A patient positioning system for computer controlled muscle exercising machine allows for automatic positioning of large numbers of patients prior to exercises and evaluations. The patient positioning system simplifies the patient positioning process by allowing the seat and actuator to be moved, manually or automatically, in both the horizontal and vertical direction relative to each other. This is accomplished by indicating the direction in which the seat and actuator are to be moved based upon optimum exercise positions stored in a data storage means. The directions are indicated adjacent to a four way switch and on a display device for selecting the direction of movement. In response to this prompt, the direction of movement of the seat and/or actuator is selected by pressing the four way switch for the seat or the four way switch for the actuator in the direction indicated adjacent to the switch and on the display device. The seat and/or actuator are moved based on the direction selected until the optimum exercise position stored in the data storage means is reached. Once the exercise position for the particular exercise and patient is reached, i.e. automatic (standard or custom) positioning is completed, the relative positions of the seat and actuator are manually adjusted. The exercise positions are stored in the data storage means in association with a particular patient and exercise.

The present invention relates to a patient positioning system for a computer controlled exercising machine for analysis, assessment, and evaluation of musculoskeletal performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,450 to McArthur discloses a computer controlled exercising machine of the described type, and which comprises a powered actuator having an exercise element attached thereto, the actuator being mounted on a pedestal located between two seats. The machine as disclosed in the referenced patent has been sold for several years under the trademark KIN-COM.RTM. by Chattanooga Group Inc. of Chattanooga, Tenn. and the machine is adapted to operate in a number of different exercising modes, including isokinetic, isometric, isotonic, and constant power modes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,774 to Belsito discloses a data access method and apparatus for computerized control of a muscle exercising machine, similar to that described in McArthur, allowing large amounts of data to be stored and retrieved with minimal computer skill. The muscle exercising machine displays a window or scroll box on its display containing a partial list of at least some of the patient names, exercises, dates of exercises and other data, and a selection area for highlighting one name, exercise, etc. in the partial list displayed in the window or scroll box on the display. The window or scroll box also provides up/down selection options to permit the list of names, etc., a part of which is displayed in the window, to be scrolled in the up or down direction. As a results, the muscle exercise machine may be controlled using the window and up/down options to permit exercising of standard exercises including isokinetic, isotonic, and isometric exercises.
The actuator of the KIN-COM.RTM. machine may be elevated to a desired elevation suited for a particular patient and a particular exercising mode, and the actuator may also be rotated about a horizontal axis which extends between the two seats. In use, the patient sits or lies on one of the two seats, and the elevation and rotational orientations of the actuator are adjusted to fit the requirements of the selected exercising mode to the particular patient. In this regard, it is preferable that the rotational axis of the actuator be aligned to extend through the joint of the patient which is being exercised or evaluated.
In another prior version of the KIN-COM.RTM. apparatus, which is known as the "125 E" model, the apparatus comprises a single seat, and the powered actuator is mounted on a support column which is pivotable about a vertical axis which extends through the seat, and so as to permit the actuator to be selectively positioned on either side or in front of the seat. Also, in the "125 E" model, the actuator is vertically movable under a powered control system, and the actuator pivots with respect to its support column about a vertical axis, and it also tilts with respect to its support column about a horizontal axis. Further, the seat is adjustable in several respects, and it comprises a seat portion and a back rest which is pivotable between upright and horizontal positions, and the seat portion and back rest are adjustable together in the longitudinal direction, and they pivot together about a vertical axis. Further, the seat portion is adjustable independently of the back rest in the longitudinal direction, and the supporting structure for the seat portion and back rest is movable vertically by a power control system.
A major problem in controlling computerized muscle exercising machines is the adjustment of the relative seat and actuator or exercise element positions for a large number of patients for numerous different exercise and evaluation modes, joints, movement patterns and sides. Relative seat and actuator positions must be stored and retrieved, or worse yet, remembered by a clinician or operator, sometimes referred to as an user, in order to adjust the positioning of a patient for a particular exercise or evaluation, joint, movement pattern and side by moving the seat and actuator prior to beginning the exercise or evaluation.

Patient positioning system and method for computer controled muscle exercising machine


Compositions useful in treating immune modulated disease comprising an anticytokine antibody or immune active drug capable of modifying cytokine activity or modulating the immune system microencapsulated with a biodegradable nonantigenic material, such as albumin or PLGA. When the composition is introduced into a subject, it is phagocytosed by the target organ, the target organ digests the microsphere, releasing the drug or an active form or fragment thereof intracellularly. The drug then modifies the target organ function, thereby modulating it""s activity. A method is disclosed for preparation of the microencapsulated composition.

