-state is rotatably held with respect to a bottom plate at a base-end portion thereof is suggested.


An auxiliary projectile for a firearm includes: an exhaust vessel to allow a bullet to pass through it yet capture muzzle blast, a barrel socket to slide onto the barrel of the firearm; and a ring magnet to attach to the end of the barrel. The exhaust vessel has opposed openings at each end to permit the unimpeded passage of the bullet discharged from a regular cartridge for a firearm. The opening nearest the muzzle is a muzzle-end opening and the opposite opening is an exit-end opening where the bullet exits. The barrel socket is attached to the exhaust vessel so as to surround the muzzle-end opening and project outward therefrom. The barrel socket is what slides over the muzzle end of the barrel of the firearm. The ring magnet fits within the barrel socket and is what attaches to the muzzle end of the firearm.

One of the primary drawbacks of a conventional firearm is that it wastes so much of the explosive force it created in order to propel a bullet out of the barrel with the hope of hitting a target. The majority of this precious motion force and energy is wasted by blowing it out the end of the barrel. The muzzle blast collides with the air mass and creates an ear splitting explosive noise, which can give away a soldier's position. Instead of harnessing the muzzle-blast energy and putting it to work for military and law enforcement purposes, this energy is currently wasted.
Utilization of muzzle blast energy to propel a grenade was practiced beginning in World War I. At first, this required a blank cartridge so that a bullet would not impact and blow up the barrel. Later inventions utilized a "bullet trap" or cup which caught the bullet and transferred its momentum to the grenade.
The French developed the VB grenade, shortened from its full name the "Vivien et Bessiers" shoot-through grenade. This technology also required a special cup adapter enabling its function.

SPF Associates, Trustee for Supplemental projectile for a firearm CRT Trust


A new and distinct cultivar of sweetpotato plant named ‘Charleston-163’, characterized by high anthocyanin content, high yield, with storage roots having smooth dark purple skin and medium purple flesh. When baked the storage roots have a deep violet color and a unique, sweet flavor with a dry, smooth texture. Storage roots have a long shelf life and will remain marketable up to one year in storage. The new cultivar ‘Charleston-163’ has field resistance to common soil insects and diseases and a wide adaptation for production in the southeastern United States and California.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of sweetpotato, botanically known as Ipomoea batatas, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Charleston-163'. Ipomoea batatas is a member of Convolvulaceae. Sweetpotato is the seventh largest crop worldwide and is a major food staple in many countries, mostly in the tropics and semi-tropics. The most popular type of sweetpotato in the United States is the sweet vegetable type with dark copper-rose skin and dark orange, moist flesh. These type of vegetable sweetpotatoes are sweet, syrupy, and strong in flavor. In contrast, the popular sweetpotato varieties in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean have dry white or yellow flesh, and are bland and starchy. In addition to these types, there are a few rare genotypes with purple flesh. These purple-fleshed types are high in purple pigments called anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are thought to convey many advantageous health effects, such as strong radical scavenging activity, anti-mutagenic activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial activity, ultraviolet light protection, reduction in memory impairment, reduction in high blood pressure, and a reduction in injury to the liver.
There is a great potential to use purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes, such as the 'Charleston-163' cultivar, for a number of processed products. Japanese-bred purple-fleshed sweetpotato cultivars such as 'Yamaga wamurasaki' (commercial cultivar, not patented) are utilized in a number of processed commercial products including natural food colorants, purple paste and flour to use in juices, bread, noodles, jams, confectionary, and fermented beverages. Additionally, purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes may be converted into frozen and aseptic purees for various food applications.
However, many known purple-fleshed varieties have shortcomings. Heirloom purple-fleshed varieties such as 'Okinawa Purple' (commercial cultivar, not patented), which have a tan skin and purple flesh, and Camote morado from Guatemala, do not produce sufficient yields, shape well, or perform well when field grown in the southeastern United States and California. Further, varieties such as 'Stokes Purple' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,976), a purple-skinned, purple-fleshed variety from Asia, does not typically have a uniform root shape and often presents with prominent veins.
The new sweetpotato cultivar 'Charleston-163' is a product of conventional breeding. The female parent, an heirloom cultivar Camote morado from Guatemala (plant introduction (PI) 399163), was open-pollinated by an unknown male parent from breeding line from the Applicant's Charleston sweetpotato breeding program. The stated cross was made in the fall of 2010 through bee-mediated pollination, where the Camote morado parent grew adjacent to a plant bed including hundreds of breeding lines. The seed from the cross was collected in fall of 2010 and planted in the greenhouse that winter, and then transplanted into a seedling trial during the spring of 2011. One individual seedling with purple skin and flesh was selected in fall of 2011 and was designated 'Charleston-163'. Since the Camote morado, like all sweetpotatoes, does not self pollinate, the crosses resulting in seed are considered an open pollination to any of the potential breeding lines in the plant beds. The seed was collected from the Camote morado female parent in the fall of 2010, germinated in spring of 2011, and transplanted into field beds in Colleton County, S.C. The individual seedlings were evaluated in the fall of 2011. One seedling with beautiful purple skin and purple flesh was selected and subjected to cooking and storage tests. From that time forward, 'Charleston-163' was cloned from one seedling and continued to be designated 'Charleston-163'. After multi-year field trials, it was made part of the breeding program's permanent collection.
Asexual propagation of the new sweetpotato cultivar 'Charleston-163' by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment and plant beds in Colleton County, S.C., since 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new sweetpotato cultivar are stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not been applied for. The new sweetpotato cultivar 'Charleston-163' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

