A vacuum platen and method for use thereof in a printing device are disclosed. An apparatus embodiment includes a first surface having a plurality of first apertures therethrough, a labyrinth configured to include a plurality of passageways each of which is fluidly coupled to at least one of the first apertures, and a second surface having a plurality of second apertures therethrough each of which is fluidly coupled to the vacuum source and at least one of the passageways thereby establishing an airflow from the first apertures, through the passageways, and out the second apertures. The vacuum platen also includes at least one receptacle in each of the passageways, each receptacle configured to collect debris from the airflow as it travels through the labyrinth. A method embodiment includes distributing a vacuum hold-down force over the printzone, conducting an airflow causing the vacuum hold-down force from the printzone to the vacuum source, and collecting debris from the airflow by changing a direction of travel of the airflow as it is conducted from the printzone to the vacuum source. Further characteristics and features of the apparatus and method are disclosed herein.

The present invention relates to printing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vacuum platen and method for use in printing devices.
Printing devices, such as inkjet printers and laser printers, use printing composition (e.g., ink or toner) to print text, graphics, images, etc. onto a print medium in a printzone of the printing device. Inkjet printers may use print cartridges, also known as xe2x80x9cpensxe2x80x9d, which shoot drops of printing composition, referred to generally herein as xe2x80x9cinkxe2x80x9d, onto a print medium such as paper, transparencies or cloth. Each pen has a printhead that includes a plurality of nozzles. Each nozzle has an orifice through which the drops are fired. To print an image, the printhead is propelled back and forth across the print medium in the printzone by, for example, a carriage while shooting drops of ink in a desired pattern as the printhead moves. The particular ink ejection mechanism within the printhead may take on a variety of different forms known to those skilled in the art, such as thermal printhead technology.
In a current thermal system, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between an orifice plate and a substrate layer. This substrate layer typically contains linear arrays of heating elements, such as resistors, which are energized to heat ink within the vaporization chambers. Upon heating, the ink in the vaporization chamber turns into a gaseous state and forces or ejects an ink drop from an orifice associated with the energized resistor. By selectively energizing the resistors as the printhead moves across the print medium, the ink is expelled in a pattern onto the print medium to form a desired image (e.g. picture, chart and/or text).
Print media are transported through the printzone one or more times by a print media handling system of the printing device. Print media handling systems may take on a variety of different forms including those that utilize a belt or web transport that is disposed around a pair of driven rollers. Such belt or web transports may utilize a vacuum force to secure the print medium during transport through the printzone. Such vacuum force may be established through the use of a vacuum platen with which the belt or web transport is in fluid communication. Vacuum platens typically include a plurality of apertures through which an airflow is established by a vacuum source. This airflow is fluidly coupled to the belt or web transport by a plurality of apertures in the belt or web transport.
The environment in the area of the printzone is often full of printing composition aerosol and spray, as well as print medium dust and other types of debris. Over time, the apertures of a vacuum platen may fill and partially or completely clog with such debris. Such clogging reduces the airflow, thereby decreasing the securing force holding the print medium against the belt or web transport. If the print media is improperly secured to the belt or web transport while passing through the printzone, then both output print quality of the printing device and printing device throughput will likely decrease. In addition, print media with improperly printed output will be wasted.
In some cases, the apertures of a vacuum platen may fill with enough debris so that the airflow is substantially reduced or eliminated, resulting in insufficient or no securing force for holding the print medium to the belt or web transport. In such cases, the printing device effectively becomes inoperable.
Noise is another problem associated with the use of vacuum platens in printing devices. Such noise is caused by the airflow used to secure the print media to the belt or web transport as the airflow travels through the vacuum platen. The amount of this noise varies depending on the particular configuration of the vacuum platen, but it can reach objectionable levels to some users of printing devices. In such cases, depending on the extent of user noise intolerance, printing device use will decrease or, even worse, cease altogether.
Alleviation of these above-described problems would be a welcome improvement, thereby helping minimize delay in the completion of printing tasks, helping maximize printing device throughput, helping prevent instances of waste of print media, and helping quiet annoying noise created during use of the printing device. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to solving these problems.
An embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention for use in a printing device, having a vacuum source, includes a first surface having a plurality of first apertures therethrough and a labyrinth configured to include a plurality of passageways each of which is fluidly coupled to at least one of the first apertures. The vacuum platen also includes a second surface having a plurality of second apertures therethrough each of which is fluidly coupled to the vacuum source and at least one of the passageways thereby establishing an airflow from the first apertures, through the passageways, and out the second apertures. The vacuum platen additionally includes at least one receptacle in each of the passageways, each receptacle configured to collect debris from the airflow as it travels through the labyrinth.
The above-described embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention may be modified and include the following characteristics, as described below. The vacuum platen may further include an orifice restrictor plate fluidly coupled to the airflow. The orifice restrictor plate is configured to impede the airflow thereby helping limit the airflow required from the vacuum source which reduces vacuum source size and power requirements. The orifice restrictor plate is also configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
The vacuum platen may include a filter configured to collect debris from the airflow. In such cases, the filter may be configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
The passageways may be configured to decrease in size from the first surface toward the second surface.
An alternative embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention for use in a printing device having a vacuum source includes a first surface having a plurality of first apertures therethrough and a second surface having a plurality of second apertures therethrough each of which is fluidly coupled to the vacuum source. The vacuum platen also includes a plurality of passageways each of which is fluidly coupled to at least one of the first apertures and at least one of the second apertures thereby establishing an airflow from the first apertures, through the passageways, and out the second apertures. The passageways are configured to include a receptacle for collecting debris from the airflow as it travels through the passageways.
The above-described alternative embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention may be modified and include the following characteristics, as described below. The vacuum platen may further include an orifice restrictor plate fluidly coupled to the airflow. In such cases, the orifice restrictor plate is configured to impede the airflow thereby helping limit the airflow required from the vacuum source which reduces vacuum source size and power requirements. The orifice restrictor plate is also configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
The vacuum platen may further include a filter configured to collect debris from the airflow. In such cases, the filter may be configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
The passageways may be configured to be successively smaller in a direction of the airflow.
Another alternative embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention for use in a printing device having a vacuum source which produces an airflow and a printzone where printing composition is deposited on a print medium includes structure for distributing a vacuum hold-down force over the printzone. The vacuum platen also includes structure for conducting the airflow from the vacuum source to the structure for distributing. The vacuum platen further includes structure for collecting debris from the airflow in the structure for conducting by changing a direction of travel of the airflow as it travels through the structure for conducting.
The above-described alternative embodiment of a vacuum platen in accordance with the present invention may be modified and include the following characteristics, as described below. The vacuum platen may further include structure fluidly coupled to the structure for conducting and the vacuum source for restricting the airflow as it exits the structure for conducting thereby helping limit the airflow required from the vacuum source which reduces vacuum source size and power requirements. The structure for restricting is configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
The vacuum platen may further include structure for filtering debris from the airflow. In such cases, the structure for filtering is configured to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device.
An embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention for use in a vacuum platen of a printing device, the printing device having a vacuum source and a printzone where printing composition is deposited on a print medium includes distributing a vacuum hold-down force over the printzone. The method also includes conducting an airflow causing the vacuum hold-down force from the printzone to the vacuum source and collecting debris from the airflow by changing a direction of travel of the airflow as it is conducted from the printzone to the vacuum source.
The above-described embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention may be modified and include the following characteristics, as described below. The method may further include restricting the airflow before it reaches the vacuum source to impede the airflow thereby helping limit the airflow required from the vacuum source and also to reduce an acoustic energy level of the airflow thereby helping to quiet the vacuum platen during use thereof in the printing device. The method may include filtering debris from the airflow.

Vacuum platen and method for use in printing devices

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Novel substituted indoloquinoxalines of formula (I

