A vehicular air-conditioning apparatus includes a hot-water heater and an electric heater provided downstream of the hot-water heater. The apparatus also includes a bypass passage for allowing air-conditioning air flowing past the hot-water heater to bypass the electric heater and a bypass door provided in the bypass passage for opening and closing the bypass passage.

An example air-conditioning apparatus of this type is disclosed in JP-U-3-64108A, for example. The disclosed air-conditioning apparatus includes an air intake box having a door capable of pivotal movement to allow selective entry of inside or outside air, a duct in air communication with the box, a blower disposed between the box and the duct, a hot-water heater housed in the duct and designed to use engine-cooling water as a heat source, and a manual switch designed to be manually operated by a passenger in a passenger compartment to adjust a temperature of the compartment.
At a downstream end of the duct, there are formed discharge ports for discharging air from the duct while an electric heater is disposed adjacent to and downstream of the hot-water heater. The electric heater is located upstream of the downstream end of the duct and is supplied with electrical power from a source of electrical power. Disposed downstream of the electric heater is a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of air passing through the electric heater.
The air-conditioning apparatus further includes a control unit for controlling the source of electrical power to supply electrical power to the electric heater when the following three conditions are satisfied: (1) a temperature of the air detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a temperature of the air obtained as the cooling water rises in temperature; (2) the fan is driven; and (3) the manual switch is adjusted to provide a maximum temperature of the passenger compartment.
In order that the air-conditioning apparatus provides an improved heating performance immediately after the engine is started, the electric heater keeps operating until the temperature of the cooling water reaches a predetermined temperature after the engine is started.
For the air-conditioning apparatus, however, defogging operation is less efficiently performed on a fogged window because a large amount of heated air to remove fog from the window can not be supplied to the window due to the presence of the electric heater acting as a resistance to a flow of the heated air flowing past the hot-water heater. Thus, the air-conditioning apparatus needs to be improved to provide a sufficient defogging performance as well as a heating performance.


An optically readable tag and methods and systems for decoding the optically readable tag are disclosed. The optically readable tag comprises: a border region having an indicative shape; and an encoding region, defined by the border region, the encoding region comprising a plurality of encoding shape objects, wherein data is encoded by relative sizes of the encoding shape objects.

Optically readable tags are markers containing specific patterns or geometric primitives that can be detected and read by an optical sensor such as a camera. One application of optically readable tags is to allow the identification of items in scenarios such as warehouses, for example, in an electronic commerce fulfillment center, or in archives such as a library. Optically readable tags allow items such as boxes, packages, books or shelves to be quickly identified in an automated manner.
In recent years, the above scenarios are increasing becoming automated, with robotic pickers automatically fulfilling electronic commerce orders. Therefore, there is increasing demand for optically readable tag systems.
Examples of existing two-dimensional visual marker systems include Barcodes, which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,994, PDF417 type, stacked linear barcodes which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,655, Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) by Denso Wave which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,435, High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) by Microsoft, DataMatrix, Aztec Code, and MaxiCode. These markers are mainly intended to carry as much information as possible. However, they can be decoded only at a close distance and are ill-suited for long distance decoding. Here, close distance means a distance of <20 cm. To scan through each and every item utilising such codes is a tedious and time-consuming process.
In scenarios such as electronic commerce fulfillment and inventory management, for example in a library, there is a demand for markers that can be read at variable distances, for example from 20 cm to 150 cm. There is also a requirement for a marker system that can be read from a range of distances and camera orientations. Many of the marker systems discussed above are only readable within a short distance and with specific camera orientations relative to the marker.

Optically readable tags and methods and systems for decoding an optically readable tag


The present system relates to a GNSS receiver that includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive a temperature signal from a temperature sensor indicating an operating temperature of an resonator. The processor is also configured to compute a frequency and a frequency correction data of the resonator based on the temperature and a frequency model of the resonator. The processor then transmits the frequency correction data to an RF receiver which utilizes the frequency correction data and the resonator to receive and RF signal.

Conventional mobile devices (e.g., a mobile phone) may include a GNSS receiver and an RF receiver (e.g., a cellular modem). In general, the mobile phone may include a voltage controlled temperature compensated crystal oscillator (VCTCXO) that is used by the cellular modem to receive cellular signals and temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) that is utilized by the GNSS receiver to receive satellite signals. These conventional systems, generally suffer, from an increase in cost and size due to having two separate expensive temperature compensated oscillators for the GNSS receiver and cellular modem.


A collaborative electronic presentation application is disclosed allowing real-time editing of an electronic presentation. The electronic presentation is made up of a plurality of scenes, each having one or more meeting objects or pods that display various information to participating users. Some of the participating users may have presentation rights while other users may have only viewing rights. Presenters may request to edit or prepare one of the scenes that is not currently active within the electronic presentation. When requested, the preparing presenter is shown the requested scene while each of the other meeting participants remain viewing the currently active scene. The preparing presenter may then edit the selected scene or even create a new scene to add to the presentation while the electronic presentation is in progress.

The first Internet was a communications system funded and built by researchers for military use. This Internet, originally known as ARPANET, was embraced by the research and academic communities as a mechanism for scientists to share and collaborate with other scientists. This collaborative network quickly evolved into the information superhighway of commerce and communication. The Internet explosion was due, in part, to the development of the World Wide Web (WWW) and graphically-based Web browsers, which facilitated a more graphically-oriented, multimedia system that uses the infrastructure of the Internet to provide information in a graphical, visual, and interactive manner that appeals to a wider audience of consumers seeking instant gratification.
As the technology underlying transmission bandwidth has grown in conjunction with the accessibility to such increasing transmission bandwidth, a new paradigm for the old idea of Internet collaboration is emerging that takes advantage of the modern graphical, visual world. This new paradigm is also driven by the advance in real-time or time-sensitive data transmission technology, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and the like. Non-Internet videoconferencing, which has generally never been able to completely supplant teleconferencing as a viable means for reliable communications, is slowly fading away in favor of Internet-driven technology, such as collaborative electronic meetings. Services, such as WEBEX COMMUNICATIONS, INC.'S, WEBEX™ electronic meeting or collaboration services offer the ability for users to connect, at least initially, across the Internet to share voice, video, and data in real time for meetings, presentations, training, or the like.
In such collaborative meeting environments, a virtual meeting room typically is made up of several meeting objects which are generally containers for presentation information, such as slides, video, audio, documents, computer applications, and the like, that are themselves contained within the container of the meeting room. These meeting objects are typically placed into a static arrangement on the actual electronic meeting interface. Therefore, chat objects may be set on the bottom right of each meeting interface screen, while slide or other main presentation objects are set on the left half of each meeting interface screen. Meeting presenters usually enter the electronic meeting room shortly before the meeting to prepare the various objects with data, such as slides, animation, data, or the like. Once the meeting begins, each of the meeting participants, both presenters and viewers, see the static meeting interface with the presenters information loaded thereon. In some versions of current electronic meeting applications, a presenter may be able to layer different presentation or meeting objects that may be uncovered or hidden by selecting tabs. However, from meeting to meeting, the arrangement of the various meeting objects will be the same or similar.
Moreover, difficulties arise when an electronic meeting is planned with multiple presenters. Once the meeting begins, each participant views the same electronic meeting interface. A presenter who is waiting to begin his or her portion of the meeting will not be able to access his or her material on the electronic meeting application. The meeting interface remains locked until the meeting is over. The only way for such a preparing presenter to review his or her content after the meeting starts is to have a duplicate copy saved on a local computer. However, because the meeting application typically combines the individual pieces of data for the presenter, the preparing presenter's review will usually appear different from what will actually be viewed when his or her presentation is to begin.

Dynamically adaptable collaborative electronic meeting space


Disclosed are human VEGF-2 polypeptides, biologically active, diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, analogs, or derivatives thereof, and DNA(RNA) encoding such VEGF-2 polypeptides. Also provided are procedures for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques and antibodies and antagonists against such polypeptides. Such polypeptides and polynucleotides may be used therapeutically for stimulating wound healing and for vascular tissue repair. Also provided are methods of using the antibodies and antagonists to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and thus tumor growth, inflammation, diabetic retinopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.

