Analog HPNA hub including at least one group of coils, the coils inducing HPNA signals there between, a plurality of filters, each of the filters coupled with a respective one of the coils and further coupled, via respective telephone wiring, with at least a respective HPNA node, wherein each of the filters enables transmission of HPNA data signals there through, and wherein each of the filters prevents transmission of conventional telephony signals there through.

MxU networking architecture is known in the art and is used to provide communication services to a site (e.g., an apartment building) which includes a plurality of substantially independent sections (e.g., a plurality of apartments), each associated with a different subscriber. In general, the MxU networking architecture defines a separate local area network (LAN) for each of the sections.
MxU networks which are based Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HPNA), use the telephone lines of the telephone wire network, already installed in the MxU. Each of the LANs includes the telephone wires which are associated with a selected section (e.g., apartment) and a plurality of HPNA nodes coupled with the telephone outlets. Telephone network voice communication and data communication services can be used simultaneously, using a technique known as frequency division multiplexing (FDM). Accordingly, data signals are transmitted using a different (higher) frequency than voice data signals, whereby these signals, can be separated using a frequency splitter.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic illustration of an apartment building network, generally referenced 10, which is known in the art. It is noted that FIG. 1 is not drawn to scale.
Apartment building network 10 includes intra-apartment networks APT1 (referenced 121), APT2 (referenced 122) and APTN (referenced 12N), and gateways G1 (referenced 221), G2 (referenced 222) and GN (referenced 22N). Gateways 221, 222 and 22N are mounted on a platform 16. A broadband source 20 couples each of gateways 221, 222 and 22N with a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, via a broadband link such as xDSL, cable, fiber-optic, satellite, Local Multipoint Distribution System (LMDS), and the like.
Each of intra-apartment networks 121, 122 and 12N includes several network nodes (not shown). Each one of gateways 221, 222 and 22N is coupled with a respective one of intra-apartment networks 121, 122 and 12N, via respective telephone wires 141, 142 and 14N. Each one of the gateways 221, 222 and 22N, and a respective one of intra-apartment networks 121, 122 and 12N, together form a respective one of local-area networks (LAN) 141, 142 and 14N. Each of LANs 141, 142 and 14N is further coupled with telephone service lines 241, 242 and 24N, respectively.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate an apartment building network, generally referenced 40, which is known in the art. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a first and second example of NEXT in an MxU network, respectively. It is noted that FIGS. 2A and 2B are not drawn to scale.
With reference to FIG. 2A, apartment building network 40 includes intra-apartment networks APT1 (referenced 421), APT2 (referenced 422) and APTN (referenced 42N), gateways G1 (referenced 521), G2 (referenced 522) and GN (referenced 52N), and phone wires 541, 542 and 54N. A wire binder 48 runs from a basement 44 of the apartment building, to the vicinity of intra-apartment networks 421, 422 and 42N. A platform 46 is located in basement 44. Gateways 521, 522 and 52N are mounted on platform 46. A broadband source 50 couples each of gateways 521, 522 and 52N with a WAN such as the Internet, via a broadband link such as xDSL, cable, fiber-optic, satellite, Local Multipoint Distribution System (LMDS), and the like.
Each of intra-apartment networks 421, 422 and 42N includes several network nodes (not shown), as shall be described in further detail with reference to FIG. 2C. Each one of gateways 521, 522 and 52N is coupled with a respective one of intra-apartment networks 421, 422 and 42N, via respective phone wires 541, 542 and 54N. Each combination of one of the gateways 521, 522 and 52N, the respective one of phone wires 541, 542 and 54N, and the respective one of intra-apartment networks 421, 422 and 42N, together form a respective one of local-area networks (LANs) 451, 452 and 45N. Phone wires 541, 542 and 54N are bound together in binder 48.
Gateway 521 transmits a data signal 56 to intra-apartment network 421. Simultaneously, intra-apartment network 422 transmits another data signal 58 to gateway 522. In a region 62, located in the vicinity of platform 46, an electrical disturbance 60, associated with data signal 56 (from phone wire 541), is induced in phone wire 542, causing an interference in data signal 58.
It is noted that conventionally, the distance between intra-apartment network 422 and region 62 is significantly greater than the distance between gateway 521 and region 62. Therefore, data signal 58 undergoes a significantly greater attenuation than data signal 56, before these data signals reach region 62, and hence, electrical disturbance 60 may cause a significant interference in data signal 58. This effect is known as near-end crosstalk (NEXT). It is noted that the transfer of disturbance 60 from phone wire 541 to phone wire 542 is a cumulative effect, which takes place all along phone wires 541 and 542, with a primary contribution occurring in region 62.
With reference to FIG. 2B, gateway 521 transmits a data signal 70 to intra-apartment network 421. Simultaneously, intra-apartment network 421 transmits another data signal 72 to gateway 522. In a region 76, located in the vicinity of intra-apartment networks 421 and 422, an electrical disturbance 74, associated with data signal 72 (from phone wire 542), is induced in phone wire 541, causing an interference in data signal 70.
It is noted that conventionally, the distance between gateway 521 and region 76 is significantly greater than the distance between intra-apartment network 421 and region 76. Therefore, data signal 70 undergoes a significantly greater attenuation than data signal 72, before these data signals reach region 76, and hence, electrical disturbance 74 may cause a significant interference in data signal 70.
Reference is further made to FIG. 2C, which is an illustration in detail of intra-apartment networks 421 and 421 of apartment building network 40 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) and a portion of the binder 48. FIG. 2C shows a third example of NEXT in an MxU network. It is noted that FIG. 2C is not drawn to scale.
Intra-apartment network 421 includes network nodes 801, 802 and 803. Nodes 801, 802 and 803 are coupled there between via phone wire 541. Intra-apartment network 422 includes nodes 821 and 822. Nodes 821 and 822 are coupled there between via phone wire 542.
Gateway 522 (FIG. 2A) transmits a data signal 86, through phone wire 542, toward intra-apartment network 422. Simultaneously, node 801 transmits another data signal 88 toward node 802.
It is noted that conventionally, data signal 88 includes a header with source and target attributes. All of the nodes of LAN 451 (FIG. 2A) receive data signal 88, but only the target node, which is specified in the source-target attributes (i.e., node 802) addresses and decodes the data signal. It is noted that in the description that follows and the accompanying drawings, except for the present example, data signals are only shown on their path to their intended receiving node.
Data signal 88 passes through phone wire 541 toward binder 48. In a region 84 in the vicinity of intra-apartment networks 421 and 422, an electrical disturbance 92, associated with data signal 88 (from phone wire 541), is induced in phone wire 542, causing an interference in data signal 86. Similarly as in the example set forth in FIGS. 2A and 2B, electrical disturbance 92 may cause a significant interference in data signal 86.


In order to decouple the low-voltage charging source and its electrical drive from the high voltage which occurs in a Marx generator when the capacitor bank is switched from parallel connection to series connection, the high-voltage cable which is used on the output side and in which the conductive core is surrounded by a semiconductor for potential matching is also used on the input side, but for high-voltage decoupling after removal of the current-carrying core. Only the semiconductor in the high-voltage cable therefore remains as a resistance line for the small charging current into the parallel-connected capacitor bank of the Marx generator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a Marx generator and to use of a high-voltage cable for its high-voltage decoupling on the charging side.
The impulse-voltage generator discovered by Professor Marx (Braunschweig TU) in 1923 is used to produce a high-voltage pulse, for example for insulation-testing purposes, to investigate the behavior of gases in strong electrical fields or, according to DE 101 51 565 A1, to stimulate a resonator to emit high-power microwave energy.
The basic function of the Marx generator is based on a number n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . , i) of capacitors connected in parallel with one another being charged to an input voltage produced by a DC voltage source, and then being connected in series so that n-times the input voltage is available as the output voltage across this series circuit. In this case, the change from parallel connection to series connection of the capacitor bank is carried out by means of spark gaps which all ignite virtually at the same time when a first of them responds. The response of a first spark gap can be predetermined by means of its response voltage, that is to say by means of the cross-section geometry and the distance between the spark-gap electrodes; alternatively, the response of a first of the spark gaps is initiated by a trigger pulse supplied to it externally. Decoupling resistors, which also act as charging resistors that govern the time constants, prevent one of the two capacitors, between which a spark gap in order to connect them in series is located, being short-circuited as a result of the ignition of the spark gap. In consequence, the series connection of the charging and decoupling resistors when the capacitor bank is changed to be connected in series acts as a high-voltage voltage divider; and then both the input-side voltage source of the Marx generator and its output-side output line are connected to a high-voltage potential with respect to the common ground potential.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A commercially available electronic voltage converter is normally used as the voltage source for the Marx generator, is fed from a power supply system or from a chargeable battery, and charges the parallel circuit formed by the capacitor bank to a voltage of typically several 10 kV. The high-voltage reaction on the electronic system or from a chargeable battery, and charges the parallel circuit formed by the capacitor bank to a voltage of typically several 10 kV. The high-voltage reaction on the electronic circuit of this input-side voltage source on switching the capacitor bank from being parallel connected to being series connected is then functionally critical. This can lead to an adverse affect on the operation of the voltage source, or even to its destruction, so that stable long-term operation of the Marx generator, for example for continuous excitation of a microwave resonator, is not possible. Because of the high voltage load, conventional filter methods cannot be used in this case between the voltage source and the capacitor bank of the Marx generator, and the use of special high-voltage resistors for decoupling would be too costly.