Under certain conditions, including in certain disease states, an individual's immune system will identify its own constituents as "non-self", and initiate an immune response against "self" material, at times causing more damage or discomfort as from an invading microbe or foreign material, and producing serious illness in an individual. Autoimmune disease results when an individual's immune system attacks his or her own organs or tissues, producing a clinical condition associated with the destruction of that tissue, as exemplified by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome ("AIDS"), hemolytic anemias, rheumatic fever, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, ischemic injury, Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, anemia, scleroderma, Addison's disease; septic shock, psoriasis, thyroiditis, glomerulonephritis, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), etc. Blocking, neutralizing or inhibiting the immune response, counteracting the consequences of the immune activity or removing its cause in these cases is, therefore, desirable.
It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis results from the presentation of a relevant antigen to an immunogenetically susceptible host. The antigens that could potentially initiate an immune response that results in rheumatoid arthritis might be endogenous or exogenous. Possible endogenous antigens include collagen, mucopolysaccharides and rheumatoid factors. Exogenous antigens include e.g. mycoplasms, mycobacteria, spirochetes and viruses. By-products (e.g. prostaglandins and oxygen radicals) of the immune reaction inflame the synovium and trigger destructive joint changes (e.g. collagenase). Rheumatoid arthritis (involving the destruction of the joint lining tissue) are characterized as being the result of a mostly cell-mediated autoimmune response and appear to be due primarily to the action of T-cells (see Sinha et al., Science 248:1380 (1990)).
There is a wide spectrum of disease severity, but many patients run a course of intermittent relapses and remissions with an overall pattern of slowly progressive joint destruction and deformity. The clinical manifestations may include symmetrical polyarthritis of peripheral joints with pain, tenderness, swelling and loss of function of affected joints, morning stiffness, and loss of cartilage, erosion of bone matter and subluxation of joints after persistent inflammation. Extra-articular manifestations include rheumatoid nodules, rheumatoid vasculitis, pleuro-pulmonary inflammations, scleritis, sicca syndrome, Felty's syndrome (splenomegaly and neutropenia), osteoporosis and weight loss (Katz (1985), Am. J. Med., 79:24 and Krane and Simon (1986), Advances in Rheumatology, Synderman (ed.), 70(2):263-284). The clinical manifestations will result in a high degree of morbidity resulting in disturbed daily life of the patient. Unfortunately, despite considerable investigative efforts there is no cure for RA.
Established treatments of RA are designed to inhibit either final common pathways of inflammation or immunological mediators. Both approaches are non-specific and, therefore, are associated with severe side effects. Corticosteroids have multiple effects on the immune system and other tissues. Their use is complicated by very high incidence of musculoskeletal, metabolic, neurologic and connective tissue side effects, as well as immunosuppression which may lead to life-threatening infections. For this reason, corticosteroids are usually avoided until all other forms of treatment have failed. See generally, R. Million et al., "Long-Term Study of Management of rheumatoid Arthritis", Lancet 1:812 (1984).
Cytotoxic and anti-metabolic drugs, such as methotrexate, azathioprine and cyclophosphamide are non-specifically affecting all rapidly dividing cells and therefore are associated with bone marrow and gastrointestinal toxicity and increased incidence of malignancy. In addition, methotrexate treatment of RA has been reported to induce liver damage and lung disease which may be fatal. See J. A. Engelbrecht et al., "Methotrexate Pneumonitis After Low-Dose Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis", Arthritis and Rheumatism 26:1275 (1983) and G. W. Cannon et al., "Acute Lung Disease Associated With Low-Dose Pulse Methotrexate Therapy In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis", Arthritis and Rheumatism 26:1269 (1983).
Most nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) currently used are designed to non-specifically inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. NSAIDs currently in use modify or diminish—but to not arrest—the inflammatory response. Acetyl salicylic acid remains the most commonly used NSAID. Acetyl salicylic acid toxicity takes many forms, including hypersensitivity reactions, deafness, gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. See generally Simon and Mills, "Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs", N. Eng. J. Med. 302:1179 (1980).
Gold compounds and penicillamine have also been used in the treatment of RA. They are both associated with high incidence of bone marrow, renal and mucocutaneous toxicity. Gold treatment, in particular, is associated with nephropathy, W. Katz et al., "Proteinuria in Gold-Treated Rheumatoid Arthritis", Ann. Int. Med. 101:176 (1984), Penicillamine, while questionably effective, is toxic even at relatively low doses. See W. F. Kean et al., "The Toxicity Pattern Of D-Penicillamine Therapy", Arthritis and Rheumatism 23:158 (1980). These problems have led to almost complete abandonment of these drugs in RA therapy.
Other established therapies are cyclosporin and anti-TNF.alpha-antibodies. However, serious renal toxicity and non-specific immunosuppression limit significantly the utility of cyclosporin. Due to its ubiquitous role in many cellular functions, anti-TNF therapy may not be a safe therapeutic strategy for RA. Development of lupus-like disease has been noticed in some cases. However, clinical efficacy data show promising results with the anti-TNF approach.
Thus, current therapies for RA are associated with high incidence of serious side effects. Furthermore, although some medications may offer symptomatic relief, in many cases, they do not significantly modify the progression of joint destruction. What is needed is an effective therapeutic approach with lower toxicity such that the treatment is better tolerated and more appropriate for the treatment of RA.
The present invention contemplates a new class of anti-RA drug, namely compounds that produce a reduction in the clinical signs and symptoms of the disease.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. It strikes an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide and is the major acquired neurologic disease in young adults. With destruction of the protective myelin sheath, nerve impulses are disrupted leading to a variety of neurological symptoms. Common signs and symptoms of MS include fatigue, psychological and cognitive changes, weakness or paralysis of limbs, numbness, vision problems, speech difficulties, muscle spasticity, difficulty with balance when walking or standing, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction. Approximately half the people with this disease have relapsing-remitting MS in which there are unpredictable attacks where the clinical symptoms become worse (exacerbation) which are separated by periods of remission where the symptoms stabilize or diminish. The other half have chronic progressive MS without periods of remission.
At present there are no cures for MS. Many medications are available to relieve symptoms in progressive MS. For example, corticosteroids are used to reduce inflammation in nerve tissue and shorten the duration of flare-ups; Muscle relaxants such as tizanidine (Zanaflex) and baclofen (Lioresal) are oral treatments for muscle spasticity; Antidepressant medication fluoxetine (Prozac), the antiviral drug amantadine (Symmetrel) or a medication for narcolepsy called modafinil (Provigil) are used to reduce fatigue.
A few other drugs are available for MS that are not directly related to symptom management but may act to alter the course of the disease. These drugs include beta interferons (Betaferon, Avonex, Rebif) and glatiramer acetate (Copaxone). These drugs may have an impact on the frequency and severity of relapses, and the number of lesions as seen on MRI scans. Some of the drugs appear to have an effect of slowing the progression of disability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,319 discloses a method of treating multiple sclerosis using 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[[(2-hydroxyethyl-amino)ethyl]amino]anthraquinone, which is also known by the generic name mitoxantrone (Novantrone).
None of these existing therapies are proven satisfactory because of limited efficacy and/or significant toxicity. In addition, many of these therapies are required to be administered frequently and some are very expensive. Thus, there clearly exists a need for novel and effective methods of treating MS.
The compounds of the present invention may be formulated for oral, parenteral (e.g. intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous), dermal, buccal, intranasal, sublingual or rectal administration or may be formulated for administration by inhalation or insufflation. Furthermore, the compounds according to the present invention may also be formulated for sustained delivery.

Abstract: wherein                R1 is hydrogen or represents one or more similar or different substituents in the positions 7 to 10 selected from the group halogen, lower alkyl/alkoxy, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, trichloromethyl, trifluoromethoxy,        R2 represents similar or different C1-C4 alkyl substituents,        X is CO or CH2,        Y is OH, NH2, NH—(CH2)n—R3 wherein R3 represents lower alkyl, OH, NH2, NHR4 or NR5R6 wherein R4, R5 and R6 independently are lower alkyl or cyclo-alkyl and n is an integer of from 2 to 4,with the provision that when X is CH2, Y is OH or NH—(CH2)n—OH,and pharmacologically acceptable salts thereof are described.

Abstract: The compounds are useful as drugs for preventing and/or treating autoimmune diseases.


A projection type display apparatus includes: a semiconductor laser element that outputs laser light based on supply of current; a digital mirror device (DMD) that modulates the light output from the semiconductor laser element and emits the modulated light; a projection lens that projects the incident light via the DMD; a drive unit that drives the semiconductor laser element and includes a current detection unit for detecting the current value of the current flowing through the semiconductor laser element; and a controller that, when the current value detected by the current detection unit becomes greater than a first threshold, controls driving of the DMD so that the light output from the DMD will not be incident on the projection lens, and when the current value detected becomes greater than a second threshold greater than the first threshold, causes the drive unit to cut off the supply of current.

Some of recent projection type display apparatuses such as projectors that modulate light output from a light source to perform projection, use high-power semiconductor laser elements (LD: Laser Diode) as a light source.
In general, light output from the semiconductor laser element is controlled based on the driving current supplied to the semiconductor laser element. However, once an anomaly such as a malfunction of parts takes place in the driving device for supplying driving current to the semiconductor laser element, an excessive current beyond the rated operation range flows through the semiconductor laser element, hence there is the risk that a high-power density light will be emitted from the semiconductor laser element. Output (projection) of such high-power density light to the outside is not desirable in the above-described, projection type display apparatus using a semiconductor laser element as its light source.
For example, Patent Document 1 (JP2012-084630A) discloses a technology in which a switch provided between a driving device for supplying driving current to an LD and the LD, is controlled to turn on and off based on the current value of the driving current being detected. According to this technology, if the current value of the detected driving current becomes greater than a predetermined threshold, the driving current is determined to be excessive (excessive current), and the switch is turned off to cut off the connection between the driving device and the LD. Since no driving current is supplied to the LD by cutting the connection between the driving device and the LD, it is possible to prevent the LD from emitting high-power density light.

Projection type display apparatus and method of controlling the same


A method for improving the readability of composite images by determining available areas on a document where no text or graphics will be printed in visible ink and printing one or more 2-D bar code with invisible ink at a size pre-determined based on the available areas. The one or more auxiliary 2-D bar codes are printed in luminescent ink, either invisible or lightly colored when viewed under white light.

