A precursor of a silicate phosphor is formed by mixing a silicon system liquid material, in which a silicon system material is dispersed in a liquid, with a metal system liquid material including a metallic element, and the silicate phosphor is obtained by calcining the obtained precursor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phosphor, particularly, a silicate phosphor capable of being widely used for a display device such as plasma display panel or the like, to devices of lighting systems and the like such as thin tube type fluorescent lamp and the like, electronic device and various articles using phosphors, to a method for producing the phosphor and its precursor, and to a display device.
2. Description of Related Art
A phosphor is a material for converting the energy of an exciting line (ultraviolet ray, visible light, infrared ray, heat ray, electron ray, X-ray, radioactive ray or the like) into a light (ultraviolet ray, visible light, infrared ray or the like) by irradiating the exciting line. Phosphors are used for various articles such as fluorescent paints, ashtrays, stationeries, outdoor products, guide plates, inducing materials, indicators such as safety signs and the like, and the like. Besides the above, phosphors are also used for various devices such as electron tubes, fluorescent display tubes, electroluminescence panels, scintillation detectors, X-ray image intensifiers, thermoluminescence dosimeters, imaging plates and the like, and for display devices such as field emission display (FED), plasma display panel (PDP) and the like (See for example, "Phosphor Handbook", Phosphor Research Society Edition, Ohmsha, Ltd.).
Among the above-described display devices, particularly, the PDP is capable of making a screen large and thin, and thereby, it attracts attention as a flat-panel display which can take the place of a cathode-ray tube (CRT). A PDP has two glass substrates comprising electrodes, and a number of micro discharge cells (hereinafter, referred to as "cells") formed by partition walls provided between the substrates. On the side face and the bottom face of a partition wall which surrounds each cell (one glass substrate), a phosphor layer that emits a light of red, green, blue or the like is provided. Each cell is formed in a predetermined shape by the partition walls, arranged regularly on the substrate, and discharge gas using Xe, Ne or the like as principal component is charged therein. The cell is for suppressing spread of discharge in a certain region. When voltage is applied between the electrodes, an ultraviolet ray due to the discharge gas is generated, and thereby, the phosphors are excited and emit a visible light. Desired information can be displayed in full color by selectively discharging the cell or a part of the cell.
Presently, as phosphors mainly used for a PDP, there are (Y, Gd)BO3:Eu (Red), Zn2SiO4:Mn (Green), BaMgAl10O17:Eu (Blue) and the like. These phosphors are generally produced by a solid phase method. The solid phase method is a method for obtaining a phosphor according to a solid phase reaction by mixing a predetermined amount of a compound including elements forming a ground material of the phosphor with a predetermined amount of a compound including activator elements, and calcining the mixture at a predetermined temperature (See "Phosphor Handbook"). The shape of individual particle of the phosphor obtained according to such a method is usually flat shape or irregular multifaceted shape.
Incidentally, with displays such as PDP and the like, improvement of brightness, smooth movie display and the like are required. Thereby, it is considered to improve the luminescence intensity of phosphors in order to enhance the brightness. Particularly, a green phosphor has high visibility, so that it is important to enhance the luminescence intensity of the green phosphor in order to improve the white brightness. On the other hand, in order to achieve smooth movie display, information has to be displayed in sequence per extremely short unit of time, so that phosphors having short persistence time are required.
However, the above-described silicate phosphor such as Zn2SiO4:Mn (Green) or the like has a long persistence time, so that there is a possibility that it generates afterimage or flickering of image, or the like when the next new information is displayed. Therefore, as for the silicate phosphor such as Zn2SiO4:Mn or the like, it is required to improve the luminescence intensity, and moreover, to reduce the persistence time thereof.
Then, it is considered to improve the luminescence intensity, and moreover, to reduce the persistence time by producing Zn2SiO4:Mn having high purity. However, with the solid phase method in earlier technology, since it is solid phase reaction, there remain nonreactive excessive impurities, excess soluble salts generated by reaction, and the like. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a phosphor having stoichiometrically high purity. Furthermore, although the luminescence intensity, the persistence time or the like of an inorganic phosphor can be generally controlled by changing the amount of activators, with the solid phase method, it is difficult to properly control the amount of these in the composition.
Further, recently, along with achievement of higher definition of a display such as PDP or the like, cells have been miniaturized. In order to obtain predetermined brightness, not less than a certain amount of phosphors must be filled in every phosphor layer provided in each cell. However, if the particle shape is flat shape or irregular multifaceted shape as mentioned above, the phosphor layers become thick by that shape. When the thickness of the phosphor layers is thick, not only scattering of lights emitted from the phosphors become large, but also the discharge space becomes narrow, so that it becomes impossible to generate an ultraviolet ray sufficient to excite the phosphors. As mentioned before, particularly, the green phosphor has high visibility, so that it is required to improve the brightness of green cells.
Therefore, in order to fill up a green phosphor in a phosphor layer thickly, for instance, a spherical phosphor (Zn2SiO4:Mn) is produced by using spherical or approximately spherical polymethylsilsesquioxane as a base substance (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-278446; hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).
However, although finer phosphor particles are required in accordance with the miniaturization of the cell structure of a PDP, only a method of obtaining a spherical phosphor which has comparatively large particle size (4.5 μm to 2 μm) according to the solid phase method is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Since the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is the solid phase method, it is required to perform a step such as crushing or the like when producing phosphor of finer particles. Therefore, there is a possibility that the shape of the phosphor particles becomes not uniform. Further, there is a case such that crystal distortion occurs at the time of crushing, and thereby that the luminescence intensity deteriorates. Furthermore, since powders as raw materials are mixed according to a dry system, it is difficult to control the composition of constituting elements uniform. Therefore, it is difficult to diffuse and mix activators uniformly in center nuclei particles of phosphors, so that there is a possibility that sufficient luminescence intensity cannot be obtained.