The present invention relates generally to the field of drug delivery systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for microencapsulating drugs using biodegradable nonantigenic materials and also to microencapsulated compositions that are targeted either to macrophages, other phagocytic cells of the immune system, or a diseased organ, which phagocytize the microspheres and digest the coating, releasing the intact drug or active fragment thereof intracellularly or at the site of attachment Such compositions are useful in treating and preventing disease.
Drug delivery technology can bestow new leases on the lives of seemingly ineffective or inefficient drugs by targeting them specifically to sites of action. In this manner, unwanted systemic side effects are obviated and dose requirements are substantially reduced. Macrophage mediated delivery of drugs has been suggested as an alternative for treatment of several types of diseases. Modern immunology has acknowledged the importance of the monocyte and its mature counterpart, the macrophage as the prime antigen presenting cell in immune interactions. As an extension of this function it can be theorized that macrophages may be utilized to present immunoactive drugs to relevant components of the immune system such as lymphocytes in an effort to modulate their function.
Systemic elimination systems developed by the body to attack and eliminate foreign material include macrophages and Kupffer cells. For the purposes of the present invention the term macrophage includes Kupffer cells, when appropriate. Macrophages are cells widely distributed in many tissues of the body including lympho-hemopoietic organs, skin, gut, other portals of entry and the nervous system. They are found in direct contact with the blood (monocytes, sinus-lining Kupffer cells) or extravascular space, and undergo complex migrations as they enter tissues after production mainly within the bone marrow of the adult. As mobile and long-lived cells the mononuclear phagocytes play central roles as effector cells in inflammatory reactions and cell mediated immune responses. Monocytes produced in the bone marrow are released into the blood stream where they circulate with an estimated half life of 8-9 hours. Most experimental evidence indicates that the monocytes migrate into tissue to replace senescent tissue macrophages, and differentiate into cells of varied morphological and functional characteristics. Although definitive information on density and tissue distribution of these cells is still not available it is clear that the tissue content of mononuclear phagocytes, often associated with the vasculature greatly exceeds the bone marrow replicative pool. These cells, in a real sense are the first line of defense, followed by secondary waves of granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes from the circulation.
The term xe2x80x9cactivated macrophagexe2x80x9d refers to cells with increased phagocytic activity, increased content of acid hydrolases, more active metabolism, and, more importantly, an increased microbicidal capacity. Macrophages become activated following specific immunity involving the T lymphocyte. The T lymphocyte represents the specific branch of the cellular response which, in some way or another (most likely via secretion of soluble products), activates macrophages. The activated macrophages display considerable enhancement in their capacity to curb bacterial growth. Although macrophage activation clearly follows immune activation of the T cells, it can also result from direct interaction of certain bacterial products or other chemicals with the macrophage. Unstimulated macrophages or non-activated macrophages generate low and variable cytokine activity. However, as with enzyme secretion, the secretion of these lymphocyte-stimulatory activities can be modulated. Two conditions produce an increase in activity: one is a phagocytic challenge, the second is exposure to activated T lymphocytes. Exposure of macrophages to bacteria, antigen-antibody complexes, latex beads, or endotoxin results in a marked increase (up to 10 times) in the activity tested, both in mitogenic response of the thymocytes and in antibody formation. This increase is seen for 1 to 2 days, and then decays away. The presence of activated T cells, which by themselves were not responsible for the activities, markedly enhances their production. The highest mitogenic activity found in cell culture results from the addition of a small number of the activated T cells to the macrophage culture.
The term phagocytosis is used to describe the internalization of large particles, such as those visible by light microscope, mostly viruses and bacteria. Uptake occurs by close apposition of a segment of plasma membrane to the particle""s surface, excluding most if not all of the surrounding fluid. The phenomenon of phagocytosis seen in living cells in tissue culture or in-vivo has been well described. Phagocytosis is a process that occurs in three stages: attachment, ingestion, and digestion of the particles. The activated macrophage possessing a ruffled surface at the leading edge pushes out processes towards a particulate substance and rapidly flows around it. The entire process may only take a few minutes. Once ingested, the material may be totally digested, it may persist in the form of an indigestible residue, or it may actually fill up the whole cell, and if toxic may kill the cell. When the particle is too large for one cell to ingest, several cells flow around it and form a capsule. After ingestion, the vesicle which forms around the phagocytized particle, the phagosome fuses with one or more iysosomes to form a secondary lysosome or phagolysosome. The lysosome is a membranous bag of hydrolytic enzymes to be used for the controlled intracellular digestion of ingested materials. The hydrolytic enzymes contained in the lysosome are thus discharged into the enlarged vacuole to degrade the contents.
The deleterious effects of immune modulated diseases that manifest themselves due to improper recognition of xe2x80x9cselfxe2x80x9d from xe2x80x9cnon-selfxe2x80x9d may be effectively reduced using this mode of drug delivery. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one such disease affecting a large percent of the geriatric population. And while macrophages may not be a primary target for the virus causing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), they have been implicated as carriers of the virus.
Cytokines are polypeptide hormones which have a variety of physiologic activities intended to xe2x80x9cup-regulatexe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cdown-regulatexe2x80x9d the immune system.
The cytokine cascade, although not fully elucidated, involves the release of a number of molecules, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), interleukin-1 beta (IL1xcex2), interleukin-2 (IL2), interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8), colony stimulating factors (CSF), interferons (IFN), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1-ra) as well as other interleukins whose function is still not completely understood from monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, and other tissues throughout the body. These cytokines act both locally and systemically to recruit other white blood cells to the site of infection, activate macrophages, increase antibody production, produce fever, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and directly activate natural killer and lymphokine activated killer lymphocytes thereby destroying tumor cells. In cancer patients, the concentration of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin-1 beta (IL1-xcex2) have been observed to be decreased during active tumor growth. Administration of macrophage/immune activators such as microencapsulated macrophage colony stimulating factor have been shown to reduce cancer mortality and lead to increases in local TNFa and IL1xcex2 concentration. Alternatively, administration of microencapsulated TNFa and IL1xcex2 may activate cellular immunity and increase tumoricidal activity of T-lymphocytes through upregulation of macrophage induced T-cell clonal expansion.
Although this response is usually beneficial, during overwhelming sepsis or other immune response challenges a hyper-responsiveness of cytokines has been shown to produce lethal effects. Massive vascular permeability leads to cardiovascular collapse and pulmonary edema. Coagulation defects may also complicate the clinical condition adding to increased mortality. It has been demonstrated in several animal models that the pre-treatment and continued intravenous administration of monoclonal antibodies (MAB""s) or polyclonal antibodies (PAB""s) to TNFa or IL1-ra can attenuate the clinical syndrome of sepsis and prevent mortality from lethal injections of live bacteria.
The use of intravenously administered MAB""s to cytokines have been reported in the scientific literature for the prevention of mortality from experimental septic or endotoxemic shock since 1987. Typical experiments have used monoclonal antibodies, such as those to TNFa, administered directly to a subject concomitant with a dose of bacteria or other source of immunogenic challenge.
There are several potential problems with the direct administration of high, frequent doses of MAB""s for systemic inhibition of cytokines. Although animal models provide an in vivo system to test a septic/endotoxemic model, sepsis in humans is sudden in onset and originates from a localized infection site rather than by an intravenous challenge. The current method of administration requires an antigen-antibody reaction with the cytokine in systemic circulation (i.e., after synthesis and release by the macrophage). Since intravenous MAB""s can inactivate systemic cytokines, there is a potential for intravenous MAB""s to inhibit the autocrine up-regulation of further cytokine synthesis and release by activated macrophages and lymphocytes. However, it is doubtful that unencapsulated MAB""s can gain sufficient access to the macrophage localized at the site of infection to prevent release of the cytokines. Furthermore, MAB""s administered systemically typically are metabolized before they reach the desired site.
