A combined accelerating/braking apparatus of a vehicle includes a substantially hook-shaped rod which includes a first end, a first elbow, a second elbow, a third elbow, a fourth elbow, and a second end, where the fourth elbow is pivotally connected to a wall in the vehicle. A pedal is pivotally connected to the first elbow of the hook-shaped rod. A bracket which is secured to a wall of the vehicle includes a slot for detachable receiving the second elbow of the hook-shaped rod. A first torsion spring is biased between the pedal and a rod portion between the first elbow and the second elbow of the hook-shaped rod for providing a recovery tension when the pedal is pivotally depressed by a driver's foot sole with respect to the first elbow of the hook-shaped rod. A second torsion spring is biased between a wall of the vehicle and a rod portion between the third elbow and the fourth elbow of the hook-shaped rod for providing a recovery tension when the hook-shaped rod is pivotally moved with respect to the fourth elbow. The pedal is pivotally depressed by a driver's foot sole with respect to the first elbow of the hook-shaped rod for acceleration. The pedal is depressed by a driver's heel, causing the hook-shaped rod to pivotally move with respect to the fourth elbow of the hook-shaped rod for braking.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combined accelerating/braking apparatus of a vehicle which incorporates brake pedal and accelerator pedal in a mechanism for increasing operation efficiency of a driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A brake pedal and an accelerator pedal of a vehicle have been used for many years. Some people are apt to mistakenly step on the wrong pedal and cause an accident when an emergency happens. In some urgent cases, a driver has to make an emergency stop such as when a child or any other vehicle rushes out from a junction etc. Although the brake pedal is usually installed adjacent to the accelerator pedal, a driver has to take some extra time to switch from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal, thus delaying the responsive brake action. It is known that in an emergency stop, timely response is a critical point to avoid an accident. It is requisite to provide a new mechanism which incorporates the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal and saves time switching between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.

Combined accelerating/braking apparatus of a vehicle


The object of the present invention is to produce a 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione by an industrially advantageous method. The invention relates to novel process for producing a high-purity 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione comprising the steps of reacting a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid amide with a carbonic acid ester in the presence of a metal alcoholate, thereby completing the reaction in one step, and then isolating the reaction product by a neutralization crystallization method.

As for the production method of oxazolidin-2,4-dione derivatives, a method of synthesizing the derivative by the reaction of a corresponding ester or amide form with urea is known and this method is already practiced in industry for a part of such derivatives (see, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 67, 522 (1945), and JP-A-09-48769 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application")).
However, as for the production method particularly of 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione represented by formula (2) of the present invention, only JP-A-11-171876 is known. (wherein R represents an ethyl group, a propyl group or a butyl group).
According to the method disclosed in JP-A-11-171876, a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester which can be produced from a 2-halocarboxylic acid ester is reacted with urea to produce a 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione.
The production method through a 2-halocarboxylic acid ester has a problem in that the process is prolonged due to the necessity of treating the waste liquid containing organic contents produced with the progress of reaction or purifying the intermediate.
An object of the present invention is to produce a 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione by an industrially advantageous method.
An object of the present invention is to supply a high-purity 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione.

Production process for 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione


The present invention relates to a conductive carbon powder emanating essentially from lignin, a method for the manufacturing thereof and use thereof. Said powder may emanate from an electrically conductive carbon intermediate product, in turn emanating essentially from lignin. Further, uses thereof and compositions comprising said carbon powder are disclosed. Additionally methods for manufacturing said conductive carbon powder, also involving an electrically conductive carbon intermediate product emanating essentially from lignin, are disclosed together with a method for making said compositions.

Conductive plastics are used in many different applications where electromagnetic interference and electrostatic discharge must be avoided. Examples include packaging material for consumer electronics, computer or mobile phone housings, piping and tanks for flammable liquids such as gasoline tanks, wires and cables. Conventional plastics (thermoplastics and thermosets) have poor electrical conductivity and are prone to building up static electricity. They can be rendered dissipative or even conductive by adding pulverized conductive material at levels beyond the so called percolation threshold. The resulting compound comprising the plastic and the conductive material is called conductive plastic. The mechanical performance of the plastic, however, suffers from adding pulverized conductive material as impact strength and ductility decrease. High-performing conductive materials attain the percolation threshold at low addition levels, retaining the mechanical performance of the plastic. The most commonly used conductive material is conductive carbon black, a special and expensive grade of carbon black.
Carbon black is produced by pyrolysing oil with fuel gas in a furnace. In the production of conductive carbon blacks, pyrolysis is followed by expensive post treatment steps to increase conductivity, notably steam exposure to increase the surface area and extraction to remove contaminants. Carbon blacks and especially conductive carbon blacks have a strongly negative impact on the environment and a high CO2 footprint due to the fact that fossil raw materials are used in a highly energy intense production process.
There is thus a need for a novel competitive high performing conductive material for the manufacture of conductive plastics.
Additionally, there also exists a need for a conductive material with lower environmental impact and CO2 footprint.
During chemical pulping cellulosic fibers are separated from softwoods, hardwoods, and annual plant biomass, for further processing to paper, board, tissue products or chemicals. Separation is done in a liquid, e.g. the so called white liquor in Kraft pulping or organic solvent as in organosolv processes. Lignin can be isolated from the spent liquor and thereafter be used as a biofuel, or as raw material for chemicals and materials.

Conductive carbon powder, a method for the manufacturing thereof and use thereof


A spade includes a shank, a handle coupled to the shank, and a blade coupled to the shank. A cutting tool such as a saw is coupled to the handle, which has an internal channel sized to receive the cutting tool.

The present specification relates to a spade. More specifically, the present specification relates to a collapsible spade having an attached cutting tool such as a knife or saw.
Spades, such as collapsible spades and entrenching tools, are used for various purposes. For example, military personnel may use an entrenching tool to dig fortifications. Civilians find uses for collapsible spades when engaging in camping or other outdoor activities.
Entrenching tools are typically collapsible to save space when the tool is transported. The tool is made collapsible by having a blade or shovel and handle pivotally coupled to a shank.
Entrenching tools can, in addition to the shovel portion, have other ancillary tools such as an axe or a hammer. Further, a saw can be incorporated into the entrenching tool by providing a serrated or saw tooth cutting edge on the side of the blade for purposes of sawing, cutting into fencing, chopping through tree roots, etc.
Conventional entrenching tools and collapsible spades that incorporate a saw or knife edge into the spade blade have a variety of disadvantages. First, having an exposed cutting edge on the blade is a safety hazard as the user can be injured while using the tool for digging purposes, or while folding, storing, or transporting the tool. Second, a cutting edge provided in the blade can become dull after repeated use, requiring replacement of the entire blade portion of the tool in order to provide a new cutting edge. Third, when the cutting edge is provided directly on a portion of the spade, it is difficult to carry a replacement blade as an entire new blade portion may have to be carried along with the spade as a replacement part.
To remedy the disadvantages of conventional spades and entrenching tools, it is known to carry a separate saw along with the entrenching tool. However, carrying a separate saw adds bulk and weight to the overall carrying load of the user, and further creates the risk that the user will lose the saw because it is being carried separately, resulting in the inability to cut or saw when necessary.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spade that does not have a saw or knife edge incorporated into the blade portion of the tool. Further, there is a need for a spade or entrenching tool that safely incorporates a saw into the tool such that the user can easily carry a replacement saw blade, and eliminating the necessity of carrying an entire separate saw along with the entrenching tool.
The teachings hereinbelow extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above identified needs.
An exemplary embodiment relates to a spade. The spade includes a shank, a handle coupled to the shank, a blade coupled to the shank, and a cutting tool slidably coupled to the handle. The handle has an internal channel sized to receive the cutting tool.
Another exemplary embodiment relates to a spade. The spade includes a shank, a handle coupled to the shank, a blade coupled to the shank, and a cutting tool pivotally coupled to the handle. The cutting tool has a storage position and an operational position and the handle has a channel sized to receive the cutting tool.
Further, an exemplary embodiment relates to a spade. The spade includes a shank having a first end and a second end, a handle coupled to the shank at the first end, and a blade coupled to the shank at the second end. A cutting tool having a storage position and an operational position is coupled to the handle in the storage position and is coupled to the second end of the shank in the operational position.
Further still, an exemplary embodiment relates to a spade having a shank, a handle coupled to the shank, and a blade coupled to the shank. A cutting tool is coupled to the handle and the handle has a pocket configured to house the cutting tool in a storage position. An attachment mechanism couples the cutting tool to the blade when the cutting tool is in an operational position.