The present invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides, as well as the production of such polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides of the present invention have been identified as members of the vascular endothelial growth factor family. More particularly, the polypeptides of the present invention are human vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGF-2). The invention also relates to inhibiting the action of such polypeptides.
The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is essential for embryonic development, subsequent growth, and tissue repair. Angiogenesis is also an essential part of certain pathological conditions, such as neoplasia (i.e., tumors and gliomas). Abnormal angiogenesis is associated with other diseases such as inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetic retinopathy (Folkman, J. and Klagsbrun, M., Science 235:442-447(1987)).
Both acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor molecules are mitogens for endothelial cells and other cell types. Angiotropin and angiogenin can induce angiogenesis, although their functions are unclear (Folkman, J., Cancer Medicine, Lea and Febiger Press, pp. 153-170 (1993)). A highly selective mitogen for vascular endothelial cells is vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF (Ferrara, N. et al., Endocr. Rev. 13:19-32 (1992)), which is also known as vascular permeability factor (VPF).
Vascular endothelial growth factor is a secreted angiogenic mitogen whose target cell specificity appears to be restricted to vascular endothelial cells. The murine VEGF gene has been characterized and its expression pattern in embryogenesis has been analyzed. A persistent expression of VEGF was observed in epithelial cells adjacent to fenestrated endothelium, e.g., in choroid plexus and kidney glomeruli. The data was consistent with a role of VEGF as a multifunctional regulator of endothelial cell growth and differentiation (Breier, G. et al., Development 114:521-532 (1992)).
VEGF shares sequence homology with human platelet-derived growth factors, PDGFa and PDGFb (Leung, D. W., et al, Science 246:1306-1309, (1989)). The extent of homology is about 21% and 23%, respectively. Eight cysteine residues contributing to disulfide-bond formation are strictly conserved in these proteins. Although they are similar, there are specific differences between VEGF and PDGF. While PDGF is a major growth factor for connective tissue, VEGF is highly specific for endothelial cells. Alternatively spliced mRNAs have been identified for both VEGF, PLGF, and PDGF and these different splicing products differ in biological activity and in receptor-binding, specificity. VEGF and PDGF function as homo-dimers or hetero-dimers and bind to receptors which elicit intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity following receptor dimerization.
VEGF has four different forms of 121, 165, 189 and 206 amino acids due to alternative splicing. VEGF121 and VEGF165 are soluble and are capable of promoting angiogenesis, whereas VEGF189 and VEGF-206 are bound to heparin containing proteoglycans in the cell surface. The temporal and spatial expression of VEGF has been correlated with physiological proliferation of the blood vessels (Gajdusek, C. M., and Carbon, S. J., Cell Physiol. 139:570-579 (1989); McNeil, P. L., et al., J. Cell Biol. 109:811-822 (1989)). Its high affinity binding sites are localized only on endothelial cells in tissue sections (Jakeman, L. B., et al., Clin. Invest. 89:244-253 (1989)). The factor can be isolated from pituitary cells and several tumor cell lines, and has been implicated in some human gliomas (Plate, K. H., Nature 359:845-848 (1992)). Interestingly, expression of VEGF121 or VEGF165 confers on Chinese hamster ovary cells the ability to form tumors in nude mice (Ferrara, N. et al., J. Clin. Invest. 91:160-170 (1993)). The inhibition of VEGF function by anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies was shown to inhibit tumor growth in immune-deficient mice (Kim, K. J., Nature 362:841-844 (1993)). Further, a dominant-negative mutant of the VEGF receptor has been shown to inhibit growth of glioblastomas in mice.
Vascular permeability factor (VPF) has also been found to be responsible for persistent microvascular hyperpermeability to plasma proteins even after the cessation of injury, which is a characteristic feature of normal wound healing. This suggests that VPF is an important factor in wound healing,. Brown, L. F. et al., J. Exp. Med. 176:1375-1379 (1992).
The expression of VEGF is high in vascularized tissues, (e.g., lung, heart, placenta and solid tumors) and correlates with angiogenesis both temporally and spatially. VEGF has also been shown to induce angiogenesis in vivo. Since angiogenesis is essential for the repair of normal tissues, especially vascular tissues, VEGF has been proposed for use in promoting vascular tissue repair (e.g., in atherosclerosis).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,492, issued Dec. 17, 1991 to Chen et al., discloses a method for synergistically enhancing endothelial cell growth in an appropriate environment which comprises adding to the environment, VEGF, effectors and serum-derived factor. Also, vascular endothelial cell growth factor C sub-unit DNA has been prepared by polymerase chain reaction techniques. The DNA encodes a protein that may exist as either a heterodimer or homodimer. The protein is a mammalian vascular endothelial cell mitogen and, as such, is useful for the promotion of vascular development and repair, as disclosed in European Patent Application No. 92302750.2, published Sep. 30, 1992.
The polypeptides of the present invention have been putatively identified as a novel vascular endothelial growth factor based on amino acid sequence homology to human VEGF.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there are provided novel mature polypeptides, as well as biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, analogs, and derivatives thereof. The polypeptides of the present invention are of human origin.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising polynucleotides encoding full length or truncated VEGF-2 polypeptides having the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS:2 or 4, respectively, or the amino acid sequences encoded by the cDNA clones deposited in bacterial hosts as ATCC Deposit Number 97149 on May 12, 1995 or ATCC Deposit Number 75698 on Mar. 4, 1994.
The present invention also relates to biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, analogs, and derivatives of VEGF-2.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there are provided processes for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques comprising culturing recombinant prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic host cells, containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the present invention, under conditions promoting expression of said proteins and subsequent recovery of said proteins.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided processes for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides for therapeutic purposes, for example, to stimulate angiogenesis, wound-healing, growth of damaged bone and tissue, and to promote vascular tissue repair. In particular, there are provided processes for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, for treatment of peripheral artery disease, such as critical limb ischemia and coronary disease.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there are provided antibodies against such polypeptides and processes for producing such polypeptides.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there are provided antagonists to such polypeptides, which may be used to inhibit the action of such polypeptides, for example, to prevent tumor angiogenesis and thus inhibit the growth of tumors, to treat diabetic retinopathy, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided nucleic acid probes comprising nucleic acid molecules of sufficient length to specifically hybridize to nucleic acid sequences of the present invention.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided methods of diagnosing diseases or a susceptibility to diseases related to mutations in nucleic acid sequences of the present invention and proteins encoded by such nucleic acid sequences.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, for in vitro purposes related to scientific research, synthesis of DNA and manufacture of DNA vectors.
These and other aspects of the present invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.

Vascular endothelial growth factor 2 proteins and compositions


A card reader may include a card insertion part which is formed with an insertion port for the card; and a conveying passage for the card which is connected with the insertion port. The card insertion part may include a shutter member disposed on a rear side with respect to the insertion port is movable between a closed position an open position; and a protruding member which is attached to the shutter member and is protruded from the shutter member to an insertion port side. An insertion port side of the protruding member may be formed with a card abutting face. A distance between the insertion port and the card abutting face in a conveying direction of the card may be set to be shorter than a width in the short widthwise direction of the card.

Conventionally, a magnetic head moving type magnetic stripe reading/writing device has been known in which reading of magnetic data from a magnetic stripe formed on a magnetic medium and writing of magnetic data to the magnetic stripe are performed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). In a magnetic medium which is to be processed in the magnetic stripe reading/writing device described in Patent Literature 1, a magnetic stripe is formed in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the magnetic medium. The magnetic stripe reading/writing device includes a slide mechanism, which moves the magnetic head in a direction where the magnetic stripe is formed, and conveying rollers for conveying the magnetic medium in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the magnetic head.
Further, conventionally, a card reader has been known which performs reading of magnetic data recorded on a card and writing of magnetic data to a card (for example, see Patent Literature 2). The card reader described in Patent Literature 2 includes a card processing part having a card conveying mechanism and a magnetic head, and a card insertion part which is formed with an insertion port for a card. A card conveying passage where a card is conveyed is formed on a rear side relative to the insertion port. The card insertion part includes a card insertion detection mechanism for detecting whether a card has been inserted into the insertion port or not and a shutter member for opening or closing the card conveying passage. The shutter member is capable of closing the card conveying passage over the entire region of the card conveying passage in a widthwise direction of the card conveying passage. Further, the card insertion part includes a pre-head (magnetic head) for detecting whether magnetic data are recorded on a card or not and a metal sensor for detecting whether an IC chip is built in the card or not.
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, a card insertion detection mechanism, a pre-head and a metal sensor are disposed between the insertion port and the shutter member in a conveying direction of a card. In the card reader, the shutter member has closed the card conveying passage in a standby state before a card is inserted. Further, in the card reader, when it is detected that a normal card has been inserted into the insertion port based on detected results of the card inserting detection mechanism, the pre-head and the metal sensor, the shutter member opens the card conveying passage.
A shape of a card having a magnetic stripe is specified in the international standard and JIS standard and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape whose four corners are rounded. Further, the magnetic stripe is formed in a strip shape which is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the card formed in a substantially rectangular shape. A card with a magnetic stripe in conformity with the international standard or JIS standard is processed in the card reader described in Patent Literature 2 and the card is conveyed in its longitudinal direction.
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, for example, when a card is forcibly inserted into an insertion port at an unexpected speed, even if a normal card is inserted into the insertion port, there may be a case that the shutter member does not open the card conveying passage because the card insertion detection mechanism, the pre-head and the metal sensor do not detect appropriately. In this case, a rear end of the card inserted from the insertion port is abutted with the shutter member and thus, in this state, if a user cannot hold a front end side of the card abutted with the shutter member, it is required that the system on which the card reader is mounted is stopped for performing taking-out processing of the card. In order to prevent such a problem, in the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, a distance between the insertion port and the shutter member in the conveying direction of a card is set so that a front end side of the card whose rear end is abutted with the shutter member is protruded from the insertion port so as to be capable of being held by a user.


A turbine bucket may generally include an airfoil formed from a metal-based material. The airfoil may include a base and a tip disposed opposite the base. The airfoil may also include a pressure side wall and a suction side wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Additionally, the turbine bucket may include a tip cap disposed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall. The tip cap may be formed from a ceramic matrix composite material.

