The purpose of the present invention is to provide a titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material having excellent durability and able to be cheaply produced and cut spheroidal graphite cast iron at high speed and be used as a cutting tool material having a long life, and a method of production the same. The present invention resides in a production method of a titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material characterized in that powder of Ti.sub.(1-x) Al.sub.x N (x=0.05.about.0.70) is sintered. Said x is preferably set to a range from 0.05 to 0.15 or from 0.50 to 0.70. 0.2 to 11.1% of an additive by volume constructed by TiO.sub.y (y=1.about.2) and/or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is preferably externally added to the above titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material effectively utilizable as the material of a tool for high speed cutting spheroidal graphite cast iron, etc., and a production method of this titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The spheroidal graphite cast iron is cast iron in which spheroidal graphite is crystallized by adding cerium (Ce) or magnesium (Mg) (or a Mg alloy) into a molten bath of low sulfur (S) (<0.02%) and low phosphorus (P) (<0.2%). The spheroidal graphite cast iron has high tensile strength and relatively large tenacity in comparison with common cast iron. Therefore, the spheroidal graphite cast iron is widely used as a material of mechanical parts requiring strength and is also used in many cases as trunk important parts mainly constituting an automobile by its recent higher performance.
Cutting work of the spheroidal graphite cast iron is normally required after casting to set this spheroidal graphite cast iron to have a final shape size of the above trunk important parts, etc. A cutting work tool of the spheroidal graphite cast iron must have performance capable of rapidly processing this spheroidal graphite cast iron without any waste with required processing accuracy. When a tool edge is worn and damaged by chipping, etc., fins are caused on a processing surface of the spheroidal graphite cast iron, etc. so that no required size accuracy and surface roughness are obtained. Accordingly, a defective product is formed so that this defective product cannot be forwarded as manufactured goods.
Therefore, when the above tool wearing and chipping damage, etc. are caused, the cutting work tool must be immediately exchanged. This tool exchange must be reduced as much as possible since this tool exchange causes a reduction in productivity. Further, when production cost of the above cutting work tool is high even if life of this tool can be lengthened, processing cost of the cutting work tool rises as a result.
Accordingly, a cutting work tool having a long life and cheaply manufactured without any wearing nor damages of the above tool edge by chipping, etc., is strongly desired to cut the spheroidal graphite cast iron at high speed with reduced processing cost mentioned above.
For example, a ceramic sintered body constructed by TiC, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SiC whiskers as described in Japanese Published Patent No. 8-16028 is proposed as a cutting work tool for solving the above disadvantages.
However, there are the following problems with respect to a sintered material used in the above conventional cutting tool, etc.
Namely, no expensive cubic boron nitride as a high hardness material is included in the ceramic sintered body constructed by the above TiC, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SiC whiskers. Therefore, there is a merit in that the ceramic sintered body can be cheaply manufactured. However, no ceramic sintered body can have durability for realizing a long life at a desired level. In particular, no satisfied durability can yet be obtained with respect to the spheroidal graphite cast iron including magnesium (Mg) and difficult to be processed.

Titanium nitride aluminum based sintered material and its production method

National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya


The present invention relates to a novel geranyl flavonoid derivative with improved water-solubility or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a method for preparing the same, and a method for treating cancer using the same. Particularly, the novel geranyl flavonoid derivative of the present invention inhibits the expression of STAT3 target protein by suppressing the phosphorylation of STAT3 (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3) protein, suggesting that it has cancer cell growth inhibiting effect in various cancer cell lines. Also, the compound of the invention has the effect of reducing the size and weight of a tumor significantly in vivo, so that the geranyl flavonoid derivative or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof can be efficiently used for the treatment of cancer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel geranyl flavonoid derivative with improved water solubility or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a method for preparing the same, and a method for treating cancer using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the civilization advances, the incident rate of cancer grows. Accordingly, the development of an anti-cancer agent is the major issue in the field of bioscience and biotechnology. Cancer is the top-most or the second highest cause of death not only in Korea but also in other counties including USA and Japan, and death of cancer takes more than 50% of the total death rate particularly reported from the general hospitals.
Since President Nixon proclaimed war against cancer in 1971, starting with the explanation of the Novel prize winners Varmus and Bishop about the development procedure of cancer mediated by oncogene, the studies on cancer have progressed greatly for the past 40 years, during which cancer specific oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes have been identified. Even though new cancer treating drugs have been developed based on these studies on the functions and mechanisms of such genes, cancer still stays as a big mountain to conquer.
As an effort to conquer cancer, diagnostic methods have been advanced to facilitate the early diagnosis of various cancers. Progress has also been made in the treatment methods including surgical operation, ratio-therapy, chemo-therapy, and biological method, etc. The most representative cancer treatment method is the surgical operation. The surgical operation is most effective in increasing survival rate in early stage cancer patients, but is limited to some specific early stage cancers and is limited in operable regions. To overcome these disadvantages, an attempt to establish the target oriented therapy has been actively tried with targeting a cancer specific gene.
A variety of cancer cells have been targeted for chemo-therapy so far. However, a real fundamental anti-cancer drug has not been established yet, and only auxiliary drugs or the drugs only functioning to extend life for a little longer have been developed. The above treatment methods are all effective only in the early stage cancer patients or some specific cancers. So, the death of cancer still increases.
The most representative targeted cancer therapeutics being clinically used these days are Gleevec that inhibits the signal transduction, Heceptin (a breast cancer treating agent), Iressa (a lung cancer treating agent), Avastin (a colon cancer treating agent) working to inhibit angiogenesis, Suten (a kidney cancer treating agent), and Crizotinib (a lung cancer treating agent). The problem of these targeted cancer therapeutics is the resistance which is observed within 6˜12 months from the administration. To overcome the resistance, a novel drug has been continuously tried and the treatment method using combined drugs is in the center of the recent study.
To increase the treatment efficiency, studies on cancer development and metastasis, cancer cell physiology, and cancer diagnosis and treatment have been actively undergoing along with the attempts to develop not only a general anticancer agent by screening natural extracts but also a specific targeted novel agents such as an angiogenesis inhibitor and a metastasis inhibitor. Particularly, a selective anticancer agent targeting a specific molecule is on the spotlight because it is expected not only to be safer and more efficient in treatment but also to be easily applied to customized medical treatment and combination therapy.
To prevent the resistance against anticancer drugs and to inhibit the cancer recurrence, the focus of the major anticancer studies have been diverted to cancer cell metabolism, micro-environment around cancer cells, cancer stem cell generation and preservation, etc, since 2010.
STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) proteins act as a signaling protein in cytoplasm, which are therefore involved in signal transduction from cell membrane into nucleus and transcriptional regulation. A variety of STATs having the molecular weight of around 87˜113 kDa have been reported, which include STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5, and STAT6.
Among these STAT proteins, STAT3 is necessarily activated in most cancers and plays an important role in cancer development and differentiation. In many cases of malignant cancer, STAT3 activation is observed. In metastatic cancers, the continued activation of STAT3 is frequently observed. STAT3 is directly involved in tumor generation, invasion, and metastasis, and displays resistance against cancer cell apoptosis. Therefore, it is regarded as a promising anticancer strategy to screen STAT3 as a target material.
STAT proteins contain SH2 domain that is able to recognize at least one or two phosphotyrosine sequences in cytoplasm of the activated receptor. The SH2 (Src Homology-2) domain plays a role as a phosphorylation-dependent switch that regulates receptor recognition and DNA binding. As a result, STAT proteins can bridge the activation of a cell surface receptor and gene regulation (Darnell, J. E., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), 94:11767-11769 (1997)).
The activation of dormant STAT molecules in cytoplasm of an animal cell is achieved by the cytokine surface receptor and the growth factor receptor which is noncovalently linked to the cykine surface receptor and has Jak kinase activity or tyrosine kinase activity.
The binding between the ligand and the cell surface induces phosphorylation of tyrosine in cytoplasm of the receptor, resulting in the preparation of the STAT SH2 domain binding site. The binding with STAT on the surface of the receptor induces phosphorylation of tyrosine by Jak or receptor kinase. The phosphorylated STAT protein forms SH2 domain mediated dimer, which moves into the nucleus. In the inside of the nucleus, the dimer binds with DNA to induce transcription of a specific gene. The STAT protein signal transduction system can be stopped by dephosphorylation and protein decomposition.
Researchers have recognized the activated form of STAT in various cancers. In particular, STAT3 was identified to be activated not only in blood cancer such as leukemia but also in solid cancer such as breast cancer, head & neck cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer, suggesting that it could be an important target of anticancer study [Hua Yu and Richard Jove, Nature Review Cancer (2004), 8, 945]. Therefore, the inhibition of STAT protein leads to tumor control via combined anticancer mechanisms of apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and blocking immune evasion, etc. So, the inhibition of STAT protein is important as an efficient and practical technical resource for the development of an anticancer drug. And the resultant anticancer agent is expected to be more efficient in treating cancer than the conventional anticancer agents displaying linear action.
The present inventors tried to develop a novel compound exhibiting inhibitory effect on the activity of STAT3 protein. As a result, the inventors found out that the newly synthesized geranyl flavonoid derivative inhibited the expression of STAT3 target protein by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3 protein so that it could bring the cancer cell growth inhibition effect in various cancer cell lines. The present inventors also confirmed that the novel geranyl flavonoid derivative inhibited the increase of the size and weight of a tumor significantly in the prostate cancer mouse model, suggesting that the novel geranyl flavonoid derivative or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and the preparation method of the same could be efficiently used for treating cancer, leading to the completion of the present invention.

