A method and apparatus for assembling personalized CDs, DVDs and other types of optical disks, magnetic media, and data storage devices into magazines, catalogs, pamphlets, and other printed products in order to enhance the amount and quality of personalization associated with the printed product includes reading and/or writing personalized information to/from a data storage device and assembling the data storage device within a printed product that is to be delivered to a particular individual. The reading and/or writing of personalized information may be directed to either digital information stored on the data storage device or to more conventional optical indicia that is printed on and/or optically scanned from the data storage device.

"Magazine" as used herein generically refers to magazines, books, catalogs, pamphlets, envelopes and other printed materials. Magazines are typically assembled through either conventional saddle stitch or perfect binding processes and it should be noted that the present invention may be used in conjunction with saddle stitch, perfect binding, and other binding methods.
Magazine printers commonly customize magazines by including particular signatures within a magazine based on known characteristics of the recipient. This type of customization is known in the print media as selective binding. Selective binding is done by selectively placing designated signatures that are stored in different hoppers along a binding line onto the binding line such that magazines are assembled using a particular set of designated signatures based on a recipient's profile.
Magazine printers now go even further in that individual magazines are produced with unique personalized information or indicia relating to the magazine's intended recipient. One of the more common ways to personalize a magazine is to have the recipient's identity and address information printed on the cover of the magazine once the magazine is assembled. Another method of personalizing magazines relates to printing personalized indicia onto one or more signatures before the signatures are assembled into respective magazines. Signatures are often personalized while they are on the binding line by using an ink jet printer positioned near the binding line. As the signatures pass the ink jet printer, personalized information or indicia is printed onto one or more of the signatures.
As the popularity of CDs has increased, magazine printers have begun inserting CDs into magazines as part of the assembly process. Therefore, it would be desirable if the CDs could be incorporated into the personalization process associated with assembling magazines.

Method and apparatus for assembling personalized electronic media into printed products


A niche-assist inurnment system for simplifying the insertion of a cremation urn into a niche in a columbarium including a bracket, for temporary attachment to the frontal surface of the open niche, the bracket having an elongated body and a load supporting upper surface that slidingly supports a sled on which the cremation urn is placed and which is adapted to carry the urn into the niche and be retracted from the niche leaving the urn inside the niche.

The dimensions of a columbarium niche are, of necessity, restricted and their openings are frequently not significantly greater than the crematory urn being deposited therein. The small clearance between the sides of the opening and the sides of the urn often cause physical and emotional distress with funeral personnel who are attempting to place the urn in the niche as a part of a solemn funeral proceeding.
It is therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple mechanism that can be quickly and temporarily attached to the columbarium niche into which the crematory urn is to be placed and by which the urn may be efficiently and unobtrusively slid into the niche on a sled that is retractable after the urn is positioned in the niche.


A display grid includes a plurality of grid positions that are presented to a game player. One or more grid positions of the plurality of grid positions are defined as termination positions. One or more wild symbols are moved to grid positions proximate the grid positions associated with the one or more wild symbols using a random process. Winning results are determined using a pay table, based on both the one or more wild symbols and the symbols presented at the grid positions not associated with the one or more wild symbols after a spin. Random movement of the one or more wild symbols to grid positions proximate the grid positions associated with the one or more wild symbols is repeated until the one or more (or all) wild symbols move to the termination positions.

Gaming devices such as slot machines have been in use in the U.S. for over a century. Notwithstanding the similarity of the symbols and reels associated with the slot machines of both today and yesteryear, modern day slot machine implementations are markedly different than their mechanical ancestors. This dramatic implementation disparity results primarily from the advent of computers and video capabilities. These additional capabilities provide for a greater range of implementation possibilities for the creative and innovative games devised by their creators. While it may be true that a primary motivator for people to play gaming devices may be the chance to win monetary or other prizes (in the case of legalized gambling), the intrigue and excitement of playing these newly created machines lures people as well. It is therefore important in the gaming industry that gaming innovations be rolled out to the participating public.
Conventionally, participation in standard slot machines involves initiating the rotation of multiple reels, and allowing the machine to randomly stop the reel rotation such that associated reel symbols line up a payline. If the symbols on that payline correspond to a predetermined symbol combination, the participant wins an amount corresponding to the particular symbol combination. For multi-lined paylines, a coin or other token may be played for any one or more of the available paylines, and each of the paylines may provide a winning payout. When this occurs, the slot machine pays out according to the payoff table posted on the slot machine. The payoff table informs players of the winning symbol combinations for that machine, and what each combination pays based on the number of coins allocated for the spin. If a winning combination occurs, the machine releases money or tokens into a payout chute, or may award the winning amount onto a credit meter for the player. For example, if a player initially wagered three coins and that player won a high payout, that player may receive fifty coins of the same denomination in return, or may receive fifty credits for continued play.
It is a continual effort in the gaming industry to develop ways to attract and captivate players in playing gaming machines, such as slot games. One such manner of stimulating interest and heightening excitement has been through the use of "bonus" events. Bonus events or games are used to attract and keep players at a gaming machine. A bonus game is typically an additional gaming activity that is enabled by a bonus-qualifying signal from an underlying or primary gaming activity. Generally, a predetermined prize-winning combination of symbols in an underlying or primary game may result in the player being awarded one or more bonus games. Often the bonus event has a much higher probability of winning, thereby instilling a great interest by players in being awarded bonus events.
There are various secondary or "bonus" events known in the art. One such bonus event allows the player to depress a bonus spin button to allow the player one or more additional free spins in which a winning payout may be made. Alternatively, additional, discrete bonus reels may be used for the bonus event. In such case, a particular symbol on any one or more of the reels stopped on a winning line may result in a winning payout. In some bonus activities, the reels may be controllable in a bonus play, unlike the underlying primary gaming play. For example, the reels may be individually stopped, and/or the reels may be rotated slower to allow the player to attempt to stop the reel such that the prize-winning symbol stops on the win line. In another example, a bonus event for a video slot machine may have a second screen where the player is rewarded with a bonus game, such as allowing the player to pick one of five different items on the second screen, and the selected item reveals a value won by the player. In recent times, bonus events have become increasingly captivating, sometimes leading the player through video animations that provide visual and audio entertainment while providing clever ways in which the participant can receive payouts of varying quantities. After engaging in the bonus event, play resumes in the underlying, primary gaming machine.
Of these different types of bonus activities, one type includes those bonus activities where the participant is allowed to actively participate in the bonus event. For example, participants may be allowed to make some sort of selection in order to make the participant feel as though he or she has in some way contributed to the ultimate result. While this may be desirable for some participants, others are more intrigued by the random nature of gaming devices, and may seek an exciting manner of engaging in bonus activities without having to figure out how to best play such a bonus round. This participant sentiment may become increasingly prevalent where the bonus activity is entirely different from the original, standard play of the game. For example, a standard slot machine may have a bonus activity where an animated series of events takes place, and the participant must try to figure out how to effectively play the bonus round. As some bonus activities become more and more elaborate, some participants may be put off by the inherent complexities.
Another problem with prior art bonus activities is that there is conventionally an understood "end" of the bonus activity that is sure to occur. For example, in a bonus round where a participant is allowed to select six of twenty-four hidden bonus amounts, the bonus round ends when the amounts associated with the six selections have been made and credited to the participant. While it may be exciting for the participant to engage in such a bonus round, it is largely due to the participant's knowledge that the bonus round is likely to produce greater payout amounts than during standard play. However, it would be desirable in the gaming industry to provide bonus activity that is terminated based on random events, where although statistically bound, can theoretically continue indefinitely.
The present invention recognizes the strong desirability of bonus activities in today's gaming industry, and addresses the aforementioned and other concerns and shortcomings of present bonus activities. The present invention provides gaming participants with an intelligible gaming activity, which may be employed as a primary and/or secondary (i.e. bonus) activity, while providing an exciting, visually appealing experience for the participant.

Gaming using terminating roaming wild positions


A clamp, comprising a guide rail, a fixed jaw, which is arranged on the guide rail, a sliding jaw, which is displaceable on the guide rail, and at least one spindle, which is arranged displaceably on the sliding jaw and on which there is arranged or formed a pressure piece, with an actuation device, which is spaced from the at least one spindle and which actuable by an operator in order to control a displacement movement of the at least one spindle, with a force application device, which acts on the at least one spindle and by means of which a displacement movement of the at least one spindle is achievable, and with a transmission device, which connects the actuation device and the force application device.

The invention relates to a clamp comprising a guide rail, a fixed jaw, which is arranged on the guide rail, a sliding jaw, which is displaceable on the guide rail, and at least one spindle, which is arranged on the sliding jaw so as to be displaceable and on which there is arranged or formed a pressure piece.
One or more workpieces can be clamped between the pressure piece and the fixed jaw using a clamp of this kind. The sliding jaw can be slid towards the one or more workpieces to be clamped, and an appropriate clamping force can be exerted by means of the spindle with the pressure piece.
Document DE 78 05 148 U1 discloses a quick-action clamp, consisting of a guide rod with head part and of a guide part, which can be displaced on the guide rod and together with the head part surrounds the parts to be clamped. The clamping device of the clamp has a clamping bolt mounted on the head part, which bolt can be pressed down by means of a cam that is arranged on the head part and that actuable by an operating lever.
A battery-operated clamp from the company Black & Decker is known under the name ACC100.


