A device and a method for reducing polarization-dependent effects in dynamical optical components based on surface modulation of a polymer gel or membrane is disclosed. The device and method modifies, removes or leads away unwanted reflections from incident light or information carrier communicating with said optical component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device and a method for reducing polarization-dependent effects in dynamical optical components based on surface modulation of a polymer gel or membrane, and specially to a device and method that modifies, removes or leads away unwanted reflections from incident light or information carrier communicating with said optical component.
2. Description of the Related Technology
The high cost of components, in particular for the more advanced components including many subparts, is slowing down the deployment of optical communication systems and the introduction of all-optical networks. Consequently, it is necessary to develop cost effective components that have the necessary specifications, but allow low-cost assembly and production methods to be used.
Dynamic or tunable components are of particular demand in fiber optic communication systems and the modules that such systems comprise. A performing, low-cost, and highly scalable dynamic optical component based on surface modulation of a polymer gel (or membrane) is documented in the Norwegian patent application no. 2002 4265.
The state of polarization of the light in an optical communication system fluctuates over time due to environmental effects on the system components (especially the optical fiber) and changes in the topography of the system. The performance of both the individual components and the modules that the system is built from, should therefore be as independent of the polarization state of the incoming light as possible, and change the polarization state as little as possible. These requirements ensure maximum transmission distance, maximum rate of information that can be transferred, and maximum number of nodes that can be passed in a network.
Several optical systems have been suggested for tunable diffraction gratings with applications to fiber optical components. One of the known methods is diffractive MEMS (D-MEMS) from companies like Light Connect and Silicon Light Machines.
These devices are based on a moveable diffraction grating consisting of at least two separate pieces. There are provided a stationary reflective bottom surface, and a moveable set of thin blades, the grating, that are made of etched silicon. The blades can be moved up and down by the application of an appropriate electrical field. The result is a diffraction grating, where the effective phase shift of the grating is given by the relative position of the blades and the reflective surface below. This arrangement can be used to make effective variable optical attenuators, but the set of blades must be processed out of silicon. This is an expensive process, and the yield of the process goes dramatically down as the system size increases. Components made from D-MEMS are hence effective and performing, but expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,522 discloses a light-modulating device comprising a glass prism attached with a reflection free glass backing plate, a transparent electrode and a deformable material such as silicon rubber. A substrate with addressable electrodes is arranged in parallel with the surface of said deformable silicon rubber with an air gap between the material and the substrate.

Method and device for reduction of polarization-dependent effects in a tunable optical component


A method for forming a bend in a tube of thermoplastic material by heating a pre-formed bend to a pre-determined temperature and maintaining the temperature substantially constant by the pulsed emission of infra-red radiation from one or more infra-red sources in response to the surface temperature of the tube detected by a remote temperature sensor.

This invention concerns an improved method and apparatus for shaping thermoplastic tubes. As used herein, the term "tube" includes hoses, pipes and similar conduits, whether of single or multi-layer construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,124 owned by the assignee of this invention discloses a method and apparatus for shaping a thermoplastic tube by contactless heating a pre-formed bend region of the tube with a pulsed emission of infra-red radiation to conform the tube to a required bend configuration followed by cooling to retain the required bend configuration while the tube is supported on a former.
The pulsed emission is effected by switching one or more remote infra-red sources on and off to provide a series of separate pulses of which the duration of each pulse and the interval between successive pulses is timed.
For a given pulse duration and pulse interval, the overall number of pulses to achieve the required heating can be calculated. For example, a heating cycle may consist of 20 pulses of which the duration of each pulse is 1.2 seconds and the interval between successive pulses is 2.0 seconds.
Although the method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,124 generally performs satisfactorily, it has been found that such time based control of the heating cycle can cause problems if substantial differences in ambient temperature occur requiring "running changes" to be made to the number of pulses.


A printer includes: a print performing unit which can change a structure thereof and in which contents of an executable printing process change depending on the structure; an apparatus name information storing unit which stores a plurality of apparatus name information as identification information of the apparatus coordinated with the structure; and a request responding unit for transmitting the apparatus name information coordinated with the structure at that time when a prescribed request is received among the plurality of apparatus name information to an apparatus transmitting the request.

The present invention relates to a printer.
As well-known, of devices performing a printing operation such as printers, copying machines, complex machines, etc. (refer them to as printers, hereinafter), there are devices capable of operating as devices in which the contents (kind, number) of an executable printing process are different by changing their structures (add optional components/change components).
Specifically, in existing printers, there are some printers capable of operating as color printers capable of a color printing and a monochromatic printing and as monochromatic printers capable of only a monochromatic printing by changing ink cartridges, printer heads, toner cartridges, etc (for instance, see JP-A-2002-192810). Further, there are some printers in which a staple process or a punch hole process may be carried out by adding a component called a finisher.
In the case that the printer as described above (designate it as a structure-changeable printer, hereinafter) is used in a network environment, for example, when the structure-changeable printer which has no function of a printer server is connected to and used in a network through the printer server or the like, and when the structure-changeable printer which has a function as the printer server is connected to and used in the network, a user may erroneously select the printer which cannot perform a printing operation of intended contents.
Specifically, information displayed on the display of a computer as the identification information of a network printer indicates a printer name outputted from each network printer (the structure-changeable printer). However, the structure-changeable printer serves as a printer in which kinds of executable processes are different depending on the structure at that time. Therefore, in the network to which the structure-changeable printer is connected, for example, the structure-changeable printer, which a user takes and selects as a color printer, may actually operate as a monochromatic printer. As a result, a situation that an intended printed result cannot be obtained (a color printing instructed to be performed finishes in an error, an instruction to perform a color printing cannot be outputted and a printed result different from an intended result is obtained) may occur.
Further, a window displayed by a program (what is called a printer driver) for operating the printer desirably includes no wasteful items (check boxes incapable of being selected, radio buttons, etc.) The existing structure-changeable printer is a printer in which such a program cannot be installed by a plug and play (a device interface standard which makes it possible to add an expansion card or the like to a system without requiring a manual setting of a user) This is because the existing structure-changeable printer serves as a printer for outputting the same device ID (information used as the identification information of the printer upon installing a program by a plug and play) without depending on the structure.
Beside, in order to reduce the design and production cost of the printers, the maker ordinarily designs a board for each printer in such a way that when a jumper line is attached to a board for one machine, the board functions as aboard for the other machine. Further, the maker forms extremely similar products as farm wares respectively for the printers.
Specifically, in the existing printers, there are some printers which can operate as printers of other types of machines (more functional printers) (in other words, an apparatus whose functions can be inexpensively improved) when an operation for attaching jumper lines and an operation for changing farm wares are carried out. However, since the existing printers are not designed so that an end user may perform an operation for attaching the jumper lines, the end user side extremely hardly improves the functions of the printers (changes the types of machines of the printers) by carrying out the above-described operations.
Beside, of a printer capable of only monochromatic printing (herein after referred as monochromatic printer), there are printers which, upon reception of print job data requesting (instructing) color printing, produce monochromatic printed material based on the received print job data without informing an error.
Conditions where the monochromatic printer receives the print job data requesting color printing occur when a user erroneously set a printing condition or install a printer driver not for the his/her printer. A monochromatic printed material produced by the monochromatic printer based on the printing job data requesting color printing is of a poor quality as compared with a monochromatic printed material produced bas on the printer job data requesting monochromatic printing.


An error response test system and method with increased functionality and improved performance is provided. The error response test system provides the ability to inject errors into the application under test to test the error response of the application under test in an automated and efficient manner. The error response system injects errors into the application through a test mask variable. The test mask variable is added to the application under test. During normal operation, the test mask variable is set to allow the application under test to operate normally. During testing, the error response test system can change the test mask variable to introduce an error into the application under test. The error response system can then monitor the application under test to determine whether the application has the correct response to the error.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to testing of computer systems.
2. Background Art
Modern life is becoming more dependent upon computers. Computers have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and may be found in many different applications. These applications involve everything from application specific computers found in everyday devices such as automobiles, phones and other electronics, to the general purpose computers found in the form of PDAs, personal computers, servers and mainframes.
As computers become more integrated into daily life, their reliability becomes a greater and greater necessity. In order to ensure sufficient reliability it is necessary to thoroughly test computer systems. Thorough testing involves testing both the hardware and software of the computing system to ensure that the system operates properly in a wide range of situations.
One of the more difficult areas in computer system performance to test is the computer system's response to errors in operation. For example, it has been especially difficult to test built-in test routines for response to errors in those routines. The major difficulty in testing a computer's response to errors is in steps that need to be taken to inject the errors into the system. Typically, this has been accomplished with intrusive methods.
For example, a debugger or emulator is used to set breakpoints into the software at which the errors are injected by operator command. These methods are tedious, time consuming and not easily automated. Another method is to instrument the code to cause the error. This involves the creation of a special version of the software that is hard coded to cause the error. This approach raises several issues. The first being that multiple versions of the software must be maintained. The second issue is that the software being tested is no longer the actual operational software, and the actual operational software may in fact respond differently then the test software.
Additionally, it can be especially difficult to inject errors that represent hardware failures. Thus, it can be extremely difficult to evaluate software's response to hardware errors.
For these reasons, the computer system's response to errors may not be tested fully. Instead, only a few manual tests may be performed, and they may not be repeated as the application is modified in the future. Or in some cases, the failure conditions may not be tested at all.
Thus, what is needed is an improved testing system and method that provides for more complete testing of a computer system's response to errors.

