An intake opening is defined in a printed circuit board inside a fan cover mounted on the printed circuit board. The intake opening has a particular extent inside the fan cover. This intake opening contributes to improvement in the cooling efficiency of a fan as compared with a conventional intake opening. Moreover, the intake opening allows a sufficient space to remain on the front and back surfaces of the printed circuit board inside the fan cover. Electronic components and/or wiring patterns may be disposed in the space. This contributes to disposition of electronic components and/or wiring patterns at a higher density on the printed circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board unit and a fan unit incorporated in an electronic apparatus such as a notebook personal computer, for example. In particular, the invention relates to a fan unit including a fan rotating around the rotation axis, and a fan cover defining an inner space for containing the fan.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fan unit is in general incorporated within a notebook personal computer as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-284863. The fan unit includes a fan cover for containing a fan rotating around the rotation axis. When the fan rotates, air is forced to flow away from the rotation axis in the centrifugal direction. The fan cover serves to guide the air toward a discharge opening. At the same time, an intake opening is defined in the fan cover. Ambient air is introduced inside the fan cover through the intake opening. Airflow is generated along the surface of the printed circuit board.
In general, many electronic components are mounted on the surface of a printed circuit board. Wiring patterns are formed on the surface of the printed circuit board so as to connect the electronic components. A reduction in the size of the notebook personal computer induces a reduction in the size of the printed circuit board. The electronic components and wiring patterns are located on the printed circuit board at a higher density. The tight location of the electronic components and wiring patterns requires an efficient heat radiation from the printed circuit board. The cooling efficiency of the fan should be improved.

Printed circuit board having larger space for electronic components and contributing to efficient cooling


A memory buffer with a set of one or more structures is created by a process of a first software program. The first memory buffer comprises a predetermined amount of memory. It is determined that a structure of the set of one or more structures has been or will be consumed by a second software program that supports the first software program. The consumption of the structure of the set of one or more structures indicates that memory associated with the structure of the set of one or more structures is being reclaimed. In response to the determination that the structure of the set of one or more structures has been or will be consumed, data is written from a first location to a second location. The first location is in memory allocated to the first software program and the second location is indicated for data storage.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of computing systems and, more particularly, to computing system memory management.
As new programming languages and their associated runtime environments become available, they may include features intended to simplify software development. Similarly, updated versions of existing programming languages and their associated runtime environments may also introduce new features that are also intended to simplify software development. In some instances, simplifying software development results from, or results in, hiding or abstracting some of the low level details of the operating environment. For example, some programming languages hide many of the memory management operations from a programmer. While simplifying software development, the hiding and/or abstraction of the low level operating environment details can result in less control over the environment, and thus hinder the ability for a programmer to optimize the software.

Memory management with priority-based memory reclamation

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and device is provided which is capable of producing gasified substance and solid-shaped carbonized substances from solid-shaped wastes such as waste tyres by a series of heating, dry distillation and splitting decomposition. After discharging out from the bottom of a splitting decomposition reactor, the solid-shaped carbonized substances are subject to a series of treatments: water washing, magnetic separating, alkaline cleaning and acid pickling (treatment) to separate out iron wire and to remove heavy metal-bearing ash contents. The carbonized substances are next pulverized to the desired particle size so that highly purified carbon black is formed. Subsequently, the carbon black granules are led into an activation furnace and are heated and activated at the atmosphere of steam being passed in to produce powder particulate activated carbon. On the other hand, from the gasified substance produced by-products of the combustible oil and gas are respectively formed. This combustible oil and/or combustible gas can be led into the splitting decomposition reactor and the activation furnace as fuels for heating on the outside of the furnace and where the remaining portion of which may be sold to the outside. The above process of treatments is accomplished at an intermittent and continuous way and recovery rate of the activated carbon is high whereas the treatment time is shortened.

The present invention relates to a novel intermittent continuous method and device for recovering refined activated carbon from waste tyres and the like and, in particular, to a treatment process to for producing effectively by refining activated carbon with a high added value from waste rubbers such as waste tyres, through an intermittent continuous process of treatments without formation of a secondary public nuisance while the oil-gas produced thereby as a by-product being recovered and used as a source for outer heating in the splitting decomposition and activation thus achieving a recovery of resources, and to a device for use in this process.
Owing to the development in public roads and the popularity of cars and motorcycles, the number in the growth of waste tyres of consummable materials has increased greatly and has been a problem for an immediate resolution on environmental protection.
For solving this problem on waste tyres, generally, three methods have been adopted, these are: burial, incineration and pyrolysis. By burial, the waste tyres are discarded and buried as general garbage and are not regenerated. It is therefore a waste of resources and the method will not be discussed here. As according to the incineration method, the waste tyres are pulverized and the weight (volume) is reduced to become fuel for combustion, mainly for use in burning the specially made boiler to recover the thermal energy thereof to warm houses water, etc. However, because such a method is of a direct combustion, the costs in the treatment of secondary public nuisance on removal of smoke, stink, burned ash and separation of steel wire and in the equipment have become another problem. As regards the splitting decomposition (dry distillation), waste tyres are pulverized and then thrown into a sealed splitting decomposition furnace where the pulverized waste tyres are subject to a high temperature heat splitting decomposition and dry distillation and the gases that are produced by decomposition are then cooled, separated and absorbed to obtain the fuel oil, fuel gas, carbonized substance and steel wire residues while the fuel oil and gas are for general use and part of which can be recovered for use in a thermal decomposition furnace, the ash residues have to be separately buried or magnetically separated to separate out the iron wire with the remaining carbonized substance after pulverization and granulation to produce low grade carbon black for use as packings in the tyre manufacture. Although such a process can have a considerable result in the recovery of resources for reuse and can also reduce the problem of secondary public nuisance in smoke elimination, equipments and the processing system are far from being ideal and the process works by batch only. Operation can be disintegrated and not continuous, and the procedures can be redundant and can result in the wastage of energy resources. The method is much in need for improvement.
Japanese Patent Application No. Showa 58-25384 discloses a method and device whereby waste tyres are thrown directly into an incinerator for combustion, and the gases formed are led out from a smoke outlet. The carbonized substances are recovered via a pipeline while on the other hand, the melted fluid is recovered from the bottom of the incinerator as fuel. This direct and open type incineration method results, however, in the secondary public nuisance of stinking smell and black smoke.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,791 teaches a process of splitting decomposition and oil treatment of thermoplastic high molecular compounds and heating hydraulic separation of non-hydrolyzable waste plastics.
However, none of the above cited prior references is involved in the process or system for recovering activated carbon from rubber of any waste tyres or discloses a precise device for possibly recovering activated carbon from the waste tyres; still further, no suggestion has been made that would affect improved method or device in batch splitting decomposition manner for processing the production energy.

Intermittent continuous method for recovering refined activated carbon from waste tires and the like and the device therefor

No. 119, Hsiu Chi Hsiang, Chang Ping Road, Sec. 2


An externally driven conveyor pulley with an integrated thermal control system by which the temperature of the pulley may be controlled whether the pulley is rotating or stationary. The present invention includes a rotary connection device (or plurality of such devices) designed to transfer fluid (liquid or gaseous) or electrical current into/out of a rotating object. The rotary connection device may be a slip-ring for electrical power transfer or a rotary union for liquid transfer, but any device designed to transmit fluid or electricity into a rotating object could be utilized. In one embodiment, temperature control is achieved by transmitting temperature controlled fluids through the pulley via at least one rotary connection device. In an alternative embodiment, temperature control is achieved by transmitting electricity via the rotary connection device to a temperature regulating device in the rotating object. The temperature regulating device could be any electrical heating or cooling unit.