Sweetpotato plant named ‘Charleston-163’


A system for watering plants including a pot having a plant therein, a line carrying a hook, a watering activation switch connected to a watering system, and a pot weighing system comprising a movable arm assembly interacting with a weight switch. The pot does not move the movable arm assembly when the plant needs to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to allow watering of the plant and the hook engages the plant watering activation switch to thereby activate the watering system to provide water to the plant. The pot moves the movable arm assembly when the plant does not need to be watered, whereby the movable arm assembly interacts with the weight switch to prevent activation of the watering system to prevent water from being provided to the plant.

Heretofore, systems have been employed for moving plants in pots in a greenhouse and for watering the plants as the pots move through a particular area of the greenhouse. An existing system includes having a plurality of hooks on a moving system, with each hook holding a pot. As each hook moves past the particular area of the greenhouse, the hooks abut a switch that activates a system for watering for watering the plants. However, each hook that passes the particular area will activate the switch, whether the plant needs water and even when there is no pot on the hook. A better and easier system for watering plants is desired.

Assembly for determining if hanging plants need to be watered


A liquid crystal display panel and a display driving method are disclosed. The liquid crystal display panel includes several pixel units, several scan lines, several common electrode lines coupled with the pixel units and several common electrode control units. The common electrode control units are configured for controlling the voltage levels of the common electrode lines. Each one of the common electrode control units generates a first output signal and a second output signal opposite to the first output signal according to the former common electrode controlling unit and two adjacent scan lines. The common electrode controlling unit controls a voltage level on one of the common electrode lines according to the first output signal, and outputs the first output signal and the opposite second output signal to the next common electrode control unit.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display technology. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a display driving method.
2. Description of Related Art
The liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors are the most common digital display device now. Reference is made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram illustrating a traditional LCD panel 100. As shown in FIG. 1, each pixel unit 120 of the traditional LCD panel 100 includes a driving switch 122, a storage CST and a pixel capacitor CLC.
In traditional driving manner, all pixel capacitors CLC are usually coupled to the same common electrode COM, and the common electrode COM provides a fixed direct-current (DC) voltage, and it is known as the DC common voltage driving. In order to achieve the pixel polarity inversion driving (dot inversion, row inversion driving, column inversion or frame inversion, etc) in the case that the common voltage is a DC constant (such as fixed at 0 Volts), the data voltage VDATA provided by the data lines D has to been changed significantly between the positive and negative voltage levels (such as +5 volts to −5 volts), such that the power-consumption is heavy and the slew rate of data charging is slow (i.e., a longer charging time).
Therefore, some other driving manners in prior art are proposed. For example, the row inversion driving method provides the common voltage with alternating polarities (e.g., switched between +5 Volts and 0 Volts) to the common electrode COM, such that the data voltage VDATA on the data line D has to been varied between 0 Volts and +5 Volts only, so as to reduce the charging time. Reference is made to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram illustrating a LCD panel 102 with row-inversion driving in prior art. As shown in FIG. 2, the voltage of the common electrode COM is switched between the positive-polarity common voltage VcomH and the negative-polarity common voltage VcomL by switching the conductive states of the first switch T1 and the second switch T2 in each row of pixel units.
The storage capacitors of pixel units on each row are respectively coupled to the common electrode lines COM1, COM2 and COM3. The storage capacitors of the pixel units 120 on the first row of the LCD panel 102 are coupled to the common electrode line COM1. The level of the common electrode line COM1 is decided by the conductive states of the first switch T1 and the second switch T2. The gate electrodes of the first switch T1 and the second switch T2 are controlled by adjacent scan lines G1 and G2.

Liquid crystal display panel and display driving method


The present invention relates to a thermal conductivity detector, comprising a sensor block having two cavities for the purpose of accommodating gases, wherein one of the cavities is open and the other cavity is sealed and in each of the cavities there is disposed a thermistor and also sealing elements for the purpose of sealing the cavities, which sealing elements comprise electric current feed through elements, which are electrically connected to the respective thermistor disposed in the respective cavity. At least the sealing element in the sealed cavity is a glass to metal feed through element, which is welded to the sensor block to form a gas-tight joint. The present invention further relates to a method for the production of the thermal conductivity detector.