An apparatus and method of determining a communications mode. An operating condition of a device is monitored to determine if the operating condition satisfies a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device. Examples of operating conditions that satisfy a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device include determining that a power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds a power reduction temperature threshold and determining that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack. In response to determining that an operating condition of a device satisfies a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device, a wireless communications mode of the device is switched from a first mode to a second mode, where the second mode consumes less energy than the first mode.

Electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices, include power packs such as batteries to provide operating power to the device. Devices with power packs also accept power from external supplies to power the electronic device as well as to charge the power pack. Charging circuits in some devices protect power packs by discontinuing charging when the power pack temperature exceeds a threshold. The smaller size combined with increased processing and data rate capacities result in increased buildup of un-dissipated heat in the device. This buildup of heat during normal device operation causes the device's temperature, including the temperature of the power pack, to increase above the level at which charging is discontinued. Although a charging power supply source is connected to the device, the power pack discharges because charging of the power pack is ceased during periods of high, but still expected, power consumption that causes the electronic device to increase in temperature.
Therefore, the ability of electronic devices to operate in high power consumption modes can be affected by heat buildup within the device when operating in a high power consumption mode.

Apparatus for switching from a first communication mode to a second communication mode in response of determining that the a power pack of the communication device satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption


A method for producing a liquid-crystalline polymer composition containing a liquid-crystalline polymer and a magnetic filler formed by heat-treating a composite material of a ceramic powder and a soft magnetic metal powder in an inert gas atmosphere.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-crystalline polymer composition having an electromagnetic shielding property and an electric insulation property, and to a molded article thereof.
Related Background Art
Recently, according to the trend toward higher performance of electric and electronic equipment, for example, telecommunications equipment such as a portable telephone, and office automation (OA) apparatuses such as personal computer, the operating frequency thereof has become higher frequency. On the other hand, since electric and electronic equipment working at an operating frequency in high frequencies has electric and electronic components such as a processor and a communication cable easily radiating electromagnetic waves of high frequency, there is a problem that malfunction may easily occur due to the electromagnetic waves. Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave may cause malfunction in neighboring other electric and electronic equipment, and there is a concern that the electromagnetic wave may affect human bodies. Therefore, electric and electronic components easily radiating electromagnetic waves of high frequency are provided with an enclosure made of electromagnetic shielding materials.
The electromagnetic shielding materials include insulating materials attenuating electromagnetic waves by absorption and conductive materials reflecting electromagnetic waves, but the former materials are preferable from the viewpoint of preventing malfunction of electric and electronic equipment due to reflected electromagnetic waves. Thus, as the electromagnetic shielding materials, insulating resin compositions containing a resin and a magnetic filler are investigated, and among them, a liquid-crystalline polymer composition containing a liquid-crystalline polymer and a magnetic filler is preferably investigated because the liquid-crystalline polymer composition has excellent melting fluidity, is easily molded, and has high heat resistance and mechanical strength. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-237591 discloses a liquid-crystalline polymer composition containing a liquid-crystalline polymer and a coupling-treated soft magnetic powder.

Method of producing a liquid-crystalline polymer composition and molded article thereof


Methods and apparatuses for compensating for frequency mismatch between a base station and mobile station are disclosed. At a first oscillator, a fixed reference oscillation signal is generated. At a second oscillator, a baseband oscillation signal is generated. A frequency divided version of the baseband oscillation signal is locked to a frequency divided version of the first reference oscillation signal. At a third oscillator, a first RF oscillation signal is generated. A frequency divided version of the first RF oscillation signal is locked to the frequency divided version of the second reference oscillation signal. A frequency adjustment signal is inputted to the second and third oscillators. At the second and third oscillators, frequency errors of the baseband oscillation signal and first RF oscillation signal, respectively, are compensated based on the frequency adjustment signal.

Cellular communication systems transmit at radio frequencies (RF) that are typically several orders of magnitude higher than the bandwidth of the cellular signal. Additionally, baseband systems for cellular mobile stations and base stations must use a frequency reference in order to generate a modulated baseband signal. Therefore, radio receivers, transmitters, and basebands are implemented using tuned oscillators. In a typical cellular system, on the downlink, tuned oscillators in the base station are used to create a signal and convert it to RF (using a mixer) in the transmitter. A mobile station receives the RF signal, converts it to baseband, and demodulates it using tuned oscillators. A similar approach is followed on the uplink, using tuned oscillators with the roles of base station and mobile station reversed.
The tuned oscillators at the base station and mobile station will each have a frequency error which can cause issues in the cellular system. First, the frequency error between base station and mobile station can either prevent synchronization between them or cause the synchronization to take a long time. Second, the frequency error can cause the demodulation of the cellular signal to fail. One additional problem associated with the frequency error is that it varies with environmental conditions, in particular temperature. Thus, even if the frequency error is small at one point in time, later when the temperature changes the error may also change, causing synchronization and demodulation issues.

Method and apparatus for compensating for frequency errors between base station and mobile station


Soda lime glass includes glass forming constituents for soda lime glass; and coloring agents including iron, cobalt, selenium and chromium express in the form indicated and in an amount as percent by weight of the soda lime glass as follows:. from 1.05 to 1.80% of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, PA1 from 0.0040 to 0.0180% of Co, PA1 from 0.0003 to 0.0040% of Se, and PA1 from 0.0010 to 0.0100% of Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3.. The soda lime glass has a dark grey color, a total energy transmission measured for a glass thickness of 4mm (TE4) mm (TE4) ranging between 15 to 40%, a selectivity (SE4) which is high and is at least 1.2, and an excitation purity which does not exceed 10%. This glass is particularly suitable for automobile rear windows or rear side windows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dark grey coloured soda-lime glass composed of glass-forming constituents and colouring agents.
The expression "soda-lime glass" is used here in a wide sense and concerns any glass composed of the following constituents (percentages by weight):
______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 60 to 75% Na.sub.2 O 10 to 20% CaO 0 to 16% K.sub.2 O 0 to 10% MgO 0 to 10% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 5% BaO 0 to 2% BaO + CaO + MgO 10 to 20% K.sub.2 O + Na.sub.2 O 10 to 20% ______________________________________
This type of glass is used very widely in the field of glazing for buildings or motor vehicles. It is generally manufactured in the form of a ribbon by a drawing or float process. A ribbon of this type may be cut up in the form of sheets which may then be made curved or subjected to a treatment, for example heat treatment, to reinforce the mechanical properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
When speaking of the optical properties of a sheet of glass, it is generally necessary to relate these properties to a standard illuminant. In the present description, two standard illuminants are used; Illuminant C and Illuminant A as defined by the International Commission on Illumination (C.I.E.). Illuminant C represents average daylight having a colour temperature of 6700K. This illuminant is especially useful for evaluating the optical properties of glasses intended for buildings. Illuminant A represents the radiation of a Planck radiator at a temperature of about 2856K. This illuminant represents the light emitted by car headlamps and is essentially intended to evaluate the optical properties of glass intended for motor vehicles. The International Commission on Illumination has also published a document entitled "Colorimetry, Official Recommendations of the C.I.E." (May 1970) which describes a theory according to which the calorimetric coordinates for the light of each wavelength of the visible spectrum are defined in such a way as to be represented on a diagram (known as the C.I.E. trichromatic diagram) having orthogonal axes x and y. This trichromatic diagram shows the location representing the light for each wavelength (expressed in nanometers) of the visible spectrum. This location is called the "spectrum locus" and the light whose coordinates are situated on this spectrum locus is said to possess a 100% excitation purity for the appropriate wavelength. The spectrum locus is closed off by a line called the purple boundary which joins the points of the spectrum locus, the coordinates of which correspond to wavelengths of 380 nm (violet) and 780 nm (red). The area included within the spectrum locus and the purple boundary is that available for the trichromatic coordinates of any visible light. The coordinates of the light emitted by Illuminant C, for example, correspond to x=0.3101 and y=0.3163. This point C is considered as representing white light and on account of this has an excitation purity equal to zero for any wavelength. Lines may be drawn from the point C to the spectrum locus at any desired wavelength and any point situated on these lines may be defined not only by its coordinates x and y, but also as a function of the wavelength corresponding to the line on which it is situated and its distance from the point C with respect to the total length of the wavelength line. From this, light transmitted by a coloured sheet of glass may be described by its dominant wavelength and its excitation purity expressed in percent.
In fact the C.I.E. coordinates of light transmitted by a coloured glass sheet will depend not only on the composition of the glass but also on its thickness. In the present description and claims all the values of the trichromatic coordinates (x,y), of the excitation purity (P), of the dominant wavelength .lambda..sub.D of the transmitted light, and of the light transmittance of the glass (TL) are calculated from the specific internal transmission (SIT.sub..lambda.) of a 5 mm thick glass sheet. The specific internal transmission of a glass sheet is governed solely by the absorption of the glass and may be expressed by the Beer-Lambert law; SIT.sub..lambda. =e.sup.-E.A.lambda. where A.lambda. is the absorption coefficient of the glass (in cm.sup.-1 at the wavelength in question and E is the thickness of the glass (in cm). As a first approximation, SIT.sub..lambda. may also be represented by the formula EQU (I.sub.3.lambda. +R.sub.2.lambda.)/(I.sub.1.lambda. -R.sub.1.lambda.)
where I.sub.1.lambda. is the intensity of the visible light on the first face of the glass sheet, R.sub.1.lambda. is the intensity of the visible light reflected by this face, I.sub.3.lambda. is the intensity of the visible light transmitted from the second face of the glass sheet and R.sub.2.lambda. is the intensity of the visible light reflected to the interior of the sheet by this second face.
In the present description and claims, the following are used.
The total luminous transmission for illuminant A, measured for a thickness of 4 mm (TLA4). This total transmission is the result of integrating the expression: EQU .SIGMA.T.sub..lambda..E.sub..lambda..S.sub..lambda. /.SIGMA..E.sub..lambda..S.sub..lambda.
between the wavelengths 380 and 780 nm, in which T.sub..lambda. is the transmission at wavelength .lambda., E.sub..lambda. is the spectral distribution of illuminant A and S.sub..lambda. is the sensitivity of the normal human eye as a function of the wavelength .lambda..
The total energy transmission, measured for a thickness of 4 mm (TE4). This total transmission is the result of integrating the expression: EQU .SIGMA.T.sub..lambda..E.sub..lambda. /.SIGMA..E.sub..lambda.
between the wavelengths 300 and 2150 nm, in which E.sub..lambda. is the spectral energy distribution of the sun at 30.degree. above the horizon (Moon's distribution).
The selectivity, measured for a thickness of 4 mm (SE4), is defined by the ratio (TLA4/TE4).
The total transmission in the ultra-violet, measured for a thickness of 4 mm (TUVT4). This total transmission is the result of integrating the expression: EQU .SIGMA.T.sub..lambda..U.sub..lambda. /.SIGMA..U.sub..lambda.
between the wavelengths 280 and 380 nm, in which U.sub..lambda. is the spectral distribution of ultra-violet radiation having passed through the atmosphere, as determined as in DIN standard 67507.
The present invention concerns in particular grey glasses with a greenish shade. When the transmission curve of a transparent substance does not vary as a function of the visible wavelength, this substance is described as "neutral grey". In the C.I.E. system, it does not possess a dominant wavelength and its excitation purity is zero. By extension, a body may be considered as grey for which the spectral curve is relatively flat in the visible region but nevertheless exhibits weak absorption bands, enabling a dominant wavelength to be defined and a purity that is low but not zero. Grey glass according to the present invention has an excitation purity not exceeding 10%, preferably not exceeding 6% and a dominant wavelength between 480 and 560 nm, corresponding to a greenish shade.
Grey glasses are generally selected for their protecting properties against the rays of the sun and their use in buildings is known, especially in very sunny countries. Grey glasses are also used in balcony balustrades or staircases as well as for partial glazing in certain motor vehicles or railway compartments. To shield their contents from view, very dark grey glass is mainly employed.
The present invention relates to a selective dark grey glass especially appropriate for use as automobile windows, in particular as rear windows or rear side windows.