Phosphor, method for producing phosphor and its precursor, and display device


An apparatus and method for securing a firearm from firing by engaging a security lock to a slide at a butt end of the firearm. The security lock has a housing defined by a pair of sidewalls joined by a top plate that defines a slot for receiving a sight on the slide. A controller extends through a rear plate of the housing. A security member is operatively engaged to the controller for being moved between a first position for installing and removing the housing from the slide of the handgun and a second position in which the security member operatively secures the housing to the slide by being disposed between the rear portion of the slide and the handle of the firearm, thereby holding the slide in a partially rearward position with the firearm out-of-battery and the trigger mechanism of the firearm disengaged from the firing pin mechanism. A method of locking firearms is disclosed. The method discloses using a universal key for the lock.

The present invention relates generally to devices for securing firearms from firing. More particularly, the present invention relates to selectively installed and removed securing device which locks firearm handguns from being fired accidently.
Firearm safety is an important issue to persons who are involved in carrying and using firearms. Generally safe handling of firearms consists of proper education, training, and practice in the use, cleaning, and storage of firearms. However, concerns have recently been raised regarding the accessibility of firearms to unauthorized persons, such as children who are living at the home of a firearm owner or visiting such homes. Several legislatures have enacted statutes requiring firearm owners to keep firearms away from children. The purpose is to prevent accidental deaths and injuries to persons arising from the accidental discharge of a firearm by a child.
As a mechanism for reducing the number of such accidental shootings, police agencies are also being required to issue gun locks to officers carrying firearms. The use of the gun lock is mandated for securing the firearm from being fired, particularly while the officer is off-duty at home. The gun lock prevents accidental discharge of the secured firearm and thereby prevent injuries to persons, and prevents unauthorized persons, especially children, from accidently operating the firearm.
Various types of gun locks have been developed to provide a securing device for guns for owners wishing to secure the firearms from being fired accidentally. Among these are devices that engage the muzzle, that engage the trigger guard, and that restrict the slide of a handgun from movement. For example, one device provides a safety strap having a contoured opening which fits snugly over the hammer. The hammer is moved to a cocked position and distal ends of the strap are drawn tightly around the upper portion of the handle of the pistol and around the front of the trigger guard. The free ends of the straps overlap and are snapped together with snap fasteners.
Another quick-release safety device for revolvers has a block that is inserted within the muzzle of a handgun. A strap extends behind the hammer and has extending arms that receive a cap. The cap engages the muzzle block. The strap prevents the hammer from being retracted. Another similar device for immobilizing a revolver-type handgun provides an elastic strap which extends around the hammer. A pin attached to the strap is received within the bore of the muzzle. The device is installed by first wrapping the strap around the hammer, stretchingly elongating the elastic rubber strap and inserting the pin into the muzzle. The strap then retracts, pulling the pin within the muzzle, and preventing the hammer from rearward movement.
Securing devices have also been developed for use with semi-automatic slide-type handguns. One such device provides a locking mechanism which installs in the breech after the slide assembly is fully retracted and held in place by a slide catch. A foot, rotatable by a key-lock mechanism, engages beneath and between cartridge-retaining surfaces at the top of the magazine in order to secure the firearm locking mechanism to the top of the magazine. This device prevents the breech block from closing or the magazine from being removed. Another semi-automatic pistol having a moveable slide includes a built-in safety mechanism which is installed in a rear portion of the slide assembly. Circular apertures in the sidewalls receive a cylindrical body having a semi-circular rear block. Rotation of the body disposes the rear block between the hammer assembly and a rear face of the firing pin to prevent the hammer assembly from being completely received within the slide assembly and contacting the firing pin. The body also presses the firing pin a short distance forward as would normally occur with the manual safety of a semi-automatic pistol were moved to the on position and thereby disabling the operative connection between the trigger assembly and the hammer assembly.
While these devices operate for locking a firearm from firing, there are drawbacks to their use. In particular, some of the prior art devices require handling and manipulation of straps and locks around the trigger of the handgun. This is not in accord with safe firearm practices which preferably instruct a user of a firearm to avoid contacting or handling the trigger unless during an attempt to fire the weapon. Other devices have elastic bands which may stretch and become elongated and thereby defeat the purpose of holding the hammer from being moved pulling the trigger. Still other devices require insertion of components into the bore of the muzzle or the breech block. These devices accordingly engage operating surfaces of the firearm which raise additional risks of damage to the firearm and to the shooter using the firearm.
Many of these devices include a key-and-lock feature in order to lock the securing device in position. The lock prevents the device from being removed by unauthorized persons. The keys provided are distinct, whereby the owner of one security lock may not necessarily be able to unlock and release the securing device owned by another person. For law enforcement personnel and security officers, however this adds an additional key which must be carried with the typical many number of keys law enforcement personnel are expected to carry and have readily available.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved gun lock for use with firearms. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention solves the need in the art by providing a method of securing firearms from firing, which firearms have a slide rearwardly displaceable in a direction from a muzzle end towards a butt end when fired with the firearm in-battery, comprising the steps of: (a) moving the slide manually slightly rearwardly to disconnect the firearm from being in-battery for firing; (b) placing a housing over a sight that extends from a rearward portion of the slide, the housing having a pair of opposing side walls joined together by a top plate at respective distal ends, the top plate defining an engagement slot therein for receiving the sight therethrough; (c) moving a securing member from a disengaged position to an engaged position which operatively secures the housing to the slide in the partially rearwardly position in which a hammer of the handgun is disengaged from a firing pin mechanism to render the firearm out-of-battery; and (d) locking the securing member in the engaged position, whereby the securing member, being moved to the engaged position after inserting the sight at the rear portion of the slide of the handgun into the engagement slot in the top of the housing, restricts the slide from returning to an in-battery position and thereby holding the firearm disabled from firing.
The present invention further provides a method of securing firearms from firing. The slide is moved manually slightly rearwardly to disconnect the firearm from being in-battery for firing. The housing is placed over a sight extending from a rearward portion of the slide. The housing has a pair of opposing sidewalls joined together by a top plate at respective distal ends. The top plate defines an engagement slot therein for receiving the sight. The securing member is moved from a disengaged position to an engaged position in order to secure the housing to the slide in the partially rearward position in which the trigger mechanism of the firearm is disengaged from a firing pin mechanism in order to render the firearm out of battery. The securing member in the second position is disposed between the rear portion of the slide and an upper portion of the handle of the firearm. The securing member prevents the slide from returning to an in-battery position and thereby disables the firearm from accidental operation. In another aspect of the method of securing firearms from accidental firing, a lock is provided, whereby the securing member is locked in position to prevent removal of the housing.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of securing firearms from firing in which a device to restrict firing of a firearm is operatively engaged to the firearm. The device then is locked with a universal key to secure the device from being removed from the firearm and thereby securing the disablement of the firearm from firing.
Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings and claims.