Various forms of implementation of thermal conductivity detectors are known from the prior art. A prevalent form of thermal conductivity detectors is a thermal conductivity detector incorporating a Wheatstone bridge. The thermal conductivity detector comprises a stainless steel block, in which two separate cavities are formed, one of which contains a sample gas to be measured whereas the other contains a reference gas. A negative temperature coefficient resistor, that is, a thermistor, the resistance value of which varies depending on the temperature, is disposed in each of the cavities. The stainless steel block enclosing the cavities serves as heat coupling means between the two cavities and is usually kept at a constant temperature level that is below the temperature of the thermistor. The heat output, that is, the temperature of the respective negative temperature coefficient resistor or thermistor inside a cavity, depends on the heat conductivity "λ" of the respective gas located in each of the cavities. If the thermistors in the two cavities are interconnected in the manner of a Wheatstone bridge, the circuit will remain balanced as long as the composition of the gas in the reference cavity or the measuring cavity is the same or remains unchanged from the initial situation. Should the conductivity of the sample gas then change, for example, due to changes in the material composition of the gas in the measuring cavity, a change in temperature of the thermistor in the measuring cavity will occur and a voltage (bridge voltage) can be tapped between the two branches of the bridge. Variables such as gas content, gas pressure, humidity, etc., can thus be determined by means of the thermal conductivity detector. Such a thermal conductivity detector is, therefore, frequently used in lab environments, for example, in situations involving climatic cabinets, such as incubators, or gas chromatographs.
In order to maintain the measuring accuracy of the thermal conductivity detector, it is essential that the composition of the gas in the reference cavity remains constant throughout the measuring process. This may be achieved by a continuous flushing of the reference cavity with reference gas. This approach, however, is relatively complicated and expensive. An easier and less expensive approach is to hermetically seal the reference cavity after filling in the reference gas, so that there can be no exchange of gas and its composition remains unchanged. However, this is difficult to achieve in practice, since, on the one hand, a permanently gas-tight seal of the cavity is difficult to attain, especially when the thermal conductivity detector is used in a high temperature range. On the other hand, foreign substances can be released during the sealing of the cavity, or later during operation of the unit, inadvertently changing the gas composition in the cavity. Therefore, a drift is frequently observed, by means of which the readings on the thermal conductivity detector will become distorted over time.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a thermal conductivity detector which has a sealed reference cavity, is easy to manufacture, and yet functions reliably and with the least possible drift over a long period of time, even at high ambient temperatures of up to 180° C. or higher.

Thermal conductivity detector comprising a sealed cavity


A method for asset maintenance includes determining a location of an asset, receiving meteorological data corresponding to the location, determining forecasted meteorological conditions for the asset from the meteorological data, determining a forecasted probability of degradation or failure of the asset based, at least in part, on the forecasted meteorological conditions, and dispatching asset maintenance services for the asset responsive to determining that the forecasted probability of degradation or failure of the asset is above a selected threshold. The method may also include collecting sensor data corresponding to the asset, and determining the forecasted probability of degradation or failure of the asset based, at least in part, on the forecasted meteorological conditions and the sensor data. A corresponding apparatus, computer program product, and computer system are also disclosed herein.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to asset maintenance and specifically to predictive asset maintenance.
Asset degradation and failure can result in costly events such as blockage of traffic, manufacturing stoppages, and invalid financial transactions. Recovering from such events can be costly, time consuming, and result in unwanted legal liabilities.

International Business Machines Corporation


A cleaning solution selectively removes a titanium nitride layer and a non-reacting metal layer. The cleaning solution includes an acid solution and an oxidation agent with iodine. The cleaning solution also effectively removes a photoresist layer and organic materials. Moreover, the cleaning solution can be employed in tungsten gate electrode technologies that have been spotlighted because of the capability to improve device operation characteristics.