Prior art efforts to target delivery of MAB""s for reduction of inflammatory response have yet to effectively deliver the molecules into the macrophage to the area of localized infection or immune response, where cytokine production is initiated. Other immunologic pathogenic responses such as lupus, organ transplant rejection, and glomerulonephropathies have been shown to have localized cytokine production as the major cause of tissue inflammation and ultimate destruction of the organ involved.
Since reduction in cytokine response has been shown to lead to a decrease in the severity of several diseases, it would be desirable to have a targeted drug delivery system that would act intracellularly at a targeted site, rather than systemically. Such a system would utilize an encapsulating material that is recognizable by the uptake cell and be transported intracellularly where it would release the encapsulated drug into the cytoplasm.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a delivery system for drugs and other molecules for cellular uptake (e.g., macrophages and Kupffer cells).
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a delivery system using albumin as an encapsulating material to coat a drug such that when administered in vivo the microsphere will be ingested by a macrophage, resulting in the digestion of the albumin and the release of the drug or an active form or fragment of the drug intracellularly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for treating an immune modulated disease comprising administering to a subject a preparation containing pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a biodegradable microsphere containing a neutralizing antibody to a cytokine.
As an example of the use of a drug as an immunosuppressant, Cyclosporin A (CsA) (Sandimmune, Sandoz) has gained wide acceptance by most transplant physicians as the immunosuppressant of choice for preventing rejection of solid organ grafts and graft-versus-host disease. The drug has a specific effect on T-lymphocytes in which it seems to prevent the transcription of genes for several lymphokines. The reduction in IL-2 prevents the clonal expansion of T-lymphocytes and their differentiation into effector T-cells. The reduction in IFN-tau interrupts the feedback mechanism between T-cells and macrophages and the aberrant expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Through these mechanisms CsA exerts an immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effect
Considerable evidence has accumulated to suggest that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune disease. Activated T-lymphocytes interrelate with macrophages, other inflammatory cells and effector cells in joint tissue, leading to symptoms of inflammation accompanied by joint destruction. Immunosuppressive treatment is already well established in this disease and several trials have already taken place using CsA. A review of studies concludes that CsA is efficacious in controlling inflammatory and functional symptoms, although this improvement is not generally accompanied by reductions in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and rheumatoid factor. The frequency of adverse events is comparable to that of other treatments but nephropathy remains the principal factor limiting the use of CsA. Recent evidence suggests that with a strict dosage strategy and good monitoring this problem is controllable and reversible.
Studies have also shown that CsA is capable of inhibiting both adjuvant arthritis and collagen arthritis in rats when administered at the time of disease induction. The effects, however, on established arthritis in these animals appear to be different depending on the animal model. Toxicity is another major concern associated with the use of CsA. Nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, hirsutism, neurotoxicity, hypertension and altered coagulability have all been reported with CsA. In RA patients treated with CsA, those adverse effects that are the most prevalent include nephrotoxicity, hypertension, gastrointestinal intolerance, hypertrichosis and tremors due to high systemic levels of CsA. Recent reports indicate that the clearance of CsA is decreased in animals models of arthritis and diabetes. Therefore, when treating RA patients with CsA, the dose and blood levels of this drug should be carefully monitored because of drug toxicity, and because of the effect of the disease state on the disposition of the drug. A targeted microsphere system employing subtherapeutic doses of CsA would be desirable in order to overcome the limitations of systemic, nonspecific delivery of CsA. Other immunologically mediated diseases such as glomerulonephritis, organ transplant rejection, and lupus would likely benefit from a similar application of microencapsulated immunosuppressive agents.
Prior art encapsulation techniques have been directed at sustained release of an encapsulated drug using a selectively permeable coating or membrane through which the drug dissolves or otherwise passes. Numerous patents and articles describe the encapsulation of a variety of molecules, including drugs, vitamins, hormones, steroids, viruses, and other compositions by an equally numerous variety of coatings or membrane materials. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,379 describes antifibrin antibodies encapsulated in a biodegradable microcontainer which are released at the site of a targeted blood clot in an artery or vein. U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,661 discloses a method of delivering cytotoxic reagents, such as the A fragment of the diphtheria toxin, to cells by encapsulating the toxin in an immunoliposome composed from phosphatidylethanolamine and oleic acid in a molar ratio of 8:2 and a fatty acid derived antibody.
The present invention relates generally to an improved drug delivery system for modulating immune response by modifying cytokine response in macrophages. More particularly, a composition is disclosed for use in a drug delivery system comprising a drug microencapsulated with a biodegradable nonantigenic substance that can be recognized, phagocytosed and uncoupled by macrophages. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a anticytokine neutralizing antibody (NA) that is encapsulated with albumin to form a microsphere. The microsphere is formulated into an injectable or otherwise administrable preparation that can be administered in vivo. Once administered the microspheres are recognized and attacked by macrophages and ingested by phagocytosis. Once inside the macrophage enzymes digest the albumin, releasing the NA or an active form or fragment of the NA into the cell interior. NA may bind to cytokine receptors or translated cytokines inhibiting further activity. Microencapsulation techniques presented herein may also be used to target the macrophage with other agents such as proteases or anti-retroviral agents used to treat other illnesses which as systemic in nature. Diseases such as septic shock, which result from a massive immune reaction from invasion by bacteria, fungi, or bacteria-produced endotoxin or exotoxins, can be effectively treated by this composition.
A potential mechanism of action of microencapsulated NA on endotoxin or bacteria stimulated cytokine release involves the following steps and is depicted in FIG. 1. Step 1: Endotoxin/bacteria are either phagocytized or bind to the macrophage. Step 2: The organism/product transduces a signal to the nucleus stimulating transcription and translation of TNFa, IL-1xcex2, IL-6 and IL-8. Step 3: TNFa is synthesized and released into the cell where it can either be secreted or re-stimulate the nucleus to produce additional cytokines (autocrine). Step 4: Phagocytized microcapsules of NA are uncoupled by lysosomal enzymes and the active F(ab)2 fragments bind to the intracellular cytokine inhibiting both autocrine up-regulation and release of the active cytokine. Binding of TNF-NA or IL1-NA may reduce related cytokines through an inhibition of nuclear stimulated cytokine synthesis (see Step 5) or by binding prevent released cytokine from binding to extracellular receptors (see Step 7), which has been shown to occur in vivo. Step 5: TNFa, IL-1xcex2, and IL-6 have been shown in vivo to stimulate synthesis and release of each other probably by nuclear up-regulation of cytokine synthesis. Step 6: Released, unbound cytokines can stimulate effector organs as well as bind to lymphocytes and other white cells stimulating further production of cytokines. Step 7: Cytokine binding of receptors of macrophages and other white cells can lead to an increase in cellular synthesis and release of cytokines. Step 8: Membrane bound cytokines stimulate nuclear synthesis of all the cytokines in the cascade. Summary: Microencapsulated anticytokine antibodies may exhibit their effect on cytokine release by acting at Steps 3 and 5 and therefore blunt further release at Steps 6, 7, and 8.
The present invention also may be particularly useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, uveitis, psoriasis, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, organ transplant rejection, lupus, tumor regression, viral infections, renal disease such as glomerulonephropathies, presentation of vaccines and adjuvants, myasthenia gravis and other immune modulated conditions.
Albumin or globulin is the preferred material used to encapsulate water soluble molecules, such as anticytokine NA, peptides, insulin, proteins, drugs and the like. In an alternative embodiment, poly DL(lactic co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a linear polyester that breaks down to D-lactic acid, L-lactic acid and glycolic acid, is used to encapsulate water insoluble molecules, such as vitamins and many drugs.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method is presented for preparing the encapsulated drug comprising dissolving albumin in water or phosphate buffered saline (PBS); separately solubilizing NA in PBS; mixing the two solutions together; cooling the mixture; adding the mixture to an amount of olive oil previously cooled, emulsifying the mixture to form microspheres; crosslinking the microspheres by adding a solution of glutaraldehyde and stirring while maintaining the cool temperature of the mixture; washing the microspheres; sizing the microspheres; and drying the microspheres.