The invention relates to printing composite images that can contain large amounts of information, optionally including redundant information, in an eye-pleasing format. The composite images provide high information density, with redundancy, in a highly reliable and visually pleasing format. The composite images are achieved with a novel arrangement of largely invisible, machine-readable postage evidencing information, e.g., Information Based Indicia (IBI) images containing 2-D bar code information, and dark, visible images containing human-readable postage information, which typically includes address information. The images can be printed using conventional ink jet printers.
Postage evidencing information, including IBI images, is a significant feature of the Information-Based Indicia Program (IBIP) implemented by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a distributed trusted system. The IBIP includes open IBI postage evidencing systems, which can apply postage in addition to performing other functions not possible with conventional postage machines. The IBIP requires printing high density, two-dimensional (2-D) bar codes, such as PDF417 bar codes, on mailpieces. The requirements for printing a PDF417 2-D bar code are set forth in The Uniform Symbology Specification. The Postal Service expects the IBIP to provide cost-effective assurance of postage payment for each mailpiece processed. IBI images comprise certain human readable information and two-dimensional (2-D) bar code information, which can contain such assurance. However, printed information is often obscured, diminishing its reliability even with error correction technology. There is a need for a high-density image format that includes both human readable and bar code information with high reliability.
The USPS has published specifications for the IBIP such as PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR INFORMATION-BASED INDICIA AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FOR OPEN IBI POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS (PCIBI-O), dated Jan. 12, 1999; PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR INFORMATION-BASED INDICIA AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FOR CLOSED IBI POSTAGE METERING SYSTEMS (PCIBI-C), dated Feb. 23, 2000; and PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR INFORMATION-BASED INDICIA PROGRAM (IBIP) SYSTEMS EMPLOYING CENTRALIZED POSTAL SECURITY DEVICES, dated Aug. 17, 2000; (collectively referred to herein as the "IBIP Specifications"). The IBIP includes interfacing user (customer), postal and vendor infrastructures, which are the system elements of the program. The term "postage evidencing information" is meant to include IBI images meeting the current IBIP Specifications as well as alternative formats. The IBIP Specifications require a minimum bar code read rate of 99.5% and place the responsibility on each IBIP vendor to meet this requirement.
A user infrastructure, which typically resides at the user's site, can comprise a postage security device (PSD) coupled to a host system. The PSD is a secure processor-based accounting device that dispenses and accounts for postal value stored therein. The host system (Host) may be a personal computer (PC) or a meter-based host processor. Alternatively, the PSD can be located on a server remote from the user. Wherever the PSD is located, it would be desirable for IBIP indicium to be printed using an open system comprised of conventional desk-top and other ink jet printers not dedicated to postage, but this capability has not been fully realized without sacrificing readability or the visual appearance of the printed mailpiece.
The IBIP Specifications permit large format IBI images, e.g., 2-D bar codes, but there are several practical limits to the use of images that overlap conventional address information. For example, black and other dark colored inks tend to quench the fluorescence from invisible inks. Thus, if conventional address information overlaps with the IBI image, the IBI image could lose reliability and fall outside of the Specifications. Also, simple smudging of an envelope can have the same effect. The provision of error correction technology can provide a margin of protection but as conventionally employed, due to its mathematical underpinnings, must operate from a limited data set. It would be desirable to provide a technology that supplemented and, preferably, enhanced error correction technology.
The need for high resolution has posed significant technical challenges. Current systems are challenged to provide a suitable combination of convenience, acceptable appearance and high readability at high information densities. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/413,096, filed concurrently herewith, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, there is described a system which enables printing large amounts of information on a mailpiece without causing the mailpiece to become unsightly due to the presence of too much printing in a small space. The system employs luminescent invisible or lightly colored ink for printing at least a portion of the bar code portions of the information. This system has an advantage that attempts to maximize print information in an invisible 2-D bar code will not affect the human readable portion; but, unless provision is made for redundancy for the 2-D bar code information, problems can still occur.
When using invisible, fluorescent ink for printing the 2-D bar code, the bar code will not obscure the human readable printed information, but the human readable printed information can obscure the bar code. Overlap of the 2-D bar code and the printed conventional human readable address information can diminish the readability of the 2-D bar code or other information to the extent that even error correction codes cannot obtain the required read rates. Typically, suitable fluorescent inks irradiate in the red or infrared range when excited by ultraviolet light. But, because black and other dark visible inks tend to quench fluorescence, any overprinting of dark ink on a fluorescent ink can cause obscuration to the point of diminishing or destroying readability.
There remains a need for a method that provides machine-readable IBI images containing both large format 2-D bar code information with high levels of error correction in invisible or light colored luminescent ink, along with conventionally printed address and postage information to provide increased read rates and the provision of high information density without obscuring any one component. It would be desirable in this context to provide especially enhanced readability with a high contrast of the fluorescent image in a format that enabled improved read rates in the presence of obscured information.

Method for improving the readability of composite images


The present disclosure relates to methods for weight management in an individual in need thereof by determining the level of renal sufficiency of the individual and prescribing or administering a therapeutically effective amount of (R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or hydrate thereof to the individual, provided that the individual has a level of renal sufficiency selected from the group consisting of: no renal impairment, mild renal impairment, and moderate renal impairment. In addition, the disclosure relates to a method for selecting an individual for treatment with (R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or hydrate thereof from a plurality of individuals in need of weight management by determining the level of renal sufficiency of the individual and selecting the individual for treatment with (R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or hydrate thereof if the individual has a level of renal sufficiency selected from the group consisting of: no renal impairment, mild renal impairment, and moderate renal impairment.