Error response test system and method using test mask variable


A sectional rack, which can be assembled without using fastening elements and tools, includes rectangular vertical posts, foot members connected to lower front and lower rear ends of the vertical posts, hook members hooked to hanging holes provided on lateral faces of the vertical posts, and crossbars mounted to lower and higher positions between two adjacent vertical posts via the hook members. When the hook member is hooked to the hanging holes, an insertion slot is formed between the hook member and the lateral face of the vertical post. The crossbars are respectively formed on a lower portion at each of two lateral ends with an insertion section for firmly downward inserting into two insertion slots formed on two facing lateral faces of two adjacent vertical posts, so that the two vertical posts are supported by the crossbars to stably stand upright.

FIG. 1 shows a very common rack that includes at least one U-shaped metal channel being horizontally fixedly mounted to a wall surface, and a plurality of vertical posts 10 being fastened to and spaced along the horizontal channel and each having two vertical rows of insertion holes 11 provided on a front face thereof. Supporting brackets 12 can be hooked to the insertion holes 11, and metal-wire shelf 13 and rigid shelf 14 can be assembled to the supporting brackets 12 to complete a rack for holding articles thereon. The above-described rack must be fixedly mounted to a wall surface for use, and it is time and labor consuming to assemble and dissemble such rack.
The wall-mount rack with the above-described structure, that is, having vertical posts 10 fixedly attached to a wall and provided with insertion holes 11 for holding supporting brackets 12 thereto, and having shelves 13, 14 supported on the supporting brackets 12 for holding things thereon, has been used among consumers for many years. However, as shown in FIG. 2, there is another type of sectional rack including vertical posts 15 being assembled to a base (not shown), and crossbars 16 being fastened to and between two adjacent vertical posts 15 using screws 18, so that the vertical posts 15 can be held to an upright position. When the crossbars 16 are fastened to the vertical posts 15, some of the insertion holes 17 provided on the vertical posts 15 are partially covered by the crossbars 16 and could not be utilized. Further, screws 18 and other hand tools, such as a screwdriver, are needed to assemble or disassemble the rack. Therefore, both of the above two types of conventional racks require improvement.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to overcome the problems in the conventional sectional racks by developing a sectional rack that can be assembled and disassembled without using fastening elements and tools.


A method and apparatus for coupling a liftgate panel on a vehicle body for pivotal movement along a path between open and closed positions. A mounting includes hinge sets formed from two hinge leafs, at least one torsion rod extending through aligned pivot portions on each hinge set. Preferably, each hinge set is integrally formed with a common torsion pin by retainers holding ends of the torsion pin with respect to one leaf of each of the hinge sets. In a preferred embodiment, a return bent end of a common torsion pin is received in a first leaf of one of at least two hinge sets, while the other end of the rod is return bend and retained in a second leaf catch that receives an arm throughout a limited portion of the liftgate path between closed and open positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for a vehicle liftgate and a hinge assembly associated with the liftgate that includes a torsion rod as the hinge pin journaled within the hinge leafs for selective torsion application.
2. Background Art
The construction of a movable vehicle liftgate, for example, a closure panel at the rear of the passenger compartment of a sport-utility style body type, raises challenges for vehicle manufacturers. The interior as well as the exterior surfaces must be compatible with the adjacent interior compartment and exterior compartments of the vehicle. In addition, the mounting mechanism may be concealed for aesthetic purposes, but the panel must be stable in upright and lowered positions. As a result, any attempt to make the panel displaceable, for example, a pivot axis mounting, preferably one that includes lift assist, must be compactly packaged without affecting the aesthetic appearance, access or the functionality of the panel. For example, previously known mechanisms for displacing liftgates use gas-powered struts to bias the liftgate toward a raised position. However, the axis of the struts, and the line force exerted by the struts, may not be aligned to exert substantial force at initial opening from the closed position. Accordingly, a substantial force must be exerted by a person operating the liftgate to open the liftgate.
A previously known tailgate mounting unit that permits pivoting of the tailgate between upright (closed) and horizontal (open) positions. The hinge assembly uses a torque rod and first and second hinge sets at spaced apart positions. However, while the long torque rods extends through spaced hinge sets, such constructions lack self containment of the hinge sets and require adjacent support and pivot structures because the tailgate fits between body panels. As a result, the hinge structures are not so readily incorporated with liftgates.
Another known vehicle closure hinge design that employs lift assistance in the form of coiled or clock spring type torsion devices are expensive to construct and generate such problems such as cycle noise and poor cycle life, due to binding between the numerous coils of the torsion spring structure in the panel mounting assembly. Moreover, many previously known self-contained hinges with torque rods and spring designs do not provide a sufficient length of wire in which torsion energy can be generated to displace opposite ends of the torsion rod and thus the leaf members of the hinge set, when the hinge parts are mounted to large or massive structures. Moreover, previously known vehicle panel hinges with torque rods exert a biasing force at both limits of the travel path of the panel between open and closed positions.


A media processing device moves a first printhead in a direction away from a first platen and sets the gap therebetween to a wide second gap until the magnetic ink character printing area of the recording medium passes the reading position. When this printing area on the recording medium passes the reading position A, the first printhead moves in the direction approaching the first platen, and the gap therebetween is reset to a first gap that is narrower than the second gap. Because the gap is wide during the magnetic ink character reading operation, the leading end of the recording medium when conveyed to a position passed the first printhead will not catch on the second printhead, and conveying the recording medium at a constant speed will not be impeded. The magnetic ink characters can therefore be accurately read.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a media processing device that conveys a recording medium having magnetic ink characters printed thereon through a media transportation path, and reads the magnetic ink characters and prints on the recording medium. The invention relates more particularly to a gap control method for a media processing device that can convey the recording medium without interference when reading magnetic ink characters, and to such a media processing device.
2. Related Art
Media processing devices that read magnetic ink characters printed on checks and print an endorsement on the checks are used for electronically processing checks. This type of media processing device is described in JP2001-283401A.
The media processing device taught in JP2001-283401A conveys checks or other recording media through a media transportation path passed a reading position and a printing position. The magnetic ink characters are read by a magnetic head by passing the recording medium at the reading position at a constant speed in contact with the magnetic head. After reading is completed, printing is done using a printhead at the printing position.
A small device size is desirable because the media processing devices used for check processing are installed at teller windows in banks, for example. As a result, the distance between the reading position and the printing position on the media transportation path is short, and the leading end of the recording medium reaches the printing position while the magnetic ink characters are still being read at the reading position. When the leading end of the recording medium reaches the printing position, the leading end of the recording medium may contact and catch on the printhead, thereby impeding media conveyance, because the gap between the printhead and the platen at the printing position is narrow. If conveyance of the recording medium is thus impeded while reading the magnetic ink characters, the recording medium will not pass the reading position at a constant speed, and magnetic ink character reading errors can easily occur.
The printing device taught in JP11-291572A has two flat surfaces formed at different angular positions on the outside surface of a cylindrical platen, and by rotating the platen sets one flat surface opposite the printhead to maintain a constant gap between the printhead and the platen for printing, and sets the other flat surface opposite the printhead to increase the gap between the platen and the printhead when the paper passes through.
JP08-11365A teaches a head gap adjustment mechanism that can adjust the gap between the printhead and cylindrical platen by eccentrically rotating the cylindrical platen.
Because the printing position of the printhead is determined by the platen, the recording medium is conveyed over the platen surface, and the gap between the printing surface of the recording medium and the printhead is thereby held constant. When the platen moves in the direction toward and away from the printhead, a step or gap is created between the platen and the upstream media guide that guides the recording medium to the platen. A step or gap also occurs between the platen and the downstream media guide that guides the recording medium downstream after passing the platen. As a result, smoothly conveying the recording medium by means of the platen may not be possible. It is therefore necessary to use a specially shaped cylindrical platen having flats on the outside surface as described in JP11-291572A so that a large step or gap is not created between the platen and the media guides on the upstream and downstream sides.

Gap control method for a media processing device, and a media processing device


A method for guiding deep breathing may include receiving a request from a user to initiate a deep breathing exercise on a user-controlled device. The method may include monitoring deep breathing using one or more sensors on an ear-worn device in response to initiating the deep breathing exercise. Examples of sensors include at least one of a motion detector, a microphone, a heart rate sensor, and an electrophysiological sensor. The method may further include initiating an end to the deep breathing exercise. The method may be used with various hearing systems including an ear-worn device and optionally a user-controllable device, such as a smartphone.

Hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, may be used to assist wearers suffering hearing loss by transmitting amplified sounds to one or both ear canals. Such devices typically include hearing assistance components such as a microphone for receiving ambient sound, an amplifier for amplifying the microphone signal in a manner that depends upon the frequency and amplitude of the microphone signal, a speaker or receiver for converting the amplified microphone signal to sound for the wearer, and a battery for powering the components.
In certain types of hearing aids, the hearing assistance components are enclosed by a housing that is designed to be worn in the ear for both aesthetic and functional reasons.

Ear-worn devices with deep breathing assistance


The present invention provides a new product for small animals such as rodents (e.g., gerbils, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits, etc.) and the like. The new product is comprised of a hollow housing, such as bone or pipe, having a cavity therein which is accessible from outside the housing by at least one opening. The cavity is large enough for the animal(s) to burrow in and is filled with food suitable for the animals to eat or nibble on.

Rodents, e.g., mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, etc., are small mammals characterized by large incisors adapted for gnawing or nibbling. These animals are also characterized by the fact that they burrow or tunnel into the ground or narrow and snug places for habitation or refuge. In the wild, rodents have abundant opportunity to burrow and to use their incisors for gnawing or nibbling. Such is not the case when rodents are maintained in captivity either as pets or for commercial or experimental purposes.
There is a need for a device which would give captive rodents and the like a place to burrow in and at the same time give them the opportunity to use their incisors for gnawing or nibbling. Such a device would be useful for pet rodents, e.g., hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs, as well as for rodents that are maintained in captivity for commercial or experimental purposes.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device which will give captive rodents and the like a place to burrow in and at the same time give them the opportunity to use their incisors for gnawing or nibbling.


A central check system (CCS) is coupled to a remote software system (RSS). Data is fetched from the RSS, the data being software code derivatives generated by a software compiler on the RSS with a version different than a version of the software program associated with the CCS. Static software testing is performed of the software program on the CCS using the fetched data and test results provided in a required format.

IT infrastructures of enterprises are constantly under attack from a variety of threats (e.g., hacking or industrial espionage efforts). To satisfy various requirements (e.g., product standards, performance, legal, security, and other requirements) related to the security of software, developers need to perform statistical analysis system (SAS) testing to check their developed software for software code vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers and malicious individuals. SAS testing typically includes static application security testing (SAST) and is designed to analyze application source code, byte code, and binaries of an application from the "inside out" in a non-running state (in other words, static testing involves examination of a software program's code and its associated documentation but does not require the software program be executed) for coding and design conditions that are indicative of security vulnerabilities in the software's inputs and outputs that can easily be missed by a programmer. The latest release-versioned SAS tools are normally not consumable by an older (legacy)-versioned release of software development tools. As the SAS tools provide the ability to check for, among other things, application backdoors, malicious code, and other threats that may exist in deployed software-applications, the inability of legacy-versioned software development tools to consume the latest release-versioned SAS testing tools for software developed on the legacy-versioned releases of the software development tools can result in software that may contain unnecessary security vulnerabilities.

Exploiting software compiler outputs for release-independent remote code vulnerability analysis


In the control of spacecraft, thrusters must generate a commanded force or torque that is computed from the control algorithms in order to maintain a certain attitude or orbit. In general, there is an infinite number of solutions as to how the thrusters are fired in order to achieve the commanded value. However, additional imposed constraints on the mass flow allow only a small subset of those solutions to be feasible. By way of example, two constraints are considered in this invention: first, the mass flow of each thruster must exceed a minimum value and second, the total mass flow of all thrusters for any generated force/torque must be constant. If only a non-feasible solution is found, known methods turn it into a feasible one by reducing the commanded force/torque until the constraints are met. Reducing the commanded force/torque is, however, a disadvantage because the performance may decrease and even lead to instability of the closed loop system. This invention concerns a simple and time efficient method/system for improving an unfeasible solution in such a way that reducing the commanded force/torque can be minimised or even completely be avoided and, therefore, higher feasible generated forces/torques than those with known methods can be generated.

An important issue during the design of an attitude and translational control system for spacecraft is the modulation of commanded control forces and torques towards the thrusters. The design gets even more challenging if additional constraints are taken into account, for instance the requirement that the total mass flow remains constant and that each thruster generates a predefined minimum thrust.
The known modulating algorithm proposed in Hai Ping Jin, Peter Wiktor, and Daniel B Debra's report, "An Optimal Thruster Configuration Design and Evaluation for Quick Step," 13th IFAC Symposium—Automatic Control in Aerospace—Aerospace Control 1994, Sep. 12–16, 1994 aims to tackle the design issue mentioned above. A principal drawback of this known method, however, is that the constraints cannot be satisfied for high control demands with respect to the ideal maximal thrust which can be generated from the thrusters. The reason for this drawback is that only a small fraction of the thruster null-space is used for the modulation. In contrast, the null space search algorithm of the present invention, as proposed hereinafter, uses the complete null space and therefore higher control demands while satisfying additional constraints can be generated. Another advantage associated with the present invention is that the proposed null space search algorithm is fast and compatible for application to any modulator and therefore can be used to improve any thruster signal proposed by any modulator.

Method and system for balancing thrust demands


An electrophotographic image forming apparatus operable in a monochrome mode and color mode wherein toner images are sequentially formed on an image carrier by toner of a plurality of colors. The toner images of different colors are sequentially transferred to a single transfer member one above the other to complete a color image. In the color mode when toner of two or more colors are to be transferred to the transfer member one above the other, at least one of the color images on the image carrier is discharged before the transfer to the transfer member. In the monochrome mode the image is not discharged before transfer.

The present invention relates to an image forming method using an electrophotographic procedure, and a copier, printer facsimile apparatus or similar image forming apparatus using the same.
Modern image forming apparatuses include one capable of forming a color image by using developers of different colors. This kind of apparatus is required to form toner images of three primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow) particular to subtractive mixture on a single paper.
A color image forming apparatus may be constructed to sequentially form toner images of different colors on a photoconductive elements while sequentially transferring them to a paper one by one to complete a color image, as taught in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 52-73738. The problem with this type of apparatus is that the paper must have its edges clamped by a clamp mechanism and must be brought into contact with the photoconductive element several times during the course of image formation. This is not practicable without resorting to extremely complicate mechanisms. Moreover, images cannot be transferred to the clamped portions of the paper.
In light of the above, there has been proposed an image forming apparatus of the type sequentially forming toner images of different colors on a photoconductive element while sequentially transferring them to a single intermediate transfer member one above the other, and then transferring the resulting composite color image to a paper at a time. After the transfer of the color image from the intermediate transfer member to a paper, the toner remaining on the transfer member is removed by a cleaning blade or similar cleaning member. As a result, the transfer member is prepared for the next transfer of a composite color image. When the transfer member is implemented as a belt passed over a drive roller and driven rollers, it can be relatively freely arranged in a space and enhances the miniaturization of the entire apparatus.
Assume that toner of two or more different colors are combined to form a color image. Then, when toner of one color is superposed on toner of another color transferred first, the toner is sometimes scattered around the resulting color image. Much of the scattered toner exists in the vicinity of the edges of the image and causes the background to appear as if it were contaminated around the edges of the image. This kind of contamination concentrates on the portions surrounding the edges of the image. In this sense, such contamination is different from contamination which occurs evenly on the background. Particularly, when it comes to a character or similar line image, the above contamination blurs the contour of the image and thereby lowers sharpness. Moreover, when a greater amount of toner is deposited in order to increase the image density or when the edge effect available with modern digital copiers is enhanced to produce a sharp image, the contamination around the edges of an image is critical in respect of image quality.
By causing toner of two different colors to be transferred in the same amount, I found that the contamination around an image, as distinguished from background contamination, is attributable to the toner overlying the toner transferred first, i.e., the overlying toner partly drops from the underlying toner. I conducted a series of researches and experiments in order to determine the mechanism which brings about the above occurrence, as follows.
The factors effecting the mechanism is the history of the intermediate transfer belt, among others, and the history of the toner. As to the history of the belt, the belt is usually movable in contact with the surface of the photoconductive belt in order to receive toner images from the element. The belt is a semiconductor consisting of, e.g., a fluorine-contained resin and carbon or similar conductive substance mixed therewith; carbon sets up an electrical path for conducting a bias for image transfer. When the bias is applied to the belt, the belt electrostatically attracts the toner away from the photoconductive element and causes it to deposit thereon. As the belt moves away from position where it contacts the photoconductive element, a charge is induced due to separation discharge. This charge remains on the belt up to the time of the next image transfer. In this connection, charges remaining on the photoconductive element are dissipated by cleaning every time an image of one color is formed on the element. As a result, an electric field is generated on the belt at the boundary where a portion with the charge and a portion without the charge adjoin each other. This electric field causes the toner to be transferred next to electrostatically deposit on the belt easily.
As for the history of the toner, the toner transferred to the belt first is influenced by the transfer bias necessary for the electrostatic adhesion thereof to the belt. A bias potential assigned to the toner to be transferred next is higher than the transfer bias assigned to the toner transferred first. As a result, the two different toner are apt to repulse each other. This is partly because they are of the same polarity.
Experiments showed that the scattering of toner attributable to the above factors depends on the image forming mode also. Generally, a copy image forming mode and a printer image forming mode are available with an image forming apparatus. In the copy image forming mode, the apparatus serves as a copier and reads a document image, generates separated color image data representative of the image, and writes the image data. In the printer image forming mode, the apparatus serves as a printer and directly uses a signal received from a computer as data to write. In the copy image forming mode, the image data generated by color separation is 70% to 80% of the actual colors of a document image because usually the data is read out of the document image by an analog system. By contrast, in the printer image forming mode, 100% of image data is available because image data is output by a digital system. Hence, the amount of scattering of toner to occur when toner of different colors are superposed and, therefore, the reproducibility of an image depends on the kind of image data.