Microencapsulated compounds and method of preparing same


A magnetic head has a core body for defining a magnetic path, a pair of magnetic thin films deposited on a pair of opposing surfaces of the core body, a gap member deposited between the pair of opposing surfaces to define a magnetic gap, and a bonding member such as a glass disposed between the pair of magnetic thin films, thereby bonding the magnetic thin films. The angle between the surface on which the magnetic thin film is deposited and one side surface of the core body is made greater than in conventional magnetic heads. The bonding member directly bonds the pair of opposing surfaces of the core body to each other and not through the magnetic thin films. The softening temperature of the bonding glass or bonding member is varied in such a way that the softening temperatures are different between a portion in the vicinity of the magnetic gap and a portion remote from the magnetic gap, whereby the softening temperature at the above-described portion remote from the magnetic gap has a low softening temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head and core chip and more particularly to a magnetic head for writing and/or reading data onto and/or from a magnetic recording medium such as a metal tape in a video tape recorder (VTR), a digital audio tape recorder (DAT), a floppy disc drive (FDD) or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently, units of the types described above tend to be compact with a high degree of picture quality and high fidelity in sound reproduction. This is consistent with the fact that magnetic recording medium have been reduced in size, shorter in recording wavelength and increased in packing density. Therefore, a so-called metal tape, which uses ferromagnetic metal powder as magnetic particles bonded thereon, and characterized by high coercivity and high residual magnetic flux density, has been used.
The materials of the magnetic head for writing and/or reading data onto and/or from the magnetic recording medium described above, need to have a high magnetic saturation density and to maintain high permeability in a high frequency range. As an example of a magnetic head made of the materials described above, well known is a so-called metal-in-gap type composite magnetic head (to be referred to hereinafter as a "MIG head") in which the core is mainly made of ferrite and in which thin films of a soft magnetic material such as Sendust having a high magnetic saturation density are formed in the vicinity of a gap.
In other words, for writing data onto a magnetic recording medium such as a metal tape, the magnetic field formed by the magnetic head needs to have a strength two or three times as high as the coercivity of the metal tape so that the materials for the magnetic head must have a high magnetic saturation density. For instance, the magnetic saturation density of a ferrite is of the order of 4500.about.5000 gauss, and when the coercivity of the magnetic recording medium is in excess of 1000 oersteds, it becomes impossible to effectively write data onto the magnetic recording medium. On the other hand, in the case of magnetic heads made of metal magnetic materials such as crystal alloys; Fe-Al-Si alloy (Sendust), Ni-Fe alloys (Parmaloy) and the like, or amorphous or noncrystal materials; Co-Nb-Zr, Co-Ta-Zr, Co-To-Hf and the like, their magnetic saturation density is generally higher than that of ferrite and the noise produced when the head is brought into sliding contact with the surface of the recording medium is less. However, the materials described above have a problem that, when the thickness of the film is in excess of 10 .mu.m, the effective permeability at a high frequency (for instance, 5 MHz) becomes lower than that of ferrite because of eddy current loss so that the reproduction efficiency becomes low. In addition, the durability of the materials becomes less than that of ferrite. In view of the above, in MIG head, for mutually compensating for the defects of each of the various materials described above and the ferrite, in the case of making up a magnetic core, the ferrite and the metal magnetic material are combined. More specifically, the main body of the magnetic core is made of ferrite and magnetic thin films made of the metal magnetic material are grown in the vicinity of the gap by a film deposition in vacuum, whereby the magnetic core can be obtained.
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the slide surface of a conventional magnetic head with which a surface of the magnetic recording medium contacts. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1 and 1' represent ferrite portions; 4 and 4', soft magnetic thin films; 5 and 5', glass portions for joining the ferrite portions 1 and 1'; and g, a magnetic gap. A predetermined angle is defined between the magnetic gap g and a plane defined by the soft magnetic thin films 4, 4' over the slide surface, so that in case of poor magnetic layers which act as magnetic gaps being formed at the interfaces between the ferrite portions 1 and 1' and the soft magnetic thin films 4, 4', the undulation in the electromagnetic conversion characteristics (contour effect) due to the mutual interference of the signals derived from these gaps and the signal derived from the true gap g can be prevented. However, the production of such a magnetic head is complicated. Moreover, since the track width defined by the length of the gap g is determined by the thickness of the soft magnetic thin films 4, 4', in order to increase the width of the track, the thickness of the films 4, 4' must be increased (to 20-30 .mu.m). As a result, the production cost of such a magnetic head rises.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the slide surface (the magnetic core) of another conventional MIG head. Soft magnetic thin films 8 and 8' are formed over the whole surfaces in mutually opposing relationship with each other on ferrite portions 1 and 1' comprising core body halves of a core body. In this case, the surfaces of the ferrite portions 1 and 1' over which the soft magnetic thin films 8 and 8' are formed in the vicinity of the magnetic gap g are substantially in parallel with the gap g. As a result, in case of increasing the width of the track, the thickness of the films 8, 8' remain thin (5-10 .mu.m), and production of the films can be simplified. It has been apparent that by the arrangement of the magnetic core shown in FIG. 2 the contour effect can be reduced to a minimum by, for instance, suppressing the mutual interference between the ferrite portions 1, 1' on the one hand and the soft magnetic thin films 8, 8' on the other hand.
A magnetic head with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 has many advantages, but there exists a problem that part of the magnetic core tends to be damaged during the production process.
More specifically, in the production of magnetic heads of the type described above with reference to FIG. 2, a block which has a plurality of arrangements similar to that shown in FIG. 2 extended repeatedly in the direction in parallel with the gap g is sliced to obtain a plurality of magnetic core chips. In this case, the soft magnetic thin films, the ferrite portions, and the glass portions are simultaneously sliced. As the strain caused by thermal stresses due to the difference in the coefficients of expansion between the films and the ferrite portions when the ferrite portions 1 and 1' are bonded together by the melted glass 5, 5' are released, cracks occur as indicated by 6 in FIG. 2 between the thin films and ferrite portions.
Next, a second problem will be described. In the case of a magnetic head of the type shown in FIG. 2, the glass portions 5, 5' and the soft magnetic thin films 8, 8' are in contact with each other through a magnetic gap material such as SiO.sub.2. An example of this type of magnetic head is shown in FIG. 1 in "AUGER SPECTROSCOPY ANALYSIS OF METAL/FERRITE INTERFACE LAYER IN METAL-IN-GAP MAGNETIC HEAD; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, Vol 24, No. 6, November 1988". In this arrangement, the bonding strength between the glass portions and the soft thin magnetic films is relatively weak causing a problem to arise in that the strength of the magnetic core chip becomes weak. For instance, in the production of magnetic heads, the sliced chips are subjected to a washing step, and during this step, due to the influence of vibration, about 5% of the core chips are cracked at the joint between the halves of the core. In addition the core chip is subjected to a step in which it is bonded to the head base, and in this step about a few percent of the core chips are cracked.
The strength of the magnetic core chips shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 was confirmed by clamping only one half of the core chip and measuring the force applied to the other half so as to break the chip. The experimental results are as follows. In the case of the head shown in FIG. 1, the average breaking strength of 20 samples was 270 g.multidot.f, but in the case of the head shown in FIG. 2, the average breaking strength was 130 g.multidot.f or less than one half of the average breaking strength of the head shown in FIG. 1.
From these experimental results, it becomes clear that the greater the area of the interface between the soft magnetic thin films and the glass portions, the weaker the joint strength between the magnetic core halves. In addition, it is confirmed that all the breakages occur along the interfaces between the soft magnetic thin films and the glass portions.
Next, a third problem encountered with a magnetic head of the type shown in FIG. 2 will be described. The core of such a compound type magnetic head comprises ferrite portions 1 and 1' over the surfaces of which the soft magnetic thin films 8 and 8' of Sendust, amorphous or the like are formed so that due to the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion between them and in the degree of heat resistance of each material, the temperature of the glass 5, 5' being melted for bonding is limited to less than 600.degree. C. For instance, the coefficient of linear expansion a of Mn-Zn single crystal ferrite has an average value of 110.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. in the temperature range 30.degree.-500.degree. C. while Sendust has an average coefficient of linear expansion of 160.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. in the range from 30.degree.-500.degree. C. When a thermal hysteresis in excess of 600.degree. C. is applied, due to the thermal stresses caused by the difference in the coefficients of linear expansion, they tend to crack the ferrite portions and the glass. In the case of a soft magnetic thin films composed of an amorphous alloy, the alloy crystalizes at 500.degree..about.550.degree. C. so that the bonding by glass cannot be carried out in excess of the above-mentioned temperature. More specifically, when the temperature of the glass melting is in excess of the above-mentioned temperature range in the bonding process, the soft magnetic property of amorphous alloys is lost so that they cannot be used as materials for magnetic heads.
On the other hand, when the temperature of the glass melting is low, the properties of glass such as water-resistance, weatherability, strength and so on is adversely affected. The reason is as follows. For instance, in the case of the glass of PbO series, in order to lower the welding temperature, the content of the PbO must be increased while the content of SiO.sub.2 must be decreased. In this case, SiO.sub.2 is one of the compounds subjected to vitrification and if SiO.sub.2 is decreased in quantity, the water-resistance, weatherability, anti-environmental-pollution ability and so on are also adversely affected. It follows therefore that, for improving the anti-pollution ability, the first requirement is to increase the temperature in the bonding process (bonding temperatures). In general, in the case of PbO and V.sub.2 O.sub.5 series glass, the higher the softening temperature, the more the anti-pollution ability is improved. However, in the case of the above-described magnetic head, the temperature of glass at melting cannot be increased, and it becomes impossible to use glass having a high softening temperature so that the anti-pollution ability of the glass used for joining the core halves cannot be satisfactorily improved.
In addition, in the case of PbO series glass, B.sub.2 O.sub.3 is included for the sake of vitrification while Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 is included in order to lower the softening temperature. As compared with PbO, the degradation of the anti-pollution ability is low. It follows that in the case of PbO series glass, PbO-Sio.sub.2 -Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 -B.sub.2 O.sub.3 series glass has relatively an excellent degree of water-proofness.
Sometimes ZnO and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 are added. In this case, ZnO is effective to improve the water resistance but its wearability is degraded. Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 improves water resistance, but the softening temperature rises. Therefore it is preferable to combine them at a suitable ratio.
Furthermore, when the halves of a core chip are bonded to each other by glass, firstly, glasses are disposed into a winding groove and a groove defined at the rear portion of each of the cores respectively, and the melted glass flows therein. The distance for which the glass disposed into the groove at the rear portion (to be referred to hereinafter as the back-gap-side glass) flows is considerably longer than the distance for which the glass disposed into the winding groove (to be referred to hereinafter as front-gap-side glass) flows. On the other hand, the above-described glass must have a softening temperature which is as high as possible to optimize the anti-pollution ability of the glass, and must have a low bonding temperature to prevent cracks during the production process. Therefore the bonding temperature must be set at a temperature as low as possible for the front-gap-side glass to reach to the predetermined point by flowing. However, when the glass bonding is carried out at such temperature, sometimes the back-gap-side glass cannot reach a predetermined position. As a result, there arises the problem that the strength of the core chip is decreased and the core chips are cracked during the production process.

Magnetic head and core chip having a magnetic thin film


A printer calculator includes a time information keeping circuit for storing current time information. A state detection means is provided in the printer calculator for printing out the current time information stored in the time information keeping circuit when a preselected state occurs in the printer calculator. The state detection means can be responsive to, for example, actuation of a particular key included in a keyboard panel of the printer calculator, and/or initiation of power supply to the printer calculator.

The present invention relates to a printer calculator and, more particularly, to a printer control system in an electronic calculator for printing out time information stored in an electronic calculator at a preselected condition.
In the conventional printer calculator, date information or current time information can be printed out on a print receiving paper by introducing desired date information or current time information into the printer calculator through a keyboard panel. With the aforementioned procedure, there is a possibility that the date information or the current time information is erroneously printed out.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel printer calculator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer control system in an electronic printer calculator for printing out time information stored in an electronic printer calculator when a preselected condition occurs.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
To achieve the above objects, pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic calculator comprises a printer, a printer control system, and a current time information keeping circuit. The current time information keeping circuit is continuously power supplied to memorize and up-date the current time information even when power supply to an operation control circuit of the electronic calculator is terminated.
The printer control system includes a detection system for developing a print instruction signal when a preselected condition occurs in the electronic calculator. Upon generation of the print instruction signal, the printer control system activates the printer to print out the current time information stored in the current time information keeping circuit. In a preferred form, the current time information is divided into two groups, one being the date information and the other being the time information regarding hours and minutes. The printer control system is constructed to select a desired one of the above-mentioned groups.
The preselected condition can be one of the following conditions.
1. Actuation of a particular key included in a keyboard panel. PA0 2. Initiation of power supply to a computation circuit included in an electronic calculator. PA0 3. Actuation of a particular key following the initiation of power supply to the computation circuit. PA0 4. When contents stored in a storage means included in an operation control circuit of the electronic calculator reach a preselected value.

Time information print out at a preselected condition in an electronic calculator


A new and distinct cultivar of Deutzia plant named ‘Duncan’, characterized by its compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; bright yellow green-colored leaves; and numerous white-colored flowers.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Deutzia plant, botanically known as Deutzia gracilis, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Duncan'.
The new Deutzia is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of a unidentified selection of Deutzia gracilis, not patented. The new Deutzia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a branch of a plant within a population of plants of the parent selection in Grand Haven, Mich. in July, 2002.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings taken at Grand Haven, Mich. since July, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Deutzia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


The gate valve has a housing hermetically joined with pipelines and a closing member which is translationally traversable in between the sealing elements of the housing. A bottom end of the closing member having a bevelled edge made so that at the instance when the pipelines get intercommunicated, the passageway is established in between the abovesaid bevelled edge, the housing and the sealing elements, said passageway growing narrow towards the direction of the flow of liquid. The above feature makes it possible to rule out the onset of conditions fraught with cavitation under the closing member and bring the cavitation outside the closing member, thereby adding to the service life of the gate valve.