Obesity is a life-threatening disorder in which there is an increased risk of morbidity and mortality arising from concomitant diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer and gallbladder disease.
Obesity is now a major healthcare issue in the Western World and increasingly in some third world countries. The increase in numbers of obese people is due largely to the increasing preference for high fat content foods but also the decrease in activity in most people's lives. Currently about 30% of the population of the USA is now considered obese.
Whether someone is classified as overweight or obese is generally determined on the basis of their body mass index (BMI) which is calculated by dividing body weight (kg) by height squared (m2). Thus, the units of BMI are kg/m2 and it is possible to calculate the BMI range associated with minimum mortality in each decade of life. Overweight is defined as a BMI in the range 25-30 kg/m2, and obesity as a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2 (see table below).
CLASSIFICATION OF WEIGHT BY BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)BMICLASSIFICATION<18.5Underweight18.5-24.9Normal25.0-29.9Overweight30.0-34.9Obesity (Class I)35.0-39.9Obesity (Class II)>40  Extreme Obesity (Class III)
As the BMI increases there is an increased risk of death from a variety of causes that are independent of other risk factors. The most common diseases associated with obesity are cardiovascular disease (particularly hypertension), diabetes (obesity aggravates the development of diabetes), gall bladder disease (particularly cancer) and diseases of reproduction. The strength of the link between obesity and specific conditions varies. One of the strongest is the link with type 2 diabetes. Excess body fat underlies 64% of cases of diabetes in men and 77% of cases in women (Seidell, Semin Vasc Med 5:3-14 (2005)). Research has shown that even a modest reduction in body weight can correspond to a significant reduction in the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
There are problems however with the BMI definition in that it does not take into account the proportion of body mass that is muscle in relation to fat (adipose tissue). To account for this, obesity can also be defined on the basis of body fat content: greater than 25% in males and greater than 30% in females.
Obesity considerably increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as well. Coronary insufficiency, atheromatous disease, and cardiac insufficiency are at the forefront of the cardiovascular complications induced by obesity. It is estimated that if the entire population had an ideal weight, the risk of coronary insufficiency would decrease by 25% and the risk of cardiac insufficiency and of cerebral vascular accidents would decrease by 35%. The incidence of coronary diseases is doubled in subjects less than 50 years of age who are 30% overweight. The diabetes patient faces a 30% reduced lifespan. After age 45, people with diabetes are about three times more likely than people without diabetes to have significant heart disease and up to five times more likely to have a stroke. These findings emphasize the inter-relations between risks factors for diabetes and coronary heart disease and the potential value of an integrated approach to the prevention of these conditions based on the prevention of obesity (Perry, I. J., et al., BMJ 310, 560-564 (1995)).
Diabetes has also been implicated in the development of kidney disease, eye diseases and nervous system problems. Kidney disease, also called nephropathy, occurs when the kidney's "filter mechanism" is damaged and protein leaks into urine in excessive amounts and eventually the kidney fails. Diabetes is also a leading cause of damage to the retina at the back of the eye and increases risk of cataracts and glaucoma. Finally, diabetes is associated with nerve damage, especially in the legs and feet, which interferes with the ability to sense pain and contributes to serious infections. Taken together, diabetes complications are one of the nation's leading causes of death.
The first line of treatment is to offer diet and life style advice to patients such as reducing the fat content of their diet and increasing their physical activity. However, many patients find this difficult and need additional help from drug therapy to maintain results from these efforts.
Most currently marketed products have been unsuccessful as treatments for obesity because of a lack of efficacy or unacceptable side-effect profiles. The most successful drug so far was the indirectly acting 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) agonist d-fenfluramine (Redux™) but reports of cardiac valve defects in up to one third of patients led to its withdrawal by the FDA in 1998.
In addition, two drugs have been launched in the USA and Europe: Orlistat (Xenical™), a drug that prevents absorption of fat by the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, and Sibutramine (Reductil™), a 5-HT/noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor. However, side effects associated with these products may limit their long-term utility. Treatment with Xenical™ is reported to induce gastrointestinal distress in some patients, while Sibutramine has been associated with raised blood pressure in some patients.
Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission plays an important role in numerous physiological processes both in physical and in psychiatric disorders. 5-HT has been implicated in the regulation of feeding behavior. 5-HT is believed to work by inducing a feeling of satiety, such that a subject with enhanced 5-HT stops eating earlier and fewer calories are consumed. It has been shown that a stimulatory action of 5-HT on the 5-HT2C receptor plays an important role in the control of eating and in the anti-obesity effect of d-fenfluramine. As the 5-HT2C receptor is expressed in high density in the brain (notably in the limbic structures, extrapyramidal pathways, thalamus and hypothalamus i.e. PVN and DMH, and predominantly in the choroid plexus) and is expressed in low density or is absent in peripheral tissues, a selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist can be a more effective and safe anti-obesity agent. Also, 5-HT2C knockout mice are overweight with cognitive impairment and susceptibility to seizure.
It is believed that the 5-HT2C receptor may play a role in obsessive compulsive disorder, some forms of depression, and epilepsy. Accordingly, agonists can have anti-panic properties, and properties useful for the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
In sum, the 5-HT2C receptor is a receptor target for the treatment of obesity and psychiatric disorders, and it can be seen that there is a need for selective 5-HT2C agonists which safely decrease food intake and body weight.
Compounds and formulations presented herein can comprise the selective 5-HT2C-receptor agonist (R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (Compound 1), and are useful for, inter alia, weight management, including weight loss and the maintenance of weight loss. Compound 1 is disclosed in PCT patent publication WO2003/086303, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Various synthetic routes to (R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine, its related salts, enantiomers, crystalline forms, and intermediates, have been reported in WO 2005/019179, WO 2006/069363, WO 2007/120517, WO 2008/070111, and WO 2009/111004 each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Combinations of (R)-8-Chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine with other agents, including without limitation, phentermine, and uses of such combinations in therapy are described in WO 2006/071740, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
(R)-8-Chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride (lorcaserin hydrochloride) is an agonist of the 5-HT2C receptor and shows effectiveness at reducing obesity in animal models and humans. In December 2009, Arena Pharmaceuticals submitted a New Drug Application, or NDA, for lorcaserin to the FDA. The NDA submission is based on an extensive data package from lorcaserin's clinical development program that includes 18 clinical trials totaling 8,576 patients. The pivotal phase 3 clinical trial program evaluated nearly 7,200 patients treated for up to two years, and showed that lorcaserin consistently produced significant weight loss with excellent tolerability. About two-thirds of patients achieved at least 5% weight loss and over one-third achieved at least 10% weight loss. On average, patients lost 17 to 18 pounds or about 8% of their weight. Secondary endpoints, including body composition, lipids, cardiovascular risk factors and glycemic parameters improved compared to placebo. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure went down. Lorcaserin did not increase the risk of cardiac valvulopathy. Lorcaserin improved quality of life, and there was no signal for depression or suicidal ideation. The only adverse event that exceeded the placebo rate by 5% was generally mild or moderate, transient headache. Based on a normal BMI of 25, patients in the first phase 3 trial lost about one-third of their excess body weight. The average weight loss was 35 pounds or 16% of body weight for the top quartile of patients in the second phase 3 trial.
Applicants have disclosed herein the interaction of renal sufficiency with the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and safety of lorcaserin in a formal pharmacokinetic study in subjects with renal impairment and in the populations studied in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies.
Renal sufficiency can be measured by several methods. For example, measuring creatinine clearance in an individual using serum creatinine level and a timed urine collection gives an estimate of glomerular filtration rate, which is the unit measure of kidney function. An individual can be classified as having normal renal function if the creatinine clearance rate is greater than 80 mL/min. Mild renal impairment is defined as a creatinine clearance rate of 51-80 mL/min, moderate renal impairment is 31-50 mL/min, and severe renal impairment is less than or equal to 30 mL/min. A further level of renal impairment is an individual who requires hemodialysis (end stage renal disease).
There exists a need for safely treating individuals who are in need of treatment with lorcaserin, including individuals with renal impairment. The present disclosure satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.

Administration of an anti-obesity compound to individuals with renal impairment


An apparatus fabricating a resonator including a horn member and a plurality of piezoelectric members which are secured together by an adhesive layer, including a support element for holding said horn securely in place; and a plurality of clamping bars for applying a discrete force to each one of said plurality of piezoelectric members, each one of said plurality of clamping bars is in contact and associated with an individual piezoelectric member from said plurality of piezoelectric elements thereby maintaining a substantially uniform adhesive layer thickness between said horn and each of one said plurality of piezoelectric members. A pneumatic force application system connected to each one of said plurality of clamping bars for supplying said discrete uniform force to each one of said plurality of clamping bars, said pneumatic force application system includes a plurality of air cylinders, each of said plurality of air cylinders having a force applicator connected to each one of said plurality of clamping bars, a common air tank connected in parallel with each of said plurality of air cylinders to provide a common air pressure to each of said plurality of air cylinders.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for assembling an ultrasonic transducer for use in electrophotographic applications.
In electrophotographic applications such as xerography, a charge retentive surface is electrostatically charged and exposed to a light pattern of an original image to be reproduced to selectively discharge the surface in accordance therewith. The resulting pattern of charged and discharged areas on that surface form an electrostatic charge pattern (an electrostatic latent image) conforming to the original image. The latent image is developed by contacting it with a finely divided electrostatically attractable powder or powder suspension referred to as xe2x80x9ctonerxe2x80x9d. Toner is held on the image areas by the electrostatic charge on the surface. Thus, a toner image is produced in conformity with a light image of the original being reproduced. The toner image may then be transferred to a substrate (e.g., paper), and the image affixed thereto to form a permanent record of the image to be reproduced.
Subsequent to development, excess toner left on the charge retentive surface is cleaned from the surface. The process is well known and useful for light lens copying from an original and printing applications from electronically generated or stored originals, where a charged surface may be imagewise discharged in a variety of ways. Ion projection devices where a charge is imagewise deposited on a charge retentive substrate operate similarly. In a slightly different arrangement, toner may be transferred to an intermediate surface, prior to retransfer to a final substrate. Transfer of toner from the charge retentive surface to the final substrate is commonly accomplished electrostatically. A developed toner image is held on the charge retentive surface with electrostatic and mechanical forces. A substrate (such as a copy sheet) is brought into intimate contact with the surface, sandwiching the toner thereinbetween.
An electrostatic transfer charging device, such as a corotron, applies a charge to the backside of the sheet, to attract the toner image to the sheet. Unfortunately, the interface between the sheet and the charge retentive surface is not always optimal.
Particularly with non-flat sheets, such as sheets that have already passed through a fixing operation such as heat and/or pressure fusing, or perforated sheets, or sheets that are brought into imperfect contact with the charge retentive surface, the contact between the sheet and the charge retentive surface may be non-uniform, characterized by gaps where contact has failed. There is a tendency for toner not to transfer across these gaps. A copy quality defect results.
That acoustic agitation or vibration of a surface can enhance toner release therefrom is known. Resonators coupled to the charge retentive surface of an electrophotographic device at various stations therein, for the purpose of enhancing the electrostatic function, are known, as in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,577 to Nowak; U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,999 to Lindblad et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,054, to Stokes et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,369 to Nowak et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,291 to Nowak et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,055 to Pietrowski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,500 to Snelling; U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,005 to Nowak, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,341 to Nowak, et al.
In the ultrasonic welding horn art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,992 to Holze, Jr., where blade-type welding horns are used for applying high frequency energy to surfaces, it is known that the provision of slots through the horn perpendicular to the direction in which the welding horn extends, reduces undesirable mechanical coupling of effects across the contacting horn surface. Accordingly, in such art, the contacting portion of the horn is maintained as a continuous surface, the horn portion is segmented into a plurality of segments, and the horn platform, support and piezoelectric driver elements are maintained as continuous members. For uniformity purposes, it is desirable to segment the horn so that each segment acts individually.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,572 to Bokowski, teaches the use of adhesive in adhering a horn to a piezoelectric element. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/620,520, xe2x80x9cEnergy Transmitting Horn Bonded to an Ultrasonic Transducer for Improved Uniformity at the Horn Tipxe2x80x9d, by R. Stokes et al. teaches the use of an epoxy mesh which serves to bond ceramic piezoelectric elements to the surface of the horn as well as provide electrical contact for the A.C. drive voltage to excite the elements. The epoxy mesh behaves as a low pass mechanical filter, attenuating the transfer of energy from the active element to the waveguide. Variations in dimensions of the epoxy mesh, surface finish, and localized pressure during assembly process influence the coupling between the piezoelectric element and the waveguide resulting in nonuniform vibration amplitude across the process width.
An object of the present invention is to produce a simple, relatively inexpensive yet accurate approach to assemble ceramic piezoelectric elements adhesively to a horn, which improves the transducer uniformity of vibration; this has been a goal in the design, and manufacture of such devices.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an apparatus fabricating a resonator including a horn member and a plurality of piezoelectric members which are secured together by an adhesive layer, including a support element for holding said horn securely in place; and a plurality of clamping bars for applying a discrete force to each one of said plurality of piezoelectric members, each one of said plurality of clamping bars is in contact and associated with an individual piezoelectric member from said plurality of piezoelectric elements thereby maintaining a substantially uniform adhesive layer thickness between said horn and each of one said plurality of piezoelectric members. In one embodiment a pneumatic force application system connected to each one of said plurality of clamping bars for supplying said discrete uniform force to each one of said plurality of clamping bars, said pneumatic force application system includes a plurality of air cylinders, each of said plurality of air cylinders having a force applicator connected to each one of said plurality of clamping bars, a common air tank connected in parallel with each of said plurality of air cylinders to provide a common air pressure to each of said plurality of air cylinders. In other embodiments the force application system may be entirely mechanical, such as a series of precalibrated springs, likewise, discretely providing the uniform force.

