The invention relates to a method of preventing or treating acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a patient, wherein the patient is administered with a Tat protein comprising amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2, or a variant thereof capable of stimulating an immune response against Tat proteins.

The search for a vaccine against AIDS remains a major issue since the discovery of the HIV-1 (Barre-Sinoussi et al., 1983). The failure of classical vaccine approaches targeting the HIV-1 envelop proteins points out the interest to use another target such as the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription protein called Tat, due to its extra cellular function involving the collapse of the immune cellular response against HIV infected cells (Jeang et al., 1999).
Tat exists predominantly in two different lengths, 86-87 residues or 99-101 residues, that display multifaceted activities (Jeang et al., 1999). The long forms are predominant in clinical isolates from all HIV-1 subtypes except subtype D, due to the presence of a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism, creating a stop codon in the second exon encoding sequence (Jeang et al., 1999). Tat is divided into six regions (Kuppuswamy et al., 1989) with one called basic region being involved in most of the Tat activities. NMR studies of biologically active Tat variants revealed that the basic region and the other functional regions are well exposed to solvent and surround a core composed of part of the N-terminus with the well conserved Trp 11 (Péloponèse et al., 2000; Gregoire et al., 2001, Watkins et al., 2008). Among different Tat variants this folding is similar in aqueous solution but can change dramatically when exposed to hydrophobic solvent (Péloponèse et al., 1999). Tat is a flexible protein and structural changes are necessary for it to bind to its pharmacological targets (Loret et al., 1992).
Tat is found mainly in the nucleus of infected cells where it functions as a trans-acting transcriptional activator (Wong-Staal et al, 1985; Fujisawa et al., 1985), where it is known to be involved in the initiation of transcription and RNA chain elongation (Cullen, 1990) by a complex process involving interactions with cellular proteins and a stem-bulge loop leader RNA, TAR (trans-activation responsive region), on the viral mRNA and acetylation of the Tat (Bres et al., 2002). Studies have shown that it also participates with the reverse transcription of HIV-1 RNA (Harrich et al., 1997).
Despite the lack of a signal sequence, Tat is the only HIV-1 protein to be secreted by HIV-1-infected cells and is found in detectable levels in the culture supernatants of HIV-1-infected cells (0.1-1 ng/ml) (Ensoli et al., 1990; Westendorp et al., 1995b; Chang et al, 1997) and in the sera of HIV-1-infected patients (1-40 ng/ml) (Xiao et al., 2000; Westendorp et al., 1995b). Extracellular Tat display multifaceted activities (Jeang et al., 1999), but the most important is to trigger apoptosis of uninfected T cells by traversing the cell membrane, leading to apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway (Chen et al., 2002, Campbell et al., 2004, de Mareuil et al., 2005). Neutralization of extracellular Tat in vivo in SHIV-1 challenged macaques induces a rise of CD8+ T cells and HIV-1 infected CD4+ T cells become undetectable (Watkins et al., 2006).
Thus, the role of Tat in HIV-1 pathogenesis is not only as an essential protein for HIV-1 replication in infected cells, but also as an extracellular toxin (Gallo, 1999). Therefore, it is relevant to develop a vaccine targeting Tat (Goldstein, 1996). However, seropositive patients that have antibodies against Tat are unable to recognize Tat variants from all HIV-1 subtypes (Campbell et al., 2007b). Moreover, these antibodies fail to slow disease progression to AIDS (Senkaali et al., 2008).
It is clear that a Tat vaccine using a B subtype Tat found mainly in Europe and North America as previously proposed (Godstein, 1996, Zagury et al., 1998, Cafaro et al., 1999) has a low probability to provide a therapeutic and a preventive effect against HIV-1 infection in the rest of the world and particularly in Africa. Moreover, a Tat vaccine using a B subtype Tat has also a low probability to provide a therapeutic and a preventive effect even in Europe and North America due to the incapacity of the immune system to neutralize extra cellular Tat.
The two main vaccine strategies against Tat up to now use a short, 86 residue version of a B-subtype European Tat variant that is either inactivated (Zagury et al., 1998) or has full activity (Cafaro et al., 1999). These two approaches were tested on macaques followed by a homologous SHIV-1 challenge (Cafaro et al., 1999; Pauza et al., 2000). A significant decrease of viremia was observed in these two studies carried out respectively on Cynomolgus (Cafaro et al., 1999) and Rhesus macaques (Pauza et al., 2000), without showing complete protection during primo-infection. Another study showed a long term control of infection following SHIV-1 challenge on Tat vaccinated Cynomolgus macaques (Maggiorella et al., 2004). These studies point out that vaccines using biologically active Tat appears to be a safe approach as indicated by safety studies carried out on monkeys in which no local or systemic toxicity or adverse effects were observed (Cafaro et al., 1999, 2001; Caselli et al., 1999, Goldstein et al., 2000).
It is interesting to note that conflicting results appears in Tat vaccine studies on macaques since no protection was observed with a SIV challenge (Allen et al., 2002) or a vaccination with a recombinant virus coding for a Tat-Rev protein (Verrier et al., 2002). These conflicting results could be explained by a different immunization regimens, viral stock, routes of viral challenge and animal species. The difference between SIV Tat and HIV-1 Tat in the first study and the probability that a Tat-Rev recombinant protein does not have the native Tat folding or the native Rev folding for the second study may explain the absence of protection. More puzzling, however, is the result of two other studies using similar viral vectors expressing Tat, Env and Gag that give opposite conclusions. One study shows the efficacy of vectored Tat, but not Gag and Env (Stittelaar et al., 2002), while another study showed efficacy of vectored Gag and Env, but not Tat (Liang et al., 2005). The main difference in the two studies is that one is using a homologous challenge using the Tat Bru sequence in both the vaccine and in the SHIV (Stittelaar et al., 2002) and the other a heterologous challenge with the Tat Bru sequence in the vaccine and Tat Jr in the SHIV (Liang et al., 2005). HIV-1 Jr and HIV-1 Bru are B subtypes (FIG. 1) but their Tat sequences have non-conservative mutations inducing conformational changes (Gregoire & Loret., 1996). Theses mutations between the vaccine and the virus use for the challenge might explain the lack of efficacy of the Tat vectored vaccine in the second study (Liang et al., 2005). It is clear that the second study more closely resembled reality since a vaccinated person will not likely be exposed to a homologous virus infection, but in that case why have homologous Gag and Env been used (Liang et al., 2005)?
Over the last 20 years, HIV-1 vaccine studies that target the HIV-1 envelope proteins have been tested using a homologous SHIV/macaque model and have met with success (Feinberg et al., 2002). However, clinical trials were not successful (Vanichseni et al., 2004). This is due to the high genetic diversity of HIV-1 and this is why heterologous SHIV challenge in macaques, with a genetically distinct virus, should be used to determine if a vaccine can be effective against HIV-1 infection in humans (Feinberg et al., 2002). If a successful homologous SHIV challenge is helpful to show the interest of Tat vaccination in vivo, the development of a Tat vaccine in humans worldwide has to take in account the genetic diversity of Tat. It is important to note that immunization with the B subtype Tat Bru does not stimulate an efficient response against Tat variants from A and C HIV-1 subtypes that corresponds to 75% of the contamination in the world (Opi et al., 2002).
The interest to develop a Tat vaccine rose with the discovery that seropositive long-term non-Progressor (LTNP) patients had a higher level of Tat antibodies than seropositive Rapid Progressor (RP) patients (Re et al., 1995; van Baalen et al., 1997; Zagurry et al., 1998, Re et al., 2001; Addo et al., 2001, Belliard et al., 2003). It is interesting to note that with a serum dilution of 1:1000, Tat Bru is recognized by only 30% of the RP patients in Europe (Zagury et al., 1998) and only 10 to 14% in Africa (Butto et al., 2003). This percentage can reach up to 50% in Africa if other Tat variants from subtypes A, C and D are tested (Campbell et al., 2007). This result outlines again how mutations in Tat variants can affect immunogenicity but it shows also that a large amount of seropositive patients are unable to recognize Tat. Furthermore Tat antibodies in African RP patients have no effect on the progression to AIDS (Sankali et al., 2008). It shows that, for a majority of HIV-1 infected patients, Tat is not recognized while this protein is present in their blood and patients who recognize Tat cannot neutralize this protein. The reason why Tat is so badly recognized by the human immune system could be due to sequence similarity of the basic region of Tat with epitopes found in human proteins such as the protamine. It is clear that triggering an immune response against the Tat basic region (region IV) would lead to autoimmune response on humans. Region IV is well conserved among Tat variants (FIG. 1) but it is not recognized by sera from HIV-1 infected patients (Campbell et al., 2007). It is interesting to note that two third of new born children from HIV-1 infected mother succeed to escape to HIV-1 infection (Beattie et al., 2001). They are seropositive up to 18 months old and then retro seroconvert. This high proportion of new-born infants that resist to HIV infection excludes genetic factors that could be due to an innate immunity against HIV. It could be possible that a repression of the immune system to recognize Tat may exist in adults but not among new-born infants since protamine appears with sexual maturation.
A better attention should be taken to natural immunity occurring in adults against HIV-1. Natural immunity against HIV-1 is observed in a low proportion of the human population and cover different mechanisms going from chemokine mutations to the capacity to produce neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 envelope (see Marmor et al., 2006 for a review). Natural immunity can be innate or acquired, the latter being of course the most interesting for a vaccine development. Patients with natural immunity against HIV-1 can be exposed and persistently seronegative (EPS) or can be seropositive and long term non progressor (LTNP). In most cases this natural immunity turns out to be an innate immunity. However there is a very rare category of patients highly exposed to the virus that are resistant to HIV-1 due apparently to an acquired immunity. Kenyan sex workers who are EPS had been intensely studied and their resistance to HIV-1 appears to be related to their capacity to develop an efficient CD8 T cell response against HIV-1 (McMichael & Rowland-Jones, 2001). However, the paradox is that the CD8 T cell response in EPS Kenyan sew workers is five time lower in magnitude than that of seropositive Kenyan sex workers who ultimately develop AIDS (Alimonti et al., 2006). To make things even more puzzling, studies of similar cohorts of EPS patients in Ivory Cost, Vietnam and Cambodia show that they have no HIV-1 specific CD8 T cell response but a natural killer (NK) cell responses (Scott-Algara et al., 2003; Jennes et al., 2006), antibodies against HIV-1 envelop proteins (Nguyen et al., 2006) or cellular factors affecting viral entry steps (Saez-Cirion et al., 2006). Although it was believed that these Kenyan EPS patients had an innate immunity, it turned out that it was an acquired immunity at least for some of them who became seropositive after a lapse in sex work (Kaul et al., 2001).
More interesting was the study of an EPS cohort identified in Gabon (Huet et al., 1989). During the eighties in Africa, it was observed in a remote area of Gabon called "Haut Ogooué" that HIV-1 infected patients were not developing AIDS (Delaporte et al., 1988). An epidemiological survey was decided and carried out on 750 pregnant women for two years and 25 were identified as seropositive (Huet et al., 1989). From these 25 seropositive women, 23 retro seroconverted and became EPS during the two years of the survey. Although EPS patients have normally no detectable virus, it was possible to isolate and clone a HIV-1 strain from one patient called Oyi when she was still seropositive (Huet et al., 1989). Contrary to other EPS cohort of sex workers or drug users that were constituted many years after the first exposure to HIV, the Gabon cohort was constituted during the primo infection and explains why it was possible to clone a virus. All women infected with HIV-1 Oyi did retro seroconvert but maintained a CTL response against HIV-1 and had antibodies against P24 (Huet et al., 1989). The high proportion of EPS phenotype in this cohort (92%) indicates that the retro seroconversion was probably due to an acquired immunity and not an innate immunity. Ten years after the publication of this epidemiological survey, the 23 women were in good health and the HIV-1 or a sign of infection was no longer detectable in their blood. Furthermore HIV-1 infection appears to be very low in Gabon compared to other central African countries (Delaporte et al., 1996). HIV-1 Oyi has genes similar to regular HIV-1 strains except the tat gene, which had mutations never found in other Tat variants (Gregoire & Loret, 1996). Immunization with Tat Oyi raises antibodies in rabbits that are able to recognize different Tat variants even with mutations of up to 38%, which is not possible with other Tat variants (Opi et al., 2002). Tat Oyi appears to induce a humoral immune response against a three-dimensional epitope that are conserved in Tat variants and this humoral response could make possible to neutralize extracellular Tat. The role of extracellular Tat was not known during the eighties and the presence of antibodies against Tat was not tested in this Gabon cohort (Huet et al., 1989).
Seven rhesus macaques were immunized with synthetic Tat Oyi complemented with an adjuvant then a heterologous challenge with the European SHIV BX08 was carried out on Tat Oyi vaccinated macaques and control macaques. Tat Oyi vaccinated macaques had a lower viremia associated with a rise of the CD8 T cells compared with control macaques. Moreover, SHIV infected cells were no longer detectable at 8 weeks post-challenge in Tat Oyi vaccinated macaques. It is interesting to note that the macaque that had the lowest viremia had no antibodies against SHIV envelop proteins. The macaque was challenged again, made a short period of seropositivity and seroconverted (Watkins et al., 2006). It was therefore possible to reproduce experimentally on macaque what is observed in the field with EPS patients. It is important to note that this "EPS macaque" had a detectable viremia (watkins et al., 2006). This is a very promising result because it was a heterologous SHIV challenge and it shows that it is possible to dramatically reduce the level of HIV infected cells. This goal has never been achieved in seropositive patients under HAART treatment.