In a gas turbine, air is pressurized by a compressor and then mixed with fuel and ignited within an annular array of combustors to generate hot gases of combustion. The hot gases flow from each combustor through a transition piece for flow along an annular hot gas path. Turbine stages are typically disposed along the hot gas path such that the hot gases flow through first-stage nozzles and buckets and through the nozzles and buckets of follow-on turbine stages. The turbine buckets may be secured to a plurality of rotor disks comprising the turbine rotor, with each rotor disk being mounted to the rotor shaft for rotation therewith.
A turbine bucket generally includes an airfoil extending radially outwardly from a substantially planar platform and a shank portion extending radially inwardly from the platform for securing the bucket to one of the rotor disks. Additionally, many turbine buckets include a separate tip cap attached to the airfoil for sealing the airfoil tip. Currently, tip caps for turbine buckets are formed from metal-based materials, such as nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys. However, due to the extreme operating temperatures within a gas turbine, such metal-based tip caps must be continuously cooled to survive exposure to the hot gases combustion flowing over and/or around the airfoil tip. Accordingly, a portion of the working fluid of the gas turbine must be utilized to cool the tip cap, thereby decreasing the overall efficiency of the gas turbine. Moreover, metal-based tip caps are typically relatively heavy due to the high densities of metal-based material. As a result, these tip caps typically generate a significant load at the tip of the airfoil during operation, thereby increasing the stress acting on the turbine bucket.
Accordingly, a tip cap formed from a material with high temperature capabilities and/or low densities would be welcomed in the technology.

Ceramic-based tip cap for a turbine bucket


The object of this invention is to provide a non-calcined clay composite used as building materials capable of promoting humans' health and being desirably used irrespective of location, which is improved in terms of strength without calcining clay. Because the non-calcined clay composite is produced without calcining clay, the process of producing it is simplified and its productivity is improved. The non-calcined clay composite includes 50 to 90 wt % clay, 2 to 30 wt % lime, 4 to 48 wt % blast furnace slag, 0.04 to 0.9 wt % alkaline chemical, and water as a balance, and has high compression strength due to an ionic coagulation reaction, a pozzolan reaction, and a latent hydraulic reaction.

As well known to those skilled in the art, mortar, "cement mortar", consists of cement kneaded with water, and is often used as finishing materials of walls, floors, and ceilings. Furthermore, mortar is a relatively low-priced material, has desirable strength, fire resistance, water resistance, and durability, and is easily handled. Hence, mortar is being widely applied in various construction applications. Additionally, mortar is used to settle a masonry structure and as a plaster joint or plastering material. Thus, it must be used while its amount is controlled in a surface finishing process unlike concrete.
However, such mortar having excellent physical properties and frequently used as building materials, particularly, interior materials emits harmful substances capable of injuring dweller's health. Hence, in accordance with the recent trend of an increased interest in health, a study is being conducted to develop a composite capable of replacing such mortar, and for example, a study to replace mortar with clay becomes a prominent figure.
The clay consists of fine earth particles with a diameter of 0.004 mm or smaller, and is an aggregation including natural granules having plasticity when it absorbs moisture and having strength when dry. Additionally, the clay is apt to be sintered when being calcined at a predetermined temperature, and has a multi-layered honeycomb structure with large surface area. Further, far infrared rays are absorbed and stored in the pores of the honeycomb structure having a similar shape to a sponge, and when being heated, the clay emits the far infrared rays to stimulate molecular movement of a subjective material. Furthermore, a tea spoon of clay particles contains about two hundred million microorganisms, causing various enzyme reactions.
As described above, the clay emits far infrared rays contributing to activating physiological functions of cells and having a photoelectric effect which removes harmful substances from the cells using heat energy.
The clay has been typically used as building materials for walls or floors of buildings, finishing materials of interior and exterior parts of the buildings, and materials of tiled roofs. However, the clay has poor strength, water resistance, water tightness, and durability, thus being limitedly used as fireproof materials or calcined clay after being calcined. In other words, the clay is calcined to produce ceramic products with a desirable strength, and the ceramic products are used as the building materials and ceramic materials.
In the process of calcining the clay, a structure of the clay is melted by heat (traditionally, 1000° C. or higher) and converted into a hard glassy material, thereby preventing the clay from softening and allowing the clay to have predetermined strength. However, the process of calcining the clay is disadvantageous in that calcining the clay requires a high temperature which requires a lot of energy. Thus, there is the emitting of harmful pollutants due to the combustion of fuels which causes serious environmental pollution.
Additionally, when the clay is calcined so as to obtain a clay composite with desirable strength, the process of producing the clay composite is complicated, and the production time and cost of the clay composite are undesirably increased.

Non-heating clay composites for building materials


There is disclosed a process for producing bisphenol A by subjecting phenol and acetone to condensation reaction in the presence of a catalyst composed of an acid type ion exchange resin which is modified in part with a sulfur-containing amine compound, wherein the ion exchange resin having a modification rate of 10 to less than 20 mol % is used for a methanol concentration in acetone of lower than 250 ppm by weight, and the ion exchange resin having a modification rate of 20 to 65 mol % is used for a methanol concentration in acetone of 250 to 8000 ppm by weight. The above process is capable of producing bisphenol A at high conversion and selectivity by suppressing deterioration of catalytic activity due to methanol as an impurity in acetone.

It is well-known that bisphenol A is an important compound as a starting raw material for epoxy resin or an engineering plastic such as polycarbonate resin and polyarylene resin, and accordingly it tends to increasingly expand its demand year by year.
Bisphenol A is produced by the condensation reaction of excess phenol with acetone in the presence of an acidic catalyst and as the case may be, a sulfur compound as a cocatalyst.
There has heretofore been employed an inorganic mineral acid such as sulfuric acid and hydrogen chloride as an acid catalyst to be used in the reaction. In recent years, however, attention has been paid to cationic exchange resins (refer to UK Patent GB 842209, 849565 and 883391), which have been brought into industrial applications.
On the other hand, it is known that useful sulfur compounds to be used as a cocatalyst include alkyl mercaptans with or without a substituent group such as methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan and thioglycol acid ( refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,359,242 and 2,775,620). The mercaptans have a function of increasing the rate of reaction and at the same time, enhancing the selectivity. For instance, in the production of bisphenol A, there are formed as a reaction by-product, 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propane (o, p′-isomers) as a principal component and in addition thereto, trisphenol and polyphenol. In particular, bisphenol A, when being employed as a starting raw material for polycarbonate resin or polyarylene, is required to be minimized in contents of the above-mentioned by-products, highly pure and free from coloration. As such, the mercaptans are employed to increase the rate of reaction, suppress the formation of the by-products, and enhance the selectivity.
However, the mercaptans cause corrosion of equipment and involve environmental and sanitary problems such as odor. In recent years therefore, use is made as a catalyst, of a variety of acid type modified ion exchange resins in which a sulfur-containing group is introduced in part of its sulfonic acid group in place of the combinational use of the aforesaid cation exchange resin and mercaptans.
There is known as one of the aforesaid acid type modified ion exchange resin, an acid type ion exchange resin which is modified in part with a sulfur-containing amine compound. In the case however, where bisphenol A is produced by the condensation reaction of phenol and acetone in the presence of a catalyst composed of the foregoing acid type ion exchange resin which is modified in part with a sulfur-containing amine compound, there is brought about a problem in that the activity of the catalyst is deteriorated by methanol as an impurity in acetone. In order to solve the aforesaid problem, there is proposed a method for suppressing the deterioration of the catalyst by allowing a small amount of water to be present in the starting raw material for reaction (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 172241/1994 (Heisei 6), 175898/1998 (Heisei 10), 251179/1998 (Heisei 10) and 251180/1998 (Heisei 10). Nevertheless, the foregoing method can not be said to be always satisfactory, since the deterioration of the catalyst is newly brought about by water, thus making it impossible to sufficiently exert the effect on suppressing the deterioration of the catalyst.
On the other hand, there is proposed a method for decreasing the content of the compound as impurities in the starting raw material to less than 0.1% by weight by subjecting the starting raw material for reaction to refining treatment, said compound being represented by the formula: R—X, wherein R is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group or a cycloalkenyl group, and X is OH, a halogen atom, a carboxylate group, a sulfate group or a sulfonate group. Nevertheless, the method just mentioned can not be said to be always satisfactory, since it is obliged to subject phenol and acetone as the starting raw materials to refining treatment, thereby increasing the refining steps thereof.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A liquid or semi-solid matrix or magma or paste which is non-newtonian, thixotropic and pseudoplastic and composed of one or more controlled release agent, and/or one or more clays such as bentonite and/or one or more fillers in a non aqueous vehicle, and optionally materials selected from disintegrants, humectants, surfactants and stabilizers. The composition and physicochemical properties makes it harder or prevents dose dumping of narcotic analgesics in the presence of alcohol and harder to abuse opiod agonists or narcotic analgesics and discourages drug abuse via crushing, milling or grinding the dosage form to powder or heating the dosage form to vapour and snorting or inhalation by the nasal route or dissolving to abuse via the parenteral route.