Method and apparatus for assembling an ultrasonic transducer


An inner shroud assembly for a turbine comprising a plurality of part-annular segments combining to form an inner, annular shroud adapted to surround rotating components of a turbine, each segment having a pair of end faces that are juxtaposed similar end faces on adjacent segments with gaps therebetween; at least one convection cooling hole in the segment, opening along at least one of the pair of end faces. The cooling hole opens specifically into a diffuser recess formed in one of the pair of end faces for diffusing the flow of cooling air into the gap.

The present invention relates to impingement cooling for a shroud assembly surrounding the rotating components in the hot gas path of a gas turbine, and particularly relates to supplying purge air to the gaps between the inner shroud segments to cool the segments and to prevent hot gas ingestion into the gaps.
Shrouds employed in a gas turbine surround and in part define the hot gas path through the turbine. Shrouds are typically characterized by a plurality of circumferentially extending shroud segments arranged about the hot gas path, with each segment including discrete inner and outer shroud bodies. Conventionally, there are two or three inner shroud bodies for each outer shroud body, with the outer shroud bodies being secured by dovetail-type connections to the stationary inner shell of the turbine and the inner shroud bodies being secured by similar dovetail connections to the outer shroud bodies. The inner shroud segments directly surround the rotating parts of the turbine, i.e., the rotor wheels carrying rows of buckets or blades. Because the inner shroud segments are exposed to hot combustion gases in the hot gas path, systems for cooling the inner shroud segments are oftentimes necessary to reduce the temperature of the segments. This is especially true for inner shroud segments in the first and second stages of a turbine that are exposed to very high temperatures of the combustion gases due to their close proximity to the turbine combustors. Heat transfer coefficients are also very high due to rotation of the turbine buckets or blades. To cool the shrouds, typically relatively cold air from the turbine compressor is supplied via convection cooling holes that extend through the segments and into the gaps between the segments to cool the sides of the segments and to prevent hot path gas ingestion into the gaps. The area that is purged and cooled by the flow from a single cooling hole is small, however, because the velocity of the cooling air exiting the cooling hole is high, and the cooling air diffuses like a jet and flows into the hot gas flow path.
Previous design methods thus required multiple cooling holes in close proximity to each other, using increased amounts of cooling air from the compressor (and additional machining) which, in turn, reduces the efficiency of the turbine.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a cooling circuit for purging cooling air into the gaps between inner shroud segments includes convection holes that incorporate diffusers at their respective outlet ends. Each diffuser may include an elongated, substantially rectangularly-shaped outlet recess or cavity with a cross-section that tapers away from (i.e., increases outwardly from) the respective convection hole, terminating at the face of the segment. More specifically, the convection hole extends at an angle of about 45xc2x0 relative to the segment face, opening into the diffuser recess near a rearward or upstream end of the recess, relative to the direction of purge or cooling flow. The diffuser recess includes a long tapered portion extending in the flow direction (or forward of the convection hole) and a short tapered portion extending in a direction opposite the flow direction. The end result is that the cooling or purge air begins to diffuse before it reaches the face of the segment, enhancing the cooling of the segment edges. While the cooling or purge air does lose some velocity in the diffuser, sufficient pressure is maintained to prevent hot gas path gases from entering the gaps between the inner shroud segments.
Accordingly, in its broader aspects, the invention relates to an inner shroud assembly for a turbine comprising a plurality of part-annular segments combining to form an inner, annular shroud adapted to surround rotating components of a turbine, each segment having a pair of end faces that are juxtaposed similar end faces on adjacent segments with gaps therebetween; at least one convection cooling hole in the part segment, opening along at least one of the pair of end faces; said at least one cooling hole opening into a diffuser recess formed in one of the pair of end faces for diffusing the flow of cooling air into the gap.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a segment for a turbine shroud assembly comprising a segment body having a sealing face and opposite end faces; and at least one convection cooling hole extending through the segment body and opening into a diffuser recess formed in a respective end face of the segment body.
In still another aspect, the invention relates to a method of purging cooling air into gaps between adjacent part annular segments in a turbine shroud assembly comprising a) supplying cooling air through one or more cooling holes formed in each segment, each cooling hole opening along an end face of the segment; and b) diffusing the cooling air before it reaches the end face of each segment.

Turbine shroud cooling hole diffusers and related method


Techniques, devices and applications of polarization stable lasers to provide laser operations against changes, variations or fluctuations in optical polarization in a laser cavity.

This document relates to techniques, apparatus and systems for producing laser beams, including tunable and wavelength-swept lasers.
A laser includes an optical cavity or resonator and a laser gain medium in the optical cavity. A laser can be designed to include a frequency tuning element to sweep the laser frequency or wavelength during the laser operation. A wavelength-swept laser beam from such a laser can be used in various applications. As an example, fast wavelength-swept lasers are used in optical coherent tomography (OCT) applications and sensor interrogation applications.


Sleep may be induced by administration of fatty acid primary amides, including cis-9,10-octadecenoamide. Furthermore, sleep deprivation may be assayed by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid with respect to the presence of fatty acid primary amides, including cis-9,10-octadecenoamide. The presence of cis-9,10-octadecenoamide in cerebrospinal fluid is correlated with comparative sleep deprivation.

Sleep is a natural, periodic behavioral state during which the body rests itself and its physiological powers are restored. It is characterized by a loss of reactivity to the environment. During sleep, certain physiological processes of both the body and the brain function differently than they do during alert wakefulness. Normal sleep consists of at least two quite different behavioral states: synchronized sleep, during which the electroencephalogram consists of slow waves of high amplitude, and desynchronized sleep (DS) or activated sleep characterized by rapid eye movements (REM sleep), in which the electroencephalogram pattern is characterized by waves of high frequency and low amplitude. Synchronized sleep is further characterized by slow and regular respiration, by relatively constant heart rate and blood pressure, and by a predominance of delta waves. Synchronized sleep usually consists of four stages, followed by a period of activated sleep. Each cycle lasts between 80 and 120 minutes. In contrast, desynchronized sleep is further characterized by irregular heart rate and respiration, periods of involuntary muscular jerks and movements, and a higher threshold for arousal. Periods of desynchronized sleep last from 5-20 minutes and occur at about 90 minute intervals during a normal night's sleep.
Sleep deprivation can arise from any of a variety of sleep disorders and environmental factors. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which the individual is unable to initiate or maintain sleep. In the prior art, there is no known pharmacological method for inducing the full sleep cycle and no known method using biological samples for assaying sleep deprivation.
Diagnosis and treatment of a sleep disorder can be assisted by a verification and/or quantification of a patient's level of sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to objectively quantify or verify the level of sleep deprivation reported by a patient. What is needed is a biochemical product generated by the patient that can be correlated with sleep deprivation.
Cerebrospinal fluid (liquor cerebrosinalis) is a clear, colorless fluid that circulates within the four ventricles of the brain and the subarachnoid spaces surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid originates as an ultrafiltrate of the blood secreted by the choroid plexus in the lateral third and fourth ventricles. Cerebrospinal fluid is also sometimes called neurolymph. After passing through the four ventricles and the subarachnoid spaces, cerebrospinal fluid is largely resorbed into the venous system via the arachnoid villi. Cerebrospinal fluid serves as a medium for the removal of catabolites, excretions, and waste materials from the tissues bathed by it. To date, no factor derived from cerebrospinal fluid has been reported to correlate with sleep deprivation. What is needed is a method for analyzing cerebrospinal fluid for identifying a biochemical factor generated by subject that correlates with sleep deprivation.
Since the seminal discovery of prostaglandins, there has been increasing recognition of the role of fatty acids and their derivatives in important physiological processes, e.g., B. Samuelsson, Les Prix Nobel 1982, pp. 153-174.
Fatty acid primary amides have not been associated in the prior art with sleep induction or for assaying sleep deprivation. Fatty acid primary amides have been identified as an angiogenic principle from bovine mesentery. (K. Wakamatsu, T. Masaki, F. Itoh, K. Kondo, K. Sudo, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (1990): vol. 168 (2), pages 423-429. Fatty acid primary amides have also been identified in human plasma without any attribution of function. (E. Arafat, J. W. Trimble, R. N. Andersen, C. Dass, D. M. Desiderio, Life Sciences (1989): vol. 45(18) pages 1679-1687).