The present invention relates to belted conveyor systems, and more particularly to conveyor pulleys used in belted conveyor systems.
Belted conveyor systems are in widespread use throughout a diverse range of applications. A typical belted conveyor system includes a conveyor belt carrying products or materials that is driven, supported, and/or guided by a series of conveyor pulleys. These conveyor pulleys may be of the traditional round, drum style design with any or none of the various lagging materials typically applied to a pulley's surface, such as cold bonded rubber, weld on lagging, ceramic, vulcanized, etc. They may also be of any or none of the various beater-bar, finned, flighted, wing or enhanced wing style designs.
As noted above, belted conveyor systems are used in a variety of applications in both indoor and outdoor settings. Operating belted conveyor systems in colder climates has proven to present significant challenges. It is not uncommon for pulleys to ice up and for belts to become rigid during late fall, winter and early spring when belted conveyors are used outdoors in colder climates. For example, when belted conveyor systems are shut down for the evening, the cold may cause components of the system, such as the belt, to become rigid, snow may accumulate and ice may develop on the belts and pulleys.
In conventional systems, these concerns are addressed by using an external source of heat, such as a plurality of portable, stand-alone heaters that blow heat to melt ice and snow and to soften the belt before use. This approach is undesirable for a number of reasons. For example, stand-alone heaters are generally inefficient at delivering heat to the conveyor. Further, the stand-alone heaters require labor to position and operate. In some applications, a large number of external heaters are used and they must be separately managed to heat different portions of the system. In situations where there are not enough heaters to heat all of the desired locations at once, additional time and labor is required to heat the system in stages by repositioning the heaters.
There is a long-felt and unmet need for an improved system for controlling the temperature of belted conveyor systems, particularly in the context of outdoor systems operated in colder climates.


Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for generating rules automatically navigate a website and perform updates of payment token information.

The list of companies involved in data breaches is seemingly endless and continuing to grow. And that's just the data breaches that make national news; many never come to light. These breaches occur to every type of business including universities, health insurance companies, retailers ranging from mega to small—any institution that collects data about its customers is vulnerable to attack, and hackers seem to be enjoying a new era of data breaches. One type of breach that is particularly prevalent is hackers gaining access to account information relating to bank accounts, credit card accounts, debit card accounts, and so forth. Typically, a user gets a notice that their account information has been compromised and instruct them to update their account information. The user is also responsible for determining other retailers and places that have the compromised account information and updating the information there as well. This may be a time consuming and arduous task and one that a user does not wish to perform.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Techniques to automatically update payment information in a compute environment


Disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolytic solution useful for producing a lithium secondary battery having excellent cycle characteristics. Specifically disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolytic solution for lithium secondary batteries obtained by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a nonaqueous solvent which is characterized by containing 0.1 to 10 wt. % of a tert-alkylbenzene compound and also containing 0.001-0.5 wt. % of a benzene compound, wherein a hydrocarbon group having 1-4 carbon atoms is bonded to a benzene ring via the tertiary carbon atom, relative to the tert-alkylbenzene compound.

The lithium secondary battery has recently been widely used, for example, as an electric source for driving small-sized electronic devices. The lithium secondary battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The positive electrode generally comprises a complex oxide of lithium such as, LiCoO2, and the negative electrode generally comprises a carbonaceous material or metallic lithium. A carbonate such as ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) has favorably been used in the non-aqueous electrolytic solution for the lithium secondary battery.
The lithium secondary battery requires a further improvement on battery performances such as cycle characteristics of the battery and electric capacity as well as safety.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H10-275632 discloses that a lithium secondary battery improved in safety can be provided by containing an aromatic ester such as trimellitic ester or phthalic ester, or an alkylbenzene compound such as toluene or butylbenzene (including tert-butylbenzene). However, a further improvement is required on cycle performance. Particularly, the cycle performance and storage stability at high temperatures are insufficient in the case that the lithium secondary battery is used at a high voltage charge potential of 4.2 V or more or at a higher energy density. Further, such a problem has been found that a gas is generated to expand the battery under the above-mentioned conditions.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2002-298909 and the pamphlet of WO 02/29922 describe that cycle characteristics, electric capacity and storage characteristics of the lithium secondary battery can be improved by adding a compound having a tert-alkyl group having 5 or more carbon atoms such as tert-pentylbenzene as the tert-alkylbenzene compound to an electrolyte solvent of a lithium secondary battery.
A process for preparation of tert-alkylbenzene compound has been known. For example, tert-pentylbenzene has been prepared by (1) a process of reacting benzene with isoamyl halide in the presence of an acid catalyst (disclosed in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 74, 292(1952)), (2) a process of reacting benzene with isoamylene in the presence of an acid catalyst (disclosed in a. Am. Chem. Soc., 78, 2000(1956)), or (3) a process of reacting cumene with ethylene in the presence of an alkali catalyst (disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,472).
The present inventors have studied and found that the tert-alkylbenzene compound prepared according to the known processes contains a trace amount of by-products as impurities. The by-product is a benzene compound having a benzene ring substituted with a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms via at least one tertiary carbon atom. Meanwhile, it is difficult to obtain an alkyl halide of high purity or an isoalkylene of high purity. The inventors have further found that the impurities are inevitably produced by a side reaction, even if the materials of high purity were reacted. Moreover, the impurities have boiling points near those of the tert-alkylbenzene compounds. If once the produced impurities are mixed with the product, it is industrially difficult to isolate or purify the product. If the reaction product were isolated and purified from the impurities in a conventional manner, the reaction yield would greatly decrease.

Nonaqueous electrolytic solution for lithium secondary battery


An ultrasonic trimming apparatus is composed of an articulated robot, a cutting apparatus, and a grindstone. The cutting apparatus is composed of an ultrasonic oscillator supported by the end portion of the robot, a cutter blade which is supported by the ultrasonic oscillator, and a workpiece securing portion which secures a workpiece. The grindstone is disposed within the movable range of the cutter blade driven by the robot and is placed in a position at which the cutter blade can pressure contact the cutter blade. The cutter blade is ultrasonically vibrated by the ultrasonic oscillator and is ground while being pressed against the grindstone by means of the articulated robot. The ultrasonic trimming apparatus efficiently cuts a sheet material composed of soft material such as plastic, fabric, or rubber, a composite material, or a material containing glass fiber even when the material has a three-dimensional shape.

