A torque converter includes a pump impeller, a turbine impeller, a stator impeller disposed between the pump impeller and the turbine impeller, and a free wheel which is interposed between the stator impeller and a stationary case and operable to lock the stator impeller in order to allow the stator impeller to bear a reaction force generated with the amplification of torque between the pump and turbine impellers. In this torque converter, a stator shaft connected to the stator impeller is disposed with its tip end being passed through a turbine shaft to protrude outside the turbine shaft. The free wheel is interposed between the tip end of the stator shaft and the stationary case. Thus, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the stator impeller and thus, the diameter of the entire torque converter, irrespective of the presence of the free wheel inhibiting the rotation of the stator impeller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a torque converter, comprising a pump impeller connected to a driving shaft, a turbine impeller connected to a turbine shaft, a stator impeller disposed between the pump impeller and the turbine impeller, and a free wheel which is interposed between the stator impeller and a stationary structure and operable to lock the stator impeller in order to allow the stator impeller to bear a reaction force generated with the amplification of torque between the pump and turbine impellers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In such a conventional torque converter, a cylindrical stationary shaft is disposed on an outer periphery of a turbine shaft and surrounded by a boss of a stator impeller, and a free wheel is interposed between the stationary shaft and the boss of the stator impeller, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.7-33861, for example.
In the torque converter including the free wheel interposed between the boss of the stator impeller and the cylindrical stationary shaft surrounded by the boss, the following problem is encountered: the size of the diameter of the stator impeller and thus, the diameter of the entire torque converter, is necessarily increased due to the concentric disposition of the stator impeller and the free wheel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a torque converter of the above-described type, wherein a reduction of the diameter of the entire torque converter can be achieved, despite of the presence of the free wheel.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of the present invention, there is provided a torque converter comprising a pump impeller connected to a driving shaft, a turbine impeller connected to a turbine shaft, a stator impeller disposed between the pump impeller and the turbine impeller, and a free wheel which is interposed between the stator impeller and a stationary structure and operable to lock the stator impeller in order to allow the stator impeller to bear a reaction force generated with the amplification of torque between the pump and turbine impellers, wherein the stator shaft connected to the stator impeller is disposed with a tip end thereof being passed through the turbine shaft to protrude outside the turbine shaft, the tip end of the stator shaft being connected to the stationary structure through the free wheel.
The stationary structure and the driving shaft correspond to a crankcase 1 and a crankshaft 2 in each of embodiments of the present invention, respectively, which will be described hereinafter.
With the first feature, the tip end of the stator shaft passed through the turbine shaft to protrude outside of the turbine shaft is connected to the stationary structure. Therefore, the stator shaft may be merely connected to the stator impeller and hence, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the stator impeller and thus, the diameter of the entire torque converter, irrespective of the presence of the free wheel. Moreover, in a coupled state in which the stator impeller is rotated along with the pump impeller and the turbine impeller, the stator shaft connected to the stator impeller is rotated at substantially the same speed as the driving shaft and the turbine shaft. Therefore, a difference in relative rotational speeds between adjacent ones of the driving shaft, the turbine shaft and the stator shaft is extremely small and hence, the load of each of bearings for these shafts is alleviated, whereby an enhancement in durability thereof can also be provided.
According to a second aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the turbine impeller is disposed at a location displaced from the pump impeller toward a case carrying the driving shaft; the turbine shaft protruding toward the case is secured to the turbine impeller; the free wheel is interposed between the tip end of the stator shaft passed through the turbine shaft and the case; and the turbine shaft is provided with a driving gear of a primary reducing device, which connects the turbine shaft and an input shaft of a transmission to each other between the turbine impeller and the free wheel.
With the second feature, the driving gear of the primary reducing device can be disposed as close to the case as possible, while avoiding an interference with the free wheel. Therefore, during operation of the primary reducing device, it is possible to suppress a bending moment exerted to the driving shaft by the driving gear to a small level to enhance the durability of the driving shaft.
According to a third aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first or second feature, the stator shaft is relatively rotatably carried on the driving shaft, and the free wheel comprises an outer race formed at the tip end of the stator shaft, an inner race relatively rotatably carried on the driving shaft and non-rotatably connected to the case, and a sprag interposed between both of the races.
With the third feature, both of the outer race and the inner race are carried on the driving shaft. Therefore, a high accuracy of concentricity can be provided to the outer and inner races, whereby the operation of the free wheel can always be stabilized.
According to a fourth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the pump impeller has a boss carried on the driving shaft with a first bearing interposed therebetween; the stator shaft leading to a boss of the stator impeller is disposed concentrically around an outer periphery of the driving shaft; the turbine impeller has a boss carried on the stator shaft with a second bearing interposed therebetween, and an operating oil is supplied into an oil chamber defined between the pump impeller and the turbine impeller through between the first and second bearings; and the first and second bearings are provided with bi-directional seal means for inhibiting the passing of a fluid such as air from any of the inside and outside of the bearings.
With the fourth feature, the bi-directional seal means inhibits the passing of fluid such as air to each of the bearings from any of the inside and outside of each bearing. Therefore, when the hydraulic pressure supplied to the torque converter is low, it is possible to inhibit the outside air from entering the inside of the torque converter through the first and second bearings, despite the acceleration of the rotation of the pump impeller, thereby preventing a reduction in transmitting efficiency due to the incorporation of the air into the operating oil. When the hydraulic pressure supplied to the torque converter is raised, such hydraulic pressure can be inhibited from leaking to the outside through the first and second bearings, thereby maintaining the internal hydraulic pressure in the torque converter at a high level to enhance the transmitting efficiency. Thus, it is possible to ensure a high transmitting efficiency, irrespective of the level of the hydraulic pressure supplied.
According to a fifth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the pump impeller and the turbine impeller have core rings relatively rotatably lapped on a core ring of the stator impeller, and a lap gap g between adjacent ones of the core rings and an inner circumferential radius R of the core ring of the stator impeller are set to have a relation of g/Rxe2x89xa61.0%.
With the fifth feature, when the oil within the torque converter is passed from the turbine impeller through the stator impeller toward the pump impeller during the amplification of torque, a relatively large difference in pressure is generated between an inlet and an outlet of the stator impeller. However, the lap gap between adjacent ones of the core rings exhibits a large throttling resistance under the establishment of g/Rxe2x89xa61.0% and hence, it is possible to effectively inhibit the flowing-out of the oil from the turbine impeller into an in-core oil chamber and the flowing-in of the oil from the in-core oil chamber into the pump impeller, thereby effectively preventing reductions in transmitting efficiency and torque ratio in the torque converter.
According to a sixth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the pump impeller and the turbine impeller have core rings relatively rotatably lapped on a core ring of the stator impeller, and a lap margin A between adjacent ones of the core rings and an axial maximum width W of the stator impeller are set to have a relation of A/Wxe2x89xa77.5%.
With the sixth feature, a large throttling resistance can be provided to the lap gap between adjacent ones of the core rings under the establishment of A/Wxe2x89xa77.5% and hence, it is possible to effectively inhibit the flowing-out and flowing-in of the oil to effectively prevent reductions in transmitting efficiency and torque ratio in the torque converter.
According to a seventh aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the pump impeller and the turbine impeller have core rings relatively rotatably lapped on a core ring of the stator impeller, and an annular seal member is interposed between opposed surfaces of adjacent ones of the core rings.
With the seventh feature, the lap gap between adjacent ones of the core rings is sealed by the annular seal member. Therefore, it is possible to reliably inhibit the flowing-out and flowing-in of the oil through the gaps, thereby reliably preventing reductions in transmitting efficiency and torque ratio in the torque converter.
According to an eighth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the pump impeller and the turbine impeller have bosses opposed to opposite sides of a boss of the stator impeller; a supply oil passage leading to an oil pump is provided to communicate with an inner periphery of the boss of the stator impeller; an oil outlet is provided in an oil chamber defined behind the turbine impeller to communicate between the pump impeller and the turbine impeller; a gap between the bosses of the turbine impeller and the stator impeller is substantially closed; and an oil inlet is provided in at least one of the bosses of the pump impeller and the stator impeller to permit the inner periphery of the boss of the stator impeller to communicate with an outlet of the stator impeller.
With the eighth feature, when there is a large difference in pressure generated between the inlet and outlet of the stator impeller, even if the pressure discharged from the oil pump is dropped remarkably, the entire amount of the oil discharged by the oil pump is supplied through the oil inlet to the outlet of the stator impeller. Thus, it is possible to effectively inhibit a reduction in pressure in such outlet and to prevent the generation of bubbles in the oil. On the other hand, the oil exiting the turbine impeller cannot flow out between the bosses of the turbine impeller and the stator impeller, and the entire amount of such oil can be passed through the stator impeller. Thus, reductions in torque ratio and transmitting efficiency are inhibited.
According to a ninth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the eighth feature, the oil inlet is comprised of a gap between the bosses of the pump impeller and the stator impeller, which gap is larger than the throttled gap between the bosses of the turbine impeller and the stator impeller.
With the ninth feature, it is possible to contribute to preventing reductions in torque ratio and transmitting efficiency by a simple arrangement.
According to a tenth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the eighth feature, the oil inlet is comprised of a radial groove defined in at least one of opposed surfaces of the bosses of the pump impeller and the stator impeller.
Even with the tenth feature, it is possible to simplify the arrangement and prevent reductions in torque ratio and transmitting efficiency.
According to an eleventh aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the eighth feature, the oil inlet is comprised of a through-bore provided in the e boss of the pump impeller.
Even with the eleventh feature, it is possible to simplify the arrangement and prevent reductions in torque ratio and transmitting efficiency.
According to a twelfth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to any of the eighth to eleventh features, an annular seal member is interposed between opposed surfaces of the boss of the turbine impeller and the stator impeller.
With the twelfth feature, a gap between the turbine impeller and the boss of the stator impeller is sealed by the seal member. Therefore, it is possible to reliably inhibit the flowing-in and flowing-out of the oil through such gap to contribute to the prevention of reductions in torque ratio and transmitting efficiency.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