The present invention relates generally to pipeline fittings and has particular reference to gate valves adapted to shut off the flow of liquid in pipelines, made use of in diverse fields of industry, such as mining, construction, chemical, petroleum production, and the like.
The invention can find most utility when applied for pipelines laid in underground coal winning by the hydraulic method.
A large number of diverse types of gate valves are known for use currently which comprise substantially a housing hermetically joined with pipelines, and a closing member translationally traversable in between the sealing elements of the housing.
However, despite a great diversity of gate valves now in use the problem how to prolong their service life is yet far from being completely solved, especially when the gate valves are used to shut off the flow of liquids containing solid impurities, as the closing members and their sealing elements are liable to destruct within a short period of time. This is due largely to the fact that when the pipelines are shut off or intercommunicated, adverse conditions for the closing members and sealing elements arise, consisting in that a passageway is established when the pipelines are communicated to each other or shut off, said passageway being confined within the bottom end of the closing member, the gate valve housing and the sealing elements and featuring the same cross-sectional area at the entrance and exit thereof. We have been successful in finding out that the flow of liquid along such a passageway defines a void space situated beneath the closing member close to the entrance to the passageway, said void space considerably choking the free passage area and, consequently, reducing the hydrodynamic pressure in the flow, thus providing the conditions for the onset of cavitation. Before leaving the passageway the flow of liquid expands, the hydrodynamic pressure rises and the cavities are broken, all this leading to rapid failure of both the closing member and the sealing elements.

Gate valve to shut off flow of liquid in pipelines


A multi-bit flip-flop includes a plurality of multi-bit flip-flop blocks that share a clock signal. Each of the multi-bit flip-flop blocks includes a single inverter and a plurality of flip-flops. The single inverter generates an inverted clock signal by inverting the clock signal. Each of the flip-flops includes a master latch part and a slave latch part and operates the master latch part and the slave latch part based on the clock signal and the inverted clock signal. Here, the flip-flops are triggered at rising edges of the clock signal. Thus, the multi-bit flip-flop operating as a master-slave flip-flop may minimize (or, reduce) power consumption occurring in a clock path through which the clock signal is transmitted.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments relate generally to a logic circuit. More particularly, embodiments of the present inventive concepts relate to a multi-bit flip-flop that operates as a master-slave flip-flop and a scan chain circuit having a structure based on the multi-bit flip-flop.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, according to a mobile convergence trend, there is a rising interest on a low power technology for a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, a smart pad, etc.). Generally, since the mobile device uses a limited power such as a battery, manufacturing (or, designing) the mobile device with low power chips including low power flip-flops is necessary as well as efficient power management for the mobile device to consume low power. A master-slave flip-flop has been used for a long time because a size of the master-slave flip-flop is relatively small and the mater-slave flip-flop has high reliability. However, since a conventional mater-slave flip-flop consumes much power in a clock path whenever a clock signal is toggled, the conventional mater-slave flip-flop cannot satisfy low power level that a recent mobile device of which an operating frequency is relatively high requires.

Multi-bit flip-flops and scan chain circuits


A delay line having feedback from a control circuit at the output of the delay line controls the delay line duty cycle to within a specified range. The delay line comprises at least one delay unit having control inputs to each delay unit. The output of the delay line feeds to a low-pass filter (LPF). A voltage proportional to the duty cycle of the delay line output is generated within the LPF and fed to a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier is in turn coupled to the control inputs of each of the delay units. When the voltage signal from the LPF is high (duty cycle is high), the differential amplifier will generate a signal causing the fall time of the signal propagating through the delay line to increase and rise time to decrease. This will decrease the high cycle time at the output of the delay line. When the voltage signal from the LPF is low (duty cycle is low), the differential amplifier will generate a signal causing the fall time to decrease and the rise time to increase. This will increase the high cycle time at the output of the delay line.

This invention relates, in general, to CMOS delay lines.
CMOS delay lines are often used for high frequency clock synchronization for video signals and parallel micro controller units (MCU).
A CMOS delay line is generally composed of multiple CMOS inverters or a cascaded CMOS inverter chain such as 32-stage series inverters. Each inverter, or cascaded inverter, has a slightly different rise and fall time as well as slightly different threshold voltage. Such variations are caused by small geometric mismatches of the transistors and stray capacitance around the transistors.
As a digital signal is propagated through the multiple or cascaded inverters, the small variations in rise and fall times accumulate. The output duty cycle time of the signal (duty cycle time is the portion of the input signal registering a high, or above the threshold voltage) will be changed from the original input signal to be delayed.
A worst case scenario involves a high frequency input signal having a low duty cycle time. In this case, the output pulse can become very narrow and generate a clock re-synchronization malfunction in the circuits the delay line is outputting to.
To avoid the problems of signal mismatching and narrow output pulses, the duty cycle time must be controlled to maintain a duty cycle approximately equal to the input signal duty cycle.
Furthermore, it is desirable to maintain a certain duty cycle range generated by each individual delay inverter. This allows control of the total duty cycle generated by the entire string or series of delay inverters.

CMOS delay line having duty cycle control


A hair brush having a cleaning feature which can be releasably attached to the brush comprising a base section having a multiplicity of parallel bristles extending from a bristle-holding surface thereof, a cleaning plate disposed on the bristle-holding surface and having holes through which the parallel bristles extend, the cleaning plate containing a hand-operated mechanism for releasably engaging the cleaning plate from the hair brush to remove the cleaning plate for cleaning purposes.

The present invention relates to a hair brush of the type having a cleaning plate slidably movable along the bristles thereof for the purposes of removing hair therefrom characterized in that said cleaning plate contains a hand-operated engaging means for releasably engaging said cleaning plate from said brush.
Hair brushes containing a cleaning feature for use on both humans and animals are known in the art. Such brushes are exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,050,103; 1,164,204; 1,290,554; 1,303,500; 2,529,927; 3,108,305; 3,110,053; and 4,517,703.
Such prior art arrangements, however, are relatively complex and costly to manufacture. In addition, such arrangements significantly lack the important convenience of releasbly maintaining a slidably mounted cleaning member in an attached configuration to the brush, so that it remains intact and simultaneously provides for ease of use in the cleaning operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hair brush having a cleaning feature which can be attached and removed from the brush by a hand-operated engaging means, employing a relatively simple and reliable construction.
In addition, it is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved hair brush having the aforementioned cleaning feature, further characterized in that the cleaning feature contains a finger-operated lift-off tab that makes it easy for the user to lift said cleaning feature on and off the brush.