Marx generator and use of a high-voltage cable for high-voltage decoupling


An apparatus and method for regenerating spent ion exchange resin and recovering regenerant fluid is described. A regeneration system has a regeneration vat, a regeneration solution tank, a regenerant recovery tank, a chemical dispenser, a solids separator, a pH adjuster and a pump. The regeneration vat holds the spent resin and is connected to the regeneration solution tank to allow transfer of regenerant solution into the regeneration vat. Spent regenerant fluid travels to the regenerant recovery tank, where it is treated with chemicals provided from the chemical dispenser. The solids separator receives the treated regenerant liquid and separates precipitate flocs from the treated regenerant liquid. The concentration of chloride ions in the separated regenerant solution can be adjusted by the pH adjuster to form fresh regenerant solution. The pump pumps the fresh regenerant solution to the regenerant solution tank to regenerate additional spent cation exchange resin.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the regeneration of ion exchange resin with a regenerant solution and recovery of the spent regenerant solution.
Ion exchange resins are used to treat fluids that include gases and liquids to remove ions, contaminants, and dissolved solids. The resins can be used in many different types of separation, purification, and decontamination processes including water treatment, treatment of toxic liquids or gases, or other applications. The ion exchange resins can be in the form of organic polymer beads, membranes, or other structures, and can include (i) cation exchange resins which have functional groups that are strong or weak acid groups, and (ii) anion exchange resins which have functional groups which are strong or weak base groups. In a typical ion exchange resin system, the fluid to be treated is passed across or through the ion exchange resin. For example, well or tap water can be treated with an ion exchange resin to remove divalent or contaminant ions to provide softened or purified water. The ion exchange resin removes certain ions from the water and exchanges them for other ions in a reversible chemical reaction. For example, multivalent and divalent ions such as, for example, Ca+2, Mg+2, and SO4−2 ions, can be removed from the fluid being treated and exchanged for Na+ ions in the resin.
Besides water treatment, ion exchange resins can have many other applications. For example, in one application, ion exchange resins are used to remove poisonous metal (e.g., copper) and heavy metal (e.g., lead or cadmium) ions from a solution, and replace them with more innocuous ions, such as sodium and potassium. Ion exchange resins can also be used to remove organic contaminants from water; for example, using an activated charcoal filter to remove the chlorine mixed with anionic resin to remove organic contaminates. Still other ion exchange resins remove organic ions, such as MIEX (magnetic ion exchange) resins. Still other applications of ion exchange resin systems include the treatment of: salt water pre-treatment in desalination processes; industrial waste liquids and gases to remove hazardous ions and compounds; waste from nuclear power plants to remove radioactive or other toxic materials; fluids to recover valuable metals; industrial drying of gases; food industry applications such as wine-making and sugar manufacture; medical applications that include the development and preparation of drugs and antibiotics, such as streptomycin and quinine; treatments for ulcers, TB, kidneys, and other organs; and the prevention of coagulation of blood and dextrose. Ion exchange processes can be used to separate and purify metals, including separating uranium from plutonium and other actinides, such as thorium, lanthanum, neodymium, ytterbium, samarium, and lutetium, from each other and the other lanthanides. Ion exchange resins can also be used to catalyze organic reactions, such as in self-condensation reactions. Ion exchange resins are also used in the manufacture of fruit juices (e.g., orange juice) where they are used to remove bitter-tasting components and so improve the flavor. In the processing of sugar, ion exchange resins are used to convert one type of sugar into another type of sugar and to decolorize and purify sugar syrups. Ion exchange resins are also used in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, not only for catalyzing certain reactions but also for isolating and purifying pharmaceutical active ingredients.
In any of these applications, after a number of treatment cycles, the used ion exchange resin becomes spent or exhausted and needs to be regenerated to remove the ions which have exchanged into, and accumulated in, the spent resin. Ion exchange resins contain a finite number of ion exchange sites, and the exchange capacity of the resins eventually becomes spent as the resins become saturated with ions extracted from a fluid. An ion exchange resin can also lose its efficiency from plugging up with solids, such as sand or other particles, which are present in the liquid being treated.
To regenerate the spent ion exchange resin, the spent resin is treated with a resin regenerant solution containing ions that exchange with the accumulated ions in the resin to recharge the resin. The composition of the regenerant solution depends on the chemical composition of the ion exchange resin and type of ions accumulated in the resin. For example, spent cation exchange resin can be treated by soaking the resin in a regenerant solution comprising sodium chloride or potassium dissolved in water to remove accumulated divalent ions and solids. The sodium or potassium ions replace divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium which are trapped in the ion exchange resin with sodium ions. Ion exchange resins can also be regenerated with solutions comprising other forms of chloride ions, such as hydrochloric acid. Oftentimes, after regeneration, the ion exchange resin can be rinsed with fresh water or other liquids to displace residual regenerant solution. The regenerant solution and rinse liquid both contain dissolved divalent ions which contaminate the regenerant solution and prevent its reuse. Similarly, spent anion exchange resins can also be treated with other types of regenerant solutions and/or rinse liquids which also accumulate in the spent resins.
The disposal of spent regenerant solutions and rinse liquids into municipal wastewater systems creates environmental problems and increases regeneration process costs. Municipal wastewater plants often cannot remove all of the mineral hardness compounds, such as sodium chloride, from the incoming water stream, and thus, these compounds are passed out with the processed water into the environment to contaminate rivers, lakes and seas, or even ground water and surrounding land, with undesirable metallic ions. Also, the higher concentrations of total dissolved salts in processed water, such as chloride, sodium and boron ions in particular, limit reuse of such water in farming and agricultural applications. The contribution to municipal sewage of salt water discharge from household ion exchange systems has reached such major proportions that regulations are being promulgated on the reduction of salt use in the regeneration of ion exchange resins and prohibiting the discharge of brines to municipal sewage systems. For example, the discharge of salt solutions from ion exchange processes used in food, tanning and textile industries, and hospitals through municipal wastewater systems can exceed thousands of tons of salt per year. Also, disposal of spent regenerant solutions into the wastewater systems creates a need for additional chemicals and fresh water to form new regenerant solution, further increasing the costs associated with regenerating exchange resins.
For reasons including these and other deficiencies, and despite the development of various ion exchange regeneration systems, apparatus, and methods, further improvements in the treatment of spent regenerant solution and other waste liquids generated in the process of regenerating ion exchange resins are continuously being sought.

System for ion exchange resin regeneration and regenerant recovery


A pressure sensor detects a pressure of a pressure transmitting medium. The pressure sensor includes a sensor substrate and a protection film. The sensor substrate includes a recess recessed relative to a periphery thereof and a thin portion thinner than the periphery due to the recess. The protection film is provided on a bottom surface of the recess that is one side of the thin portion and a part of a lateral surface of the recess, and the protection film suppresses an adhesion of a contamination contained in the pressure transmitting medium. The pressure sensor includes an adhesion suppressing portion that includes an uneven section formed in at least a part of the lateral surface, and a liquid repellent film repellent to liquid in the pressure transmitting medium and provided as the protection film on the uneven section to exhibit a lotus effect.

A general pressure sensor includes a protection portion is provided on a surface of a recess to suppress an adhesion of an object (hereinafter, contamination) interfering with a pressure detection to the surface of the recess. The protection portion is formed of a fluorine resin film, a fluorine resin sheet, or a fluorine gel, for example.


A heat dissipation structure of wearable watchstrap includes a wearable strap body. The wearable strap body includes a heat conduction section and a protection section. The protection section encloses the heat conduction section. The heat conduction section has a heat absorption section and a heat dissipation section. The heat dissipation section outward extends from the heat absorption section. The wearable strap body is connectable with an intelligent mobile device to greatly enhance the heat dissipation performance of the intelligent mobile device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a heat dissipation structure of wearable watchstrap, and more particularly to a heat dissipation structure of wearable watchstrap, which can dissipate the heat generated by a wearable intelligent mobile device connected with the heat dissipation structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various multifunction intelligent mobile devices have been developed, including mobile phones, tablets and even intelligent wearable electronic devices such as watches, necklaces and fingerings. Along with the continuous increase of the functions, the intelligent wearable electronic device is equipped with more and more components such as touch screen and satellite positioning chip. The intelligent watch is connectable to other mobile devices via Bluetooth or network. Moreover, a SIN card can be inserted into the intelligent watch to access to 3G or 4G network and make phone calls. In operation or execution, the intelligent watch will generate heat. In addition, the entire intelligent watch is designed with a fully sealed structure for achieving waterproof effect. Under such circumstance, the heat generated by the electronic components in the intelligent watch can be hardly dissipated outward. As a result, the heat will accumulate in the interior of the watch. This will lead to deterioration of execution efficiency of the intelligent watch or even shutdown of the intelligent watch. Accordingly, it has become a critical issue how to solve the heat dissipation problem of the intelligent watch and various wearable mobile devices.