A method of producing a built-up heat exchanger including the steps of cutting a thermal conductive material to provide a seat in sheet form, forming at least two spaced notches on a top surface of the seat, cutting a thermal conductive material to provide radiators in sheet form, punching the radiators so that a plurality of upward extended fins and at least two downward projected and spaced ridges are formed, applying glue over bottom surfaces of the ridges of the radiators, and superposing the radiators on the top surface of the seat with the bottom-glued ridges fitted in the notches on the seat. The number of fins formed on each radiator and the number of radiators superposed on the seat may be decided depending on the actual need in different applications of the built-up heat exchanger.

The present invention relates to a method of producing a built-up heat exchanger and product thereof, and more particularly to a built-up heat exchanger in which a total heat radiating surface area may be easily adjusted according to actual need in different applications.
Following the rapid development in the information industry, various kinds of electronic elements, such as chips, microprocessors, etc., all have high operating temperatures. It is therefore necessary to provide such elements with heat radiating means in the form of heat exchanging devices.
A conventional heat exchanging device includes a radiator integrally formed from a whole piece of extruded aluminum. Such one-piece extruded aluminum radiators require large amounts of aluminum material and have a high manufacturing cost. To eliminate disadvantages existing in the conventional one-piece radiator, less expensive built-up radiators have been developed. Taiwanese New Utility Model Patent Publication No. 223957 discloses a seat 2 for fixedly receiving a plurality of radiating fins 1 thereon, as shown in FIG. 1. The radiating fins 1 are each in the form of a plate having a lower end inserted in one of a plurality of parallel grooves formed on the seat 2. The parallel grooves include deep and shallow grooves 21 and 22, respectively, alternately arranged on the seat 2. The radiating fins 1 are inserted in the deep grooves 21.
A radiator built up from the above-described radiating fins 1 and seat 2 has the following drawbacks:
1. There are fixed numbers of deep grooves 21 on the seat 2 for receiving only fixed numbers of radiating fins 1. Therefore, the radiator so formed has limited radiating efficiency due to limited heat radiating surface area provided by the fixed numbers of radiating fins 1. The radiator can not be adapted to applications that require a higher radiating efficiency. PA1 2. Although the radiating fins 1 can be designed to have different heights to increase total radiating surface area thereof, the radiating fins 1 tend to move in or even separate from the deep grooves 21 if they are too high. Moreover, the heightened radiating fins 1 require a considerably large mounting space. PA1 3. The deep grooves 21 do not provide sufficient strength for associating the radiating fins 1 with the seat 2, particularly when the radiator formed from the radiating fins 1 and the seat 2 has an increased volume.
The present invention therefore develops a built-up heat exchanger that eliminates the drawbacks existing in the conventional one-piece radiator and the built-up radiator disclosed in Taiwanese New Utility Model Patent Publication No. 223957.

Method of producing a built-up heat exchanger and product thereof

2nd F., No. 10, Lane 147, Yan-Ping N. Rd., Sec. 5


A circuit arrangement and method support a multithreaded rendering architecture capable of dynamically routing pixel fragments from a pixel fragment generator to any pixel shader from among a pool of pixel shaders. The pixel fragment generator is therefore not tied to a specific pixel shader, but is instead able to utilize multiple pixel shaders in a pool of pixel shaders to minimize bottlenecks and improve overall hardware utilization and performance during image processing.

The process of rendering two-dimensional images from three-dimensional scenes is commonly referred to as image processing. As the modern computer industry evolves image processing evolves as well. One particular goal in the evolution of image processing is to make two-dimensional simulations or renditions of three-dimensional scenes as realistic as possible. One limitation of rendering realistic images is that modern monitors display images through the use of pixels.
A pixel is the smallest area of space which can be illuminated on a monitor. Most modern computer monitors will use a combination of hundreds of thousands or millions of pixels to compose the entire display or rendered scene. The individual pixels are arranged in a grid pattern and collectively cover the entire viewing area of the monitor. Each individual pixel may be illuminated to render a final picture for viewing.
One technique for rendering a real world three-dimensional scene onto a two-dimensional monitor using pixels is called rasterization. Rasterization is the process of taking a two-dimensional image represented in vector format (mathematical representations of geometric objects within a scene) and converting the image into individual pixels for display on the monitor. Rasterization is effective at rendering graphics quickly and using relatively low amounts of computational power; however, rasterization suffers from several drawbacks. For example, rasterization often suffers from a lack of realism because it is not based on the physical properties of light, rather rasterization is based on the shape of three-dimensional geometric objects in a scene projected onto a two dimensional plane. Furthermore, the computational power required to render a scene with rasterization scales directly with an increase in the complexity of the scene to be rendered. As image processing becomes more realistic, rendered scenes also become more complex. Therefore, rasterization suffers as image processing evolves, because rasterization scales directly with complexity.
Several alternative techniques rendering a real world three-dimensional scene onto a two-dimensional monitor using pixels have been developed based upon more realistic physical modeling. One such physical rendering technique is called ray tracing. The ray tracing technique traces the propagation of imaginary rays, rays which behave similar to rays of light, into a three-dimensional scene which is to be rendered onto a computer screen. The rays originate from the eye(s) of a viewer sitting behind the computer screen and traverse through pixels, which make up the computer screen, towards the three-dimensional scene. Each traced ray proceeds into the scene and may intersect with objects within the scene. If a ray intersects an object within the scene, properties of the object and several other contributing factors are used to calculate the amount of color and light, or lack thereof, the ray is exposed to. These calculations are then used to determine the final color of the pixel through which the traced ray passed.
The process of tracing rays is carried out many times for a single scene. For example, a single ray may be traced for each pixel in the display. Once a sufficient number of rays have been traced to determine the color of all of the pixels which make up the two-dimensional display of the computer screen, the two dimensional synthesis of the three-dimensional scene can be displayed on the computer screen to the viewer.
Ray tracing typically renders real world three-dimensional scenes with more realism than rasterization. This is partially due to the fact that ray tracing simulates how light travels and behaves in a real world environment, rather than simply projecting a three-dimensional shape onto a two dimensional plane as is done with rasterization. Therefore, graphics rendered using ray tracing more accurately depict on a monitor what our eyes are accustomed to seeing in the real world.
Furthermore, ray tracing also handles increases in scene complexity better than rasterization as scenes become more complex. Ray tracing scales logarithmically with scene complexity. This is due to the fact that the same number of rays may be cast into a scene, even if the scene becomes more complex. Therefore, ray tracing does not suffer in terms of computational power requirements as scenes become more complex as rasterization does.
One major drawback of ray tracing, however, is the large number of calculations, and thus processing power, required to render scenes. This leads to problems when fast rendering is needed. For example, when an image processing system is to render graphics for animation purposes such as in a game console. Due to the increased computational requirements for ray tracing it is difficult to render animation quickly enough to seem realistic (realistic animation is approximately twenty to twenty-four frames per second).
With continued improvements in semiconductor technology in terms of clock speed and increased use of parallelism; however, rasterization becomes viable for more complex images, and real time rendering of scenes using physical rendering techniques such as ray tracing becomes a more practical alternative to rasterization. At the chip level, multiple processor cores are often disposed on the same chip, functioning in much the same manner as separate processor chips, or to some extent, as completely separate computers. In addition, even within cores, parallelism is employed through the use of multiple execution units that are specialized to handle certain types of operations. Hardware-based pipelining is also employed in many instances so that certain operations that may take multiple clock cycles to perform are broken up into stages, enabling other operations to be started prior to completion of earlier operations. Multithreading is also employed to enable multiple instruction streams to be processed in parallel, enabling more overall work to performed in any given clock cycle.
Irrespective of whether raster-based or physical rendering is performed to render image data for a scene, most rendering architectures incorporate some form of pixel fragment generator that feeds one or more pixel shaders to perform pixel shading on individual pixels in a rendered image. Pixel fragment generation refers to the partitioning of geometric primitives placed in a scene into "pixel fragments," which can represent a single pixel, a group of pixels, or even a fragment of a single pixel from primitive (e.g., where information from multiple fragments are used to generate a color for a single pixel). Pixel fragments are typically generated in a raster-based rendering pipeline using a rasterizer that rasterizes each primitive into its component fragments and outputs all of the fragments for a given primitive to one or more pixel shaders. For physical rendering techniques such as ray tracing, pixel fragment generation may be based upon collisions detected between rays and primitives placed in a scene, resulting in the output of pixel fragments to one or more pixel shaders anytime a traced ray intersects a primitive.
Pixel shading is used to apply a color to each pixel in a rendered image. Pixel shading also often incorporates texture processing, e.g., texture filtering, whereby the color applied to each pixel is based upon textures that have been mapped to one or more primitives that are displayed at a particular pixel location. Due to filtering and other operations that may be performed to paint each pixel with an accurate color, pixel shading can be a highly processor intensive operation.
Conventional rendering architectures typically rely on fixed (and fixed function) hardware-based pipelines to handle the various steps in the rendering process, and often incorporate dedicated and specialized hardware logic in various stages of the pipeline to optimize the performance of different operations required in the rendering process. In a raster-based rendering architecture, for example, a rasterizer stage of a pipeline sorts pixel fragments generated during rasterization based on screen coordinates to pixel shader pipeline elements that perform pixel operations in those screen pixel ranges. Thus, for example, four pixel shader pipeline elements might be architected into a pipeline to respectively handle the four quadrants of a rendered image.
It has been found, however, that a fixed sort of this nature based on screen coordinates, as well as the fixed number of rasterizers that may be architected into a pipeline, can become a "pinch point", or higher level pipeline bottleneck, if the amount of processing resources architected into the pipeline to handle the rasterization and pixel shading operations are insufficient to handle the desired workload. The decision of the number of rasterizers and pixel shaders, and the type of sort used to route pixel fragments to the pixel shaders, is determined at the front of the design cycle for a particular pipeline in order to target a particular performance target (usually measured in some number of triangles per second with certain visual features enabled—i.e. lit, shader, and multitextured triangles per second). As designed for a particular performance target, therefore, a conventional fixed pipeline may not operate efficiently when utilized to handle workloads that do not match the desired performance target.
Pixel shaders in conventional rendering pipelines may also rely on separate, dedicated texture units to perform texture processing. These texture units can have a relatively high latency and can stall their respective pixel shaders waiting for the texture units to complete. As a result, a pixel shader can be underutilized in some situations, and sit idle waiting on texture processing.
Conventional rendering pipelines are therefore characterized by architectures that are fixed at design time and immutable thereafter. Whether or not a particular architecture operates efficiently for a given workload can therefore vary greatly on the particular characteristics of the workload, thus limiting the flexibility and applicability of many conventional architectures for different image processing applications. A need therefore exists in the art for a more flexible image processing architecture suitable for handling a wider variety of workloads during runtime, particularly with respect to performing pixel shading operations in a rendering pipeline.