Geranyl flavonoid derivative with improved water solubility, a method for preparing the same, and a method for treating cancer using the same

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology


A sensor housing for a field device includes a housing body and a solar module that may be put in place and removed. The solar module supplies the field device with electrical energy and may be placed on top of the housing body at various angles of rotation, as a result of which at the same time an electrical contact between the solar module and an energy storage device is provided.

Field devices are used for measuring a pressure, a fill level of a container, or a flow through a line. These field devices may be tailor-made according to specific customer requirements. This often entails relatively high expenditure. When the requirements which a field device is to meet change, this often necessitates the purchase of a new field device.
For energy supply, the field devices may be connected to an external energy source, for example using two-wire technology.

Sensor housing with solar module for field device


A press machine is provided to reliably reposition a workpiece without causing it to become offset. The press machine includes a punch tool for punching a workpiece and a workpiece gripping section for gripping and moving a workpiece on a table. The workpiece gripping section repositions the workpiece. A control facilities stops the punch tool while it is penetrating the workpiece during the punching operation. In this stopped condition, the control facilities causes the workpiece griping section to perform a repositioning operation. During the repositioning operation, the control facilities selects a punch tool with a shape other than a perfect circle to fix the workpiece.

In conventional turret-type punch press machines, a workpiece feeding apparatus for feeding a plate workpiece on a table to a punching position includes a workpiece holder that is moved while gripping a workpiece.
A condition such as the size of a workpiece or a punching position on the workpiece may require the workpiece feeding apparatus to perform a repositioning operation for repositioning the workpiece to change the gripping position of the workpiece holder. During such a repositioning operation, since the workpiece may become offset if it is slightly released from the workpiece holder, a pair of friction pads that can be elevated and lowered by an elevating cylinder are provided and used to press the workpiece against the table to prevent such offset.
When the frictional force of the friction pads is used to fix the workpiece against the table as described above, the workpiece is not properly fixed and can get offset while being re-gripped by the workpiece holder.
The present invention is designed to solve the above-described problem and to provide a press machine capable of reliably repositioning the workpiece without causing it to be offset.

Turrent-type press machine using repositioning system to reduce offset


A system for determining the edge of a continuous web and which compensates for non-uniformity in dielectric response, including thickness is disclosed. The invention comprises first electrode for outputting a signal corresponding to the edge position of a continuous web; and second electrode associated with said first electrode for outputting a second signal corresponding to the thickness of the web, such changes in the output signal of the second electrode are related to the output signal of the first electrode.

Edge position measurement is an important requirement in continuous web manufacture processes. There have been a number of edge measuring systems disclosed in the prior art and in the trade literature. The vast majority of these systems operate by optically, pneumatically or physically sensing the edge of a continuous web, and providing a signal to correct the position of the web feeding apparatus with respect to the edge of the web.
Optically based edge measurement systems are expensive and complicated. Prior art dielectric edge sensor technologies have also had a number of technical limitations. One of the main problems associated with conventional edge sensor technologies which depend upon the dielectric response of the base material of the moving web, is that imperfections or anomalies in the web material may vary over the surface area of the web. These imperfections and anomalies, which may exist at various portions of the web, prevent a proper reading and may yield an incorrect measurement. Accordingly, when conventional edge sensors err, they cause an improper shift in the web position or devices which track edge position.
A number of prior art patents have been directed to the problem of properly placing the edge of the uptake roll of a continuous web and in adjusting the position of the web. U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,586 discloses a control system for maintaining a constant predetermined transference with a continuous elastic or extensible web while the web travels longitudinally, and while simultaneously transversely aligning the longitudinally moving web and register with a transversely extending work station which extends across the web at a preset location. The system disclosed in this patent relies upon the use of an optical counter which adjusts the position of a work table in response to lateral movements of the web. This control system is most clearly shown in FIG. 3 and described at column 4, lines 25-70 and utilizes pneumatic pressure sensors, identified by reference numerals 35 and 36.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,717 discloses a method and apparatus for controlling the lateral position of a moving web of material having a central longitudinally web access extending generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web so as to maintain the central longitudinally extending access of the web at a substantial constant lateral position. This position is fixed longitudinally and is associated with a fixed web alignment station. As most clearly shown in FIG. 19 and at column 20, this invention utilizes an optical eye in conjunction with an encoder to adjust lateral position of the web in order to make lateral adjustments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4, 956,964 is directed to an adjustable pouch form, fill seal machine. The web is folded upon itself and transversely sealed. The invention incorporates lateral adjustment mechanism which uses an optical counter. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,863 is directed to continuous web printing apparatus which includes a mechanical lateral shift device.
None of the prior art discloses or suggests an edge position sensor in combination with a gauge which measures a web property such as thickness, density, composition, moisture or temperature. It would be desirable to provide an edge sensor mechanism which includes a gauge. Such a device would enable the rapid and accurate placement of a web on an uptake roll and would compensate for anomalies in the material, caused by changes in web property. Such a device would compensate for the inherent problems associated with prior art web sensing technologies and would be an improvement over optical, mechanical and pneumatic devices which are often expensive and inaccurate.

Edge position sensor with integral thickness gauge


A chemical dispensing system controller is used in conjunction with a mechanism for dispensing specified chemicals and a device that transmits trigger signals to the control system for requesting chemicals to be dispensed. The controller receives and accumulates sequences of the transmitted trigger signals. Each trigger signal sequence is preceded and followed by a period of time of predefined duration during which no trigger signals are received. At least some of the trigger signals in some of the trigger signal sequences are not received simultaneously. Also, the number of distinct chemical feed requests that can be communicated using the accumulated trigger signals exceeds the number of distinct trigger signals. The controller maps a first subset of the accumulated trigger signal sequences into chemical feed requests, each of which requests a quantity of a corresponding chemical. The controller enables the dispensing of chemicals in accordance with the chemical feed requests. A second subset of the accumulated trigger signal sequences are mapped into wash classification codes, each of which identifies a type of wash load to be washed using the dispensed chemicals. The number of distinct wash classification codes that can be communicated using the accumulated trigger signals exceeds the number of distinct trigger signals. When the control system uses a classification dependent feed arrangement, the chemical feed request corresponding to each received trigger signal sequence is determined based on both the current wash load type and the accumulated sequence of trigger signals.