Disclosed is a process for producing fluoroalkene of the formula Rf—CH═CH2 from a fluorohaloalkene having the formula Rf—C(R1)═C(R2)H, wherein Rf is fluorine or a substituted or unsubstituted C1–C20 straight or branched-chain fluorinated alkyl and R1 and R2 are independently H, Cl, Br, or I, provided that at least one of R1 or R2 is Cl, Br, or I by reacting the fluorohaloalkene with a reducing agent, preferably a formate salt in the presence of a catalyst.

In general, fluoroalkenes are very useful compounds having many applications. For example, fluorinated alkenes such as 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (CF3CH═CH2) are useful as monomers for the manufacture of polymers (for example, fluorosilicones) and starting materials in the production of fluorinated chemical intermediates such as trifluoropropene epoxide and 3,3,3-trifluoropropylbenzene. Fluorinated alkenes are also used as aerosol propellants and as refrigerants.
Fluorinated alkenes such as, for example, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, however, typically are made in multi-step processes. For example, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is typically added to ethylene to produce 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropane (CCl3CH2CH2Cl). A. L. Henne, et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 72 (1950) 3369, for example, teaches that fluorination of the latter using a CCl3CH2CH2Cl liquid phase fluorination process, such as HF in conjunction with an antimony catalyst, provides l-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropane (CF3CH2CH2Cl) which is subsequently dehydrochlorinated to yield 3,3,3-trifluoropropene. Alternatively, German Patent 1 140 928 teaches that CCl3CH2CH2Cl can be fluorinated in a vapor phase process to yield 3,3,3-trifluoropropene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,151 also describes a multi-step process for making 3,3,3-trifluoropropene. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,151, the first step of the process requires the dehydrofluorination of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (CF3CH2CHF2; HFC-245fa) to 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (CF3CH═CHF) (HFC 1234ze). In the next step, 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (CF3CH═CHF) is reduced to 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropane (CF3CH2CH2F) by reacting a stream of gaseous 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (CF3CH═CHF) and hydrogen gas under catalytic conditions at suitable reaction temperatures. Finally, the 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropane (CF3CH2CH2F) is dehydrofluorinated to yield 3,3,3-trifluoropropene.
Other methods for producing fluoroalkenes include the use of hazardous reagents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,421, for example, describes the preparation of 1,1,1-trifluoropropene by liquid phase fluorination of 1,1,3-trichloroprop-1-ene with HF. U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,921 describes the reaction of vinylbromide with in situ generated trifluoromethylorganometallic reagents to yield 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (CF3CH═CH2). U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,608 describes fluorination of CCl3CH2CH2Cl or CCl3CH═CCl2 with HF in the presence of an amine to yield 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (CF3CH═CH2). In yet another publication, Organometallics, 19(5), 944–946, 2000, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (CF3CH═CH2) is obtained via thermal conversion of trifluoromethyl oxirane with only a 32% yield.
As can be seen from the above description, many prior processes involve the use and/or production of chlorinated alkenes. Applicants have come to appreciate, therefore, that many of these processes result in the generation of one or more unwanted waste streams containing chlorinated products. As is known, chlorinated compounds are generally considered to be problematic from an environmental standpoint. For example, chlorinated hydrocarbons are frequently identified with environmental problems such as ozone depletion and global warming. Heretofore, these unwanted waste streams typically were disposed of by incineration, which itself is frequently considered environmentally unfriendly as well as economically inefficient.
The above processes also generally suffer from other drawbacks. These include the use of expensive or hazardous starting materials and/or the use of reagents and/or starting materials that need to be prepared in multiple steps. Another drawback of many prior processes is that the conversion of starting materials to the desired product such as, for example, CF3CH═CH2, involves multiple steps that make such processes less cost effective than is desirable for many commercial purposes. Moreover, certain prior processes require one or more dehydrohalogenation steps, and it is not uncommon that a significant amount of waste is produced as a result of such steps.
In view of the above and other failures of the prior art, applicants have come to appreciate a need for new processes for manufacturing fluorinated alkenes such as, for example, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, particularly but not exclusively processes that use readily available starting materials, and/or that are more cost effective than certain prior processes, and/or that reduce the need to dispose of environmentally unfriendly waste products.


A high cold-forging electromagnetic stainless steel comprises not more than 0.02 wt. % of C, not more than 0.50 wt. % of Si, not more than 0.50 wt. % of Mn, 10.0-18.0 wt. % of Cr, 0.30-1.50 wt. % of Mo, 0.05-0.50 wt. % of Ti, 0.30-2.00 wt. % of Al, 0.0005-0.05 wt. % of B, not more than 0.05 wt. % of N and the balance being substantially Fe. This steel may further contain a given amount of at least one of Nb, V, Pb, Ca, Se, S and REM. Such stainless steel is used as a material of parts in an electronically controlled fuel injection system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high cold-forging electromagnetic stainless steels having an excellent cold forging property and good soft magnetic properties and corrosion resistance, which are particularly suitable as a valve housing material, a valve sleeve or a valve core material of an electronically controlled fuel injection system for automobiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electronically controlled fuel injection system for automobile is widely used in many automotive vehicles with rapid advancement of car electronics. As a material for parts constituting this system, 13Cr-1Si-Al ferritic stainless steels are practically and frequently used from a viewpoint of demands on corrosion resistance and soft magnetic properties.
In order to reduce the cost for working these parts, the working is switching over from cutting work to cold forging work, and particularly it is directed to all work these parts through the cold forging.
Under such a circumstance, it has hitherto been attempted to improve the cold forging property by reducing amounts of (C+N) in the above 13Cr-1Si-Al alloy steel.
However, the shape of the parts used in the electronically controlled fuel injection system is very complicated, so that the effect by the reduction of (C+N) amount is still insufficient even in the existing 13Cr-1Si-Al alloy steel.
On the other hand, the use of alcohol fuel is earnestly examined with the diversification of automobile fuel. In this case, the occurrence of corrosion accompanied with the formation of acetic acid or formic acid by oxidation of alcohol is feared. Furthermore, it is required to have a corrosion resistance to chloride through snow melting agent used in winter season.
Moreover, the material used for the electronically controlled fuel injection system is particularly required to have soft magnetic properties. The improvement of such magnetic properties directly connects to the improvement of characteristics in the electronically controlled fuel injection system.
As mentioned above, the properties required in the material used for the electronically controlled fuel injection system extend over a wide area and interrelate to each other. In many cases, these properties are conflicting with each other.

High cold-forging electromagnetic stainless steel


A wiring base made from an electrical insulating material and having a plurality of wing sections radially protruding against the central axis thereof functioning as a rotation axis in a wiring work with electric wire grooves each for accommodating therein an electric wire provided in the substantially concentric form, a wire-wound member production method, wire-wound member, and an electrical connection box using the wire-wound member therein.