A speech recognition apparatus includes a a low-order parameter analyzation section for deriving low-order parameter time series of an input speech, a start and end point detection section for detecting the start and end points of the input speech by use of the parameter time series derived by the low-order parameter analyzation section, a high-order parameter analyzation section for deriving high order parameters at preset sampling points from the input speech of a range corresponding to the start and end points detected by the start and end point detection section, a pattern matching section for matching feature parameters corresponding to the parameters derived by the high-order parameter analyzation section with standard parameters previously registered and deriving similarities between the matched parameters, and a recognition result outputting section for outputting the recognition result for the input speech according to the similarities derived by the pattern matching section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a speech recognition apparatus for extracting parameters from an input speech to recognize the speech.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the general speech recognition method, a method of recognizing the speech by extracting low order parameters or energy components and high order parameters or frequency components from the input speech and correctly recognizing the speech by use of both of the extracted parameters is dominant. This method is to simultaneously effect the low-order parameter analyzation and high-order parameter analyzation for the input speech on the real time basis. However, since it is necessary to analyze the DFT spectrum, filter bank, LPC parameters or the like at every 8 milliseconds on the real time basis in the high-order parameter analyzation, a specially high-speed signal processing hardware such as a DSP (digital signal processor) is required.
For example, according to the conventional acoustic recognition system disclosed in Acoustic Institution, March, 1982, "RECOGNITION OF TELEPHONE SPEECH BY HYBRID STRUCTURE MATCHING METHOD" ASADA et al., the low-order parameter analyzation and high-order parameter analyzation are first effected in parallel for the input speech (output of a speech input section). Then, the start and end points of word boundaries of the input speech are detected according to the result of the low-order parameter analyzation and sampling frame is determined according to a predetermined number of frames based on a range of the input speech corresponding to the detected start and end points. After this, speech feature spectrum of fixed orders is extracted from the result of high-order parameter analyzation (which is previously derived) corresponding to the range of the input speech according to the sample frame number and matched with standard patterns registered in a word dictionary and similarities therebetween are derived. The result of recognition is output according to the similarities.
In the above conventional speech recognition method, the high-order parameter analyzation for all of the input speech is first effected and then word feature spectrum is extracted by use of only the necessary high order parameters determined according to the high-order parameter analyzation. That is, since only several frames included in the result of the high-order parameter analyzation for the entire input speech are used, a large portion of the specially calculated high order parameters will become useless. In other words, calculations unnecessary for the speech recognition have been effected.
As described above, in the conventional speech recognition method, a special hardware for effecting the high-order parameter analyzation for the entire input speech is necessary and a large portion of specially calculated high order parameters becomes useless.