Hair brush with attached cleaning feature


A dual evaporative pre-cooling system is installed packaged air conditioning units. The dual evaporative pre-cooling system includes an evaporative media disposed in a housing through which incoming condenser air flows. A water distribution device is disposed above the evaporative media. A sump and a pump are located below the evaporative media to recirculate water through the water distribution device and a ventilation air pre-cooling coil. A plurality of pipes connect, and allow circulation of, a water source discharged from the pump through the ventilation air pre-cooling coil, and to the water distribution device.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to improvements in evaporative pre-cooling devices, and particularly to a device that uses a dual evaporative cooling system to improve the efficiency and reduce electrical demand of packaged rooftop cooling systems frequently used on non-residential buildings.
2. Description of Related Art
A majority of new low-rise non-residential buildings in the United States are cooled with packaged rooftop units (RTU""s). A RTU can include a number of components, e.g., one or more compressors, a condenser section that includes one or more air-cooled condensing coils, condenser fans, an evaporator coil, a supply blower, an intake location for outdoor ventilation air (with or without an xe2x80x9ceconomizerxe2x80x9d to fully cool from outdoor air when possible), optional exhaust air components, and controls. These components are packaged alike by manufacturers to be air cooled. Conventional modes for packaging fail to take advantage of the opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce electrical demand through evaporative condenser cooling. This opportunity is particularly significant in dry climate locations such as in California, where more than 1,000,000 air-cooled RTU""s were operating as of the year 2000.
In climates where summer afternoon temperatures routinely reach 95xc2x0 F. and higher, but with dry air such that wet bulb temperatures rarely exceed 70xc2x0 F., RTU cooling efficiencies can be increased by 20% to 25% using an evaporative condenser air pre-cooler (ECAP). ECAP""s have been available for many years but have not achieved widespread success. Their low sales volume results in part from their added maintenance requirements and in part from the failure of RTU manufacturers to market them. RTU manufacturers have been reluctant to market accessories that appeal to regional markets, especially if those accessories require added maintenance. Strategies that reduce ECAP maintenance requirements and clearly demonstrate favorable economics could substantially enlarge the ECAP market.
High maintenance requirements that have typically plagued ECAP""s result from: hard water deposits, entry of insects and debris, difficult access to key operating components, and biological growth that fouls water feed components. Hard water deposits result from calcium and magnesium in the supply water that concentrate as pure water evaporates. These minerals firmly adhere to piping and evaporative media surfaces, reducing flow rates, clogging water distribution headers, and causing deterioration of the economical rigid evaporative media materials. The entry of bugs and debris also contribute to the disadvantages associated with RTU""s without ECAP""s. Periodic cleaning of condenser coils is required to maintain efficient operation. Evaporative media panel cleaning is complicated by conventional designs. For example, removal of an evaporative media panel is required from the top, where the water distribution header interferes and therefore must also be removed. An ECAP reduces condenser coil cleaning frequency, but its own maintenance requirements are seldom credited for the coil cleaning savings. Biological (algae) growth typically occurs in locations that remain continuously wet, as is true of ECAP sumps. These maintenance issues for traditional ECAP""s offer a clear opportunity to enlarge the market using features that significantly reduce maintenance requirements.
The ECAP market has also been limited by a disconnect between purchasers and maintainers. ECAP""s are usually purchased by management based on a payback analysis prepared by the seller. After installation, the ECAP becomes the responsibility of a maintenance staff or a contractor who seldom pays the energy bill and therefore has little idea of the ECAP value. Monitoring of savings is typically expensive and therefore avoided. As a result, many ECAP""s are removed and considered a failure after a few years in use. This recurring scenario suggests an opportunity for improved designs with economical on-board monitoring and diagnosis electronics.
A major untapped opportunity afforded by RTU design is evaporative pre-cooling of ventilation air. At least 10% of the supply air delivered by RTU""s is typically outdoor air needed for building ventilation. In some cases, particularly for laboratory facilities, RTU""s deliver 100% outdoor air. In warm weather, cooling of ventilation air represents a significant fraction of the total cooling load. In the driest climates, ventilation air can be pre-cooled by the same direct evaporative process used in ECAP""s. However, in most applications an indirect process that adds no moisture to the ventilation air is preferred.
Another opportunity afforded by RTU evaporative pre-cooling is reduction of fan energy consumption. On the condenser side, RTU""s use high airflow rates to compensate for their air-cooled design. And, on the evaporator side, RTU""s typically send indoor air through a contorted path as it is drawn up through return ducts into the RTU, around several tight turns inside the unit, and back down through supply ductwork. The added pressure drop associated with this complex path results in high fan energy consumption that penalizes the system all year, particularly in widely-used constant-speed systems. These high fan speeds are required during peak cooling load conditions. Applying evaporative air pre-cooling to both condenser and evaporator sides allows reduced fan speeds that generate full-year fan energy savings.
In recent years several new RTU pre-cooler products use a non-recirculating water feed system without a pump or a sump. In these lower-cost systems, water from a pressurized source is fed over the evaporative media as needed in response to a moisture sensor at the bottom of the evaporative media. Excess water that reaches the bottom is drained away. These systems have three disadvantages. First, they cannot circulate evaporatively-cooled sump water to a ventilation air pre-cooling coil. Second, they typically use more water than recirculating systems because of their constant drainage. Third, they are more susceptible to fouling with hard water deposits because all hardness minerals are left on the pads of the rigid evaporative media.
These disadvantages suggest a need and opportunity for dual evaporative pre-cooling systems that are capable of fitting both new and existing packaged rooftop cooling units, reducing maintenance requirements, and pre-cooling both condenser and ventilation air, thus facilitating reduced fan operating speeds. In addition, there is a need for a dual evaporative pre-cooling system that can diagnose operation and report energy savings to building owners, operators, electric utilities and any other party responsible for the operation thereof.
The present invention addresses the problems set forth above. The present invention is directed to dual evaporative pre-cooling systems for use as accessories on packaged rooftop cooling units that satisfy the above needs. An exemplary dual evaporative pre-cooling system according to the invention includes one or more evaporative condenser air pre-cooling panels, one or more water sumps, one or more water pumps, an indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil, a supply pipe from at least one pump to the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil, a return pipe from the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil to the evaporative condenser air pre-cooling panels, a refill system to replace evaporated water, a motorized valve or second pump to purge and discharge sump water for maintenance purposes, an electrical power supply, and a control system to control and monitor system operations.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide a dual evaporative pre-cooling system for packaged air conditioning units. The dual evaporative pre-cooling system includes an evaporative media disposed in a housing with an air entry side through which incoming air flows. A water distribution device is disposed above the evaporative media. A sump and a pump are located in the housing below the evaporative media. The pump recirculates water through the water distribution device. A ventilation air pre-cooling coil and a plurality of pipes are connected together to allow circulation of a water source discharged from the pump through the ventilation air pre-cooling coil, and to the water distribution device.
According to the invention, each evaporative condenser air pre-cooling panel includes a structural frame, a rigid evaporative media contained within the frame, a water distribution header above the evaporative media, and an inlet screen that prevents insects and debris from entering the system. At least one (primary) evaporative condenser air pre-cooling panel includes a sump disposed below the evaporative media that contains enough water to ensure continuous pump operation without running dry. Other panels may be secondary panels, without sumps, that drain to the sump of the primary evaporative condenser air pre-cooling panel. In an exemplary embodiment, all of the water pumped from at least one of the sumps is delivered through the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil before circulating to at least one of the water distribution headers. In alternate exemplary embodiments, a pumped flow of water can be apportioned between the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil and at least one of the distribution headers, such that some of the water can bypass the coil and flow directly to the distribution headers, or some of the water can return directly to the sump from the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil, bypassing the distribution headers.
In an exemplary embodiment, each distribution header includes of a horizontal pipe perforated with a linear hole pattern. To ensure uniform water distribution on the top of the evaporative media, water is discharged upward from the horizontal perforated pipe against an underside of a semi-cyclindrical distributor surface. The sprayed water ricochets randomly into a widely-dispersed pattern that fully wets the evaporative media.
To prevent freeze-damage, the indirect coil and connecting pipes are designed to drain water back to the sump when the pump is not operating. Drainage is facilitated by a submersible pump with a vertical-axis impeller that delivers water through an upward-sloping pipe to a bottom inlet of a vertical supply manifold in the ventilation air pre-cooling coil. The indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil can be provided with all horizontal serpentine circuits in parallel. The horizontal serpentine circuits of the ventilation air pre-cooling coil discharge into a vertical return manifold with top outlet. From the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil discharge, no xe2x80x9ctrapsxe2x80x9d are permitted before the water emerges from the perforated pipe. When pumped flow stops, air entering the perforated pipe allows water in the indirect ventilation air pre-cooling coil and in the pipes to drain back to the sump. The sump is discharged either by opening a drain valve or activating a pump-out cycle.
In an exemplary embodiment, the water refill system includes: a pressurized water supply line, a solenoid valve, a float switch, and a controller to operate the water refill system. This exemplary embodiment is used in conjunction with controls that limit biological growth by regularly discharging the sump. According to the invention, a control/monitoring system includes the controller (e.g., a microprocessor controller) with a time clock and temperature sensors that detect: an outdoor air, an evaporatively pre-cooled air, a building return air, the sump water, and a return water from the ventilation air precooling coil. Based on at least these five temperature inputs, pre-programmed building operating schedule data, and a cooling demand on the RTU, the controller can decide when to operate the evaporative pre-cooler system to maximize energy savings. The controller also uses this data in conjunction with power monitoring input data to compute and report energy savings, and to diagnose potential operating problems.

Dual evaporative pre-cooling system and method therefor


A keyboard device includes: an elastic portion that is provided on any one of a pair of opposed end faces, abuts on an abutting portion provided on a keyboard holding device, and biases the keyboard device in a direction toward another end face from one end face on which the elastic portion is provided; a first engaging portion that is provided on the one end face, and engages with a third engaging portion provided on the keyboard holding device; and a second engaging portion that is provided on the another end face, and engages with a fourth engaging portion provided on the keyboard holding device by the bias of the elastic portion.

There has been known a console drawer as an information input device that input information to a server, for example. The console drawer is a drawer-shaped information input device having a sliding mechanism, is placed in a rack along with the server, and is drawn from the rack and put in the rack. Such a console drawer is disclosed by Patent Document 1 (i.e., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2009-104398), for example.
The console drawer includes a keyboard unit that is the keyboard device for inputting textual information, and a drawer unit that is the keyboard holding device for holding the keyboard unit. Since the key arrangement and the type of characters to be input by keys differ for each country in which the keyboard unit is used, plural types of keyboard units exist.
On the contrary, Patent document 2 (i.e., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 08-076881) and Patent Document 3 (i.e., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-236523) disclose a technique concerning a keyboard unit which is exchangeable using a tool.