Modified Tat Oyi protein with enhanced immunogenicity


A roll sunshade device, which includes a screen for shadowing an inner opening of a roof of a vehicle, a rotating body which is disposed ahead of the inner opening or behind the inner opening in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and rotates freely around an axis in a vehicle width direction, a turning member which is disposed at a predetermined distance from the rotating body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and rotates freely around an axis in the vehicle width direction, and two circular wires which are disposed on both sides of the inner opening in the vehicle width direction, respectively and hung between the rotating body and the turning member, in which both edge portions of the screen in the vehicle width direction are supported by the two circular wires, respectively, and when the screen is slid in the front-rear direction of the vehicle from a state where the screen shadows the inner opening, the screen is folded along an outer circumferential surface of the turning member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll sunshade device which is fixed to an inner opening of a vehicle roof.
2. Description of Related Art
As a roll sunshade device which is fixed to an inner opening of a vehicle roof, the following device has been known, which includes a screen shielding the inner opening of the vehicle roof, two guide bars disposed on each side of the inner opening in the vehicle width direction and extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a rolling shaft which is disposed in a rear portion of the inner opening and rotatable around an axis in the vehicle width direction. A rear edge portion of the screen is fixed to the rolling shaft (For example, see paragraph [0017] and FIG. 1 in JP2004-099031).
In the conventional roll sunshade device described above, when the screen is slid rearward from a closing state of the screen, the screen is rolled up by the rolling shaft and housed in a space between an outer roof panel and an interior headlining board of the vehicle. Therefore, in the conventional roll sunshade device, it is required to widen a distance between the outer roof panel and the interior headlining board of the vehicle to secure a space for housing a rolled screen which has a large diameter due to rolling of the screen on the rolling shaft. As a result, the headlining board is lowered and an indoor height becomes small.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a roll sunshade device which can reduce a height of a space for housing a screen, and thereby securing a large indoor height by solving the foregoing problem.


Provided is a color pencil lead which is excellent in a hue, a light resistance and a strength and can be erased with an eraser and which is suited to pencil leads for mechanical pencils and wooden pattern holder pencils. The above color pencil lead is characterized by containing a resin in which a dye is dissolved or included in a pencil lead body.

Disclosed as a conventional "non-calcined color pencil lead which can be erased with an eraser" is, for example, a non-calcined color pencil lead prepared by producing a porous color lead body which is not blended with waxes and then filling liquid oils and fats or waxes in the pores at ordinary temperature (refer to, for example, a patent document 1).
However, the above color pencil lead involved a problem in terms of that it had a sufficiently high strength as a pencil lead for a usual wooden pattern holder but was fragile when it was used in the form of a narrow lead for a so-called holder of a mechanical pencil and the like.
In addition, mainly available as a conventional "calcined color pencil lead which can be erased with an eraser" is, for example, a lead prepared by producing a white or light-colored porous lead body and then filling a dye ink in the pores thereof (refer to, for example, a patent document 2).
However, the existing situation was that the above color pencil lead involved the problems that a lead body strength thereof depended on a strength of the white or light-colored porous lead body and that a weatherability, a hue and the like of the dye were never strengthened.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present patent application includes a discussion of a signal compensation apparatus (119). The apparatus is implemented in a digital radiotelephone (101) having diversity receivers (111, 113). The signal compensation apparatus utilizes three control loops and a branch selection switch circuit to substantially diminish the undesired gain and DC offset present in the selected received data signal. Portions of the apparatus are implemented in a digital signal processor (DSP) (249) for rapid adjustment of the control loops when switching to a different receiver branch.