Method and apparatus for speech recognition using both low-order and high-order parameter analyzation


Apparatus for coupling an elongate support and a fence, such as a partition between cubicles in a stall. Cubicle partitions are first hung from couplings which have been fixed to a horizontal member of an elongate support. The partitions are hung on the support one end at a time, allowing for a single person to perform this operation even with relatively heavy partitions. After hanging the ends of the partition, the partition can be adjusted prior to finally securing the ends of the partition to the support.

Such a coupling is known, wherein this coupling forms a fixed component of the support or fence, so that coupling is effected by fastening the coupling on the support or the fence to respectively the fence or the support.
Such a coupling has the drawback, particularly with the use of a sizeable fence for coupling to the support, that two persons are required for fitting thereof, i.e. one to hold the fence in place and one to fix the coupling.
Another drawback is that such a coupling has only very limited adjustment possibilities in respect of the height and direction of the fence or the position along the elongate support at which the fence has to be fixed.
When such a coupling is used to couple a fence to a support as partition between cubicles in a stall, wherein each fence has a curved form, the outer ends of which are coupled to supports placed one above another using such couplings, a drawback is that when cubicles are desired on either side of the supports a large number of couplings is required.

Apparatus for attaching a partition to an elongate support


A method of operating a cellular telephone system includes detecting that a first telephone call to a cellular telephone cannot be completed due to a lack of wireless connection to the cellular telephone. The method further includes detecting that the cellular telephone is re-connected to the system. In response to detecting that the cellular telephone is re-connected, data is sent to the cellular telephone, the data being indicative of the first telephone call. The method also includes storing the data in a missed call list in the cellular telephone.

Various techniques have been proposed for handling missed calls in cellular telephone networks, but none has provided an integrated approach that provides cellular phone users with seamless record-keeping for all missed calls, whether resulting from failure to answer, rejection of the call, absence of the intended recipient phone from service coverage areas, or the intended recipient phone being in a power-off condition.

Cellular telephone network with record keeping for missed calls


Disclosed are systems and methods for evaluating the properties of material used in the manufacture of pulling rolls. In one embodiment, a method is provided for aligning plates comprising the material along an axis and compressing the plates to form a cartridge. The plates can be compressed by a piston. The cartridge can be rotated by a motor. In one embodiment, the cartridge, while rotating, is contacted with a cutting surface to produce a surface finish on the cartridge. Properties such as compressibility, recovery and resiliency, and hardness can be measured.

Recently, significant attention has been focused on televisions and monitors that offer a larger and clearer viewing picture to a viewer. Such large screen devices typically use a large piece of sheet glass for the viewing surface. Pulling rolls are used in the manufacture of this sheet glass to apply tension to the ribbon of glass from which the sheets are formed, and thus to control the nominal sheet thickness. Typically, producing a pulling roll can take several hours. Pulling rolls are typically made from roll material, such as millboard, which is punched to produce disks that are fired and then pressed onto shafts to produce the pulling roll. These pulling rolls are subsequently cut on a lathe to a particular surface finish and are then contoured for installation into machines used in the production of sheet glass. If a pulling roll ultimately fails to meet certain standards for material properties (e.g., hardness), the roll must be taken apart and rebuilt. Because a set of two pulling rolls must be made with a single lot of material, if the material is unacceptable this results in significant losses in time and cost.
Typically, the roll material is purchased according to broad material specifications, but there is no existing means of testing the incoming material under the conditions that it will be under when manufactured into pulling rolls. For example, when extreme pressure is applied to the pulling rolls, the material properties of compressibility, recovery and resiliency are of concern. In addition, the hardness of the material is of concern as a measure of how well the roll will endure thermal conditions and interface with the glass during production. If a lot of millboard material does not meet the desired specifications, this failure will be unknown until the pulling rolls have been manufactured and put to use. This results in significant losses in both time and cost.
Thus, there is a need in the art for methods and systems for evaluating the properties of material to be used in the manufacture of pulling rolls prior to the production of these pulling rolls.