Image forming method and forming apparatus using the same


A method and comb device for detection and removal of human head lice, and eventual elimination of the lice infestation, from infested individuals by sequential combing, with no use of pesticides. The comb device has six sides, three of the sides of the comb having sets of differently sized and spaced teeth so that hair can be detangled, first with the thick, widely spaced teeth on side (1), and then with the standard comb teeth on side (2), and then the thin, closely spaced teeth of the lice removal side (3) can be used to comb out lice. The method also be used to inspect for lice, with the capability of detecting lice at an earlier stage in an infestation than possible with the current, traditional inspection method (visual searching for nits or lice eggs.) Inspection can be used to screen individuals for lice (such as early in a school or camp term when all children are checked, or to detect if an infested child's family members also have lice), or it can be used to periodically monitor previously infested people to confirm that the lice have been eliminated.

Head lice are a worldwide problem. Human head lice (scientific name Pediculus humanus capitis) are tiny parasitic insects that live on the head of a human host, sucking small amounts of blood from the scalp and laying eggs (called NITS) on individual shafts of hair. Head lice are found only on the scalp, and do not live on eyebrow, beard, armpit, or genital hair. Human head lice survive only on people and do not infest pets.
Adult head lice are small, measuring only about 1/16-1/8 inch (1-3 mm) long. They are greyish in color, but turn reddish-brown after they have had a blood meal. Lice have three pairs of legs with elegant, hook-like claws that they can use to hold very tightly to a strand of hair. They are not bothered or removed by shampooing, swimming, brushing, or scratching.
The eggs or nits are tiny (less than 1/16" long) and are shaped like elongated, oval beads. Unhatched eggs are normally pearly white to yellowish white. As the female lays an egg, she glues it to a single strand of hair with a natural cement that rivals super glue in strength. Nits hatch approximately 7-10 days after being laid. Human blood is their only food. In order to survive, young lice must feed shortly after emerging from the egg.
Lice grow in three developmental stages, characterized by three size gradations. They become mature adults sometime between 8 days and 2 weeks after hatching. The time that a louse remains in the egg and as an immature entity varies depending on the individual louse and on temperature and humidity, but in general the time between generations is 15-24 days.
A single female louse lays about 3 eggs per day; occasionally as many as 6 eggs. She can survive for 20-30 days, meaning that she may deposit 60 to well over 100 nits in her lifetime, all on a single human head, or on more than one person if she has an opportunity to travel. This is how lice infestations build so quickly--the life cycle is short and each female louse has a remarkable egg laying capacity.
Head lice bites sometimes cause mild to severe itching due to irritation of the scalp, but in many children they are painless and do not cause the child to scratch. It often takes a while for an infestation to become obvious enough to detect. Detection of lice is usually visual. Unfortunately, lice and their eggs are difficult to see and can be easily missed even by careful parents and school nurses. One must examine the entire scalp and hair for nits (eggs) or lice, a meticulous process that is helped considerably by a magnifying glass, good light, and ample patience.
Lice hide among hairs, so their eggs are usually the first visible sign of a problem. Nits may be confused with dandruff because they are about the same color and size, but dandruff can be easily brushed or blown away. Nits are very securely attached to a strand of hair and are difficult to move or remove even after repeated scraping with a fingernail.
Human head lice are crawling insects; they cannot fly or jump. Lice can travel from one head to another when hair touches, as when children are playing or napping together. Lice may also catch a ride to a different head if they move onto a shared comb or hair brush, or if one crawls onto an article of clothing such as a hat or scarf that is borrowed by another child. Even jackets can transmit lice if one harbors a lurking louse around its collar, and another coat is in contact as they hang close together in a classroom or closet. Lice can also be spread by shared earphones and headsets. Lice must find a new human head within a day or two of leaving their original host so clothing or other articles that have not recently been in circulation among infested children will be safe, assuming that there are no nits on the item. Nits hatch in 7-10 days on or off the host, so detached hair strands with eggs, in a hairbrush for example, remain a risk for transmission to another person, or even back to the brush owner. Hairbrushes should be treated to kill nits. Hats and jackets should be visually inspected for loose hairs with nits.
The length of time that a louse egg or bug can survive away from a person becomes an important issue in understanding how long there is a risk of transmission of lice without direct head contact (on a shared bed or cap, for example). A natural mode of dispersal for a louse is to crawl off of one head, onto a pillow for example, and to hover in that vicinity, hoping that another person will lay his or her head nearby. However, lice will succumb without a source of nutrition. In order to survive, lice need to feed on blood. The scientific data vary somewhat, but studies show that most lice die within 2 days off of a host head, and that all die within 4 days.
Lice eggs (nits) can remain alive off of a person for up to 10 days (on a strand of hair caught in a hair brush, for example). If the juvenile louse hatches and then is brushed onto a head, it can feed and thrive. The combs and brushes used by an infected person are obviously high risk zones for lurking lice. These devices should be treated with for example hot water and/or isopropyl alcohol to reduce the risk of new primary infestations and secondary infestations.
In the United States most doctors and school nurses currently recommend pesticidal shampoos which put noxious chemicals in direct skin contact of treated individuals. Many strains of head lice now appear to be resistant to pesticidal shampoos and even to formulations containing pyrethroids, permethrin, or lindane, which are sometimes prescribed by physicians.
There are a number of "home remedies" that have strong followings among veterans of head lice infestations. There is no scientific data on the efficacy of these approaches, but neighborhood testimonials may persuade one to try one or more. The "oily goop" technique is based on the premise that lice, and their eggs, will die if they can't breathe, and if they are smothered in oil for a sufficiently long period of time, they will die. Choice of preferred oil application is personal: options include such things as petroleum jelly, olive oil, and mayonnaise (regular, not low fat). The entire scalp and all hair must be heavily coated with the oily goop, and it should be massaged in so that lice and their eggs are coated. There is a bit of art involved in this approach because no one is certain of how long the oil should be kept on to ensure suffocation of lice or nits, but the general rule of thumb in common practice is at least about 30 minutes, sometimes overnight.
These sessions are obviously messy. Many people attempt to contain the goop with a shower cap. Grease cutting dish detergents are probably the best recourse in attempting to wash out an oil treatment, but it may take repetitive efforts.
Another widespread approach to lice control is to apply tea tree oil, either straight or in a shampoo. Tea tree oil is available in many stores with natural health products and oils, and the shampoos are often sold in beauty parlors. Some families claim success by using a hair dryer to heat the head and hair, and thereby kill the lice, but lice are hardy critters and this procedure may well hurt the child more than it harms the lice.
In addition to chemical methods for removing lice from human heads, mechanical techniques involving the use of combs are known. However, commonly used combs for this purpose have teeth which are not sufficiently closely spaced (especially at their free ends) to be effective, and the ends are sharp and thus pose a hazard when used on small children. In addition, the free ends of the teeth form a convex edge which reduces the effectiveness of the comb.
Given the fact that chemical methods for removing lice and nits from human (children's) heads expose the infected person to dangerous chemical agents, a need exists for a simple and effective non-chemical method for removing lice and nits from human heads.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide such a non-chemical method for removing lice and nits from human heads, such a non-chemical method avoiding the application of pesticides to a human's head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a comb device which can be used to accomplish the inventive method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method for detecting lice at an early stage in an infestation and for confirming that lice have not returned to a person who has been previously rid of lice and nits.

Method and device for the detection and removal of head lice


Turbine airflow is modulated to improve performance during part load operation in a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes a compressor, a turbine with a plurality of stages, and a diffuser. Modulating the airflow includes extracting airflow from an upstream component of the turbomachine, admitting the extracted airflow into a rear stage of the plurality of stages. Admitting airflow into the rear stage serves to increase rear stage loading and alter an energy distribution in the rear stage during part load operation.