Radio receivers in general have problems receiving radio signals containing data. These problems include undesired AC level variations and DC offsets contained within the received data signals. Several sources of the offsets cause the problem. Namely, part tolerances, undesired offsets in the incoming signals, temperature variations and aging of parts.
In particular, digital radio receivers containing diversity are sensitive to undesired offsets in received data signals, because the offsets cause errors in the recovered data. Additionally, diversity receivers in a Rayleigh fading environment typically switch between receivers at a rate between 0 and 100 Hz. This switching rate requires a signal compensation apparatus that adapts quickly to changing conditions. Thus, digital radio receivers containing diversity require a dynamic signal compensator to remove the undesired AC level variations and DC offsets.
Several solutions are available for controlling undesired AC level variations and DC offset in a radio receiver. Namely, manually tuning the receiver before sale of the radio, manual tuning plus temperature compensation circuit, tight control of part tolerances, or a dynamic feedback control loop. These solutions all exist today, but they fall short of the stringent requirements of a digital radio receiver having diversity receivers.
First, the receiver's undesired offsets may be controlled by manually tuning the radio in the factory. This allows the AC level variations and DC offsets inherent to the radio to be tuned out for one temperature setting. This solution does not consider the AC level variations and DC offsets contained in the received signal, nor the changes in the AC level variations and DC offset over time and temperature. For some radio systems these variations are negligible. However, in a digital radio receiver containing diversity a tight control of the AC level variations and the DC offset is necessary for proper operation. Thus, the manual tune solution is insufficient.
Second, a temperature compensation circuit may be added to the manual tune to control the undesired AC level variations and DC offset over temperature variations during operation. Again, this solution will be affected by variances due to part aging and the AC level variations and DC offsets contained in the received data signals. Additionally, the temperature compensation circuit will add variation to the compensation apparatus by part tolerances and aging. Thus, this solution is inadequate.
Third, the part tolerances during the manufacturing process may be tightly controlled such that the specification and variances over time and temperature are limited. However, this becomes prohibitively expensive and does not compensate for variances in the received data signal. Again, this solution would not be sufficient for a digital radio receiver containing diversity.
Fourth, a first order feedback control loop may be added in the received data signals path. This control loop is simply implemented. The received data signal is input into a data slicer. The data slicer determines the most likely symbol the data signal is representing. The data slicer outputs one value from a choice of predetermined values. The control loop creates an error signal having a DC level equal to the difference between the received data signal DC level and the DC level of the data slicer output signal. The error signal is first order filtered and fed back into the received signal path before entering the symbol slicer. This control loop forces the input signal to lock onto one of the predetermined symbol signal levels. This control loop is free from part tolerance, temperature variance, aging and inherent DC offset limitations as previously discussed. However, problems arise when the error signal is larger than the difference between two predetermined symbol decision levels. When this occurs, the loop can falsely lock on an incorrect symbol causing substantial performance errors. In some systems the DC offset never exceeds or rarely exceeds, this limitation, thus, false locking is not a problem. However, in a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulated system the DC offset may easily exceed these thresholds and cause false locking. Frequent false locking will degrade the performance of the radio receiver.
Therefore, a need exists for a signal compensation apparatus in a radio receiver which can quickly compensate for the AC level variations and DC offsets inherent in a radio system without false locking.

Data signal compensation apparatus for use in a receiver


A manifold for ostomy bag irrigation, including an inlet member having a channel defined therein, a T-member having a channel defined therein and in fluid communication with the inlet member, a left tube having a plurality of apertures defined therein and having one end coupled to the T-member, a right tube having a plurality of apertures defined therein and having one end coupled to the T-member, a left cap having a channel defined therein and coupled to the second end of the left tube, and a right cap having a channel defined therein and coupled to the second end of the right tube.

An ostomy is a surgical procedure in which an organ, for example the colon or a portion thereof, is removed and the digestive tract is attached to an opening surgically created in the abdominal wall, thereby, allowing digested waste to pass through the abdomen. Examples of ostomies include colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies, amongst others. Typically, the waste is then collected by an impervious bag that is secured over the opening. The opening that results from a colonectomy, or other similar procedures is known as an a "stoma," and the impervious bag that collects the digestive waste is generally known as an ostomy bag.
An individual who has had a colostomy, ileostomy or the like typically empties the ostomy bag one or more times a day. Additionally, there are varying procedures for irrigating the stoma, which may be done on an about daily basis to maintain good health and sanitation. An ostomy is typically irrigated by applying warm flowing water into the ostomy, maintaining it for a predetermined amount of time and then allowing the water and any waste to drain there from.

Method, apparatus and system for ostomy bag irrigation


A system and a process for producing methane gas by anaerobic digestion of feed materials containing suitable organic materials. The system includes a plurality of digestion modules arranged primarily in series. Each digestion module is positioned with its slurry inlet port at a slightly lower elevation than the slurry outlet port of the preceding digestion module. The number of digestion modules is dependent upon the particular feed material to be digested. Each digestion module can be sampled and controlled independently. The process includes grinding and pulping the feed material, mixing the feed material with a liquid to prepare a slurry, charging the initial digestion module with slurry and transferring the digesting slurry to the next successive digestion module and subsequently to each successive digestion module after predetermined time periods until the digestion process has been completed. The liquid is separated from the digested slurry for recycle through the system. The resulting sludge is useful for a variety of purposes.

This invention relates to a system and process for production of methane gas by anaerobic digestion of feed materials containing suitable organic materials.
It is well known that suitable organic materials will decompose or decay by either aerobic (with oxygen) or anaerobic (without oxygen) processes. Both aerobic decomposition and anaerobic decomposition are naturally occurring biochemical processes. Since early times, man has exploited aerobic decomposition to produce compost for fertilizing his crops. Typically, compost production was accomplished with a compost pile. While some anaerobic decomposition always occurred in the compost pile, man did not begin to understand anaerobic decomposition and control it for useful purposes until the present century.
While either aerobic or anaerobic processes can be used for decomposing suitable organic materials, the resulting decomposition products will be quite different. If suitable organic materials are decomposed by an anaerobic process, both methane and carbon dioxide gases are produced. It is well known that methane is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, lighter-than-air gas which is useful as a fuel. In fact, methane is a principal component of ordinary natural gas. In addition to the production of methane, a potentially valuable sludge is produced when sewage, animal manures and many other feed materials containing suitable organic materials are digested by an anaerobic process. Such sludge can be used as a soil conditioner or as a source of various inorganic or organic elements and compounds useful as raw materials for subsequent manufacturing processes.
If anaerobic processes are to be successfully exploited for useful purposes, it is desirable to have those processes take place in insulated, oxygen-free containers. When feed materials containing suitable organic materials are placed in such containers, it is possible to both mimic and hasten the naturally occurring biochemical processes. When feed materials containing suitable organic materials are processed under such conditions, the process is commonly referred to as "anaerobic digestion". The insulated, oxygen-free containers are commonly referred to as "digesters".
Most of the early research and development relating to anaerobic digestion was performed in India. It is usually believed that the first digester for production of methane gas by anaerobic decomposition of organic materials was constructed in Bombay, India in 1900. That digester utilized cow manure as a feed material for the anaerobic decomposition process. It is well known that the Indian economy was at that time and continues to be in large part agriculturally based. It has been estimated that for every person living in India there are two cows living there. Because of this large cow population, large quantities of manure are available in India as a feed material for production of methane gas by anaerobic digestion. The resulting methane gas is burned as a fuel for cooking, heating, lighting and powering farm equipment. And, the resulting sludge is used as a soil conditioner.
In India, the research and development activities relating to anaerobic digestion have concentrated on simple small-scale digesters for digestion of manures and other organic waste materials. Both batch load digesters, i.e. digesters which are charged with feed material, sealed for the digestion period, and then emptied when methane gas production ceases, and continuous load digesters, i.e. digesters which are charged with smaller quantities of feed material on a daily or other periodic basis and continuously produce methane gas, have been developed, constructed and operated. The primary objectives for these digesters have been to provide digesters which are capable of being constructed by unskilled laborers using inexpensive building materials indigenous to a rural agricultural environment and to provide digesters which are capable of being operated and maintained by farmers and unskilled laborers having minimal formal technical education. Of course, these objectives are compatable with the circumstances existing in India.
In the United States and in other countries having highly industrialized economies, waste materials have not traditionally been considered to be a national asset. Accordingly, research and development activities relating to waste materials have concentrated on environmentally safe disposal of such materials. Nevertheless, some research and development activities relating to the production of methane gas by anaerobic digestion of feed materials containing suitable organic materials have been conducted in the United States. Until recently, most of these activities were conducted and financed by persons who are proponents of alternate life styles for the United States population. For this reason, the objectives of the early United States research and development activities relating to anaerobic digestion were similar to the objectives of similar activities in India. Small scale digesters were constructed for production of methane by digestion of waste materials containing suitable organic materials. In a few cases, larger digesters have been constructed. But, all of these digesters have been similar to those used in India since 1900 and have been used exclusively for digestion of waste materials.
With the continuing upward spiral of prices for oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear fuels, it is desirable to have a system and process for production of the maximum quantity of methane gas which a particular feed material containing a suitable organic material is capable of yielding. Such a system and process should be capable of using any material containing suitable organic materials as the feed material for the system and process. For example, it may be desirable to grow and harvest certain plants specifically for feed materials for the system and process.