Ice bag covers, articles and methods useful in the creation of a non-constrictive ice bag device that is compact and can be attached to a garment, said ice bag device comprising (a) an outer cover with extended peripheries to attach said outer cover to the inside or the outside of a garment using a plurality of safety pins; (b) a cooling medium, optionally in a liquid impermeable inner container that can fit inside the outer cover, said inner cooling container preferably being a plastic zipper bag which is sealed on three sides and having the fourth side open, the fourth side preferably having a rib and groove sealing closure; and (c) a plurality of safety pins for use to attach the ice bag device to a garment and to close the open side(s) of the outer cover; and wherein the ice bag device is optionally packaged in association with a set of instructions for use to direct the consumer how to use the product properly, to ensure that the consumer knows what benefits can be achieved, and how best to obtain these benefits, and a method of doing business in which an established entity, especially a sports organization is used to assure the user that the device and method of use are safe and effective.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the general field of medical devices and/or methods for cooling injured body parts to, e.g., alleviate pain and inflammation. In particular, it relates to an improved cover for ice bags and a method of providing an ice bag device using said cover that can be applied to an injured body part with improved comfort, convenience, and availability. Thus, it relates to a cover for ice bags that can be attached to a garment, said ice bag cover being compact, e.g., to fit in first-aid boxes to be used at home or away from home, e.g., in sporting events, such as at a soccer field or basketball court, outings in a park, picnics, and/or on trips. It also relates to an article of manufacture that provides such cover, to the method of fabricating and/or using such ice bag device using such cover; to the provision with the cover of instructions for use that aid unskilled users to provide effective emergency assistance ("first aid treatment") to injured body parts, and to methods of doing business that promote the availability of such covers, articles of manufacture, and methods, etc., to the maximum number of people who may need such first aid treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The desirability of using ice bags for thermal therapy is well accepted. Ice bags enable the user to apply cold to an injury such as a bruise or sprain without unacceptable mess. A common ice bag that is commercially available is the reusable type comprising a water-impermeable, commonly a rubber-lined, flexible bag having a tubular rigid neck and a removable cap. To use, the bag is filled with ice cubes or ice chips and closed with the cap, then the bag is applied to the bruised body part and held in place by hand.
Another type of cold pack that is commercially available is a refrigeratable gel cold pack which comprises a refrigerant or coolant gel material contained in a plastic housing which can be either flexible or relatively inflexible. The gel packs are stored in a freezer for chilling or cooling and are then ready for use. Also commercially available is a chemical pack which comprises two or more pouches for separately storing chemical reactants which can be mixed to produce an endothermic cooling mixture.
A common home-use ice bag can be made using a commercially available reclosable plastic sandwich or freezer bag with a zipper seal, such as a Ziploc™ plastic bag filled with ice (Ziploc is a registered trademark of Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich.). By "reclosable" it is meant that the bag can be open and closed numerous times.
One of the disadvantages of these ice bags is that they need to be inconveniently held by hand to maintain contact with the injured body part. To overcome this inconvenience, several types of ice bag devices comprising a holder for these ice bags have been created. These ice bag devices can be strapped around a body part, with, e.g., loop and hook mating Velcro™-type fastening straps. Since ice bag devices need to be wrapped and tied around a body part, they are constrictive and can interfere with the blood flow. Furthermore, these ice bag devices are usually of complicated design, large and bulky in size and/or expensive to produce and/or difficult to be washed for reuse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,437 issued Mar. 30, 1999 to Maxim discloses a chemical cold pack that does not have fastening straps, but instead has an extended perimeter with adhesive means to attach the chemical cold pack to a skin surface. However when this self-adhesive chemical cold pack is applied to an unwashed and likely profusely sweaty skin surface of a bruised body part of an athlete who is injured in the field, the sweaty and/or soiled skin surface can make a common adhesive means less adhering. The adhering means can be made to be more strongly sticky, but in this case the removal of the device from the skin surface after use can be more uncomfortable, especially when the skin area is already bruised. This particular cold pack is not intended for reuse.
To overcome the constriction effect of the strapping, there are efforts to develop garments or other devices that can provide the cold therapy without the need to be tightly strapped and/or wrapped. U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,676 issued Jul. 9, 1946 to Modlinski discloses a jacket with a plurality of attached pockets to hold ice packs or ice bags. U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,501 issued Jan. 2, 1990 to Lipton discloses a therapeutic pad, with cooling elements, that can be hung around the neck or the head to treat the muscles of the neck, the chest, the back, and/or the jaw. U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,655 issued Dec. 1, 1992 to McCoy discloses a cold therapy panty provided with a receptacle located adjacent to the crotch area to receive a cold pack for applying cold therapy to the crotch of the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,354 issued Jul. 5, 1977 to De Rosa discloses an ice cooling vest-like garment comprising water-filled pockets that are frozen and subsequently attached via Velcro fasteners to the inside of the garment so as to provide body cooling under heat stress conditions. Although these cold pack devices provide an improvement over the prior art, they are of complicated design, large and bulky in size and/or expensive to produce and/or difficult to be washed for reuse.
Thus, there is a need for an improved, inexpensive and readily available ice bag device that can be attachable in some manner without being held by hand, and preferably without being strapped and/or tied around a body part, because such strapping can be constrictive and can interfere with the blood flow. Preferably such ice bag device is compact, not bulky, so that preferably it can fit in a first-aid box along with other first-aid items. Preferably such ice bag device is easily manufactured and used.