Keyboard device, keyboard holding device and information input device


The present invention relates to detergent compositions, especially liquid, granular and tablet forms of laundry detergent compositions, that comprise improved hydrotropes, wherein the hydrotropes are organic molecules in which two polar groups are separated from each other by at least 5 aliphatic carbon atoms; liquid compositions that contain such hydrotropes have a viscosity, dilution profile and dissolution behavior that render the product effective and convenient for use as a liquid laundry detergent composition.

In recent years, the popularity of detergent products is forms other than granular/powder has increased. These other forms include liquids and tables.
Liquid laundry detergent products offer a number of advantages over dry, powdered or particulate laundry detergent products. Liquid laundry detergent products are readily measurable, speedily dissolved in wash water, non-dusting, are capable of being easily applied in concentrated solutions or dispersions to soiled areas on garments to be laundered and usually occupy less storage space than granular products. Additionally, liquid laundry detergents may have incorporated into their formulations materials which would deteriorate in the drying operations employed in the manufacture of particulate or granular laundry detergent products. Because liquid laundry detergents are usually considered to be more convenient to use than granular laundry detergents, they have found substantial favor with consumers.
Despite the advantages of liquid detergent compositions, granular products retain numerous advantages. These advantages include performance, formulation capability, lower-cost packaging and higher product stability. The advantages of product stability and formulation capability are derived in large from the nature granular admixtures where components can be individually stabilized and isolated into particles before being admixed with other particles. This physical separation in the final detergent composition allows the use of materials that are potentially unstable in a composition such as bleaches, enzymes, etc.
It is well-known to make detergent compositions in tablet form by compacting a granular detergent composition. Such tablets offer the convenience to consumers of pre-measured detergent dosage without the inconvenience and untidiness of measuring a sufficient amount of a granular detergent composition for each wash. Such products also offer considerable convenience to those consumers who launder the clothes outside or away from their residence (e.g. at a laundromat) because the consumer is required to transport only precisely as much laundry detergent as she or he needs for clothes laundering. Detergent compositions may be made in tablet form by compacting detergent particulates.
A disadvantage with conventional liquid detergent compositions has been compatibility of ingredients. Laundry detergent components which may be compatible with each other in granular and/or tablet products, may tend to interact or react with each other in a liquid, especially in an aqueous liquid environment.
A disadvantage with conventional granular/powder detergent compositions has been relatively poor dissolution, dispersion and solubility performance.
A disadvantage with conventional tablet detergent compositions has been the conflict between making the tablets sufficiently strong and durable to avoid breaking apart during manufacture, transportation and/or storage, while at the same time making the tablets in a manner such that the tablets rapidly disintegrate upon contact with wash water.
Given the foregoing, there is a continuing need to provide/formulate liquid detergent compositions which have not only excellent cleaning performance and compositional and physical stability but which also have a viscosity, dilution profile and dissolution behavior that render them useful and convenient for use as a liquid laundry detergent composition; there is a continuing need to provide/formulate granular/powder detergent compositions which have improved dissolution, dispersion and solubility performance while maintaining the granular/powder detergent's inherent formulation flexibility; and there is a continuing need to provide/formulate tablet detergent compositions which are both strong and durable to resist breakage during manufacture, transportation and/or storage, and which also disintegrate rapidly upon contact with wash water so that the components of the tablet can provide detersive benefits during the wash process.

Detergent compositions comprising hydrotropes


A method of manufacturing a conductive polyurethane foam in which the polymerization is made easy, the refinement of pyrrole or the like is not required, the recovery rate of a solvent is enhanced, and the pre-treatment is not required at all; and a conductive polyurethane foam having excellent performances. This method includes a process: of coating an oxidizer solution (methanol solution containing FeCl.sub.3 and FeCl.sub.2) on surfaces of cells of a soft polyurethane foam; a process of perfectly removing the solvent of the oxidizer solution by vacuum drying; a process of polymerizing a compound (pyrrole or the like) with conjugated double bonds on the surfaces of cells of the continuous forming type polyurethane foam after being coated with the oxidizer in a vapor-phase atmosphere for forming a conductive electronic conjugated polymer layer (polypyrrole layer or the like) of the compound on the surfaces of the cells; a process of dipping the polyurethane foam formed with the polymer layer in a solvent for extracting the pyrrole and the oxide; and a process for vacuum-drying it. A conductive polyurethane foam can be continuously manufactured by this process. The conductive polyurethane foam thus manufactured has an electric conductivity ranging from 10.sup.-7 to 10.sup.-2 S/cm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive polyurethane foam and its manufacture, and particularly to a conductive continuous foaming type polyurethane foam in which the surfaces of cells are covered with a pyrrole compound polymer and its manufacture, and further, to a method of continuously manufacturing a long-sized conductive continuous foaming type polyurethane foam sheet.
The present invention is applicable for antistatic fillers in the electronic and electric fields, antistatic cushioning materials for transport packages, sponge rolls for removing electrostatic charge, pressure sensors, pressure switches and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, conductive polymers such as polyacetylene have been synthesized. First of all, polymers of complex five-membered ring compounds such as pyrrole compounds have been focused in terms of electric conductivity and stability. The polymerizing method for the above-described polymers includes chemical solution polymerization, electrolytic chemical polymerization and interfacial polymerization. However, the conductive polymer is generally infusible and insoluble, and has a problem in workability. Further, the finished configuration of the polymer is limited to a film or powder state and the mechanical strength thereof is not strong so much. Consequently, the conductive polymer has been used as a complex material with a polymer base material excellent in workability and mechanical strength.
As techniques of manufacturing a conductive polyurethane foam complex, there have been known (1) an impregnation method (chemical solution polymerization) (Japanese Laid-open Nos. HEI 4-1241 and SHO 63-128034); and (2) a combination of the impregnation method and an electrolytic chemical polymerization method (Japanese Laid-open No. SHO 61-218643).
Further, there has been known a vapor phase method of forming a conductive polymer layer on a porous base material other than a polyurethane foam by vapor phase polymerization (Japanese Laid-open Nos. SHO 62-84115 and HEI 1-134805).
In the conventional impregnation method, since a base material is first impregnated in an oxidizer solution and subsequently dipped in a pyrrole solution, part of an oxidizer is added into the pyrrole solution so that pyrrole is naturally polymerized, to reduce the utilization factor of the pyrrole. Pyrrole generally contains an anti-oxidation agent, and thereby it must be refined before being used. The pyrrole thus refined is limited in its preservation period. Further, the interior of each cell of a polyurethane foam is almost filled with the pyrrole solution, and polypyrrole tends to grow in a massive state irrespective of the adhesion with the cell skeleton in the cell, which permits the polypyrrole from being easily fallen from the cell, thus exerting adverse effect as conductive impurities and dusts.
The above-described electrolytic chemical polymerization method is not suitable for the mass-production because the magnitude of a compound material is dependent on the electrode used. Further, the above-described vapor-phase polymerization method does not exemplify any polyurethane foam as the base material, and does not intend to obtain the sufficient solvent recovery.

Conductive polyurethane foam and its manufacture


An improved ceramic honeycomb filter wherein the ceramic honeycomb filter has at least one outer corner having a shape, when viewed looking down the channels of the honeycomb, that is comprised of (i) at least two circular arcs wherein at least one of said circular arcs has a different radius of curvature than the other circular arc or arcs, (ii) a non-circular arc, or (iii) at least four straight chamfers in the absence of any arcs.

Diesel engines, because of the way they operate, emit soot particles or very fine droplets of condensate or a conglomerate of the two (particulates) as well as typical harmful gasoline engine exhausts (i.e., HC and CO). These "particulates" (herein Diesel soot), are rich in condensed, polynuclear hydrocarbons, some of which may be carcinogenic.
As the awareness of the danger Diesel soot presents to health collides with the need for greater fuel efficiency that Diesel engines provide, regulations have been enacted curbing the amount of Diesel soot permitted to be emitted. To meet these challenges, soot filters have been used. The filters have had many configurations as exemplified by GB 1,014,498 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,807. The most common and useful filters have tended to be porous ceramic honeycombs that have plugged channels such that the exhaust gas must enter a channel and pass through the wall of the channel as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,162.
Ceramic honeycombs have been made from smaller segements to make larger devices such as flow through catalysts (3-way), heat regenerators and Diesel filters as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,304,585; 4,333,518; 4,381,815; 4,953,627; 5,914,187; 6,669,751; 6,984,253; 7,056,568 and U.S. Pat. Publ. 2006/029333.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,751 and U.S. Pat. Publ. 2006/029333, describe cementing, for example, filter segments of square cross-section wherein the outer corners have a straight chamfer or round corner having a radius of curvature of 0.3 mm-2.5 mm. The latter further teaches that the corner may have a straight chamfer and and round corner with the aforementioned radius of curvature. Such chamfers were described as being useful to improve strength (thermal shock resistance). However, these corners suffer from limited flexibility in wall thickness at the corner, fails to take into account of damage that may occur upon handling (i.e., still has sharp corners from chamfers, inability to adequately hard coat dies in the corners and inability to accurately reproduce the intended shape as described by U.S. patent Pub. 2006/029333, which may cause stress concentration causing edge chipping etc).
What is needed is a Diesel particulate filter that avoids one or more of the problems of the prior art such as one or more of those described above.