When a sheet of the abovementioned soft material is cut, an edge tool, an ultrasonic cutter, a water jet, or the like has been used conventionally. The use of an edge tool or an ultrasonic cutter has advantages in that the amount of dust generated is small and in that process steps associated therewith, such as waste water treatment, are not required. However, the direction of the edge must be aligned along the moving direction. Furthermore, when a workpiece has a three-dimensional curved surface, more complicated data must be input to a control device for moving the edge tool or the ultrasonic cutter. In addition to this, there is a limit on the control for meeting various requirements on the thickness of a workpiece, the properties of a cut surface, and the like.
Meanwhile, when a water jet is used, work data input to a control device is simplified, but various problems exist. For example, waste water treatment is required, and a workpiece becomes wet. Furthermore, water splashes around the workpiece to deteriorate the working environment, and noise is large. Also, when workpieces are overlapped, it is difficult to cut only one of the workpieces. In addition, the initial cost and running cost are high.
Therefore, in order to solve the abovementioned problems, it has been conceived to mount an ultrasonic cutter on an articulated robot. With such a configuration, the running cost is expected to be reduced, and the restriction on cutting positions is expected to be relaxed. In addition, flexibility in cutting quality can be achieved, and consideration can be given to the environment in terms of drainage, dust, vibration, and noise.
However, in an ultrasonic trimming apparatus having an ultrasonic cutter mounted on an articulated robot, when a cutter blade becomes blunt, the operation must be frequently interrupted to replace the cutter blade. Therefore, a problem exists in that trimming cannot be efficiently performed unless a cutter blade is efficiently replaced.
Furthermore, it may not be publicly known that a cutter blade can be ground by bringing a grinding apparatus having a rotary grindstone close to the cutter blade held attached to a robot. However, when the grinding apparatus is brought close to the cuter blade and the grindstone is rotated, the configuration becomes complicated, and thus it cannot be expected to perform rapid grinding.
Moreover, when a workpiece formed of a soft material is cut, and particularly when the workpiece has a large area, a large number of mechanical clamps are required to secure the workpiece with the clamps, thereby reducing the efficiency. Furthermore, when the outer periphery of the workpiece is trimmed, the clamps are present within the moving range of the cutter blade. Therefore, interference between the cutter blade and the clamps occurs, thereby causing a problem that the working is not completed.
Meanwhile, when a workpiece is formed into a three-dimensional shape, it is important to cut the workpiece with the three-dimensional shape thereof being maintained. Therefore, a configuration has been employed in which a workpiece is cut while being held by a vertical pair of mold jigs which have been worked into the same shape as that of the workpiece. However, in this configuration, two molds, or upper and lower molds, are required, thereby causing a problem of cost increase.
Furthermore, since a six-axis articulated robot has six degrees of freedom, both the position and attitude of a cutter blade can be controlled freely in a three-dimensional space. However, in the structure of the robot, there exists a singular point where the degrees of freedom of motion are reduced to restrict the motion thereof. There are several types of robots including a robot which stops at the singular point, a robot which does not stop at the singular point but passes through the singular point while being operated unstably, and a robot which does not pass through the singular point but is controlled to pass near the singular point. However, in each of these robots, teaching is required to keep away from the singular point, and thus the reduction of the operation speed of the robot and the complication of the teaching are inevitable. Furthermore, in a robot having minimum degrees of freedom, the axes thereof are often fully utilized even in normal teaching, and thus a large amount of time is required for teaching.


In a clamping jig and system for inspecting spacer grids for a nuclear fuel assembly, the jig firmly and precisely clamps a variety of grids on a measurement stage moving at high speed so that, among constituent parts of the nuclear fuel assembly, the spacer grids can be inspected using a non-contact measurer. The clamping jig includes a frame having a plurality of holding recesses into which the corresponding spacer grids are inserted, supporting means mounted in each holding recess of the frame to allow each spacer grid to be adjusted from below so it can be maintained in a horizontal state, clamping means installed around each holding recess to clamp two adjacent sides of each spacer grid to a corner of the respective holding recess, and resilient means installed on the sides opposite the clamping means and resiliently supporting the other two sides of each spacer grid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a clamping jig and system for inspecting spacer grids for a nuclear fuel assembly which is capable of firmly and precisely clamping a variety of spacer grids on a measurement stage moving at high speed so that, among constituent parts of the nuclear fuel assembly, the spacer grids can be inspected using a non-contact measurer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, spacer grids used to support and fix fuel rods are interwoven grid straps having springs and dimples in rows and columns, and are welded at the intersections of the grid straps.
In spacer grids that are currently in use, inner and outer grid straps are arranged in rows and columns to form cells which accept fuel rods, and the arranged grid straps are fused by laser welding or brazing. Each cell of the spacer grid includes springs and dimples formed on its faces to support a fuel rod. Positions and shapes of the springs and dimples have a great influence on the performance of nuclear fuel rod assembly.
Currently, at least 20 types of spacer grids are produced, depending on the type of nuclear reactor core, the method of fusion of the spacer grid, and the function of the spacer grid. In the process of producing the spacer grid, the dimension and shape of the spring and dimple of the spacer grid can vary as a result of external impact and/or high temperatures generated by grid strap fusion. To determine if undesirable variations have occurred, the spacer grid must be inspected.
To inspect the spacer grid, the verticality of the dimple and a distance between the dimple and the spring are measured using a non-contact, three-dimensional inspection system. Here, a jig capable of firmly clamping the spacer grid is required. Existing jigs, however, can clamp only a specific type or size of spacer grid. Thus, only one spacer grid can be mounted and measured at a time, and therefore, it is impossible to avoid costly extended inspection time and reduced inspection efficiency.

Clamping jig and system for measuring spacer grids for nuclear fuel assembly


A resealable vial featuring a fluid access device having a membrane for selectively opening or sealing a fluid passageway between the bottle and the fluid access device. The vial includes a body disposed on said bottle. The fluid access device can be configured as a spike assembly, a needle assembly, or a luer lock assembly, and features a hollowed rod in sliding, fluid-tight relation to an orifice defined by the body. A membrane, preferably formed from an elastomeric material, is secured across both the orifice and the open top of the bottle, and may be retained between the top surface of the bottle and the body. The membrane preferably includes a central area sealing the orifice from the open top of the bottle, with one or more fluid passages defined on a portion of the membrane outside of the central area. A force exerted upon the hollowed rod deflects the membrane towards the interior of the vial, urging the membrane and fluid openings away from the body to open the fluid path between the bottle and the orifice. A sealing rib may be provided around the portion of the periphery of the recess for sealing contact between the central area of the membrane and the orifice.

Dry drugs such as powdered or lyophilized drugs are typically stored in sealed bottles or vials. In practice, the drug is accessed shortly prior to use by rupturing or piercing the seal provided on the vial. A solvent solution such as saline is then introduced into the vial to reconstitute the powdered or lyophilized drug. Once reconstituted, the drug solution is extracted from the vial for use.
Some prior art vials of powdered or lyophilized drugs include a pierceable membrane secured across the open top of the prior art vial. The membrane is normally pierced by a needle in communication with the solvent. However, care must be taken to avoid the separation of membrane fragments when the seal is pierced, as these may be accidentally delivered to the patient. These seals typically must be pierced each time access to the solvent is desired, heightening the problems associated therewith.
Other prior art vials include rubber stoppers that are removed from or urged into the vial when delivering the solvent for reconstituting the drug. While in general these assemblies work well to safely store a lyophilized drug prior to reconstitution and use, the stoppers normally cannot be accessed once they have fallen into the vial; hence, these vials normally cannot be resealed employing the stopper originally provided. This may be problematic, for instance, where a practitioner may not desire or need to administer the entire dose of reconstituted drug held in the vial; the vial would typically need to be resealed against the ambient environment to preserve the sterility of the drug remaining in the vial. Thus, the structure of these prior art vials is not readily adapted to a vial capable of repeated opening and closing.
Stoppers are normally formulated from materials selected for compatibility with the drug stored in the vial. Hence, the stoppers typically pose no harm to the safety of the drug, whether lyophilized or reconstituted. However, the appearance of a stopper within the interior of the vial often leads to the perception--however flawed--that the drug will be adversely affected by the presence of the stopper. There may also be a perception that the presence of the stopper within the vial impedes good flow of the drug solution.