Heat dissipation structure of wearable watchstrap


A slide hammer has end blocks of a material that will not damage wooden boards when it is used to tap the boards into place. The slide hammer includes a slide rod or bar and a weighted hammer movable on the slide rod. With one of the end blocks in contact with a board, the hammer is moved into contact with one of the end blocks in a vigorous manner to drive the board into place. The edges of the end blocks are configured so as to allow the unit to be positioned in tight spaces between the boards and any surrounding walls.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to slide hammers, and more particularly to a slide hammer of special configuration for tapping tongue-in-groove boards into place.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Gutierrez, U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,900 describes a device for use in the repair of automobiles, trucks, farm equipment and other vehicles having sheet metal bodies capable of deformation from impact accidents. This device includes a main body portion having a first nestable solid section and a second tubular receiving section the receiving section being constrictedly open at its proximal end. The receiving section being closed on its distal end by a closure which is threaded to receive a work head of varying configurations, each of which is interchangeable with the other for carrying out specific tasks or functions within a specific area of the vehicular body.
Burrola, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,323 describes an improved multi-purpose impact hand tool kit for use by electricians, carpenters or similar tradesperson in the building construction industry or other similar industry in applications that require the use of an impact type of hand tool for driving fastening devices such as concrete nails, threaded or unthreaded fastener studs, pins anchor/expansion plugs or similar devices. The improved impact hand tool kit conveniently provides for the tradesperson an elongated shaft provided with a tool end having exterior threads and a threaded bore for attaching male or female threaded attachment ends provided on commercially available fastening devices. The improved hand tool kit can also be used by the tradesperson in general applications that require the use of an impact or non-impact general purpose hand tools such as chisels, punches, and screwdrivers. Such impact or non-impact general purpose hand tools are specially adapted for use with the elongated shaft of the improved impact hand tool kit. The improved impact hand tool kit is also provided with simple reducer adapters which will allow the use of fastening devices or specially adapted general purpose impact or non-impact hand tools having their attachment ends with a reduced thread size. The improved impact hand tool kit is provided with features that add utility, comfort, durability and safety during its use.
Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,321 describes an impact tool in which a specifically configured skeletal stiffener is completely and unitarily encased in a thick resilient encasement. The part of the skeletal stiffener which forms the basis for the striking head of the tool may be internally provided with operatively movable and treated particles to inhibit any recoil of the head when an object is struck.
Gue, U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,647 describes an elongated rock-breaking bar providing one end with a chisel point and at the opposite end with a chisel edge. Intermediate these ends are a pair of longitudinally spaced collars between which a hammer member is mounted slidable on the bar. In one embodiment the bar is made in two detachable longitudinal sections and the hammer member is made in one piece. In another embodiment the bar is made in one piece and the hammer member is made in two detachable lateral sections.
Bonnesen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,060 describes a handled instrument or tool having a blow head. The tool comprises an elongated handle member which has large diameter collar inwardly of and adjacent one end thereof. A head mounted on the handle member outwardly of the collar. At the end of the handle member securing the head against displacement from the handle member is an annular bushing of sock absorbing material spacing the handle member from the head. The bushing includes shock absorbing flanges disposed between the head, collar and head securing means. The other end of the handle member has a roughened surface and a hand-grip portion of shock absorbing material fixed to the roughened surface.
White, U.S. Pat. No. 2,010,575 describes a bung-driver or hammer device of the type comprising an elongated body affording a hand-grip and having one end enlarged to form a hammer-head. The body and head being formed with an axial bore and with a coextensive open slot from end to end to permit emplacement of the hammer laterally upon a pipe. The device has a resilient cushion supported by a metal plate secured removably to the hammer-head and having a slot registering with that of the slot and bore of the handle body and further characterized by having the cushion-supporting plate provided with spaced central projections embedded in the body of the cushion, and with marginal abutment projections adjacent to the slotted end of the cushion.
The prior art teaches slide hammers of various types. However, the prior art does not teach that a slide hammer may be configured for fitting in small and large spaces as required in board laying. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

Slide tapper for tongue-in-groove flooring


The present invention relates to oxaloacetate compounds that activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), including the preparation of the compounds, compositions containing the compounds, preserving said compounds and the use of the compounds in the prevention or treatment of disorders such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.