Oral opioid formulations are not only being abused by the parenteral route, but also via the nasal route when the abuser snorts the crushed dosage form and via the oral route when the abuser orally administers the crushed dosage form in order to obtain instantaneous access to all the drug in the dosage form.
Another route of abuse which has become of serious concern is snorting of fine powder obtained from crushed opioid dosage form or the oral ingestion of finely crushed extended release oral dosage form in order to instantaneously obtain the benefit of the total opioid present in the slow release dosage form.
Another phenomenon that has become of concern regarding the use of extended release opioid analgesics is the discovery that they dose dump in the presence of alcohol and release all their content at once.
Applicants are of the opinion that the prior art neither teaches nor suggests that compositions of the instant invention can be effectively employed to overcome the problem of abuse of opioid agonist or abuse-able substances.
Applicants are also of the opinion that the prior art neither teaches nor suggests that compositions of the instant invention can be effectively employed to overcome the problem of dose dumping of opioid agonist or abuse-able substances in the presence of alcohol.
Drug abuse has almost become a way of life to a rapidly growing segment of the world population, especially in the United States and Canada. It has become the vogue of many of the younger generation to experiment with any type of drug that will produce an emotional, psychological, euphoric, depressive or generally psychedelic experience.
Those drugs most commonly employed for such illicit purposes include the barbiturates, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, marijuana (tetrahydrocannabinol), strong analgetics (heroin, codeine, morphine, meperidine, propoxyphene [Darvon], methadone, dihydrocodeinone, pentazocine, hydromorphine and the like), the central nervous system stimulants (the amphetamines and the like) and some of the major and minor tranquilizers (the promazines, meprobamate, the diazepines, and the like). Most of these compounds are commonly used in medicine for the legitimate treatment of various conditions and therefore have a limited availability in our society. While these agents are a necessary part of modern medicine, it would be highly desirable (1) to produce new drugs that do not possess drug abuse potential or (2) to "denature" the old agents to prevent their illicit use. The pharmaceutical industry has been striving to achieve the first goal for many years but most regrettably has only achieved very moderate success. If one focuses on the strong analgesics, it becomes apparent that much effort and money has been expended to produce chemicals possessing good analgesic activity but little or no addictive liability. While good progress has been made as evidenced, for example, by the development of propoxyphene as a replacement for codeine and pentazocine as a replacement for morphine or meperidine, it is unfortunate that these compounds are still reported in the medical literature to be addictive and/or euphoric and subjected to abuse by crushing and dissolving and heating/evaporation of the drug composition to enable immediate access to the drug by swallowing, inhalation, snorting, "shooting" or parenteral administration. Furthermore, some of these agents have undesirable side effects, i.e., bad hallucinations, etc.
It is commonly known to the narcotic enforcement agencies and others in the medical trades that a substantial amount of the strong analgesics destined for legitimate medicinal use are diverted to illicit use through dishonest or careless handling. In many instances, these drugs are obtained by the addict or potential addict by theft or casual prescribing practice by the physician.
It is known from experience that the true narcotic addict must feed his habit by the crushing and/or dissolving and heating and/or evaporation of the drug composition to enable immediate access to the drug by swallowing, inhalation, snorting, "shooting" or parenteral route (mainlining) to obtain the maximum euphoric effect. The potential addict or thrill-seeker will also experiment in the same manner. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of the legitimate strong analgesics formulated in oral dosage form are diverted to illicit parenteral use, i.e., the type of abuse with which this invention is concerned. Since the oral dosage forms of these drugs diverted from legitimate channels must be easily crushed, dissolved and heated/evaporated in order to get a form in which it can be administered to produce the desired euphoria, it follows that if these oral dosage forms are in some way rendered difficult or impossible to crush, dissolve, heated/evaporate or extract and made unpleasant for abuse via swallowing, snorting, inhalation and "shooting" or parenteral use the addict or potential addict will be cut off from this particular supply of euphoric drugs. Obviously, oral activity must be retained if a useful medicament is to be provided.
Many interchangeable terms are commonly used to describe the psychic or physical dependence of people upon drugs. The term addiction is most commonly used when talking about the strong analgesics or opioid agonist or abuse-able substances. The strong analgesics or opioid agonist or abuse-able substances, in contrast to the weaker agents such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and the like, are employed in the relief of more severe pain. They usually produce a euphoric effect when crushed and swallowed, snorted and "shoot" parenterally. When taken as oral controlled release composition there is usually no significant euphoria.
Addiction can develop to the barbiturates and strong analgesic agents or opioid agonist or abuse-able substances, in the sense of the term "addiction" as defined by the Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence of The National Research Council, namely, a state of periodic or chronic intoxication, detrimental to the individual and to society, produced by the repeated administration of a drug, its characteristics are a compulsion to take the drug and to increase the dose, with the development of psychic and sometimes physical dependence on the effects of the drug, so that the development of means to continue the administration of the drug becomes an important motive in the addict's existence.
Addiction to narcotics or narcotic-like strong analgesics often occurs by the legitimate chronic oral or parenteral administration of these agents in the alleviation of deep pain. More commonly, however, addiction to these agents occurs when the psychologically unbalanced or thrill-seeking individual looking for an escape from the realities of life finds his escape in the euphoria produced by the oral or parenteral administration of strong analgesics or opioid agonist or abuse-able substances. Euphoria is generally defined as a feeling of well-being. Euphoria can be produced in many ways, e.g., an exhilarating experience, alcohol, stimulants, depressants, narcotics, etc. For the purpose of this disclosure, "euphoria" is defined as an abnormal state of well-being produced by the parenteral administration of strong analgesics. The terms or "abuse-able substances", "euphoric analgesics" and "strong analgesics," often called narcotic or narcotic-like analgesics or opioid agonist, are also defined herein as including those chemical agents which upon oral or parenteral administration are capable of maintaining or partially maintaining a known addict addicted to heroin or the like without substantial withdrawal symptoms. For the purpose of this disclosure, a "strong analgesic" can also be described as any analgesic agent whose analgesic, euphoric or dependence producing actions are negated by the parenteral administration of an opioid antagonist.
There has been a lot of concern with regards to the performance of extended release narcortics taught in prior art and currently commercialized. This is because the extended release or controlled release mechanism of current extended release opioid agonists using compositions and methods taught in the prior art is compromised and destroyed in the presence of alcohol leading to the loss of controlled release effects and complete release or dose dumping of its opioid content. The danger and economic consequences of dose dumping in the presence of alcohol for current controlled release narcotic analgesics was highlighted when in Jul. 14, 2005 Purdue Pharma voluntarily took its pain-relieving Palladone (hydromorphone hydrochloride) capsules off the market. The company took the action on July 13 following an FDA request to withdraw Palladone because of safety concerns. The FDA approved Palladone in September 2004. The drug was launched by Purdue Pharma in February 2005. Palladone was approved for the management of persistent, moderate-to-severe pain in patients requiring continuous, around-the-clock pain relief with a high-potency opioid for an extended period of time. An FDA news release stated that "serious and potentially fatal adverse reactions can occur when Palladone extended release capsules are taken together with alcohol. Hydromorphone is a narcotic analgesic; used to relieve pain and also to suppress cough.
According to the FDA news release, "Palladone is a once-a-day pain management drug containing a very potent narcotic. New data gathered from a company-sponsored study testing the potential effects of alcohol use shows that when Palladone is taken with alcohol the extended release mechanism is harmed which can lead to dose-dumping. The FDA described "Dose-dumping, as the rapid release of the drug's active ingredient into the bloodstream. The agency's news release pointed out that dose-dumping, even with a low dose of Palladone (12 milligrams), could lead to "serious, or even fatal, adverse events in some patients. The FDA also warned that the risk increases for higher doses of Palladone.
Health Canada also issued an Advisory to warn of serious health risks associated with the consumption of alcohol while taking any slow-release opioid analgesics, following data from Purdue Pharma.
It can be argued that just like in the case of Palladone all powerful pain management drugs such as opioid agonists or narcotic analgesics have serious risks if used incorrectly, and this is particularly true for the current extended release formulations in the prior art or under commercialization. In fact Health Canada has advised patients receiving other slow-release opioids to be aware that these products may react in a similar way to hydromorphone slow release formulation when co-ingested with alcohol i.e., they may be released into the blood quickly (dose-dumping) instead of over 24 hours.
This situation continues to present an unacceptably high level of patient risk. There is a great concern that as more patients take current compositions, safety problems will arise since even having one alcoholic drink could have fatal implications. The use of patient information vial label warnings regarding the dangers of using opioids and alcohol concomitantly is not expected to solve this problem. As a matter of fact the FDA has said that the agency doesn't believe that "potentially fatal, adverse events can be effectively managed by label warnings alone . . . ."
Health authorities have turned up the heat and are demanding the pharmaceutical companies come clean and put interests of patients first. Accordingly, to investigate if the same effect occurs with other slow-release drugs, Health Canada requests that all manufacturers of these products provide information on the interaction between their drug and alcohol; if this is not possible, studies investigating product interactions with alcohol are to be conducted and completed within six months. Health Canada states that the data will be assessed within a three-month period and that further action will be taken if required.
From the foregoing there is therefore an urgent and great need for compositions of opioid agonist or narcotic analgesics or abuse-able substances which are abuse resistant and or do not dose dump in the presence of alcohol.
Attempts have been made in the past to control the abuse potential associated with opioid analgesics. Parenteral dose of opioid analgesics are more potent as compared to the same dose administered orally. Therefore, drug abuse is often carried out by the extraction of the opioid from the dosage form, and the subsequent injection of the opioid (using any "suitable" vehicle for injection) in order to achieve a "high." Attempts to curtail abuse have therefore typically centered around the inclusion in the oral dosage form of an opioid antagonist which is not orally active but which will substantially block the analgesic effects of the opioid if one attempts to dissolve the opioid and administer it parenterally.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,088, describes the preparation of naloxone and its activity as a narcotic antagonist.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,657, describes the combination of morphine and naloxone as a composition for parenteral use "which has a strong analgesic, as well as antagonistic effect, without the occurrence of undesired or dangerous side effects."
A New York Times article appearing in a Jul. 14, 1970 issue described the oral administration of naloxone to narcotic addicts as a method of treatment. The oral administration of naloxone (in high doses) "makes it impossible for the addict to experience a high no matter how much heroin he uses."
The combination of pentazocine and naloxone has been utilized in tablets available in the United States, commercially available as TalwinB from Sanofi-Winthrop. TalwinB contains pentazocine hydrochloride equivalent to 50 mg base and naloxone hydrochloride equivalent to 0.5 mg base. TalwinB is indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain. The amount of naloxone present in this combination has no action when taken orally, and will not interfere with the pharmacologic action of pentazocine. However, this amount of naloxone given by injection has profound antagonistic action to narcotic analgesics. Thus, the inclusion of naloxone is intended to curb a form of abuse of oral pentazocine which occurs when the dosage form is solubilized and injected. Therefore, this dosage has lower potential for parenteral abuse than previous oral pentazocine formulations. However, it is still subject to patient misuse and abuse by the oral route, for example, by the patient taking multiple doses at once.