System and process for anaerobic digestion

Universal Research and Development Corp.


Identification and inventorying of logs, particularly those to be made into paper pulp, is provided utilizing a cellulosic fiber (paper) based identification tag. The tag is printed, as by ion deposition, with variable information, such as bar coding and human recognizable indicia corresponding to the bar coding. By perforations, the tag is separated into a number of different sections, each section having the variable imaging on it. A water soluble acrylic varnish is applied to the web to cover the bar coding. The tags are attached to the cut ends of logs by metal staples, and during processing or inventorying sections of the tag may be removed along the perforations.

In the logging industry, it is necessary to identify logs in order to properly inventory and process the logs. Logs typically are used for processing into lumber, or for processing into paper pulp (after the logs are formed into chips). The logs typically have a 30-90 day life span from cutting and delimbing until processed into lumber or pulp, and it is necessary that any identification structures used for the logs survive that 30-90 day life span.
The most common commercial identification structures for logs presently utilized are plastic tags which have imaged bar code (variable information) disposed thereon, and a clear plastic laminate over the imaged bar code. Such tags are typically attached to the cut end of a log with staples, and are capable of surviving total submersion in water, rain, freezing, sunlight, etc. for 120 days or more. However such plastic tags have two major disadvantages.
The first disadvantage of conventional plastic tags is that they are expensive, and the tag specifications are typically inflexible to various customer needs. The most significant disadvantage, however, is that the plastic tags are contaminates to the paper making process. If a log which is to be used for making chips for pulping is not stripped of the plastic tags (the metal staples can remain in the logs as they do not affect the pulping process), an entire batch of pulp can be contaminated beyond use since the pulping process is extremely sensitive to plastic contamination.
According to the present invention, the major disadvantages of the plastic tags set forth above are overcome by the utilization of a cellulosic fiber tag. The tags produced according to the invention--while not as hardy as the plastic tags --are capable of surviving the necessary 30-90 day life span. They are inexpensive to produce, and are versatile so that they can be produced according to a customer's particular requirements. Most important, they are transparent to the paper making process--that is they do not provide a contaminant to the pulp, and thus even if the identification tags according to the invention are not removed from the logs prior to pulping, they will not contaminate the pulping process.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an identification tag capable of lasting 30-90 days attached to a log is provided. The tag comprises a sheet of cellulosic fiber (preferably consisting essentially of cellulosic fiber and a small amount of wet strength resin) having perforations dividing the sheet into at least two distinct sections, and first and second faces. The sheet has dimensions smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of a log for producing pulp, to which the tag is ultimately stapled. Ion deposition toner (e.g. consisting essentially of carbon black, iron oxide, and a minor amount of polyethylene) is disposed on the first face of the sheet in the form of machine readable (preferably bar coding) and human recognizable variable identifying indicia, comparable variable indicia provided on each of the distinct sections. A varnish, such as a water soluble acrylic varnish, is applied over the indicia on the first face of the sheet.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for manufacturing and utilizing cellulosic fiber based identification tags for wooden articles. The method comprises the steps (which may be practiced sequentially) of: (a) Printing a web of cellulosic fiber based paper with non-variable information, if any. (b) Forming perforations in the web to define at least two distinct areas, each area separated by a perforation, for each tag to be formed. (c) Variably imaging variable information, preferably bar coding and human recognizable indicia corresponding to the bar coding, on each area of each tag to be formed. (d) Applying a varnish, such as a water soluble acrylic varnish, to the web to cover the printed non-variable, if any, and variable information. (e) Cutting the web into discrete identification tags, each tag having at least two of the distinct areas. (f) Fastening the tag to a cut end of the log with a non-contaminating fastener (e.g. stapling the tag to the log with metal staples, and (g) making the log into paper pulp without removing the tag.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of identifying and using a log in the production of paper pulp. The method comprises the step of fastening to a cut end of the log with a non-contaminating fastener a cellulosic fiber identification tag having on one face thereof variable identifying indicia covered by a varnish. Paper pulp is made from the log without removing the identification tag, or metal staples which is used to fasten the tag to the log. The tag preferably has a plurality of sections separated by perforations, each section having bar coding and/or human recognizable indicia corresponding to the bar coding, providing the variable identifying indicia thereon. The method comprises the further step of, during inventorying or processing of the log, removing one of the sections of the tag by tearing it along a perforation while maintaining another section of the tag fastened to the log.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the inexpensive, non-contaminating identification of logs, particularly though not exclusively logs that are to be used in the production of paper pulp. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.

Method of manufacturing and utilizing cellulosic fiber identification tags for wooden articles


A new and improved system for testing tractor and trailer light systems interconnected by a cable wherein the trailer has a gladhand. The system includes a housing having a front control panel, a pair of battery terminals connected to said housing for connecting it to a battery and a cable connected to the housing having a connector which can be connected to an electrical receptacle of a trailer. Further, a plurality of switches are connected to the battery and the connector for testing various electrical circuits in the trailer. Additionally, a support rod is provided for engaging a convention glad hand thereby supporting the device in a hands free manner when in use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for testing trailer light systems and more particularly pertains to testing the lights of a trailer whereby the device is supported in a hands free manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trailer light tester systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, tractor/trailer light tester systems of known designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of testing tractor/trailer light systems through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,722 to Sarlo discloses a Test Panel For Tractor And trailer Lights. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,032 to LaPensee discloses an Trailer/Tractor Light System. U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,421to Doland, Sr. et al. discloses a trailer Lamp Testing and Lamp Storage Apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,277 to Hammerly discloses an Apparatus And Method For Performing Diagnostic Tests on The Electrical Systems Of Recreational Vehicles And The Like. U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,767 to Slutsky discloses an Trailer Testing System. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,939 to Olsson discloses an Combination Test Box And Battery Charger.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe system for testing trailer light systems as disclosed herein.
In this respect, the system for testing trailer light systems according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of testing the lights of a trailer while the testing device is supportable from the glad hand normally associated with a trailer.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a system for testing trailer light systems which can be used for system for testing trailer light systems for testing the lights of a trailer while the testing device is supportable from the glad hand normally associated with a trailer. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

System for testing tractor and trailer light systems


A printing apparatus includes a transfuse member, an intermediate transfer member and a transfer member that electrostatically transfers a toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the transfuse member. The transfer member includes at least one temperature control device that maintains the transfer member within a predefined range. A controller assembly may be connected to the at least one temperature control device for extending the electrical life of the transfer member by maintaining the transfer member at a substantially constant resistivity.