A conventional semiconductor manufacturing process includes forming an insulation layer and a conductive layer on a substrate, a photolithographic process, etc. The photolithographic process comprises forming a photoresist pattern on an underlying layer to be patterned, etching the layer exposed by the photoresist pattern, and then removing the photoresist pattern. In addition, organic materials or polymer may occur from the reaction between the underlying layer to be etched and an etching gas. Conventionally, the photoresist pattern and organic materials or the polymer are removed by an oxygen plasma ashing and a sulfuric strip process.
Operation speed of the devices has a close relationship with the resistances of the source/drain regions. Therefore, to increase the operation speed of a device, a metal silicidation process is used for forming semiconductor devices. The silicidation process comprises forming a cobalt silicide layer having resistivity lower than that of silicon from a reaction between cobalt and silicon at a predetermined temperature. In the silicidation process, non-reacting cobalt should be removed without removing the cobalt silicide layer.
Moreover, in a conventional cobalt silicidation process, a titanium nitride layer is formed so as to prevent oxidation of cobalt and agglomeration of the silicide layer in the silicidation process. Therefore, a titanium nitride layer should be removed after formation of the silicide layer.
If the layers are not removed, the layers can serve as contaminant sources and can cause electric short with neighboring conductors.
Conventionally, in the silicidation process, the non-reacting metal layers and the titanium nitride layers are removed by a mixture solution including peroxide (H2O2), i.e., a strong oxidation agent.
Meanwhile, as the semiconductor devices are highly integrated in an economic point of view, a conventional polysilicon gate electrode cannot satisfy the needs of the proper operation speed and the characteristic of a sheet resistance of the gate electrode. Therefore, a metal layer such as a tungsten layer, which has resistivity lower than a polysilicon layer, is stacked on the polysilicon gate electrode to form a metal gate electrode. Therefore, the low resistivity tungsten gate should also not be etched (or removed). In addition, a metal interconnection with tungsten (e.g., a word line or a bit line) should not be etched by the cleaning solution.
On the contrary, the peroxide, which is conventionally used in the silicidation process, etches the tungsten. Thus, the high-speed devices cannot be embodied using the conventional peroxide.
Accordingly, as the need of high-speed devices increases, the need for a new cleaning solution that can selectively remove metal layers such as a titanium nitride layer and a cobalt layer without removing metal layers such a cobalt silicide layer or a tungsten layer also increases.

Cleaning solution and method for selectively removing layer in a silicidation process


A display case for compact discs includes a plurality of album seat grooves having a slanted connecting support, an upper support, a lower hook, a lower support, and an upper hook, whereby it is easy for the customer to read and find the title of the albums displayed in the display case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display case for compact discs and more particularly, to an improved display case for displaying a plurality of compact discs therein at a slant so as to easily read the album title of discs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several types of compact disc display cases are known in the art. For example, one of such conventional display cases is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Such conventional compact disc display cases as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B comprise a plurality of album seat grooves 20 including a plurality of slant partitions 21. Each slant partition 21 is disposed between the album seat grooves 20 and has an incline of 30 degrees.
The album seat grooves 20 are provided with an upper support 21a disposed at an inner surface of the right side slant partition 21 and a lower hook 21b disposed at an inner surface of the left side slant partition 21. Also, the album seat grooves 20 are provided with an upper hook 21d disposed at an inner surface of the right side slant partition 21 and a lower support 21c disposed on a top surface of the left side slant partition 21. The lower support 21c and the upper hook 21 are both disposed in parallel within the album.


A method is provided that includes locating a barcode applied to a part of a complex system. The barcode may encode links to respective system-related resources for the part, which may include software-based systems and/or electronic documents. At one or more instances during a lifecycle of the part, then, the method may include scanning the barcode, and decoding the links from the barcode. The method may include displaying the links in a graphical user interface, and affecting navigation of at least one of the links through the graphical user interface to access a respective at least one of the system-related resources for the respective part.

In many companies that manufacture or use complex systems, electronic resources for those complex systems and their components, subsystems and parts (generally "elements" or "parts") may be spread over a number of locations, databases and the like. In the context of an aerospace company, for example, suitable resources may include documents such as engineering diagrams, technical drawings, wiring diagrams, and other suitable documents. These system-related resources are often used throughout manufacturing and service of a complex system. And the distributed manner by which resources are maintained often requires a searcher to extensively search across a number of hosts to locate desired resources for a specific complex system or part, which may be time consuming, inefficient and costly.
Moreover, system-related documents are often created to be viewed in printed form. However, such documents are commonly stored in electronic form and viewed on a display device of a data processing system. As a result, the reader looks through different documents that may be on different types of media. This type of review may be more time-consuming than desired to find information about a complex system or part.
System-related documents for a complex system such as an aircraft may contain large amounts of information regarding the complex system and its parts, and the connections and relationships among the respective parts. The complexity of the system and the large amount of information often required to describe the system may increase not only the time required to study the documents, but the difficulty in comprehending the complex system and its parts. A user may not only require the time to review documents containing large amounts of information, but may also require the time and endure the difficulty of studying the information to understand the ways in which the complex system and its parts relate to each other.
Product life cycle managers are confronted with how to manage and share large amounts of system-related documents for a complex system amongst their organization efficiently and consistently. The multiple independent systems currently used often inhibit knowledge capture and collaboration, and reduce opportunities to improve and transform product offerings. Needed are ways to access product-related design, production and maintenance information, while accommodating a business climate that is made of global teams, complex products, cross-functional processes, and expanded markets. Challenges remain to provide tools to access life cycle data and information, and facilitate easier communication amongst those working on or with a product.
Therefore, it may be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.