The present invention relates to a wiring base, wire-wound member production method, a wire-wound member, and an electrical connection box.
Conventionally, a wire-wound member in which an electric wire is wound around a wiring base such as, for instance, a wire-wound member for an electrical connection box is produced by supporting and rotating an electrical insulating wiring base with a rotation tool, feeding an electric wire from a wiring head and winding the electric wire around the wiring base to wire the electric wire like in drawing with a single stroke, and then cutting the electric wire at a prespecified position according to the circuit design (Refer to, for instance, Japanese Patent Application No. 18658/2000). In this step, sometimes a plurality of wiring bases are placed adjoining each other on the rotation tool, electric wires are wound around the wiring bases respectively, the plurality of wiring bases having been removed from the rotation tool are overlaid on each other by folding at the positions of electric wires connecting the adjoining wiring bases to form a wire-wound member.
When a wire-wound member is produced by rotating a wiring base with a rotation tool to wind an electric wire around the wiring base, it is necessary to move the wiring head to and away from the wiring base in a complicated way to evade interference between the rotating wiring base and the wiring head.
Namely, as shown in FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B, a wiring base B rotates so that the external periphery follows the locus Lc indicated by the dash-and-dot line in the figures, and an electric wire W fed out from a wiring head H is wired. In this step, it is required to make the wiring head H move in association with rotation of the wiring base B in a complication way like moving away from the axis Ax by the range R which is substantially equal to the radius of the locus Lc as indicated by the arrow A1 in FIG. 13A or moving to the axis Ax by xc2xd R which is substantially equal to xc2xd of the radium of the locus Lc.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wiring base, wire-wound member production method making it possible to produce a wire-wound member only by moving a wiring head in a direction along the rotation axis with low cost and without causing interference between the wiring base and the wiring head, a wire-wound member, and an electrical connection box in which this wire-wound member is used.
To achieve the object described above, the wiring base according to the present invention comprises an electrical insulating material and has a plurality of wing sections each radially protruding against the axis functioning as a rotation axis in the wiring work, and electric wire grooves for accommodating electric wires therein respectively are formed in the substantially concentric form on the plurality of wing sections.
Also to achieve the object described above, in the wire-wound member production method according to the present invention, a wire-wound member is produced by rotating a wiring base having a plurality of wing sections each made from an electrical insulating material, extending in the axial direction and at the same time radially protruding from the axis with electric wire grooves each for accommodating electric wire therein formed in the substantially concentric form or the electric wire around the axis of the wiring base and also relatively moving the electric wire or the wiring base in the axial direction of the wiring base to wind the electric wire in the electric grooves.
Further to achieve the object described above, the wire-wound member according to the present invention is produced by the production method described above.
In addition, to achieve the object described above, in an electrical connection box according to the present invention, the wire-wound member produced by the production method described above is accommodated in the casing.
The present invention can provide a wiring base, wire-wound member production method making it possible to quickly produce a wire-wound member only by moving a wiring head in one direction along the rotation axis with low cost and without causing any interference to the wiring base and also can provide the wire-wound member and an electrical connection box using the wire-wound member therein.
The above-described and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by referring to the detailed description as well as to the attached drawings.

Wiring base, wire-wound member production method, wire-wound member, and electrical connection box


A door frame structure of a vehicle door includes an upright pillar sash and an upper sash that are joined together at a corner portion. An opening is formed in a tubular enclosed frame body portion of one of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash, at the corner portion, into which a tubular enclosed frame body portion of the other of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash is inserted. A longitudinal-end surface of the other of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash is brought against an inner surface of the frame body portion of the one of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash. An insertion part of the other of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash is fixed and welded to the one of the upright pillar sash and the upper sash.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door frame structure, and in particular relates to a joining structure between an upright pillar sash extending in the vertical direction of the door and an upper sash, which forms the upper edge of the door.
2. Description of Related Art
A vehicle door frame in which mutually opposed longitudinal-end surfaces of an upright pillar sash, extending in the vertical direction of a door, and an upper sash, which forms the upper edge of the door, are butted and joined together by welding in the door corner portion is known in the art. The butting and joining of the mutually opposed longitudinal-end surfaces requires a high-precision manufacturing process of the parts so as to have a low tolerance in each profile (shape) of the mutually opposed longitudinal-end surfaces, and hence, it is difficult to achieve a favorable joining strength therebetween.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-137200 discloses a door corner structure in which the end-surface of an upper sash butts against an upright pillar sash while part of the upper sash is inserted inside the upright pillar sash to overlap therewith. Due to the insertion portion of upper sash that is inserted into the upright pillar sash, ease of positioning and improvements in the joining strength, to a certain extent, can be anticipated with this joining structure; however, an improved door frame structure is desired with respect to the strength and precision of the door corner portion.


A four sided collapsible plant enclosure is described for supporting and maintaining growing plants safe from rodents and other intruders. The structure described includes four sides, each side being hinged to an adjacent side. The hinged sides permit collapsing of the structure for storage. Two adjacent sides of the structure are selected to have a width less than the remaining two adjacent sides of the structure, thereby permitting the enclosure to be collapsed for efficient and safe storage.

The present invention relates to collapsible enclosures for protecting and supporting growing plants and the like. Specifically, a rigid collapsible four sided enclosure is provided.
The present invention is directed to maintaining growing plants from rodents and other intruders. The structure to which the present invention relates provides for supporting and maintaining the security of growing plants during the growing season with a temporary structure which at the conclusion of a growing season may be collapsed and stored in a safe and efficient way. Such temporary structures must, however, be rigid and sufficiently durable to withstand extreme weather and the attempt by rodents to penetrate the enclosure. For this purpose, the present invention has been developed.


A flow control device has a case formed in a lower portion thereof with a fluid channel and a disk seat at an intermediate portion of the channel. A spindle housed in the case has a disk at its lower end and a rollable member at its upper end and is biased by a spring to press the disk against the seat. The case is provided in an upper portion thereof with a rotary shaft having an upwardly projecting handle or sidewise projecting lever handle. The shaft has a rollable member seat which is annular or circular-arc when seen from above and which is formed with a protuberance for lifting and lowering the rollable member as placed on its seat. Rotation of the shaft moves the protuberance, which in turn raises the rollable member to lift the spindle and hold the disk away from the disk seat. The rotation of the shaft reliably opens or closes the channel, or reliably effects a change-over between fluid channels. The seal face of the disk is less prone to abrasion or damage, will not displace the handle when the disk is thereby closed and is highly durable. The fluid channel within the device can be completely sealed off, so that the device is advantageously usable as a sanitary valve.

The present invention relates to flow control valves.
Conventional flow control devices comprise, for example, a spindle having a handle at its upper end, a disk and an externally threaded portion in screw-thread engagement with an internally threaded portion of a case having a disk seat therein. The disk is pressed against the seat or moved away therefrom by rotating the handle to close or open a fluid channel extending through the case. On the other hand, so-called rotary valves are known as change-over valves or directional control valves. Such valves comprise a valve element having many fluid channels and rotatable so as to cause the desired one of the channels to communicate with an opening portion of the valve casing to effect change-over between flows.
However, the conventional flow control device described has the problem that the seal face of the disk becomes indented during long use, displacing the handle when the disk is closed, or that the disk closing position changes owing to a machining error involved in the fabrication of the device, consequently influencing the opening-closing operation of the device. It is likely that the operator will tighten up the handle excessively to produce an indentation in or cause damage to the seal face of the disk, thereby aggravating the above problem. With the conventional rotary valve as a change-over valve, it is not easy to make the valve element which has many fluid channels. Further use of the valve as a sanitary valve involves the problem that it is difficult to completely seal the fluid channels in the valve.