Vial with resealable connector assembly having a membrane and a multi-configuration fluid access device


A portable object prepared by casting a substantially transparent, water insoluble, chemically setting plastic into a shaped mold. While in the liquid state, items of the following types are embedded: mummified tissue from a deceased or living biological subject, an epitaph, memorabilia, and a label describing the biological content and purpose of the tissue. The four types of embedded items enclosed together in a single object accord with the definition of a tomb. Mummified tissue protected from water, air, illumination, and bacterial action preserve the genome of the subject and provide a potential for resurrection of a biological subject by anticipating future innovation in genetic engineering and somatic cell cloning. Portable tombs may be prepared ante mortem as well as post mortem. Multiple equivalent tombs may be made for one individual. Multiple individuals may be entombed in a single portable object. A portable tomb consumes no land, makes visitation travel unnecessary, and may multiply entomb a single individual, or singly entomb multiple individuals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable tomb containing: mummified tissue with DNA of a deceased in expectation of future resurrection, an epitaph, various memorabilia, and a label; all memorializing the dead.
2. Description of Prior Art
The conceptual prototype of a tomb is the Egyptian pyramid. A pyramid is a large above ground historical structure which contains: mummified remains of a deceased in a sarcophagus; epitaphs identifying and memorializing the dead; memorabilia (objects of value) pertaining to the life history of the deceased; and objects and information pertaining to the continuation of life in some form. Pyramids are singular, large, and immobile. The present invention corrects all these features.
Throughout recorded history, humans have established graves or mausoleums to entomb remains of a deceased. The tomb is marked with an epitaph on a tombstone identifying the deceased. In most cultures grave markers and tombstones are used to memorialize the deceased. Usually relics from the deceased's life are entombed. Implicitly such practice reflects a belief in an afterlife or resurrection of the dead. The permanence of tombs and grave markers addresses and comforts the family by permanence of the structure symbolizing an everlasting life. It confirms feeling for the continuity of life. In Christian liturgy the "dead shall rise from the grave, and the sea shall give up its dead" confirms the idea of physical resurrection from remains.
Corpses are bulky. Disposition of the dead by burial is customary presumably in the interest of sanitation. Burial sites are immobile. Increasing cost of preservation, decreasing availability of burial land, and population mobility exert new pressures on burial practice. Systematic reduction of burial mass has evolved.
Most commonly, cremation and preservation of only part of the deceased has gained in popularity. The resultant reduction in size of mortal remains is farther augmented by burial at sea, or scattering in sentimental sites, on public or private land. Although long and widely practiced the entire prior art pertaining to cremation is not relevant to the purposes of the portable tomb. In cremation the mineral remains cannot be biologically identified with the deceased person. Contemporary scientific belief is that the complete and unique biological specification of an individual is embodied in cellular DNA, principally as the genome. In consequence, only this portion is sufficient for biological resurrection. The concept of resurrection becomes anomalous. Systematic preservation of the cytological and genetic components avoids this anomaly to preserve biological identity.
Reduction of mass has been accomplished by preserving only part of the body. Preservation of partial mortal remains has been practised in various forms by different cultures as in head hunting, scalping, collecting ears, locks of hair. In non-human species taxidermy is the practice of preserving hides, heads, and other portions of a deceased. Tissue from a deceased has been preserved post mortem for non-memorial purpose: in paraffined tissue blocks used for autopsy and histopathology purposes, museum specimens, historical pickled brain collections, Galileo's dried finger, and John Dalton's eyes. Many of these practices involve drying. The remains are kept in ordinary environments. In some instances such tissue specimens have been analysed for genetic (DNA) sequences unique to the deceased. In no instance was preservation of a deceased intended to address the possibility that biological resurrection may be accomplished through future techniques in somatic cell cloning. Appropriate genetic engineering technology will most certainly evolve in the next milennium.
The reduction of mass in cremation permits funerary urns and cremation caskets, to be less than one cubic foot in size. U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,603 Schorman describes a box sized plastic container, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,499 Jackson a specially shaped urn with a second compartment for memorabilia or flowers. These were intended to be interred in graves with customary, bulky grave markers. Many ash containers are placed in columbaria above ground also of monument size and form. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,595 Yamagata proposes a building sized electronically controlled display of multiple urns and associated religious and identifying information to be called up electronically during religious visitation. While such use is individualized and more mobile than outdoor columbaria the installation does not capitalize on portablility and remains are mineralized. Animal cinerary urns are sometimes kept in the home. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,174 Hereford describes an extreme reduction in storage volume of ashes in a design of a jewelry container to be worn as a kind of amulet. In Asia, urns are commonly kept in special sites in the household or in temples. While cremating reduces the mass of the deceased remains permitting portability, biological identity is lost. An alternative to cremation is mummification in which water and other volatiles constituting about 70 percent of the body mass are removed. Protected from water such remains remain recognizable for centuries. Mummification processes occur in nature in the high desert and in arid regions. Techniques like those of Egypt and Inca are not well documented to serve as prior art. Analysable and unique DNA suitable for study of evolutionary genetics of insect species have been recovered from paleolithic amber. Dessication by various methods is the basic process for preserving tissue for study in molecular biology and genetics. In funerary practice U.S. Pat. No. 397,379 Meyers dries a corpse by sealing the casket and pumping dry air through it. Improved dessication by including chemical desiccants in the coffin is proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,252,090 Clayton, and 1,120,336 Schnee and Riley. Mummification before interment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,088,977 Fratarcangeli in which the corpse is immersed in alcohol and turpentine followed by sun drying. Dry chemical desiccants used are calcium oxide in U.S. Pat. No. 1,120,336, and anhydrous calcium sulfate in U.S. Pat. No. 1,252,090. All these methods deal with the entire corpse perhaps with viscera removed. There is reduction in weight but not greatly in size because of the skeletal structure. The present invention however combines preservation of biological uniqueness of the deceased and a potential for resurrection by storing an antiseptically dried sample of whole nucleated cells containing both nuclear and cytoplasmic DNA as well as other components related to the genetic identity of the deceased. This is accomplished in a sample of small weight of gram or milligram size. Multiple aliquots of tissue from a single subject may be prepared and stored separately. The proposed method for preserving the dead rests upon contemporary understanding of the significance and form of the genetic DNA code.
Preservation by cryogenic (freezing) is proposed. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,712 Pauliukonis describes freezing the whole corpse in liquid nitrogen and preserving it intact in the frozen state. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,091 Backman, describes freezing remains in liquid nitrogen and crushing the remains while in the frozen state followed by drying. There is significant reduction in mass. Freeze drying relates to expectation of unspecified future scientific advances. Cryogenic establishments are immobile, few, and expensive.
Preservation of remains for museum and funerary practice resemble laboratory formulation in clinical microscopy. These chemical treatments are intended to prevent decay and preserve cytological detail. U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,106,261 Weidmann, 5,350,670 Yeh, and 5,405,606, 5,607,668, and 5,662,695 Campbell are typical formulations under patent. These propose advantages in preserving appearance of the deceased, better infiltration, research utility or safety for mortuary workers. The formulations are generally bactericidal and precipitate tissue protein.
U.S. Pat. No. 748,284 Karwowski describes a method for preserving the dead by embedding the fully clothed corpse or head in a solid block of glass. Said object is available for display and not entombed. Since it was patented in 1903 it can have no relevance to the problem of resurrection through DNA or somatic cell cloning, nor does it reduce mass or increase portability.
Physical association and preservation of mementoes of the social being are the usual addition to remains in burial practice. As in the case of the pyramid, these account for most of the immobility of tombs. Grave markers generally document and preserve information about the social position, religion, and environment of the deceased. The grave marker art addresses cost, appearance, permanence, lighting, and maintenance. In the context of a portable tomb there is little in prior art that is relevant except as they refer to physical materials used, or kind of memorabilia contained in the grave marker. Representative innovations include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,076 to Splendora discloses a grave marker molded from transparent plastic material, specifically methyl-metacrylate. Personal or written items are to be embedded in the material. The plastic may be formed into three dimensional shapes indicative of significant aspects of the decedent's life. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,472 to Svenssen discloses a material for lighter weight fixed grave marker to replace wood in longevity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,940 to McBrayer discloses a monument marker formed with a clear plastic outer laminate and an inner concrete core. Its significance lies primarily in the use of plastic to increase durabilty of the marker and protects markers from vandalism and removal. The three patents refer to gravemarkers affixed to the gravesite. Reference to weight of marker material is not directed at portability.
In addition to the usual epitaph a wider class of memorabilia is associated with the gravemarker in several U.S. Patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,109 to Narita discloses a plastic ornament which is fixed to tombstone or burial monument. The ornament is transparent and is sealed to the monument to protect a photograph, document, or other memento of the deceased. Both Narita and Splendora through use of plastic make mementoes accessible for the benefit of visitation. Their procedure affixes memorabilia to grave marker to make them accessible at visitation. Their disclosures do not alter the fixed site property of the tomb. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,816 to Arcadia discloses an illuminated and rechargeable light source in a grave marker to light fixed grave markers and local graveyard area at night. U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,170 to Plamp discloses another illuminated memorial. The Plamp memorial provides illuminated grave markers with photovoltaic power to recharge batteries for the light power. Thus Plamp extends Arcadia. Both Arcadia and Plamp provide site illumination for visitation use. Such illumination is not pertinent to portability or memorabilia of the deceased.
Several patents disclose extension of grave marker construction to include electrically powered devices to include non-visual memorabilia. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,343 to Boggio discloses and claim an audio system within a marker such as a gravestone or tombstone. The Boggio audio system uses photovoltaic power and semiconductor electronics to recover digitally stored audio information. The addition of an electronically active memento simply extends the definition of funerary objects comprising contents of a tomb to contemporary technology. As described it adds to the mass of a fixed grave marker. These inventions simply extend the class of memorabilia to include electronic devices and do not imply or specify either portability or resurrection potential.
Patented modification of traditional grave markers do not address the modern problems of shortage of graveyard space, the requirement for a fixed location. Use of lighter materials were undertaken to prevent vandalism, increase durability, improve visitation, and visualization of memorabilia.