AMP-protein activated Kinase (AMPK) is a sensor and regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, is a master switch regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and activation of AMPK results in many beneficial effects. (Misra, et al, The role of AMP kinase in diabetes, Indian J Med Res 125:389-398 (2007); Kola, et al, The Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Obesity, Obesity and Metabolism, Vol 36 (2008); Kahn, et al, AMP-activated protein kinase: ancient energy gauge provides clues to modern understanding of metabolism. Cell Metab. 1(10:15-25 (2005); Hardie, D. G. and Hawley, S. A. AMP-activated protein kinase: the energy charge hypothesis revisited. Bioessays 23: 1112 (2001), Kemp, B. E. et.al. AMP-activated protein kinase, super metabolic regulator. Biochem. Soc. Transactions 31:162 (2003)). AMPK can be activated by three distinct mechanisms; 1) allosteric activation, 2) stimulation of phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit on Thr172 by upstream kinase(s), and 3) inhibition of dephosphorylation by protein phosphatases (Kola, et al, The Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Obesity. Obesity and Metabolism 36:198-211 (2008)). The resulting activation leads to a decrease in fatty acid synthesis and oxidation, and a decrease in cholesterol synthesis (Carling, D. et.al. A common bicyclic protein kinase cascade inactivates the regulatory enzymes of fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis. FEBS Letters 223:217 (1987)). Other effects of AMPK activation include positive changes in the levels of potential drug targets for components of the metabolic syndrome including hormone sensitive lipase, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, malonyl-CoA decarboxylase, and hepatocyte nuclear factor-4.alpha. AMPK activation stimulates glucose transport in skeletal muscle and controls expressional regulation of key genes in fatty acid and glucose metabolism in liver (summarized in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 7,119,205).
Genomic pathways that AMPK activation affects include decreased expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (a key enzyme in hepatic glucose production) (Lochhead, P. A. et.al. 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside mimics the effects of insulin on the expression of the 2 key gluconeogenic genes PEPCK and glucose-6-phosphatase. Diabetes 49:896 (2000)), and SREBP-1c (Zhou, G. et.al. Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action. The J. of Clin. Invest. 108: 1167 (2001)), a key lipogenic transcription factor. Note that the metabolic changes induced by AMPK activation are both acute changes due to phosphorylation of key enzymes, and longer-term effects on the expression of genes involved in metabolic regulation.
There have been several studies that indicate that activation of AMPK will result in many benefits. In the liver, there is decreased glucose output and improvement in glucose homeostasis, decreased fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and increased fatty acid oxidation. In skeletal muscle tissue there is increased glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation. There is a reduction in intra-myocyte triglyceride accumulation and improved insulin action. A reduction in the ability to store fat, due to the down-regulation of fatty acid synthesis, results in long-term weight reductions. The combinations of all these effects are an excellent treatment for metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity.
Several studies in rodents and humans support that AMPK activation leads to substantial benefits (Bergeron, R. et.al. Effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1(beta)-D-ribofuranoside infusion on in vivo glucose metabolism in lean and obese Zucker rats. Diabetes 50:1076 (2001), Song, S. M. et.al. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-darboxamide ribonucleoside treatment improves glucose homeostasis in insulin-resistant diabeted (ob/ob) mice. Diabetologia 45:56 (2002), Halseth, A. E. et.al. Acute and chronic treatment of ob/ob and db/db mice with AICAR decreases blood glucose concentrations. Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. 294:798 (2002), Buhl, E. S. et.al. Long-term AICAR administration reduces metabolic disturbances and lowers blood pressure in rats displaying feature of the insulin resistance syndrome. Diabetes 51: 2199 (2002)). Activation of AMPK increases mitochondrial biogenesis (Reznick, et al, The role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mitochondrial biogeneses. J Physiol 574.1 (2006)). Reduced mitochondria content is important in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Many in vivo studies have relied on the AMPK activator 5-Aminoimidazole-4-darboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), a cell permeable precursor of ZMP. ZMP acts as an intracellular AMP mimic, and, when accumulated to high enough levels, is able to stimulate AMPK activity (Corton, J. M. et.al. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside, a specific method for activating AMP-activated protein kinase in intact cells? Eur. J. Biochem. 229: 558 (1995)). Several in vivo studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of both acute and chronic AICAR administration in rodent models of obesity and type 2 diabetes (Bergeron, R. et.al. Effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1(beta)-D-ribofuranoside infusion on in vivo glucose metabolism in lean and obese Zucker rats. Diabetes 50:1076 (2001), Song, S. M. et.al. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-darboxamide ribonucleoside treatment improves glucose homeostasis in insulin-resistant diabeted (ob/ob) mice. Diabetologia 45:56 (2002), Halseth, A. E. et.al. Acute and chronic treatment of ob/ob and db/db mice with AICAR decreases blood glucose concentrations. Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. 294:798 (2002), Buhl, E. S. et.al. Long-term AICAR administration reduces metabolic disturbances and lowers blood pressure in rats displaying feature of the insulin resistance syndrome. Diabetes 51: 2199 (2002)). For example, 7 week AICAR administration in the obese Zucker (fa/fa) rat leads to a reduction in plasma triglycerides and free fatty acids, an increase in HDL cholesterol, and a normalization of glucose metabolism as assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test (Minokoshi, Y. et.al. Leptin stimulates fatty-acid oxidation by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. Nature 415: 339 (2002)). In both ob/ob and db/db mice, 8 day AICAR administration reduces blood glucose by 35% (Halseth, A. E. et.al. Acute and chronic treatment of ob/ob and db/db mice with AICAR decreases blood glucose concentrations. Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. 294:798 (2002)). In addition to AICAR, more recently it was found that the diabetes drug metformin can activate AMPK in vivo at high concentrations (Zhou, G. et.al. Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action. The J. of Clin. Invest. 108: 1167 (2001), Musi, N. et.al. Metformin increases AMP-activated protein kinase activity in skeletal muscle of subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes 51: 2074 (2002)).
In addition to pharmacologic intervention, several transgenic mouse models have been developed in the last years, and initial results are becoming available. Expression of dominant negative AMPK in skeletal muscle of transgenic mice has demonstrated that the AICAR effect on stimulation of glucose transport is dependent on AMPK activation (Mu, J. et.al. A role for AMP-activated protein kinase in contraction and hypoxia-regulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Molecular Cell 7: 1085 (2001)).
Lowering of blood pressure has been reported to be a consequence of AMPK activation (Buhl, E. S. et.al. Long-term AICAR administration reduces metabolic disturbances and lowers blood pressure in rats displaying feature of the insulin resistance syndrome. Diabetes 51: 2199 (2002)), therefore activation of AMPK has beneficial effects in hypertension. Through combination of some or all of the above-mentioned effects stimulation of AMPK is expected to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (e.g. MI, stroke). Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) has been shown to be activated through AMPK mediated phosphorylation (Chen, Z.-P., et.al. AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase. FEBS Letters 443: 285 (1999)), therefore AMPK activation by any means can be used to improve local circulatory systems.
Increased fatty acid synthesis is a characteristic of many tumor cells, therefore decreased synthesis of fatty acids through activation of AMPK can be useful as a cancer therapy. Cell cultures exposed to AICAR to activate AMPK attenuated the growth of MDA-MB-231 tumors in nude mice (Swinnen, JV, et al. Mimicry of a Cellular Low Energy Status Blocks Tumor Cell Anabolism and Suppresses the Malignant Phenotype. Cancer Res 2005; 65:6 (2005)). The AMPK activator metformin inhibits breast cancer cells, pancreatic cancer (Zakikhani, et. at, Metformin is an AMP-Kinase-Dependent Growth Inhibitor for Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Research 66, 10269-10273 (2006), (Schhneider, et. al, Metformin clearly inhibits pancreatic cancer. Cancer Detection and Prevention Online, Abstract 260 (2002)) and reduces overall cancer risk (Evans, et al, Metformin and reduced risk of cancer in diabetic patients. BMJ 330:1304-1305 (2005)). Resveratrol also activates AMPK to kill cancer cells (Hwang, et. al. Resveratrol Induces Apoptosis in Chemoresistant Cancer Cells via Modulation of AMPK Signaling Pathway. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, V 1095 Signal Transduction Pathways, Part C: Cell Signaling in Health and Disease, 441-448 (2007)).
There are several current methods to activate AMPK, but these methods have some problems associated with them. As stated above, AMPK can be activated with metformin, resveratrol and AICAR. But metformin may also produce lactic acidosis, which can become a life-threatening condition, especially where a patient has renal insufficiency. Still further, metformin therapy is often counter-indicated where a patient takes other drugs that interfere with renal function. Resveratrol has a very low bioavailability, and large amounts may be necessary in order to achieve efficacy. AICAR is banned by the World Anti-Doping Code for athletic events (The Prohibited List 2009, World Anti-Doping Agency, http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/2009_Prohibited_List_ENG_Final_20_Sept_08.pdf), and is currently not available for human use.
Other methods to activate AMPK include diabetic drug class thiazolidinediones (LeBrasseur, et al, Thiazolidinediones can rapidly activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mammalian tissues. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab (2006) and (Matejkova, et al, Possible involvement of AMP-activated protein kinase in obesity resistance induced by respiratory uncoupling in white fat. FEBS Letters, 539(1-3):245-248 (2003)). However, various thiazolidinediones have been withdrawn from the market or development has discontinued due to relatively high hepatotoxicity. (Isley, Hepatotoxicity of thiazolidinediones. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 2(6):581-586 (2003)). Recently, overstimulation of PPAR gamma has also been implicated in increased chances of developing colorectal cancer. The withdrawal of troglitazone has led to concerns of the other thiazolidinediones also increasing the incidence of hepatitis and potential liver failure, an approximately 1 in 20,000 individual occurrence with troglitazone. Because of this, the FDA recommends two to three month checks of liver enzymes for the first year of thiazolidinedione therapy to check for this rare but potentially catastrophic complication. In addition, thiazolidinediones have a side effect of water retention, leading to edema. Recent studies have shown there may be an increased risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks with the thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone (Clinical Trials for Rosiglitazone, www.ClinicalTrials.gov).
The reduction of calories below baseline ad. Librium feeding levels (Calorie Restriction) is one method to induce AMPK activation. The extension of lifespan in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans are shown to be completely dependent on the activation (phosphorylation) of AMP-protein activated kinase (AMPK) and the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 (Greer, et al, An AMPK-FOXO pathway mediates longevity induced by a novel method of dietary restriction in C. elegans. Current Biology 9:17(19):1646-56 (2007)). Under Calorie Restriction, cellular energy depletion causes rising AMP levels, and an increase in the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) level as compared to the reduced level (NADH), results in activation of AMPK (Raphaloff-Phail, et al Biochemical regulation of mammalian AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity by NAD and NADH. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Manuscript M409574200 (2004)). While Calorie Restriction is a low-risk method to activate AMPK, it requires the reduction of baseline food consumption to levels that are not desirable to the majority of the population due to extreme hunger. The diet is extremely difficult to follow over time.
Strenuous exercise can also activate AMPK (Lee-Young, et al "AMPK activation is fiber type specific in human skeletal muscle: effects of exercise and short-term exercise training, Journal of Applied Physiology, 2009 July; 107(1); 283-9) however, again, this may not be desirable or achievable by the majority of the population.
In animal models, various stresses such as oxidative stress, hypoxia, ischemia and heat shock can activate AMPK (Towler, et. al, AMP-activated protein kinase in metabolic control and insulin signaling Circ Res. 100, 328-341 (2007). These stresses are not recommended as an AMPK activation agent.
Undoubtedly, activation of AMPK can aid in the prevention or treatment of disorders such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia and cancer. Current activation of AMPK which includes strenuous exercise, calorie restriction, pharmacological interventions mimetics metformin and resveratrol, and thiazolidinediones all have side effects which are detrimental or difficult to implement over time. Therefore, there exists a need in the market for an AMPK activator which has high bioavailability, low toxicity, and preferably is already a human metabolite which would lower overall pharmacological risk. The currently proposed invention meets those needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Activation of AMP-protein activated kinase by oxaloacetate compounds


A communication management method for a mobile communication device is provided and includes the steps of connecting first and second wireless communication units respectively to first and second service networks according to first and second information respectively provided by first and second Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs); using first wireless communication unit to establish first call connection with remote communication device and afterward comparing qualities of first and second signals respectively received from first and second service networks; when quality of second signal is superior to quality of first signal, using second wireless communication unit to dial first SIM to establish second call connection with first wireless communication unit and afterward automatically establishing first multi-call connection among first and second wireless communication units and remote communication device; and then automatically establishing third call connection between second wireless communication unit and remote communication device in place of first call connection.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to mobile communication devices and communication management methods thereof and, more particularly to mobile communication devices with multiple Subscriber Identity Module cards and communication management methods thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable devices such as handheld devices have become more and more technically advanced and multifunctional. For example, a handheld device may receive email messages, have an advanced contact management application, allow media playback, and have various other functions. Because of the conveniences of devices with multiple functions, the devices have become necessities of life.
As user habits change, more and more mobile devices now feature the option having two or more Subscriber Identity Module cards (SIM cards) on a single device in order to support multiple mobile numbers to be used at the same time. In such a mobile device with more than two SIM cards, each SIM card corresponds to a mobile number from a different service provider. Users may switch between mobile numbers depending on call location, signal strength, call cost, and other criteria.
However, when calling through a mobile device with multiple SIM cards, if signals become weaken during a call due to factors such as roaming into an area with weaker signals, the user may need to drop the call, switch to another mobile number, and dial again. This not only wastes call time, but also affects call quality and increases power consumption, thus causing the user inconvenience.

Mobile communication device and communication management method thereof


In a mobile communication system, a mobile terminal can designate a communication quality in requesting communication. A radio base station is connected to the mobile terminal through a radio channel. A radio network controller is connected to the radio base station to control the communication quality between the mobile terminal and the radio base station. The radio network controller includes a communication request reception determination unit. Upon receiving a communication request which designates the communication quality from the mobile terminal, the communication request reception determination unit determines whether the received communication request is to be received, on the basis of a communication quality provided to communication which requests without communication quality.