An apparatus for sealing prepared medications in enclosures includes a tubular sleeve having an open first end, an open second end, and an outer surface. The first end includes at least one first locking member for securely attaching the tubular sleeve to another member. The apparatus also includes a length of a flexible packaging sleeve that is open at one end and has an open interior space. The packaging sleeve is disposed about the outer surface of the tubular sleeve in a compressed form. The open end of the sleeve is sealingly attached to the first end of the tubular sleeve. A tensioner device is disposed about an outer surface of the packaging sleeve and includes a first section that couples the first end of the packaging sleeve to the tubular sleeve and at least two elongated tensioner arms that extend along a length of the tubular sleeve. The compressed packaging sleeve is disposed underneath the tensioner arms such that the tensioner arms apply tension to the packaging sleeve and control the unfurling thereof from the tubular sleeve. The open first end of the tubular sleeve is in communication with the open interior space of the packaging sleeve.

There are a vast amount of different types of drugs that come in different forms and are designed to treat a wide range of conditions and illnesses and diseases. One of the more deadly and unfortunately common diseases is cancer. Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells displays uncontrolled growth, which is cell division beyond the normal limits; invasion, which is where cells intrude on and destroy adjacent tissues, and metastasis, which is where cells spread to other locations in the body via lympth or blood. Many cancers can be treated and even some can be cured, depending upon a number of factors, such as the type of cancer, the location and the stage of the cancer. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells.
One class of chemotherapy drugs is antineoplastics, also known as cytotoxic antibiotics, which are drugs that inhibit and combat development of tumors. Cytotoxic drugs are toxic compounds that are known to have carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or teratogenic potential. With direct contact, these compounds can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes and ulceration and necrosis of tissue. As a result of the high level of toxicity of these drugs, the exposure of health-care personnel to these drugs should be minimized.
During drug preparation, a variety of manipulations and handling tasks are performed which can result in aerosol generation, spraying, and splattering of the drug. Some of the more common manipulations include but are not limited to: the withdrawal of needles from drug vials, the use of syringes and needles for drug transfer or drug reconstitution, and the expulsion of air from the syringe when measuring the precise volume of a drug. The contamination may be a direct transfer of the drug to the body of the health-care provider or the exterior of the medical product, such as a syringe or IV bag can be contaminated with the drug and then later transferred by direct contact between a person and the contaminated exterior surface.
Pharmaceutical practice calls for the use of aseptic techniques and a sterile environment. Many pharmacies attempt to provide this sterile environment by using a horizontal laminar flow work bench. While this type of equipment provides some benefit, it suffers from a number of shortcomings, including that it can expose the operator and other health-care personnel or others in the same room to aerosols generated during drug preparation procedures. As a result of this concern, a Class 11 laminar flow (vertical) biological safety cabinet (with HEPA filter) that is designed to provide both product and operator protection is needed when dealing with and handling cytotoxic drugs. Syringes and unclipped needles can be disposed of by manually placing these items into leakproof containers.
The disposal of cytotoxic drugs and trace contaminated materials (e.g., gloves, gowns, needles, syringes, vials, etc.) presents a possible source of exposure to pharmacists, nurses, and physicians, as well as to other staff members, including the cleaning and janitorial staff.
The adverse health effects associated with antineoplastic agents (cancer chemotherapy drugs, cytotoxic drugs) in cancer patients and some non-cancer patients treated with these drugs are well-documented. The very nature of antineoplastic agents makes them harmful to healthy constantly dividing cells and tissues, as well as the cancerous cells. For cancer patients with a life-threatening disease, there is a great benefit to treatment with these agents. However, for the healthcare personnel that are exposed to antineoplastic agents as part of their work practice, precautions should be taken to eliminate or reduce exposure as much as possible. There already is a limitation in cytotoxics dissolution in Australia and the United States to 20 dissolutions per pharmacist/nurse, since pharmacists that prepare these drugs or nurses that may prepare and/or administer them are the two occupational groups with the highest potential exposure to antineoplastic agents. In addition, physicians and operating room personnel may also be exposed through the treatment of patients. Hospital staff, such as shipping and receiving personnel, custodial workers, laundry workers, and waste handlers, all have potential exposure to these drugs during the course of their work. The increased use of antineoplastic agents in veterinary oncology also puts these workers at risk for exposure to these drugs.
Since conventional methods for preparing and handling cytotoxin drugs are essentially very manual, labor intensive in nature, the operator performing these tasks is exposed to the hazardous side effects of the cytotoxin drugs. There is therefore a need for an improved, safer method and system for handling cytotoxin drugs particularly in drug preparation and drug transfer environments.

Prepared medication bagging system and method


An apparatus includes a near-field probe having loops or coils of electrically-conductive material, where the near-field probe is configured to generate a magnetic field. The apparatus also includes a power amplifier configured to drive the near-field probe. The apparatus further includes a shunt capacitance coupled in parallel across the loops or coils of the near-field probe. The shunt capacitance and an inductance of the loops or coils of the near-field probe form part of a resistive-inductive-capacitive (RLC) network. The RLC network is configured to transform a smaller resistance of the near-field probe into a larger resistance. In some cases, the apparatus may include multiple near-field probes coupled in series, and the power amplifier may be configured to drive the multiple near-field probes. For each near-field probe, the apparatus may include a shunt capacitance coupled in parallel across the loops or coils of the near-field probe.

Near-field sensors can be used in a number of applications, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and radio frequency (RF) spectroscopy sensors. Near-field sensors often include probes formed using electrically-conductive loops or coils, which are used to generate local magnetic fields. A tuning-matching network is also typically used to at least substantially match the inherent impedance of a near-field sensor's probe to that of its driving power amplifier over a limited bandwidth, such as 50 ohms. This can help to increase or maximize the amount of power from the power amplifier that is provided into the near-field sensor's probe.


A method and a system are presented in which federated domains interact within a federated environment. Domains within a federation can initiate federated operations for a user at other federated domains. A point-of-contact server within a domain relies upon a trust proxy within the domain to manage trust relationships between the domain and the federation. The point-of-contact server receives incoming requests directed to the domain and interfaces with a first application server and a second application server, wherein the first application server responds to requests for access to controlled resources and the second application server responds to requests for access to federated user lifecycle management functions, which are implemented using one or more pluggable modules that interface with the second application server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for multicomputer data transferring. Still more particularly, the present invention is directed networked computer systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Enterprises generally desire to provide authorized users with secure access to protected resources in a user-friendly manner throughout a variety of networks, including the Internet. Although providing secure authentication mechanisms reduces the risks of unauthorized access to protected resources, those authentication mechanisms may become barriers to accessing protected resources. Users generally desire the ability to change from interacting with one application to another application without regard to authentication barriers that protect each particular system supporting those applications.
As users get more sophisticated, they expect that computer systems coordinate their actions so that burdens on the user are reduced. These types of expectations also apply to authentication processes. A user might assume that once he or she has been authenticated by some computer system, the authentication should be valid throughout the user's working session, or at least for a particular period of time, without regard to the various computer architecture boundaries that are almost invisible to the user. Enterprises generally try to fulfill these expectations in the operational characteristics of their deployed systems, not only to placate users but also to increase user efficiency, whether the user efficiency is related to employee productivity or customer satisfaction.
More specifically, with the current computing environment in which many applications have a Web-based user interface that is accessible through a common browser, users expect more user-friendliness and low or infrequent barriers to movement from one Web-based application to another. In this context, users are coming to expect the ability to jump from interacting with an application on one Internet domain to another application on another domain without regard to the authentication barriers that protect each particular domain. However, even if many systems provide secure authentication through easy-to-use, Web-based interfaces, a user may still be forced to reckon with multiple authentication processes that stymie user access across a set of domains. Subjecting a user to multiple authentication processes in a given time frame may significantly affect the user's efficiency.
For example, various techniques have been used to reduce authentication burdens on users and computer system administrators. These techniques are generally described as "single-sign-on" (SSO) processes because they have a common purpose: after a user has completed a sign-on operation, i.e. been authenticated, the user is subsequently not required to perform another authentication operation. Hence, the goal is that the user would be required to complete only one authentication process during a particular user session.
To reduce the costs of user management and to improve interoperability among enterprises, federated computing spaces have been created. A federation is a loosely coupled affiliation of enterprises which adhere to certain standards of interoperability; the federation provides a mechanism for trust among those enterprises with respect to certain computational operations for the users within the federation. For example, a federation partner may act as a user's home domain or identity provider. Other partners within the same federation may rely on the user's identity provider for primary management of the user's authentication credentials, e.g., accepting a single-sign-on token that is provided by the user's identity provider.
As enterprises move to support federated business interactions, these enterprises should provide a user experience that reflects the increased cooperation between two businesses. As noted above, a user may authenticate to one party that acts as an identity provider and then single-sign-on to a federated business partner that acts as a service provider. In conjunction with this single-sign-on functionality, additional user lifecycle functionality, such as account linking/de-linking and single-sign-off, should also be supported, particularly in a manner such that this federated user lifecycle management (FULM) functionality does not require a change of infrastructure at either party.
Current computing environments have solved this problem by only providing single-sign-on functionality or by using proprietary protocols. However, these solutions do not scale to allow for a "loosely coupled" environment, one in which it is easy to bring new partners online or remove old partners from the computing environment without changes to the environment at either side. In addition, these previous solutions do not allow a single entity to assume multiple roles; e.g., a business should be able to act as an identity provider with one partner and then act as a service provider with another partner.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have methods and systems in which an enterprise can implement federated user lifecycle management functionality in a highly configurable fashion. In addition, this solution should provide support for multiple variations of federated user lifecycle management within a single environment without requiring infrastructure changes or additional instances of the FULM application itself.