1. Field of Invention
This application relates to printing machines having a bias transfer roller that transfers a toner image from an intermediate member, such as a belt, to a transfuse member, such as a belt, which then fuses the toner image to a recording medium, such as paper.
2. Description of Related Art
In a buffered belt transfuse system, conventional color toner separations are electrostatically transferred to a relatively thin intermediate belt in a plurality of first transfer nips. The full color image is then electrostatically transferred in a second transfer nip to a hot transfuse member (typically a transfuse belt). The intermediate belt heats up after passage through the second transfer nip. However, prior to the first transfer nip, the temperature of the intermediate belt is cooled and maintained at a stable temperature condition. In this manner, the imaging system is xe2x80x9cbufferedxe2x80x9d from the transfuse heat. The full color image on the transfuse belt is then rheologically transferred to paper in a third transfer nip.
Bias transfer rollers are conventionally used in the second transfer nip due to advantages caused by the addition of mechanical pressure at the second transfer nip. Additionally, the bias transfer rollers aid in reducing the intermediate belt heat thereby enabling shorter dwell time as compared to using corona transfer.
During standby, prior to engagement of the printing process, the bias transfer roller and the intermediate belt are disengaged from the hot transfuse belt in order to prevent reliability and life issues of the intermediate belt and bias transfer roller materials.
Accordingly, at the start of the printing process, the bias transfer roller can take a substantially long time to cycle up to its higher steady state temperature after nip engagement. Initially, the bias transfer roller is engaged in nip forming contact with the hot transfuse belt. This engagement causes the bias transfer roller to heat up. At an extreme start up condition, the bias transfer roller temperature is initially at room temperature and eventually cycles up to a much higher steady state temperature condition. The steady state condition depends on parameters such as the initial intermediate belt temperature, the transfuse belt temperature, the second transfer nip contact dwell time, etc.
With typical 6 mm. thick bias transfer roller rubber layers, the bias transfer roller can take a substantial duration of time to cycle up to the higher steady state temperature after. For example, typically the bias transfer roller will take more than about 20 minutes to cycle up to a steady state value of around 70xc2x0 C. under typical nip dwell conditions where the initial intermediate belt temperature is maintained at about room temperature and the transfuse belt is maintained at about 120xc2x0 C. The bias transfer roller temperature swings can even be larger at higher transfuse belt temperatures or longer bias transfer roller nip dwell times. To the disadvantage of conventional transfuse systems, after nip engagement with the transfuse belt, the bias transfer roller moves through a substantially wide temperature swing thereby requiring a substantially long cycle up period.
Bias transfer roller transfer prefers an optimum range of restivities in order to achieve wide operating transfer latitude. Ideally, the bias transfer roller resistivity is maintained over a very narrow range of optimum values in order to achieve stable, optimum transfer performance. Conventional systems can sometimes accept around a 10xc3x97 variation in resistivity by using constant bias transfer roller current or other power supply control approaches that tend to compensate somewhat for the effects of changing bias transfer roller resistivity. However, usually this requires some transfer latitude help via optimized toner design for transfer and it usually also requires some tradeoff compromise in performance at the extremes of the bias transfer roller resistivity variations. More ideally, the resistivity variation is less than 3xc3x97 in a system for very robust performance. Unfortunately, the resistivity of conventionally available bias transfer roller materials is significantly dependent on the bias transfer roller temperature. For example, the resistivity of many ionic filled bias transfer rollers can change by more than three orders of magnitude when the temperature changes between about 25xc2x0 C. and 120xc2x0 C. The bias transfer roller temperature swings that occur in a transfuse system can thus cause significant bias transfer roller latitude issues for transfuse systems.
Additional bias transfer roller problems caused by exposure to elevated temperatures in the conventional transfuse system exist. For example, some bias transfer roller materials can have increased mechanical degradation problems due to the elevated temperature. Also, long term exposure to the combination of elevated temperature and high transfer electrostatic field cause significant drift in the electrical and mechanical properties of some readily available bias transfer roller materials. For such materials, it is advantageous not to expose the bias transfer roller to elevated temperatures. Since bias transfer roller material development is difficult and generally involves long manufacturing development and qualification cycles in order to meet all of the mechanical, electrical, and life requirements needed for bias transfer rollers, an alternate solution to material processing is desirable.
Furthermore, the electrical properties of various bias transfer roller materials have the tendency to drift with use, even at room temperature. Accordingly, bias transfer roller aging and life issues are evident. For optimum and robust bias transfer roller performance, it is desirable to implement a system that compensates for long term drift in the electrical properties of the bias transfer roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,565 to Jia et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a conventional transfuse system in which plural toner image forming stations form toner images on an intermediate transfer member, and then the composite toner image is transferred to a transfuse member at a second transfer nip. Jia et al. does not disclose controlling, or recognize the need to control, the bias transfer roller temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,476 to Gross, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a bias transfer roller including an internal heating element. The Gross system is not a transfuse system; rather, Gross uses a bias transfer roller to directly transfer a toner image to a sheet of paper. Since the toner image is fused to the paper at a separate location, the bias transfer roller is not subjected to heat from the fuser. In addition, Gross does not disclose controlling the bias transfer roller temperature by using an external temperature control device.
This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. The present invention addresses the long-standing problems discussed above by controlling the temperature of the bias transfer roller in a transfuse system during standby and/or after nip engagement in order to provide and maintain optimum transfuse system bias transfer roller resistivity ranges in a transfuse system.
One aspect of this invention is to control the temperature of the transfuse system bias transfer roller by cooling the bias transfer roller to avoid excessive bias transfer roller heating and to maintain the bias transfer roller within an optimum temperature range.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide temperature control to the transfuse system bias transfer roller by heating the bias transfer roller, e.g., during standby, thereby avoiding long term cycle up changes after nip engagement.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, a control system is provided that compensates for possible long term drift of the bias transfer roller electrical properties by periodically updating the temperature control setting of the bias transfer roller. The control system monitors the bias transfer roller voltage needed for a given bias transfer roller current and chooses an updated bias transfer roller temperature control setpoint.

Printing machine and method using a bias transfer roller including at least one temperature-maintaining device


A printed image, suitable for creating an illusion of depth in the perception of a viewer of the image, comprises a multilayer transparent laminate structure having a back surface and a viewing front surface. A number of the layers in the laminate structure each has a portion of the perceived image printed upon at least one surface of the layer front and back surfaces. That portion of the image perceived to be most distant from the viewer is located upon a printed layer which is furthest from the viewing front surface of the laminate structure, and that portion of the image percieved to be most proximate to the viewer is located upon a printed layer closest to the viewing front surface. The portions of the image perceived to be at varying distances therebetween are located upon intermediate printed layers in a sequence which corresponds to the perceived varying distances of the intermediate image portions. At least a majority of the image portions are dissimilar parts of the perceived image. Generally, the laminate structure contains a plurality of layers each having a portion of the perceived image printed upon the layer front surface, but a layer may have a part of the image on its front surface and another part on its back surface. Depth perception may be further enhanced by the insertion of transparent unprinted panels between printed layers.

The present invention relates to the field of mid to high volume commercial printing, and more particularly to the printing of consumer product images for advertising literature, newspaper or magazine supplemental inserts, magazine covers, greeting cards, photographs, and the like in such a manner that the printed images give the illusion of depth. More particularly, the present invention relates to printed structures including an image which creates the perception of three dimensions. Additionally, the present invention relates to methods and structures for images simulating a hologram.
It is well known by those knowledgeable in the art, that three-dimensional images and holographic images are generally produced by cameras and other photographic and optical equipment which are of considerable size and complexity. Such equipment and the techniques utilized for producing such images entail the outlay of substantial capital and operating expenditures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide images giving the perception of depth or of three dimensions utilizing printing rather than photographic or optical techniques.
It is another object of the present invention to provide printed images which simulate a hologram.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such images in a facile and economical manner.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will become more clear from the disclosure which follows.