Barcode access to electronic resources for lifecycle tracking of complex system parts


An optical fiber disposed to partially internally reflect optical energy passing therethrough is disclosed herein. The optical fiber 10 of the present invention includes an internal partial mirror disposed to partially transmit and to partially reflect optical energy incident thereon. The internal mirror is effectively realized at an interface I of first and second fiber segments 14 and 18. The first fiber segment 14 includes a first core region 22 which circumscribes a longitudinal axis X. The first core region 22 is of a first cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X. The inventive fiber 10 further includes a second fiber segment 18 in optical communication with the first fiber segment 14. The second fiber segment 18 includes a second core region 24 which circumscribes the longitudinal axis X, wherein the second core region 24 is of a second cross-sectional area perpendicular thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical fibers. More specifically, this invention relates to optical fibers employed in fiber optic sensors and interferometers.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to a particular embodiment, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional embodiments within the scope thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Considerable progress has been made recently in the development of fiber optic sensors. This is due in part to the advantages afforded by fiber optic sensors over conventional sensors. Chief among these are increased sensitivity, faster response, geometric versatility, substantial immunity to electromagnetic interference, large bandwidth for high speed information transmission, and the capability to measure a variety of physical phenomenon (i.e. temperature, pressure, strain, rotation, and acoustic and magnetic fields). In addition, the dielectric construction of fiber optic sensors allows use in high voltage, high temperature, or corrosive environments. Finally, the electronic and opto-electronic components used to monitor the optical energy propagating through the fiber may be remotely located with respect to the sensing environment.
In conventional fiber optic sensors light guided within an optical fiber is modified in reaction to various external physical, chemical or similar influences. In operation, light from a source having relatively stable optical properties is typically coupled into the fiber of the conventional sensor. The light is then directed by the fiber to a region in which a measurement is to take place. In extrinsic sensors the guided light then may exit the fiber and interact with the substance being measured (measurand) prior to being launched into the same or a different fiber. Alternatively, in intrinsic sensors the light remains within the fiber throughout the measurement region.
In extrinsic sensors reflection losses are incurred as the guided light leaves the optical fiber and enters the measurand. In particular, these reflection losses are proportional to the difference between the indices of refraction of the fiber and the measurand. At present, the minimum index of refraction (at visible wavelengths) of optical fibers is believed to be approximately 1.4. Consequently, reflection losses are generally unavoidable when extrinsic sensors are employed to analyze material having an index of refraction (n) less than 1.4. For example, in the visible region water exhibits an index of refraction of approximately 1.33.
In another type of optical fiber sensor, generally known as an evanescent field sensor, the light guided by the fiber partially couples to the measurand via an evanescent (i.e. exponentially decaying) field which surrounds the fiber. In evanescent mode sensors, a cladding sheath surrounding the optical fiber core is made sufficiently thin such that an evanescent mode is supported by the fiber. In an evanescent mode, a portion of the optical energy carried by the fiber propagates along the length of the fiber within a region of space immediately surrounding the cladding. The measurand surrounding the fiber may either absorb or change the properties of the evanescent field, thus enabling a measurement to be performed. Employment of evanescent mode over extrinsic mode fiber sensors may be preferred in applications requiring direct interaction between the light beam and the measurand since evanescent mode requires no relaunching of the beam.
A distinction may also be made between interferometric and intensity-modulated fiber optic sensors. It is generally recognized that interferometric sensors provide improved sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and better accuracy than intensity modulated sensors. In the latter, intensity fluctuations of light propagating through a fiber disposed in the measurand are directly monitored in order to generate a detection signal. The sensor is designed such that the detection signal is indicative of changes occurring in a particular physical characteristic of the measurand.
In contrast, within interferometric sensors, light traversing two or more optical paths is coherently mixed such that an interference pattern is formed. The phase difference between light from the constituent optical paths may then be discerned by analyzing the interference pattern. In this manner interferometric sensors are designed such that a change in a physical characteristic of the measurand affects the measured phase difference, thus allowing a detection signal to be synthesized in response thereto.
In the field of interferometric fiber optic sensors, those utilizing multiple-beam interferometers are typically more accurate than those employing dual-beam devices such as the Michelson interferometer. Among multiple-beam interferometers, those identified as being of the Fabry-Perot variety are widely employed. Specifically, Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors operate to yield well-defined interference patterns by combining multiple optical reflections from within a single fiber. The fiber defines a resonant cavity which is typically bounded by a pair of partially reflective mirrors external thereto. Alternatively, an air gap may be introduced between a pair of fiber segments to serve as a surrogate for a physical partially reflective mirror. However, this latter approach results in a high sensitivity to physical perturbation and limits the maximum reflectance which may be effected.
In an attempt to overcome such difficulties a technique for developing optical fiber segments having internal partially reflective structures has recently been proposed. Specifically, in "Fiber Optic Sensor Research at Texas A&M University"; by H. F. Taylor and C. E. Lee; Proceedings of The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 1170 (Fiber Optic Smart Structures and Skins II), p. 113 (1989), a technique for fabricating internal dielectric mirrors in continuous lengths of silica fiber is disclosed. The approach involves slicing a silica fiber and coating one of the exposed ends with a thin film of titanium oxide TiO.sub.2. The coated end is then joined to an uncoated end of a similarly spliced fiber using an electric fusion splicer. In this manner, a continuous length of fiber which contains multiple internal mirrors of desired reflectance may be produced.
Unfortunately, fabrication of the optical fiber suggested by Taylor will generally need to occur within a relatively particle-free environment in order to prevent contamination of the exposed internal fiber surfaces. Moreover, the construction process is further complicated by the requirement that the component fiber segments be precisely aligned during fusion splicing.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for an improved technique for creating internal partial mirrors in optical fibers.