Method and system for pluggability of federation protocol runtimes for federated user lifecycle management

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention relates to an Ilumination system for scanning lithography especially for wavelengths≦193 nm, particularly EUV lithography, for the illumination of a slit, comprising at least one field mirror or at least one field lens and being characterized in that at least one of the field mirror(s) or the field lens(es) has (have) an aspheric shape.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an illumination system, and more particularly to an illumination system for EUV lithography with wavelengths less than 193 nm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To reduce the structural widths for electronic components, especially in the submicron range, it is necessary to reduce the wavelength of the light used for microlithography. For example, lithography with soft x-rays is conceivable with wavelengths smaller than 193 nm. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,346 disclosed an arrangement for exposing a wafer with such radiation. An illumination system for soft x-rays, so-called EUV radiation, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,137, in which illumination of a mask or a reticle to be exposed is produced using three spherical mirrors.
Field mirrors that show good uniformity of output of an exposure beam at a wafer in a lithographic system have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,561. The exposure systems described therein concern the contact exposure of a wafer through a mask with high-energy x-rays of 800 to 1800 eV.
EUV illumination systems for EUV sources have been disclosed in EP 99 106 348.8 (U.S. application Ser. No. 09/305017) and PCT/EP99/02999. These illumination systems are adapted to synchrotron, wiggler, undulator, Pinch-Plasma or Laser-Produced-Plasma sources.
Scanning uniformity is a problem of the aforementioned scanning exposure systems in illuminating a slit, particularly a curved slit. For example, the scanning energy obtained as a line integral over the intensity distribution along the scan path in a reticle or wafer plane may increase toward the field edge despite homogeneous illumination intensity because of the longer scan path at the field edge for a curved slit. However, scanning energy and with it scanning uniformity may also be affected by other influences, for example coating or vignetting effects are possible. The curved slit is typically represented by a segment of a ring field, which is also called an arc shaped field. The arc shaped field can be described by the width delta r, a mean Radius R0 and the angular range 2·α0. For example, the rise of the scanning energy for a typical arc shaped field with a mean radius of R=100 mm and an angular range of
2·α0=60° is 15%.

Illumination system with field mirrors for producing uniform scanning energy


A sealed translucent glass glazing unit includes two lites of spaced translucent glass to define a gap which contains an absorptive filler. A spacer around the perimeter of the unit seals the unit and maintains the gap. A vent tube is mounted within the spacer with one end open to the filler and one end open to the exterior.

Glass glazing units are commonly used to glaze openings in buildings, but such units must be constructed with the utmost of care to prevent condensation build up, where its presence is viewed as detrimental to the functioning of the glazing system, for reason of aesthetics, grow of mold and algae, and interference with view and light transmittance.
Before the widespread introduction of sealed insulated glass units, most windows were single glazed. In cold climates, it was common to have a removable 'storm window', or second glazing layer in a wood framing system, that was installed over the outside of a single glazed window in the fall, and removed in the spring. The air gap between the two glazings was vented to the exterior (the cold side) through holes in the lower front face of the window. It was typical to use several holes, each an inch or more in diameter. By connecting the air gap to the outside where air is colder and of lower absolute humidity, condensation on the inside surface of the cold outer glass was minimized.
The industry has since moved to sealed glass glazing units. The conventional insulated glass unit is constructed of two lights of glass, surrounded by a spacer which is typically filled with a desiccant, and covered by an organic sealant with a low moisture vapor diffusion transmittance. The inside edge of the spacer is perforated so that the desiccant within dries the air in the interior of the unit, preventing condensation. There is a low but finite diffusion of moisture through the sealant, and typically these systems last for two or more decades before the appearance of internal condensation. However, should the seal fail (typically it is the bond between the glass and sealant that fails) then the unit 'breaths' exterior air as a result of natural pressure changes that are induced by daily temperature changes, and the moisture brought within quickly saturates the desiccant resulting in internal condensation, and this defines failure of the unit.
As known in the industry, there are two main types of glass units used in glazing units: vision (transparent) and translucent.
Vision glass glazing units have problems unique unto themselves. Vision glass units contain desiccant to avoid condensation in the cavity between the glass lites. For instance, in mountainous regions, if the difference in altitude between the place where an insulated glass unit is manufactured and the place where it is installed, is large enough, then the pressure differential could stress or damage seals, or break the glass, typically during transportation. In order to deal with this, capillary tubes are sometimes used to provide temporary pressure equalization for insulated glass units. The standard in North America is a stainless steel tube, 12″ long and 0.020″ inside diameter, installed through the perimeter seal in order to provide a controlled flow path between interior and exterior. The units are shipped to site, and allowed to pressure-equilibrate for a day or more, and the tubes are then crimped to return the unit to a fully sealed state. Although it may be advantageous for certain reasons to leave the tube open (lower stress on glass and seals as pressure differential varies), technical literature teaches that if left open, the airflow will carry in sufficient moisture to saturate the desiccant in a relatively short period of time, resulting in moisture-related failure of the unit. This ingress of moisture will fill the desiccant with moisture much sooner than if the unit was fully sealed.
Venting a vision glass unit without a desiccant is not an option as under certain conditions then some condensation will occur. Vision glass units are especially susceptible to condensation because the glass lites are transparent and condensation is very obvious.
If an ordinary vision glass unit containing desiccant within the internal airspace is vented, the desiccant will keep the air inside the unit drier, until is absorbs to capacity. Since common desiccants are two-way, the desiccant now acts as a moisture sink. In other words, the desiccant acts to equilibrate the unit to a relative humidity, so if a lite gets cold (for example during a winter evening), water will condense on the lite. This reduces the RH in the unit which in turn pulls more moisture from the desiccant. The unit then further condenses, resulting in a really wet-looking unit.
Any glass unit that is sealed will undergo internal pressure change in glass and 'pillow' in response. The amount of movement of the glass required to relieve the pressure change is directly proportional to thickness of the unit. Length or width of the unit is of secondary importance. In day to day conditions, glass can easily accommodate this pressure change if the spacing between lites is 0.5″. At 1″ or larger, glass breakage occurs because there is a larger quantity of air in the unit which expands when heated, and even if breakage does not occur, there is a resultant increase in stress on the seals which will lead to higher incidence of seal failure.
The Applicant is aware of a company called VisionWall that makes a large thickness vision glass unit with somewhere around 2.5″ of gap. These units must be vented to relieve pressure differentials, and this is done so through tubing and a large replaceable vent cartridge that is full of desiccant (rather than having the desiccant in the glazing cavity as in normal units). This keeps inward flowing air dry until, after about a decade, the desiccant reaches capacity and must be replaced as part of regular maintenance.
A difference between vision glass glazing units and translucent glass glazing units is that translucent glazings contain absorptive material filler in the gap or cavity between the lites. This alters the physics of the system and allows different approaches to condensation control. Translucent units are typically thicker to accommodate the presence of this filler and it is understood in the industry that the larger gap can introduce a requirement for venting.
Referring to FIG. 1, the Solera™ translucent glazing unit (manufactured by the present applicant) has typically 2.5″ gap between two lites of glass 100a and 100b and maintained by spacer 110, which is 5 time industry standard. The gap contains absorptive filler 130. These units will often break if fully sealed by sealant 120. It is generally accepted in the industry that gaps less than 1″ is 'normal and sealable', while a gap of over 1″ is considered thick and in need of venting.
Another difference between vision glass glazing units and translucent glass glazing units is that the absorptive filler in the cavity will absorb some energy from sunlight, thus increasing temperature cycling and increasing the need for venting. The absorptive materials also adsorb and desorb moisture as temperature and humidity change.
The standard approach to address the problems associated with translucent glass glazing units is to build units with gaps that are typically on the order of 0.5″, fully seal the unit, and include sufficient desiccant within the gap on the perimeter to draw most of the moisture out of the initial 'air fill', with excess capacity to soak up the moisture that slowly but inevitably diffuses through the polymer seals. However, this solution has a number of drawbacks. First, the units are restricted mostly gaps less than 1. Second, the life of the unit is finite as diffusion will occur. Third, this construction is extremely sensitive to the slightest seal failure. For example, a slight contamination from, say, a fingerprint on the glass where the sealant contacts it can cause failure. Fourth, visible 'pillowing distortion' can be observed on reflective coated units at certain times of day which ruins aesthetics for some architects. Fifth, glass stress is increased, increasing statistical occurrence of breakage.
Referring again to FIG. 1, typically in translucent glass glazing units, venting is done by connecting the interior of the spacer to the intraframe cavity via a capillary tube 140. But this system had little or no ability to maintain a humidity differential such that the interior was dryer on average than the intraframe cavity. The result is that condensation can occur in transient conditions (usually upon a sudden change in weather with rapid cooling), which is not considered acceptable in the industry.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System for pressure equalizing and drying sealed translucent glass glazing units