It is well known that it is desirable to customize the chemical doses delivered to commercial laundry machines in accordance with the type of wash load (e.g., shirts, towels, etc.) being laundered. When a microprocessor controlled chemical dispenser is used, the type of wash load can be communicated to the chemical dispenser by sending it signals representing a corresponding wash classification code.
Programmable washing machines generally have the ability to generate trigger signals, which are used to communicate feed requests to the chemical dispenser. When the chemical dispenser also receives a wash classification code for each load of laundry to be washed, the trigger signals can be interpreted differently for each different wash classification code, enabling the chemical dispenser to customize the chemical doses delivered to commercial laundry machines in accordance with the type of wash load.
Some programmable washing machines have only a few "triggers," which are signals used to communicate with the liquid chemical dispenser, and some can activate only one or two trigger signals at a time. These trigger generation limitations have made it impractical to use to trigger signals to communicate wash classification codes to chemical dispensers, because the number of distinct wash classifications required for many commercial and industrial washing machine systems exceeds the number of available distinct trigger signals.
To achieve chemical dosing and data logging based on wash classification, despite the trigger signal limitation in many programmable washing machines, some chemical dispenser manufacturers produce "Classification ID modules". These are attached at the washer, and the person operating the washer dials in the appropriate wash classification number at the start of a new load of wash. The dispenser receives signals corresponding to the number dialed in and performs custom chemical dosing and data logging in accordance with the wash classification dialed in by the washing machine operators.
The Classification ID modules add to the cost of buying and operating a commercial washing machine. Also, Classification ID modules create additional opportunities for operator error. If the operator does not enter the correct wash classification every time a new load gets washed, incorrect chemicals or quantities may be dispensed to the washing machine for those wash loads where the operator enters an incorrect wash classification.
The present invention produces the same results as the classification ID modules, but avoids the cost of buying and installing a "Classification ID module", and the possible operator errors in its use. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of overcoming the trigger signal limitation in programmable washing machines so as to allow a programmable washing machine to communicate to a chemical dispenser a sufficient range of wash classification values to cover all the wash classifications used in typical commercial laundries.
Another goal of the present invention is to enable a chemical dispenser to reliably sense the start and end of a washing machine cycle (i.e., the start and end of washing a load) for data logging purposes. Most or many washing machines do not have externally accessible Cycle Start and Cycle End signals that are suitable for sensing by a chemical dispenser or other computer controlled device. The present invention provides a method of using trigger signals in programmable washing machines for providing reliable Cycle Start and Cycle End signals to a chemical dispenser.
Yet another goal of the present invention is to provide a system with safeguards to avoid the dispensing of the wrong chemicals to a washing machine for a particular type of washing machine load. While it may be impossible to avoid the dispensing of wrong chemicals if the washing machine is improperly programmed, or if one of the trigger signals is defective, the present invention provides safeguards for avoiding wrong chemical dispensing due to power outages at the chemical dispenser and due to a washer operator starting a new cycle before a prior wash cycle has run to completion.

System and method for washing machine cycle identification and chemical dosing identification


Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for content addressable memory (CAM) cells. Each CAM cell may include a comparator portion which stores a bit of information. Each CAM cell may also include a comparator portion, which compares an external bit to the stored bit. A group of CAM cells may be organized into a CAM register, with each CAM cell coupled in common to a signal line. Any of the CAM cells may change a voltage on the signal line if the external bit does not match the stored bit.

This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more specifically to semiconductor components used for storing bits. Semiconductor logic devices may generally operate with a binary logic, where signals and information are stored as one or more bits, each of which may be at a high logical level or a low logical level. There may be a number of applications where it is useful to store information and compare the stored information with external information. For example, a memory device may use a string of bits as a row address to refer to a particular group of memory cells. One or more row addresses may be stored, and may be compared to incoming row addresses to determine if there is a match between any of the stored row addresses and the incoming row address.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for a content addressable memory cell and associated comparison operation


An audible noise avoiding circuit and a DC-DC boost converter for a DC-DC boost converter are provided. The audible noise avoiding circuit comprises a timing controller and a linear regulator. The timing controller discharges a timing capacitor to a low voltage according to switching of the DC-DC boost converter. A sink output stage of the liner regulator is coupled to the output voltage node. When the voltage of the timing capacitor is higher than a threshold voltage, the compensation unit compensates the output of the operational amplifier for gradually turning on the sink output stage in order to gradually reduce the voltage of the output voltage node. A predetermined charging time interval is defined by the time interval of charging the timing capacitor from the low voltage to the threshold voltage, the reciprocal of the predetermined time interval is a frequency in the ultrasonic wave frequency range.

1. Technical Field
The instant disclosure relates to a DC-DC boost converter, in particular, to an audible noise avoiding circuit and a DC-DC boost converter having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional DC-DC boost converter. The conventional DC-DC boost converter includes an inductor 11, a first switch 12, a capacitor 13, a second switch 14, a control circuit 15, a voltage division unit 16 and driving units 17, 18. The control circuit 15 controls the DC-DC boost converter to operate in a pulse width modulation mode (PWM mode) or a pulse frequency modulation mode (PFM mode). The pulse frequency modulation mode is suitable for the light load condition. The control circuit 15 obtains a feedback voltage FB corresponding to an output voltage Vout via a feedback node 104 of the voltage division unit 16. According to the feedback voltage FB, the control circuit 15 controls the conducting status of the first switch 12 and the second switch 14 through the driving units 17, 18 respectively to adjust the voltage level of the output voltage Vout. When the voltage level of the output voltage Vout is insufficient, the second switch 14 and the first switch 12 are sequentially switched on to make the inductor 11 charge the capacitor 13. When the voltage level of the output voltage Vout is sufficient, the second switch 14 and the first switch 12 will not be switching.
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram of voltage and current during operation of the DC-DC boost converter shown in FIG. 1. When the second switch 14 is turned on due to a voltage change at a control node G2 of the second switch 14, an inductive current rises with a slope Vin/L; L is an inductance value of the inductor 11. When the second switch 14 is turned off, and the first switch 12 is turned on due to a voltage change at a control node G1 of the first switch 12, the inductive current falls with a slope (Vin-Vout)/L. It is worth mentioning that when the second switch 14 is turned on, the voltage level at a phase node 103 drops from the input voltage Vin to a voltage level close to a ground voltage (zero volts). After that when the second switch 14 is turned off and the first switch 12 is turned on, the voltage level at the phase node 103 changes from a voltage level close to the ground voltage (zero volt) to the output voltage Vout.
The switching time interval T between each switch operation (or so called driver operation) varies due to the output loading at the output voltage node 102. Each switching of the first switch 12 and the second switch 14 could introduce audio noise. The frequency of the audio noise made by the first switch 12 and the second switch 14 depends on the switching time interval T.

Audible noise avoiding circuit and DC-DC boost converter having the same


A computerized cooker is described which sequentially enters numerous food items into various cooking pots and introduces liquid ingredients as well. Food is cooked in accordance with a specified computer program.

Automatic cooking apparatus typically comprise a microprocessor controlled series of food storage compartments and a cooking vessel. Typically, a plurality of ingredient storage store various different ingredients, and a computer program is used to specify schedules for dispensing the ingredients from the storage compartments into a cooking vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,810 to Wong shows one such apparatus. The Wong arrangement includes a carousal of ingredient storage vessels which rotates and dispenses ingredients into a pot which may then be heated. Additionally, Wong provides apparatus for stirring the ingredients as they cook.
An additional prior art patent describing computerized cooking is U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,762 issued to Gokey. In the Gokey arrangement, robotics are employed to select a food item, place it on a cooking area for cooking, and turn and remove the food at an appropriate time. Gokey is suitable for cooking, for example, meat, poultry, or fish.
The aforementioned two prior art patents, as well as numerous other prior art directed to the same technology, are extremely primitive and only suited for a very small number of food items. For example, in Wong, due to the carousel design of the ingredient storage compartments, once a food item is heated, it may not be automatically removed from the heat. Rather, other ingredients may be added and the total mixture further cooked. Moreover, only one heating element and cooking vessel may be used. Since the arrangement of the cooking vessel and storage compartments does not allow mixing of items after cooking. Thus, recipes calling for some ingredients to be boiled and others sauted would be impossible to make.
The Gokey arrangement is capable of little more than placing strips of meat or similar items on a grill, and then removing them. Additionally, Gokey requires a complicated set of robotics, making it expensive and unsuitable for home use.
In view of the above, there exists a need in the art for a more versatile cooking apparatus which can cook and dispense various solid and liquid ingredients, and which can provide for cooking items which are more complicated then simply mixing ingredients in a single pot and heating them at a desired temperature or simply placing items on a grill.


An optical module is provided with a case, which includes an accommodation portion, optical elements, optical waveguide cores, a clad layer, and an optical path changing unit. The optical elements are accommodated in and fixed to the accommodation portion. The optical elements have optical axis centers. The optical waveguide cores are respectively formed at positions corresponding to the planar positions of the optical axis centers. The clad layer surrounds the optical waveguide cores. The clad layer and the optical waveguide cores form an optical waveguide. The optical waveguide is stacked on a wiring substrate including a wiring pattern to which electrode terminals of the optical elements are connected, and the case is mounted on the wiring substrate. The optical path changing unit is formed at a position corresponding to the planar positions of the optical axis centers and faces the optical waveguide at a predetermined angle.