The present invention relates to a mobile communication system having a radio network controller for controlling the communication quality between a mobile terminal and a radio base station.
Along with popularization of the Internet, the number of users who access the Internet using mobile terminals is increasing. Conventionally, for a fixed network, Diffserv for priority control (K. Nichols, et al., "Definition of the Differentiated Services Field (DS Field) in the IPv4 and IPv6 Headers", IETF RFC2474, December 1998) or RSVP for bandwidth reservation (R. Ed, et al., "Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) Version 1 Functional Specification", IETF RFC2205, September 1997) has been examined to satisfy the communication quality requested by users.
In a mobile communication system, however, the communication quality requested by users cannot be satisfied only by priority control or bandwidth reservation. The communication quality in a mobile communication system largely depends on the error rate in a radio zone. As a method of reducing the error rate in the radio zone, retransmission control or an error correcting code is used. When retransmission control or an error correcting code is used, a necessary bandwidth widens. When the necessary bandwidth is ensured as a predetermined width in the communication bandwidth of a radio channel, the utilization efficiency of the radio channel cannot be improved.


The cladding material 10 comprises an Fe-based metal substrate 1 consisting of Fe or an Fe-alloy, a Ni-based metal layer 2 placed on the Fe-based metal substrate 1 and a metal mesh 3 placed on the Ni-based metal layer 2 in opposition to the Fe-based metal substrate 1 with the Ni-based metal layer 2 inbetween. Furthermore, a corrosion resistant metal lining 4 is placed in contact with the metal mesh 3 in opposition to the Ni-based metal layer 2 with the metal mesh 3 inbetween. The Fe-based metal substrate 1, the Ni-based metal layer 2, the metal mesh 3 and the metal lining 4 are bonded together by seam welded portion 8, which is provided in a planer or a linear form by using roller electrodes 6. The metal lining 4 consists of a metal whose main component is the one selected from Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta and Ni, or consisting of a stainless steel.

As a method for bonding a corrosion resistant metal lining (such as Ti (titanium) or Zr (zirconium)) to an Fe (iron)-based or a Cu (copper)-based metal substrate, various methods, such as explosion bonding, rolling process and spot welding, has been proposed or performed. In the explosion bonding process, a corrosion resistant metal plate and a metal substrate are overlapped and bonded by a charge of explosive powder placed thereon. In the rolling process, a corrosion resistant metal plate and a metal substrate are overlapped and roll-bonded together between a pair of rolls.
However, following problem may occur in the conventional method described above.
(1) In explosion bonding, the sites for performing the process may be limited because of the noise accompanying the explosion detonation. In addition, the production costs are relatively high, and the shape and/or dimension of the cladding material is limited. Furthermore, numerous production steps are necessary for producing a thin plate-like cladding material, because only a thick material is directly produced by means of explosive bonding, and consequently a rolling operation is necessary to obtain a thin one.
(2) The rolling process typically requires an expensive rolling facility and cannot cover irregular shapes or curvature of the substrate. Therefore the only possible shape is only a flat plate. The bonding force between the substrate and the lining typically tends to be weaker than that achieved by the explosion bonding process, so that in many cases an additional diffusion heat treatment is needed for securing the bonding strength. This may lead to an increase in the steps and cost of the process.
(3) The spot welding process is time-consuming since many spot-welded portion should be formed to bond the substrate and the lining. Furthermore, each welded portion is formed in a spot-like shape, so that the bonding force at the welded portion is relatively weak, and a strong sealing is not achieved between the substrate and the lining.
The object of this invention is to offer a cladding material which is produced easily by using seam welding process and has an excellent bonding strength.


A steering wheel cover in the form of an elongated endless resilient member or band with an endless bungee cord secured along each lateral edge. The cover has a substantially flat relaxed state, for packaging and display purposes, from which state the member may be stretched to a limited extent to allow a central portion of the band to extend around the periphery of the steering wheel rim with the lateral edges extending inwardly beyond the cross-sectional center point of the rim with the bungee cord being placed in tension to retain the cover in place.

Steering wheels are a common item in almost all motor vehicles (excluding motorcycles) and are formed in the shape of a circular ring or rim supported by a hub attached to a steering shaft. The circular ring or rim of steering wheels, being gripped by a driver's hands is subjected to considerable wear and accumulated dirt and debris as the vehicle is used. Steering wheel covers are in common use to mitigate many of such problems as well as improving the aesthetic appearance of the wheel. An example of a steering wheel 10 having a hub 10a and a rim 10b is illustrated in FIG. 1.
One common prior art cover 12 is in the form of an endless strap of non-flexible material, which is arranged to be positioned over a major portion of the circumference of the rim. See FIG. 2. The lateral edges are then sewn or stitched together by the motorist via thick thread or cord 12a, to substantially encompass the rim leaving spaces for the joinder of the rim to the hub. The illustrated steering wheel includes G.M.'s famous bow tie Chevrolet trademark. While this type of cover serves to protect the rim and may add ambience to the steering wheel, the sewing or stitching procedure is time consuming rendering the cover not particularly user friendly.
Another common prior art cover 14, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is in the form of an endless band of flexible, but not stretchable material, e.g., cloth 14a, with the material looped and sewed, via thread, along each outside lateral edge to enclose a circular or endless rubber band (not shown). To ensure that the rubber band has sufficient strength to firmly maintain the cover on the steering wheel rim it must be relatively thick which results in the cover forming a bunched oblong shape in its relaxed state (FIG. 4) and requires considerable stretching force to be placed around the steering wheel rim. Again, the installation of this type of cover is not particularly user friendly. In addition, the cover in its relaxed bunched up state does not lend itself to a compact package for display purposes. Further, the rubber band, in it's stretched state, is subjected to considerable tensile force resulting in the tendency of the band to break over time.
Other types of prior art steering wheel covers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,748,822; 5,743,154; and 5,848,559. Each of these patented covers have their own shortcomings such as cost, etc. There is a need for a steering wheel cover which overcomes these shortcomings.


The disclosure relates to a security method in a radio access network system. A shared secret key is stored in both a user device and a core network system. A further secret key is received from the core network system, wherein the further secret key has been derived using the shared secret key stored in the core network system. One or more values are provided over the radio interface to the user device to derive the further secret key in the user device from at least the shared secret key stored in the user device and one or more of the one or more values provided over the radio interface. An authentication procedure and/or a key agreement procedure is performed for the user device over the wireless radio interface using the received further secret key in the radio access network system and the derived further secret key in the user device.

During the last decade, mobile telecommunications has become the predominant form of communications and further growth is expected in the years to come. Mobile telecommunications relies on the existence of a radio access network system providing radio coverage by means of base stations (e.g. (e)NodeBs) in areas through which mobile user devices can move. The base stations are connected to a core network system of a telecommunications network of a telecommunications provider in order to allow communication services to be established. The core network system comprises several further telecommunications nodes.
One such node is the Home Subscriber System (HSS). The HSS has two functions, viz. (1) storing user subscription information and updating this information when necessary and (2) generating security information from one or more secret keys. The secret keys are normally shared between the HSS and the (U)SIM in the user device and should be kept secret, i.e. a shared secret key. Security information is derived using the secret key. The security information is used for device authentication and/or, in 3G and 4G networks, network authentication and to ensure that data transferred over the radio path is encrypted. For 3G networks, a detailed description of the security can be found in 3GPP TS 33.102; for 4G networks in 3GPP TS 33.401.
A new project has been launched in 3GPP to study Isolated E-UTRAN operation for Public Safety (3GPP TR 22.897). The core network system may be unavailable to the radio access network system (i.e. the radio access network system is isolated) for a variety of reasons. A catastrophic event may have occurred (e.g. an earthquake, flooding, explosion) or hardware or software failures may occur in the telecommunications system. In one particular example, the connection link between one or more base stations (that as such are still able to provide radio coverage for the user devices for one or more communication services) and the core network system may be broken. In one other example, the connection link with the base station is operational, but other parts of the core network do not operate appropriately such that the central database cannot be accessed.
Other cases wherein the core network system is not or not continuously available include stand-alone networks providing coverage or additional capacity in some areas that are not or not sufficiently covered by the primary radio access network. A specific example includes military missions where a truck could carry a radio access network enabling communication amongst the military personnel in the area covered by the mobile radio access network.
WO 2011/134039 discloses a method of establishing communication lines during a failure within a mobile communications network. A base station may assume a survivability mode if disruptions are detected. In the survivability mode, survivability components may be activated within a base station that enable communications and services to be provided by the base stations. One survivability component includes an authenticator providing authentication and authorization for mobile devices in the coverage area of the base stations. The authenticator survivability component performs the function of the authentication centre AuC of the core network system and stores the secret keys.
This method is disadvantageous from a security perspective. Whereas the AuC element or AuC part of a core network system is a highly secure and rigorously protected environment, this is less so for base stations. Storing the original secret key in each base station may therefore endanger communication security. If the authenticator survivability component gets compromised, the security of all user devices for which the shared secret key is stored in the base station is compromised.
There exists a need in the art for a more secure solution to provide a local authentication function for a base station or set of base station.