The present invention is in the therapeutic field of drugs for medical conditions relating to diabetes. More specifically the invention relates to insulin analogues of human insulin. The invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such insulin analogues and the uses if the such analogues for the treatment or prevention of medical conditions relating to diabetes.

Insulin therapy for the treatment of diabetes has been used for decades. One of the key improvements in insulin therapy has been the introduction of rapid-acting insulin analogues.
Insulin possesses self-association properties, and its concentration represents a major factor of self-association. At high concentrations, especially in pharmaceutical compositions, insulin will self-associate into dimer, hexamer, dodecamer or higher molecular structures. However, the physiologically active form of insulin is the monomer, which binds with the insulin receptor and triggers a biological response. It is a challenge to reduce self-association of insulin analogues, particularly at high concentration in a pharmaceutical composition.
The rapidity of insulin action is dependent on how quickly the insulin is absorbed from the subcutaneous tissue. In general, when a commercially available insulin composition is injected subcutaneously, the composition is primarily composed of hexamers containing two zinc ions. Although these two zinc ions located within the hexamer stabilize the molecule towards chemical and physical degradation in a composition, due to its size, the hexameric insulin has a lower rate of diffusion and consequently, the absorption rate is slower than for smaller species.
WO2017/032795 and WO2017/032798 relate to acylated insulin analogues in low zinc or zinc free composition.
Zinc-free insulin compositions enable faster subcutaneous absorption, but chemical and physical stability of zinc-free compositions is a challenge, particularly at high concentrations.
There is a strong need for insulin analogues that are rapid acting, while at the same time being sufficiently physically and chemically stable at high concentrations in a zinc free composition.


A data communication architecture delivers a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architecture employs channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. The architecture includes intermediate network devices that may receive content and send content using different groups of communication channels. The network device may process content received across a first set of communication channels for transmission across a second set of communication channels different from the first set. Such processing may preserve a program order of the content during delivery to a destination device.

Rapid advances in electronics and communication technologies, driven by immense private and public sector demand, have resulted in the widespread adoption of smart phones, personal computers, internet ready televisions and media players, and many other devices in every part of society, whether in homes, in business, or in government. These devices have the potential to consume significant amounts of audio and video content. At the same time, data networks have been developed that attempt to deliver the content to the devices in many different ways. Further improvements in the delivery of content to the devices will help continue to drive demand for not only the devices, but for the content delivery services that feed the devices.

Audio/video channel transbonding in a network device


At least one thermal module in fluidic communication with the one or more electronic components. The thermal module including a hydraulic motor operable to rotate a motor output shaft. The module further including a fan coupled to the motor output shaft, at least one heat exchanger in fluidic communication with the fan to provide passage therethrough of an air stream in response to rotational movement of the fan, and a conduit carrying a pressurized liquid stream through the hydraulic motor and each of the at least one heat exchanger. The pressurized liquid stream causing the motor output shaft to rotate and wherein heat in one of the air stream or the pressurized liquid stream is passed through each of the at least one heat exchanger and rejected into the other of the air stream or the pressurized liquid stream. A thermal management system including the at least one thermal module is disclosed.

The subject matter described herein relates generally to thermal management of electronic components, and more particularly, to a thermal module and implementation in a thermal management system for cooling and/or heating hot electronic components, such as electronic components of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.
MRI systems may include electronic components, such as low noise amplifiers, complex digital signal image processors and high-power RF amplifiers. There is a present desire to place all of the electronic components used in an MRI system inside the scan room next to the MRI machine. In operation, the electronic components may generate a considerable amount of heat which may affect the operation of the MRI system. For example, the electronic components generate waste heat that must be continually addressed so that the components do not overheat. The heat may cause damage to the electronics, and if vented to the scan room it will heat up the room, which will require an HVAC system to avoid exceeding the environment specs for patient comfort.
At least some known MRI systems include a cooling system that utilizes the placement of fans or the like, proximate the MRI system, and more particularly in the scan room. The use of electric fans or fan motors inside the scan room may affect not only the magnetic fields of the MRI scanner in way that compromises image quality, but may also make servicing and/or repair of the MRI scanner difficult and/or dangerous. In addition, it is desired to have all electronics contained in a sealed enclosure, such as a cabinet, to minimize the risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the electronics, further compromising image quality. With a sealed enclosure, the heat generated by the electronics housed therein, has no place to go, thus the temperatures within the cabinet increase over time. This presents challenges from a thermal management perspective.
Accordingly, there is a need for a thermal management system and method for heating and/or cooling electronic components that allows positioning proximate the electronics sought to be thermally managed. Further there is a need for a thermal management system that provides cooling of electronic components of an MRI system while minimizing the risk of EMI from the electronics, so as to not compromise image quality.

Liquid driven thermal module and thermal management system


An improved disconnect structure for SFP optical transceiver modules uses a slide 21 that travels relative to the module housing over a limited range. The slide 21 has operating pieces 28 which are elastically displaceable to elastically displace a spring plate 18 of the cage in a direction to release the locked state. The slide initially moves relative to the module housing to deflect the spring plate downwardly and release the locked state. When the slide then reaches the end of its range of motion relative to the module housing, further withdrawal of the slide pulls the module housing along with it, removing the module form the cage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a module connector structure, preferably but not necessarily in an optical module for performing optical communication, and in preferred embodiments more particularly relates to an SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) optical transceiver module whose housing is received within a cage of equipment to which the optical module is attached. The present invention also relates to a method for disconnecting such a module from a cage in which it is inserted.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical transceiver modules conventionally include a light emitting element and a light receiving element that perform photoelectric conversion to enable communication by optical fiber. Such optical transceiver modules include a housing designed to be detachably attached inside a cage mounted on a circuit board to which the module is connected. An electrical connector connected to the board is provided in the cage, so that a connecting terminal of the optical transceiver is constructed to be connected to the electric connector when the optical transceiver module is attached in the cage. The optical transceiver module thus constructed enables optical communication by converting an optical signal transmitted to and received from the optical fiber into an electric signal transmitted to and received from the board.
However, when the optical transceiver module is pulled out of the cage during operation of the optical transceiver module, there is not only the possibility that the communication is interrupted in progress, but also the possibility that the communication apparatus including the optical transceiver module is out of order. Therefore, the optical transceiver module needs to be reliably fixed to an inside of the cage at least during operation.
For example, in recent years, the standard of measure called MSA (Multi Source Agreement) of SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) transceivers is established to give compatibility to the optical transceivers provided by various companies, and the shapes and sizes of the SFP transceivers and the cages to which the SFP transceivers are attached are standardized. According to the MSA standard of the SFP, a protruding locking portion is provided at a bottom surface of an optical transceiver, and a cage is provided with a spring plate portion in which a locking recess (hole or depression) is formed in which the locking portion is locked.
Therefore, when the optical transceiver module is attached inside the cage, the locking portion of the optical transceiver module is locked in the locking hole of the cage, so that the optical transceiver module can be locked into the cage. On the other hand, it is necessary to release locking by detaching the locking portion from the locking hole of the spring plate portion by some means, when the optical transceiver module is removed from the cage.
As a conventional optical transceiver of this type, a construction including an ejector for releasing locking is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,015, the entirety of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the conventional optical transceiver disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,015 with its undersurface facing upward.
The conventional optical transceiver shown in FIG. 11 has a body 101 with a locking portion 114 formed thereon, which houses a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and an ejector 170 for removing the locking portion 114 from a locking hole (not shown) of the spring plate portion of a cage. The ejector 170 is housed inside an ejector seat which is formed at a lower portion 111 of the body 101, so that by pressing a pressing portion 179 provided at a rear end of the ejector 170, a tip end portion of the ejector 170 can be protruded to a vicinity of the locking portion 114 from an inside of the ejector seat. The tip end portion of the ejector 170 is designed to release the locked state of the locking portion 114 and the locking hole by bending the spring plate portion if it is projected when the locking portion 114 of the optical transceiver is locked in the locking hole of the spring plate portion of the cage.
Accordingly, this optical transceiver can removed from the inside of the cage by pressing a pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170 in the direction of the arrow g in the drawing to protrude the tip end portion to the vicinity of the locking portion 114, and releasing the locked state of the locking hole of the spring plate portion of the cage and the locking portion 114.
However, since the SFP optical transceiver according to the MSA standard is constructed to be about 10 mm high, and about 14 mm wide, and the module itself is compact, the ejector 170 (see FIG. 11) included in such an optical transceiver is a very small component. Therefore, the pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170 shown in FIG. 11 calls for a pushing operation with a fingertip or a nail in some housings. However, in the state in which the optical transceiver is attached in the cage, there is hardly a gap between the board on which the cage is loaded and the undersurface of the optical transceiver, and therefore a fingertip sometimes cannot successfully reach the pressing portion 179 of the ejector 170, thus causing the problem that the operation for releasing lock is difficult to perform.
The removing direction of the optical transceiver shown in FIG. 11 from the cage is the direction of the arrow h in FIG. 11, and this direction is the opposite direction from the pushing direction (the direction of the arrow g) of the ejector 170. Namely, in the conventional optical transceiver, the operating direction for releasing lock, and the operation direction for taking the optical transceiver from the cage are opposite to one another, and these operations have to be performed independently from each other. Therefore, the optical transceiver has the problem that the operation of releasing the lock to taking out the optical transceiver from the cage is troublesome.