Sunshine, et al. "Analgesic Efficacy of Pentazocine Versus a Pentazocine-Naloxone Combination Following Oral Administration", Clin. J. Pain, 1988:4:35-40, reported on the effect of the addition of 0.5 mg naloxone on the analgesic efficacy of pentazocine 50 mg. The combination was found to be significantly less efficacious than pentazocine for the sum of the pain intensity difference (SPID), and for relief and pain intensity difference (PID) at the fourth hour. For patients with moderate baseline pain, the combination produced significantly less pain relief than pentazocine for SPID and for relief and PID at hours 3 and 4. In patients with severe baseline pain, there was no significant difference found between pentazocine and the combination of pentazocine plus naloxone.
Wang, et al. "Crossover and Parallel Study of Oral Analgesics", J. Clin. Pharmaco.l 198 1; 21:162-8, studied the combination of naloxone 0.25 mg and PercodanB (composed of 4.5 mg oxycodone HC1, oxycodone terephthalate 0.28 mg, aspirin 224 mg, phenacetin 160 mg, and caffeine 32 mg) compared to PercodanB alone, and placebo in a crossover study of patients with chronic pain. The combination had lower mean scores than PercodanB alone for most of the analgesic hourly parameters in the later hours of the trial. However, for the summary variables, the combination showed no significant difference from either placebo or PercodanB.
A fixed combination of buprenorphine and naloxone was introduced in 1991 in New Zealand (TemgesicB, Reckitt & Colman) for the treatment of pain.
A fixed combination therapy comprising tilidine (50 mg) and naloxone (4 mg) has been available in Germany for the management of severe pain since 1978 (ValoronB, Goedecke). The rationale for the combination of these drugs is effective pain relief and the prevention of tilidine addiction through naloxone-induced antagonisms at the morphine receptor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,955 (Pachter, et al.) described orally effective analgesic compositions which upon parenteral administration do not produce analgesia, euphoria, or physical dependence, and thereby prevent parenteral abuse of the analgetic agents. Such compositions contained from about 0.1 mg to about 10 mg naloxone per analgetic oral dose. This reference was not concerned with oral abuse of opioids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,657 (Lewenstein, et al.) described compositions comprising naloxone and morphine or oxymorphone, which compositions were said to provide a strong analgesic effect without the occurrence of undesired side effects such as hallucinations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,933 (Gordon, et al.) described a method for decreasing both the oral and parenteral abuse potential of strong analgetic agents such as oxycodone, propoxyphene and pentazocine, by combining an analgesic dose of the opioid with naloxone in a specific, relatively narrow range. Oxycodone-naloxone compositions having a ratio of 2.5-5:1 parts by weight and pentazocine-naloxone compositions having a ratio of 16-50:1 parts by weight were preferred. The dose of naloxone which was to be combined with the opioid is stated to substantially eliminate the possibility of either oral or parenteral abuse of the opioid without substantially affecting the oral analgesic activity thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,835 (Lewis) describes a method of treating pain by administering a sublingually effective dose of buprenorphine with naloxone. Lewis describes dosage ratios of naloxone to buprenorphine from 1:3 to 1:1 for parenteral administration, and from 1:2 to 2:1 for sublingual administration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,635 teaches a method of preventing abuse of opioid dosage forms wherein an analgesically effective amount of an orally active opioid agonist is combined with an opioid antagonist into an oral dosage form which would require at least a two-step extraction process to be separated from the opioid agonist, the amount of opioid antagonist including being sufficient to counteract opioid effects if extracted together with the opioid agonist and administered parenterally.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,088 discloses tamper-resistant oral opioid agonist formulations comprising (i) an opioid agonist in releasable form and (ii) a sequestered opioid antagonist which is substantially not released when the dosage form is administered intact, such that the ratio of the amount of antagonist released from said dosage form after tampering to the amount of said antagonist released from said intact dosage form is about 4:1 or greater, wherein said agonist and antagonist are interdispersed and are not isolated from each other in two distinct layers.
Despite all the above attempts in the prior art to address the problem of drug abuse, the problem persists partly because of design faults in the compositions and the addicts coming up with creative ways to beat the anti drug abuse mechanism. As at today the problem is escalating with at an alarming rate with devastating financial and social consequences.
To the best of our knowledge, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests that compositions of the instant invention can be effectively employed simultaneously to reduce the problem of, or discourage or make it difficult for drug abuse via snorting (nasal), oral or parenteral administration of crushed oral dosage formulations and that compositions of the instant invention when taken orally in the ordinary course, the irritant, sequestering agent and narcotic antagonist have no significant effect and do not block the therapeutic effect of the opioid analgesic.
The current invention makes use of compositions in gelatin capsules particularly hard gelatin capsules. The following information discloses the use of soft gelatin capsules as carriers for drugs in the prior art. However these do not teach the composition of the current invention
The fill material used in a soft gelatin capsule generally contains a pharmaceutical dissolved or dispersed in a carrier that is compatible with the capsule wall. In addition to liquids, U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,243 to L. Borkan et al. suggests that the fill material may take the form of a semi-solid, solid, or gel. Conventional tablets or pellets containing an active ingredient are examples of solid fill materials that may be encapsulated within a soft gelatin capsule.
Semi-solid (dispersion) fill material are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,412 to D. Shah et al. A fill material containing an orally-administered antacid salt that is dispersed in a water-free, liquid carrier containing a major proportion of one or more polyalkylene glycols and a minor proportion of a C.2-C.sub.5 polyol, such as propylene glycol or glycerin. The carrier forms a stable dispersion of the antacid salt and coats the antacid particles, thereby rendering them nonreactive with the soft gelatin capsule wall. The dispersion may also contain a polysiloxane flatulence-relieving agent, such as sirnethicone, as an optional ingredient. Such optional ingredients comprise about 0-5% by weight of the total dispersion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,834 to Cohen et al. suggests a controlled release pharmaceutical dosage form comprising a soft gelatin capsule that encloses a water soluble or dispersible gelled polymer matrix. The fill material comprises an aqueous solution or dispersion of a polysaccharide gum, the pharmaceutical active and, optionally, an alcohol. The liquid fill is introduced into a soft gelatin capsule that contains a cationic gelling agent, which gels the liquid fill after it has been incorporated into the capsule shell. The alcohol used in the fill includes liquid polyethylene glycols, lower alkanols, C.sub.2-C.sub.4 polyols and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,643 to M. Yu et al. also discusses the use of polyethylene glycols (PEG) as a fill material in soft gelatin dosage forms. PEGS having an average molecular weight between 400-600 are preferred for liquid fills, between 800-10,000 for semi-solid fills and between 10,000-100,000 for solid fills.
Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18th ed, Chapter 83, pp. 1539-40 (1990), reports that gelling agents used to make gels for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, include sodium alginate and triethanolamine.
PCT Publication No. WO 91107950 describes a soft or two-piece hard gelatin capsule shell containing benzodiazepine dissolved or suspended in a gel. The gel contains by weight at least 63% of polyethylene glycol 600, at least 4% of polyethylene glycol 4000 or 6000, and at least 21% of polyethylene glycol 600-4000. This gel fill cannot be expelled with a syringe at ambient temperature and therefore avoids the reported abuse of liquid filled capsules by intravenous drug abusers.
Antiflatulents are typically incorporated into compressible tablets by mixing the oily-like substances, such as simethicone, with standard tableting excipients prior to tableting. U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,384 to Valentine et al. describes a composition suitable for tableting comprising simethicone and a water soluble, maltodextrin agglomerate. The resulting combinate is reported to be free flowing and possess defoaming activity.
Hungarian Patent No. 203,477, published Jan. 28, 1991, describes an antiflatulent, solid dispersion containing poly(dimethylsiloxane) as a dispersed phase in a water soluble carrier. The dispersion also contains a lattice-forming and/or a crosslinking, viscosity-increasing macromolecular auxiliary substance such as polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylic acid, or polyvinylpyrrolidone and/or inorganic solidifying agent, such as tricalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate hemihydrate or calcium hydrogen phosphate. Example 1 reports a solid mass containing 60 g of polyethylene glycol 6000, 15 g of polyvinyl chloride and 25 g of activated dimethicone (simethicone) that can be ground and filled into solid gelatin capsules or made into tablets.
French Patent Application No. 2,624,012, published Jun. 9, 1989, relates to a soft gelatin capsule containing a suspension or solution of chloral hydrate in a high viscosity inert vehicle. Suitable vehicles for use in the capsule include oily solvents of mineral or vegetable oil, such as olive oil, peanut oil, paraffin oil, vaseline oil or mixtures of several oils; a liquid silicone such as dimethicone or simethicone; a glycol polymer such as polyethylene glycol 600, 800 or 1200; and a glycol such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or glycerol.
Simethicone has been incorporated in syrup or clear base liquid oral formulations. A. Banga et al. in "Incorporation of Simethicone into Syrup or Clear Base Liquid Orals," Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 15(5), pgs. 691-704 (1989) describes a variety of vehicles for simethicone, but reports the best results were obtained with neutralized CARBOPOL™ (carboxypolymethylene) resins in combination with glycerin and propylene glycol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,538 teach a self-sustaining waterproofing composition prepared by a method comprising mixing at least 75 parts of solvent wetted bentonite with (A) a material selected from the group consisting of dialkylphthalate, dialkyloxalate, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, glycerine and mixtures thereof, (B) said solvent being substantially unreactive with said bentonite and containing from about 30 to 50 parts benzene, and (C) a material selected from the group consisting of polyalkylmethacrylate, cellulose acetate, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylbutyral, and mixtures thereof. This invention relates to compositions useful in the construction industry useful in waterproofing a structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,112 teaches Modified organophilic clay complexes, their preparation and non-aqueous systems containing them and more especially, organophilic organic-clay complexes which are dispersible in organic liquids to form a gel therein, which comprises the reaction product of (a) a smectite-type clay having a cation exchange capacity of at least 75 milliequivalents per 100 grams of said clay; (b) a primary anion selected from the group consisting of anions derived from organic sulfonic acids, alkylsulfates and mixtures thereof containing at least one lineal or branched alkyl group having greater than 9 carbon atoms, aromatic sulfonic acids and mixtures thereof; (c) a secondary anion different from said primary anion and selected from the group consisting of anions derived from organic acids having a pKa of less than about 11.0 and mixtures thereof; and (d) an organic cation is an amount sufficient to satisfy the cation in exchange capacity of said clay and the cationic activity of the primary and secondary anions wherein the resulting organic cation-organic anion complexes are intercalated with the smectite-type clay and wherein the combination of said primary and secondary anion synergistically increases the ease of dispersion of said organophilic clay gellant in an organic liquid. This invention relates to compositions gels which may be useful as lubricating greases, oil base muds, oil base packer fluids, paint-varnish-lacquer removers, paints, foundry molding sand binders, adhesives and sealants, inks, polyester laminating resins, polyester gel coats, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,929 This invention is concerned with useful gels generated from expandable, hydrated sheet silicates, also known as lattice layered silicates, or phyllosilicates. It is also concerned with articles of manufacture produced by further treatment of such gels, and with methods of generating and treating the gels. The silicate minerals of interest include vermiculite, beidellite, nontronite, volchonskoite, saponite, stevensite, sauconite, pimelite, bentonite, montmorillonite, hectorite, the smectites, attapulgite, sepiolite, phlogopite and biopyrobole; i.e., in essence the entire genus of hydrated or hydratable phyllosilicates whether of natural or synthetic origin.
These do not teach compositions of opioid agonists in hard gelatin capsule that are difficult to abuse and that will not does dump in the presence of alcohol or on co-ingestion with alcohol.
To date, there has been no disclosure of the use of the composition of the present invention to prevent and or make it harder for dose dumping of opioid agonists or narcotic analgesics in the presence of alcohol or during co-ingestion of alcohol.
There has also been no disclosure of the use of the composition of the present invention to prevent or discouraged abuse and make it harder to abuse opioid analgesics, narcotic analgesics or abuse-able substances. Furthermore, there has also been no disclosure of the composition of the present invention.