An implantable dialysis device with a related medical system for intracorporeal dialysis and ultrafiltration of blood, and methods of use are described. The medical system includes an extracorporeal module, a cutaneous module, and an implantable module. Features of the implantable module facilitate delivery and flow of blood and dialysate through the medical system. A filter pack within the implantable module performs dialysis and ultrafiltration of blood. System cleansing is also described.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss in renal function over a period of months, or years. The most severe stage of CKD is End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), which occurs when the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is lower than 15 mL/min. In the U.S., the two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are responsible for up to two-thirds of the cases. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all people having CKD. Excessive fluid can accumulate in patients suffering from ESRD. The mortality rate of ESRD patients who receive traditional hemodialysis therapy is 24% per year with an even higher mortality rate among diabetic patients. Fluid accumulates in ESRD patients because the kidneys can no longer effectively remove water and other compounds from the body. The fluid accumulates first in the blood and then accumulates throughout the body resulting in swelling of the extremities and other tissues as edema. This accumulation of fluid causes increased stress on the heart causing significant increases in blood pressure or hypertension, which can lead to heart failure. Hypertension is the single most important predictor of coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases and is the most predominant comorbidity among patients with ESRD, with a prevalence of approximately 80%. Accordingly, an objective of ESRD treatment is to render patients euvolemic and normotensive effectively. Medicare recognizes the severity of this problem by mandating that each ESRD patient's treatment plan "render the patient euvolemic and normotensive"—specifically, blood pressure (BP) should be "reduced to ≦130/80 with minimal use of medications." Chronic fluid overload and inability to maintain dry weight plays a major role in the generation and prevalence of hypertension among ESRD patients. The ability to provide daily ultrafiltration (UF), and maintain dry weight would contribute to the control of hypertension by decreasing the need for UF during hemodialysis sessions, and could theoretically decrease, the number of hemodialysis (HD) treatments per week. The reduction in hemodialysis treatment time would address some of the pressing medical and economic issues surrounding the treatment of ESRD patients.
Although the population of patients afflicted with CKD grows each year, there is no cure. Current treatments for CKD seek to manage comorbidities and, if possible, slow the progression of the disease. However, as the disease progresses, renal function decreases and eventually renal replacement therapy is employed to compensate for lost kidney function. Renal replacement therapy entails transplantation of a new kidney, or, dialysis. The excess fluid accumulated in patients suffering from CKD is generally removed by direct ultrafiltration or by the ultrafiltration action of a dialysis procedure. These procedures are carried out three times a week in three to five hour, sessions. Dialysis emulates kidney function by removing waste solutes and excess fluid from a patient's blood. During dialysis, the patient's blood that contains high concentration of waste solutes is exposed to a semi-permeable membrane in contact with a solute-deficient dialysate. Solute removal is accomplished via diffusion across the membrane, while fluid removal is accomplished via pressure-driven ultrafiltration. Once the blood is purified, it is then returned to the patient. Although effective at removing wastes from blood, dialyses treatments are administered intermittently and therefore do not emulate the continuous function of a natural kidney. Moreover, there are many inconveniences associated with dialysis, such as the necessity of committing to time consuming, thrice weekly treatments. Many patients eventually elect to forgo treatment on this basis alone. Additionally, several complications are associated with dialysis, resulting from the sporadic nature of conventional treatment regimens. These complications include blood pressure and electrolyte concentration fluctuation, vascular abnormalities, anemia, nausea, and fatigue. In severe cases, removal of the large amounts of fluid may even lead to arrhythmias and heart failure. Once the dialysis session is completed, the fluid begins to accumulate again in the tissues of the patient.
The benefits of dialysis notwithstanding, statistics indicate that three out of five dialysis patients die within five years of commencing treatment. Increasing the frequency and duration of dialysis sessions more closely resembles the continuous kidney function sought to be emulated. In addition, there are several advantages to treating patients suffering from fluid overload with ultrafiltration rather than diuretic drugs. Ultrafiltration offers an efficient fluid removal process without the side effects observed with use of pharmaceuticals, such as kidney failure and drops in blood pressure. Ultrafiltration and/or hemofiltration expose blood to a semi-permeable membrane under transmembrane pressure. The membrane's properties provide that water, salts, and other particles of small molecular weight pass through the membrane, while blood cells, proteins, and other molecules of larger molecular weight do not. An ultrafiltration cartridge is generally made up of a large number of small diameter hollow fiber type membranes. Typically, blood is accessed from the patient via a pair of needles placed in a fistula or a graft, or a catheter placed in an artery or large vein and is pumped into the ultrafiltration cartridge to generate the pressure to carry out the ultrafiltration process. The blood goes through the inner lumens of the hollow fibers, and the filtrate goes to the inter-fiber space and is removed. The treated blood is then returned to the patient.
These conventional ultrafiltration procedures have several disadvantages. As with dialysis, which may be performed at the same time for renal disease patients, a patient's mobility is limited because the processes are carried out extracorporeally using large, fixed machines. The most common complications in performing extracorporeal fluid removal are cardiovascular instability, hypotension, and shock. These events seem to be correlated with ultrafiltration rate. When the rate of ultrafiltration exceeds 0.25 mL/min/kg, the chance of hypotensive episodes increases exponentially. The cause of these complications is the discrepancy between the speed of fluid extraction by the ultrafiltration device and the rate of intravascular refilling from the interstitial and intracellular space within the patient. Long-term blood access necessary for the operation of ultrafiltration and hemodialysis devices can also be problematic. Vascular access devices such as percutaneous catheters used in hemodialysis patients may cause complications such as bleeding, infection, and clotting. Interactions between blood components and the materials found within blood processing systems could induce the activation of several biological systems such as platelets, complement, and coagulation cascades. Accordingly, conventional blood processing systems typically employ the use of anticoagulant drugs, such as heparin, to prevent the formation of blood clots. Prolonged use of anticoagulant drugs presents a significant risk of uncontrolled bleeding in patients.
In continuous hemofiltration or hemodialysis, blood is filtered and dialyzed without interruption. These procedures enable the removal of large volumes of fluid while avoiding the hypotensive episodes caused by intermittent hemodialysis, and are indicated for managing patients with acute renal failure who are hemodynamically unstable, require large volumes of fluid, or both. In continuous hemofiltration, water and solutes up to a certain molecular weight filter from the blood by convection through a permeable membrane, the filtrate is discarded, and the patient must receive infusions of physiologically balanced water and electrolytes. A dialysis circuit can be added to the filter to improve solute clearance. These procedures may be arteriovenous or venovenous. Arteriovenous procedures thus have the benefit of being a simple system in which arterial pressure is sufficient to push blood through the filter into the femoral vein without using a pump. However, filtration rates are typically low for continuous arteriovenous procedures, especially in hypotensive patients. In continuous venovenous procedures, a pump is employed to push blood from one large vein through the dialysis circuit and back into the venous circulation. Using a double-lumen catheter, blood is drawn from and returned to the same vein.
Some examples of prior art devices for dialyzing blood teaching use of various membranes, inlets and outlets are listed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,710 teaches a blood dialyzing apparatus with a pleated membrane and having a first fluid inlet and outlet pair, and a second fluid inlet and outlet pair.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,241 teaches a portable kidney, coil of a portable dialysate delivery system utilizing a self-contained re-circulating source of dialysate solution or a single-pass dialysate proportioning system. The output of the artificial kidney within the dialysate pumping and delivery system is via a tube and an output tube in which dialysate exits. The output of a blood pump enters the artificial kidney via a tube, and the outlet of the blood circuit system from the artificial kidney is at another tube.
US 2008/0006570 teaches a chambered cartridge for treating medical or biological fluids. The cartridge, which may be rigid or flexible, includes at least one inlet and one outlet and a plurality of separators.
US 2006/0076295 teaches a wrist-wearable dialysis system having a dialyzer and a pump having first, second and third inlet channels, first, second and third exit channels and a microfluidic extraction channel connected to the first, second and third inlet channels and the first, second and third exit channels and a flush port.
US 2010/0022936 teaches a component of a wearable ultrafiltration device having a blood inlet tube leading from a first blood vessel, a blood pump, an anticoagulant reservoir for infusing anticoagulants into the blood, a blood filter including a substrate through which the blood is circulated and filtered, a fluid bag for storing the excess fluid and a blood outlet tube leading to a second blood vessel. Hollow fibers are also taught wherein excess fluid is drained from the hollow fibers, which act as a sieve such that excess fluid passes through, but not blood.
Portable devices for hemodialysis or ultrafiltration in the form of wearable devices are generally large and cumbersome. Hence, there is a need for an implantable device that can provide both hemodialysis and/or ultrafiltration to a patient in a configuration of blood and dialysate flow across a membrane that is suitable for small volumes in a portable or implantable dialyzer. The need extends to providing methods for cleaning wherein the device can be used without decrement for a prolonged period, ideally for the expected life of the device, without the need for heparin, citrate or other anti-coagulants. Such a device would lower the very substantial costs to the healthcare system in treating patients with acute or chronic renal failure or CHF by enabling new modalities of outpatient, home or ambulatory treatment. Patients would benefit from fewer anticoagulant-related complications, less medication, less hospitalization and improved quality of life.
There is also a need for a device that provides continuous hemofiltration or continuous hemodiafiltration that would enhance patient mobility and reduce complications related to vascular access and extracorporeal blood processing. Furthermore, there is a need for an implantable hemodiafiltration device capable of operating at a pressure similar to that of a patient's blood pressure, and at a rate similar to that of natural kidney function to provide more consistent and beneficial therapy as compared to existing intermittent treatment regimens. Additionally, an implantable device used for dialysis or ultrafiltration is needed that would eliminate the need for visiting a dialysis clinic for treatments, and improve patient compliance with dialysis prescriptions. An implantable hemodiafiltration device used for dialysis or ultrafiltration operable at a patient's average blood pressure would thus permit blood, treatment schedules that are suitable and adaptable to a patient's lifestyle, thereby promoting patient health and enhancing patient quality of life.