Advanced Glazing Technologies Ltd. (AGTL)


The current invention relates to a diagnostic kit for a bacterial species and/or fungal and/or yeast species comprising at least one oligonucleotide probe capable of binding to at least a portion of the LepA and/or Guf1 genes or its corresponding mRNA.

Microbial infections represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the spectrum of microorganisms causing disease continues to increase. Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and yeast) responsible for causing infectious diseases are traditionally detected in hospital laboratories with the aid of microbiological culture methods with poor sensitivity (25-82%), which are very time-consuming, generally taking from two to five days to complete, and up to eight days for the diagnosis of fungal infections. Definitive diagnosis is usually based on either, the recovery and identification of a specific microorganism from clinical specimens or microscopic demonstration of fungi with distinct morphological features. However, there are numerous cases where these methods fail to provide conclusive proof as to the infecting agent or microrganism. In these instances, the detection of specific host antibody responses can be used, although again this can be affected by the immune status of the patient.
Time is critical in the detection and identification of infectious microorganisms. Effective treatment depends on finding the source of infection and making appropriate decisions about antibiotics quickly and efficiently. Only after pathogens are correctly identified, can targeted therapy using a specific antibiotic begin. Many physicians would like to see the development of better in vitro amplification and direct detection diagnostic techniques for the early diagnosis of microbial infection. Recently, Roche™ launched a real time PCR based assay (Septifast™), for the detection of microbial DNA in clinical samples. Therefore, there is a clear need for the development of novel rapid diagnostic tests for clinically significant bacterial and fungal pathogens for bioanalysis applications in the clinical sector. This has led the current inventors to identify novel nucleic acid targets for application in Nucleic Acid Diagnostic (NAD) tests.
It is clear though, that development of faster, more accurate diagnostic methods are required, particularly in light of the selection pressure caused by modern anti-microbial treatments which give rise to increased populations of resistant virulent strains with mutated genome sequences. Methods that enable early diagnosis of microbial causes of infection enable the selection of a specific narrow spectrum antibiotic or antifungal to treat the infection (Datamonitor report: Stakeholder opinion—Invasive fungal infections, options outweigh replacements 2004; Datamonitor report: Stakeholder Opinion-Sepsis, under reaction to an overreaction, 2006).
LepA (leader peptidase A) has recently been assigned the function of ribosomal elongation factor (Qin et al., 2006, Cell). LepA is highly conserved and is present in all bacteria and mitochondria. There are 2444 LepA gene sequences (˜1.8 kb in length) available in GenBank including 2229 bacterial sequences. Using Clustal W sequence alignments, the LepA gene of Bacillus, Listeria, Enterobacteriaceae, Mycobacteria, Staphylococci and Streptococci were compared in silico to other molecular targets including tufA and the ssrA genes. In general, LepA seemed to have sufficient sequence heterogeneity to enable its application for microorganism species identification in nucleic acid based tests (Table 1).
TABLE 1Percentage range of homology between Bacillusspecies, Listeria species, Enterobacteriaceae, Mycobacteriumspecies, Streptococcus species and Staphylococcus speciesin the LepA gene compared to the tufA (equivalent commercialisedmRNA) and ssrA genes (RiboSEQ technology).LepA (rangetufA (rangessrA (rangeof % homol-of % homol-of % homol-ogy betweenogy betweenogy betweenspecies)species)species)Bacillus species72-9781-9962-100Listeria species89-909997-99 Enterobacteriaceae59-9983-9992-99 (including E. coli)Mycobacterium species78-99 87-10084-100Streptococcus species70-9176-9762-100Staphylococcus species80-8391-9581-99
GUF1, which is similar to the E. coli elongation factor-type GTP-binding protein LepA, is a gene encoding a novel evolutionarily conserved GTPase coding protein (GTPase of Unknown Function 1, Kiser G L and Weinert T A (1995) GUF1, a gene encoding a novel evolutionarily conserved GTPase in budding yeast. Yeast 11(13): 1311-6), which, was predicted to be the GTPase of the elongation factor-type class. There are 94 Guf1 sequences available in NCBI GeneBank including 3 Candida and 6 Aspergillus.


The invention provides a communication apparatus that broadcasts facsimile data by electronic mail (e-mail) on the Internet. In the communication apparatus, recipient's position information, and other broadcast recipient's disclosure information, can be included in a header of the e-mail to which facsimile data is attached, according to the recipients' e-mail addresses. With such information included in the header of the e-mail, the facsimile data attached to the e-mail can be broadcast to a plurality of recipients, so as to meet the various sender's usage patterns, while effectively using functions unique to e-mail.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of broadcasting image data, such as facsimile data, by electronic mail, via the Internet, to a storage medium that stores programs for controlling the communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, various communication apparatus for operating with electronic mail (hereinafter referred to as "e-mail") are currently being developed, besides personal computers.
In such communication apparatus, a facsimile apparatus is provided that is capable of carrying out communications, via the Internet. The facsimile apparatus may broadcast image data, such as facsimile data, by e-mail. Broadcasting is a communication method where one piece of data is sent out, to a plurality of recipients designated by a user, at substantially the same time.
Specifically, to broadcast the facsimile data obtained by reading an original document with the above-constructed facsimile apparatus, one piece of e-mail to which the facsimile data is affixed or attached, is sent out only one time to a predetermined Internet server having a mail server (at an access point). One piece of the e-mail has header information including recipients' e-mail addresses (broadcast e-mail addresses) designated by a user. The e-mail, sent out from the facsimile apparatus to the Internet server, is transmitted from the Internet server to each of the recipients having a respective e-mail address.
When the facsimile apparatus broadcasts the facsimile data, via a public telephone line only, the facsimile apparatus has to repeatedly conduct the data transmission for each of the recipients, by opening and closing the circuit with the public telephone line every time the facsimile data is transmitted. On the contrary, when the facsimile apparatus broadcasts the facsimile data by e-mail, the data is effectively transmitted to a plurality of recipients by sending one piece of e-mail only one time to an Internet server at a local access point to which the users have access under contract.
However, while effectively using the above-described function which is unique to e-mail, the above-described conventional facsimile apparatus for operation with e-mail cannot broadcast the facsimile data attached to the e-mail with the information as to whether a recipient of the e-mail has to respond to the facsimile data given to the recipient. The information, as to whether a recipient of the e-mail has to respond to the facsimile data, is the information that indicates whether: (1) the recipient is a main recipient (listed in the "TO" header line) to whom the e-mail is addressed and who should respond or react to the facsimile data attached to the e-mail; (2) the recipient is an additional recipient (listed in the "CC" (Carbon Copy) header line) who will just look over the facsimile data and will not need to respond or react to the facsimile data; or (3) the recipient is an additional recipient of the e-mail (listed in the "BCC" (Blind Carbon Copy) header line) who will not be shown to "TO" and "CC" recipients, nor other "BCC" recipients, and who will just look over the facsimile data. A recipient (listed in the "TO" header line) of an ordinary business facsimile letter, often has to respond or react to the facsimile letter, regardless of whether the recipient have to send a reply to the sender of the facsimile letter. On the contrary, the "CC" or "BCC" recipients of the facsimile letter are not often required to actively respond to the sender of the facsimile letter.
When the conventional facsimile apparatus sends out the facsimile data by e-mail, all the broadcast e-mail addresses are disclosed to a recipient by a header information included in the e-mail. However, the disclosure of all the broadcast e-mail addresses is not convenient when a sender would like to not disclose a broadcast e-mail address (for example, when the disclosure of the "TO" and "CC" recipients to the "BCC" recipients is acceptable, but the disclosure of the "BCC" recipients to the "TO" and "CC" recipients is not acceptable). To satisfy such a sender's request when the facsimile data is broadcast by e-mail, the e-mail has to be transmitted separately to the broadcast e-mail addresses, i.e., the e-mail addresses which are not shown to other recipients and the e-mail addresses which are shown to other recipients. Such broadcasting does not effectively use the above-described function that is unique to e-mail.