The invention relates generally to turbomachines and, more particularly, to modulating gas or steam flow for improved part load performance.
During part load operation, gas and steam turbine rear stages operate under severe off-design conditions due to reduced flow and pressure ratios. The conditions result in efficiency losses.
It would be desirable to modulate turbine flow to stabilize the radial profile and other air flow properties in the turbine rear stages to increase efficiency during part load operation.

Turbine flow modulation for part load performance


An archery bow comprises a riser portion with upper and lower ends, and at least one bow limb portion extending from the riser. The archery bow further includes at least one spacer member positioned between the riser portion and the bow limb portion, such that the limb portion contacts the spacer member. The spacer member has a longitudinal axis and a width axis, and includes at least one contact surface for contacting the limb portion with a bottom portion extending along the longitudinal axis underneath the contact surface. The contact surface extends beyond the bottom portion along the width axis to provide increased surface area contact with the bow limb portion.

Compound archery bows generally including a bow frame having a handle or riser and two bow limbs (or four "quad" bow limbs), plus a cable system on the frame mounted to at least two rotational elements such as wheels. Archery bow limbs perform the important function of storing energy when the archer draws the bowstring. When the bowstring is drawn, the pre-stressed bow limbs, which are typically made of resilient material, are further flexed to store additional energy. When the bowstring is released, the stored energy propels the arrow. In conventional compound bows, each limb is typically formed of a single element with a rectangular cross section, where one end is attached to the bow handle and the other end has a limb tip slot formed therein, in which a rotational member such as a wheel, cam or pulley is mounted. In "quad" compound archery bows, two pairs of "quad" bow limbs are used, each having one end attached to the bow handle or riser and the other end coupled with the rotational member.
In certain archery bows, the ends or butt sections of the limbs are received and secured in limb pockets attached to ends of the riser. It is important for the limbs to be properly aligned with the riser and securely mounted to the riser to prevent movement of the limb ends. Fulcrums or spacers can be positioned within the limb pockets to contact portions of the archery bow limbs and move or rock with the bow limbs as they are flexed during use of the archery bow. To maintain the integrity of the archery bow limbs, it is helpful to provide sufficient contact surfaces on the spacer to sufficiently support the archery bow limbs. If the contact surfaces are not of sufficient size, the bow limbs are more likely to overstress and/or fail given flexion incurred by the limb during use of the archery bow. It is thus important to ensure that adequate contact area and engagement between the limb and the spacer is provided for.
There is a need for improved archery bow limb pocket spacers.


A technique for voltage regulation involves switching between light load mode and PWM mode based on load conditions. Advantageously, this improves efficiency at light load. In an embodiment, error amplifier output is used to determine whether load is light. When light load is detected, extend PWM off time until the output voltage reaches a load threshold.

The advent of portable electronics and the need for longer battery life calls for new types of voltage regulators, which are very efficient in both low current and high current load conditions. For example, handheld devices such as PDA and cell phones can benefit from high efficiency in both standby and active modes to extend battery life. A very low amount of operating current is of particular importance in standby mode because the devices run in this mode most of the time.
A pulse width modulated (PWM) switching regulator is an efficient regulation scheme during heavy loads. PWM switching regulators offer high efficiency, low output voltage ripple, and good line and load regulation. However, at light loads the PWM regulator has poor efficiency because switching frequency related losses, such as FET switching loss, core loss, gate-drive loss, etc., are not concomitant with decreased output current due to unchanged switching frequency.
Efforts have been made to improve light load efficiency of switching regulators. One method is to operate the switching regulator intermittently based on load demand with fixed peak inductor current. Unfortunately, despite improved light load efficiency, this scheme inherently has a large output ripple voltage.

Pulse frequency modulation methods and circuits


A container intended to act as a cooler for items such as beverage cans or bottles has an insulated body with watertight closures at each end each capable of acting either as a base of the cooler or a lid. Fastenings to secure the closures, and supports for the cooler are also provided; their functions may be integrated. The supports may be carrying handles, or stands forming a support on which the cooler may be inverted. The ability to invert the cooler enables the functions of adding ice and adding or removing articles to be cooled to be conveniently separated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to insulated containers used to transport food or beverages, and commonly known as "coolers".
2. Review of the Art
Such coolers typically consist of a body of rectangular or cylindrical form, having inner and outer side and bottom walls separated by an insulating material such as synthetic plastic foam, a hinged or removable lid, also having inner and outer walls separated by insulation, a carrying handle attached to the body, and some means for securing the lid in a closed position, which means may be integrated with the carrying handle. As a cooling medium, ice is commonly used, placed within the cooler together with the contents. A normally closed drain may be provided in the side of the body adjacent its bottom to drain off water formed by melting of the ice.
The ice is most effective as a cooling agent when placed over or around articles, for example beverage bottles or cans, to be cooled, and is certainly most easily replenished by placing it in the top of the cooler. Such an arrangement is however less satisfactory when removing bottles, cans or food containers, since it is necessary to fish for a wanted bottle, can or container beneath the ice or a mixture of ice and water.


An image-transfer ink ribbon which is prevented from unsuitable coloring of an image-protective layer thereon is disclosed, which includes a base film, at least one ink layer formed on one surface of the base film, an image-protective layer formed on the one surface of the base film so as to be arranged on the same plane where the at least one ink layer is formed, and a resin layer made of a resin having a low dye affinity and formed on the image-protective layer. In accordance with the present invention, there are also disclosed an image-transferred member prepared by using the image-transfer ink ribbon, and a method for the production of the image-transferred member.

The present invention relates to an image-transfer ink ribbon provided on the same surface of a base film with an ink layer adapted for transferring an ink image on a printing medium and an image-protective layer serving for forming a protecting layer for the ink image transferred on the printing medium. In addition, the present invention also relates to an image-transferred member produced by heat-transferring an ink image and an image-protective layer on a printing medium such as a printing paper, using the image-transfer ink ribbon.
Heat-transferring systems are known as one of methods for forming an image on a printing paper based on an image information prepared by personal computers or the like. Hitherto, the images formed on the printing paper, for example, those prepared by sublimation-type heat transfer system using sublimable or thermally-diffusible dyes, have been covered by laminating an image-protective layer made of a thermoplastic resin thereover to protect the dye image.
In this case, such an image-protective layer is required to have various functions or properties such as shielding of the images from gases which causes image deterioration, ultraviolet absorbing properties for preventing discoloration or fading of the image, a resistance to plasticizers for preventing the image-forming ink from migrating into various plasticizer-containing products such as erasers, abrasion properties, a resistance to sebum or the like. Further, it is required that the image-protective layer has, in addition to these image-protecting functions or properties, an aqueous ink-printing or stamping ability in order to provide substitutes for silver salt photographs such as photographs for certificates.
As methods for laminating the image-protective layer over the afore-mentioned image, there are known a method of thermocompression-bonding the image-protective layer on a surface of the printing medium on which the image to be protected is formed, by using heat rollers, a method of adhering the image-protective layer onto the surface of the printing medium on which the image to be protected is formed, at a normal temperature by using an adhesive, or the like. Also, there is known a method of preparing a transfer-type image-protective film composed of a base film and an image-protective layer laminated thereon, and heat-transferring the image protective layer on the image to be protected to laminate the image-protective layer over the image.
In the case where such a transfer-type image-protective film is used, since only portions of the image-protective layer thereon which are heated upon the heat-transferring are laminated over the image to be protected, the printing paper on which the image is formed is prevented from being curled after lamination of the image-protective layer. Further, in the case where an image-transfer ink ribbon having an ink layer and an image-protective layer on the same surface thereof, i.e., a so-called laminating film-integrated ink ribbon, is used, the formation of the ink image and the laminating of the image-protective layer can be performed sequentially and continuously within a heat-transfer printer.
Incidentally, in general, the process for the production of the afore-mentioned laminating film-integrated ink ribbon which has an ink layer and an image-protective layer on the same surface thereof, includes a first step of applying the ink layer and the image-protective layer on the base film and rolling up the resultant laminate, followed by cutting the rolled laminate to form an elongated ribbon having a width corresponding to that of a final product, and a second step of rewinding the thus-formed ribbon around ribbon spools.
In the afore-mentioned first rolling step, the ink layer formed on a front surface of the base film is caused to come into contact with a back coat layer formed on a back surface of the base film, so that a considerable amount of dyes contained in the ink layer is transferred to the back coat layer. Further, in the second rewinding step, the rolled layer is unrolled and rewound around the ribbon spools while sequentially changing a roll diameter thereof. This procedure causes the change in contact position between the ink layer and the back coat layer, so that there arises a phenomenon that the dyes transferred to the back coat layer from the ink layer in the first step is re-transferred to the image-protective layer when rewound in the second step.
For this reason, when the laminating film-integrated ink ribbon produced according to the afore-mentioned process is used for image-printing, there is a likelihood that the dyes re-transferred to the image-protective layer is color-developed when laminated on the image and therefore unsuitable coloring is caused by the developed dyes on the image-protective layer. These problems become more remarkable in media having a higher sensitivity.
In order to eliminate these problems, it has been attempted to shorten the process time from the application of the ink layer up to the rewinding of the ribbon. This attempt has been found to be successful in reducing a risk of the re-transferring of the dyes to some extent, but associated with difficulties in process control, scheduling and the like. Alternatively, it has also been attempted to reduce the risk of the re-transferring of the dyes by using, as a composition of the back coat layer, those which are unlikely to cause the dye transfer. However, the back coat layer is required to exhibit lubricating properties and therefore any lubricant is to be added to the back coat layer, thereby increasing a tendency of the dye transferring.
Whereas, in the afore-mentioned conventional heat-transfer system, the image-protective layer has been uniformly transferred to the printing medium within the printer by means of a predetermined function thereof, so that the transferred image-protective layer has exhibited a uniform surface condition. In these conventional image formation techniques, it has not been considered that the image-transferred member is subjected to surface treatments generally used in silver salt photographs, such as semi-gloss finish treatments or silk finish treatments. For these reasons, the conventional heat-transfer system has not necessarily been suitable for general photograph applications to a sufficient extent.