Optical fiber having internal partial mirrors and interferometer using same


The present invention discloses a lamp housing containing a housing base. An interior of the housing base is a holding space in a shape of a saddle, and a bottom of the holding space is a fixing portion. Two sides of the holding space, opposite to an upper side of the fixing portion, are extended into an inner wall at two sides of the holding space by proper depth, forming a latch portion on the inner walls at the two sides of the holding space. The fixing portion is used to dispose a light source module, and at least a positioning member is locked by each latch portion. The light source module is fixed on the fixing portion by the positioning member. By the present invention, flexibility of assembling LED elements can be increased and a fixing effect of the LED elements can be improved.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp housing, and more particularly to a lamp housing which is provided with an improved effect of fixing LED (light emitting diode) elements and increased flexibility of assembling the LED elements.
b) Description of the Prior Art
A light emitting diode can be used broadly in ordinary illumination, auxiliary illumination and indicative illumination. In terms of the development of the existing LEDs, the market of illumination should be one of the primary goals of application, including the LED illumination elements in a shape of a light bulb or a light tube, according to a use habit of the conventional incandescent lamps and fluorescent tubes.
Referring to FIG. 1, an ordinary LED tube is assembled from a lamp housing 10, an LED element 20 and two plugs 30, wherein the lamp housing 10 is a tubular structure formed by a long strip of housing base 11 and a long strip of diffuser 12. In principle, edges of two long sides of the diffuser 12 and the housing base 11 are provided respectively with a latch slot and a latch edge. Furthermore, an inner edge of the two long sides of the housing base 11 is provided respectively with a holding slot for latching a substrate of the LED element 20, such that the LED element 20 can be disposed inside the lamp housing 10 and electrically connected with the plugs 30 at two ends of the lamp housing 10.
However, the housing base 11 in the lamp housing 10 of the abovementioned conventional LED light tube can only provide for latching the substrate of the LED element 20 and is lack of the structure design that uses screws to lock the substrate to the housing base 11. Therefore, the applicability is relatively lower and there is a concern of not fixing the LED element 20 firmly.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, there is another kind of LED light tube which is also formed by a lamp housing 10, an LED element 20 and two plugs 30. The lamp housing 10 is a tubular structure formed by a long strip of housing base 11 and a long strip of diffuser 12. The lamp housing 10 is provided with a holding space 111 and an inner wall at two sides of the holding space 111 constitutes a first latch slot 112 respectively. A substrate 21 of the LED element 20 can be latched into the holding space 111 by the two latch slots 112 and a bottom of the holding space 111 is provided at least with a lock slot 113 which allows a screw 40 to be locked in. Therefore, the LED element 20 can be fixed in the holding space 111 of the housing base 11 by latching or locking with the screws to achieve the fixing effect. Nevertheless, it requires a tool to dismantle or lock if the screws are used for fixing.


A mounting device for supporting a printed circuit board on a carrier includes a spacing element attached onto the carrier and an electrically conducting mounting element coupled to the spacing element for forming a mechanical and electrically conducting connection between the printed circuit board and the carrier. The spacing element has a sleeve-type spacing section and a mounting section attached to the spacing sections. Preferably, the section is formed by elastic, finger-type or wing-type mounting sections that are provided for engagement in corresponding recesses of the carrier. The mounting element is preferably a screw that is screwed into the carrier when tightened.

Mounting devices or connectors are often required, for example, for mounting printed circuit boards in a housing, wherein the printed circuit boards are separated from an electrically conducting or metallic carrier. The mounting devices must be easily attached onto the carrier such that the printed circuit boards can be placed in the desired position with minimal effort and cost. In addition, the mounting devices must be designed such that reliable and easily detachable mechanical and electrical connections can be formed between the printed circuit boards and the carrier. The printed circuit boards, which are often mounted in housings offering little access to the boards, should also be installable and removable as conveniently as possible.
In view of the foregoing, a conventional mounting device having of a spacing sleeve, a screw and a nut is often inadequate in that the spacing sleeve cannot be affixed onto the carrier and thus must be held in place by hand during installation. In addition, sufficient space within a housing or enclosure is usually required in order to screw the nut in a controlled manner as required.
Conventional plastic, dowel-like mounting devices having elastic mounting wings inserted into corresponding recesses of the carrier, thereby fixing the mounting element on the carrier, are also inadequate in that electrically conducting connections cannot be made. The additional use of a screw and nut with these mounting devices is ruled out for the reasons described above.
Thus, there is a need for a printing circuit board mounting device that overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings of the conventional mounting devices.