Systems and methods for evaluating material for pulling rolls


A composite fan casing for a gas turbine engine includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a core having a plurality of core layers of reinforcing fiber bonded together with a thermosetting polymeric resin. Each core layer includes a plurality of braided reinforcing fiber tows. The braids of reinforcing fiber tows are aligned in a circumferential direction with each fiber tow including a plurality of reinforcing fibers. The core also includes at least one additional fiber tow braided into at least one predetermined axial location to form at least one concentrated stiffening ring.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for operating gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines typically include high and low pressure compressors, a combustor, and at least one turbine. The compressors compress air which is mixed with fuel and channeled to the combustor. The mixture is then ignited for generating hot combustion gases, and the combustion gases are channeled to the turbine which extracts energy from the combustion gases for powering the compressor, as well as producing useful work to propel an aircraft in flight or to power a load, such as an electrical generator.
When engines operate in various conditions, foreign objects may be ingested into the engine. More specifically, various types of foreign objects may be entrained in the inlet of a gas turbine engine, ranging from large birds, such as sea gulls, to hailstones, sand and rain. The foreign objects may impact a blade resulting in a portion of the impacted blade being torn loose from a rotor. Such a condition, known as foreign object damage, may cause the rotor blade to pierce an engine casing resulting in cracks along an exterior surface of the engine casing, and possible injury to nearby personnel. Additionally, the foreign object damage may cause a portion of the engine to bulge or deflect resulting in increased stresses along the entire engine casing.
To facilitate preventing the increased engine stresses and the possible injury to personnel, at least some known engines include a metallic casing shell to facilitate increasing a radial and an axial stiffness of the engine, and to facilitate reducing stresses near the engine casing penetration. However, casing shells are typically fabricated from a metallic material which results in an increased weight of the engine and therefore the airframe.
The high specific strength and stiffness of polymeric composite materials offer attractive weight reduction benefits for jet engine components. The majority of current composite components are fabricated with material in a unidirectional tape or woven fabric form. The required properties needed for a specific component are achieved by assembling many layers of the chosen tape or woven fabric into one monolithic shell. Unfortunately these forms of composite material exhibit poor characteristics regarding crack propagation. Increasing the thickness of the component can reduce the stresses that initiate a crack to overcome this deficiency. However, this solution reduces or can eliminate any weight savings benefit of composite materials.

Composite containment case for turbine engines


Pharmaceutical compositions containing Parathormone as active ingredient, its biologically active fragments and correlated peptides (PTHrP), eventually in combination with appropriate pharmaceutically acceptable additives, useful in the prevention and therapy of abortion and of premature birth and in general for the treatment of pregnancy are described.

The generic term Parathormone or parathyroid hormones (commonly indicated by the initials PTH eventually followed by the number of amino acids characterizing the particular fragment) refers to a series of proteins or their fragments which can be found in nature and are assigned to different physiological effects.
Such effects relate principally to the regulation of calcemic homeostasis, favouring the intestinal calcium absorption by the indirect mechanism of hydroxylation of Vitamin D, increasing the re-absorption of calcium in the renal tubules and activating the osteoclasts. More recently it was shown that PTH and PTHrP have a relaxing action on the gastrointestinal muscles and on vascular tissue. Moreover, an increase of hematic flow in the coronaries and a positive chronotropic effect and negative inotropic effect have been demonstrated.
The hormone and its fragments are dosed biologically and the measurement system presently most often used is the USP unit defined as one hundredth of the amount of parathyroid hormone required to increase the calcium contained in 100 ml of normal dog serum by 1 mg within 16-18 hours from administration.
Some studies reported in the literature indicate an in vitro action of parathormone, its fragments and the correlated peptide (PTHrP) on the contractility of rat uterus. According to such studies PTH has an inhibitory action on the contractility of the uterus induced by oxytocin, acetylcholine and prostaglandin.
Literature does not report studies evaluating the action of PTH, its fragments or PTHrP on the contractility of human myometrium, Furthermore, the data reported above cannot suggest results obtainable on the human uterus because the structural and physiological differences between these two tissues do not allow any predictability.
The rat uterus is formed of fiber cells which are completely different from those of the human myometrium. It was, therefore, not possible, according to such studies, to foresee the possibility of using such products in the prevention of abortion and premature birth in humans, since the data obtained in animals cannot be extrapolated to humans. In fact, the smooth muscles (including the human myometrium) do not normally possess fast Na+ channels, while the existence of such channels has been demonstrated in the rat uterus. Sperelakis N. et al., "Fast Na+ channels in smooth muscle from pregnant rat uterus," Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. (70) 491-500 (1992). Furthermore, although the concentration of receptors for oxytocin on myometrium membranes is quantitatively similar in human and guinea pig uterus, it was approximately twice that found in rat. Fuchs A. R. et al., "Oxytocin antagonist and oxytocin receptors in myometrium and decidua," Am. J. Perinatol. (6), 205-208 (1989). Moreover, Lopez Bernal A. et al. have confirmed that oxytocin does not contract the nonpregnant human uterus but contracts the non-pregnant rat uterus. Lopez Bernal A. et al., "Are leukotrienes involved in human uterine contractility?" Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. (96) 568-573 (1989).
We must also consider the remarkable structural differences of the two organs involved. In fact, the response of a sample of rat uterus is mostly due to the activity of longitudinal muscles while the response of human myometrium strips results from different muscular components. In addition, the behaviour of the two myometriums with respect to histamine is well known. The rat uterus in estrus responds to histamine with an inhibition which is connected to the activation of H2 receptors. Black J. W. et al., "Definition and Antagonism of histamine H2-receptors," Nature (236), 385-390 (1972). The human uterus always reacts with a contraction due to the activation of H1 receptors. Cruz M. et al., "Effects of histamine and serotonin on the contractility of isolated pregnant and nonpregnant human myometrium," Gynecol. Obstet. Invest. (28), 1-4 (1989).
Furthermore, G. Ballejo et al. have demonstrated that the response of the myometrium can depend on the animal species since the sensitivity to calcium in human uterus and in nonpregnant dog uterus did not result to be different, while in the nonpregnant rat myometrium the potency of CaCl.sub.2 in inducing contractions in a solution rich of K.sup.+ and Ca.sup.2+ was about 30-40 times higher than that shown in their studies on human myometrium. G. Ballejo et al., "In vitro effects of calcium entry blockers, chlorpromazine and fenoterol upon human pregnant myometrium contractility," Br. J. Pharmacol. (89), 515-523 (1986); Calixto J. B. e Antonio A., "Effects of Compound D600 (methoxyverapamil) on drug-induced-contractions of isolated dog uterine muscle," Gen. Pharmacol. (17), 203-209 (1986);Calixto J. B. and Loch S., "Ketamine inhibition of calcium-induced contractions in depolarized uterus. A comparison with other calcium antagonists," Br. J. Pharmacol. (85). 189-195 (1985). In conclusion, therefore, the effects observed on the human uterus cannot be extrapolated from those obtained on the rat uterus but, rather, the effect noted in vitro on human uterus is surprising.