Image-transfer ink ribbon, image-transferred member and method for producing the image-transferred member


An integrated amplifier circuit includes an input, an output, a transistor with a transistor-input terminal, the transistor-input terminal being coupled to the input, and a transistor-output terminal. The transistor-output terminal is coupled to the output by means of a DC-path. The DC-path includes a first inductive element and a parallel resonant circuit including a second inductive element and a first capacitive element. The first inductive element and the parallel resonant circuit are connected in series between the transistor-output terminal and the output.

Mobile terminals, besides a telephone functionality, accommodate more and more different wireless applications, such as WLAN (Wireless Local Access Network), GPS (Global Positioning System), Bluetooth and possibly mobile television. Low noise amplifiers (LNAs) are often used for each of these applications to improve system sensitivity performance.
Due to an increasing number of antennas it is a big challenge for system designers to place antennas in mobile terminals so as to keep the mobile terminals small and, at the same time, to avoid crosstalk among the different applications. To reduce this crosstalk or coupling between the various applications, a LNA can be placed directly behind a respective antenna to yield a so-called active antenna, such that the impact of the environment and the degradation of performance due to PCB (Printed Circuit Board) line loss can be eliminated. This kind of topology, for example, can often be found in notebooks and flip phones in which the antenna and the LNA are placed behind an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).
Typically, a LNA does not only comprise input and output terminals for RF signal lines but also two or even three additional terminals for DC power supply and on/off control lines, which are connected to a receiver IC on the main PCB.


An automatic packaging apparatus has an arraying and supplying station, a sorting station and a packaging station. The arraying and supplying station forcibly arrays and supplies encased products to orient their caps in one direction. The sorting station selectively sorts the arrayed encased products to a first feed path for feeding the encased products to package the encased products in a abreast-arrayed attitude and a second feed path for feeding the encased products to package the encased products in a tandem-arrayed attitude. The packaging station automatically packages the encased products by a shrink sheet in the abreast-arrayed attitude or the tandem-arrayed attitude.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for automatically packaging a given number of encased products, each comprising a product sealed in a case barrel and a cap mounted on the case barrel, in a packaging sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been commonly practiced in the packaging industry to obtain an encased product by loading a product, such as a cartridge housing a rolled photographic photosensitive film, into a film case of synthetic resin, shrink-package a given number of encased products together into a shrink package, and cover the shrink package with an outer pack, thus producing a pillow-type packaged product.
Packaged products are available in a variety of forms. According to one form, a packaged product contains a single encased product. According to another form, a packaged product as a box packages a plurality of encased products therein, ranging from two to thirty encased products. According to still another form, two through five encased products are put together and placed in an outer pack, which will be hereinafter referred to as "assembly packaged product".
There are two types of assembly packaged products known in the art. According to one type, two through five encased products are sealed together in an outer pack while they are being arrayed with the case caps on the film cases being oriented in a direction across the direction in which the encased products are fed, i.e., while they are being arrayed abreast or side by side. According to the other type, two through three encased products are sealed together in an outer pack while they are being arrayed with the case caps being oriented in the direction in which the encased products are fed, i.e., while they are being arrayed in tandem or end to end.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15 of the accompanying drawings, a cartridge (product) 2 housing a rolled photographic photosensitive film is loaded into a film case (case barrel) 3, and a case cap 4 is attached to an open end of the film case 3, thus producing an encased product 5.
Then, a plurality of, e.g., two, encased products 5 are arranged in tandem or end to end, and shrink-packaged by a shrink sheet (packaging sheet) 6b, producing a tandem-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7b. Alternatively, four encased products 5, for example, are arrayed abreast or side by side, and shrink-packaged by a shrink sheet (packaging sheet) 6a, producing an abreast-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7a. The tandem-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7b and the abreast-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7a are sealed respectively in outer packs 8b, 8a, producing packed products 9b, 9b.
Conventional packaging apparatus are only designed to automatically package the abreast-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7a. It has been customary in the art to manually package the tandem-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7b in the outer pack 8b. Therefore, the conventional packaging apparatus fail to efficiently meet requirements for the selective production of the abreast-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7a and the tandem-arrayed shrink-packaged product 7b, and are poor in applicability in the manufacture of differently packaged products.

Method of and apparatus for automatically packaging encased product


A cooking appliance includes a heating system which is preferably capable of combining radiant, convection, microwave and conduction heating techniques to perform a cooking operation. The cooking appliance includes a convection fan and at least one heating element. A controller is provided to regulate a triac to maintain a desired heater intensity through phase angle firing. Essentially, an AC waveform provided to the heater resistor travels through the triac which is turned on by the controller at predetermined points in the AC waveform, with the delay from a zero point waveform crossing functioning to regulate the amount of power sent to the heater resistor. When the signal from the controller is removed, the triac advantageously turns off at the next zero crossing of the AC waveform such that an operationally and economically effective control system is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a system for controlling the heat output of a radiant heating device in a compact cooking appliance which is preferably capable of combining radiant, convection, conduction and microwave heating techniques to perform a cooking operation and can be connected to varying voltage supplies.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There exist a wide range of cooking appliances on the market. Many of these cooking appliances are designed for use in cooking various types of food products in different ways. For instance, where more conventional cooking appliances generally relied upon radiant energy as the sole heat source, more recent trends combine a radiant heat source with convection, microwave or conduction heating techniques, thereby increasing the versatility of the cooking appliance while potentially shortening required cook times. In particular, the prior art contains examples of appliances that combine radiant and convection cooking; convection, microwave and radiant cooking; and microwave, convection and conduction heating techniques.
Regardless of the existence of these known arrangements, there still exists a need for a cooking appliance that combines each of radiant, convection, microwave and conduction heating techniques in an efficient and effective manner to handle a wide range of food items. Particularly, there exists a need for a cooking appliance that can be used to rapidly prepare food products that require numerous different heat sources for full and complete cooking. For example, the rapid preparation of commercially produced, open-faced grilled sandwiches raises various cooking concerns. Open-faced grilled sandwiches require, at the very least, that heat be directed both downward onto an upper portion of the sandwich and upward onto a lower bun portion of the sandwich. In most cases this is accomplished by passing the open-faced sandwich on a conveyor belt through an oven between opposing radiant heat sources. While effective to a degree, the process can be time consuming and really does not result in a uniform heating of the meat, cheese and/or other toppings on the bread, nor an even toasting of the bread itself. In addition to this potential problem, a dual radiant oven of this type is simply not suitable for many other applications. For instance, an additional microwave oven or the like would typically be employed to heat soup or other liquid-based food items.
Regardless of the variety of known cooking appliances, there exists the need for a versatile cooking appliance that can preferably take advantage of radiant, convection, microwave and conductive cooking techniques such that the appliance can be used to rapidly and effectively cook a wide range of food items. When providing such a versatile cooking appliance, it is desirable to be able to operate one or more heating elements at a consistent intensity, even though the power supplied to the appliance may vary. In particular, a resistance heater is sized to provide a specific intensity for a specified AC voltage input. For example, a heating element may be rated at 900 watts for an input voltage of 208 volts AC. If less than the rated voltage is applied, the output heat of the heating element is correspondingly lowered. If more than the rated voltage is applied, an increase in the heat output will occur, while the useful life of the heating element will be shortened.
To address this concern, it is possible to provide a controller with structure that senses the input voltage and switches the output of a transformer, thereby enabling a consistent voltage to be sent to a heating element, such as a magnetron. Unfortunately, the added costs associated with such controller structure, as well as an automatic transformer, can be cost and/or weight prohibitive in connection with certain cooking appliances. For this reason, most cooking appliances are rated for a single particular input, such as 208 or 230 volts.
Based on the above, there exists a need for a control system that can effectively and efficiently regulate the output of a heating element in a cooking appliance, without the need for an input voltage sensor, an auto transformer or other complicated and costly electronic structure.