Device for the spaced mounting of a printed circuit board on an electrically conducting carrier


A method and device for sending service data are provided in the present invention, so as to realize simplification of a precoding matrix calculation method. The method includes: a network side executing the following steps: calculating a value space matrix according to a signal channel matrix of a serving cell of a terminal; calculating a null space matrix according to an interference channel matrix of a coordinating cell of the terminal; projecting a vector of the value space matrix to a space on which a vector of the null space matrix is located to obtain a precoding matrix of the terminal; and sending the service data in the serving cell of the terminal according to the precoding matrix.

As a standard of the 4th generation communication system (4G), the International Mobile Telecomadvanced (IMT-Advanced) raises higher requirements on system performance, especially on uplink and downlink spectrum efficiency. Coordinate multi-point transmission is a technique for improving transmission coverage area, cell edge service quality and throughput, as well as system throughput, and becomes an important technique for improving the spectrum utilization rate of a system, so it draws extensive attention. The so-called coordinate multi-point transmission means that multiple base stations perform coordinated transmission to serve one or more User Equipments (UEs).
The CoMP defined by the 3GPP includes 2 scenarios, one is multi-point Coordinated Scheduling and Coordinated Beamforming (CS/CB), that is, information is scheduled through interaction between adjacent nodes so that interference between transmission signals of various cells are coordinated; another one is multi-point joint processing, that is, multiple coordinating nodes provide services for target users unitedly through shared data, Channel State Information (CSI) information, scheduling information and so on. The coordinated multi-point transmission formed by combined beams belongs to the first CoMP scenario.
In the related art, when a precoding matrix is calculated, eigen vector resolution and matrix inversion are used, and these operations, especially the eigen vector resolution, are extremely time-consuming in the implementation process.

Method and device for delivering service data


A material handling system includes storage rack configured to store one or more items. An Autonomous Mobile Unit (AMU) is configured to move within the storage rack to service the items. The storage rack includes at least one power rail to charge the AMU when within the storage rack. The AMU includes a wheel assembly with a cogwheel electrically connected to the power rail. The AMU includes a power supply electrically connected to the wheel assembly. The power supply includes a power converter electrically coupled to an Energy Storage System (ESS). The power rail includes a cog track with track teeth. The cogwheel includes cogwheel teeth intermeshed with the track teeth.

Autonomous Mobile Units ("AMUs") are currently being used in industry to move goods through warehouse systems. Typically, AMUs are electrical, using electric motors connected to wheels to traverse a warehouse environment. Batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, are often included in the AMU and are used to store power that can drive the electric motors. Batteries have power storage limitations and require regular charging. Typically the charge time is long, taking an AMU offline for a substantial amount of time. Due to the relatively long charge time, a charging area is typically located away from the workspace of the AMU so the AMU does not interfere with the operation of other portions of a larger system while the AMU charges.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.

Charging system for an autonomous mobile unit


A kneepad having a lower, substantially cylindrical portion for resting against the shinbone of a user, an upper partly spherical portion for resting against a kneecap of a user, and a retaining strap connected to lateral edges of the lower portion for extending about a leg of a user. The retaining strap is connected in the vicinity of a lower edge of the lower portion remote from the upper portion. From the side, the upper portion has the shape of an arc. The upper region of the upper portion, remote from the lower portion, is formed by folds that extend over approximately half of the arc. The upper portion also has a lower region interposed between the upper region thereof and the lower portion. This lower region has no folds and has essentially the same construction as the lower portion.

The present invention relates to a kneepad having a lower portion that substantially has the shape of part of a cylinder, with the lower portion being intended for resting against the upper part of a shinbone of a user, with the kneepad also having an upper portion that is in the shape of part of a sphere, with the upper portion being intended for resting against a kneecap of a user, and with the kneepad further having a retaining strap that is connected to lateral edges of the lower portion and in use extends about a leg of a user.
With heretofore known kneepads of this type there is the danger that the retaining strap will assume a position in the bend or hollow of the knee, either already when the kneepad is put on, or during use thereof. Such a position of the retaining strap is uncomfortable; during longer periods of use, this position of the retaining strap can even be painful.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a kneepad of the aforementioned general type that is comfortable to wear, whereby the retaining strap cannot cause pain in the bend of the knee, whereby the knee of the user is largely surrounded and protected, and whereby a lateral protection of the knee in the region of the bend thereof is also provided in order to prevent foreign objects from entering the bend of the knee.


A bar code is scanned to generate a signal which is representative of the bar code and contains a series of maxima and minima. The signal is sampled to detect the maxima and minima corresponding to the encoded information of the bar code. The detected maxima are compared with an upper threshold value while the detected minima are compared with a lower threshold value. For each detected maximum and minimum, a "0" or "1" is entered in a memory depending upon whether or not the detected maximum or minimum exceeds the corresponding threshold value. This produces an array of bits which is then decoded.