Method and system for providing security from a radio access network

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO


Systems and methods for reducing or eliminating backlash to control gear rattle include a planetary gear set with a planet carrier including a first part that supports at least one forward-torque carrying planet gear that has at least one tooth contacting a drive side of gear teeth of an associated sun gear and ring gear and a second part that supports at least one reverse-torque carrying gear that has at least one tooth contacting a coast side of gear teeth of the associated sun gear and ring gear, the second part of the carrier being rotationally biased relative to the first part to reduce or eliminate effective backlash of the gear set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling gear rattle by substantially eliminating backlash in a planetary gear set.
2. Background Art
Mating gear teeth in a pair of gears have an inherent amount of backlash attributable to clearance required to accommodate manufacturing variation and thermal expansion, which may allow an unacceptable amount of rattle during operation, particularly when experiencing frequent torque reversals between left and right hand (also referred to as clockwise/counter clockwise, positive/negative, drive/coast, or forward/reverse) torques. Prior art solutions to this problem include reduction or elimination of backlash by varying the center distance between gears or changing tooth thickness. One solution to eliminating backlash in external gears is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,441 in which one of the gears is split axially into two parts that are under spring load, rotatable relative to each other. One part of the split gear maintains tight contact against the driving face of the mating gear, and the other part against the coasting face. To eliminate backlash, the spring preload has to be at least as large as the maximum load that will be imposed upon the spring during operation of the gear. This solution is applied to non-planetary type gears and requires one of the gears to be axially split.
To reduce backlash related rattle in a planetary type gear set as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,396, a planetary gear set includes an output shaft rotatably supporting two planet gears engaging an internal gear fixed to a housing and a sun gear at the end of the input shaft. Supports for the planet gears are circumferentially movable during a manual adjustment procedure with respect to each other in order to eliminate backlash. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,432 describes a planetary gear set having a divided-type carrier that can be twisted using axial holes to manually adjust for backlash during or after assembly. Manually adjusting backlash as described in these disclosures may result in additional noise and produce high internal stresses related to gear run-out and an associate tight contact or binding condition during subsequent operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,359 discloses a reduction gear assembly having low elasticity between planet gears to provide elastic compliance between input and output members in forward as well as backward directions of torque transmission. The low elasticity in both forward and backward directions could lead to unacceptable vibrational resonance if the input or output is subjected to torsional vibrations. U.S. Published App. No. 2003/0073537 discloses a differential planetary gear system having an additional planetary gear at each position, an additional ring gear and a pre-load mechanism to reduce backlash.

System and method for reducing backlash in a planetary gear set


A system for authenticating a memory card including: a capacity switching-type memory card host device including a capacity switch notification module which notifies a memory card targeted for exchanging information that the capacity switching-type memory card host device handles a capacity switching-type memory card, and a capacity switch authentication module which authenticates whether the targeted memory card is the capacity switching-type memory card; a capacity switching-type memory card including a capacity switching-type controller which flags the large-capacity expression register use flag on receipt of notification of being the capacity switching-type memory card host device; and a bus which transmits and receives data between the capacity switching-type memory card host device and the capacity switching-type memory card.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory card authentication system, a capacity switching-type memory card host device, a capacity switching-type memory card, a storage capacity setting method, and a storage capacity setting program, which are capable of adopting a conventional capacity expression with an internal register and a new capacity expression and are capable of using a plurality of capacity expressions while switching the capacity expressions.
2. Description of the Related Art
A memory card containing a rewritable nonvolatile memory, which does not lose information saved therein even if a power supply is turned off, is a storage device for saving digital information for a device for controlling the digital information, such as a digital camera, a portable music player or a personal digital assistance (such a device will be hereinafter referred to as a "memory card host device"). Such a memory card includes a register for indicating a storage capacity; however, the momentum of increases in memory size will soon surpass the capacity which the register can express.
There are disclosed some technologies related to memory cards, such as a recording device which includes two memory cards in order to physically increase a storage capacity (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-325127).
It is necessary to consider a new method for expressing a storage capacity in order to increase a capacity of a memory card. However, when a current register is simply replaced, such a capacity switching-type memory card cannot be used with a conventional memory card host device.

Memory card authentication system, capacity switching-type memory card host device, capacity switching-type memory card, storage capacity setting method, and storage capacity setting program


A bobbin exchange system applied to a ring spinning frame provided with a unique creel mechanism, wherein a pair of parallel rails is provided for supporting respective bobbin carriages. Each bobbin carriage is provided with two alignments of bobbin hangers, to a number which is identical to a number of spindles of each side of the ring spinning frame. When roving bobbins supported by the bobbin carriage supported by one of the above-mentioned supporting rails reach an almost exhausted condition, a roving bobbin exchange operation between full packaged roving bobbins suspended by the corresponding bobbin hangers of the other bobbin carriage supported by another supporting rail is carried out, and upon completion of the above-mentioned roving bobbin exchange operation, the first-mentioned bobbin carriage is discharged from the first-mentioned supporting rail and then a fresh bobbin carriage supporting full packaged roving bobbins is introduced into the first-mentioned supporting rail by means of a conventional bobbin carriage transporting system. The above-mentioned roving bobbin exchange operation is repeated between the above-mentioned two supporting rails without stopping the spinning operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for exchanging almost exhausted roving bobbins with full packaged roving bobbins in a ring spinning frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several methods of carrying out an exchange of almost exhausted roving bobbins with full packaged roving bobbins applied to the conventional ring spinning frame have been proposed. For example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Sho 50(1975)-76341 discloses such a method. (Hereinafter referred to as a first method). To carry out the first method of exchanging roving bobbins in the conventional ring spinning frame, a transporting pallet provided with a plurality of bobbin hangers arranged in twin parallel alignments is displaceably mounted on a transporting rail disposed at a creel position of the ring spinning frame. In this first method, first, full packaged roving bobbins are held by the bobbin hanger of the transporting pallet, and the spinning operation of the ring spinning frame provided with a plurality of draft units is started by feeding rovings from the respective full packaged roving bobbins of the transporting pallets which have been positioned at the creel position of the ring spinning frame. Then when the roving bobbins reach an exhausted condition, the driving of the ring spinning frame is stopped, then the another transporting pallet provided with full packaged roving bobbins is introduced onto the transporting rail at the creel position, and after discharging the transporting pallet holding exhausted roving bobbins from the transporting rail at the creel position, the rovings from the full packaged roving bobbins are then introduced to the corresponding draft units, and the spinning operation is started again.
The Japanese Examined Patent Publication Sho 60(1985)-14848 discloses another method of carrying out the roving bobbin exchange operation which is applied to the conventional ring spinning frame. This method is hereinafter referred to as the second method. In the invention disclosed by the above-mentioned publication, to carry out the second method of exchanging the roving bobbins, a transportation rail is arranged at a position outside the twin parallel alignment of bobbin hangers which was arranged at the creel position of the spinning frame, at both sides thereof, and a bobbin carriage provided with a plurality of bobbin hangers, to a number which is not less than the number of bobbin hangers of the above-mentioned twin alignments of the bobbin hangers, is displaceably mounted on the transportation rail. In this method, the spinning operation of the ring spinning frame is started when half exhausted rovings are held by the bobbin hangers of the back side (inside) alignments of the bobbin hangers and full packaged roving bobbins are held by the bobbin hangers of the front side (outside) alignments of the bobbin hangers, in a condition such that a taper effect is obtained between the above-mentioned twin alignments of bobbin hangers, and when the half exhausted roving bobbins reach an almost exhausted condition, while the full packaged roving bobbins reach an almost half exhausted condition, the almost exhausted roving bobbins are exchanged with the full packaged roving bobbins of the bobbin carriage, while rovings from the respective almost exhausted roving bobbins are severed so that free ends of rovings to be feed to the respective draft units of the roving frame are created, and these free ends of the respective rovings are pieced with the corresponding free ends of rovings from the respective full packaged roving bobbins. Immediately after or before this operation of exchanging roving bobbins, the bobbin hangers positioned in the front side alignment are exchanged with the bobbin hangers positioned in the backside alignment. As mentioned above, in this method, the roving bobbin exchange operation is carried out between one of the twin alignments of the bobbin hangers with the bobbin hangers on the bobbin carriage.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Sho 63(1988)-256728 disclosed another method of exchanging the roving bobbins applied to the conventional ring spinning frame. This type of method of carrying out the roving bobbin exchange operation is hereinafter referred to as the third method. In the third method, each side of a spinning frame is provided with at least three creel positions, each creel position is capable of supporting a member provided with a plurality of bobbin hangers in alignment. For a better understanding of the third method, the embodiment disclosed in the specification of this invention is hereinafter explained. Each member can be transported between a roving room and a spinning room, and any combination of two creel positions are always occupied by the above-mentioned member holding roving bobbins for supplying rovings to the respective draft units, in such a way that the rovings from the roving bobbins of one of the above-mentioned two members are supplied to the corresponding draft units, which are alternate draft units from one end of the arrangement of the draft units, while the rovings from the roving bobbins held by the other one of the above-mentioned two members are supplied to the respective draft units, which are the draft units other than the above-mentioned draft units of the identical side of the spinning frame. In other words, the first and second members supply rovings to half of the draft units of the one side of the spinning frame, alternately. Regarding the other creel position which can be any one of the above-mentioned three creel positions, the above-mentioned combination of two members is maintained in a condition to receive a member holding a number of full packaged roving bobbins which is identical to the number of first and second members. To carry out the third method of exchanging roving bobbins, the first member held roving bobbins having a smaller size than the roving bobbins held by the second member, whereby a taper effect is applied between the above-mentioned two members. During the spinning operation, when the roving bobbins having the smaller size reach an almost exhausted condition, the rovings from the almost exhausted roving bobbins are severed so that a free end is created of each roving being fed to the corresponding one of the draft units, and then the above-mentioned free end of each roving is pieced with an end of a roving from the corresponding one of the full packaged roving bobbins held by the third member. Therefore, in the third method, the roving bobbin exchange operation is carried out between either one of the above-mentioned two members and the above-mentioned third member, without stopping the spinning operation.
As explained in the first-mentioned prior art, the method and apparatus for transporting the bobbin carriage along the overhead transporting rail is well known in the prior art. Besides the disclosure of the first-mentioned prior art, in the disclosure of Japanese Examined Patent Publication Sho 63(1988)-29016 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Sho 62(1987)-263332, a battery car is utilized to displace the bobbin carriage along the transporting rail, and thus provide useful technical information as to the state of the art at the time of the present invention.
In the experience of the present inventors, the above-mentioned three methods for exchanging roving bobbins have respective problems which should be solved.
Namely, the first method has an advantage such that the almost exhausted roving bobbins of twin alignments arranged at the creel position can be exchanged with the full packaged roving bobbins at one time, but a drawback arises in that the above-mentioned roving bobbin exchange operation must be carried out after stopping the driving of the spinning frame, and thus the productivity of the ring spinning frame is lowered.
The second method has an advantage such that the roving bobbin exchange operation can be carried out without stopping the driving of the roving frame. Nevertheless, it is necessary to use an apparatus for exchanging the exhausted roving bobbins with the full packaged roving bobbins and an apparatus for exchanging the relative position of the front side alignment of the bobbin hangers and the back side alignment of the roving bobbins, and accordingly, an increase of the installation cost for these apparatuses is inevitable. Moreover, in this method, it is essential to position the roving bobbins in a tapered arrangement between the twin alignments of roving bobbins at the creel position, and therefore, when it is necessary to change the kind of yarns produced by the spinning frame, the preparation of roving bobbins on these bobbin hangers becomes difficult, and further, if various kinds of yarn on a small production scale are to be produced, the above-mentioned problem becomes serious.
On the other hand, the third method, has an advantage in that the roving bobbin exchange operation can be carried out without stopping the driving of the spinning frame, but since the tapered arrangement of the roving bobbins between at least twin alignments of bobbin hangers is essential, the problem arising when the kind of yarn to be produced is changed, which is similar to the problem of the second method mentioned above, still remains.