Control system for cooking appliance employing radiant cooking


A heat exchanging member including a hollow pillar shaped honeycomb structure having partition walls defining cells, the cells penetrating from a first end face to a second end face to form flow paths for a first fluid, an inner peripheral wall, and an outer peripheral wall; and a covering member being configured to cover the outer peripheral wall of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure. The heat exchanging member is configured to perform heat exchange between the first fluid and a second fluid flowing through an outer side of the covering member. In the heat exchanging member, in a cross section of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure perpendicular to a flow path direction of the first fluid, the cells are radially provided, and each of the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall has a thickness larger than that of each of the partition walls.

Recently, there is a need for improvement of fuel economy of motor vehicles. In particular, a system is expected that worms up a coolant, engine oil and ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) at an early stage to reduce friction losses, in order to prevent deterioration of fuel economy at the time when an engine is cold, such as when the engine is started. Further, a system is expected that heats an exhaust gas purifying catalyst in order to activate the catalyst at an early stage.
In such systems, for example, the use of a heat exchanger is considered. The heat exchanger is an apparatus including a heat exchanging member for conducting heat exchange between a first fluid and a second fluid by allowing the first fluid to flow inside and the second fluid to flow outside. In such a heat exchanger, for example, the heat can be effectively utilized by exchanging the heat from the first fluid having a high temperature (for example, an exhaust gas) to the second fluid having a low temperature (for example, cooling water).
As a heat exchanger for recovering heat from a gas with elevated temperature such as a motor vehicle exhaust gas, a heat exchanger having a heat exchanging member made of a refractory metal has been known. However, there have been problems that the refractory metal is expensive and further difficult to be processed, has high density and heavy weight, and has lower thermal conductivity, and the like. In view of the problems, recently, a heat exchanger is being developed that houses a heat exchanging member having a pillar shaped honeycomb structure in a frame (a casing), and allows a first fluid to flow through cells of the honeycomb structure, and a second fluid to flow on an outer peripheral surface of the heat exchanging member in the casing.
As heat exchanging member having a honeycomb structure, the prior art proposes a heat exchanger having a pillar shaped honeycomb structure including: first partition walls each extending in a radial direction from a central portion toward an outer peripheral portion; and second partition walls each extending in a circumferential direction, in a cross section perpendicular to a flow path direction of a first fluid (a cell extending direction) (Patent Document 1).
Further, the prior art proposes a heat exchanging member having a hollow (donut type) pillar shaped honeycomb structure provided with a hollow region that acts as a bypass path for an exhaust gas (Patent Document 2).

Heat exchanging member, heat exchanger and heat exchanger with purifier


A method of patterning an electrically-conductive film is performed by providing a flexible substrate that carries the electrically-conductive film thereon to form a combined layer. The combined layer is then bent about a radius of curvature, so as to impart a stress on the brittle conductive film along the axis of curvature of the curved surface. The application of the stress to the conductive film results in the formation of crack lines that are substantially perpendicular to the direction to which the substrate and conductive film are bent. The crack lines serve to define and electrically isolate conductive sections therebetween that can be utilized as electrodes and address lines in electronic devices.

Typical flat-panel displays, such as LC (liquid crystal) and plasma displays, utilize a thin film of electrically-conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO) that is vacuum deposited on a rigid glass substrate to control various operating functions of the display. That is, during the production of such flat-panel displays, the ITO film is patterned into optically-transparent electrodes using conventional photolithographic techniques. In addition, production of flat-panel displays utilizing photolithographic techniques requires precise and accurate bonding of the electrodes to the driving circuitry of the display, which can be costly. Recently, however, the flat-panel display industry has sought to replace the use of rigid glass substrates with flexible substrates, such as those formed from flexible plastics, while still retaining the use of ITO or other electrically-conductive polymers to form the transparent electrodes using advanced printing and photolithographic techniques.
In addition, while ITO has the desired optical and electrical properties required for many electronics applications, including flat-panel displays and photovoltaic devices for example, ITO is brittle and is easily cracked when the substrate upon which the ITO film is carried is bent or flexed. As such, electronic devices using ITO tend to be fragile and require careful handling and, in some instances, may result in reduced production yields of such electronic devices. In contrast, electrically-conductive polymers, which are an alternative to ITO, have the advantage of being more flexible than ITO and are able to be used in manufacturing processes of electronic devices that utilize printing and photolithographic techniques. However, electrically-conductive polymers have a variety of drawbacks, including reduced electrical conductivity and reduced light transmission as compared to ITO.
Therefore, there is a need for a method of patterning an electrically-conductive film, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), into conductive electrodes on a flexible substrate that is low cost. In addition, there is a need for a method of patterning an electrically-conductive film, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), into conductive electrodes on a flexible substrate that is compatible with continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing processes. Furthermore, there is also a need for a method of patterning an electrically-conductive film, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), into conductive electrodes that are precisely defined. In addition, there is a need for a method of patterning an electrically-conductive film, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), on flexible substrates that is simple to execute and that eliminates the need for costly and environmentally-unfriendly materials and solvents.

Method of patterning electrically-conductive film on flexible substrates


An axial flux electrical machine is provided. The machine includes a plurality of rotors, each sandwiched between a respective pair of stator parts. The plurality of rotors, together with their respective stators, are axially-stacked to form a multistage machine. Heat exchangers are provided adjacent each stator to provide cooling. Each rotor disc is a composite rotor disc in which permanent magnets are embedded. The magnets are embedded in apertures through each disc so that surfaces of the magnets are flush with surfaces of the respective rotor disc.

Hybrid vehicles are vehicles in which two power sources, for example an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, play a part in supplying power for use in automotive propulsion. In some hybrid vehicles, both the engine and the motor are connectable to driveline components for supplying rotary power to wheels for driving the vehicle. In other hybrid vehicles, only the motor is connectable to the driveline components for supplying the rotary power; and the engine is used only as a prime mover for driving a generator which generates the electrical power needed to operate the motor. Examples of existing hybrid vehicles include passenger cars (sometimes referred to as "automobiles"), vans, buses and light trucks. There is also an increasing interest in incorporating hybrid vehicle technology into light rail vehicles such as trams.
In nearly all hybrid vehicles, it is desirable to minimise the size and weight of the automotive components. In passenger cars, successfully minimising the size and weight of these components results in greater room and hence comfort for the passengers, and may also improve the operating efficiency of the vehicle. The same is true in other hybrid vehicles.
At the same time, it is also desirable to maximise the power output of electrical machines used in hybrid vehicles: consumers are used to the high power output of internal combustion engines and so would be disappointed with lesser performance from hybrid vehicles. This is true of both motors and generators used in hybrid vehicles. For motors, a high mechanical power output is needed in order to provide adequate automotive propulsion; and accordingly for generators, a high electrical power output is needed in order to operate the motors at high power.
Thus, for hybrid vehicles it is desirable to use electrical machines with high power output per unit mass (often referred to as "power density" and measured in kW/kg). Unfortunately, however, existing electrical machines do not satisfy these requirements and so do not lend themselves well to use in hybrid vehicles.
An object of this invention is to address this problem.


A snowshoe is configured to receive a boot-mounted crampon, such that the crampon teeth serve as the front and rear cleats for the snowshoe. Two openings are included in the snowshoe deck, at toe and heel, the toe harness assembly including a plate configured to receive the front portion of a crampon such that the crampon is inserted into the snowshoe with the toe tipped down, then the heel is rotated down to lock the crampon to the plate. A single strap is included to secure the boot to the harness at a location behind the ball of the foot. In a preferred embodiment, left and right portions of the tooth assembly near the toe of the crampon fit closely within a clearance at each side of the plate, so that as the crampon is placed into the plate the crampon becomes located and registered to a certain position, rigidly holding the crampon on the plate against rotation about a vertical axis.

This invention is concerned with snowshoes and in particular with snowshoes adaptable to receive ice crampon in a manner enabling quick and easy conversion from snowshoeing to traversing ice without snowshoes.
Snowshoes in recent years have evolved from the conventional wood frames with rawhide netting serving as a deck, to metal or plastic composite frames with decks of Hypalon or other high strength material, usually wrapped around the frame and riveted. Modern snowshoes usually include cleats for engaging snow or ice, at the toe harness and often at a location under the heel of the boot as well.
In climbing or steep terrain hiking in snowy and icy conditions, the climber often needs to switch from wearing snowshoes on the boots to crampons on the boots, and back to snowshoes as fields of deeper snow are again encountered. To change from ice crampons to snowshoes, the user normally has to release the crampon's bales from front and back of the boot, remove the crampons and stow them in or on a pack, take out a pair of snowshoes from the pack, with their relatively heavy toe harness assemblies and cleats, and secure the snowshoes to the boots using several harness straps. In conditions where deep snow and ice are alternately encountered, the hiker or climber would be much better served if the crampon teeth could serve as the cleats for the snowshoes, and this is a primary object of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,375 disclosed a snowshoe wherein the user's boot was secured to a binding on an ice crampon. The crampon had toe and heel cleats which passed down through openings in toe and heel areas of the snowshoe deck when the user's boot was pivoted to the heel-down position, so that the crampon cleats served as cleats for the snowshoe. A horizontal pivot pin had to be assembled through the snowshoe frame and the crampon binding.
Atlas Snowshoe Company U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,827 described one form of snowshoe/boot combination in which a heel cleat was fixed to the boot heel rather than to the snowshoe deck, which instead had an opening through which the boot heel extended when weight was placed on the heel.