Abuse and alcohol resistant drug composition


A coil part is provided. The coil part includes a coil layer including a core and a first coil and a second coil disposed on and under the core, a lower magnetic layer bonded under the coil layer, and an upper magnetic layer bonded on the coil layer. Accordingly, it is possible to improve process and productivity and cut fabrication costs by preventing process defects that occur during the fabrication process of a coil part using a ferrite substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coil parts, and more particularly, to coil parts and methods of fabricating the same, which can improve process and productivity and cut fabrication costs by preventing process defects that occur during the fabrication process of a coil part using a ferrite substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic products, such as digital TVs, smart phones and notebook computers, have functions for data communication in radio-frequency (RF) bands. Such IT electronic products are expected to be more widely used because they have multifunctional and complex features by connecting not only one device but also USBs and other communication ports.
For higher-speed data communication, data are communicated through more internal signal lines over GHz RF channels higher than MHz channels.
When more data are communicated between a main device and a peripheral device over a GHz RF channel, it is difficult to provide smooth data processing due to a signal delay and other noises.
In order to solve the above problem, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) prevention part is provided around the connection between an IT device and a peripheral device. However, conventional EMI prevention parts are used only in limited fields such as large-area substrates because they are coil-type and stack-type and have large chip part sizes and poor electrical characteristics. What is therefore required is EMI prevention parts that are suitable for the slim, miniaturized, complex and multifunctional features of electronic products.
A common-mode filter of a conventional EMI prevention coil part is described below in detail with reference to FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional common-mode filter includes a first magnetic substrate 1, a dielectric layer 2 disposed on the magnetic substrate 1 and including a first coil pattern 2a and a second coil pattern 2b that are vertically symmetrical to each other, and a second magnetic substrate 3 disposed on the dielectric layer 2.
Herein, the dielectric layer 2 including the first coil pattern 2a and the second coil pattern 2b is formed on the first magnetic substrate 1 through a thin-film process. An example of the thin-film process is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-203737.
The second magnetic substrate 3 is bonded to the dielectric layer 2 through an adhesive layer 4.
An external electrode 5 is disposed to surround both ends of a structure including the first magnetic substrate 1, the dielectric layer 2 and the second magnetic substrate 3. The external electrode 5 is electrically connected through a lead line (not shown) to the first coil pattern 2a and the second coil pattern 2b.
However, in the case of the conventional common-mode filter, in order to provide the dielectric layer 2 having the first coil pattern 2a and the second coil pattern 2b on the top surface of the first magnetic substrate 1, the top surface of the first magnetic substrate 1 should be accurately processed for a thin-film process.
Also, in order to perform a thin-film process on the top surface of the first magnetic substrate 1, it should be modified into a wafer shape or a shape capable of processes such as photo and deposition, leading to an inefficiency in the fabrication process.
Also, since the first magnetic substrate 1 for the conventional common-mode filter is a hard ferrite substrate, it may be broken and damaged during the fabrication process.

Coil parts and method of fabricating the same


A pneumatic tire whose lateral rigidity is efficiently increased and that enables further improvement of driving stability. The pneumatic tire has bead fillers on the outer peripheral side of bead cores. Sheet-like auxiliary fillers are arranged on both sides of a bead filler, so that not less than ⅔ in the height direction of the bead filler is sandwiched by the auxiliary fillers.