Portable tomb for resurrection from mummified tissue DNA

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A sensor system, method, and computer program product for determining physical characteristics of individual plants within a row located in an agricultural environment is provided. Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, a sensor assembly including a plurality of emitters and a corresponding plurality of receivers disposed substantially opposite one another such that the receivers may receive a plurality of signals emitted by said emitters to generate a binary profile image of each plant within a row of plants positioned along a row axis. Embodiments of the present invention also include supplementary sensors for determining other plant characteristics including leaf pattern and plant location along the row axis. The method and computer program product embodiments of the present invention may also differentiate selected plants of interest from invasive or weed species using the outputs of the sensor device of the present invention.

Farmers and agricultural researchers have, for many years, developed various tools, devices, and methods for identifying and controlling native weeds, invasive plant species, and/or other plants that may interfere or hinder the growth or harvest of a crop (such as maize) in an agricultural plot. There has also been interest in accurately measuring and tracking the expression of genetics as physical traits (or phenotypes) of plants that have been bred for uniformity, yield, increased biomass, and other quantifiable physical traits. The accurate measurement and/or identification of plant phenotypes in an agricultural environment is crucial for providing the foundation for new agricultural methods such as, for example, automated weed control, the tracking of genotype expression in vivo and other automated agricultural techniques.
Furthermore, some research has been directed towards controlling weeds using automated physical means without the use of chemicals and/or herbicidal agents. However, such automated physical means for controlling weeds require the accurate identification and classification of crop plants and of weed plants that should be targeted by the weed control activity. Some sensor systems have been proposed for imaging useful plant species using spectral cameras either alone or in combination with geometric signatures obtained from alternate camera devices. Other proposed systems utilize high-resolution 3-D cameras to image plants in the field. However, these solutions are not practical due to the lack of market availability for high-resolution and reliable camera systems that may stand up to the rigors of use in a working agricultural environment. Industrial light curtains have been developed and used extensively in industrial environments, providing arrays of emitters for emitting light beams towards corresponding receiver elements that surround industrial equipment that may be hazardous while running. In use, these systems automatically shut off power to the industrial equipment for safety when the light beams are broken by an intervening object. While such light curtains are durable and might be suited for collecting lateral plant profile and height information, they have not yet been successfully utilized in conjunction with a computer device for generating imagery and complex plant characteristic data sets for identifying and classifying crop plants such as maize. Furthermore, light curtain technology has not been successfully integrated with spectral imaging technology to form a durable and reliable sensor assembly with a computer device capable of providing a plant characteristic data set having sufficient detail and accuracy for identifying plants of interest and differentiating such plants of interest from native weeds or other plants. Furthermore, plant characteristic data from redundant data sources (such as multiple light curtains and supplementary cameras, distance sensors, location sensors) has not been collected in a working agricultural environment and integrated to allow for the automated detection, identification, and cataloging of plants of interest, such as maize plants being cultivated in a field.
Thus in order to facilitate an economical, reliable, and accurate system for automating the collection of phenotypic plant data for research purposes and/or for crop vs. weed differentiation, there is a need in the art for a sensor system, method, and computer program product that allows for the collection of plant characteristic (phenotypic) data from a number of sensors and/or measurement devices and a system that effectively integrates such data into a comprehensive plant characteristic data set. Furthermore, there exists a need for a sensor assembly that is reliably operable in a variety of agricultural environments that may be obscured by dust, moisture, bright sunlight, subject to extreme temperatures. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a sensor assembly with a high-throughput capability that is capable of scanning a large number of plants as the assembly is advanced along a row of plants being cultivated in an agricultural environment. There further exists a need for a system and/or method for scanning plants that may be cultivated in a greenhouse and/or laboratory operation in pots, trays, or other containers that may be conveyed to and from scanning sensors fixed in a static position.

Sensor system, method, and computer program product for plant phenotype measurement in agricultural environments


A plasma etching method using a Faraday cage, which effectively produces a blazed grating pattern.

Conventional methods for forming a blazed grating pattern on a substrate include a method of forming a groove having a specific shape on the surface of a substrate by direct machining and a method of forming a linear sawtooth grating on a substrate having a photoresist pattern formed thereon by using an ion beam etching system.
However, it is difficult to form a pattern having a precise structure using the method of forming the pattern by machining, and it is difficult to form a blazed grating pattern having a desired shape at a specific position on the substrate using the method of forming the pattern using ion beam etching.
Meanwhile, there is also a method of replicating a pattern using a mold provided with a blazed grating pattern. However, it is difficult for a user to produce a pattern by controlling a desired position and shape using a mold provided with a predetermined pattern.
Therefore, there is a need for a technique capable of easily forming a blazed grating pattern on a substrate.

Plasma etching method using faraday cage


A magnetic recording medium excellent in electromagnetic properties is disclosed, which comprises a non-magnetic support and at least two magnetic layers formed thereon, each of which is mainly composed of a magnetic substance and a binder, in which a first magnetic layer (a lower layer) has a coercive force of 450 to 660 Oe, a residual magnetic flux density (Br) of 1,950 gausses or more and a thickness of 1.5 to 5 .mu.m, a second magnetic layer (an upper layer) has a coercive force of 700 to 900 Oe, a residual magnetic flux density of 1,500 gausses or more and a thickness of 1.5 to 3 .mu.m, the difference in coercive force between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer is 150 to less than 300 Oe, the difference in residual magnetic flux density between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer is within 600 gausses, and the total thickness of magnetic layers on the non-magnetic support is 3 to 7 .mu.m.