Image processing with highly threaded texture fragment generation

International Business Machines Corporation


Stable, compatible, resin fortified aqueous vinyl polymer emulsions that are rich in wax are prepared in a method comprising a first polymerization of a mixture containing wax and monomers that include carboxylated monomers such as acrylic acid. The first polymerization or terpolymerization is carried out under conditions sufficient to produce a relatively low molecular weight resin. A portion of the wax rich resin from the first polymerization is neutralized and used as a cosurfactant in a second aqueous emulsion polymerization of vinyl monomers to produce a fortified vinyl latex that is rich in wax. Coatings prepared from the latex exhibit superior moisture barrier properties and are also useful as surface preservatives.

The free radical initiated polymerization of vinyl monomers in aqueous emulsions is a process well known in the polymer field and described in such classic references as "Emulsion Polymerization" by F. A. Bovey, et al., Interscience Publishers, N.Y., 1955 and in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology. The vinyl latices are prepared by suspending one or more monomers in water in contact with a surfactant and a free radical initiator such as ammonium persulfate. Surfactants commonly employed include ethoxylated polypropylene glycol, ethoxylated nonyl phenol, etc. Mixtures of various surfactants can be employed including the ammonium or alkali salts of low molecular weight polymers containing carboxy groups. The use of such low molecular weight carboxylated polymers as cosurfactant typically leads to the characterization of the resultant polymer vinyl latex as a fortified or resin-fortified latex.
Artisans engaged in the development of inks and surface coatings derived from polymer latices are continually challenged by the need to modify the latex formulations to enhance properties required for the end-user application. Of these modifications, the inclusion of wax in the latex formulation is commonly employed and is well known in the art. Wax, it has been found, functions well as a component of a vinyl latex to provide key properties in the coating produced therefrom. As will be described in more detail hereinafter, a wide variety of waxes can be and have been included in vinyl latex. These waxes, generally added in low concentrations to the vinyl latex, provide coatings with improved mar resistance, anti-blocking properties, slip and formability improvement, anti-settling, coating flatting, abrasion resistance and metal marking resistance.
As practiced in the art heretofore, waxes are added to the latex polymerization reaction mixture just before, during, or after the emulsification polymerization step. A major problem found within the latices prepared by this technique is a propensity for the wax to separate from the emulsion mixture, or otherwise cause the emulsion to break. Separation can occur as a function of the work preformed during application, during post-treatment of the coating formed in the application, as a result of ambient temperature swings or progressive chemical incompatibility. For whatever cause, the emulsion instability and resultant wax separation destroys the utility of the latex product. The problem of emulsion stability becomes particularly aggravated when higher concentrations of wax are required in the emulsion in order to confer a particularly desirable property on the resultant coating. The higher the wax loading, the more difficult it is to prepare a stable emulsion.
One of the more desirable coating properties sought after in the field of inks and synthetic surface coatings is moisture impermeability. It is highly advantageous for coatings such as those used on food and detergent containers to be very resistant to, if not impermeable to, moisture. One way to produce such moisture impermeability in vinyl latex derived coatings is to include relatively high loadings or concentrations of wax in the latex. However, a wax concentration high enough to render the subsequent coating a moisture barrier intrudes into the zone of those latex/wax mixtures that comprise highly unstable emulsions. Accordingly, workers in the field are critically challenged by the need to discover a means to prepare vinyl latices that are both stable as formulated but also contain high concentrations of wax so that coatings can be produced having improved moisture barrier qualities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,143 describes a two stage process for the preparation of fortified, surfactant-free polymer emulsion. The first stage comprises the polymerization of a mixture of monomers including carboxylic containing monomers followed by neutralization of the polymer product. In a second stage a mixture of monomers including acrylate monomers and a polymerization catalyst are added to the emulsion produced in the first stage. No cosurfactant is utilized and the process does not teach the incorporation of high concentrations of wax.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,762 describes the preparation of a fortified latex composed of a preformed soluble resin, a cosurfactant and latex forming monomers. The soluble resin is dispersed in water or alkali and comprises a resin having a low molecular weight. The process does not teach the incorporation of high wax concentration in a fortified latex.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,471 teaches the production of a fortified emulsion polymer by first preparing an aqueous dispersion of an alkyd resin neutralized to a pH of about and then forming an emulsion polymer from one or more vinyl monomers in aqueous dispersion. The patent does not teach the production of high wax content emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,896 teaches the production of a toner composition which includes resin particles of styrene methacrylate copolymer grafted or containing a low molecular weight wax plus a second resin composed of a terpolymer of styrene, acrylate and acrylonitrile. The developer also contains magnetite particles and carbon black.
Japanese Patent JP 59,191,706 (CA vol. 102:62720t) teaches styrene grafted polyolefin waxes useful as release agents for molded plastics. The polymers are prepared by melt polymerization. The patent does not teach the preparation of fortified emulsions for moisture barrier coatings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of a stable vinyl latex that contains a high concentration of wax and is suitable for the formation of coatings that exhibit superior moisture barrier properties.
Another object of the present invention is the preparation of high wax content aqueous emulsions by the emulsion polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of a soluble resin cosurfactant containing said wax.
Yet another object of the present invention is the production of a high wax content soluble resin useful as a cosurfactant in aqueous emulsion polymerization wherein the soluble resin is prepared in the presence of wax under graft polymerization conditions.

Process for the production of stable high wax content vinyl latices


A garden sieve for a wheelbarrow has a collar frame adapted to conform to and fit loosely on the rim of a wheelbarrow. A sieve frame connected to the collar frame supports a wire screen adapted for sifting granular material. A motor can be connected between the wheelbarrow and the sieve to reciprocate the wire screen. The frame can include a partially removable gate for the removal of strained material and can include roller bearings to reduce friction between the sieve and the wheelbarrow.

This invention relates to a new and improved sieve for sifting stones and gravel from garden soil by moving, vibrating, or shaking the new sieve across the top surface of a wheelbarrow or comparable vessel. The new sieve may also be used for sifting fine sand from coarse sand and gravel or for separating any fine product from a mixture. The invention is specifically designed to accommodate a wheelbarrow or other receiver whose shape is elliptical or oblong with rounded ends, although it may be adapted for use with a rectangular or square receiver.
Known garden sieves of this general type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,350,584, Donington; 3,426,898, Cruickshank; 1,629,149, Citrin; 1,424,451, Crandall; 517,724, Beers; and 311,485, Gridley & Johnson.
The typical garden sieve consists of a flat rectangular frame, typically made of wood, with a wire screen or mesh affixed to the underside. Its principal use is to remove stones and gravel from garden soil in small quantities. It is utilized by propping it at an angle or setting it on a frame above the ground. The work is laborious and time consuming. Large processing equipment designed for singular, specific processing of far larger quantities than that contemplated herein exists but is uneconomical and unsuitable for ordinary garden use.
If a rectangular sieve is placed on an elliptical wheelbarrow pan a good portion of the surface area of the receiver is missed and/or the top plane of the receiver is open permitting contamination of screened material by unscreened material as it is shoveled into the sieve or screen. The modern wheelbarrow is typically not rectangular (or square) as 90 degree corners and vertical surfaces do not permit stacking of the pan or receiver for shipment. In addition, the typical wheelbarrow pan has compound curves to facilitate the mixing of concrete or mortar.