Communication apparatus and storage medium


Multiple horizontal axis type rotors are coaxially attached along the upper section of an elongate torque transmitting tower/driveshaft, The tower/driveshaft projects upward from a cantilevered bearing, and is bent downwind, until the rotors become sufficiently aligned with the wind to rotate the entire tower/driveshaft, Power is drawn from the shaft at the base. Surface mount, subsurface mount, and marine installations, including a sailboat, are disclosed. Blade-to-blade lashing, and vertical axis rotor blades may also be included. Vertical and horizontal axis type rotor blades may be interconnected along the length of the tower/driveshaft to form a structural lattice, and the central shaft may even be eliminated. Aerodynamic lifting bodies or tails, buoyant lifting bodies, buoyant rotor blades, and methods of influencing the tilt of the rotors, can help elevate the structure. This wind turbine can have as few as one single moving part.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of extracting usable energy from a moving fluid, more particularly to windmills.
2. Description of the Related Art
The basic design of windmills, whether for grinding grain, pumping water, or generating electricity, has not significantly changed in hundreds of years. A stationary vertical tower supports a single upwind horizontal-axis rotor, which may drive a load either directly, or, more usually, through a mechanical transmission. The traditional windmill tower is rigid, with many historical examples actually being made of stone. A single large rotor served well on these early machines, since a large rotor spins slowly with high torque, perfect for turning a stone to grind grain. The mass of such a large rotor, combined with the primitive state of technology of the day, precluded a serious consideration of a flexible tower.
Currently, the "single large rotor" design still prevails, despite the fact that today's electrical generators require a much higher rotational rate than yesterday's grindstone. Excessive bending deflection of the tower on these modern windmills is seen as sloppy, inefficient, and even dangerous. The axis of rotation of the rotor is perpendicular to the tower, so excessive bending of the tower would tend to reduce the incident angle of the wind on the disk of the rotor, reducing the effective swept area. With their hard mounting, the huge rotors and gargantuan machinery that supports them do not take kindly to being shaken about, due to stresses caused by inertial, vibrational, and coriolis type forces. The rigidity of the tower therefore protects the machinery from excessive wear or damage. Often, at the price of aesthetic clutter and reduced utility of the land below, guy wires are used to further stabilize the rigid tower. This basic prior art design has been slowly refined over the centuries, by improvements in tower construction, blade design, transmissions, materials science, control systems, etc. Current models, however, normally used for generating electricity, are still only barely feasible from an economic standpoint. The rigid, vertical tower is often the most expensive component of a wind turbine. Since wind velocity increases with height, and available power is proportional to the wind speed cubed, a taller tower will result in more power collected. Usually the rigid tower must be strong enough to support not only the huge rotor, but the driveshaft, generator, and associated gearbox as well, in addition to blade feathering mechanisms, yaw control apparatus for directional guidance, and associated electronics and auxiliary mechanisms, commonly weighing many tons. Access for maintenance personnel, such as an interior stairway or ladder, is often built-in. Erection and even maintenance of such an unwieldy wind energy conversion system often requires a crane and other expensive equipment, to lift the heavy machine components to and from the top of the tower. Deaths have resulted from accidents during these procedures.
The idea that the bending deflection which a tower is so naturally inclined to undergo could be embraced and utilized as advantageous, rather than avoided as a flaw, or minimized as an undesirable characteristic, has not yet found a place in modern windmill design. Despite a general feeling among many designers that there "must be a better way", alternatives to the "standard model" have thus far proven not to be cost-effective. Aside from the vertical axis designs, such as those of Darrieus, nobody is yet successfully thinking "out of the box" so to speak. Designers have been as yet unable to break away from the traditional, basic, medieval design. As we begin a new millenium, the stationary, rigid windmill tower, a veritable relic of the stone age, with its azimuthally adjustable cap, having a geared mechanism with a horizontal driveshaft, supporting a single large upwind rotor, as developed in the middle ages, yet persists.
Once the decision is made to erect such an expensive rigid tower, it becomes important to maximize the size and efficiency of the rotor so as to justify this high cost. The decision to use a single large rotor, rather than many small rotors, is based on a desire for simplicity, and economy of scale, but results in a whole new series of expenses: First, the circular area subtended by a spinning rotor is proportional to the diameter squared, while the rotor's actual volume (and hence its mass), is proportional to the diameter cubed. In other words, the larger the rotor, the less wind it can capture in relation to its mass. The significance of this cannot be overemphasized: The amount of wind available per unit rotor mass is inversely proportional to the rotor diameter. This means that a 10-meter rotor will capture 100 times as much wind as a 1-meter rotor, but will weigh 1000 times as much! So as its diameter has increased by an order of magnitude, its subtended wind collecting area per unit mass has decreased by an order of magnitude.
Of course, 100 of these smaller rotors would each require individual physical support at an effective height, as well as either 100 individual generators, or a mechanical means to combine the rotation of the individual rotors. In the current state of the art, the increased complexity and consequent higher manufacturing and maintenance costs, as well as possible aesthetic clutter of such a multi-rotor technology, have weighed in favor of designs using a single large rotor, despite the disproportionately higher mass. The huge, multi-ton rotors employed must be carefully designed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, with complex mechanisms both for feathering the blades and for orienting the rotor assembly (yaw control) according to prevailing wind conditions. Balance and resonances must be closely controlled to minimize harmful vibration. Means for protecting the massive rotor from self-destruction in high winds, such as a feathering mechanism, are normally required. Also, the momentum and relative rigidity of a large, upwind rotor make it slow to accelerate, so the extra energy available in momentary or localized gusts is not fully utilized.
A downwind design is well known to avoid several of these disadvantages. Since the downwind blades are pushed away from the tower, rather than toward it, they are unlikely to contact it. A downwind design can therefore use lighter, more flexible blades, which can simply bend to avoid damage in higher winds. These lighter, more flexible blades can also take better advantage of momentary gusts, due to their resilience and ease of acceleration. Finally, a downwind design requires no yaw control mechanism, as it will tend to naturally orient itself in the proper direction. In the current state of the art, however, despite all of these advantages, downwind designs are not favored, due to: A) the large wind-shadow of current state-of-the-art, thick, rigid, vertical towers. The wind-shadow reduces overall efficiency and can cause fatigue from stresses due to resonant vibrations induced by the repeated passage of the blades through the shadow. The upwind side of the tower is much less affected by wind-shadow. B) the fact that the generator is often horizontally mounted at the top of the tower, and the electricity must be somehow transported to the ground; Over time, with no active yaw control, simple electrical cables are likely to eventually become twisted too far in one direction, so that slip rings must be used to transmit the electric power with rotational freedom. Slip rings add complexity, and are not well-suited to larger installations. Once active yaw control is deemed necessary, the downwind design has lost its main advantage of passive yaw control, so an upwind design makes more sense.
Vertical-axis machines, such as a Darrius or a Savonius, also avoid many problems of single-rotor, upwind designs. For one, the aforementioned yaw control problem is nonexistent, since vertical axis turbines work equally well no matter what the direction of the wind. Also, the generator may be located at ground level, greatly reducing both the required tower strength and maintenance costs. While these advantages inherent in today's vertical-axis machines are certainly extremely desirable, they are outweighed by technical drawbacks.
The Darrieus type, for example, is not self-starting, and once started, does not collect as much energy, as smoothly, as an equivalent sized horizontal-axis rotor. Since its blades project upward it is perceived as "not needing a tower" and so is usually installed close to ground level. Such an installation may suffer from a large discrepancy in wind velocity between the tops and bottoms of its blades, since wind at ground level is markedly slowed by friction. And in actuality, of course, the tops of the blades must be supported by something, which normally turns out to be a rigid vertical tower of sorts, even if it turns with the blades. This tower, while not supporting a generator, must still be quite strong and substantially rigid to withstand the horizontal wind forces acting upon the blades without distorting. As with a horizontal axis rotor, the area subtended by a Darrieus type rotor is proportional to the diameter squared, while blade mass increases with the diameter cubed, so that larger rotors can collect less wind per unit mass. Again, available power per unit rotor mass is inversely proportional to rotor size. A heavier rotor needs a stronger tower and stronger bearings. Often, guy wires are used in an effort to satisfy this requirement for tower strength. Guy wires can require an additional bearing at the top of the rotor, produce visual clutter, and reduce the agricultural or other viability of the land below.
A Savonius turbine has some of the advantages of the Darrius, being omnidirectional, and is self-starting, but unfortunately a Savonius is very inefficient. Combining the two vertical-axis machines, with a Darrius stacked atop a Savonius, serves to elevate the Darrius, and this combination is self-starting. Unfortunately, even this improved combination still swings a large, slow rotor, requiring a transmission to drive a faster-spinning generator, and utilizes a rigid, vertical tower at its core, with its inherent high cost. The most efficient use of such an expensive, rigid tower, in the current state of the art, is still an upwind, horizontal axis machine.
For a given wind speed, the blade tip speed for any size rotor is about the same, hence, the angular rate of rotation is inversely proportional to rotor diameter. For a given amount of driveshaft power, torque is inversely proportional to rotation rate. Consequently a large rotor will turn a shaft at low rotational speed, but with high torque. This slow rotation rate and consequent high torque of such a large rotor mandate the use of heavy-duty driveshafts and ratio gearing mechanisms in order to transmit the power to a faster-rotating generator. Contemporary generators must turn many times faster than today's large rotors in order to efficiently generate power. The gearbox required to achieve this increased rotational rate represents about 20% of the cost of current systems.
The rotor, driveshaft, transmission, generator, and associated equipment must then, as a unit, be provided with means for powered yaw control, (directional rotation about the vertical axis) to maintain proper aim into the wind. The weight of all this heavy-duty hardware must be supported by the rigid tower, further adding to the strength required of the tower, and its consequent cost. The rigid, vertical towers in modern wind generation systems consume about another 20% of total system cost. As you can see, current windmill designs result in a self-reinforcing cascade of upwardly spiraling costs. This cascade of cost begins with the decision to utilize a rigid, vertical tower. It is interesting to note that for centuries, we have taken wood from trees that readily bend with the wind, to build windmills that don't. More than one engineer has been frustrated that their best attempts to harness the light and fleet wind result in clanking, complicated, multi-ton monstrosities that literally shake themselves apart. There is a strong feeling among researchers that there must be some easier, more simple and cost-effective way to harness wind energy, if only we could find it. The challenge to wind energy development for the new millenium is to meet the wind on its own terms using the stronger, and more flexible materials now available.