It is a conventional technique to use plural magnetic layers in order to improve the electromagnetic properties of magnetic recording media. The plural magnetic layers make it possible to differentiate the coercive force, the residual magnetic flux density and the magnetic particle size (represented by the crystallite size or the specific surface area) of the upper magnetic layer from those of the lower magnetic layer. The electromagnetic properties can therefore be enhanced by an improvement in outputs over a wide frequency range.
In recent years, audio cassette tapes have also under gone remarkable development with one object being to increase the densification thereof. Also, many proposals have been advanced with objects being to equalize the outputs over the wide frequency range by using the plural magnetic layers as described above and aiming at attaining higher sound quality. For example, these proposals are disclosed in JP-B-37-2218 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), JP-B-40-5351, JP-B-54-8286, JP-B-52-28364, JP-B-58-100, JP-A-58-56230 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,311.
Recently, 160% bias high position audio cassette tapes have attained commercial acceptance along side the conventional 100% bias normal position tapes. Examples of the former are disclosed in JP-A-58-56228, JP-A-54-21304, JP-A-54-48504, JP-A-57-33435 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,046. In these references, tape features are described such as the coercive force, the magnetic particle specific surface area and the residual magnetic flux density of a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer. Also, many descriptions therein are directed to the enlargement of the dynamic range of high and low tones. These references also include an improvement of a so-called slump in a middle tone range. However, it has become clear that these manipulations alone are insufficient to achieve high sound quality and are utterly insufficient in MOL characteristic at 10 kHz for so-called 3-head decks.
Specifically, JP-A-54-48504 proposes a magnetic recording medium comprising a second magnetic layer having a coercive force of 590 to 800 Oe and a residual magnetic flux density of 1,200 gausses or more, and a first layer having a coercive force of 400 to 560 Oe, but the residual magnetic flux density is not described for the first layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,453 further proposes a magnetic recording medium comprising a second magnetic layer having a coercive force of 590 to 800 Oe and a thickness of 2.1 .mu.m or more, and a first magnetic layer having a coercive force of 400 to 590 Oe and a thickness of 2.1 to 2.8 .mu.m.
In the above-described prior art approaches, the coercive force of the upper and lower layers could be differentiated only to a limited degree to improve a drop, the so-called slump, in frequency characteristics in the middle tone range, which causes the restriction on the enlargement of the dynamic range of high and low tones. Further, in a so-called 3-head recording deck in which recording heads are independently arranged, it was discovered that the MOL characteristic at 10 kHz was dramatically reduced with decreasing thickness of the second layer. This phenomenon is shown in FIG. 5. In a 2-head recording deck, the tendency of the MOL characteristic at 10 kHz to be reduced was not observed. However, in the 3-head recording deck, it was ascertained that the thin second magnetic layer reduced the MOL characteristic at 10 kHz, which resulted in deterioration in sound quality. The present inventors have conducted intensive studies in an effort to solve the problems of slump in the middle tone range and reduction in MOL characteristic at 10 kHz.


A reinforcing bar trussing member for maintaining at least two reinforcing bars in a spaced relationship. The reinforcing bar trussing member has an elongate member having at least two opposite ends. Hooks for receiving a portion of the reinforcing bars are preformed at each of the ends of the elongate member. The hooks are deformable to hold the reinforcing bars therein.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed toward reinforcing structures for reinforcing concrete moldings and more particularly toward a trussing member for constructing three-dimensional re-mesh structures and a method of building such three-dimensional re-mesh structure.
2. Background Art
The use of trussing members for connecting reinforcing bars is known in the reinforced concrete art. One reinforcing structure incorporating trussing members is known as "MEDICO" produced by Metal Steel Products, Co. The MEDICO structure is a "girder type" reinforcement structure formed by welding an undulating "saw tooth" bar between parallel spaced apart bars at the peak of each saw tooth undulation.
Such structures have numerous shortcomings. First, because the truss members (i.e., the undulating bar) are welded to the parallel spaced apart reinforcing bars, the structure cannot be easily altered in the field. Second, such structures are bulky and relatively difficult to store and transport because they cannot be readily bent or rolled. Lastly, such structures have limited utility in that they are not suitable for use in many three-dimensional concrete moldings because they provide little reinforcing normal to the plane of parallel spaced apart bars.
It is also know in the art to build three-dimensional re-mesh structures by welding diagonally extending "trusses" or wires between parallel, spaced apart re-mesh or welded wire fabric sheets. Once example of such a structure is used in the "Insteel 3-D.TM. panel" manufactured by Insteel Construction System, Inc. of Brunswick, Ga. In this structure, "truss" bars or wires extend diagonally between parallel wires of the spaced apart re-mesh sheets in the plane defined by the parallel wires of the spaced apart re-mesh sheets. The "truss" wires angularly diverge from each other to form truss-like connections between the re-mesh sheets.
Structures of this type are used principally as a reinforcing frame for wall panels such as the "Insteel 3-D.TM. panel", and as two layer reinforcing for concrete slabs.
These three-dimensional re-mesh structures have a distinct advantage over the "girder type" reinforcing structures discussed above in that they provide three-dimensional reinforcing. However, these three-dimensional structures also have problems similar to the "girder type" reinforcing structures. For example, the three-dimensional structures cannot easily be altered in the field, they are bulky and they are difficult to transport. In addition, these three-dimensional structures require special care in storing to avoid deforming the structure.
Another embodiment of three-dimensional re-mesh structures known in the art employs an undulating "saw tooth" reinforcing wire welded to parallel but laterally off-set wires of parallel, spaced apart re-mesh sheets. Adjacent undulating reinforcing wires are both welded at their peaks to the same reinforcing wire of the top re-mesh sheet. The undulating reinforcing wires diverge from this top sheet and are welded to wires of the subjacent re-mesh sheet that are adjacent to each other and laterally off-set from the reinforcing wire of the top sheet. This structure may be used in the same manner as three-dimensional structures discussed above.
This structure has an advantage over the structures shown in the "Insteel 3-D.TM. panel" in that it provides a greater ability to resist forces normal to the plane of the re-mesh sheets; however, it has the same storage and handling problems.
The present invention is directed towards overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

Reinforcement bar trussing structure and method of making the same


A cap member of a swing arm for a rear wheel of a vehicle can be structured to provide an excellent outer appearance to the swing arm and to increase strength and be made thinner. The cap member to be attached to a rear end of the swing arm supporting the rear wheel of the vehicle is formed with a rounded outer surface shape which is approximately continuously connected to an outer surface shape of the swing arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap member of a swing arm for a rear wheel of a motorcycle or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A motorcycle is structured such that a swing arm for a rear wheel is supported on a vehicle body frame so as to freely oscillate in a vertical direction, the rear wheel is rotatably supported on a rear end of the swing arm, a drive chain is wound around a drive sprocket coaxially attached to the rear wheel, whereby a driving force is transmitted to the rear wheel.
As shown in FIG. 11, an adjuster 101 for a drive chain of a rear wheel of a vehicle is inserted to a rear end inner portion of a swing arm 100 for the rear wheel, and a cap member 102 for closing a rear end opening of the swing arm 100 is attached thereto. The adjuster 101 is structured such that a rear axle 103 for the rear wheel passes therethrough, an adjusting bolt 104 of the adjuster is protruded to a rear side of the swing arm 100. The adjusting bolt 104 protrudes from the swing arm 100 through the cap member 102. The cap member 102 is formed in a flat plate shape, and receives an adjusting nut 105 engaged with the adjusting bolt 104 by a rear end surface so as to support the adjuster 101. A tension of the drive chain is adjusted by screwing the adjusting nut 105 forward or backward and executing fine adjustment of a longitudinal position of the adjuster 101.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 64-37794 also discloses an adjuster for a drive chain which is approximately similar to the one shown in FIG. 11.
In this structure, it is necessary that the cap member 102 be provided with a certain degree of rigidity for receiving a load from the rear axle side via the adjuster 101. Accordingly, the cap member 102 has a certain degree of thickness, and has a great weight in spite of being a simple part.
Further, since the swing arm 100 to which the cap member 102 is attached is formed such that its rear end is cut by a flat surface, and gives an impression that it breaks in the middle, it is hard to say that the swing arm 100 has an excellent outer appearance.


Disclosed are solid or semisolid compositions the including finely divided particles and a water-soluble matrix that dissolves and disperses the particles when in contact with water. Also disclosed are kits for reducing and/or inhibiting odor formation on garment. The kit include one or more containers, wherein at least one of the one or more container includes solid or semisolid compositions the including finely divided particles and a water-soluble matrix that dissolves and disperses the particles when in contact with water. An edible silver delivery system including the compositions is disclosed as are methods of delivering silver to a subject in need thereof.