A method of manufacturing an ink-jety recording head in which an ink supply port forming substrate 21, a common ink chamber forming substrate 25, and a nozzle plate 27 are bonded together by inserting between them thermally fusible films 31 and 32 respectively, in which are formed through holes 45 and 45 at two or more positions, and by also filling the film through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thicknesses of the thermally fusible films when they are fused, so as to form a flow path unit 30; and then the flow path unit 30 and the actuator units 1 are bonded together by inserting between them a thermally fusible film 33, in which are through holes 64 at two or more positions, and by also filling the through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible film when it is fused.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated ink-jet recording head that includes an actuator unit, which is formed of ceramics, and a flow path substrate, which is formed of metal, that are connected to each other.
2. Related Art
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-040035, an ink-jet recording head is disclosed in which a piezoelectric vibration plate is bonded to an area of an elastic plate to form a pressure generation chamber, and in which to generate ink drops, the volume of the pressure generation chamber is varied by the flexing displacement of the piezoelectric vibration plate. This recording head is characterized in that it is able to generate ink drops stably because of the wide area of the pressure generation chamber that is variable.
In a recording head of this type, normally, an actuator unit, which is formed of ceramics and which includes a pressure generation chamber, a vibration plate and a piezoelectric vibration plate, is fixed by a bonding layer to a single flow path forming unit, which is made of a metal plate and which is so formed as to correspond to a plurality of nozzle openings which are formed in lines.
For such bonding, an adhesive, for example, can be used. However, when an adhesive is used, some accompanying problems arise. For example, the adhesive is not only difficult to apply, but it also may flow into and seal the nozzle openings and a lot of time is required for the adhesive to harden.
On the other hand, to solve these problems, and in particular, to simplify the application operation and to shorten the hardening time, a thermally fusible film is also used for such bonding. In this case as well, however, when pressure is applied to the thermally fusible film during the bonding operation, the thermally fusible film can be compressed and flattened to an unnecessary extent so that bonding layer thicknesses vary, or the film can flow into communication holes and close them. Further, there is a possibility that the thermally fusible film will now be sufficiently compressed and that a part of the film will be unevenly shaped. Then, when the unevenly shaped film is interposed between the substrates to bond them together, a sufficient bonding strength cannot be obtained.
The present invention is intended to eliminate the above problems that arise with a conventional ink-jet recording head. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a laminated ink-jet recording head which uses as bonding means a thermally fusible film that does not close communication holes and can provide a sufficient bonding strength.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet recording head that allows the components of the head to be securely bonded together by employing thermally fusible films.
In achieving the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an ink-jet recording head, comprising:
an actuator unit, which includes a plurality of first cover members and spaces respectively formed of ceramics, the first cover members and the spacers being integrally bonded to each other, with each of the first cover members having mounted on one surface a plurality of piezoelectric vibration plates so as to provide a vibration means, and with one surface of each of the spacers being sealed by the first cover member so as to form a plurality of pressure generation chambers; and
a flow path unit, which is bonded to the actuator unit, that includes: an ink supply port forming substrate formed of metal, to which the actuator unit can be fixed and which also includes a plurality of communication holes and a plurality of ink supply ports, formed respectively on the two side ends of the pressure generation chambers; a common ink chamber forming substrate, which is formed of metal, that includes a plurality of ink chambers, which respectively communicate with the pressure generation chambers through the ink supply ports, and a plurality of communication holes, which communicate with the pressure generation chambers; and a nozzle plate, which is formed of metal, that seals the other surface of the common ink chamber forming substrate and that includes a plurality of nozzle openings that are connected with the pressure generation chambers by the respective communication holes, wherein the ink supply port forming substrate, the common ink chamber forming substrate and the nozzle plate being bonded to each other by an adhesive so as to provide the flow path unit, and wherein the ink supply port forming substrate, the common ink chamber forming substrate and the nozzle plate are bonded together by inserting between them thermally fusible films, in each of which, film through holes are formed at two or more positions, and by also supplying, by means of the film through holes, an adhesive mixed with a gap material for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible films when they are fused, to provide the flow path unit, and then the flow path unit and the actuator unit are bonded together by inserting between them a thermally fusible film, in which through holes are formed at two or more positions, and by an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material, with which the film through holes are filled, for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible film when it is fused.
According to the invention, an extruded quantity of thermally fusible film can be accepted by the through holes formed at important locations in the thermally fusible film, and the gap material with which the through holes in the film are filled prevents the unnecessary spreading of the thermally fusible film.

Method of manufacturing an ink-jet recording head using a thermally fusible film that does not close communication holes


Imaging an eye of an animal can include injecting a ring of light through an outer portion of an entrance pupil of the eye of the animal onto a back interior portion of the eye. Light reflected off of the back interior portion of the eye and through an exit pupil effectively located at the entrance pupil within the ring of light can be collected. A diameter of the exit pupil at the entrance pupil can be less than an inner diameter of the ring of light, and a difference between an outer diameter of the ring and the inner diameter of the ring can be at least twenty percent of a diameter of the eye. The collected light reflected off of the back interior portion of the eye can be focused to thereby form an image of the back interior portion of the eye.

Small animals such as rodents are used extensively in clinical research. Some rodents, particularly certain mice and rats, are acceptable genetic analogues to humans and are subjects for tests of drug and genetic therapies as well as other tests. To this end there is a critical need to image the back of the eye. This imaging is needed both to test therapies for eye diseases and to detect the ocular side effects of drugs administered for other diseases. In this later instance it is possible to add a fluorescent tag to the drug to detect its presence in the eye.
The mouse eye is typically about 3 millimeters in diameter and the rat eye is typically about 6 millimeters in diameter, this compared to the average human eye at about 25 millimeters in diameter. As a result of the tiny size of the rodent eye, the use of standard human eye imaging systems for rodents is difficult or impossible. Even when conventional cameras produce images, they are limited in resolution, field of view, and are very difficult to use.
There is a substantial need for wide-field and high resolution imaging of the rodent eye (which can be in color) with the option for fluorescent angiography and fluorescent imaging (auto-fluorescence) and with means suitable for every day use in a production environment because many studies involve large numbers of animals.
In FIG. 2 is shown at the same scale the eye of the human 8 and an eye 39 of a mouse. The rat eye has the same general features as the mouse eye but is about 6 millimeters in diameter. Besides the substantial difference in size the eyes of the human and rodent differ in other significant features and in FIG. 3 the eye 39 of a mouse is shown at an expanded scale to show details. First, most of the refractive power of the human eye is in the protruding cornea 10 whereas in the rodent eye, which is nearly spherical, the large crystalline 11 lens provides most of the refractive power. Second, the human eye is recessed so that the bones about the eye can protect the eye from mechanical injury whereas the rodent eye protrudes from the head. Third, the eyes of the rodent are located more on the side of the head rather than frontally as in the human. Fourth, the human eye can only dilate so that at best the optical system is f/3 whereas the rodent can dilate to nearly f/1.3.
There is currently no known imaging system specifically designed for imaging the back of the rodent eye. Cameras designed for use with human subjects usually image at a stand off distance of 10 cm. These cameras require a cooperative subject who will place their head in a chin/forehead rest. And, the minimum pupil diameter requirement for the so-called "non-mydriatic" cameras is 4 millimeters. The largest dilation with the larger rat eye is 4 millimeters and with the mouse 2 millimeters but the curvature of the back of the rat eye has a diameter of 6 millimeters whereas that of the human eye has a curvature of 25 millimeters diameter. Accordingly, only a small portion of an image of an eye 39 of a mouse or rat will be in focus. Indeed images of the rat eye are obtained but with great difficulty in university settings and the images are of very poor quality. Similar results and limitations apply to the use of the scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) to this problem and the SLO does not provide for color imaging.
Although the invention is not limited to the following features and advantages, some embodiments of the invention can provide the following: wide-field, high resolution imaging of the back of the rodent eye with the option of providing fluorescent angiography and fluorescent imaging (auto-fluorescence); versatility to image mice, rats, and larger animals such as rabbits and monkeys; and images at fields of view (FOV) of at least 60 degrees and with resolutions below 5 microns.

Method and apparatus for imaging an eye of a small animal