Use of parathormone, its biologically active fragments and correlated peptides, for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions useful for the treatment of pregnancy


A hinge for a portable device has a body, a spring, a slide and a shaft. The body has a cavity and multiple retaining tabs. The spring is mounted in the cavity in the body. The slide is mounted slidably in the cavity in the body, abuts the spring and has a positioning element. The shaft is mounted to the body, rotatably engages the slide and has a positioning element and an annular groove. The positioning element on the shaft rotatably engages the positioning element on the slide. The annular groove rotatably engages the retaining tabs on the body. The shaft is mounted to the body without additional fasteners such as C-shaped clasps so the hinge has a simple structure and a low cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge, and more particularly to a hinge that has a simple structure and low cost for use in a portable device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable devices such as cell phones, notebooks and pocket gaming devices are widely used these days. Some of these portable electronic devices are foldable to make the devices more compact for convenient carrying.
A conventional foldable device has two separate casings and a hinge. The casings are connected pivotally to each other through the hinge so the foldable device can be opened or closed. The hinge is mounted between the casings and has a body, a spring, a shaft, and a C-shaped clasp. The body is hollow, is mounted in one of the casings and has a cavity. The spring is mounted in the cavity of the body. The shaft is mounted rotatably in the cavity in the casing and has an inner end and an outer end extending out of the body and mounted to the other casing. The clasp is mounted in the cavity in the casing and rotatably grips the inner end of the shaft to prevent the shaft from falling out of the body.
However, a hinge with a clasp has a complicated structure, so assembling the hinge is more time consuming and costly.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a hinge for a portable device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A tablet encapsulator deposits a predetermined number of tablets into each of a plurality of hard gelatin capsules. A tablet holding block has second guide holes for holding the predetermined number of tablets. A tablet carrier is reciprocated for a number of times equal to the predetermined number of tablets during a capsule filling sequence so that with each reciprocation, each of the second guide holes receives a single tablet until the predetermined number of tablets is received in each of the second guide holes. A shutter normally prevents the tablets from entering first guide holes in a first tablet guide shoot and intermittently permits the predetermined number of tablets to pass through each of the first guide holes and enter each of the capsules through their openings in synchronism with intermittent motion of a capsule holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for encapsulating a predetermined number of tablets into a body of a hard gelatin capsule and, especially to such tablets having a slightly smaller external diameter than internal diameter of the body of the hard gelatin capsule.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hard gelatin capsules are generally used as a package of powdery or granular medicine. In addition, the hard gelatin capsules are sometimes used for encapsulation of plural compact tablets therein. For example, in order to vary the quantity of medicine in conformity with symptoms or the age of a patient for example, the medicine is formed in small tablets, and the number of tablets to be prescribed to the patient is changed. Use of such small tablets is a nuisance both to the pharmacist preparing the medication and the patient taking the medication. Therefore, it is desirable for a predetermined number of the small tablets to be encapsulated in the hard gelatin capsule as a single encapsulated dose which can be prescribed to the patient.
A conventional tablet encapsulator apparatus for encapsulating tablets in a hard gelatin capsule is disclosed in published un-examined Japanese patent application sho 52-39494. In the known and conventional apparatus, the small tablets are encapsulated one by one in a respective gelatin capsule body.
Accordingly, in mass production, when a predetermined plural number of the small tablets are encapsulated, in the conventional fashion, in one hard gelatin capsule a plurality of tablets (the same number of the conventional tablet encapsulators as that of the above-mentioned predetermined number) must be lined up in each stroke.
In another way of encapsulating the predetermined number of the tablets in each stroke, it is necessary to stop the capsule holder until the predetermined number of the tablets are encapsulated in each hard gelatin capsule. As a result, the time period of the tablet encapsulating step becomes longer and the working ratio of the apparatus becomes lower and the moving speed of the apparatus becomes slower.