Finely divided particles, for example sub-micron particles, including nanoparticles, and colloids are very small particles generally with a particle size typically in the range of 1 nm to 1000 nm. Due to their tiny size, finely divided particles have many unique and special properties/features related to their tiny size, and more specifically to their surface/volume relationship. Examples include catalytic properties, optical properties, mechanical properties, electrical properties, magnetic properties, and antimicrobial properties, among others. A colloid is typically thought of as any particles substantially larger than atoms or ordinary molecules but too small to be visible to the unaided eye and having at least one dimension in this general size range, which encompasses about 10-7 to 10-3 cm. (1-1000 nm). A dispersion of finely divided particles, such as a colloidal dispersion, is a mixture in which one substance of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another continuous phase substance, such as an aqueous environment.
In many cases, the utilization finely divided particles (e.g. colloidal particles and/or nanoparticles) in products and devices relies on the ability to controllably disperse these particles in relevant media, such as an aqueous environment within the system and to maintain this dispersion during and after product manufacturing. This task can prove to be quite challenging due to the intrinsic stability, or more specifically lack thereof, of the particles that want to aggregate, agglomerate, precipitate, or otherwise degrade over time due to intermolecular forces and a driving force to reduce surface energy within the system.
There have been significant numbers of reports that have focused on methods of liquid dispersion of finely divided particles. These include the use of steric repulsion and charge repulsion via stabilizers that are compatible with the system (see, for example, FIGS. 1A-1C). One approach to producing stable particle dispersion is to actually produce the particles via chemical reaction within the solvent system of choice using selected stabilizers and ligands. For example, metal particles can be produced via the chemical reduction of metal salt precursors in the presence of coordinating ligands in aqueous or organic solvents. Other approaches for chemical modification of particles have been widely reported in the literature.
While many of these approaches have worked for specific systems to disperse the particles in liquid formulations at the point of use, in many cases there remain significant challenges to maintain this dispersion so that the particles can be shipped to, and incorporated into, products at different production facilities, especially when used at higher concentrations. As an example, if an aqueous solution freezes or is subjected to extreme heat, the finely divided particles can become unstable and will not redisperse. Further, the transportation and handling of liquid solutions of the finely divided particles may require additional safety precautions and, in many cases, separate shipping containers.

Water-soluble solid or semi-solid dispersion of particles


An adjustable length orthopedic device and system. According to one embodiment, the adjustable length orthopedic device or system comprises an elongated shaft with a longitudinal axis, and an adjustable portion extending from a proximal end of the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis. The adjustable length orthopedic device further comprises at least one hole in a distal end portion of the device, where the hole is adapted for insertion of a pin through the device and into the bone in order to anchor the device to the bone. According to another embodiment is a lag screw extending from a proximal end of the elongated shaft at an angle oblique to the longitudinal axis, the lag screw comprising a lag screw shaft segment, and an adjustable segment that extends from the proximal end of the shaft segment. According to another embodiment is an adjustable length locking screw.

1. Field of the Invention
The present specification relates to an orthopedic device, and, more specifically, to an adjustable length orthopedic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The intramedullary rod or nail ("IMR" or "IMN"), also known as Küntscher nail, is a rod placed into the medullary cavity of a bone. These rods have been used to treat fractures of long bones of the body, including the tibia, femur, humerus, and others. IMNs result in earlier return to activity and are "load-sharing" which helps a person place weight on the affected extremity sooner.
The intramedullary nail was initially used by Küntscher in 1939 for use in soldiers in World War II. His design consisted of a long, slender metal cylinder with an open, "cloverleaf" profile. When inserted in medullary canal of a fractured long bone, the nail was then responsible for all load-bearing in the bone as well as stabilizing the fracture site during healing. While innovative, this nail's open profile meant it had very little torsional stability, and a lack of locking screws meant the bone fractures and the nail could move relative to each other and disrupt healing. Since then, the IM nail has undergone radical changes to make it stronger and more stable inside the bone. Contemporary nails now have a closed, cylindrical cross-section and holes for locking screws on the proximal and distal ends of the nail. Patients who receive an IM nail can regain normal use of their limb within 1-2 weeks. The procedure of implanting the nail is minimally invasive and the infection rate is extremely low.
An additional application of the IM nail is to lengthen children's limbs in cases of limb-length discrepency. In these cases, the nails only extend and are not intended to be used with a fractured long bone.
Currently available IM nails are much stronger (in bending stiffness) than the intact bone. Given that bone remodels in response to load, with fundamentally stronger nail inserted, the surrounding bone will decrease its own strength accordingly. Another issue is failure of the locking screws due to repeated concentrated stresses on the screws. Further, because of human size variability there are differences in the length (and width) of the nails which typically requires the stocking of multiple length nails and may require left and right sided devices as well. Since bone length varies with the individual, surgery centers must currently keep an inventory of over 100 different sizes of the same IM nail (see TABLE 1). Furthermore, the sizes are discrete (not continuous), which makes the fit approximate for a substantial proportion of the population. This problem is also manifested in the operating room, when the surgeon must a priori select one nail from inventory for implantation; if the measurement is inaccurate (perhaps due to a highly comminuted fracture), the originally-selected nail must be discarded, creating waste. Post-operative complications of inserting an incorrectly-sized implant include fracture at the time of surgery or insufficient fixation.
TABLE 1Example Dimensions for Tibial NailsMinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumNumberLengthLengthDiameterDiameterof NailNail(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm)SizesM/DN Tibial180460615127Nail(Zimmer)Expert Tibial25545081398Nail (Synthes)Phoenix2404207.513.595Tibial Nail(Biomet)T2 Tibial Nail24042091591(Stryker)ALOD25042010101(exampledimensions)
Recent advances have modified the conventional nail to change its diameter to fit differently sized medullary canals, yet no reports exist of an IM nail that is adjustable in length. The practical significance of creating a functional intramedullary nail that can adjust its length to match the lengths offered by currently used nails is that surgery centers will reduce their inventory and manufacturers will see decreased production costs. With the ALOD, inventory would be reduced.
Lag and locking screws are frequently used in fracture fixation and other orthopedic surgeries. Like the IMNs, these are manufactured in an array of discrete sizes, which may not be appropriate for any given patient. If the screws used are improperly-sized for the application, there can be intra-operative and post-operative complications. Using a screw that is too long can interfere with tendon gliding if the distal end of the screw exits the cortex; using a screw that is too short can create inadequate purchase into the cortex and thus not have sufficient structural integrity for healing. In either case, additional surgeries may be required to remedy.
Accordingly, there is a continued need for fracture fixation devices that can be easily customized to give a patient-specific fit during orthopedic surgery.


A microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin useful in the prepration of filter mediums or non-aqueous battery separators and a process for producing the film are disclosed. The microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin contains leaf vein-like fibrils as a main constituent on each of which fibrils indeterminate-form crystallites of not more than 1 .mu.m in size flocculate and has an intrinsic viscosity, .eta.!, of 4 dl/g or more and, preferably, has:. (a) a void content of 25% or more; PA1 (b) a gas permeability of 1900 sec/100 cc or less; PA1 (c) a tensile strength of 0.05 GPa or more; and PA1 (d) a gas impermeability-acquiring temperature of 140.degree. C. or lower. The microporous film is produced by subjecting a high molecular weight, biaxially oriented polyolefin film of 60% or more in crystallinity to a heat treatment and, if necessary, to a stretch treatment to thereby melt or dissolve the indeterminate-form portion of the film, then crystallizing it onto the fibrils as crystallites.