Sytem for exchanging roving bobbins applied to a ring spinning frame


Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for detecting gas by: illuminating, with a controllable illuminator system, a scene with light including radiation within the infrared (IR) wavelength range; controlling the illuminator system to emit light at a first wavelength corresponding to a first absorption level of a gas and at a second wavelength corresponding to a second absorption level of a gas, such that an equal amount of radiant energy over a time period is emitted onto the scene for each of said first and second wavelengths; and capturing a first IR image of the scene being illuminated with light at said first wavelength and a second IR image of the scene illuminated with light at said second wavelength, and comparing said first and second IR images to determine whether a characteristic for at least one specific gas is represented in said first and/or second IR images.

Thermal, or infrared (IR), images of scenes are often useful for monitoring, inspection and/or maintenance purposes, e.g. for monitoring gas leaks at an industrial plant. Typically, a thermal imaging device, e.g. in the form of a thermography arrangement or an infrared IR camera, is provided with an IR detector to capture infrared (IR) image data values, representing infrared radiation emitted from an observed real world scene. The captured IR image can after capturing be displayed and analyzed on a display, either in the thermal imaging device or in a computing device such as a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop or a desktop computer. Thermal imaging devices might be used for detecting gas and producing a visual representation of a gas image of an observed real world scene, e.g. thereby visualizing gas leaks as smoke like images on the camera's viewfinder, on an inbuilt LCD, or on an external computing device, thereby allowing the user to see or visualize fugitive gas emissions. For many gases, the ability to absorb infrared radiation depends on the wavelengths of the radiation. In other words, their degree of transparency to IR radiation varies with the wavelength of the infrared radiation. There may be IR wavelengths that make some gases appear essentially opaque due to absorption by those gases while other IR wavelengths make those gases appear essentially transparent due to little or no absorption of light by those gases. Physical property databanks exist that contain infrared absorption data, also referred to as absorption spectra, for many substances. To determine the infrared absorption spectra for a gas, a sample is placed in an IR spectrometer and the absorption (or transmission) of infrared radiation is measured at different wavelengths. The resulting absorption data are normally represented as graphs, also referred to as spectra or gas spectra. When IR radiation is emitted from an observed real world scene and captured as an IR image by a thermal imaging device, gas can be detected as areas in the IR image containing gas in relation to areas in the IR image not containing gas. The reason for this is that the IR radiation from the observed real world scene will be attenuated differently depending on if gas is present or not. This difference in attenuation depends on the amount of gas molecules or the concentration of gas molecules in the path between the observed real world scene and the thermal imaging devices. The minimum concentration of gas or the minimum amount of gas that can be detected depends largely on the sensitivity of the thermal imaging device.
Some conventional thermal imaging devices use a filter that restricts the camera to operating in a narrow spectral range representing an absorption wavelength where the gas to be detected has high absorption, thereby selectively enhancing the detection and visualization of gas, e.g. a gas leak. Some conventional thermal imaging devices further use an IR sensor cooling arrangement allowing the filter, optical path and IR sensor to operate at cryogenic temperatures, thereby improving the sensitivity of the thermal imaging device.
However, a problem with conventional systems is that the sensitivity of the thermal imaging device might be too low to detect gas of a certain concentration. Yet another problem with conventional systems is that they are complex, are relatively large in size, are relatively heavy, have high manufacturing costs and increase overall power consumption, which in the case of a portable unit results in reduced usage time, e.g. when operating on batteries. Yet another problem with conventional systems is that the filter is adapted to a particular wavelength and cannot be used for a broad range of gases with varying gas absorption or transmission of infrared radiation.
Therefore, there is a need to address the problems of conventional systems to improve gas concentration sensitivity in gas imaging with reduced complexity, size, weight, manufacturing cost and/or overall power consumption for imaging for example a wide range of gases without hardware reconfigurations that result in high cost and weight increase.

Broad range gas illumination and imaging


A seal for sealing the fuel injector from a valve mount opening of a cylinder head, the seal radially surrounding the region of the discharge-side end of a fuel injector, sealingly rests on the valve mount opening opening via a first section. By way of at least an axial partial section, which extends only across a portion of the axial height of the seal, the seal is fitted in the region of the discharge-side end of the fuel injector in integral fashion, by form-fit and/or force-locking.

From German Published Patent Application No. 101 09 407, for instance, a fuel injector having a seal situated on the discharge side is known. The seal, which is made of a copper-tin alloy or stainless steel, for example, is situated in an annular groove radially surrounding a nozzle body and in this way is axially fixed in place with form-locking and seals the fuel injector from a cylinder head.
A particular disadvantage of the fuel injector known from the aforementioned printed publication is that because of the completely form-fitting embedding of the seal the seal cannot be placed as close to the transition to the combustion chamber as desired. This allows gases or fuel present in the combustion chamber to penetrate the gap situated between the discharge-side end of the fuel injector and the cylinder head, and results in leakages at the seal in that, for instance, the seal is lifted off the annular groove, or uncombusted fuel deposits in the gap, which can have a detrimental effect on the exhaust gas.


A position calculation method includes: by using a current position of a mobile object, a link candidate point position, an error variance of positions of a plurality of links included in a region around the current position, and an error variance of azimuths of the plurality of links, calculating, an evaluation value that corresponds to a probability that the mobile object is traveling upon a road corresponding to each link candidate point, for each link including the each link candidate point; and calculating the current position based upon the evaluation value, by taking the mobile object as being positioned at a link candidate point, among a plurality of link candidate points, for which the probability is highest.

It is per se known to determine an estimated position for a vehicle, to calculate the limit error of the estimated position occurring due to error in the estimated position and error in the road map, to extract the links that are within the range of the limit error of the estimated position, to implement map matching to these links, and thus to calculate the position of the vehicle (refer to Patent Literature #1).
With this prior art technique of Patent Literature #1, by extracting the links while considering, not only error in the estimated position of the vehicle, but also error in the link data, it is possible to implement map matching to the links and also to determine whether the vehicle has deviated from a road, according to error in the estimated position of the vehicle and also error of the links.