Module connect/disconnect structure and method for disconnecting a module using the structure


A method for determining a non-contention random access resource, a network device, and a terminal device are provided. The method includes: generating, by a network device, indication information, wherein the indication information is configured to indicate one of at least two uplink carriers that can be used by a terminal device to perform non-contention random access, wherein the at least two uplink carriers at least comprise an uplink carrier and a supplementary uplink carrier; and sending, by the network device, the indication information to the terminal device. In the solutions of the disclosed embodiments, the network device sends the indication information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine the non-contention random access resource when having at least two uplink carriers.

As people impose increasing requirements for speed, delay, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, and as services in the future become diversified and complex, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) International Standards Organization has begun to develop 5th-Generation (5G) mobile communications technology. During early deployment of new radio (NR) technology, complete NR coverage is difficult to obtain. Therefore, typical network coverage is a wide-area long term evolution (LTE) coverage mode and an island NR coverage mode. In addition, a large number of LTE deployments are below 6 GHz, and few spectrums below 6 GHz can be used for 5G. Therefore, in the NR, spectrum applications above 6 GHz need to be developed. However, high-band coverage is limited and signal fades fast.
In some systems, since an uplink power of a terminal device is limited, and frequency of an NR spectrum is relatively high (high frequency indicates a large propagation loss), uplink coverage is limited. In order to improve uplink coverage, an LTE spectrum (which has relatively lower frequency) is utilized as an auxiliary uplink spectrum (that is, there is one auxiliary uplink carrier), so that uplink coverage can be improved.
However, when the terminal device has no supplementary uplink (SUL), when a non-contention random access resource is allocated to the terminal device in a form of radio resource control (RRC) or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order, there is only one uplink carrier. Therefore, the terminal device clearly knows an allocation status of the non-contention random access resource, so that the terminal device can correctly select the non-contention random access resource to initiate a random access process.
However, when there is a supplementary uplink (SUL), for example, the terminal device has at least two uplink (UL) carriers. In a current allocation manner, the terminal device does not know a resource of an uplink carrier to be used.

Techniques for determining non-contention random access resource, network device, and terminal device

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


An electrophoretic display includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a mesh-like body, and charged particles At least a surface of the mesh-like body is formed of an insulating material, and the mesh-like body is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The charged particles are dispersed in a space formed by a surface of the first substrate opposing the second substrate, a surface of the second substrate opposing the first substrate, and a surface of the mesh-like body. The charged particles can form desired images by moving within the space in response to an electric field generated between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Electrophoretic displays that use electrophoresis to display images are well known in the art. This type of electrophoretic display has a display section that includes a transparent top substrate, and a bottom substrate disposed in opposition to the top substrate. A spacer provided around the periphery of the substrates provides a prescribed gap between the substrates and forms a hermetically sealed space therebetween. The hermetically sealed space is filled with a liquid dispersion medium containing charged pigment particles. By generating an electric field in the display section with the two substrates, the display moves charged particles in the liquid dispersion medium to the top electrode side in order to display the color of the charged particles on the surface, or moves the charged particles to the bottom substrate side so as to not display the color of the charged particles. In this way, the electrophoretic display can produce desired images.
One such electrophoretic display disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. SHO-59-34518 is provided with dividing members (partitions) for partitioning the display section into a lattice of small cells. In this way, the electrophoretic display can maintain a uniform gap between the two substrates, even when the surface area of the display section is increased, and can prevent a great bias or aggregation of the charged particles.
Another electrophoretic display disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2003-149690 provides a plurality of spherical bodies in the display section capable of concealing the charged particles when the charged particles are moved to the bottom substrate side so that the user cannot detect the charged particles. This electrophoretic display improves contrast in the displayed image (see Patent Reference 2, for example)


A round baler having a frame with opposing side walls, conveying apparatus including a series of inwardly facing moving surfaces defining a baling chamber for forming cylindrical bales of crop material and a feeder for feeding crop material into the chamber. Rotatable transverse rollers are mounted between the opposing side walls of the frame for operatively supporting the conveying apparatus, and a journal assembly having a bearing arrangement for mounting the rollers. The bearing arrangement includes a generally cylindrical stationary first race and a concentrically disposed generally cylindrical rotatable second race between which races a bearing cavity is formed for seating a series of bearings housed between said first and second races. A unique shield assembly encloses the cavity and prevents the intrusion of unwanted debris.

This invention relates generally to a baler for forming cylindrical bales of crop material, commonly referred to as a round baler. More particularly, this invention is directed to improved mounting apparatus for the belt idler rollers on round balers using belts in the formation of bales.
Prior art balers of this type generally have a bale forming chamber defined by an apron comprising an array of side-by-side belts, transverse slats extending between chains, a plurality of bale forming rolls or a combination of these various elements, e.g., bale forming rolls and side-by-side belts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,272 issued Sep. 3, 1991 to Richard E. Jennings shows the joint use of rolls and belts to form a chamber.
During field operation of round balers, crop material, such as hay, is picked up from the ground and fed into a fixed or adjustable chamber where it is rolled up to form a compact cylindrical package of hay. While still in the bale forming chamber the formed package is wrapped in its compacted form by net, twine or the like, prior to being ejected as a bale from the baler onto the ground for subsequent handling.
Round balers of the general type mentioned above comprising a chamber defined at least partially by a plurality of side-by-side, longitudinally extending belts supported on a plurality of transverse rollers have encountered problems of varying degree when stray crop material and other debris, such as dirt and dust, finds its way into the mounting bearings for the transverse rollers. These problems become especially acute when the material being baled is damp, and particularly if it is a short cut of grass crop. Field experience has shown that standard bearing seals are not sufficient to prevent the fine random debris from working its way into the bearing cavity. Eventually, if permitted to go uncorrected, serious wear problems may occur culminating in bearing failure. Of particular concern is bearing failure that generates excessive frictional heat which gives rise to the danger of igniting a fire in extremely dry conditions.
A number of known prior attempts to reduce or overcome this problem have been unsuccessful. In this regard, various commercially available metallic shields adapted to be mounted in the vicinity of the bearing cavity have been tried. An example of these shields is the axial ring sold by Ziller and Company of West Germany under the registered trademark NILOS. After continuous use of this type of shield in the baler environment described above the bearing cavity became contaminated with unwanted debris.
In another unsuccessful attempt to maintain the integrity of the bearing cavity a pliable washer was fabricated from a fiber material having the consistency of leather. Here again after continuous use in the field environment described above the seal broke down and unwanted debris entered the bearing cavity with the same detrimental affect on the operation of the roller mounting assembly.
Although previously known shielding arrangements for preventing debris from entering the bearing cavity in round baler roller mounting assemblies have met with varying degrees of success, failure continues to occur. At the heart of the problem is the environment in which these mounting assemblies are being used. Regardless of initial sealing characteristics when the shields are installed, after the rigors of continuous use in dirty and damp conditions unwanted debris works past the prior art shielding devices and ultimately penetrates the bearing seal causing bearing to seize up and fail. Thus, integrity of the debris shield over long periods of use is an important aspect of reliable round baler performance to which the present invention is devoted.

Round baler belt idler roller mounting apparatus


In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a process tool that includes a lithography apparatus arranged over a wafer chuck and an immersion hood apparatus laterally around the lithography apparatus. The lithography apparatus includes a photomask arranged between a light source and a lens. The immersion hood apparatus comprises input piping, output piping, and extractor piping. The input piping is arranged on a lower surface of the immersion hood apparatus and configured to distribute a liquid between the lens and the wafer chuck. The output piping is arranged on the lower surface of the immersion hood apparatus and configured to contain the liquid arranged between the lens and the wafer chuck. The extractor piping is arranged on an outer sidewall of the immersion hood apparatus and configured to remove any liquid above the wafer chuck that is outside of the immersion hood apparatus.

Integrated chips are fabricated in semiconductor fabrication facilities. Fabrication facilities contain processing tools that are configured to perform processing steps (e.g., etching steps, photolithography steps, deposition steps, etc.) upon a substrate. Lithography is a commonly used fabrication process by which a photomask having a pattern is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation through a series of lenses to transfer the pattern onto a photosensitive material overlying a substrate. Selective parts of the substrate may be subsequently processed according to the patterned photosensitive material.