This invention relates to a microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin useful in the preparation of filter mediums or non-aqueous battery separators and to a process for producing the film. More particularly, it relates to a microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin, which contains vein-like fibrils as a main constituent on each of which fibrils crystallites flocculate and to a process for producing the microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin, which comprises subjecting a gas-impermeable film to a heat treatment and, if necessary, to a stretch treatment to thereby render the film microporous.
Many processes for producing microporous films of high molecular weight polyolefins have so far been proposed as can be seen in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. 6-53826, 6-2841 and 7-17782.
According to these processes, microporous films are produced by adding a plasticizer composed of a low molecular weight compound such as a hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., decane, dodecane, decalin, paraffin oil or mineral oil), a fatty acid or its aliphatic hydrocarbon derivative (e.g., a fatty acid ester or an aliphatic alcohol), a paraffin wax, or dioctyl phthalate or dibutyl sebacate to a high molecular weight polyolefin forming the mixture into a film, then removing said low molecular weight compound from the film.
Further, according to the processes proposed by Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. 6-53826 and 6-2841, the film from which the low molecular compound has been removed is stretched.
However, the microporous films produced by Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. 6-53826 and 6-2841 undergo closing of the micropores only when heated up to a temperature of about the melting point of the film (poor closing properties) or, in some cases, the micropores do not disappear at a temperature lower than the melting point.
As a process for improving the closing properties, there have been proposed, for example, a microporous film produced by using a composition having a wide molecular weight distribution prepared by adding, to an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, a polyethylene having a molecular weight lower than that of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-105851) and a process of melt stretching (draft) a composition of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and a plasticizer into a film.
The microporous film disclosed by Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-17782, however, has a poor strength in comprarison with other microporous films obtained by the aforesaid processes due to not having been stretched, though it undergoes closing of micropores when heated to a temperature lower than its melting point. In addition, the microporous film obtained by the process disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-105851 has a similarly poor strength due to the presence of a large quantity of low molecular weight polyethylene and, in some uses, might be broken.
On the other hand, as a process for producing a microporous film without adding any low molecular weight compound, there have been proposed processes described in Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. 6-18915 and 2-19141. These processes include stretching of film to render it microporous as a necessary step, and use a polyethylene having a molecular weight as low as 0.2 to 20 g/10 min in terms of MFR, thus providing microporous films having a tensile strength of up to 0.02 GPa or, at the highest, 0.03 GPa which limits the industrial use thereof.
As a result of various investigations to obtain a microporous film having a high strength without adding any low molecular weight compound which serves to render the film microporous but requires a subsequent step of removing itself from the formed film, the inventors have found that a microporous film obtained by subjecting a specific high molecular weight polyolefin film to a heat treatment and, if necessary, a stretch treatment posesses enough high strength and closing properties, thus having achieved the present invention.

Microporous film of high molecular weight polyolefin and process for producing same


An upper cross-sectional part for a telescopic part of a crane comprises a central flat cross-sectional element and, connected to the central flat cross-sectional element on each side thereof, a first outwardly curved cross-sectional element; a second flat cross-sectional element; a second outwardly curved cross-sectional element; and a third flat cross-sectional element.

During operation, telescopic crane jibs are exposed to loads which result primarily in tensile stress in the upper part of the jib cross section, i.e. roughly in the upper half of the cross-section of the telescopic part. Horizontal bending and torsion can also occur due to lateral forces (wind) and off-center loads.
The cross-sectional shape of the upper part of earlier jib sections might be characterized as semi-box shaped profiles or cross-sections as described, for example, in DE 196 24 312 A1. Upper cross-sections for jibs which are adapted in shape were then later described, for example in DE 200 04 016 U1 and in EP 1 321 425 A1. The latter upper portion cross-sections comprised a central flat cross-sectional element and other flat and outwardly curved cross-sectional elements.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cross-sectional configuration for the upper part of a telescopic crane jib which offers an optimised measure of bearing capacity as well as simplicity of manufacture.
In accordance with the invention, a cross-section for the upper part of a telescopic jib for a crane includes a central flat cross-sectional element. On each side of the central flat element there is connected in succession a first outwardly curved cross-sectional element; a second flat cross-sectional element; a second outwardly curved cross-sectional element; and a third flat cross-sectional element.
The costs of shaping telescopic parts form a substantial portion of the overall manufacturing costs for a crane, and manufacturing costs should be kept as low as possible. On the other hand, the cross-section of a jib should be able to absorb the imposed loads as well as possible. Both of these objectives are achieved with the configuration in accordance with the invention. The central flat cross-sectional element extends on both sides of the vertical longitudinal plane of the telescopic part of the crane, and the aforementioned additional cross-sectional elements are each provided on both sides of this plane. Such a cross-sectional design optimises the stability of the jib while providing also for ease in manufacturing. Using the outwardly curved cross-sectional elements and the flat cross-sectional elements in accordance with the invention creates a number of deflections within the upper part of the jib cross section which act as idealised stiffeners to counteract buckling. For luffing jib operations, however, this is also highly advantageous in pre-tensioned and/or braced jib systems, and the necessity for providing separate stiffeners to counteract buckling is minimised or completely eliminated.
In particular, providing cross-sectional elements in the numbers, shape and arrangement in accordance with the invention has the effect of providing deflections in the lateral cross-sectional parts, such that the individual lateral areas prone to buckling are more sharply delineated and the overall buckling field is reinforced unlike, for example, the relatively large and/or long individual buckling areas provided in accordance with DE 200 04 016 U1. The present invention thus increases the resistance to lateral buckling.
The outwardly curved cross-sectional elements in accordance with the invention can be configured using a single tool and in one canting process, resulting in a total of four deflections or curvatures in the upper chord (upper shell) as a whole. This leads to easier manufacturability and lower costs as compared, for example, to generation of curved elements which are expanded and connected to each other as in EP 1 321 425 A1. The flat (or planar- or linear-running) cross-sectional elements afford the option of positioning the canting tool very precisely and, thus, ensure high process reliability. The present invention, thus, achieves an optimum synthesis of manufacturing optimisation and stability optimisation.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the third flat cross-sectional element noted above runs parallel to the vertical longitudinal plane of the telescopic part of the crane and forms the lowermost or termination of the upper cross section. Due to such an arrangement, the lower end of the upper cross-section runs linearly or vertically downwards and can, therefore, easily transition into and connect to a part of the lower cross section. This also contributes to achieving an optimised ability of the jib section to absorb force at the connecting point.
Preferably, the above-described upper cross-section forms substantially the entire upper half of the telescopic part, i.e. the lower termination of the upper cross sectional part is situated substantially level with the vertical middle of the jib cross-section. This places the connecting point (welding line) substantially in the zone which remains tension-free when a load is affixed, between the tensile stress zone and the compressive stress zone (top/bottom).
Advantageously, at least one and, preferably, all of the transitions between the flat cross-sectional elements and the outwardly curved cross-sectional elements run tangentially. This avoids stress peaks at the transitions.
With respect to their length and curvature, the cross-sectional elements in accordance with the invention can satisfy one or more of the following conditions:                the first outwardly curved cross-sectional element may be longer than the second outwardly curved cross-sectional element;        the central flat cross-sectional element may be longer than the second flat cross-sectional element (as discussed herein, the "central" flat cross-sectional element can also be regarded as the "first" flat cross-sectional element);        the second flat cross-sectional element may be longer than the third flat cross-sectional element;        the first outwardly curved cross-sectional element may be outwardly curved more sharply than the second outwardly curved cross-sectional element.
Depending on the specifically desired characteristics, the length ratios and curvature ratios of the respective elements can be inverted, or identical lengths and curvatures can be provided for the respective elements. For smaller jib parts, for example, the second flat cross-sectional element might not be longer than the third flat cross-sectional element. The cross-sectional elements can be arranged, proceeding successively away from the central upper element, in precisely the order initially given above. It is also advantageous in accordance with the invention if the cross-sectional elements are arranged such that flat and curved elements alternate.
"Curvature" or "bend" as used herein mean gradual curved or arched transitions, as opposed to kinked cants or angled transitions (with and without welding seams).

Upper chord cross-section for telescopic parts of a crane