The invention relates generally to the reading codes.
More particularly, the invention relates to the reading of bar codes on photographic material.
Bar codes in the form of so-called DX codes are reproduced on the margins of photographic films and provide information about the film manufacturer and the type of film. Some manufacturers now employ an extended DX code which, in addition, contains the respective image or frame numbers in encoded form. To allow reading and decoding of the encoded information, a clock track is arranged parallel to the data track containing such information.
The European patent application 331 049 discloses an apparatus having a film guide, and a reading device on either side of the film guide. Each reading device consists of two photosensors. With these reading devices, the encoded information and the clock track can be detected separately.
However, photographic films having the same format do not always have the same width so that the positions of the clock track and the data track relative to the photosensors can change. This can result in a certain degree of superposition, and thus in reading and interpretation errors.
In an attempt to eliminate this problem, the photosensors on one side of the guide have been mounted on a movable carrier whose position is automatically adjusted to the particular film width. This solution is, however, very complicated mechanically and consequently susceptible to errors. Moreover, it requires very much room.

Method of and arrangement for reading a bar code on photographic material


A system and method for generating and displaying annotations in relation to one or more prices corresponding to trader-related or market related events are described. In one embodiment, a trader may enter an annotation to be displayed in relation to one or more price levels. Alternatively, a trader may configure a dynamic annotation to be dynamically displayed in relation to some price level(s) upon detecting a predetermined event related to one or more tradeable objects. Also, a trader may configure one or more alarms to be displayed or played in combination with the annotations.

Trading methods have evolved from a manually intensive process to a technology enabled, electronic platform. With the advent of electronic trading, a user or trader can be in a virtually direct contact with the market, from practically anywhere in the world, performing near real-time transactions, and without the need to make personal contact with a broker.
Electronic trading is generally based on a host exchange, one or more computer networks and client devices. In general, the host exchange includes one or more centralized computers to form the electronic heart. Its operations typically include order matching, maintaining order books and positions, price information, and managing and updating a database that records such information. The host exchange is also equipped with an external interface that maintains uninterrupted contact to the client devices and possibly other trading-related systems.
Using client devices, market participants or traders link to the host exchange through one or more networks. A network is a group of two or more computers or devices linked together. There are many types of wired and wireless networks such as local area networks and wide area networks. Networks can also be characterized by topology, protocol, and architecture. For example, some market participants may link to the host through a direct connection such as a T1 or ISDN. Some participants may link to the host exchange through direct connections and through other common network components such as high-speed servers, routers, and gateways. The Internet, a well-known collection of networks and gateways, can be used to establish a connection between the client device and the host exchange. There are many different types of networks and combinations of network types known in the art that can link traders to the host exchange.
Regardless of the way in which a connection is established, software running on the client devices allows market participants to log onto one or more exchanges and participate in at least one market. A client device is a computer such as a personal computer, laptop computer, hand-held computer, and so forth that has network access. In general, client devices run software that creates specialized interactive trading screens. Trading screens enable market participants to obtain market quotes, monitor positions, and submit orders to the host.
Generally, when an order is submitted to a host exchange, the host checks the conditions associated with the order, for example price and quantity, and prioritizes the order with other orders of the same price. When the order conditions are satisfied in the market, a trade occurs and trade information is then relayed in some fashion to one or more client devices. In fact, the host exchanges typically publish a data feed to the client devices so that the traders can have access to the most current market information.
Market information commonly includes information regarding the inside market and market depth. The inside market is the lowest sell price in the market and the highest buy price in the market at a particular point in time. Market depth refers to quantities available at the inside market and may also refer to quantities available at other prices away from the inside market. The quantity available at a given price level is usually provided by the host exchange in aggregate sums. In other words, a host exchange usually provides the total buy or the total sell quantity available in the market at a particular price level in its data feed. The extent of the market depth available to a trader usually depends on the host exchange. For instance, some host exchanges provide market depth for all or many price levels, while some provide only quantities associated with the inside market, and others may provide no market depth at all. Additionally, host exchanges can offer other types of market information such as the last traded price (LTP), the last traded quantity (LTQ), and order fill information.
The success of a trader who trades in a competitive electronic trading environment depends on many factors. One of the most important factors is how fast a trader can make a trade. Another important factor is the ability of a trader to predict market trends and develop his/her trading strategies. Some traders keep journals to document their trading activities and/or market trends during a particular trading day or a number of trading days to observe market trends. Using such a journal and assuming that the information in the journal is kept up to date, a trader may view past market trends and his/her own performance hoping to predict future market trends and to avoid previous negative trading strategies. However, it might be difficult for a trader to view his notes related to important market events from one or more previous trading days while concentrating on trading in a volatile market, for example.
Thus, it is still desirable for electronic trading applications to offer tools that can assist a trader in trading in an electronic trading environment, help making profitable trades in a speedy and accurate manner, while allowing the trader to conveniently record and view any desirable information.

System and method for price-based annotations in an electronic trading environment