Provided is a polymer blend composition comprising linear low density polyethylene, a propylene polymer generally having rubber dispersed therein, and a combination of a propylene copolymer and an ethylene copolymer. In one embodiment, there is provided a polymer blend composition comprising 15 to 75 weight percent of a propylene polymer having from 10-60% crystallinity, 30-50 weight percent of a linear low density polyethylene, and a combination of the propylene copolymer and the ethylene copolymer comprising the remainder of the composition.

Compositions and membranes comprising thermoplastic olefin (TPO) polymers have found widespread use in the roofing industry for commercial buildings. For roofing and other sheeting applications, the products are typically manufactured as membrane sheets. The sheets are typically sold, transported, and stored in rolls. For roofing membrane applications, several sheets are unrolled at the installation site, placed adjacent to each other with an overlapping edge to cover the roof and are sealed together by a heat welding process during installation. During transport and storage, the rolls can be exposed to extreme heat conditions, such as from 40° C. to 100° C., which can lead to roll blocking of the rolls during storage in a warehouse. After installation, the membranes can be exposed during service to a wide range of conditions that may deteriorate or destroy the integrity of the membrane. As such, a membrane is desired that can withstand a wide variety of service temperatures, with a particular focus on thermal stability.
Thermoplastic olefin roofing membranes require high flexibility together with good mechanical stability at elevated temperatures, and high weathering resistance. A number of proposals for thermoplastic olefin films of this type are disclosed in the following publications.
US 2006/0046084 describes a thermoplastic polyolefin roofing membrane produced from a mixture of a polypro-pylene-based elastomer (PBE) and polyolefin copolymers.
US 2010/0255739 describes a roofing membrane with a composition comprising a propylene-based elastomer.
US 2010/0197844 describes a thermoplastic olefin membrane for use in construction materials which comprises a polypropylene-based elastomer.
PCT Publication WO 2010/0115079A1 is directed to roofing membranes that contain compositions comprising a propylene based elastomer and an impact propylene-ethylene copolymer. The propylene based elastomer was Vistamaxx™ 6102.
PCT Publication WO 2014/001224A1 is directed to compositions comprising 40 to 75 wt % of at least one polypropylene-based elastomer and around 25 to 60 wt % of at least one random copolymer of polypropylene. The polypropylene-based elastomers used in WO 2014/001224AI were Vistamaxx™ 3980, 6102, and 6202.
PCT Publication WO 2014/040914AI is directed to thermoplastic mixtures that comprise at least one impact-resistant polypropylene copolymer and at least one ethylene-1-octene copolymer, where the weight ratio of impact-resistant polypropylene copolymer to ethylene-1-octene copolymer is in the range of 35:65 to 65:35.
U.S. Patent Ser. No. 62/121,230, filed on Feb. 26, 2015, is directed to a roofing membrane composition of a 10-50 wt % of a propylene-based elastomer, 5-40 wt % of a thermoplastic resin, at least one flame retardant, and at least one ultraviolet stabilizer.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,434,827 discloses a composition which is useful in roofing membranes that comprises on a polymer basis, from 40 to 75% by weight of at least one propylene based elastomer; and 25 to 60% by weight of at least one random polypropylene copolymer.
In traditional mixtures, an at least semicrystalline polyolefin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, which provides the mechanical strength and resistance to temperature change, is mixed with a flexible blend component. This flexible blend component is miscible, or at least compatible, with the polyolefin. Flexible blend components used to date include, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), ethylene-n-alk-ene copolymers, and also polypropylene-based elastomers. At present, the most common TPO polymer used in roofing membranes is Hifax™ CA10A, which is a polypropylene random copolymer matrix with EP rubber well dispersed throughout the polypropylene phase. However, improvements and cost efficiency are still needed.
There still remains a need for roofing membranes that demonstrate flexibility at service temperatures, particularly elevated temperatures. There is also a need for more economical roofing membranes which can meet such elevated temperature requirements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Roofing compositions comprising linear low density polyethylene