The present invention relates to an optical module and a method for manufacturing an optical module.
High-speed optical communication, which uses optical signals instead of electric signals, involves an optical module that converts electric signals to optical signals and optical signals to electric signals. An optical module basically includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element that are arranged on an optical transmission medium, such as an optical waveguide. The light emitting element, which may be a semiconductor laser, converts electric signals to optical signals. The light receiving element, which may be a photodiode, converts optical signals to electric signals (refer to, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2011-242706 and 2009-175418).
FIG. 21 shows a referential example of optical coupling between a light emitting element and an optical waveguide. An optical waveguide 91, which is arranged on a substrate 90, includes one end surface that is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to a surface 90A of the substrate 90. A reflective mirror 92 is formed on the inclined end surface of the optical waveguide 91. Light emitted from a light emitting element 93 is reflected by the reflective mirror 92 into the optical waveguide 91.
To enable such optical coupling in the referential example, there is a need to accurately align the optical axis of the light emitting element 93, the point of reflection on the reflective mirror 92, and the position of the optical waveguide 91 at which the reflected light from the reflective mirror 92 enters the waveguide. Such alignment is achieved through, for example, active alignment. Active alignment involves measurement of the amount of light emitted from an output end of the optical waveguide 91 during movement of the reflective mirror 92 and the optical waveguide 91 (or specifically the substrate 90) when light is output from the light emitting element 93. The light emitting element 93 and the substrate 90 are then fixed at positions corresponding to the maximum amount of light emitted from the output terminal of the optical waveguide 91.
However, an information communication device or an information processor includes a large number of channels that carry optical signals. Thus, when active alignment is performed for each channel of such a device, a great amount of time is consumed.

Optical module and method for manufacturing optical module


A thermoplastic composition includes from about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % polycarbonate homopolymer or copolymer, from about 15 wt % to about 30 wt % styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, from about 13 wt % to about 15 wt % flat glass fiber, and from about 9 wt % to about 11 wt % round glass fiber. Methods for making a thermoplastic composition include forming a mixture from the recited components and extruding or molding the mixture to form the composition.

In numerous applications there is a desire to replace metal components with polymer components to minimize component weight. Aluminum is one such metal. While various metal and polymer substitutes for aluminum have been used, they can have properties that make them unsuitable for substitution in certain applications. For example, in certain applications it may be necessary to closely match the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the polymer to that of aluminum (approximately 23-26 micron per meter per degree Celsius (μm/m/° C.)), such as in polymer/aluminum bonding applications. If the CTE of the polymer is substantially different from that of aluminum the bond could weaken or fail. Conventional polymer substitutes either have a CTE that widely varies from that of aluminum and/or that has a flowability (melt flow rate (MFR) or melt volume flow rate (MVR)) that makes them unsuitable for certain molding applications.
These and other shortcomings are addressed by aspects of the present disclosure.

Thermoplastic composition having a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matched to aluminum


A baffle tool operative to manually install and remove commercial grill baffles and filters has a longitudinally extensive handle. First and second filter plates pivotally attach to the handle and are operative to couple through a set of prongs with a commercial grill filter. An actuating handle is moveable relative to the longitudinally extensive handle. First and second linking rods extend between the filter plates and actuating handle, and transmit motion of the actuating handle to the first and second filter plates. Movement of the actuating handle thereby causes the filter plates to move relative to the longitudinally extensive handle. A lock is also provided for selectively locking the actuating handle to the longitudinally extensive handle and preventing motion therebetween, which facilitates the securement of a baffle to the tool.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to handling, including hand and hoist-line implements, and more particularly to a grapple with pivoted jaws and crossed levers; an expanding and pivoted grapple; and to pole mounted implements. One exemplary embodiment of the invention is a grill filter baffle removal tool that facilitates hand removal of filter baffles from grill or other restaurant hoods.
2. Description of the Related Art
At most establishments that serve food, such as a restaurant, diner, bar, or the like, a grill will be found. The grill is a large heated cook surface, usually smooth, typically flat, and often fabricated from stainless or other ferrous alloy. Such grills most commonly have overhead vents to clear the air surrounding the cooking space. Many of these vents will simply draw the air from above the grill and pass it through a pipe or conduit to the outdoors, exterior of the building. In addition to grills, similar vents are found above various deep-frying and other cooking appliances.
As grease and other food matter is heated and boils or evaporates, this grease and other matter is entrained into the air stream that is drawn into the vent. As the hot grease is entrained in surrounding air, the grease cools. With enough cooler air drawn in and mixed therewith, the grease and food matter condenses from the air stream onto adjacent surfaces, which without other precautions would be onto the vent pipe or conduit. Unfortunately, such an accumulation of grease presents a fire and health safety hazard that is unacceptable.
To prevent this undesirable accumulation of grease, filters have been devised that keep the vent pipes and conduits from becoming coated in grease. These filters provide a surface upon which the grease will selectively condense, and more elaborate filters even include grease drains to remove and collect the grease in a safe collector.
Due to health and safety concerns and codes, grease filters need to be cleaned or replaced periodically. However, such filters are often out of reach and not easily replaced or cleaned. At the end of the work day, employees attempting to remove the filter have been known to stand on the grill surface to reach the filter, leaving the grill unsanitary and, in some situations, leaving melted rubber from the soles of the shoes on the grill. Ladders are not ideal to reach the filters either, due to the obstruction caused by the vent hood and grill. Consequently, filter removal tools are highly desired. However, removal tools of the prior art have typically been unstable and difficult to handle. The net result has been damage to expensive filters.
An exemplary prior art filter tool is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,889 by Fithen et al, entitled "Filter Tongs," the contents and teachings which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a single pair of tongs that spread apart to grapple the filter. The mechanism that controls the spread is a scissors-like handle that is manually grasped, with one hand on each moveable member of the scissors. While this invention by Fithen et al advances the state of filter removal, there remain several limitations, drawbacks or deficiencies that will desirably be overcome. One drawback is the risk of pinching in the hand region, and adjacent the scissors pivot. Further, the use of a single pair of tongs in some filter designs presents undesirable opportunity for the filter to spin or rotate relative to the tongs. Finally, this invention does not incorporate a locking mechanism, and so requires careful holding and handling to avoid unintentional release of a filter from the tongs.
Other filter tool patents, the contents and teachings which are incorporated by reference herein, include 4,019,769 by Filion, entitled "Screen Gripper"; 6,477,758 by Krebel, entitled "Grease Filter Remover"; 6,507,987 by Price, entitled "Grease Filter Remover for Restaurant Hoods"; and 7,465,332 by Randinelli, entitled "Disposable Grease Filter for Air Filtration System and Method of Manufacturing Same". Unfortunately, these patents fail to remedy the deficiencies of Fithen et al described herein above.
Other patents disclosing grabbing devices with various locking members, the contents and teachings which are incorporated by reference herein, include U.S. Pat. No. 64,285 by Collins, entitled "Leak Stopper"; U.S. Pat. No. 127,212 by Aylworth, entitled "Improvement in Stalk Holders"; 3,120,847 by Cavaness, entitled "Surgical Needle Holder"; 5,014,578 by Flentge, entitled "Pipe Tongs"; 5,575,518 by Payne, entitled "Gripper Tool for Handling Lumber"; and Des 152,478 by Hutchinson et al., entitled "Fish Mouth Opener or Similar Article". Additionally, a lever action grabber without locking member, the contents and teachings which are incorporated by reference herein, is shown in 5,354,110 by Licata, entitled "Fireplace Tongs".
In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.


A flexible endless belt mountable on rotating elements has an outer and inner surface between first and second lateral edges and a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart laterally oriented upraised flights on the outer surface. Each flight has a single medial portion offset in a rearward longitudinal direction from portions of the flight immediately lateral to the medial portion. Protrusions on the inner surface engage the rotating elements for endlessly rotating the endless belt in a forward longitudinal direction. Such an endless belt is particularly useful on a control apparatus for a stone slinger.

Conveyors for moving particulate material, such as stone, gravel, sand, and the like, are known in the art. Such conveyors, commonly called "stone slingers", generally comprise a thrower belt mounted on a truck, the truck having a storage hopper for holding the particulate material. Particulate material is dispensed from the hopper on to the thrower belt and then transported along the thrower belt to be deposited in a desired locating remote from the truck.
Particulate material on the thrower belt has a tendency to bounce around and be thrown off in a premature and/or erratic manner. To control the flow of particulate material on the thrower belt, an endless belt positioned above the thrower belt may be used. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,076 issued Jun. 5, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,976 issued Sep. 9, 2003 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,125 issued Feb. 24, 2004. While use of such an endless belt has improved control over particulate material on the thrower belt, there remains a need for an improved belt, particularly for such a use.
Various types of endless belts for various purposes are known in the art. For example, United States Publication 2002/0175055 published Nov. 28, 2002 discloses a conveyor belt having V-shaped grooves for transporting particulate material. This belt is designed to actually carry particulate material, hence the troughing of the belt, and would be poorly effective in a control apparatus for a stone slinger. U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,280 issued Apr. 16, 2002 discloses a conveyor belt having "wavy" flights for use on a crop baler. This belt is designed to grip a bale of crop. If used in a control apparatus on a stone slinger, the "waviness" of the belt would detrimentally affect object control as it would permit objects to escape off the sides of the thrower belt and objects would collect in several regions rather than just one. U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,463 issued Nov. 11, 2003 disclose a conveyor belt with two flights that are laterally spaced apart thereby having a gap in the middle. Such a belt is designed to carry objects, not control objects from above. If used on a control apparatus for a stone slinger, this belt would allow objects to slip back through the gap thus losing throwing effectiveness and control. Thus, the aforementioned belts are not well suited for use on a control apparatus positioned above particulate material for controlling particulate material on a thrower belt of a stone slinger. Furthermore, these belts, and other conveyor belts like them are flat on the underside and do not have means on the underside to permit engagement with rotational elements.