In a pneumatic tire, what is performed in order to secure driving stability is to bury therein a bead filler extending from a bead portion to a sidewall portion, the bead filler being formed of a rubber composition having a high degree of hardness. Furthermore, there has been proposed an approach to improve a variety of tire performances by devising cross-sectional shapes of the bead filler.
For example, there has been proposed an approach where driving stability and riding comfort are improved without affecting road noise and rolling resistance in a manner that: the bead filler is composed of a wide-width part (a thicker part in a cross section taken along a meridian of the tire) at the side of its inner periphery and a narrow-width part (a thinner part in a cross section taken along a meridian of the tire) at the side of its outer periphery; and the sheet-like narrow-width part is allowed to extend beyond a widest-width position of the tire to a location relatively outward in a radial direction of the tire (refer to Patent Document 1, for example).
However, in such a reinforcement structure of the bead portion as described above, although peripheral stiffness has been considerably increased owing to the sheet-like bead filler extending outward beyond a widest-width position of the tire in a radial direction of the tire, an effect of improving driving stability has not necessarily been sufficient because an effect of increasing a spring constant in a lateral direction of the tire has not been sufficient.
Patent Document 1: Japanese patent application Kokai publication No. Hei11-28916

Pneumatic tire with sheet-like auxiliary filler


A monocular vision six-dimensional measurement method for high-dynamic large-range arbitrary contouring error of a CNC machine tool of the present invention belongs to the field of dynamic error detection of machine tools, and relates to a six-dimensional measurement method for high-dynamic large-range arbitrary contouring error of a CNC machine tool using a monocular vision measurement technology with short-time stroboscopic illumination and a priori standard plate. The method designs a measurement fixture and a measurement system, and uses a monocular vision pose algorithm to improve both the visual measurable dimension and range of interpolated contour in combination with priori knowledge. In light of the principle of error distribution, a small field of view is used to enhance the measurement accuracy of the coded primitives in the images. Then, by traversing all the acquired images using the proposed method, we can obtain the six-dimensional motion contour; and the six-dimensional contouring error caused by the imperfect machine interpolation can be computed by comparing the measured contour with the nominal one. The method enhances the measurable dimension of the vision technology through the monocular vision pose algorithm in combination with a datum transformation method, and realizes the six-dimensional measurement of large-range arbitrary contouring error of the CNC machine tool under the small field of view.

Variable-curvature parts with difficult-to-machine material such as marine propellers, screw propellers for naval vessels, turbines and engine blades are widely used in major national equipment engineering. The shapes and geometrical profile accuracy of such parts directly affect the working performance of the equipment. Compared with the traditional three-axis CNC machine tool, a multi-axis machine tool solves the problem of one-time clamping and processing of most complex variable-curvature parts by virtue of control performance at any time between a cutter and a work piece pose angle in the processing course. To achieve high quality and high efficiency machining, the hard-to-process variable-curvature parts are processed by the multi-axis CNC machine tool with special interpolation contour under high-dynamic conditions. However, in such high-traverse speed conditions, due to the prominent CNC machine tool error caused by insufficient dynamic characteristics of the machine tool, the relative position between the cutter and a work piece in the operation of the machine tool produces space deviation and the processing quality of the work piece is reduced. A contouring error is an important index to evaluate the dynamic performance of CNC machine tools. Therefore, the regular evaluation of high-dynamic large-range arbitrary space contouring error (dynamic performance) of the machine tool is an important guarantee to assess the dynamic performance of the CNC machine tool and improve the processing accuracy.
The existing contouring error measurement methods of the CNC machine tool include a double ball-bar measurement method, a cross-grid encoder measurement method, a R-test measurement method, a machine vision, etc. Chen jianxiong of Fuzhou University proposed detection and identification method for four position independent errors and six volumetric errors of a rotary axis in "Geometric error measurement and identification for rotary table of multi-axis machine tool using double ball bar" published in "International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture" on Volume 77, Issue 77. A two-step method is used in their research. According to the error identification model and the data measured by the double ball-bar, four position independent errors and six volumetric errors are separated using the identification algorithm. Although the double ball-bar equipment has high flexibility, this one-dimensional measurement equipment can only measure contouring error of a plane circle, while for contouring error of arbitrary path, it is unavailable. Furthermore, limited to the mechanical structure of the measuring rod, the double ball-bar is very difficult to measure the contouring error of a small-radius circle that can better reflect the dynamic performance of machine tools. Swiss scholars B. Bringmann et al. proposed a comprehensive method of using the spatial contour deviation measured by R-test to assist in identifying the errors both in a linear axis and a rotary axis in "A method for direct evaluation of the dynamic 3D path accuracy of NC machine tools" published in "CIRP Annals-Manufacturing Technology" on Volume 58, Issue 1. Based on the proposed identification method, the motion deviation of the machine tool can be reduced by setting acceleration and jerk parameters. R-test has high measurement accuracy, but also small measurement range. Unidirectional measurement ranges of X, Y and Z are less than 12 mm, and linkage errors of irrelevant axes may be introduced during measurement. Soichi Ibaraki et al. of Kyoto University proposed an error measurement and identification method for machine tool installation and servo systems based on cross-grid encoder in "Diagnosis and compensation of motion errors in NC machine tools by arbitrary shape contouring error measurement" published in "Laser Metrology & Machine Performance V". The servo system is compensated with feedback signals of numerical control position to improve the contour interpolation accuracy of the machine tool. However, the equipment is cumbersome to operate and unable to detect motion error of a rotary axis.
A patent for invention CN 105798704 A "Monocular vision based method for measuring plane contouring error of machine tools" applied by Liu Wei, Yan Hongyue et al. has invented a monocular vision method for contouring error detection of a CNC machine tool. The patent for invention enhances measurement efficiency, reduces cost and realizes two-dimensional measurement of the plane interpolation contouring error of the CNC machine tool. However, with this method, shooting frame frequency of the camera is difficult to be improved due to the limited camera bandwidth, resulting the blurring effect of markers in the image taken at high traverse speed of and the final vision solving accuracy of the contouring error. Besides, this two-dimensional measurement method cannot realize the three-dimensional computation of the contouring error of CNC machine tools.

Monocular vision six-dimensional measurement method for high-dynamic large-range arbitrary contouring error of CNC machine tool


A humidifying air purifier includes a door assembly supported and configured to be selectively drawn out of a front side of a cabinet and drawn into the front side of the cabinet to respectively open and close an inner portion of the cabinet. The door assembly includes an accommodation portion configured to support an air filter and a humidifying device which are both drawn out of and into the humidifying air purifier with the door assembly.

The present invention relates to a humidifying air purifier capable of performing air purification and air humidification.
The air purifier is understood as a device which draws in contaminated air to purify the contaminated air, and then discharges the purified air. For example, the air purifier may include an air blowing device which introduces outside air into the inner portion of the air purifier, and a filter which is capable of filtering dust, germs, and the like in the air.
In recent years, an air purifier designed to recognize the air purifier as one kind of furniture and emphasize the harmony between the air purifier and the surrounding furniture has been developed. Particularly, in a case where an air purifier is provided in a bedroom, an air purifier is proposed in which an outer appearance panel thereof is made of wood material with an emphasis on harmony with a wardrobe or a bed.
The air purifier may include a drawer-type door similar to general furniture, and the door may be opened and the internal components of the air purifier can be cleaned or replaced.
With respect to such a drawer-type air purifier, the following related art document 1 is disclosed.
1. Patent registration number (Registration date): 10-0485578 (Apr. 18, 2005)
2. Title of invention: Air purifier
According to the related art document 1 as described above, the following problems may exist.
First, the air purifier of the related art document 1 includes an air blowing portion, a filter portion, and an intake opening/closing portion so as to be arranged vertically and installed in separate drawers. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the user has to open all of the drawers in order to access the inner portion of the air purifier.
Second, since the relatively heavy air blowing portion is stacked on the filter portion and the intake opening/closing portion, deformation of the lower drawer in which the filter portion or the intake opening/closing portion is installed can be caused.
Meanwhile, with respect to the drawer-type air purifier, the following related art document 2 is disclosed.
1. Utility model registration number (registration date): 20-0419443 (Jun. 14, 2006)
2. Title of Utility model: Drawer-type air purifier
According to the related art document 2 as described above, the following problems may exist.
First, the air purifier of the related art document 2 is constructed such that an inlet for introducing air is formed on a rear surface and a bottom surface of a main body. In a case of an air purifier having an outer appearance such as a piece of furniture, it is often disposed adjacent to a wall surface (rear surface or side surface) of the room. Accordingly, in a case where the inlet is formed on the rear surface of the main body and in a case where the space between the main body and the wall surface is too narrow and the inlet is formed on the bottom surface of the main body, the space between the main body and the bottom surface is too narrow, so that the intake performance may be deteriorated.
Second, a filter and a driving fan are installed together in the inner space of the drawer. In this case, when the user draws out the drawer to replace or clean the filter, there is a difficulty that a relatively heavy driving fan has to be also drawn out together with the drawer.
Meanwhile, in recent years, a humidifying air purifier has been developed which adds a humidification function to the air purifier.
With respect to such a humidifying air purifier, the following related art document 3 is disclosed.
1. Japanese Patent Registration Number (Registration Date): JP No. 5,842,962 (Nov. 27, 2015)
2. Title of invention: Air purifier
According to the related art document 3 as described above, the following problems may exist.
First, in the air purifier of the related art document 3, the air blower, the air purifying filter, and the humidifying unit are stacked from the lower portion of the air purifier toward the upper portion thereof in the vertical direction. The air purifying filter and the humidifying unit are components that the user needs to periodically clean or replace, and according to the above structure, it is troublesome and difficult to separate the air purifying filter or the humidifying unit.
Second, since the humidifying unit is disposed above the air blower and the air purifying filter, water present in the humidifying unit can be dropped and flow into the blower or the air purifying filter. In this case, the performance of the air blower or the air purifying filter may be deteriorated or failure thereof may occur.


A conditioning activator for a no-lye hair relaxer and a conditioning hair relaxer system includes a conditioning agent which is a water-soluble cationic compound. In a preferred embodiment the cationic conditioning agent is a cationic polymer. Also disclosed are methods for preparing phase-stable no-lye cream bases suitable for conditioning hair relaxer systems.