System and implantable device for treating chronic kidney disease


A merchandising display assembly mounted to a vertical support surface, the support surface having a number of spaced apart and apertured receiving portions formed therethrough. At least one horizontally extending member is mounted to and extends from the support surface. The horizontally extending member includes first and second telescoping and elongated portions and axially adjusting means for establishing an overall length between the elongated portions. An elongated display member is secured to an outer end of the second telescoping portion and extends in parallel fashion relative to the vertical support surface at a spaced distance. The axially adjusting means permit the display member to be adjusted to a desired spaced position relative to the vertical support surface and the display member is capable of supporting large volumes of small sized merchandise without obscuring additional merchandise located on the vertical support surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to merchandising display assemblies and, more particularly, to a merchandising display structure which is securable to a vertical support surface and which includes an elongated display member attached to one or more horizontally extending members and being spaced a distance from the vertical support, the display member being capable of supporting volumes of smaller sized merchandise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shelving structures and related display units for displaying merchandise are a common sight in any type of store or commercial establishment. The desire of any merchant is and always has been to maximize the available shelf or display capacity within the limited confines of the store. Vertically extending pegboard surfaces are particularly effective for displaying small, high volume merchandise on hooks and other horizontally extending fasteners.
Applicant's prior application, U.S. Ser. No. 08/599,407, filed Nov. 26, 1995, discloses a merchandising display assembly which may be mounted to a vertical support surface. The support surface in the preferred embodiment is a conventional pegboard surface having a number of apertures formed therethrough. First and second elongated arms are connected together in an axially adjustable manner and a planar support portion is attached to a first elongated arms and includes projecting fmger portions which engage within selected apertures in the pegboard support surface. An elongated display member is attached to a free end of the second elongated arm, upon which are mounted pluralities of hooks or other hangers for supporting volumes of small sized packaged merchandise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,167, issued to Menaged et al., teaches a merchandising display system for a gondola merchandising display unit. The display assembly includes first and second integrally formed cantilever members which are interconnected by an otherwise free standing vertical member and the cantilever members are further capable of securing to an upright support member of the gondola display unit. The free standing vertical member is formed to include a plurality of apertures adapted to receive peg members for holding individual volumes of merchandise. While teaching a useful display system, Menaged does not permit for any range of telescoping or axial readjustment of the cantilever members or free standing vertical members to accommodate differing spacing requirements in an aisle or walkway.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,064, issued to Cowe, teaches a golf bag and accessory cradle which may be placed within a vehicle trunk and includes a base with a pair of vertically adjustable supports terminating in upwardly facing and rounded end brackets which conforms to the shape of a golf bag. Cowe does not however teach any form of vertically extending and engaging member for supporting volumes of merchandise.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,415, issued to Radek, teaches a cantilever merchandise support including an article supporting hanger bar or bracket which is adapted to be attached to a perforated board or panel by a plurality of legs extending from a mounting plate. The hanger bar or bracket portion is in each instance an integrally formed single piece which is mounted to extend outwardly from the vertical surface and upon which the merchandise is supported. The disadvantage of cantilevered merchandise supports such as those taught by Radek is that their merchandise carrying capacity is limited to the bar or bracket portion. The axial length which such supports extend is likewise limited such that they are unable to utilize to any great extent the air space extending from the pegboard or other surface for displaying merchandise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,954, issued to Merl, discloses an adjustable display arm assembly securable to a vertical support structure which includes a pair of nesting segments selectively adjustable at longitudinal positions to establish an overall length of the display arm. The Merl device is somewhat of an improvement over Radek in that the display arm can be extended outward a greater horizontal distance, however its merchandise carrying ability is still limited to the display arm itself and it does not include any additional bracketry for carrying large volumes of merchandise.


An electrical connector having an improved seal for sealing a terminal area of the electrical connector. The seal has an engaging surface having a groove extending around the perimeter of the seal, thereby defining a first and second wall. The seal is slidably mounted on a cable, and the cable and seal are inserted in an end of the electrical connector so that a channel is formed by the groove and an inner wall of the electrical connector housing. A sealing material is introduced into the end of the electrical connector until it penetrates the seal between the first wall and the inner wall, thereby causing the channel to become filled with the sealing material. The seal provides a heat sink so that the sealing material solidifies in the channel without penetrating the seal between the second wall and the inner wall, thereby sealing the terminal area of the electrical connector from unwanted moisture.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly, it relates to a sealed electrical connector and to a method for making a sealed electrical connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors used outdoors, such as those used in automobiles, must be made waterproof to prevent water from contacting electrical terminals inside the electrical connector. Typically, terminals within the electrical connector are sealed by placing a seal, such as an O-ring, around the cable, such that the seal is in sealing engagement with an inner wall of the housing of the electrical connector. As an alternative to providing a discrete seal, it is also known to inject a sealing compound into the end of the connector, through the wire receiving opening, such that it fills the void surrounding the wire. While this provides an excellent seal, it is often difficult to control the flow of the injected sealant, and it could, due to the injection pressure, continue forward to partially fill the terminal itself, and could, due to its insulating nature, make an ineffective contact.
It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a seal for use in an electrical connector which has improved means for enabling the electrical connector to receive the sealing material and also for preventing unwanted materials or moisture from penetrating the terminal area of the electrical connector.
Another object of this invention is to provide a seal which provides a heat sink which facilitates causing the sealing material to solidify between the seal and an inner wall of the electrical connector.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a seal having a groove around a peripheral edge thereof, wherein the groove is capable of receiving the sealing material and is also capable of preventing a sealing material from penetrating a terminal area of an electrical connector.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a seal which is simple in design and which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for sealing a terminal area in an electrical connector.
These objects and other objects will become more apparent from the following specification, claims and drawing.

Sealed electrical connector and method of making the same


The invention relates to a piston-cylinder arrangement, especially a shock absorber piston, comprising a piston body fitted with a peripheral web protruding from the peripheral surface in a section adjacent to the end of the piston to which support webs are attached, said web extending parallel and spaced in relation to each other in longitudinal direction towards the other end of the piston. Two adjacent support webs limit a groove-shaped recess, said webs being open on the ends opposite the peripheral web in longitudinal direction. The piston also comprises a collar-shaped sealing element made of thermoformable plastic material that is formed on the piston body in such a way that only part of the height of both the peripheral web and the support webs is formed in the material of the collar-shaped sealing element.