Position calculation method and position calculation apparatus


The present invention refers to a system for the metabolization of organic substances, comprising at least one housing with an elongated space. The housing has at least one inlet opening at the top end portion for the introduction of liquids with organic substances therein and at least one outlet opening for liquids at the bottom end portion. The inlet opening and the outlet opening are in communication with the elongated space, where the elongated space extends from the top end portion to the bottom end portion of the housing. Further, the system for metabolization comprises at least one planting opening provided on the housing between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for the accommodation of a support element for plants, the planting opening being in communication with the elongated space, and a porous filler material provided in the elongated space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a system and a method for the metabolization of organic substances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Organic substances are often in the form of waste, such as kitchen waste or even urine, which are most often introduced into the normal waste or waste water cycle and are disposed of unused.
Often, organic waste is added to the residual waste, with the wet waste thus created posing problems to the waste management companies, since high-quality composite waste has to be supplied in waste incineration to keep the combustion process going.
In rural areas kitchen waste is often recycled in a composting process. In cities, however, such a possibility does not exist or is not desired because of unpleasant odors.
In creating bioregenerative life support systems it is also an object to recycle organic waste materials in a sensible manner.

System for the metabolization of organic substances and method for the metabolization of organic substances

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.


An imaging apparatus including at least an imaging device having a plurality of photoelectric transfer devices arranged in matrix-shape to detect a light irradiated to each photoelectric transfer device and transfer to electric signal, and imaging means for imaging an image of a photogenic object on a surface of the imaging devices. The imaging means images at least two similar images of the photogenic subject on different area of the surface of the imaging device, and the imaging apparatus further includes electric signal processing means to form one image of photogenic subject from at least two images of photogenic subject. Since a plurality of images of photogenic subject can be formed on the imaging device by a plurality of image formation lenses, a thinner imaging apparatus can be realized.

The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for still picture or moving pictures to photograph photogenic subjects.
Imaging apparatuses using, as imaging devices, solid imaging devices such as CCD, CMOS and artificial retina chips have been used for still cameras or video cameras. Recently, in addition to the single device which has made photography a main purpose, an imaging apparatus capable of being installed in and connected to personal computers, portable information terminals or mobile phones is designed. When the characteristics of these information devices are considered, miniaturization of imaging apparatuses is a very important factor.
FIG. 14 shows a constitutional view of a conventional solid imaging system disclosed in e.g. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 227962/1998 and No. 293236/1998. In FIG. 14, 101 shows a photogenic subject, 102 an image formation lens to image the photogenic subject on the surface of an imaging device, 103 an imaging device having matrix-shaped photoelectric transfer devices to transfer to electric signals corresponding to optical intensity formed by an image 105 of photogenic subject imaged by image formation lens, and 104 a lens-barrel carrying the lens. Hereinbelow, filters such as low-pass filters and infrared filter are omitted in FIG. 14 for simplification.
Next, the operation is explained. A ray of light reflected by the photogenic subject 101 or generated by the photogenic subject 101 images the image 105 of the photogenic subject on the imaging device 103 by the image formation lens 102. Many photoelectric transfer devices are arranged on the imaging device 103, one photoelectric transfer device detects the optical intensity reaching a certain space and transfers light to electric signal corresponding to the optical intensity, and it is possible to reproduce the image of photogenic subject 105 imaged on whole of the imaging device on a display or the like by these electric signals and positional informations of arrangement of photoelectric transfer devices.
The brightness and the angle of field show the characteristics of optical system for imaging apparatuses. The brightness indicates a standard of brightness of the photogenic subject which can be photographed when the diaphragm is opened, and ordinarily F number indicates the brightness. When "a" shows the effective diameter of lens and "f" indicates the focal length of lens, the formula "F number=f/a" is given. Moreover, the angle of field indicates the field of the photogenic subject which can be photographed by the imaging system, that is, the field which the imaging device can stare through lens. For example, when the surface of the imaging device has the opposite angle b=½ inch (12.7 mm) and the shape is same as an ordinary television display having the hight and width in the ratio of three to four, the hight of the imaging device is (⅗)×b, and the width is (⅘)×b. When "L" (in the case of infinite focus, equal to approximately f) shows the distance from lens to the imaging device, the angle of field is given by the following formulasThe vertical angle of field=2×tan−1(((⅗)×b/2)/L)  (1)The horizontal angle of field=2×tan−1(((⅘)×b/2)/L)  (2)
Hereinbelow, assuming that a standard image formation lens for the imaging apparatus has F number of 2.8, and horizontal angle of field of 40°, the above formulas lead to f=13.96 mm, and a=4.98 mm. Therefore, the distance from the lens to the imaging device, that is, the thickness of the imaging apparatus is about 14 mm. On the other hand, the resolution of an image of the photogenic subject is determined by pixel pitches arranged in matrix-shape on the imaging device, and in the case of the imaging device having the opposite angle b=½ inch, to obtain an image having a width of 10.16 mm and VGA (640×480 pixels: the surface size of the imaging device shown in FIG. 13), the pixel pitch should be about 15.9 μm.
Now, FIG. 14 shows the resolution of a conventional imaging apparatus. In FIG. 14, X shows a position of the image formation lens, and Y an axis of the image formation lens. An arrow indicates the image and its size is 200 pixels. To explain simply, assuming that only the horizontal resolution is taken notice of and there is the photogenic subject having a width of 159 mm at a position of 698 mm from the lens, the distance L from the lens to the imaging device is 13.96 mm, so that the image of the photogenic subject will be reduced to 1/50 (13.96÷698) and be imaged on the imaging device. Accordingly, the size of the image of photogenic subject is 3.18 mm, and with respect to resolution, the image is read by the imaging device having 15.9 μm pitches, so that the image will be read by 200 pixels in the horizontal direction.
Since the conventional imaging apparatus has the above arrangement, the distance from the image formation lens to the light-receiving surface of imaging device must be long to gain a standard brightness and an angle of field, which makes imaging apparatuses thicker. Moreover, when the conventional imaging apparatus is installed to electronic machines, especially mobile phone machines, portable cameras, watches and portable information terminals, the size of these portable electronic machines becomes large because of a thick imaging system, and when connecting the conventional imaging apparatus to them, it is required to bring big imaging systems.
The present invention is made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a thin-modeled imaging apparatus with a thin imaging device, and a thin-modeled electronic machine and portable electronic machine capable of mounting thereon an imaging apparatus.

Imaging apparatus including a plurality of photoelectric transfer devices


A marine outboard drive having an outboard drive unit that includes a bevel gear forward, reverse transmission having hydraulically operated clutches. A hydraulic pump for actuating the clutches and for lubricating the transmission is driven off the rear end of the input shaft and control valve means selectively communicates the fluid from the hydraulic pump with the hydraulic clutches. The valve means is a rotary plug type valve but is constructed so as to minimize axial and radial forces acting that would tend to bind its movement. The construction of the outboard drive unit is such that the bevel gear transmission and hydraulically operated clutches can conveniently be inserted through like diameter oppositely facing openings formed in the upper end of the housing assembly of the outboard drive unit.

This invention relates to a change-over valve means for a hydraulic clutch of a marine propulsion unit and more particularly to an improved rotary plug type valve.
Hydraulic valves are employed for a wide variety of purposes and a rotary plug type valve is a type of valve that is used quite frequently. One example in which such a valve is employed, is in the clutch actuating system for a marine outboard drive. Such a system includes a bevel gear transmission that incorporates clutches for selectively clutching one or another of counter rotating bevel gears for rotation with a shaft to drive the shaft in selected forward or reverse directions.
Conventionally, some form of fluid pump is provided for selectively pressurizing the fluid and a control valve distributes the pressurized fluid to a selected one of the clutches for its actuation while, at the same time, dumping the pressure in the other clutch. A rotary type plug valve, as will be latter described, is normally employed for this purpose. However, rotary type plug valves have certain disadvantages.
In the first instance, a rotary plug valve normally has a large diameter cylindrical body that is supported for rotation in a valve housing for controlling the distribution of fluid under pressure. Normally the fluid is admitted to the plug valve through an axially extending bore that opens through one end of the valve and which is intersected by a radially disposed delivery port. The fluid pressure admitted to the valve always acts against the end of the valve and hence exerts an axial force acting against an end housing. Although thrust bearings are normally employed so as to facilitate rotation of the valve, the large fluid pressure acting on the valve due to the large area across which the pressure reacts can give rise to difficulties in operating the valve.
In addition to these difficulties, the radially extending delivery port also gives rise to a radial reactive force on the valve element which tends to cause it to bind against the cylindrical wall of the housing and further makes rotation of the valve difficult.
It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention to provide an improved rotary plug type valve.
It is a further object to this invention to provide a rotary plug type valve in which the axial forces acting on the valve are substantially minimized.
It is a further object to this invention to provide a rotary plug type valve in which radial forces on the valve are eliminated or balanced.

Change-over valve means for a hydraulic clutch of the marine propulsion unit


An apparatus is disclosed for sealing food containers using a sealing film. The apparatus includes a base, a container holder for holding a food container; a heater platen positioned within the base, and a pressure applicator positioned on a surface of the heater platen, the pressure applicator applies pressure to the heater platen causing the heater platen to move into engagement with the sealing film to thereby seal the sealing film to portions of the food container.

Various forms of apparatus are known in the prior art for sealing food containers. The following commonly assigned patents disclose various forms of tray sealing machines including machines that are automated or manual: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,784,858; 5,946,887; 6,499,271; 6,571,534; and 6,681,546. The machines disclosed in these U.S. patents are very effective at sealing food trays. However, there exists the need for a food container apparatus that is cheaper and easier to manufacture so as to be priced at a level so as to be economically attractive to a larger group of consumers.