Provided is an image processing device including a corresponding pixel computation unit configured to, with respect to image data containing an image data area and an ignored area, replace a pixel in the ignored area having influence on a spatial analysis process with a pixel having no influence on the spatial analysis process.

Nowadays, high-resolution satellite images and aerial photographs have become more commonly used to quickly figure out a wide devastated area in which disasters such as floods or earthquakes have occurred. Electronic data on such satellite images and aerial photographs include positional information that can be, when geometric correction is applied thereto, displayed in a manner overlaid on the existing map, whereby it becomes possible to exactly figure out and analyze the disaster situation. However, such analysis is dependent on the visual check of an expertise, which requires huge cost and time. Thus, there has been an increasing need for automation of the analysis or a method for assisting in the visual check.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cost of image data 101 on a satellite image or an aerial photograph depends on its area. Therefore, typically, an image data range 102 requested by a user is cut out and provided. Such image data range 102 often has an indefinite shape. Examples of the image data range 102 include ancient tombs.
Meanwhile, the format of a typical image file is defined such that the range of a square or a rectangle is stored. Thus, most of electronic data on satellite images and aerial photographs that are provided are not satisfied with the observed data. In many cases, the pixel value of an area that contains no image data is defined by a constant such as zero. Hereinafter, an area containing no image data will be referred to as an ignored area 103.
Among image analysis processes is a two-dimensional wavelet transformation. In the two-dimensional wavelet transformation, each of x components and y components is decomposed into high-frequency components and low-frequency components. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for when a two-dimensional wavelet transformation is performed twice. High-frequency components of both x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image are indicated by HH1 (201), high-frequency components in the x direction of the original image and low-frequency components in the y direction of the original image are indicated by HL1 (202), low-frequency components in the x direction of the original image and high-frequency components in the y direction of the original image are indicated by LH1 (203), and there are also low-frequency components of both x and y components that are orthogonal the original image. Further, as a result of performing a two-dimensional wavelet transformation again on the low-frequency components of both the x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image, the low-frequency components of both the x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image are decomposed into high-frequency components of both the x and y components: HH2 (204); the high-frequency components of both the x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image are decomposed into low-frequency components in the x direction and low-frequency components in the y direction: HL2 (205); the low-frequency components of both the x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image are decomposed into low-frequency components in the x direction and high-frequency components in the y direction: LH2 (206); and the low-frequency components of both the x and y components that are orthogonal to the original image are decomposed into low-frequency components of both the x and y components: LL2 (207). Likewise, any hierarchical transformation can be performed as the two-dimensional wavelet transformation. Such characteristics of the two-dimensional wavelet transformation are used to perform statistical analysis on each scale, so as to be applied to extraction of an edge from an image, correction of the image quality, compression of image data, and the like.
Non Patent Literature 1 below is known technical literature related to the present invention.

Pixel analysis and image transformation device and method


A method for managing a back-end information storage infrastructure and a flexible development environment for data storage using a computer system. The method includes managing system resources including a relational database. Meta data models are created to model processes and to define meta data elements and their relationships by using trees and graphs. The method manages access to the data by authenticating users through several levels of authentication describing user rights, while providing management of multi-user access and concurrency. The method includes running the processes that generate instance data, storing the instance data following the meta data model, and transforming the instance data into physical views.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention is data management, including information storage infrastructure and database application development environments, for use with relational databases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Until now, efforts to create data management systems and software for databases have involved extremely lengthy and costly development cycles for database design, implementation, tuning and maintenance. These problems have been all too typical in the design and specification of database schemas for projects.
Data warehousing is a common method of recording of an enterprise's past transactional and operational activities, stored in a database. Data warehouses often hold large amounts of information which are sometimes subdivided into smaller logical units called dependent data marts. Data warehousing projects have involved complex, time-consuming and expensive phases including data cleansing, building a database dimensional model such as a snowflake model or the like, and harvesting reports. The first phase, data cleansing, typically represents over 80% of the total time required for such data warehousing projects.
Data cleansing is the process of amending or removing data in a database that is incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted, or duplicated. An organization in a data-intensive field like banking, insurance, retailing, telecommunications, or transportation might use a data scrubbing tool to systematically examine data for flaws by using rules, algorithms, and look-up tables. Typically, a database scrubbing tool includes programs that are capable of correcting a number of specific type of mistakes, such as adding missing zip codes or finding duplicate records. Using a data scrubbing tool can save time over fixing errors manually, but data scrubbing tools are costly and still require significant amounts of time to implement. Due to the nature of ADM data storage and the metadata model it utilizes, the data requires little or no cleansing before inclusion into a data warehousing database.
Tree data storage refers to data elements having only one parent data element. On the other hand, graph data storage refers to data elements that may have more than one parent data element. Graph data storage commonly results when the data stored within a databases requires complex relationships in order to be used in a particular application. The more a data solution is graph-like, the more likely it is to suffer from performance and efficiency problems. There are very few practical solutions to graph data storage that fully address graph data storage side effects. Further, many important database applications, for example patient medical record applications, require graph-like data solutions. Typically, solutions to such problems are arrived at on an ad hoc basis, whereby one or more development teams will customize a solution to address a particular application problem. The problem with such an ad hoc approach is that it leads to ossification—future changes to the data storage infrastructure, either to implement a fix or to enhance the system, require another exhaustive database development effort, which is both costly and time-consuming.
What is needed is a data management method that will address the issues presented above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An ink chamber doctor blade for a printing machine, comprising a doctor blade box (10) forming an ink chamber, at least two doctor blade knives (11, 12) attached to the doctor blade box (10) and bounding an opening (13) which, during operation, points to the outer circumference of a printing cylinder or an ink transfer roller and extends over the length of the doctor blade box (10), two front end covers (2) detachably fitted to the respective front end of the doctor blade box (10) and sealing the ink chamber, and means for supplying and discharging ink, each front end cover (2) comprising a rigid cover basic body (25) and a sealing element held by it and coming to abut against the doctor blade knives (11, 12) and against the section of the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller located between these doctor blade knives, wherein the sealing element is formed by a flat two-layer sealing plate (20), the first layer (21) of which facing the doctor blade box (10) is made of a soft-elastic flexible material and the second layer (22) of which facing away from the doctor blade box (10) is made of a low-elastic solid material, and that in mounted condition the sealing plate (20) is loaded with a first force pressing it against the front end of the doctor blade box (10) and against the front end of the doctor blade knives (11, 12) and with a second force pointing in the direction of the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller.

Ink chamber doctor blades of the above type are commonly known from the printing technique because of their widespread use. An aspect of such ink chamber doctor blades essential to the printing trade is the sealing of the front ends of the ink chamber doctor blades against undesirable ink discharge. This involves both sealing the front end of the ink chamber formed within the ink chamber doctor blade and providing a sealing in the area of the two doctor blade knife ends and of the area of the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller located between these doctor blade knife ends, the latter sealing causing the more difficult problem. It has hitherto been conventional for known ink chamber doctor blades to close their front ends with respective rigid front end covers in the manner of a flange seal, which covers, however, leave open the section immediately adjacent to the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller. For this section an elastic plastic body is provided as a sealing element secured to the side of the front end cover pointing to the interior of the ink chamber doctor blade. The front side of the plastic body pointing to the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller is adapted to the roundness of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller; following this roundness are two inclined side flanks, the inclination of which is adapted to the alignment of the doctor blade knives. The rear side of the plastic body is usually straight-lined and forms a seat for securing the plastic body to the front end cover. The sealing is then effected in a manner such that the plastic body is clamped with a certain pre-tension between the front end cover securing it and the doctor blade knives abutting against its side flanks. In view of its elasticity the plastic body adapts itself to the surfaces of the doctor blade knives pointing to the interior of the ink chamber, and the plastic body adapts itself to the outer circumference of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller. Practical experience, however, has shown that, in operation, this adaptation will last only for a limited time; for after a certain operating time ink will penetrate and move on the side flank of the plastic body in the direction of rotation of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller, which ink will be thickened through the heat developing as a result of the friction between printing cylinder or ink transfer roller and plastic body and will collect more and more in the increasingly widening slot space between the side flank of the plastic body and the interior of the doctor blade. Moreover, the wear of the plastic body in its area of contact with the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller cannot be effectively compensated, because the doctor blade knives prevent the plastic body from moving towards the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller. Consequently, in this area the plastic body loses its sealing effect, and ink will gradually discharge to an increasing extent from the interior of the ink chamber outwards. Such ink discharge is undesirable and is partially even detrimental to the quality of the printed products or the usability of the printing machine. To avoid ink discharge, the plastic body must be replaced at relatively short intervals, which requires respective interruptions of the printing process and partial disassembly of the ink chamber doctor blade, which can only be done after preceding removal of the ink from the ink chamber. Finally, it is a drawback that the plastic body, through the forces exerted by its inclined side flanks on the interior of the doctor blade knives, pushes the latter out of their straight-line course. This deviation of the doctor blade knives from the desired straight-line course gives an enlarged doctor blade slot in the area of the doctor blade ends and thus leads to an increase in the ink supplied thereto in this section of the printing cylinder or the ink transfer roller. This gives irregular ink saturation in subsequent printing, which means a deterioration.