Extractor piping on outermost sidewall of immersion hood apparatus

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A superconducting magnetic imaging apparatus includes a vacuum vessel (40) having a central helium reservoir (48) in which superconducting magnetic coil windings (44) are maintained at a superconducting temperature. The vacuum vessel defines an internal bore (42) within which a self-shielded gradient coil assembly (14) and an RF coil (22) are received. The self-shielded coil assembly includes an inner former (60) which defines an imaging region (12) within which an imaged portion of the patient are received. X and y-gradient coils having winding patterns (62) are bonded to the former (60) forming an integral structure. A z-gradient coil (70) is mounted to mechanical reinforcement structure (72) to be held in a spaced relationship from the x and y-gradient coils with an air gap (74) in between. This facilitates the dissipation of heat generated by the large current pulses applied to the x and y-gradient coils. An outer former (80) of larger diameter than the z-gradient coils is received in the bore and supports the inner former therein. X, y, and z-gradient secondary or shielding coils (82, 84) are bonded to the outer former for preventing the gradients generated by the primary gradient coils from inducing gradient eddy currents in the vacuum vessel and the structures contained therein.

The present invention relates to the magnetic resonance art. It finds particular application in conjunction with gradient coils for magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present invention will also find application in conjunction with magnetic resonance spectroscopy systems and other applications which require gradient magnetic fields.
In a magnetic resonance imaging system, the gradient coils are commonly pulsed with current pulses having a short rise time and a high duty cycle. Pulsing the gradient coils produces magnetic field gradients across the imaging region, as well as magnetic field gradients which interact with external metallic structures such as cold shields in a superconducting magnet. This interaction generates eddy currents in the cold shields, which, in turn, generate eddy magnetic fields. The eddy fields have a deleterious effect on the temporal and spatial quality of the magnetic field in the examination region, hence in the resultant image quality.
One approach to circumventing the eddy current problem is to place a shielding coil between the gradient coil and the cold shields. The shielding coils are designed to substantially zero the magnetic field externally of themselves, preventing the formation of eddy currents. However, the shield coil inductively couples with the gradient coil, draws power, and reduces gradient coil efficiency. The required additional current through the gradient coil increases the already high demands on the driving circuit and the power handling capacity of the coils.
More specifically, gradient coils are typically a three-layered coil set that is formed on a cylindrical former. Coils for generating x, y, and z-gradients are insulated from each other and layered on the former. Commonly, the entire assembly is overwrapped and epoxy impregnated for greater structural strength to withstand the warping forces when the current carrying conductors interact with the primary magnetic field.
Various techniques have been employed to derive suitable conductor patterns for the gradient coils. Some gradient coil assemblies use a "distributed" coil design in which the conductors approximate a continuous current distribution function. Other coils begin with a discrete set of conductors which are closely bunched to one another. In both the distributed and bunched coils, the patterns are designed to meet specified electromagnetic design goals, particularly a linearity of the gradients with a minimal energy usage. To achieve these design goals, the radius of each coil is minimized. Minimizing the radius requires placing the coil layers close together in the radial direction. In some designs, the z-gradient coil, which is inherently the most efficient, is placed at the smallest radius. Confining the three coils in such close proximity creates numerous problems in design, fabrication, heat dissipation, and the like.
In order to simplify the system design of gradient shield coils, it is advantageous to drive primary and secondary coils in series. This is often referred to as self-shielding. In self-shielded gradient coils, there are generally two cylindrical coil sets. The larger diameter coil set substantially cancels the magnetic field exterior to itself but interacts with the smaller diameter coil to subtract from the gradient field in the examination region. A mechanical means connects the coil sets into a unitary structure while maintaining the coil sets in a spaced relationship. This type of self-shielded coil again reduces coil efficiency and increases power dissipation.
One of the problems with closely layered x, y, and z-coils is that the currents cause a significant amount of heat in a small confined area. The overwrap and epoxy impregnation resist the transfer of heat from the coil assembly. Although the z-coil is inherently more efficient than the x and y-coil, placing the z-coil as either the innermost or outermost layer fails to take advantage of this greater efficiency from a thermal standpoint. When the z-coil is the innermost coil, it is a heat source closer to the patient bore. Since it is generally layered into machined grooves in the former. Alternately, the innermost placement of the z-coil increases the radius of the already least efficient x and y-coils. When the z-coil is in the outermost layer but physically close the x and y-coils, the z-coil and the epoxy and overwrap add a substantial heat barrier for removing heat from the x and y-gradient coils.
Such a two coil set self-shielded gradient coil is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,716 issued Apr. 12, 1988 to Roemer, et al. The Roemer design approach was to expand the current density stream functions in a suitable Fourier-type series and derive a set of expansion coefficients which yield the desired field gradient linearity and screening/shielding behavior. The described Roemer design is iterative in nature. That is, a winding pattern is designed for the inner coil in a direct fashion. The outer coil is then designed to cancel the exterior magnetic field of the inner coil which, of course, disturbs the linearity of the magnetic field. This requires adjusting the inner coil design to maintain the linearity requirements, which requires adjusting the outer coil design, etc.
one problem with the Roemer method is that it does not consider the inductance or stored magnetic energy in the coil in a direct fashion. This permits the coil design to hold more than a minimal amount of energy, which is energy inefficient and forces one to iteratively search for a solution which is deemed acceptable. Linear, but very inefficient coils can be generated. Further, this technique does not take advantage of the inherent higher efficiency of z-gradient coils.
Another technique for designing self-shielded gradient coils which seeks to minimize inductance or energy storage is described in "Minimum Inductance Coils", R. Turner, J. Phys. E. Sci. Instrum. (19), 1986. Two cylinders which are each assumed to have infinite length support continuous current density functions. Working in the spectral domain, the magnetic field is constrained at a finite number of points with the added constraint that the second cylinder is a superconducting boundary, i.e. the outer coil shields the surrounding structure from the magnetic field gradients. The stored magnetic energy is minimized with these constraints and a direct, analytic solution for the current distribution is obtained. The current distribution is then truncated to account for the finite length of the coils and discretized to produce a practical coil pattern.
One of the disadvantages of the Turner approach is that the coils are assumed to be of infinite length and then truncated. This creates aberrations in the resultant pattern and diminishes the effectiveness of the shielding, particularly adjacent the edges. Another disadvantage is that the field is defined only at a finite set of points. There is no direct control on how the magnetic field might behave between the points. Further, this technique does not take advantage of the greater efficiency found in z-gradient coils relative to x and y gradient coils.
A technique for designing bunched coils is set forth in U.K. Patent Application No. 2,180,943 of Mansfield, et al. and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,920. This published application provides sets of relationships which describe the induced current density in a superconducting cylinder due to the loops or arcs of segments of current flowing on a smaller diameter cylinder, i.e. the inner coil. However, this technique again fails to consider the inductance or stored energy. Moreover, this technique does not take advantage of the greater efficiency of the z-gradient coil.
Typically, x, y and z-gradient coils are mounted in concentric, bonded layers as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,189 to Punchard, et al. Active shield coils are mounted on three laminated layers of a concentric surrounding cylinder, one drawback of laminating the coils is that there is poor heat dissipation. The coils tend to heat, which can cause distortion of the physical structures and the resultant gradient or shielding magnetic fields.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved self-shielded gradient coil and method for designing such self-shielded gradient coil which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.


A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.

Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a sheet conveying device, an image reading device incorporating the sheet conveying device, and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device.
Related Art
Known various types of image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printer, and facsimile machines and image reading devices include a sheet conveying device to convey a sheet such as a recording medium to an image forming device or a sheet such as an original document to an image reading device.
For example, a known sheet conveying device includes a sound absorber having a configuration of a Helmholtz resonator including a hollow portion and a communication portion to cause the hollow portion to communicate with an outside of the sheet conveying device. The sound absorber is disposed in a sheet conveying passage in the sheet conveying device.
Sliding sound is generated when a conveyance passage forming device such as a guide member to form a sheet conveying passage and a sheet that is being conveyed through the sheet conveying passage. Leakage of the sliding sound to the outside of the sheet conveying device can be restrained by disposing the above-described sound absorber in the sheet conveying passage.
When sheets having paper types different from each other are conveyed, if property values such as the thickness and weight of each sheet to be conveyed change, the attitude of each sheet changes in the sheet conveying passage due to various property values such as the thickness and weight of respective sheets different from each other. Therefore, when a position at which the sheet slides in the conveyance passage forming device changes, a sound occurring position of the sliding sound also changes.
In the sound absorber having the configuration of a Helmholtz resonator, as the communication portion to cause the hollow portion to communicate with the outside of the sheet conveying device is disposed closer to a sound source, the sound absorbing efficiency increases. The sound occurs not only when a sound absorbing target is a sliding sound generated by changing the sound occurring position due to the change of the property value of the sheet but also when a sound absorbing target is a sound generated while the sheet is being conveyed and occurred at the sound occurring position changing in the sheet conveying passage.