Printed image creating the perception of depth


A blowable insulation material comprising batt shredded into blowable clusters. In preferred embodiments, the clusters comprise water-repellant or lubricant-finished fiber and/or dry fiber and/or binder fiber and may be mixed with opened fiber. A process to produce the blowable clusters is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to down-like insulating clusters and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many attempts to achieve an insulating material having down-like qualities for use in insulating articles such as clothing, sleeping bags, comforters, and the like. Prior efforts to develop a feasible material have most often yielded those that are too heavy and dense to be considered down-like and/or difficult to blow through conventional equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,742 to Babbitt et al. describes a blowing insulation that comprises a blend of first and second insulating (glass) fiber materials. One of the groups of fibers is smaller in size for filling the voids between the fibers of the larger group.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,919 to Miller describes a filling material using larger cylindrical or spherical formed fiber bodies along with feathery formed bodies which are mixed together with the latter relied upon to fill the voids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,604 to Aldrich describes an improved thermal insulation material that is a blend of down and synthetic fiber staple formed from hollow polyester filaments which may be treated with silicone and formed into a carded web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,927 to Liebmann describes an insulating material comprising a combination of natural feathers and downs, and synthetic polyesters formed into a web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,336 to Smith describes loose fill insulation that is blown into spaces. The insulation material comprises a mixture of loose fill cellulosic insulation mixed with a staple fiber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,168 to Muncrief describes insulation formed by blending binder fibers with insulative fibers. The insulative fibers are selected from the group consisting of synthetic and natural fibers formed into a batt which may be cut into any desired shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,971 to Hernandez et al. describes a fiber blend useful as a fiberfill in garments. The fiberfill blend comprises crimped hollow polyester fiber and crimped binder fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,371 to Cooper et al. describes a polyester fiber filling material comprising a blend of polyester staple fibers with organic staple fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,580 to Frank describes a material formed by blending a mix of first thermoplastic, thermoset, inorganic, or organic fibers with second thermoplastic fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,635 to Donovan discloses a superior synthetic down and has particular reference to light-weight thermal insulation systems which can be achieved by the use of fine fibers in low density assemblies and describes a range of fiber mixtures, that, when used to fabricate an insulating batt, provides advantageous, down-like qualities such as a high warmth-to-weight ratio, a soft hand, and good compressional recovery. This material approaches, and in some cases might even exceed, the thermal insulating properties of natural down. From a mechanical standpoint, however, extremely fine fibers suffer from deficiencies of rigidity and strength that make them difficult to produce, manipulate and use. Recovery properties of such a synthetic insulator material are enhanced at larger fiber diameters, but an increase in the large fiber component will seriously reduce the thermal insulating properties overall. The problems associated with mechanical stability of fine fiber assemblies are exacerbated in the wet condition since surface tension forces associated with the presence of capillary water are considerably greater than those due to gravitational forces or other normal use loading and they have a much more deleterious effect on the structure. Unlike waterfowl down, the disclosed fiber combination described provides excellent resistance to wetting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,327 to Donovan et al. discloses the use of binder fiber components to improve insulator integrity without compromising desired attributes. More specifically, the invention disclosed therein relates to synthetic fiber thermal insulator material in the form of a cohesive fiber structure, which structure comprises an assemblage of: (a) from 70 to 95 weight percent of synthetic polymeric microfibers having a diameter of from 3 to 12 microns; and (b) from 5 to 30 weight percent of synthetic polymeric macrofibers having a diameter of 12 to 50 microns, characterized in that at least some of the fibers are bonded at their contact points, the bonding being such that the density of the resultant structure is within the range 3 to 16 kg/m3, the thermal insulating properties of the bonded assemblage being equal to or not substantially less than the thermal insulating properties of a comparable unbonded assemblage. The reference also describes a down-like cluster form of the preferred fiber blends. The distinct performance advantages of the cluster form over the batt form are also disclosed in the patent.
However, prior art clusters often are generally hand fabricated in a slow, tedious, batch process. Furthermore, the prior art materials are not easily blowable materials which can be used with conventional manufacturing equipment. Therefore there is a need for a blowable material which may be used as a partial or full replacement for down which may be manufactured and blown using conventional equipment.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to overcome the shortcomings of the materials heretofore mentioned.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a blowable material for use as a partial replacement or a complete replacement for down.
The invention disclosed herein is clusters made from shredded batt. The batt may be a heatset batt which preferably comprises water-repellant-finished or lubricant-finished fiber and/or dry fiber and/or binder fiber. The batt is then mechanically shredded into small clusters which can be blown through conventional equipment. The somewhat random shape of the clusters allows for better packing, resulting in a more uniform filling. In a preferred embodiment, a composite material of both water-repellant-finished and/or lubricant-finished fiber and dry fiber is opened and then blended with the clusters to provide a blowable material which has a lofty nature, good compressional properties, and improved hand when compared to the use of clusters alone.


A cold cathode fluorescent lamp for a backlight of a liquid crystal display device includes a light-transmitting glass tube in which a rare gas and mercury are sealed, and a phosphor film which is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the glass tube. The phosphor film is formed such that a phosphor suspension is formed by mixing phosphors into a suspension produced by strongly stirring a mixed solvent made of butyl acetate and nitrocellulose and by re-stirring the mixture, and the phosphor suspension is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the glass tube by coating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device which uses a cold cathode fluorescent lamp as a light source, and more particularly to the light emission efficiency improving structure of a phosphor film formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp and a manufacturing method of the phosphor film.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image display device which uses a non-light-emitting-type liquid crystal display panel, an electronic latent image formed on the liquid crystal display panel is visualized with the provision of an external illumination means. With respect to the external illumination means, an illumination device is arranged on a back surface or a front surface of the liquid crystal display panel except for the structure which uses a natural light. The display device which requires particularly high brightness adopts, as a mainstream, the structure which mounts an illumination device on the back surface of the liquid crystal display panel. This structure is referred to as "backlight".
The backlight is roughly classified into a side-edge-type backlight and a direct-type backlight. The side-edge-type backlight adopts the structure in which a linear light source represented by a cold cathode fluorescent lamp is arranged along a side edge of a light guide plate formed of a transparent plate. The side-edge-type backlight has been popularly used in a display device for a personal computer which is requested to satisfy a demand for the reduction of thickness thereof or the like. On the other hand, in a large-sized liquid crystal display device such as a display monitor or a display device used for a television receiver set, the direct-type backlight is popularly used. The direct-type backlight adopts the structure in which an illumination device is arranged directly below a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel.
In the general cold cathode fluorescent lamp used in this type of illumination device, a pair of cathodes is respectively arranged at both end portions of a light-transmitting glass tube, a phosphor film is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the glass tube by coating, and mercury and a rare gas are sealed in the inside of the glass tube. By generating an electric discharge in the inside of the glass tube, ultraviolet rays mainly having a wavelength of approximately 254 nm are generated by excitation radiation of mercury thus exciting phosphors with the ultraviolet rays whereby visible light is radiated leading to the acquisition of a luminous flux formed of emitted light.

Liquid crystal display device with cold cathode fluorescent lamp having phosphor film


The invention relates to a device and method for milking animals, in which the milk which is removed is conveyed through a filter element. Any material which is deposited on the filter element is detected and, if appropriate, identified. After detection is complete, the direction of flow through the filter element is reversed, so that the filter material is rinsed clean. The invention also comprises a contamination meter for user in the device and method mentioned above.

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of Claim 1. A device of this nature is known from patent application WO 9828969, filed by the same applicant. The drawback of the known device is that separate flows of liquid have to be generated in order to clean the filter element, making the device complicated.
The object of the invention is to avoid this drawback, and to this end the device is designed according to the characterizing part of Claim 1. As a result of the direction of flow through the filter element being reversed, the flow of liquid, which runs in the same line, cleans the filter element. The result is a simple device.
According to one embodiment, the device is designed according to Claim 2. In this way, the direction of flow is reversed in a simple manner.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed in accordance with Claim 3. As a result of the cleaning of the filter element being mechanized, the device can be connected to a control system and can be carried out automatically.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 4. In this way, it is easy to establish the presence of flakes or contamination on the filter element.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed in accordance with Claim 5. As a result of the detector and, if appropriate, the radiation source being positioned outside the flow of liquid, they will be less exposed to contamination and there will be less disruption.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 6. In this way, the liquid, such as milk, can flow uniformly through the filter element.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 7. In this way, air which is entrained by the liquid and liquid, such as milk, which is flowing in too quickly can easily be diverted past the filter element, thus limiting she formation of foam.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 8. In this way, it is simple to link the results of the detection to the source of the infection in an animal, so that specific measures can be taken and the animal can, for example, be picked out and treated.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 9. This ensures that milk of different levels of quality is stored in different storage tanks.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 10. In this way, the quality of milk which is to be delivered to a storage tank can be established and recorded in a simple and, if appropriate, automatable manner.
According to a further refinement, the device is designed as described in Claim 11. In this way, it is possible to establish the quality of the milk in each quarter of the udder, with the result that the state of health of the milked animals can be established with greater accuracy.
The device also comprises a method according to Claim 12. This method ensures that it is possible, at each milking operation, to establish whether the milk which is removed is free of flakes or contamination. In this way, it is possible to accurately monitor the quality of the milk from each milked animal.
According to a refinement, the invention comprises a method according to Claim 13. This allows the quality of milk supplied by each animal to be accurately monitored and also allows the health of the udders of the milked animals to be monitored.
The invention also comprises a contamination meter for use in the abovementioned device and method.

Device and method for milking animals, and a contamination meter


The present invention provides a method of increasing the sun protection factor (SPF) rating of a fiber or fabric, comprising the steps of providing a UVR absorber, applying the UVR absorber to a fabric, whereby the UVR absorber is attached to the fiber and an application of less than 3% UVR absorber on weight of fiber produces an SPF rating of greater than 20 for the UVR absorber and fabric combination.