Ink chamber doctor blade for a printing machine


A method for a liquid-liquid extraction of hydrophilic organic compounds from aqueous solutions thereof is described. The method generally includes intermixing a sufficient quantity of a specified glycol ether with the aqueous liquor at a first temperature to form a suspension comprising an aqueous raffinate phase and a glycol ether extract phase; separating the glycol ether extract phase from the aqueous raffinate phase; heating the glycol ether extract phase to a second, higher temperature to form a suspension comprising an aqueous extract phase containing a portion of the hydrophilic organic compound and a glycol ether raffinate phase; and separating this glycol ether raffinate phase from the aqueous extract phase. The selected glycol ether has an inverse solubility in water and the partition ratio, value K, for the hydrophilic organic compound is greater than 0.1. This method is useful for recovering valuable hydrophilic organic acids produced via fermentation or produced or used in various manufacturing processes.

The present invention relates to a process for recovering hydrophilic organic compounds from aqueous streams containing same by liquid-liquid extraction.
Many valuable hydrophilic organic compounds such as carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids, polyhydroxy compounds, amino acids and amides are produced or utilized within manufacturing processes involving aqueous streams. Examples include production of carboxylic acids via fermentation processes and utilization of sulfonic acids as catalysts for esterification reactions. Various methods, such as, for example, steam stripping, liquid-liquid extraction, liquid-solid adsorption, chromatography and membrane-based methods, are known for recovery of these valuable hydrophilic compounds from aqueous liquor containing same such as, for example, fermentation broths and waste water streams.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,219 (W. Lenhardt et al.) discloses a process for recovering an organic acid such as lactic acid from an aqueous solution thereof. The process involves extracting the aqueous solution containing an organic acid with a mixture consisting of water, a mineral acid in quantity effective to maintain pH of the mixture between 1.0 and 4.5, and an oxygenated solvent which has limited solubility with water and the aqueous solution to produce a solvent extract and a first raffinate. The oxygenated solvent has from 6-8 carbon atoms and at least one hydroxyl, ester, ketone, ether, carbonyl or amid group. The solvent extract is then back extracted with an aqueous liquid to produce an organic acid-rich aqueous extract and an organic acid-depleted solvent raffinate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,739 (A. Baniel et al.) discloses a process for extracting a technical-grade phosphoric acid with certain organic solvents selected from the group of ethers, ketones and glycol ethers having from 2 to 15 carbon atoms. These solvents (a) practically do not extract phosphoric acid from an aqueous solution thereof having concentration of phosphoric acid below 35 percent by weight, and (b) extract a substantial portion of phosphoric acid from an aqueous solution thereof having a concentration of phosphoric acid greater than 35 percent by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,550 (J. Kimble) discloses a process for recovery of mercaptoalkanoic acids from an aqueous solution thereof by a liquid-liquid extraction operation using at least one alkanoic acid ester and an alkylene glycol ether.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,906 (R. Shinnar et al.) discloses a liquid-liquid extraction process wherein a solution of a solute in a native solvent, for example water, is mixed with a primary solvent, which is soluble with the native solvent, and subsequently adding a modifier, which is insoluble with either the native or the primary solvent. By adding the modifier, the solubility of the primary solvent with the native solvent is changed, thereby causing a near instantaneous phase separation. The solute is concentrated in the primary-solvent-rich phase. Examples of some primary solvents are acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetonitrile, butanoic acid, ethanol, formic acid, methanol, propanoic acid, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 2-propanone, propenoic acid, pyridine and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether. Examples of some modifiers are 3-methylbutyl ester of acetic acid, benzene, cyclohexane, 1,2-dichloro ethane, methyl isobutyl ketone, tetralin and toluene.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,260 (Z. Ludmer et al.) discloses a phase-transition type of forward extraction process, but one that uses a change in temperature to induce the phase transition, rather than a change in solvent composition. It describes a multi-stage counter-current process in which phase transition from a single-liquid phase to two liquid phases occurs in each step. The required phase transition is induced through the use of internal heating and cooling coils or other heat transfer means in each stage. The process requires changing temperature in each stage in order to cross a liquid-liquid phase boundary in each stage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,046 B1 (A. Eyal et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,077 B1 (A. Eyal et al.) disclose processes for separating lactic acid from a fermentation broth containing free lactic acid and lactic acid salts. Oxygenated solvents that have a multiple number of functional groups (such as alcohol and ether) are mentioned as useful provided they give favorable partitioning of lactic acid. These solvents, however, are not used as extraction solvent themselves but rather in admixture with a tertiary amine (trialkylamine), which is the extraction solvent.
Known liquid-liquid extraction processes used to recover hydrophilic organic compounds from aqueous feeds tend to be expensive, because of having a large number of steps, unfavorable partitioning (uneconomically low K values), poor selectivity for the desired solute, or poor efficiency for recovery of the solvents used. An improved method for recovery of valuable hydrophilic organic compounds from aqueous streams has now been discovered. This method uses certain glycol ethers having specific partition ratio, value K, in known liquid-liquid extraction equipment.

Process for recovering organic compounds from aqueous streams containing same


A liquid purification system is provided. Although not limited to water, the purification system is especially suitable for water. The purification system utilizes a vessel having antimicrobial inner wall load bearing surfaces and/or antimicrobial (antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, etc.) interior non-load bearing surfaces. When the liquid moves within the vessel and contacts the antimicrobial surfaces, the liquid becomes purified or sanitized. The inner wall load bearing surfaces and non-load bearing interior surfaces of the vessel may be manufactured from a host polymer that has antimicrobial organo-metallic additives which form a solid-solution with the host polymer and are distributed homogeneously throughout the host polymer. The host polymer matrix may be an organic material, an inorganic material or an organic-inorganic material blend. The antimicrobial agent polymer matrix may be located in localized zones within the vessel.

A liquid purification system is provided. Although not limited to water, the purification system is especially suitable for water. The purification system utilizes a vessel having antimicrobial inner wall load bearing surfaces and/or antimicrobial (antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, etc.) interior non-load bearing surfaces. When the liquid moves within the vessel and contacts the antimicrobial surfaces, the liquid becomes purified, disinfected or sanitized. The inner wall load bearing surfaces and non-load bearing interior surfaces of the vessel may be manufactured from a host polymer that has antimicrobial organo-metallic additives which form a solid-solution with the host polymer and are distributed homogeneously throughout the host polymer. The host polymer matrix may be an organic material, an inorganic material or an organic-inorganic material blend. The antimicrobial agent polymer matrix may be located in localized zones within the vessel.
It is well known to provide vessels for storing or transporting liquids. For example, stationary water-based liquids vessel structures such as cisterns, rain barrels and portable vessels such as bottles and multi-gallon jugs are often used to transport and/or store liquids. During use, these vessels have the potential to become contaminated with disease causing agents. As a result, antimicrobial containing vessels have been created, some having purification, disinfecting and/or sanitization pathways, which help the purification, disinfecting and/or sanitization of liquid for portable use (such as drinking bottles, etc.), private homes, businesses, and public facilities.
Examples of existing art appear in numerous products. In-home activated carbon based filter systems use carbon to filter particulate matter from the liquid, but do not offer sanitation, relying on the antimicrobial functioning of chlorine additives. Reverse osmosis devices require high pressure to force water flow through membranes. None of these methods are useful in producing sanitized water in water storage tanks. Chlorine and similar additives can offer sanitation functionality, but they require maintaining appropriate chemical levels in the liquid.
Present water-based liquid purification systems generally rely on activated carbon filters, chlorine and similar additives, reverse osmosis devices, etc. Although these methods have demonstrated some utility, they typically suffer from several limitations of which the following are the most often cited: 1) limited life expectancy of the vessel; 2) high initial system costs; 3) the vessels generally do not confer significant antimicrobial resistance; 4) narrow range of effectiveness against anti-microbial agents; 5) toxic to viruses and molds with potential toxicity to humans at the levels employed; 6) minimal portability for systems providing high efficacy performance; 7) costly system preventive maintenance; 8) costly system consumables; and 9) potential for compromised system performance.
An improved water-based liquid vessel which has increased antimicrobial agent activity and overcomes these limitations would play a valuable role in producing a healthier environment, creating a smaller carbon footprint, and enhancing sustainability. Accordingly, the present water-based liquid vessel is provided.