Sheet conveying device, image reading device incorporating the sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device


A surgical needle package counter is particularly constructed for receiving and snugly retaining an opened surgical needle package sequentially in a number of slots particularly configured and sized to receive such opened surgical needle packages. Each slot for receiving an opened surgical needle package is identified by a number with the numbers being in sequence so that an immediate total number of opened surgical needle packages stored in the counter may be observed. The surgical needle package counter may have an integral extension in which a foam filler or slab may be seated. The foam filler or slab is particularly formed to receive used surgical needles. Preferably, each used surgical needle will be received in a needle receiving zone which corresponds with the slot of the surgical needle package counter so that the number of used surgical needles can be automatically identified by the numerals which identify the surgical package slots. A suitable cover is provided for retaining the used surgical needles for disposal or possible future recount.

During surgery, it is important to keep track of how many needles have been used to ensure that all of them have been removed from a patient when the operation is completed. Counting devices are frequently used in surgery to keep track of the number of used needles. It is also useful to keep track of the number of packages from which the needles have been dispensed so that a quick check of how many needles should be accounted for will provide a simple verification of the needle count, thereby facilitating needle control. Typically, the scrub nurse will simply stack the used needle packages on a tray for later counting. However, the needle packages are prone to become dislodged and lost on the floor of the operating room so that occasionally miscounts occur.
In the past, there have been developed suitable devices for counting used surgical needles. These are the subjects of U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,658 granted on Apr. 17, 1973 to John D. Eldridge, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,069 granted to John D. Eldridge, Jr. on May 16, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,802 granted to Samuel L. Freitag on Feb. 22, 1977 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,140 granted to Robert H. Thrun on Jan. 6, 1981. There remains a need for an effective verification of the needle count.


An interlock circuit on a mowing vehicle or tractor deactivates the engine if a signal from a single backup sensor is interrupted. The mowing vehicle or tractor has an engine, an electric power source to provide electric current to a magneto and an ignition, a transmission connected to the engine and having forward, neutral and reverse operations, a controllable tool drive (PTO) connected to the engine for powering an accessory, and a single backup sensor to provide a signal if no object is detected behind the vehicle. A reverse sensing switch is movable between a first position if the transmission is in forward or neutral, and a second position if the transmission is in reverse. A PTO switch is movable between an on condition for activating the PTO and an off position for deactivating the PTO.

Vehicles such as lawn and garden tractors may have PTO driven accessories, such as a lawn mower deck, that may be shut off when the vehicle is operated in reverse. For example, when a vehicle is shifted into reverse with the PTO running, an interlock circuit with a reverse gear switch may disconnect the PTO drive and/or stop the engine. The interlock circuit may prevent all operation of PTO driven accessories while the vehicle is operated in reverse.
In recent years, interlock circuits have been proposed to include sensors that permit limited operation of the PTO when the vehicle is operated in reverse, but stop PTO operation if the sensor detects an object behind the vehicle. Various types of sensors have been proposed for detecting obstacles behind the vehicle, including but not limited to ultrasonic, infrared, or photoelectric sensors.
Some interlock circuits may include two or more sensors, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,021,373; 6,044,632; 6,130,607; and 6,173,233. There is a need for a simple, low-cost interlock circuit for use with a single sensor to detect objects behind a vehicle.
Additionally, interlock circuits proposed for sensors that detect obstacles behind riding lawn mowers and similar vehicles may not provide any assurance that the sensor is operational. There is a need for an interlock circuit that will provide assurance that the sensor is working and/or working correctly.
Additionally, an interlock circuit for a sensor that detects obstacles behind a vehicle is needed that will allow the operator to override and continue using the implement in reverse even if an object is detected behind the vehicle.
Additionally, an interlock circuit for a sensor that detects obstacles behind a vehicle is needed that may be reset and provide a non-intrusion signal after an object clears the field of view.


A method of making a hard constituent powder coated with at least one iron group metal, Me, by dissolving and complex binding at least one of Me.sub.n (NO.sub.3).sub.m and Me.sub.n (SO.sub.4).sub.m and other similar Me.sub.n --X.sub.m compounds containing X-groups with low or no carbon content, preferably Me-nitrates, solely or together with one or more metal salts of at least one iron group metal containing organic groups in at least one polar solvent with at least one complex former comprising functional groups in the form of OH or NR.sub.3, (R=H or alkyl). Hard constituent powder is added to the solution. The solvent is evaporated and remaining powder is heat treated in an inert and/or reducing atmosphere. As a result, coated hard constituent powder is obtained which after addition of a pressing agent can be compacted and sintered according to standard practice.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,902, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a method in which one or more metal salts of at least one iron group metal containing organic groups are dissolved and complex bound in at least one polar solvent with at least one complex former comprising functional groups in the form of OH or NR.sub.3, (R=H or alkyl). Hard constituent powder and, optionally, a soluble carbon source are added to the solution. The solvent is evaporated and remaining powder is heat treated in an inert and/or reducing atmosphere. As a result, coated hard constituent powder is obtained which after addition of a pressing agent can be compacted and sintered according to standard practice to a body containing hard constituents in a binder phase.
A problem with said method is that the heat treatment of the coated powder in larger quantities (>1 kg) has to be performed in pure hydrogen and/or with unnecessary high gas flows in order to obtain the desired carbon content which for cemented carbide has to be kept in a very narrow range.

Method of making metal composite materials


Froth flotation collectors comprising dithiocarbamates of the Formula (I) as described herein are useful for the beneficiation and recovery of metals from mineral ores.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to froth flotation collectors and froth flotation processes for using the same for the beneficiation and recovery of metal values such as copper, lead, zinc, nickel, molybdenum, gold, silver and platinum group metals (PGM), which include platinum and palladium metals, from mineral ore bodies. More particularly, it relates to processes that employ sulfide mineral collectors comprising certain dithiocarbamate compounds which exhibit excellent metallurgical performance over a broad range of pH values.
2. Description of the Related Art
Froth flotation is a widely used process for beneficiating ores containing value minerals. A typical froth flotation process involves intermixing an aqueous slurry, which contains finely ground ore particles, with a frothing or foaming agent to produce a froth. The ore particles that contain a desired mineral are preferentially attracted to the froth due to an affinity between the froth and the exposed mineral on the surfaces of the ore particles. The resulting beneficiated minerals are then collected by separating them from the froth.
Chemical reagents known as "collectors" are commonly added to the slurry to increase the selectivity and efficiency of the separation process. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,584,097, 6,732,867, 6,820,746, 6,988,623, and 7,011,216, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, disclose the use of N-alkoxycarbonyl-O-alkylthionocarbamates as collectors.
Froth flotation is especially useful for separating finely ground value minerals from their associated gangue or for separating value minerals from one another. Because of the large scale on which mining operations are typically conducted, and the large difference in value between the desired mineral and the associated gangue, even relatively small increases in separation efficiency provide substantial gains in productivity.
There is an ongoing need for improved collectors and methods of using them for the recovery of metals from ores.

Dithiocarbamate collectors and their use in the beneficiation of mineral ore bodies


A DC-DC power converter in which the voltage across the main switch due to leakage inductance of the transformer is clamped and leakage energy of the transformer is recycled instead of being dissipated so as to improve operating efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a DC-DC power converter. More specifically, the invention relates to a converter in which the voltage across the main switch due to the leakage inductance of the transformer is clamped and the leakage energy of the transformer is recycled instead of being is dissipated by the circuit so as to improve the circuit efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
A well-known conventional DC/DC flyback converter is shown in FIG. 1, where Lk 10 is the leakage inductance of the transformer T 12. The typical switching waveforms of FIG. 1 are shown in FIG. 2. When switch S 14 is turned off at t2, the leakage current charges the parasitic output capacitance of switch S 14 (output capacitance of S is not shown in FIG. 1), which causes a high voltage spike across switch S 14. After the leakage energy is completely released, the voltage across switch S 14 reaches its steady-state value. As a result, a high voltage rating for switch S 14 is required.
To eliminate this voltage spike, a number of circuit topologies have been reported in the literature. Among them, the R-C-D snubber, shown in FIG. 3 is one of the most popular ways to minimize the voltage spike as shown in FIG. 2. The snubber circuit consists of diode D120, capacitor Cs 22 and resistor Rs 24. When switch S 14 is turned off, the leakage current flows through diode D120 and charges capacitance Cs 22. If capacitance Cs 22 is relatively large, the voltage across Cs 22 does not change so as to clamp the voltage. In this case, the leakage energy of the transformer is first charged to Cs 22 and then is dissipated by the resistor Rs 24. As a result, the voltage clamp is achieved at the expense of low conversion efficiency.
The invention is a DC-DC converter in which the voltage across the main switch due to the leakage inductance of the transformer is clamped and the leakage energy of the transformer is recycled instead of being dissipated by the circuit so as to improve the circuit efficiency. The DC-DC converter has a voltage source which is connected to a diode. A first transformer primary winding is in series with a first capacitor. This winding and capacitor are connected across the voltage source and diode. A second transformer primary winding is in series with a second capacitor. They are also connected across the voltage source and diode. The first and second transformer primary windings have first and second leakage inductances respectively.
A switch has one terminal connected to terminals of the first transformer primary winding and the first capacitor. The switch also has a second terminal connected to the terminals of the second transformer primary winding and the second capacitor. The transformer first and second primary windings and the transformer secondary winding are included in the transformer. The transformer has a magnetizing inductance providing a delivered output to the transformer secondary winding. A parallel load capacitor and load resistor are connected across the transformer secondary winding and diode.
The advantage of the inventive DC-DC converter is that the voltage across the main switch due to the leakage inductance of the transformer is clamped. In addition, the leakage energy of the transformer is recovered by charging the first and second capacitors and the delivered output by the magnetizing inductance instead of being dissipated by the circuit so as to improve the circuit efficiency. Another objective of the invention is to use as few components as possible and use only one active switch to reduce the cost.