Stationary co-axial multi-rotor wind turbine supported by continuous central driveshaft


A device for supporting fish hooks and the like from a fishing line such that fish are prevented from swallowing the hook more than mouth deep. The device includes a vertical shank suspended from the fishing line, a lateral guard member attached to the shank, and a support for attaching the fish hook at or below the level of the guard structure. In one embodiment, the lateral guard is a removable guard wire which is frictionally locked to the shank upon insertion through tubular lateral supports. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a swing limit retainer to prevent the fish hook from snagging on the guard wire.

I am an avid fisherman and, like many other fishermen today, enjoy fishing for the thrill of the catch more than as a utilitarian means of providing food. Many fishermen accordingly prefer to throw the fish back for environmental reasons.
A fish hooked by the mouth is ordinarily not mortally wounded, and quickly recovers once thrown back in the water. Many times, however, the fisherman is obliged to kill the fish he intended to throw back because the hook has been swallowed more than mouth deep. Simply snipping the line is not satisfactory, first because the hook embedded internally in the fish will usually kill it, and second because an expensive hook and lure is lost.
The solution is to prevent the fish from being able to swallow the hook more than mouth deep. The prior art has not adequately recognized or solved this problem, and accordingly does not teach any structure which is simultaneously effective, inexpensive and easy to manufacture and use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,696 to Cook discloses a fish hook having one or more wing members fastened crosswise to the hook shank, the wing or wings disposed at an angle between 30.degree. and 60.degree. from the shank. The purpose of the wing is to create a hooking moment when the line is pulled to rotate the barb of the hook up and into the mouth of the fish. The wing is also briefly described as decreasing the probability of the hook being swallowed by a fish; however, the wing is inadequate with respect to size, placement and ease of construction to provide a satisfactory solution to the hook swallowing problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,177 to Gibson discloses a one-piece wire harness for converting regular fishing lures into spinner bait lures. An upper portion of the wire harness is bent at approximately right angles to the vertical shank of the harness to support a spinner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,966 to Neal discloses a combination bobber and fish hook remover in which a short cross bar is fastened on a vertical hollow rod to provide a support about which the fish line is tied.
There are also many prior art devices known as "weedless" hooks or lures, usually providing a bar or ground member attached to the shank of the fish hook and extending downwardly at an angle to cover the point of the hook. These weed guards do not function adequately to prevent the swallowing of the hook by a fish more than mouth deep, largely due to their position on the hook itself, the angle at which they are set, and their direction of yield or give.

No-swallow device for fish hooks and the like


The present invention provides cancellation of cogging torque of a permanent magnet electrical machine using two sets of magnetic elements, one set is mechanically coupled to the stator with the other set being mechanically coupled to the rotor of the machine. At least one of the two sets has permanent magnets with the magnetic elements of the other set being made of permanent magnets or non-magnetized ferromagnetic materials such as soft iron. When the arrangement of the elements of the two sets is properly designed, magnetic attraction and repulsion forces between the magnetic elements of the two sets produces, as the machine operates, an anti-cogging torque which substantially cancels the cogging torque of the machine.

1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to permanent magnet electrical machines. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the cogging torque in a rotary permanent magnet electrical machine.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The rotary permanent magnet (PM) electrical machines are known to suffer from cogging torque. The cogging torque is an undesirable component of the torque of a PM machine and is caused by the interaction between the rotor permanent magnets and the stator poles of the machine. It causes undesirable vibrations of the machine and it is particularly prominent on start up of the machine.
Several methods have been proposed for reducing the cogging torque in PM machine. Those methods include:                uniform or variable air gap thickness;        phase shifting of the poles;        skewing of the stator poles or of the rotor magnets; and        use of fractional poles.
Most of the proposed methods used for reducing the cogging torque also reduce the efficiency of the machine.
One proposed method for reducing the cogging torque of a PM machine is the mechanical coupling of two machines, each machine having a stator with electromagnets and a rotor with permanent magnets. The two machines are phase shifted such that the cogging torques of the two machines cancel out. In such a dual machine, most of the critical components are doubled and the cost of the machine is substantially increased.