Last year over 1,000 Australians died of skin cancer while two thirds of the Australian population will develop some form of skin cancer at some stage in their lives. This year it is anticipated that 150,000 Australians will go to their doctors for the examination and treatment of some form of sun induced skin cancer.
It is interesting to note that, in spite of public education campaigns and the widespread use of "Sun-Block" creams, skin cancer rates have not changed in recent years.
Even though there has been various sun protection aids in the market for many years, the present inventors have found that most consumers do not fully understand what an SPF rating means.
A typical fair skinned person, on a summers day in Australia, at noon (1:00 pm Eastern Summer Time), would "burn" in approximately 15 minutes (i.e. 0.25 hours). If this person applied "sun block" cream (or textile) of SPF 4 (if available), then this person would burn in 4 times 15 minutes, viz 1 hour. It is important to note, however, that this person would have received the same total UVR dose either way.
A common way of avoiding sunburn when performing activities in a sunny environment is to apply a sunburn cream to skin. The problem with such a solution however is that most sunburn creams only provide UVR protection up to an SPF rating of 15+ and therefore prolonged exposure to the sun can still cause damage to a persons skin despite the use of a sunburn cream.
In addition, avoiding exposure of skin to the sun by wearing clothing, for example a T-shirt, does not necessarily provide adequate UVR protection for the wearer, when the wearer is exposed to the sun for prolonged periods. This problem is compounded by the fact that in hot climates it is desirable to have light weight clothing, which typically has a low SPF rating.
For example, for materials having a density of less than 200 grams per square meter, nylon has an SPF rating of between 10 and 15, polyester has an SPF rating of between 13 and 17, wool has an SPF rating of 10-20 and cotton has an SPF rating of between 5 and 15. It follows therefore that a person wearing a shirt made of light weight fabric such as cotton or wool, if exposed to the sun for prolonged periods can still be subjected to significant doses of UVR radiation. Thus, over an extended period of time, a person working in the sun and wearing a cotton T-shirt can still be exposed to a significant cumulative dose of UVR radiation.
Essentially, the SPF protection of a fabric depends on the "Cover Factor" of the fabric. The Cover Factor may be defined as the percentage of the fabric surface that is covered by the yarns of the fabric. If one assumes that the yarns employed to weave or knit the fabric are completely opaque to UVR radiation (which is not the case in reality) then the fabric SPF would be simply related to Cover Factor by the following formula: ##EQU1##

Method of increasing the SPF rating and compounds suitable for increasing the SPF rating of fibre or fabric


The invention relates to a cooling element (11) comprising: a fluid channel (1) providing a pulsating heat pipe, a first evaporator (14) for receiving heat from electric components (15) and for passing the heat into fluid in the fluid channel (1), and a first condenser (18) for receiving fluid from the first evaporator (14) via the fluid channel (1) and for cooling fluid in the fluid channel. In order to obtain an even temperature distribution at the first evaporator (14) an adiabatic zone where the temperature of the fluid in the fluid channel (1) remains unchanged or a cooling zone, with a second condenser (20) cooling fluid in the fluid channel (1), separates the first evaporator (14) from the loops (6) in the second end (12) of the fluid channel.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cooling element, and in particular to a cooling element for multiple electric devices which has a fluid channel arrangement providing a pulsating heat pipe behavior.
Description of Prior Art
Previously there is known a cooling element with a flow channel having a meandering shape comprising a plurality of parallel fluid channel sections which are interconnected with loops. An evaporator receives heat from electric components and passes the heat to the fluid channel. A condenser cools fluid received from the evaporator via the fluid channel.
During operation a temperature gradient prevails between the evaporator and the condenser, causing unstable pressure conditions. Heat passed to the fluid by the evaporator causes bubbles in the fluid channel sections to grow continuously. This pushes the fluid column in the fluid channel sections toward the condenser. Simultaneously, the cooling at the condenser further enhances the pressure difference between the opposite ends of the cooling element. In this way the unstable pressure conditions are formed.
Due to the loops interconnecting the fluid channel sections the motion of fluid slugs and vapor bubbles in one fluid channel section also leads to motion of slugs and bubbles in the next fluid channel section towards the evaporator (high-temperature). The inter-play between the driving force and the restoring force leads to oscillation of the vapor bubbles and fluid slugs.
A problem with the above described cooling element is that practical tests have shown that the temperature distribution at different parts of the evaporator is uneven.


An image forming apparatus is included of a pivotally rotated photosensitive drum, a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on this photosensitive drum, and an intermediate transfer belt for temporarily holding the toner image which has been developed to be formed by the developing roller. This developing roller is equipped with a tracking roller which abuts against the photosensitive drum so as to keep a distance between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum as a constant distance. A direction of weight “a” produced by this tracking roller with respect to the photosensitive drum may be positioned within a so-called “wrap range” corresponding to an abutting range between the intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive drum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatus such as printers, copying machines, and facsimile apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is directed to image forming apparatus equipped with a member for abutting against image carriers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system such as printers, copying machines, and facsimile apparatus, image forming operations are carried out as follows. That is, after latent images are acquired by latent image forming unit in such a manner that light is irradiated onto image carriers such as photosensitive drums which have been uniformly charged, toners are applied to the charged latent images by developing unit so as to produce visible images. Then, for example, a plurality of toner images are transferred to intermediate transfer members in a multiple mode, and thereafter, these multiple toner images are transferred onto recording papers so as to be fixed thereon.
As a developing unit of this image forming apparatus, recently, a rotary type developing apparatus has been provided in which four sets of color developing devices (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black developing devices) are held in the vicinity of a single image carrier along a circumferential direction of a rotary member. In the case that this rotary type developing apparatus is employed, when a desirable developing device is moved to a developing position opposite to the image carrier, an interval between the image carrier and a developing agent carrier such as a developing roller employed in this desirable developing device must be kept constant.
To this end, in a conventional image forming apparatus, while tracking rollers are provided on both coaxial edge portions of a developing roller in each of developing devices and the tracking rollers correspond to such a positioning member capable of holding an interval between a photosensitive drum (image carrier) and an developing roller (developing agent carrier), these tracking rollers are caused to abut (is contacted to) the photosensitive drum so as to perform positioning of the developing device, so that the interval between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller can be made constant as described in JP-A-2001-183902.
In this technique, for example, since a photosensitive drum is pivotally rotated around a shaft as a center, respective image forming processes constructed of a charging process, an exposing process, a developing process, and a transferring (primary transferring) process are carried out. If the respective apparatuses for executing these image forming processes are made in no contact with respect to this photosensitive drum, then the pivotal rotation of this photosensitive drum may be controlled based upon only variable elements of the photosensitive drum. However, even in such a case that, for instance, a developing device for forming a single color image is employed in addition to such a tracking roller as described in the above-explained patent publication, when an abutting function is provided in which a predetermined member abuts against a photosensitive drum due to a predetermined positioning aspect, the following problem may occur. That is, weight produced when these members abut against the photosensitive drum may cause such a problem with respect to this photosensitive drum. This contact (abutting) problem with respect to an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum may similarly occur even in the case that a transfer apparatus such as a transfer belt which abuts against this image carrier is employed.
When these abutting members are strongly depressed with respect to the image carrier such as the photosensitive drum, there are some possibilities that the shaft of the photosensitive drum is bent due to the weight of these abutting members, and thus, this shaft bending phenomenon may cause disturbances of images, for instance, color shifts, or color deviation. This bending phenomenon may give an adverse influence to holding characteristics of the photosensitive drum, and further, this weight may give an adverse influence to such a phenomenon that the shaft of the photosensitive drum is bent in accordance with a time elapse. This problem may be conspicuously emphasized in such a case that a diameter of a drum shaft is made narrower due to a cost-down reason and/or light weight of an image forming apparatus. More specifically, in the case that such a drum holding structure that one shaft is penetrated is not employed, but a photosensitive drum is supported by two shafts (namely, cantilever shafts) which are projected from both ends of this photosensitive drum in a half way, since these cantilevers own deteriorated stabilities, abutting weight given to the photosensitive drum may readily give an adverse influence to a holding characteristic of this photosensitive drum by this shaft. Also, it is easily predictable that variations may be considerably increased due to shifts of a center shaft of this photosensitive drum.
Also, for instance, as in a rotary type developing apparatus, in the case that a member abuts against an image carrier (e.g., photosensitive drum and photosensitive belt) at predetermined timing, when this member is advanced (abuts) and is retracted (separated) to/from this image carrier, shocks and vibrations may occur. These shocks and vibrations are transferred to, for example, a primary transferring unit, a secondary transferring unit, and an exposing unit, so that disturbances of images may readily occur. An image forming apparatus may be constituted in such a manner that while timing of an image forming operation is adjusted, for instance, a tracking roller of a developing apparatus abuts against an image carrier at such a timing that no exposing operation is carried out. However, for example, in the case that a diameter of a photosensitive drum is decreased, or a length of a photosensitive belt is shortened, and thus, respective apparatuses capable of performing respective image forming processes are arranged in the vicinity of these apparatuses, for instance, even when upset exposing timing, transferring timing cannot be displaced. As a result, as to shocks and vibrations caused by abutting operation of members, disturbances of images could not sufficiently suppressed in these conventional image forming apparatuses