There is a shock absorber piston known from EP-A-0 658 611 that has a piston body that is provided with a peripheral web at its peripheral surface. A number of webs running in the axial direction attach to this peripheral web on one side of it. A seal made of thermoplastic synthetic is sprayed onto this piston body in an injection molding process. The webs extending in the axial direction and the notches between them, which are filled in with sealing material, serve to reliably anchor the sealing material and to guide the piston. The seal applied by injection molding enables close tolerancing, which prevents xe2x80x9cblow-byxe2x80x9d and thus provides a reliable seal of the cylindrical spaces facing one another. The process to produce these types of injection-molded seals is relatively expensive.
There is a piston-cylinder arrangement known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,411 whose piston body has a number of peripheral grooves on its peripheral surface. To apply the seal, a cup-shaped preliminary mold made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is provided that is first placed on the piston body loosely. The piston body so prepared is then pressed into a forming and calibrating cylinder that is heated to a high temperature. Under the influence of the heat, the PTFE material is pressed into the grooves on the peripheral surface of the piston body. Then, the piston body with the pressed-on seal is cooled in an appropriately designed cooling cylinder. The grooves are completely filled with the sealant material so as to provide a form-locked solid connection of the seal to the peripheral surface of the piston body. When used as a shock absorber piston, the bottom surface of the preliminary mold that still overlaps the end surface of the piston body on one side must then be removed.
There is a shock absorber piston known from EP-A-682 190 whose only essential difference from the processes described above in its manufacture is in that to apply the seal, instead of a cup-shaped preliminary mold, a stamped circular sleeve is used. This circular sleeve is placed on one end of the piston body. The piston body prepared thusly is then pressed into a heated forming and calibrating cylinder, wherein the circular sleeve is placed around the peripheral surface of the piston body as a strip and then pressed into the grooves running in the peripheral direction of the piston body under the influence of heat. Then, the piston with its pressed-on seal is guided through a cooling tube. Here, as well, the sealant material fills the grooves practically completely so that the seal is solidly connected to the peripheral surface of the piston body in form-locked fashion.
The two processes described above have the disadvantage in that considerable pressures are required to shape and to press the sealant material into the grooves on the peripheral surface of the piston body. Also, the sealant material forming the seal is subject to strong shaping forces that disadvantageously-influence the structure of the sealant material.
The objective of this invention is to produce a piston, in particular a shock absorber piston, in which the disadvantages described above are avoided.
This objective is met according to the invention by a piston for a piston-cylinder arrangement, in particular a shock absorber piston, with a piston body that is provided with at least one peripherally running web on its peripheral surface in an area adjacent to one end of the piston, said web protruding above the peripheral surface. Support webs extending to the other end of the piston running parallel in the longitudinal direction and separated from one another attach to this peripheral web. Between any two neighboring support webs, which are open in the longitudinal direction at their ends opposite the peripheral web, is a notch-shaped recess. The piston according to the invention also has a collar-shaped seal made of a thermoplastic sealing material that is formed onto the piston body in such away that both the peripheral web as well as the support webs press into the material of the seal at least over a portion of their height. Surprisingly, it has been shown that, in order to get a good seal between the collar-shaped seal of the piston on the one hand and the interior wall of the cylinder on the other, it is not required that the seal lie against the full height of the piston body. It is enough for the sealing collar to be supported in the peripheral direction along the relatively narrow peripheral web. Furthermore, it has been shown surprisingly that, for an acceptable and reliable connection between the seal and the piston body, it is not required that the notch-shaped recesses between the longitudinal support webs are completely filled by the sealing material as is known from EP-A-0 685 611. It has been shown for shock absorber pistons on which the collar-shaped seal is formed in the manner described in EP-A-682 190 that it is enough if, in addition to the peripheral web, the longitudinal support webs press into the material of the seal over only a portion of their height as well. On one hand, this results in an acceptable form-lock between the collar-shaped seal and the piston body, and indeed both in the longitudinal direction as well as in the peripheral direction. On the other hand, only moderate shaping forces on the sealing material result. The result is that not only do minimal pressure forces have to be applied, but material flow is also kept to a very minimum during the deformation, thus preventing a disadvantageous influence on the material structure for practical purposes. Even if the circular sleeve is deformed to such an extent that the notch-shaped recesses are completely filled in, the sealing material deforms in the perpendicular direction due to the motion of the piston body in the direction of the recess. This effects a favorable xe2x80x9cmaterial flowxe2x80x9d so that even in case of this deformation, a disadvantageous influence of the material structure is prevented. Since the notch-shaped recesses between the support webs are not completely filled in due to their being only partial pressed, enough free space remains into which the sealing material can give way when expansions occur due to temperature increases, while the piston is guided by the longitudinal support webs with no problem. It is a good idea here if the longitudinal webs extend up to the end of the piston body.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that each of the edges of the collar-shaped seal extends beyond the end surface of the piston body associated with it. Since the collar-shaped seal is produced according to a known process from a circular sleeve, the phenomenon of xe2x80x9cback memoryxe2x80x9d of the sealant material described in EP-A-0 682 190 can be used to cause the edge around the inner diameter of the circular sleeve to pull inward after it is applied to the piston body, and to cause the edge of the collar-shaped seal produced from the external edge of the circular sleeve to move back outward and in this way to protrude above the rest of the peripheral surface of the collar-shaped seal as a lip seal. If the piston body is installed such that, when used as a shock absorber piston, the piston surface provided with the lip-shaped edge extending outward faces the pressurized side, i.e. the side subjected to the high load, and if the piston surface with the edge that springs back inward is located on the so-called suction side, this results in an improved seal of the piston in the shock absorber cylinder during a pressure load since the hydraulic fluid in the lip-shaped edge presses against the cylinder wall. When it springs back, i.e. for suction loads, the hydraulic fluid can then enter the intermediate space between the piston wall and the cylinder wall to some degree as a result of the minimal play between the two. The fluid can thus find its way up to the edge where the lip-shaped edge of the collar-shaped seal sits against the cylinder wall for the purposes of lubrication. Thus, acceptable lubrication is provided, preventing wear of the seal. Since the flow resistance due to this minimum gap between the sealing surface of the piston and the cylinder wall is considerably higher than the flow resistance through the flow channels in the piston body, practically no drop in performance results.
In an especially useful embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the longitudinal webs on the piston body run at an angle on the peripheral surface with respect to the piston axis. As a result of the slanted arrangement of the support webs, the advantage arises in that the entire surface of the piston sits on its seal as seen from the peripheral direction since each notch sitting between two longitudinal webs is overlapped when the longitudinal webs are slanted accordingly with respect to the piston axis. This provides an even contact pattern on the surface of the seal over the height of the piston, even if the sealant material should drop into the incompletely filled notch-shaped recesseso some degree. Since the mechanical load on the form-locked connection between the seal and the piston body occurs only in the direction of motion for practical purposes, the slanted arrangement of the support webs offers an additional component of support in the direction of motion.
Other embodiments of the invention are given in the subordinate claims.

Piston with support webs for a piston-cylinder arrangement, in particular a shock absorber piston


Systems and methods that characterizes a load as a function of position/movement of mechanical components—as induced by such load in the servo-drive system. By running a plurality of motion profiles, corresponding torque/forces that generate such motions can be calculated and readily represented (e.g., as a table) in form of a position dependent load. In addition, a parsing component can decompose or break up a load (which generates a desired motion) to its subparts or constituent values for further simulation analysis.

Motion controllers are special-purpose computers utilized for controlling motors, drives, and other aspects of a mechatronic system. In general, designing a system with drive technology, or mechatronic chains (e.g., combination of software/mechanical/control systems), can become a challenging task due to various dynamic parameters that continuously change in motion systems associated therewith. Additional difficulties relate to unknown or poorly defined parameters such as compliance and/or backlash between the load; the motor impact interaction; expected performance and the like. Moreover, additional complexities arise from the inherent complicated relationship between load, mechanism, servo motor, feedback, servo drive, controller and gain settings
Typically, determining answers to such questions often requires building a prototype machine and conducting empirical tests to collect data, and determine the proper combinations of machinery and configuration parameters. Another limited solution involves employing general simulation software such as computer aided design (CAD) systems, when intended design fits within constraints of such simulation software systems. Even so, simulation tasks can prove to be a slow process burdened with various inefficiencies. For example, the CAD dynamics simulation typically employs a non-fixed time base model, whereas the simulation of a servo system is discrete (e.g. every 1 ms). Such can introduce further complexities when combining the makes it challenging to combine the two.
In general, to simulate such servo mechanical systems a substantially simultaneous operation is required for a computer aided design CAD system and an analysis engine, such as proprietary industrial software. For example, while the CAD system is running data is being inputted thereto, and subsequently results are sent to the analysis engine for analyzing the motions involved. The cycles of data exchange between the CAD system and the analysis repeat until desired simulation is obtained. Nonetheless, such incremental exchange of data between the CAD system and analysis system is cumbersome and fails to provide a rapid progression for various simulation scenarios of the system.

Load characterization in servo drive systems


A reverse power feeding power PSE in electrical communication with a power source and a DPU, the PSE constituted of: a power output terminal; and a control circuitry, the control circuitry arranged to: output at the power output terminal power from the power source, the output power exhibiting a voltage within a predetermined operating range, after a predetermined inrush time period from an initial output time of the power, determine the magnitude of current flowing through the power output terminal, responsive to the determined current magnitude being greater than a predetermined current draw value, cease the power output.