Anti-cogging apparatus for permanent magnet electrical machines


Fibrous composite articles and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The preferred fibrous materials have average fiber lengths of less than about 2 millimeters, and are obtained from industrial hemp hurd, kenaf hurd, and/or the culms of various species of vegetable bamboo. The fibers are combined with a binder resin and, optionally, a sizing agent to form a mat that is consolidated under heat and pressure to form the composite articles. The formed articles exhibit strength and durability characteristics at least roughly equivalent, if not superior, to those of conventional wood-based fibrous composite articles.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to fibrous consolidated composite articles, and to methods of making the same and, more specifically, the invention relates to composite articles made from the fibers of hemp hurd, kenaf, vegetable bamboo, and/or mixtures thereof.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
One type of molded composite article is a cellulosic (or woody) composite which includes man-made boards of bonded wood sheets and/or lignocellulosic materials, commonly referred to in the art by the following exemplary terms: fiberboards such as hardboard, medium density fiberboard, and softboard; particleboards such as chipboard, flakeboard, particleboard, strandboard, and waferboard. Wood composites also include man-made boards comprising combinations of these materials. These wood composites can be used as columns, floors, ceilings, walls, doors, siding and stairs in the construction of homes, offices, and other types of buildings, as well as furniture components, such as chairs, tables, countertops, cabinets, and cabinet doors, for example.
Many different methods of manufacturing wood composites are known in the art such as, for example, those described in Hsu et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,532 and Newman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,643, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The principal processes for the manufacture of fiberboard include: (a) wet felted/wet pressed or "wet" processes; (b) dry felted/dry pressed or "dry" processes; and, (c) wet felted/dry pressed or "wet-dry" processes. Synthetic binder resins, such as amino resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, phenol-formaldehyde resins, or modified phenol-formaldehyde resins, are often used as binders in these processes. Other binders include, but are not limited to, starches, asphalt, and gums.
Cellulosic fibers such as, for example, wood fibers are prepared by the fiberization of woody chip material in a pressurized refiner, an atmospheric refiner, a mechanical refiner, and/or a thermochemical refiner. Generally, in a wet process, the cellulosic fibers are blended in a vessel with large amounts of water to form a slurry. The slurry preferably has sufficient water content to suspend a majority of the wood fibers and preferably has a water content of at least 95 percent by weight (wt. %). The water is used to distribute a synthetic resin binder, such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin over the wood fibers. This mixture is deposited onto a water-pervious support member, such as a fine screen or a Fourdrinier wire, and pre-compressed, whereby much of the water is removed to leave a wet mat of cellulosic material having, for example, a moisture content of at least about 50 wt. % based on the weight of dry cellulosic material. The wet mat is transferred to a press and consolidated under heat and pressure to form the molded wood composite.
A wet-dry forming process can also be used to produce wood composites. Preferably, a wet-dry process begins by blending cellulosic material (e.g., wood fibers) in a vessel with a large amount of water. This slurry is then blended with a resin binder. The blend is then deposited onto a water-pervious support member, where a large percentage (e.g., 50 wt. % or more) of the water is removed, thereby leaving a wet mat of cellulosic material having a water content of about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. %, for example. This wet mat is then transferred to a zone where much of the remaining water is removed by evaporation by heat to form a dried mat. The dried mat preferably has a moisture content of about 10 wt. % or less. The dried mat can be finished at this point or transferred to a press and consolidated under heat and pressure to form a higher density wood composite which may be a flat board or a molded product, for example. The product can be molded into various shapes or geometries depending on the intended use.
In a dry forming process, filler material, such as cellulosic fibers, is generally conveyed in a gaseous stream or by mechanical means. For example, the fibers supplied from a fiberizing apparatus (e.g., a pressurized refiner) may be coated with a thermosetting synthetic resin, such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin, in a blowline blending procedure, wherein the resin is blended with the fiber with the aid of air turbulence. Thereafter, the resin-coated fibers from the blowline can be randomly formed into a mat by air blowing the fibers onto a support member. Optionally, the fibers, either before or after formation of the mat, can be subjected to pre-press drying, for example in a tube-like dryer. The formed mat, typically having a moisture content of less than about 10 wt. %, and preferably about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, then is pressed under heat and pressure to cure the thermosetting resin and to compress the mat into an integral consolidated structure.
As an alternative to conventional pressing, steam injection pressing is a consolidation step that can be used, for example, under certain circumstances in the dry and wet-dry process production of consolidated cellulosic composites. In steam injection pressing, steam is injected through perforated heating press platens, into, through, and then out of a mat that includes the synthetic resin and the filler material. The steam condenses on surfaces of the filler and heats the mat. The heat transferred by the steam to the mat as well as the heat transferred from the press platens to the mat cause the resin to cure.
The cost of manufacturing fiberboards is sensitive to the cost of raw materials. Traditionally, wood clearly has been the most important raw material in fiberboard manufacture, and because of its abundance, its costs have remained reasonably low. However, as the supply of preferred wood begins to diminish, its cost correspondingly increases. The raw material cost of wood may achieve a level where wood-alternatives may be considered viable options in the manufacture of fiberboards. Known non-wood raw material substitutes for fiberboard manufacture are limited to mineral fibers and to biological lignocellulosic fibers derived from annual plants such as bagasse, bamboo stalks, barley stalks, corn stalks, cotton stalks, flax shives, jute stalks, kenaf stalks, oat stalks, rice stalks/husks, rye stalks, sugarcane, and wheat stalks/straw. These raw materials can serve as viable substitutes for wood in wood-based fiberboards, however, these raw materials also suffer certain disadvantages in that they may not exhibit structural characteristics comparable to those of wood-based fiberboards.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a nonwood-based, fibrous composite having strength and durability characteristics, and other related structural characteristics at least roughly equivalent to those of traditional wood-based, fibrous composite products. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide nonwood-based, fibrous composites having structural characteristics superior to those of traditional wood-based, fibrous composites. It also would be desirable to provide an abundant raw material alternative to wood as a source for the fibers in the manufacture of fibrous composites.

Fibrous composite articles and method of making the same


The present description relates to fluid sealant compositions that increase in viscosity upon administration to a subject, to medical procedures employing such compositions, to methods for administering such compositions, and to products containing such compositions including medical devices, medical device components and kits, among other aspects.

A wide variety of medical procedures are conducted in which it is desirable to form a barrier between a treatment site and an adjacent site. For instance, hydrothermal endometrial ablation (HTA) is used to treat women who experience abnormal uterine bleeding. During the procedure, a doctor typically uses an HTA console and delivery device (introducer) to deliver heated saline into the uterus of the patient to destroy the inner lining of the uterus. During the procedure, a seal is formed between the uterus and the vagina to prevent heated fluid from migrating from the uterus to the vagina, which can cause discomfort.

Fluid sealant compositions and various medical applications pertaining to the same


A membrane-coated substrate and method for forming the membrane coating on the substrate that involves providing a porous inorganic monolithic substrate having one or more through channels having inner surfaces, providing solid polymeric film fusible to the substrate, and joining the film to the substrate by applying the film in a softened state to those inner surfaces and applying pressure thereto, so that the film fuses to and coats the inner surfaces of the channels. A workstream is modified by passing it through the membrane-coated substrate to cause modification of the workstream by the membrane coating.

Porous carbon materials are widely used as adsorbents, catalyst supports, and filtration membranes due to their high surface area and well defined porosity. Nano-porous carbon membranes have been recently developed for gas separation through a Selective Surface Flow (SSF) mechanism. Such materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,425.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,425 the carbon membrane is made by pyrolysis of poly(vinylidene chloride-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid-methyl acrylate) co-polymer (PVDC latex) films pre-coated on mesoporous substrates (either tubes or honeycomb matrices) under nitrogen. In the coating process, well dispersed latex particles (average diameter around 0.1 micron) in water are slip-cast on the porous substrates. In the slip-casting process, the liquid from the latex dispersion passes into the pores of the substrate while the dispersed latex is effectively filtered out by the narrowness of the pore openings and is deposited as a coating on the substrate channel surface. After drying, the well-packed latex particles on the surface are fused by heating to form a continuous polymer film and then convert to a flaw-free carbon membrane by further heating at higher temperatures. If the pores in the substrate (0.4-0.8 micron) are much larger than the latex particles, it is inevitable that latex particles go in the mesopores of the substrates during slip-casting. This may be highly undesirable since the microfiltration of polymer latex particles causes narrowing of the egress path, hence increasing the resistivity for gases passing through the matrices. As a remedy to this problem, a support layer is applied to substrate which has a pore size smaller than that of the substrate but larger than that of the membrane to be formed. Therefore, without use of the intermediate size support layer, larger pore size substrates cannot be used to hold membranes.
Another problem with the current state of the art slip cast coating process is the difficulty of controlling both coating thickness and uniformity for high channel density honeycomb matrices. As the channel density is increased, the volume of mesopores in the substrate per unit surface area of membrane decreases, and hence the volume of PVDC latex dispersion which can be slip-cast onto the channel surfaces decreases. Once the pores are entirely filled, little or no additional coating takes place and the already deposited coating may begin to slough off or re-disperse. Therefore, it is difficult to form high quality, flaw-free membranes on high channel density honeycomb matrices.
With geometrically complex honeycomb matrices having high channel density, egress path is an issue. To maximize the membrane efficiency, large mesopores are preferred in the substrate. In general, substrates with large pores have rough surfaces which are difficult to coat, affecting the slip-cast coating procedure and the quality of the carbon membrane as well.
There are other difficulties with the slip-cast coating method. The compatibility of substrate materials with the highly acidic dispersion is one problem. Basic materials may partially dissolve in the coating process. Dispersion corrosiveness and waste solution disposal are other problems.
It would be highly desirable and an advancement in the art to produce a coating on the substrate without the above problems.

Coated substrates, method for producing same, and use therefor


A method for inspecting a spark plug that includes a tubular insulator having an axial hole, a center electrode inserted into the axial hole at a front end side thereof, a tubular metallic shell disposed around the insulator, an annular space defined by an outer circumferential surface of the insulator, and an inner circumferential surface of the metallic shell and opened frontward. The method includes steps of: inspecting insulation performance of the insulator based on whether dielectric breakdown is caused in the insulator when a voltage is applied to the center electrode; photographing an area including at least the center electrode, the insulator, and the annular space from a front end side in the direction of the axis when the voltage is applied to the center electrode; and determining whether the dielectric breakdown has occurred based on the photographed image.

A spark plug is installed in an internal combustion engine (engine) or the like and is used for igniting an air-fuel mixture or the like in a combustion chamber. In general, a spark plug includes an insulator having an axial hole extending along the axis thereof, a center electrode inserted into the axial hole at a front end side thereof, a metallic shell disposed around the insulator, and a ground electrode fixed at a front end portion of the metallic shell. A spark discharge gap is formed between a front end portion of the ground electrode and a front end portion of the center electrode. When high voltage is applied to the center electrode (spark discharge gap), spark discharge occurs at the spark discharge gap, whereby an air-fuel mixture or the like is ignited.
When the insulator has insufficient insulation performance (dielectric strength), the dielectric breakdown of the insulator may occur due to the application of a high voltage to the center electrode. In this case, the discharge penetrating the insulator (so-called penetration discharge) may occur between the center electrode and the metallic shell. In a state that the penetration discharge may occur, the application of high voltage to the center electrode (spark discharge gap) may not result in the normal spark discharge in the spark discharge gap.
In view of this, in a process of manufacturing a spark plug, the insulation performance of the insulator is inspected. A method of inspecting the insulation performance is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2012-185963. The method according to JP-A-2012-185963 produces a state in which the spark discharge does not occur in the spark discharge gap by the high-pressure gas. After that, high voltage is applied to the center electrode. Then, based on the waveform of the applied voltage, the insulation performance is inspected.
However, the discharge that may occur when high voltage is applied to the center electrode is not limited to the penetration discharge. The discharge may also occur, due to the spreading of the electric field across the surface of the insulator between the front end portion of the center electrode and the metallic shell. This kind of the discharge is so-called flashover. At least a part of the route of this discharge includes a front end surface of the insulator. Here, even though the flashover occurs, the dielectric breakdown of the insulator is not caused, which is different from the penetration discharge, and there is no particular problem in the insulation performance of the insulator. However, no particular difference is found between the waveform of the applied voltage in the occurrence of flashover and the waveform of the applied voltage in the occurrence of the penetration discharge. Thus, in the method according to JP-A-2012-185963, it is impossible to determine which one of the flashover and the penetration discharge has occurred. Therefore, a product in which flashover has occurred upon voltage application, but which actually has no problem with the insulation performance, may be treated as a defective product. Thus, this method may deteriorate the yield.