Image forming apparatus and holding method of image carrier


A process for manufacturing a micropoint electron source with an extraction grid and a focusing grid. This process allows for precise alignment of the holes of the extraction grid with the apertures of the focusing grid by using a single photolithography step for making the holes in the extraction grid. Such a process may find particular application for making a micropoint electron source for a flat viewing screen.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves a process for manufacturing a micropoint electron source with an auto-aligned focussing grid. Such a micropoint electron source can be used in particular in a device for visualisation by cathodoluminescence excited by field emission.
2. Discussion of the Background
Documents FR-A-2 593 953 and FR-A-2 623 013 disclose devices for visualisation by cathodoluminescence excited by field emission. These devices include a emitting cathode electron source with micropoint.
By way of illustration, FIG. 1 is a cross section view of such a micropoint viewing screen. In the interest of simplification, only a few aligned micropoints are shown. The screen is composed of a cathode 1, which is a plane structure, oriented with respect to another plane structure which forms the anode 2. The cathode 1 and the anode 2 are separated by a space in which a vacuum has been created. The cathode 1 includes a glass substrate 11 on which the conducting level 12 has been applied in contact with the electron emitting points 13. The conducting level 12 is covered with a layer of insulation 14, made of silica for example, which is itself covered by a conducting layer 15. Holes 18 of about 1.3 .cndot.m in diameter were made through the layers 14 and 15 up to the conducting level 12 to apply the points 13 on this conducting level. The conducting layer 15 acts as an extraction grid for the electrons which will be emitted by the points 13. The anode 2 includes a transparent substrate 21 covered by a transparent electrode 22 on which luminescent phosphors or luminophores 23 have been deposited.
The operation of this screen will now be described. The anode 2 is brought to a positive voltage of several hundred volts with respect to the points 13 (typically 200 to 500 V). A positive voltage of several dozens of volts (typically 60 to 100 V) with respect to the points 13 is applied to the extraction grid 15. Electrons are then drawn from the points 13 and are attracted by the anode 2. The trajectories of the electrons are within a half-angle cone at the peak .cndot., depending on various factors such as the shape of the points 13. This angle causes a defocusing of the electron beam 31 which increases as the distance between the anode and the cathode is increased. One way to increase the yield of the phosphors, and thus the luminosity of the screens, is to work with higher anode-cathode voltages (between 1,000 and 10,000 V), which implies separating the anode and the cathode further in order to avoid the formation of an electric arc between these two electrodes.
If good resolution on the anode is desired, the electron beam must be refocused. This refocusing is classically obtained with a grid which can either be placed between the anode and the cathode or placed on the cathode.
FIG. 2 illustrates the case where the focussing grid is placed on the cathode. FIG. 2 repeats the example of FIG. 1, but limited to a single micropoint for greater clarity in the drawing. An insulating layer 16 was applied to the extraction grid 15 and bears a metallic layer 17 which acts as a focussing grid. Holes 19 of an appropriate diameter (typically between 8 and 10 .cndot.m) and concentric to holes 18, were etched in layers 16 and 17. The insulating layer 16 electrically insulates the extraction grid 15 and the focussing grid 17. The focussing grid is polarised with respect to the cathode in order to give the electron beam the shape shown in FIG. 2.
Simulation calculations show that centering of the holes 19 of the focussing grid with respect to the holes 18 of the extraction grid is extremely important. This structure is generally made using the classic photoetching techniques used in microelectronics. For example, with a first level of photoetching, the holes 19 of the focussing grid are defined, then a second level of photoetching is used to make holes 18 in which the points will be placed. To ensure proper functioning, the second level must be positioned in an extremely precise manner with respect to the first level. This can only be done with very high-quality, expensive equipment, a serious drawback if large areas are treated. In addition, if the holes of the extraction grid are made by photolithography from a microsphere network, their arrangement is random, which rules out the use of a phototemplate for making the apertures of the focussing grid.

Method for making an electron source with microtips, with self-aligned focusing grid


An assembly is provided for raising and lowering, and for firmly securing, a type of anchor known as a "Bruce" anchor. The assembly includes the rear channel shaped section for receiving the shank of the anchor when it is stowed, and for mounting the assembly on the front deck of the boat. The assembly also includes a forwardly extending section having two side plates which have a roller mounted between them for raising and lowering the anchor over the front portion of the deck of the boat. The roller may be of high strength plastic such as Delrin, and is fairly large, being in the order of 5 inches in diameter and about 3 or 4 inches in width and deeply grooved to receive and center the chain or rope by which the anchor is raised and lowered, and also for engaging the L-shaped shank of the anchor when it is stowed. The front portion of the assembly also includes two protrusions for engaging the fluke area of the Bruce anchor. In addition, the roller is mounted for movement upwardly and to the rear, as the anchor is pulled up and into the assembly with the main shank of the anchor extending along the channel shaped rear portion of the assembly, so that the anchor is held firmly by the protrusions, and the engagement by both the main portion of the shank and the forward or crown portion of the shank with the roller, as the roller shifts upward and to the rear.

In connection with the background of the present invention, a brief review of the history of anchors is appropriate. First, the earliest forms of anchors involved a simple weight, such as a heavy rock tied with a rope, or the like. Subsequently, anchors were designed with structures for digging into the bottom of a body of water. These included mushroom type anchors and anchors with flukes, or pointed members which would dig into the ground. Further, in order to orient the flukes so that they would dig into the ground and not merely lie flat on the bottom of the body of water, cross pieces, known as "stocks" were attached to the bottom of the anchor crosswise to the flukes. Accordingly, the anchor normally included the flukes, an extended shank to which the ship or vessel's cable was attached and a cross piece or stock to maintain the fluke or flukes in the proper orientation to dig into the bottom of the body of water. Normally, it is desirable to use a length of cable which is equal to 6 or more times the depth of the water where the vessel is being anchored. When the shank of the anchor is pulled substantially horizontally, the flukes will then dig in to the bottom of the body of water and hold the vessel against movement.
One of the problems which arose in the use of these relatively complicated anchor structures was the matter of storing the anchors so that they could be deployed quickly and easily. In view of the complicated structure including the shank, the pointed flukes, and the cross piece or stocks which were employed, the resultant structure was awkward, cumbersome, and difficult to store. One solution which was developed was the so-called "stockless" anchor which included two flukes which were pivoted together, relative to the shank of the anchor so that when the anchor was initially lowered, the entire structure could lie flat on the bottom of the ocean, with the pair of flukes pointing back along the shank of the anchor from the pivot region at the far end or "crown" of the anchor. The pair of flukes was capable of pivoting up to about 30 or 40 degrees in either direction from the shank, and when tension was applied to the shank of the anchor, the flukes would dig in and hold the anchor against movement. On the other hand, when the cable to the vessel was shortened, the flukes would be tilted upward and out of the earth or sand at the bottom of the ocean so that the anchor could be freely raised. Further, the relatively flat structure of the "stockless" anchor permitted easier storage, for example, against the outer surface of the hull of a large ship, when the shank of the anchor was pulled up into the "Hawsepipe" through which the chain was drawn into the vessel by a winch or the like.
Another popular anchor which has a relatively low weight to holding power ratio is the plow type anchor, also known as the C.Q.R. anchor. This includes a single plow-shaped fluke or holding member which is pivoted relative to the shank so that, when the shank is pulled horizontally, the plow digs into the bottom of the body of water.
In the last decade, a new form of anchor, known as the Bruce anchor, has started to enjoy considerable popularity. It has a very low weight to holding power ratio, and also has the advantage over the stockless and the C.Q.R. or plow anchors that it has no hinge or pivot structure which can become fouled or entangled with the anchor cable. The Bruce anchor has an L-shaped shank with the shorter leg of the L at the crown or most remote portion of the anchor. Extending back generally parallel to the longer portion of the shank is a large shovel-shaped fluke, and two smaller curved flukes curve outward and up toward the end of the main shank on either side of the large area central fluke. The broad area at the base of the flukes has a passing correspondence to the palm of a persons' hand, and is therefore occasionally referred to as the palm or the fluke area of the anchor. As noted above, the Bruce anchor is a very efficient anchor for its weight; unfortunately, however, with its rigid and extended structure, it is relatively awkward to store.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for not only raising and lowering anchors of the Bruce type, but also for securing them when the vessel is under way.