A rocket engine burner for throttling over a large thrust range from full thrust to very low thrust. The rocket engine burner comprises a propellant injector assembly, a combustion chamber, and an ignitor. The propellant injector assembly comprises one or more hollow injectors and a secondary propellant manifold in communication with the hollow injectors to provide them with a secondary propellant. The propellant injector assembly also includes a primary propellant manifold and a porous injector that extends across the inlet of the combustion chamber and is in communication with the primary propellant manifold to receive the primary propellant. The primary propellant flows through the porous injector and is injected into the combustion chamber. The porous injector has one or more openings through it which receive the hollow injectors. The secondary propellant flows through the hollow injectors and is injected into the combustion chamber. The ignitor is in communication with the combustion chamber to ignite the injected primary and secondary propellants to produce combustion products that exit the outlet of the combustion chamber.

A rocket engine for single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) application must operate at high thrust at lift off, moderate thrust later in the flight, and very low thrust (i.e., .apprxeq.10%) during vehicle landing. Reduced thrust operation involves reduced flow rates of the propellants and therefore reduced pressure in the combustion chamber.
Conventional liquid propellant rocket engines use the fuel propellant (e.g., hydrogen) to regeneratively cool the walls of the combustion chamber and nozzle(s). The heat transfer involved in this process and the work done in pumping the fuel to the combustion chamber, nozzle(s), and propellant injector assembly adds sufficient heat to the fuel such that it is converted from a liquid to a high pressure compressible fluid. Thus, as the pressure in the combustion chamber is reduced (i.e., as flow rates are reduced) from high pressure at full thrust to low pressure at low thrust, the density of the compressible fuel is correspondingly reduced and the injection velocity of the fuel exiting the fuel injector(s) of the propellant injector assembly into the combustion chamber remains approximately constant.
However, the oxidizer (e.g., oxygen) is not heated enough by heat transfer and/or by being pumped to the propellant injector assembly to cause it to be converted from a liquid to a compressible fluid. Thus, as pressure in the combustion chamber is reduced from high pressure at full thrust to low pressure at low thrust, the density of the oxidizer injected into the combustion chamber by the conventional oxidizer injector(s) of the propellant injector assembly remains approximately constant. This results in the pressure drop of the oxidizer across these injector(s) being proportional to the square of the flow rate. For example, with a 100 psi pressure drop at 100% flow rate (i.e., full thrust), the pressure drop at 10% flow rate (i.e., very low thrust) is 1 psi (100.times.(0.10).sup.2). Such a pressure drop at very low flow rate is insufficient to provide uniform flow distribution and stable combustion.

Rocket engine burner with porous metal injector for throttling over a large thrust range

Aerotherm Corporation, a Subsidiary of Dyncorp


A process coupling for coupling a diagnostic device to process fluid of an industrial process includes a process interface configured to physically couple to the process fluid. A fluid pathway extending from the process interface configured to couple a process interface element of the process device to the process fluid. The fluid pathway is configured to optimize transmission of process noise from the process fluid to the process device for use by the diagnostic device.

The present invention relates to industrial process control and monitoring systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to diagnostics used in such systems.
Industrial process control and monitoring systems are used to monitor or control many types of industrial processes. For example, monitoring systems can be used to monitor the transfer of process fluids, such as oil, gasoline, etc., while industrial process control systems are used to control industrial processes. For example, a process transmitter such as a pressure transmitter can be configured to sense a process pressure and transmit information related to the sensed pressure to a remote location, such as a control room, over a two wire process control loop. The two wire process control loop is one example communication standard used in such systems. In a control system, in response to a sensed process variable (i.e., pressure), a controller can be configured to change operation of the process as desired such as, for example, controlling the position of a valve.
If a process device (a process variable transmitter or a process controller) fails or is otherwise not operating within its specifications, the process being controlled can be disrupted as well as the process control equipment. Various techniques have been used to identify or "diagnose" the condition of operation of the process. Such techniques can be used to provide an indication that a component has failed so that the process can be shut down and service personnel can replace the component. Additionally, in some configurations, the diagnostic techniques attempt to identify a failing component prior to that components ultimate failure thereby allowing preventive maintenance to be performed.
Some techniques used to diagnose process control and monitoring systems utilize process noise. Process noise is the higher frequency variation of pressure signal due to equipment and general fluid flow. One process noise example might be the high frequency pressure variation generated by flow through an orifice plate, or a turbine pump. The process noise can be monitored and used to identify a failing or failed component in the process control and monitoring system. Such techniques are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,005 entitled "PROCESS DEVICE DIAGNOSTICS USING PROCESS VARIABLE SENSOR SIGNAL", issued Jul. 29, 2003, and assigned to Rosemount Inc.

Process connection for process diagnostics


A method and system is provided which generates and uses authentication codes so that when one device is connected to another device, the devices can only communicate with one another. The method and system preferably counts the number of times the devices have successfully communicated as part of the authentication process.

Manufacturers occasionally want to uniquely interface their hardware with other commercial hardware devices. For example, a manufacturer may want to insure that when a customer is interfacing devices with the manufacturer's hardware, the device meets the manufacturer's approval. Also, in order to prevent theft of computers and computer related hardware, it is known to encode the hardware components such that a digitally authenticated handshake must be performed between the system and the component at power-up. If the handshake is successful, normal operation continues with all enhancements. If the handshake is unsuccessful, the device is disabled or shifted into a lower performance mode.
However, it would be beneficial to increase the security of prior methods and products which authenticate devices when they are connected to one another.


A light source, for example a light emitting diode, can emit light and have an associated optical axis. The source can be deployed in applications where it is desirable to have illumination biased laterally relative to the optical axis, such as in a street luminaire where directing light towards a street is beneficial. The source can be coupled to an optic that comprises an inner surface facing the source and an outer surface that is opposite the inner surface. The inner surface can comprise a refractive surface that receives light headed away from the optical axis of the light source, for example opposite the street. The refractive surface can form the received light into a beam. The outer surface of the optic can reflect the beam back across the optical axis, for example so that light headed away from the street is redirected towards the street.

Light emitting diodes are useful for indoor and outdoor illumination, as well as other applications. Many such applications would benefit from an improved technology for managing light produced by a light emitting diode, such as forming an illumination pattern matched or tailored to application parameters.
For example, consider lighting a street running along a row of houses, with a sidewalk between the houses and the street. Conventional, unbiased light emitting diodes could be mounted over the sidewalk, facing down, so that the optical axis of an individual light emitting diode points towards the ground. In this configuration, the unbiased light emitting diode would cast substantially equal amounts of light towards the street and towards the houses. The light emitted from each side of the optical axis continues, whether headed towards the street or the houses. However, most such street lighting applications would benefit from biasing the amount of light illuminating the street relative to the amount of light illuminating the houses. Many street luminaires would thus benefit from a capability to transform house-side light into street-side light.
In view of the foregoing discussion of representative shortcomings in the art, need for improved light management is apparent. Need exists for a compact apparatus to manage light emitted by a light emitting diode. Need further exists for an economical apparatus to manage light emitted by a light emitting diode. Need further exists for a technology that can efficiently manage light emitted by a light emitting diode, resulting in energy conservation. Need further exists for an optical device that can transform light emanating from a light emitting diode into a desired pattern, for example aggressively redirecting one or more selected sections of the emanating light. Need further exists for technology that can directionally bias light emitted by a light emitting diode. Need exists for improved lighting, including street luminaires, outdoor lighting, and general illumination. A capability addressing such need, or some other related deficiency in the art, would support cost effective deployment of light emitting diodes in lighting and other applications.

Method and system for managing light from a light emitting diode


A medical device connector assembly and fabrication method are provided wherein the connector assembly includes a core element, a plurality of conductive members positioned along the core element, and a plurality of sealing members positioned between the conductive members, the sealing members having an outer surface supported by the core element.