An improved and novel method for controlling the speed of a mechanical apparatus in relation to a reference parameter. The reference parameter can be torque, displacement or similarly measurable parameters. A preferred implementation of the improved and novel method is used for tightening fasteners which utilizes feedback torque to control the speed and sequence of a fastening tool. This feedback torque is constantly monitored to allow continuous adjustment of the speed of the fastening tool and thereby control the torque applied to the fastener. The method is implemented on a fastening tool used to tighten a retainer nut on a pinion gear shaft supported by bearings in a differential housing. The speed of a fastening tool is continuously monitored and changed in response to a rotational torque measurement taken from the pinion gear shaft and bearing assembly. As the rotational torque value of the pinion gear shaft and bearing assembly approaches a final preselected value the speed of the fastening tool is slowed to ensure the retainer nut is not over tightened.

This invention relates to an improved method for tightening fasteners which utilizes feedback torque to continuously control the speed and sequence of a fastening tool. This feedback torque is constantly monitored to allow continuous adjustment of the speed of the fastening tool and thereby control the torque applied to the fastener. This method is particularly suited for fastening tools used on fasteners that are required to be fastened within a specific tolerance within a specific time frame. Continuously adjusting the speed of the fastening tool allows a means to optimize the cycle time for fastening.
Typically when tightening fasteners, especially preload setting fasteners, the torque builds rapidly as the fastener approaches its final desired value. Prior fastening tools have been run at a constant speed which often leads to over tightening or exceeding the target torque. This target torque overshoot is a result of the response time of the system controlling the fastening tool along with the speed at which the fastener is tightened. One possible solution has been to use a low speed fastening tool which reduces the overshoot problem, but the time required to tighten a given fastener becomes excessively long.
A more common prior solution has been to use a torque feedback fastening strategy which utilizes a constant speed motor for operating the fastening tool with the addition of a clutch mechanism or reducer gear arrangement which allows modification of the speed of the fastening tool. In most cases these additions allow a two speed or stage operation of the fastening tool. The first stage tightens the fastener at a fast speed to a torque level lower than the desired final torque. The clutch mechanism or reducer gear arrangement is then engaged to start the second stage of tightening. The second stage tightens at a lower speed to allow more accurate control of the fastening tool as the fastener torque approaches the desired final value.
This two stage fastening strategy works well on "soft" joints, i.e., those joints where the joint members have a low spring constant and therefore a high elasticity. Problems arise however when this same two stage strategy is applied to "hard" joints, i.e., those joints where the joint members have a high spring constant and therefore a low elasticity, such as in bearing preload applications. The two major problems encountered in these situations are overshooting the desired torque value and an increased cycle time. The torque overshoot results when the second stage speed is too fast to allow accurate control of the fastening tool. The increased cycle time is usually a result of the torque transducer seeing a premature high torque reading and shifting to the lower fastening speed or shutting off. This can occur when the fastener encounters a burr on the thread as it is tightened which cause a momentary spike in the torque reading which causes the system to shift the fastening tool to its slower speed. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a novel method for tightening fasteners which utilizes feedback torque to continuously monitor and control the speed of a fastening tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,519 to Doniwa shows a tension control method for a nutrunner which measures the torque on a fastener at two different angular positions and calculates the ratio of the two values to determine a resultant tension in the fastener which is used to control the starting and stopping of the nutrunner.


A flexible pipe coupling comprises an annular housing, a nipple member partially submerged in the housing, and an annular elastomeric seal assembly between the nipple and the housing. The nipple is insulated in order to reduce the heat flow to the elastomeric seal from the material falling to the pipe coupling. The pipe coupling can also comprise a means, e.g., an annular ring, for bridging the nipple and housing to provide a constant inside diameter for the coupling. The means can also be insulated in order to aid in reducing the heat flow to the elastomeric seal.

This invention relates to a flexible pipe coupling. In another aspect, this invention relates to a pipe coupling which is insulated. In another aspect, this invention relates to a pipe coupling comprising an annular elastomeric seal assembly between an annular housing and a nipple which is partially submerged in said housing wherein said coupling is insulated in a manner to reduce the heat flow to the elastomeric sealing assembly from the fluid flowing through the pipe coupling.
High pressure, large diameter elastomeric pipe joints have been used as deep water drilling riser flex joints. The criteria for these units are high loads, high pressure, long life, and no maintenance. A problem has resulted, however, in the use of large diameter flexible couplings in offshore production risers. The problem lies in the fact that the sea water environment in which the subsea pipeline and riser are located has a temperature of about 40.degree. F. and the crude oil being produced through said riser and pipeline has a temperature of about 230.degree. F. When the line is not in service, it cools to the sea water temperature of about 40.degree. F. When it is in service, the warm crude oil temperature of about 230.degree. F. causes a growth in the length of the pipeline forcing some lateral movement in the riser which extends from the sea floor to the top of the off-shore platform, hence, the use of a flexible coupling. The flexible couplings, however, comprise elastomeric sealing assemblies which are also subjected to temperatures of about 230.degree. F. from the crude oil flowing through the pipe coupling. It is understood that no known elastomer can withstand a temperature of 230.degree. F. for 20-30 years, the lifetime desired for the coupling. It would be desirable, therefore, to design a coupling which can withstand the high temperatures of the crude oil and thereby satisfy the long life and no maintenance requirements of deep water drilling riser flex joints.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved flexible pipe coupling.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved flexible pipe coupling useful in offshore production risers.
Another object of this invention is to provide a flexible pipe coupling which can survive the high temperatures of crude oil encountered in offshore production for an extended period of 20-30 years.
Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.


An apparatus for collecting copy sheets in facially reversed or overturned relation with respect to their discharge from a copying machine includes a guide member disposed proximate the discharge port of the machine. The guide member comprises a substantially planar guide portion inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the direction of copy sheet discharge from the machine, and a deflecting portion unitarily extending from the guide portion at a predetermined angle with respect thereto. The apparatus further includes a receiving tray spaced below the discharge port and toward which discharged copy sheets are deflected by contact with the guide and deflecting portions of the guide member for collection in overturned or face reversed orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for receiving or collecting in facially reversed orientation copying sheets discharged from a copying machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In hitherto known copying machines, the recording or copying sheets are generally discharged from the copying apparatus in such manner that the surface of the copying sheet on which image information is recorded faces upward as discharged. Consequently, a plurality of the copied sheets collected in a stack on a receiving tray with the recorded surface facing upward will be superposed in reverse order relative to the copying sequence as counted from the top of the sheet stack. Accordingly, when a book or the like is copied, the book must be copied in reverse order starting from the last page in order to avoid having to later rearrange the pages.
Is an attempt to overcome the inconvenience described above, there has been proposed an apparatus for collecting the copying sheets discharged from the copying machine in an upset or reverse face position so that the recorded face of the copying sheets face relatively downward. For example, reference is made to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 31747/1968, where the prior art apparatus is so arranged that the leading edge of the copying sheet as discharged from the copying machine is caused to bear against a stopper projecting from a guide plate to thereby turn over or facially reverse the discharged sheet. However, this arrangement has associated disadvantages in that its use is restricted to a specific type of copying sheet, since some sheets--depending upon the size and stiffness or rigidity of the sheets--will not be caught by the stopper projection. Furthermore, the prior art structure provides for copy sheet discharge by way of a moving conveyor, and face reversing contact of the sheet leading edge with the projecting stopper has a tendency to disorder the received and collected sheets, thus interfering with and rendering more troublesome subsequent removal of the stacked copy sheets from the collecting tray.

Apparatus for receiving recording sheets in upset state for copying machine


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining, at a remote computing device, whether a first security measure has been compromised, wherein the first security measure is executed on a mobile device; and based on a determination that the first security measure has been compromised, performing a corrective measure, wherein the corrective measure is performed after a delay.

This specification relates to data security.
The number of mobile devices, e.g., laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, etc., has increased over recent years. These mobile devices can be used for a variety of purposes. These purposes can include handling or processing sensitive or private user information. For example, mobile devices can be configured to run online banking applications and applications that allow users to make or receive mobile payments. These types of applications can have access to a user's private or sensitive information, such as, for example, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) associated with smart cards and/or debit cards, and other banking information.
Some mobile devices can include hostile or malicious software applications or processes (e.g., malware) that attempt to compromise the applications executed on the mobile device. For example, a malicious software developer (sometimes referred to as a "hacker") or user can install malicious software libraries on a mobile device or can attempt to modify applications to gain access to the user's private or sensitive information.

Hierarchical data security measures for a mobile device