The present invention has been made to reduce the size and thickness of a multibeam antenna capable of switching the directivity in multi directions. The present invention provides a multibeam antenna including an antenna element array including one or more feed element and N (N: natural number) parasitic elements, wherein the electrical length of one or more parasitic elements are made variable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multibeam antenna capable of switching the directivity in multi-directions and is suitably used for a micro communication module implementing an information communication function, storage function, and the like, the micro communication module being attached to various electronic devices such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or an audio device when used.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, information such as music, voice, various data, image, or the like along with a recently ongoing progress of digitization of data, becomes easier to handle through the useof a personal computer or a mobile device. Further, such information is band-compressed by a voice codec technology or image codec technology and thereby environment in which the information is easily and effectively distributed to various communication terminals through a digital communication service or digital broadcasting is being put in place. For example, audio/video data (AV data) can be received even by a mobile phone.
For a data transmitting and receiving system, a simple wireless network system applicable even to a small-scale area is now utilized in homes and various locations. As the wireless network system, a 5 GHz narrow-band wireless communication system proposed in IEEE802.1a, a 2.45 GHz wireless LAN system proposed in IEEE802.1b, and a next generation wireless communication system such as a short-range wireless communication system called "Bluetooth" receive a great deal of attention.
In the case of an antenna having no directivity in characteristic direction, there arises a problem that communication quality may deteriorate due to the existence of an interference wave, which is generated at a building wall or the like due to reflection of radio waves in multiple wave environment where many radio waves exist.
Under the above situation, antennas having directivity in specified directions have gotten a lot of attention.
Among them, a phase array antenna using a plurality of phase shifters, and an adaptive array antenna which uses a plurality of transmitting and receiving systems to perform adaptive signal processing are proposed.
Further, as the directional antenna, a Yagi-Uda antenna, which is used for receiving TV broadcast waves and the like is available. As shown in FIG. 1, a Yagi-Uda antenna 100 has a radiator 111 which radiates radio waves, as well as a reflector 112 having a length slightly longer than that of the radiator 111 and a wave director 113 having a length slightly shorter than that of the radiator 111 disposed on both sides of the reflector 111, thereby exhibiting the directivity as shown in FIG. 2 (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-123142).
Further, a directivity control antenna system having directivity in the characteristic direction by arranging a plurality of Yagi-Uda antennas and switching between them is proposed (refer to, for example, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-142919).


A termination assembly for a mini-coaxial cable wherein the connector body is conformable for use with different sized cables, the connector body can be assembled in the field with selected crimping members and centering guides of matching colors to signify the cable size to be inserted into the connector body, and each different sized cable may include a portion which is color-coded to correspond to the colors of the crimping member and guide assembled into the connector body for that size of cable.

This invention relates to coaxial cable connectors and more particularly relates to a novel and improved termination assembly or adapter for coaxial cable end connectors used in splicing a cable to another cable or connecting to a post or terminal.
The problems associated with the connection of mini-coax cables as well as larger size cables to a post or terminal in the field are discussed at some length in hereinabove referred to copending application for patent for MINI-COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,448 for CABLE TV END CONNECTOR STARTER GUIDE. This invention is directed to further improvements in termination assemblies to be employed for mini-coaxial cables in which the termination assembly is characterized in particular by being comprised of a minimum number of parts which can be quickly assembled at the manufacturing site as well as in the field and is particularly useful for connection of a mini-coaxial cable to an RCA connector. Further, it is desirable to provide a connector body which is conformable for use with different sized cables, and the connector body can be assembled in the field with selected crimping members and centering guides of matching colors to signify the cable size to be inserted into the connector body, and each different sized cable may include a portion which is color-coded to correspond to the colors of the crimping member and guide assembled into the connector body for that size of cable.

Termination assembly for mini-coaxial cable having color-coded insulator

International Communication Manufacturing Corporation


An interface region between a combustion liner and a transition duct of a gas turbine combustor is disclosed having improved cooling such that component life is increased and metal temperatures are lowered. An aft end of a combustion liner is telescopically received within the transition duct such that a combustion liner seal is in contact with an inner wall of the transition duct inlet ring. Increasing the dedicated cooling air supply to the combustion liner aft end, coupled with a modified combustion liner aft end geometry, significantly reduces turbulence and flow re-circulation, thereby resulting in lower metal temperatures and increased component life. Multiple embodiments of the interface region are disclosed depending on the amount of cooling required.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gas turbine combustor and more specifically to an improved cooling configuration for an interface region between a combustion liner and a transition duct.
2. Description of Related Art
A gas turbine engine typically comprises a multi-stage compressor, which compresses air drawn into the engine to a higher pressure and higher temperature. A majority of this air passes to the combustors, which mixes the compressed heated air with fuel and contains the resulting reaction that generates the hot combustion gases. These gases then pass through a multi-stage turbine, which drives the compressor, before exiting the engine. In land-based gas turbines, the turbine is also coupled to a generator for generating electricity.
For land-based gas turbine engines, often times a plurality of combustors are utilized. Each of the combustion systems include a case that serves as a pressure vessel containing the combustion liner, which is where the high pressure air and gas mix and react to form the hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases exit the combustion liner and pass through a transition duct, which directs the flow of gases into the turbine. The transition duct is typically surrounded by a plenum of cooling air that exits from the compressor and cools the transition duct prior to being directed towards the combustor inlet for mixing with fuel in the combustion liners. An example of a gas turbine combustor of this configuration is shown in cross section in FIG. 1. Combustor 10 comprises an outer casing 11, a combustion liner 12 located within outer casing 11, and an end cover 13 fixed to outer casing 11, wherein end cover 13 includes a plurality of fuel nozzles 14 for injecting fuel into combustion liner 12. Located between combustion liner 12 and turbine 15 is a transition duct 16, which transfers the hot combustion gases from the combustion liner to the turbine.
In operation, compressed air, which is represented by the arrows in FIG. 1, exits from a compressor into plenum 17 and passes around transition duct 16, cooling the transition duct outer wall 18, before passing between outer casing 11 and combustion liner 12 where it cools combustion liner outer wall 19. Finally the compressed air mixes with fuel from fuel nozzles 14 and combusts inside combustion liner 12.
Due to the high temperatures inherent with the combustion process, it is important to provide sufficient cooling to the combustion hardware in order to maintain its durability. One particular region where this is especially important is the interface between the combustion liner and the transition duct, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Combustion liner 12 is inserted within transition duct 16, with combustion liner 12 having at least one seal 20 for engagement with transition duct 16. Although seal 20 is designed to prevent large quantities of cooling air from entering transition duct 16 from plenum 17, it is desirable for a controlled amount of cooling air to pass through channel 21 located between combustion liner 12 and transition duct 16 to cool the outer aft end surface of combustion liner 12. Poor cooling at the combustion liner aft end results in higher combustion liner metal temperatures and more interference between seal 20 and transition duct 16 due to larger amounts of thermal growth by liner 12 and seal 20. A greater interference between mating parts results in increased wear to the seal requiring premature replacement.
Another feature found in the aft end of prior art combustion liners is deflector 22, which is a circumferential plate located within combustion liner 12 that is angled inward and deflects hot combustion gases away from the liner aft end region and is intended to reduce the amount of hot combustion gases that would otherwise re-circulate back into channel 21 between the combustion liner and transition duct. By altering the flow path of the hot combustion gases, the flow is also better mixed.
However, the hot gas flow that has been redirected by deflector 22 tends to adversely affect the heat transfer on the transition duct and first stage turbine vanes and increase their metal temperatures, thereby reducing their component life. The large regions of turbulence created by deflector 22 results in some combustion gases inadvertently being re-circulated back into channel 21, thereby blocking the small amount of cooling air currently supplied to the channel. As a result of this re-circulation effect, less cooling of seal 20 occurs and higher metal temperatures for combustion liner 12 and transition duct 16 are present. It has been determined that the primary benefit of the deflector, that is redirecting the hot combustion gas flow away from the combustion liner aft end, is not sufficient enough itself to reduce metal temperatures of the combustion liner aft end and prevent excessive wear to seal 20. Therefore modifications to enhance the cooling effectiveness as well as to eliminate unnecessary regions of high turbulence that contribute to high combustion liner metal temperatures are required.

Cooling and sealing design for a gas turbine combustion system