Various communication standards, such as digital subscriber line (xDSL), very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2), G.hn, and G.fast, have been proposed or developed to provide high-speed data transmission from the service provider (e.g., a central office) to a customer premise over the existing twisted-pair copper wiring conventionally used for telephone service. Such technologies leverage modem technology to increase the data transfer bandwidth of the twisted-pair copper wiring. Typically, modems are provided on the ends of the subscriber line copper wiring to communicate between the central office and the customer premise. The manner in which the two modems communicate is established by the particular standard governing the communication. Because the existing telephone wire is used, the data signals are typically transferred out-of band with the voice band signals. Because different frequencies are used for the voice band and the data band, voice and data information can be concurrently transferred over the twisted-pair copper line.
Service providers have increased data bandwidth by installing fiber optic cabling between the central office (CO) and a distribution point unit (DPU) closer to the customers. A particular DPU may interface with a bundle of twisted pairs to service a relatively small number of customer premise connections. This approach shortens the length of the copper pair between the CO interface at the DPU and the customer, thereby allowing increased data rates. Thus the DPU will provided telephony and/or data to one or more customer premises equipment (CPE)
One difficulty arising from an optical connection between the central office and the DPU lies in the inability to provide a source of power for the DPU. Due to the remoteness of the DPU with respect to the central office, a local power supply is often unavailable or expensive to install.
Power for a DPU may be provided by reverse power feeding, wherein power is supplied to the DPU from the various CPEs for which telephony and/or data services are provided from the DPU. A standard for reverse power feeding is being standardized by ETSI and the Broadband World Forum. In such an embodiment, a power supply in the DPU may combine power contributions from multiple CPEs to power a main distribution unit (MDU) that handles the voice and data communication. This arrangement is referred to as a reverse power system, since the CPEs are the PSE and the DPU, particularly the MDU, is the powered device (PD).
The CPE PSE thus injects power across the copper pair. In order to use a plain old telephony service (POTS) type analog telephone, a POTS adapter is to be installed between the copper pair and the POTS telephone. FIG. 1 illustrates a high level block diagram of such a reverse power feeding arrangement 10, reverse power feeding arrangement 10 comprising a DPU 20 and a CPE 30 connected by a copper pair 40, with certain standard ETSI symbols shown. DPU 20 comprises: a data provision module 50, typically in optical communication with a CO; a power extraction circuitry 60; a signature resistor 70; an electronically controlled switch 80; a voltage detection circuitry 90; a classification current circuitry 100; an under voltage lock-out (UVLO) circuitry 110; an electronically controlled current path 120; a capacitor 130; and a DC/DC converter 140. In one non-limiting embodiment, electronically controlled current path 120 is implemented as an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (NFET), and will be described herein as such.
Data provision module 50 and a first terminal of power extraction circuitry 60 are each connected to copper pair 40 past the U-O reference point. The U-O reference point is defined as the reference point at the DPU containing both DC power and service data. A second terminal of power extraction circuitry 60 is coupled to a first end of signature resistor 70, a first terminal of voltage detection circuitry 90, a first terminal of classification current circuitry 100, a first terminal of UVLO circuitry 110, a first end of capacitor 130 and a first terminal of DC/DC converter 140, the line denoted OUT. A third terminal of power extraction circuitry 60 is coupled to a first end of electronically controlled switch 80, a second terminal of voltage detection circuitry 90, a second terminal of classification current circuitry 100, a second terminal of UVLO circuitry 110 and the source of NFET 120, the line denoted RET. The gate of NFET 120 is coupled to an output of UVLO circuitry 110. The drain of NFET 120 is coupled to a second end of capacitor 130 and a second terminal of DC/DC converter 140. Electronically controlled current path 120 is illustrated and described herein as being coupled within return line RET, however this is not meant to be limiting in any way. In another embodiment, electronically controlled current path 120 is coupled within output line OUT, without exceeding the scope. A third terminal of DC/DC converter 140, denoted DC, is coupled to data provision module 50.
CPE 30 comprises: a PSE 150; a power splitter 160; a service splitter 170; a POTSA-D adaptor 180; and a POTS telephone 190. PSE 150 is connected to power splitter 160 across the U-R2P reference point, defined as the reference point at CPE 30 containing the injected DC power. Power splitter 160 is connected to service splitter 170, which provides service and optionally analog phone service for CPE 30. Power splitter 160 is additionally connected to copper pair 40 across the U-R reference point, defined as the reference point at CPE 30 containing both DC power and service data. POTSA-D 180 is connected to copper pair 40 between power splitter 160 and the U-R reference point across the U-R2S reference point, defined as the CPE reference point containing the baseband POTS and the converted POTS signaling. POTSA-D 180 is an adapter that can be attached to one or more POTS telephones 190 in CPE 30. POTSA-D 180 is arranged to perform the following functions: translate the signals from the upstream DC and low frequency POTS signaling from the POTS telephone 190 into an in-band or out-of-band signaling system; translate the signals from the downstream in-band or out-of-band signaling system into POTS signaling towards the POTS telephone 190; and provide sufficient current, with a current limit, and DC voltage to supply POTS telephone 190.
In operation, in a detection stage, PSE 150 outputs a plurality of different detection voltages in order to determine whether a valid signature resistance is presented by DPU 20. The detection voltages are in one embodiment greater than 10 Volts. The voltages are extracted from copper pair 40 by power extraction circuitry 60. The resistance of signature resistor 70 is determined responsive to the output voltage values, as known to those skilled in the art at the time of the invention. As illustrated, electronically controlled switch 80 is coupled in series with signature resistor 70 and is initially set to be open. Responsive to detection by voltage detection circuitry 90 that a detection voltage has been presented thereacross, voltage detection circuitry 90 closes electronically controlled switch 80, thereby presenting the detection voltages across signature resistor 70. PSE 150 then detects whether signature resistor 70 exhibits a valid signature resistance. In the event that a valid signature resistance is not detected, no power is provided by PSE 150, as known to those skilled in the art at the time of the invention. Voltage detection circuitry 90 detects that a detection voltage is no longer applied to DPU 20 and responsive thereto opens electronically controlled switch 80. This removes the resistance of signature resistor 70 from the circuit to avoid unnecessary waste of power and to avoid affecting any classification current (described below).
In order to provide more efficient reverse power feeding, it is advantageous for PSE 150 to determine the class of DPU 20. Particularly, in a classification stage, PSE 150 is arranged to generate a classification voltage, which is presented to DPU 20, and classification current circuitry 100 is arranged to generate a classification current whose magnitude is indicative of the class of DPU 20. PSE 150 is then arranged, responsive to the magnitude of the received classification current, to determine the class of DPU 20 and adjust the current limit accordingly.
In the event that POTS telephone 190 is mistakenly connected to the reverse power feeding network without POTSA-D 180, i.e. POTS telephone 190 is mistakenly connected directly to the in-premises wiring at the potential of reference point U-R, when POTS telephone 190 is off-hook it draws a large current from PSE 150. It is therefore important that PSE 150 be able to detect an off-hook condition of POTS telephone 190, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,374,452, issued Jun. 21, 2016 to Peker et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. It is particularly important to detect an off-hook condition POTS telephone 190 during start-up so excess current won't be supplied by PSE 150. However, during start-up a large inrush current is drawn by capacitor 130, which can mask an off-hook condition of POTS telephone 190. As a result, the PSE won't detect the off-hook condition and after the inrush current stabilizes a large current will still be drawn from PSE 150 by the off-hook POTS telephone 190.

Reverse power feeding power sourcing equipment and method


Since a continuous fiber of a fiber-reinforced resin member includes an axial fiber aligned in the axial direction and an axially right-angled fiber aligned at right angles to the axial direction, and the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a first layer on the outer side of the corner part is made higher than the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a second layer on the inner side of the corner part, when an axial load is input and the fiber-reinforced resin member breaks, the axially right-angled fiber disposed at high density in the outside first layer of the corner part is actively stretched and breaks, thereby enabling a large energy-absorbing effect to be exhibited. Moreover, the fiber-reinforced resin member has a simple structure in which merely the density of the axially right-angled fiber in its interior is changed, thereby minimizing any increase in the production cost.

An energy-absorbing body in which a plurality of fiber-reinforced resin members having fiber bundles of continuous fibers embedded in a matrix resin are layered so that the directions of alignment of the continuous fibers intersect each other, and the layers of the plurality of fiber-reinforced resin members are stitched by a binding thread so that it extends through in the thickness direction is known from Patent Document 1 below. This energy-absorbing body breaks so as to separate into two layers via a middle part in the thickness direction while breaking the binding thread when a compressive load is input, thereby exhibiting an energy-absorbing effect.