Electrical connectors and other similar electrical components often include electrical conductors embedded within an insulating block to isolate the conductor from the surrounding environment. Embedding the conductor within a block protects the conductor from damage, and also prevents the delivery of an unintended electrical shock. Electrical isolation is particularly important when the connector is to be coupled to an implantable medical device such as a pacemaker or defibrillation system. Electrical connector assemblies are coupled to a hermetically sealed housing of an implantable medical device that encloses internal circuitry such as a hybrid circuit board and one or more batteries. Such a medical device connector assembly is adapted for receiving medical leads used with the implantable medical device.
Methods for forming electrical connector assemblies having conductors embedded within an insulating block may include injection molding techniques or thermoset casting techniques. An improved method for forming an implantable medical device connector assembly with embedded conductors is generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,905 (Zart et al.), hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The method generally includes forming a core portion using either an injection molding process or a machining process. The core portion is fitted with electrically conductive components and submitted to a subsequent overmold process in which a second shot of thermoplastic material is injected into the mold. This improved process allows complex connector structures to be manufactured in a fast production cycle.
In the implantable medical device industry, standards have been developed for lead connector assemblies which are adapted to mate with the device connector assembly. In past practice, lead connector assemblies have included sealing members positioned around insulating structures located between lead connector terminals. The sealing members prevent the ingress of body fluids into a connector bore thereby electrically isolating the connector circuit elements. Ingress of body fluids may otherwise lead to a short circuit between separate connector circuits.
A new lead connector assembly industry standard, the IS4 connector assembly, includes four in-line lead terminals that are separated by insulating structures but do not include sealing members. A device connector assembly adapted to receive the IS4 lead connector assembly should therefore incorporate sealing members to provide electrical isolation of the connector circuits. Such sealing members are typically formed as rings fabricated from a supple, biocompatible material, such as silicone rubber. The sealing members are adapted to mate with insulating structures of the IS4 lead connector assembly to form a fluid-resistant seal.
The supple sealing members, however, may not withstand high pressure or high temperature processes which may be used during manufacture of the connector assembly, such as the overmolding process disclosed in the '905 Zart patent. A device connector assembly that incorporates sealing members for accommodating lead connectors without sealing members and withstands high pressure and/or high temperature manufacturing processes without compromising the integrity of the connector assembly is therefore needed.

Connector assembly with internal seals and manufacturing method


A simple configuration is used to reduce an impact applied to a reading sensor when the open/close unit is opened/closed. A back face CIS unit is retained to be movable with regard to a pressure plate so that the back face CIS unit can have a corrected posture when the pressure plate is closed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus in which an openable and closable unit includes an image reading sensor.
Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-211479 discloses a so-called one-pass double-side reading type image reading apparatus in which, in addition to a first reading sensor provided at a lower side of a glass platen, a second reading sensor is provided in a manuscript conveying unit so that a single transportation of a manuscript allows image information on the top face and the back face to be read. This image reading apparatus is configured, in order to accommodate the reading of a book-type manuscript, so that an open/close unit (cover unit) that is openable and closable to an apparatus body includes the manuscript conveying unit including the second reading sensor. When the open/close unit is opened/closed, the impact applied to the second reading sensor is reduced by retaining the second reading sensor in a box-like sensor retention unit and a bottom face of the second reading sensor and an interior bottom face of the sensor retention unit have therebetween an impact-absorbing member.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-211479, providing the box-like sensor retention unit and the impact-absorbing member in order to reduce the impact applied to the second reading sensor causes the open/close unit to have a larger size and the open/close unit having an increased weight, which causes a risk of an increased impact when the open/close unit is opened/closed. Furthermore, the configuration of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-211479 to reduce the impact to the second reading sensor causes, when the impact-absorbing member deteriorates with age, the second reading sensor in the box-like sensor retention unit has a different posture, thus causing a risk of the defective reading (one-sided blurring) of the manuscript.


Current technologies allow a robot to acquire a tool only if the tool is in a set known location, such as in a rack. In an embodiment, a method and corresponding system, can determine the previously unknown pose of a tool freely placed in an environment. The method can then calculate a trajectory that allows for a robot to move from its current position to the tool and attach with the tool. In such a way, tools can be located and used by a robot when placed at any location in an environment.

Traditionally, the food industry employs human labor to manipulate food ingredients with the purpose of either assembling a meal such as a salad or a bowl, or packing a box of ingredients such as those used in grocery shopping, or preparing the raw ingredients. Robots have not yet been able to assemble complete meals from prepared ingredients in a food-service setting such as a restaurant, largely because the ingredients change shape in difficult-to-predict ways rendering traditional methods to move material ineffective.

Locating and attaching interchangeable tools in-situ

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.


A diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system and a method of controlling the DEF system are disclosed. The method may include determining that a shutdown condition of the DEF system is satisfied; providing a control signal to open a valve of a buffer tank of the DEF system based on determining that the shutdown condition of the DEF system is satisfied; determining that a level of DEF remaining in the buffer tank satisfies a threshold; and closing the valve of the buffer tank based on the level of DEF remaining in the buffer tank satisfying the threshold.

Exhaust treatment systems may be used to reduce or remove components of the exhaust of internal combustion engines. Exhaust emission standards for internal combustion engines have become increasingly rigorous, and manufacturers have developed exhaust treatment systems to reduce the amount of certain components in the exhaust. For example, the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from an engine may be limited by environmental regulations. Some exhaust treatment systems for diesel engines may discharge diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) into the exhaust flow to reduce the amount of NOx in the exhaust. DEF is a solution of urea and water that is discharged into a mixing zone of an engine exhaust pipe upstream of a catalyst of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. The exhaust with the NOx heats the DEF and causes the DEF to break down into ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2). As the NOx and ammonia pass over the catalyst, the NOx and ammonia react to produce nitrogen (N2) and water.
Diesel engine exhaust treatment systems often include a large reservoir for storing the DEF (referred to herein as a bulk tank) and a pump for withdrawing the DEF from the bulk tank. The pump advances the DEF to a nozzle, which discharges the DEF into the mixing zone of the exhaust pipe. Some DEF systems use a bulk tank and another tank, referred to herein as a buffer tank, so that the DEF can be stored in closer proximity to the nozzle and so that freezing of the DEF can be mitigated.
One attempt to provide a buffer tank for DEF freeze mitigation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,054,021 that issued to Caterpillar on Aug. 21, 2018 ("the '021 patent"). In particular, the '021 patent discloses an exhaust treatment system. The exhaust treatment system includes a bulk tank for storing DEF, a transfer pump, an accumulator, and a dosing pump. The accumulator may include a drain opening that allows for DEF in the accumulator to return to the bulk tank. The drain opening may be a gravity drain that relies on the force of gravity to draw the DEF through the drain opening. Upon shutdown of the machine or stopping of the transfer pump, any DEF within the accumulator passively drains back to the bulk tank via the drain opening and the drain line to empty the inlet portion. In one form, the drain opening can be selectively opened and closed such as via a solenoid valve. For example, the drain opening may remain closed during operation of the machine and then the solenoid valve could open the drain opening upon shutdown of the machine to drain the DEF from the inlet portion.
While the exhaust treatment system of the '021 patent may disclose an accumulator that includes a drain opening that allows for DEF in the accumulator to return to the bulk tank and that can be selectively opened and closed such as via a solenoid valve, improvement of the exhaust treatment system may provide further increased protection against DEF freezing in the accumulator or decreased thaw time for the DEF system.
The DEF system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.

Diesel exhaust fluid tank freeze mitigation


An adhesive decorative pattern with a pliable polymer film includes first and second pliable polymer films, a first decorative element made out of fabric and consisting of a plurality of fabrics each extending in irregular directions, and a releasing paper defining a front releasably coated with a glue layer. The first pliable polymer film, the first decorative element, the second pliable polymer film, and the releasing paper are stacked together into a pile. The first decorative element is sandwiched between the first and second pliable polymer films. The glue layer is sandwiched between the second pliable polymer and the front of the releasing paper. The adhesive decorative pattern with the pliable film includes the first pliable polymer film, the first decorative element, and the second pliable polymer film bonded securely together, and includes the releasing paper being able to be released from the glue layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative pattern and, more particularly, to an adhesive decorative pattern with a pliable polymer film and a method of making thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0224459 A1 shows a decorative element with a thermoplastic polyurethane (abbreviated TPU) film, but it can't withstand tensile forces in different directions and will suffer a problem that its decoration design becomes out of portion. Since the decoration design is patterned with lines that are parallel to one another, it can only be subject to a unidirectional tensile force that acts parallel to the lines.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

Adhesive decorative pattern with pliable polymer film and method of making therof