Method for inspecting spark plug and method for manufacturing spark plug


Disclosed is a combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag that is used to mark an oversized load. The device includes a hollow cylindrical housing having an interior volume and a bobbin disposed therein. The bobbin includes a reel that is adapted to retract and extend an elongated cord that is attached to the vehicle safety flag. The device further includes a magnet that allows a user to removably mount the device onto the inside of a truck bed or trunk. When the device is in use, the cord is extended outward so as to allow a user to secure the safety flag onto the extreme rear of the projecting load. The device can be mounted to the rear of the vehicle when transporting an oversized load and can be easily stored in a glove compartment when it is not in use.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a retractable safety flag holder and mounting assembly that is adapted to removably attach to the inside of the truck bed or trunk of a vehicle carrying an oversized load. The flag holder and mounting assembly comprises a compact housing member with a hollow interior that is adapted to store the safety flag therein when it is not in use. In this way, the present invention may be easily stored or mounted as needed, providing flexibility to the user.
Oversized loads are special case shipments that exceed the operational parameters defined by each state. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, any commercial motor vehicle handling an oversized load or wide load is required to use wide load signs, safety flags, or wide load banners. More specifically, safety flags must be positioned at the extreme rear of the projecting load. Flags must be located to indicate maximum width of loads which extend beyond the sides and/or rear of the vehicle. In this way, the edges of any oversized load is marked to make them visible to drivers. Safety flags help protect the oversized load, and warns and protects other roadway users.
When using safety flags, the flags must be properly secured to the load so that it can travel against the wind and at high speeds on a moving vehicle. Traditional vehicle safety flags comprise a planar sheet of fabric that is affixed to a rigid support structure such as a pole or a frame that hold the flag thereon. The support structures are generally used in conjunction with a mounting bracket or other types of attachment means so that the flag may be secured onto the vehicle or the projecting load. The mounting brackets and other types of attachment means are inconvenient to install and remain permanently affixed to the vehicle.
Additionally, the flags must be stored after each use and kept accessible so that it may be used when transporting another oversized load at a later time. Many users, however, neglect to properly store the flags because it is inconvenient. Moreover, it is impracticable to use the same flag as used for a first vehicle on a second vehicle if the second vehicle does not have a flag mounting bracket or another type of attachment means that may be used with the flag.
The present invention is a combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag that is designed to removably mount to the inside of a trunk or a truck bed of a vehicle where needed, without requiring additional attachment means. The elongated cord of the present invention allows for a placement of a vehicle safety flag on the extreme rear of the projecting load with the housing mounted flush with the surface of the vehicle. The present combination mounting and storing device is installable onto various locations on the vehicle, including within the truck bed, fender, or trunk of the vehicle. Use of the present invention allows a user to easily secure a vehicle safety flag on any vehicle transporting an oversized load. Further, the present invention secures the flag in place inside the housing and retains it so that the device may be easily stored. The present invention is ideal for use with commercial vehicles as well as boats, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, and other vehicles.
The primary advantage of the present invention is not only its outward compact design and the installation methods associated with the mounting of the device, but more specifically the retractable feature associated with the bobbin disposed within the housing. The bobbin allows the cord to extend so that the flag may be secured to the extreme end of the load while the housing is mounted on the vehicle. Alternatively, the bobbin retracts the cord so that the cord can wrap around the reel of the bobbin and the flag may be stored within the housing. In this way, the cord is prevented from becoming tangled in between uses.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to vehicle safety flag mounts. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. Some of these patents describe a flag that includes a tether with a loop at the end. The loop and tether can be attached to a large load that is being carried by a vehicle. Another patent describes a flag that is attached to a pulley for extending and retracting based on the size of the load being carried. These devices, however, do not include a casing that stores a retractable flag and a magnet adapted to mount the casing to a vehicle. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,496 to Gheris discloses a flagging device comprising a square shaped planar sheet of fabric-like material and an elongated cord. The cord has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the planar sheet of fabric-like material and the second end comprises a loop. The loop is used to create a slipknot so as to secure the flagging device to a piece of equipment. Unlike the present invention, however, Gheris does not disclose a flag holder that is adapted to store the flag when it is not in use. Additionally, Gheris does not include a mounting assembly that is adapted to attach to the truck bed or trunk of a vehicle so that the flag may be securely attached to the vehicle that is transporting the oversized load. In contrast, the present invention provides a flag holder that includes a housing member adapted to store a safety flat therein. Additionally, the present invention includes attachment means such as a magnet to mount onto the vehicle. Accordingly, the present invention provides convenience to the user when storing and mounting the safety flag.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,520 to Challoner discloses a warning signal for trucks. The device comprises a square shaped flag that is attached to a retractable cord wounded around a spring held reel. The flag end of the device also comprises a hook that is adapted to secure the flag onto the rear of the truck. When in use, a user extends the cord until the hook can reach the fender of the truck. Thereafter, the cord is retracted until the hook wedges against the reel, thereby positioning the flag close to the reel. While Challoner discloses a warning signal having a retractable feature, the device of Challoner is limited in the fact that the spring held reel must be affixed to the rear of a vehicle, which is disposed under the oversized load that extend beyond the rear of the vehicle. Accordingly, the reel and the flag is not easily accessible to the user when the load is placed on the vehicle. In contrast, the combination mounting and storing device of the present invention is adapted to removably mount to the trunk or the truck bed of a vehicle. In this way, the device may be mounted where it is easily accessible to the user. Additionally, the present invention may be used on different vehicles if another vehicle is used to transport the oversized load.
Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,355 to LeBlanc discloses a tail flag assembly for use on a rear end of a utility pole of a pole trailer. The tail flag assembly comprises a ring mountable over the rear end of the pole and a plurality of screws extending radially through the ring for clamping the ring onto the rear end of the pole. The tail flag assembly further comprises a plurality of staffs affixed to the ring and extending outwardly tangentially from the ring, with each staff having a rectangular brightly colored flag affixed thereto. Each staff is made of a flexible material and is pliable for engagement under the crossbar handle of one of the screws. Thus, the staffs may be bent and engaged under a respective crossbar handle, so that the flag assembly may be stowed in a tool compartment of a utility truck. While LeBlanc discloses a mounting assembly for safety flags, the design of the device of LeBlanc may only be used with an oversized load that has a round cross section. More specifically, the diameter of the cross section of the load must be less than the diameter of the ring portion of the device so that the device may fit around the load. In contrast, the present invention provides a flexible cord that is adapted to secure a safety flag onto the oversized load of various shapes and sizes. In this way, the present invention may be used with a variety of oversized loads.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,552 to Dover discloses a caution flag for water sports safety. The device comprise a housing unit having a hollow cylinder shape that is adapted to receive a flag pole. The housing unit also includes an open first end and a closed second end, wherein the second end has a compression spring that is compressed when the flag pole is pushed down from the first end. The flag pole locks the compression spring in place, or in a retracted position via a trigger lever, which is also engaged to unlock the compression spring to extend the flag pole in a warning position. While Dover discloses a safety flag having a retractable feature, the purpose and design of the device of Dover differs from the present invention. The housing unit is not adapted to receive the flag therein. Additionally, the flag pole requires a flag pole bracket or a similar device adapted to hold the flag pole thereon. The present invention provides a combination mounting and storing device that stores the flag when it is not in use. Additionally, the present invention may be mounted on any part of a vehicle without the need to use a bracket or a similar device.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art fails to disclose a combination device adapted for storing and mounting a safety flag for marking oversized loads being transported on a vehicle. The present invention discloses a combination mounting and storing device that is convenient to use when storing or mounting the safety flag. More specifically, the present invention comprises a housing member having a hollow interior that is adapted to store the retracted cord and a safety flag attached thereto. Additionally, the bottom end of the housing member comprises attachment means such as a magnet that allows a user to removably attach the present invention to various locations on the vehicle. It is therefore submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing vehicle safety flag mounts. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

Combination mounting and storing device for a vehicle safety flag