An electron-beam gun system is provided having a cathode arrangement and a grid electrode. The cathode arrangement is a high-current cathode (22) having an emitting surface (23). The grid electrode includes a hat-shaped grid 1-electrode (24) located at a distance of 30 to 80 .mu.m from the emitting surface (23) of the high-current cathode (22), which has a width in a range of 30 to 70 .mu.m in a passing area (18.2) for electrons. The grid electrode includes a grid 2-electrode (15) that is at least 250 .mu.m wide in a passing area (18) for the electrons, and includes a grid 3-electrode (14) having an inlet side that is 250 to 400 .mu.m wide in a passing area (18.1) for the electrons.

According to the state of the art, electron-beam gun systems for picture recording and picture displaying installations are designed so that the electrons emitted by a hot cathode to form an electron-beam, pass a series of electrodes before they strike the impact surface (e.g. the inside of a television picture tube). The hot cathodes, which are conventionally used for this purpose, have peak beam current densities of about 0.5 A/cm.sup.2, for example for television picture tubes.
In addition to these hot cathodes, so-called high-current cathodes are known, such as are used to produce microwaves and have beam current densities up to 10 A/cm.sup.2.
It is further known that increased beam current densities from cathode arrangements, for example in picture tube electron-beam gun systems, produce improved, that is sharper images. As shown in this connection by electronic-optic research performed by the applicant, when the above indicated cathodes, which in this application are called high-current cathodes, are to be used in television picture tubes, it is necessary to keep the distance between the emitting surface of the high-current cathode and the grid 1-electrode, as well as the passing area of the electrodes through the grid 1-electrode, small, if the grid 2-voltage is to be maintained in the range of 800 to 1000 Volts. Tests to maintain the indicated conditions, performed in this regard by the applicant, were not successful in the past, because high-current cathodes require operating temperatures of 1100.degree. C. and such temperatures do not allow the grid 1-electrode to remain stable, because of its small width.
For that reason the invention had the task of presenting an electron-beam gun system which permits the use of high-current cathodes in picture displaying and picture recording installations. Since these high-current cathode-equipped beam gun systems are of particular interest for large-size picture tubes, and until now these tubes were only manufactured in small quantities, the invention had the further task of presenting a manufacturing process for electron-beam gun systems with high-current cathodes, which allows most of these beam systems to be used, without extensive conversion of the production lines that are used to manufacture electron-beam gun systems with conventional output hot cathodes.

High-current cathode for picture tubes including a grid 3-electrode having a diaphragm with reduced apertures


The present invention relates to flame retardant insulation and jacketing compositions useful for wire and cable products which exhibit improved adhesion to the metal conductor. This is achieved by the use of a specific stabilizer package comprised of three specific antioxidants and by varying their relative proportions. The compositions are based on ethylene-vinyl esters and ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymers and are formulated with a hydrated inorganic filler, an alkoxy silane, a crosslinking agent and the three-component stabilizer package. Antioxidants utilized for the three-component stabilizer package include tetrakis[methylene(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamate)]methane, pentaerythritol tetrakis(betalaurylthiopropionate) and thiodiethylene bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamate).

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved polymeric compositions which are crosslinked to produce heat and flame resistant insulation for wire and cable products. More particularly, the invention relates to crosslinkable flame retardant ethylene-vinyl ester and ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer insulation compositions having improved strip characteristics and a process for modifying the strippability of said compositions.

Flame retardant insulation compositions having improved strippability


A can crusher includes a ratchet bar having a plurality of ratchet teeth longitudinally formed on the bar and having a piston member secured on a front end portion of the bar reciprocatively held in a squeezing chamber formed in a base of the can crusher, a lever pivotally secured to a driving box secured on a rear portion of the base having a first pawl pivotally mounted on a lower end portion of the lever engageable with the ratchet teeth on the ratchet bar, a second pawl pivotally formed on the driving box for preventing a rearward retraction of the ratchet bar, whereby upon an upward pulling of the lever, the first pawl will urge a ratchet tooth of the ratchet bar forwardly to squeeze a can inserted in between the piston member and a compression end plate secured on the base, thereby gradually intermittently pushing the piston member forwardly for crushing the can with a lighter force.

A conventional can crusher includes: a piston pivotally connected with a lever handle for a reciprocatively sliding movement in a recess chamber formed in a housing mounted on an elongated base member whereby upon a pulling of the handle to move the piston forwardly in the housing chamber, an aluminum can inserted in the chamber will be squeezed by the piston for minimizing the volume of the can for convenient disposal.
However, such a conventional can crusher may have the following drawbacks:
1. when pulling the handle to move the piston for squeezing the can, a counter force will be exerted from the can under compression as it is impacted by the piston and such a counter force will be fed back to the operator's hand gripping the handle to partially counteract the compression force produced by the handle, thereby requiring greater force for crushing a can; and
2. since a portable can crusher is generally used by a family for compacting and treating a beverage can drunk by the family, the can crusher should be designed to be easily and lightly operated, even convenient for a woman or a child. The conventional portable can crusher is operated heavily and is not suitable for a woman or child's operation.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of a conventional can crusher and has invented the present can crusher to be lightly operated.

c/o Hung Hsing Patent Service Center P.O. Box 55-1670


It is disclosed a technique in which Controlled Switching Devices (CSDs) are used to control medium and high voltage circuit breakers to mitigate switching transients. This invention describes a method for controlling the closing of a circuit breaker to mitigate and/or eliminate the inrush current in capacitive loads such as capacitor banks and filters by taking into account the residual DC voltage charges that may be present in the load. It is disclosed a method to perform fast switching operations on capacitive loads and therefore eliminate the load discharge period.

Electric power systems have different types of capacitive loads due to physical characteristics of transmission or distribution lines or due to the addition of capacitors for serial or shunt compensation or for filtering of harmonics. Serial or shunt compensation is used to maintain a constant voltage profile along the distribution or transmission lines. These capacitive loads may be switched on or off, as needed, with a circuit-breaker.
When a capacitor bank is de-energized, some residual DC voltage charges remain in its electrostatic field. As a capacitor bank has self-discharging characteristics, the voltage charges level is dynamic and is decreasing in time from the de-energization to the complete capacitor bank discharge. A capacitor bank may take up to 15 minutes to discharge itself after the breaker opening.
In order to reduce or eliminate the voltage transients such as inrush current caused by a capacitor bank energization, the optimal moment to switch on a discharged capacitor is at the zero crossing of the voltage on the waveform. To perform this operation at the exact moment, a CSD is needed. In normal operation conditions in a typical electrical network, capacitor banks may be switched several times a day.
Many applications require the use of capacitive load switching. For example, distributed energy resources (DERs) integration, static VAR compensator (SVC) and static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) systems may switch capacitor banks several times per day to achieve voltage regulation. However, with current technologies, when capacitor banks are de-energized, a power system or DER operator needs to wait until the complete discharge of the capacitors before energizing them again in order to avoid the inrush current on the network. The inrush current (2), shown in FIG. 1, illustrates the result of an uncontrolled switching operation of a capacitive load on the network. The consequences of such inrush current may be critical as they may damage the equipment, hence reducing the reliability of the system. In this example, the voltage (1) is also illustrated. Furthermore, the resulting transients may travel on the lines and trip a protection reducing then the stability of the network and potentially leading into a major blackout.
Current technologies reduce the inrush current on capacitor banks by using either pre-insertion resistors or CSDs. However, with such solutions, capacitor banks need to be discharged in order to avoid the inrush current when performing the switching operations. Furthermore, the 15 minute waiting time for capacitor discharge is problematic as it does not allow the power system and DER operators to switch at their convenience resulting in a non-optimal operation of their installations.
In many cases, a blocking timer is used to control the circuit breaker closing to avoid operation when capacitive loads are still charged. The timer is armed each time the breaker is opened thus blocking the closing of the breaker.
There is thus a need for a new technique to reduce the switching time of capacitive load while minimizing the inrush current.

Controlled switching devices and method of using the same