Aqueous highly alkaline hair relaxing or straightening compositions are known in the art. These compositions usually have a highly alkaline pH, i.e., a pH of about 12 to about 14, due to the presence of an alkaline hair relaxing material. For example, a water-soluble inorganic lye or non-lye caustic base, such as alkali or alkaline earth hydroxide or a relatively strong organic base such as guanidine, guanidine hydroxide or quaternary ammonium hydroxide is used.
Aside from their causticity, one principal disadvantage of highly alkaline hair relaxers is that they leave the hair in a brittle state and harsh to the touch. Another disadvantage is that highly alkaline compositions containing all or a portion of the active alkaline hair relaxing agent are difficult to compound in the form of phase-stable emulsified creams. This instability limits the effective inclusion of useful hair conditioning agents. Thus, there is a long-standing need and desire for a conditioning hair relaxing system.
Modern highly alkaline hair relaxers are preferably of the type commonly called "no-base" hair relaxers. The term "no-base" means that the scalp need not be coated with a protective oleaginous base such as petrolatum, mineral oil and lanolin, before applying the highly alkaline hair relaxer.
One type of no-base hair relaxer formulation contains as the sole active hair straightening agent an alkali metal hydroxide, typically a caustic base, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide. When a relatively low active level of about 1.5 to about 2.5 weight percent of caustic base is used, the protective base is applied only to the hairline to protect the skin around the forehead, ears and neckline. Such no-base formulations have some of the protective oleaginous material emulsified in an aqueous composition, preferably in the form of a viscous cream, and are supplied in a "single product" kit.
Another no-base hair relaxer formulation is commonly called a "no-lye" hair relaxer. With a no-base, no-lye relaxer, a protective base need not be applied to the scalp and may not need to be applied to the hairline. The term "no-lye" as used herein means that the active hair straightening agent is an organic chemical base instead of inorganic caustic base. In commercial practice, the relatively strong organic chemical base, guanidine is usually present in the form of guanidine hydroxide. However, guanidine hydroxide is not generally stable for long periods in aqueous solutions. Consequently, it must be prepared fresh just before using.
Guanidine hydroxide is generally prepared by reacting an inorganic chemical base such as an alkaline earth hydroxide with an aqueous solution of a salt of the strong organic chemical base guanidine where the anion of this salt is capable of being precipitated by the cation of the alkaline earth hydroxide. In commercially available products of this type, the guanidine hydroxide is generally prepared using guanidine carbonate and calcium hydroxide.
When such a no-lye hair relaxer is commercially used, the product is supplied as a two-part kit. One part contains the guanidine carbonate in substantially liquid form and is commonly called the "activator." The other part contains relatively high amounts of about 4 to about 7 percent calcium hydroxide emulsified in a cosmetic cream base. Prior to using, the consumer or beautician mixes the cream and activator portions of the kit together. The resulting no-lye hair relaxer is then relatively promptly (preferably within 24 hours) applied to the hair.
Some great strides have been made in formulating no-base hair relaxer compositions by incorporating conditioning agents in the highly alkaline emulsions so that the straightened hair has a better feel after such a treatment. However, highly alkaline emulsion products containing sufficient inorganic alkaline material to provide all or a portion of the active hair relaxing agent, as well as conditioning agent, are difficult to compound. These emulsions require much care particularly during preparation on a commercial scale, and separate or de-emulsify relatively quickly on aging thereby limiting their commercially useful lifetime.
Most no-base hair relaxer cream products are preferably aqueous emulsions in which water is the continuous phase, i.e., oil-in-water emulsions, because they are easier to rinse from the hair. Instability or de-emulsification results in a destabilized cream product having two distinctly visible phases. While such destabilized cream products may be used, they must be remixed before using in an attempt to assure the user that the active ingredients are at the proper levels in the portion being used. However, such mixing, even though done thoroughly by hand, does not, in fact, give the user consistent results with such products. Improper mixing can also cause skin irritation or result in increased hair breakage. Product destabilization and resulting consumer dissatisfaction are among the chief complaints in the industry. Thus, a phase-stable cream is needed that shows substantially no visible separation into distinct phases on storage aging.
Cationic compounds, in particular, are generally considered to improve the condition of hair. The terms "cationic conditioning agent" and "cationic conditioner" as used herein refer to substantially water-soluble cationic compounds which under certain circumstances are substantive to hair. It is commonly recognized that substantive cationic conditioning compounds can effectively leave the hair feeling silky, soft and more manageable with less static fly-away, characteristics which are desirable attributes of hair conditioners.
During a hair-relaxation treatment, the hair can be most easily penetrated by a cationic conditioner present in the relaxer. The hair is swollen during relaxation, under the action of the alkali, and the cuticles on each hair shaft are sufficiently raised so that the conditioner can find entry between them into the hair shaft. In contrast, after the relaxer is rinsed off, the hair deswells and the cuticles flatten. Conditioners applied at this stage to the deswollen hair cannot penetrate the hair shafts to the same extent and are less effective in achieving conditioning.
Most of the strongly alkaline hair relaxers for home use are sold in kits containing one or more conditioners packaged in a separate containers for application to the hair either before applying the relaxer or after the relaxation process. Such conditioning, performed as a separate step, is inconvenient and is only partially effective in overcoming the harshness imparted by the alkaline treatment. The inclusion of water-soluble polymeric cationic compounds into a strongly alkaline hair relaxer composition is particularly desirable to counteract the harshness imparted by the alkalinity. However, some water-soluble cationic polymers are not useful ingredients for strongly alkaline compositions. Some water-soluble cationic polymers, when incorporated into strongly alkaline emulsion cream compositions, especially in the pH range from about 12.5 to about 13.8, can cause phase destabilization of the emulsion during storage aging. Other water-soluble cationic polymers which do not destabilize the emulsion may, nevertheless, lose their own effectiveness to condition hair under the highly alkaline pH required for relaxation.
Until now, some success in achieving a conditioning hair-relaxer system was met by incorporating certain useful water-soluble polymeric quaternary nitrogen conditioning agents useful as a component of the highly alkaline no-lye cream base portion of a two-product kit. For example, the use of a quaternary nitrogen-containing polymer prepared by polymerizing and co-polymerizing a diallyldimethylammonium salt is disclosed in co-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,175,572 ('572), 4,237,910 ('910), 4,390,033 ('033), 4,524,787 ('787) and in co-assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 173,318 abandoned in favor of filing continuation application Ser. No. 399,385, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,485. The disclosures of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference. Another useful water-soluble quaternary nitrogen polymer, a copolymer of methylvinylimidazolium chloride and vinylpyrrolidone, is disclosed in co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 763,519 and related French Patent publication No. 2,585,947A, both now abandoned, the disclosures of which are also incorporated herein by reference.
Problems of product instability are also caused by the presence of relatively high amounts of water-insoluble oleaginous ingredients which must be co-emulsified with the alkaline material. Oleaginous materials, such as petrolatum and lanolin, are desirable in no-lye cosmetic cream bases to maintain the benefits of a no-base procedure. But the water-insoluble character of these materials greatly decreases the chances of successfully formulating a phase-stable cream, especially a highly alkaline cream containing inorganic alkaline material. These problems are magnified when a formula is scaled up for the production of commercial quantities.
Part of the foregoing problems were also overcome in the previously mentioned '033 and '910 patents of our assignee, by using certain lipophilic organically-modified hectorite clay gellants. Those clay gellants were disclosed for stabilizing highly alkaline no-base hair relaxer compositions containing relatively high amounts of oleaginous material against phase separation. Commercial hair relaxer products embodying the principles disclosed in these patents have been marketed. However, compounding a phase-stable cream, even with the above disclosed hectorite clay gellant, requires considerable care to substantially uniformly disperse the disclosed hectorite clay gellant.
Moveover, relatively high amounts (about 8 to about 12 weight percent) of the hectorite clay gellant are generally required to achieve a relatively stiff viscous cream. For example, the '033, the '910 and the '572 patents all disclosed that at below about 2 weight percent of the hectorite clay gellant, little phase stability improvement was noted and the resulting creams were relatively soft. Thus, while generally elegant, relatively stiff viscous creams can be obtained by practicing the emulsion stabilizing principles taught in the '033 and '910 patents, the products are relatively costly to manufacture commercially from the standpoints of costs for labor, materials and energy.
No-base hair relaxers are desirably formulated as emulsified viscous creams so that once applied to the user's hair, they will not drip onto the skin or into the eyes of the person receiving a hair straightening procedure. The cosmetic cream base portion of a no-lye hair relaxer kit must also mix easily with the liquid activator portion without thinning to a soft runny cream.
A commercially desirable conditioning hair-relaxing system, therefore, would utilize a phase-stable, viscous no-base hair relaxer cream, effect conditioning while relaxing the hair, be easy to remove from the hair at the end of the straightening or relaxer procedure and provide a substantive conditioned effect to the relaxed hair.
The present invention provides for such a conditioning hair-relaxing system characterized by a conditioning activator for a no-base, no-lye hair relaxer, and for a phase-stable viscous cosmetic cream base for use therewith in no-base hair relaxer systems and methods of preparing same.