The present invention incorporates to a new temporary, reusable, retroreflective, raised pavement marker design. The pavement marker utilizes a water soluble, adhesive embedded in a fibrous base material for application to the pavement. This temporary adhesion method allows the pavement marker to be reused after removal from the pavement. The semispherical shape of the marker provides increased lateral stability. The recesses on the top surface of the marker protect the retroreflective microspheres from loss of retrorefectivity from vehicular abrasion. The round shape also allows the marker to be used to form arrows and other pavement markings.

Markings applied to roadway pavements to guide traffic in construction type operations usually require a temporary existence. The present invention is a new temporary, reusable, raised pavement marker. The present method of guiding traffic through or around roadway work sites involves the use of portable signs, cones, delineators, electric arrow boards, flaggers etc. The only temporary pavement markers in use today for lane lines are made of flexible plastic with an adhesive pad or an adhesive foil type tape. Temporary markings for straight arrows turn arrows, crosswalks and limit lines usually use a foil tape with adhesive backing or paint. These types of temporary markings are expensive, difficult to remove and are not reusable. Existing temporary pavement markers involve a type of chemical adhesive which limits the device to one use. The present invention utilizes a remoistenable adhesive combined with a high strength microfiber material that allows the temporary pavement markers to be easily removed and used repeatedly. Further, said markings can be used in hot, cold, wet and windy conditions.

Temporary reusable retroreflective raised pavement marker


The invention comprises an injection device (6), for injecting fixing material in a drill hole (13) during rock bolting, comprising a hose system (12) and a feed unit (15). The hose system (12) comprises an injection pipe (10), the injection device further comprises a positioning means (33) adapted to adjust the position of the injection pipe (10) in relation to the drill hole (13) and the feed unit (15) comprises means (31, 32) adapted to drive the hose system (12) such that the injection pipe (10) enters the drill hole (13) for supplying fixing material into the hole (13) during operation.

One of many methods of reinforcing rock is to reinforce the rock with reinforcing bars embedded in a solidified fixing material. The fixing material is defined as any suitable bonding for example cement or two component resin.
According to a method using resin cartridges, a hole is drilled in the rock at first and one or several resin cartridges are injected in the hole. Each cartridge comprises at least two closed chambers containing one component each. Then, a reinforcing bar is introduced into the hole during rotation. The rotating reinforcing bar is during the introduction pushing the resin cartridges such that the cartridge compartments tear up and the two components are mixed by the rotating reinforcing bar. Mixing the components forms a compound, which hardens and is solidified during the rotation, usually in one or some minutes. The bolt is threaded in the outer end and a nut and a plate are attached to the bolt end to protect the hole and tension the bolt as a final step.
One way of injecting resin cartridges is to shoot the cartridges into a drilled hole through an injection pipe by the force of compressed air. The injection pipe is usually in the form of a stiff thin-walled plastic tube and is connected to a first end of a hose. The injection pipe is moved into the drill hole by a feeding device. Resin cartridges are placed in the hose and shoot into the drill hole by the compressed air supplied in the other end of the hose.
The dimension of the resin cartridges varies, but can have a diameter of e.g. 20-35 mm and a length of 400-500 mm in the case of a drill hole with a diameter of 30-40 mm.
One example, in injecting a resin cartridge with a diameter of 20 mm in a drill hole with the diameter 30 mm an injection pipe with the inner diameter of about 22 mm and outer diameter of about 26 mm is used.
Cement can be used instead of resin for fixing the reinforcing bar. Instead of shooting resin cartridges into the drill hole via the injection pipe, it is possible to pump the cement into the hole via the hose and the injection pipe.
A problem with the injection devices of the kind described above is that a drill hole can be damaged around the orifice of the drill hole and a distance into the rock, due to earlier blasting activities. In the case of resin cartridges, it causes the resin cartridges to get stuck in the entrance of the drill hole or alternatively on the way into the drill hole. In the case of cement, it causes the cement to leak out of the hole.
Another problem is when the fixing material misses the drill hole. This is a problem irrespective of type of fixing material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,533 teaches a device for guiding a concrete feeding hose. The concrete feeding hose is therein passed by means of a feeder from a reel into a guide head supported on a feeding beam of a drilling equipment and further through the guide head into a hole drilled in the rock, and is passed back on to the reel in proportion as the hole is filled. In order to protect the feeder of the concrete feeding hose against dirt and mechanical damage, the concrete feeding hose is pushed into the guide head through a flexible guiding means.
Thus, there are needs to secure the insertion of fixing material into a drill hole during rock bolting to achieve an effective and high quality rock bolting.
These needs cannot be fulfilled by the injection device according to the above-mentioned prior art.

Injecting device, drill rig and method of rock bolting


Purified genes encoding cytokine from a mammal, reagents related thereto including purified proteins, specific antibodies, and nucleic acids encoding this molecule are provided. Methods of using said reagents and diagnostic kits are also provided.

Recombinant DNA technology refers generally to the technique of integrating genetic information from a donor source into vectors for subsequent processing, such as through introduction into a host, whereby the transferred genetic information is copied and/or expressed in the new environment. Commonly, the genetic information exists in the form of complementary DNA (cDNA) derived from messenger RNA (MRNA) coding for a desired protein product. The carrier is frequently a plasmid having the capacity to incorporate cDNA for later replication in a host and, in some cases, actually to control expression of the cDNA and thereby direct synthesis of the encoded product in the host.
For some time, it has been known that the mammalian immune response is based on a series of complex cellular interactions, called the "immune network". Recent research has provided new insights into the inner workings of this network. While it remains clear that much of the response does, in fact, revolve around the network-like interactions of lymphocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, and other cells, immunologists now generally hold the opinion that soluble proteins, known as lymphokines, cytokines, or monokines, play a critical role in controlling these cellular interactions. Thus, there is considerable interest in the isolation, characterization, and mechanisms of action of cell modulatory factors, an understanding of which will lead to significant advancements in the diagnosis and therapy of numerous medical abnormalities, e.g., immune system disorders.
Lymphokines apparently mediate cellular activities in a variety of ways. They have been shown to support the proliferation, growth, and differentiation of pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells into vast numbers of progenitors comprising diverse cellular lineages making up a complex immune system. Proper and balanced interactions between the cellular components are necessary for a healthy immune response. The different cellular lineages often respond in a different manner when lymphokines are administered in conjunction with other agents.
Cell lineages especially important to the immune response include two classes of lymphocytes: B-cells, which can produce and secrete immunoglobulins (proteins with the capability of recognizing and binding to foreign matter to effect its removal), and T-cells of various subsets that secrete lymphokines and induce or suppress the B-cells and various other cells (including other T-cells) making up the immune network. These lymphocytes interact with many other cell types.
Another important cell lineage is the mast cell (which has not been positively identified in all mammalian species), which is a granule-containing connective tissue cell located proximal to capillaries throughout the body. These cells are found in especially high concentrations in the lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Mast cells play a central role in allergy-related disorders, particularly anaphylaxis as follows: when selected antigens crosslink one class of immunoglobulins bound to receptors on the mast cell surface, the mast cell degranulates and releases mediators, e.g., histamine, serotonin, heparin, and prostaglandins, which cause allergic reactions, e.g., anaphylaxis.
Research to better understand and treat various immune disorders has been hampered by the general inability to maintain cells of the immune system in vitro. Immunologists have discovered that culturing these cells can be accomplished through the use of T-cell and other cell supernatants, which contain various growth factors, including many of the lymphokines.
The gene encoding IL-10, originally designated Cytokine Synthesis Inhibitiory Factor (CSIF), was isolated in the 1980's. See, e.g., Mosmann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,012. Since then, much has been learned of the biology and physiology mediated by the cytokine. See, e.g., de Vries and de Waal Malefyt (1995) Interleukin-10 Landes Co., Austin, Tex.
From the foregoing, it is evident that the discovery and development of new lymphokines, e.g., related to IL-10, could contribute to new therapies for a wide range of degenerative or abnormal conditions which directly or indirectly involve the immune system and/or hematopoietic cells. In particular, the discovery and development of lymphokines which enhance or potentiate the beneficial activities of known lymphokines would be highly advantageous. The present invention provides new interleukin compositions and related compounds, and methods for their use.

DNA encoding IL-10-like homologue; related reagents