A thermal transfer image receiving sheet, excellent in releasability even after printing based on a thermal transfer process is performed a plurality of times, is provided. The thermal transfer image receiving sheet has: a substrate sheet; and an image receiving layer which is formed on the substrate sheet and having a binder resin, a high molecular weight silicone, and a low molecular weight-modified silicone. A kinematic viscosity of the high molecular weight silicone is 500000 mm2/s or more, and a kinematic viscosity of the low molecular weight-modified silicone ranges from 100 mm2/s to 100000 mm2/s.

Hitherto, an image forming method based on a thermal transfer process has been known as one of the color or monochromic image forming techniques. The method has widely been used as a means making it possible to give high quality images with ease. The thermal transfer process is a process of preparing a thermal transfer sheet having a dye exhibiting a specific thermophysical property and using a thermal printing means such as a thermal head or a laser to transfer the dye from the thermal transfer sheet to a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, thereby forming an image. Such a thermal transfer process has advantages that the size of devices can be reduced and costs can be also reduced.
The thermal transfer process is roughly classified into two manners of a thermofusion manner and a thermal diffusion transfer manner on the basis for the mechanism of transferring a dye from a thermal transfer sheet to a thermal transfer image receiving sheet. The thermofusion manner is a manner of using a thermal transfer sheet having a thermally-melting dye and transferring the thermally-melting dye onto a thermal transfer image receiving sheet using the melting transfer mechanism occurred by thermal treatment, thereby forming an image. On the other hand, the thermal diffusion transfer manner is a manner of using a thermal transfer sheet having a thermally-diffusing dye and transferring the thermally-diffusing dye onto a thermal transfer image receiving sheet using the thermal diffusion transfer mechanism occurred by thermal treatment, thereby forming an image.
In the thermal diffusion transfer manner, the amount of the thermally-diffusing dye transferred onto the thermal transfer image receiving sheet can be arbitrarily adjusted by controlling the degree of the heating added to the thermal transfer sheet; therefore, the manner has features that an image which is excellent in reproducibility of intermediate colors and has a fine gradation can be formed and full color images are advantageously formed. Because of such advantages, thermal transfer technique in the thermal diffusion transfer manner is widely used in photographs for business use, printers for personal computers, video printers, and others.
Incidentally, a thermal transfer image receiving sheet used in such a thermal transfer manner is required to exhibit excellent releasability regarding a thermal transfer sheet in order to form a highly fine image. If its image receiving layer is low in releasability, a dye binder in the thermal transfer sheet is easily melted and bonded onto the image receiving layer. Thus, at the time of printing, release sounds may become large. As the case may be, the dye binder is completely melted and bonded thereto so as to cause a problem that a printed matter is not normally discharged from the printer, and other problems.
In particular, in the thermal transfer manner, images are formed ordinarily by subtractive color process; thus, dyes of yellow, magenta, and cyan are successively printed onto a thermal transfer image receiving sheet. Accordingly, onto the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, at least three printing processes are performed. It is therefore insufficient that the sheet is merely excellent in releasability, and it is necessary that the sheet has such release stability that excellent releasability can be kept in any one of the three printing processes. When a protective layer is transferred after the formation of the image in order to give durability thereto, it is necessary that the sheet is excellent in releasability in the three printing processes and further has adhesiveness onto the protective layer to be formed thereafter.
As a method of improving such releasability and release stability, there is generally used a method of incorporating a releasing agent having a function of improving the releasability into the image receiving layer.
Patent Document 1 discloses a method of adding a releasing agent made of a silicone oil to an image receiving layer in order to improve the releasability between a thermal transfer image receiving sheet and a thermal transfer sheet. Such a method makes it possible to improve the releasability because of the use of the silicone oil; however, the method has a problem that the release stability is insufficient. Moreover, when the image receiving layer is formed by a melt-extrusion process, the silicone oil bleeds out largely in the process so as to cause a problem of lowering the image quality of a printed image.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned thermal transfer manner, a print image high in image quality is formed onto an image receiving layer at a high-speed. Usually, therefore, there is used a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, in which an image receiving layer made mainly of a resin which can be dyed (or a resin to which a dye can be bonded) is formed on a substrate sheet. In the case of using, as the substrate sheet, a piece of coated paper, art paper or the like, which has a relatively high thermal conductivity, there remains a problem that the sheet is low in sensitivity in receiving an image forming dye.
As a countermeasure against such problems, it is known as described in Patent Document 2 that the following film is used as the substrate of an image receiving layer: a bi-axially drawn film which is made mainly of a thermoplastic resin, such as polyolefin, and has voids or pores. The image receiving layer, in which such a film is used as its substrate has advantages that homogeneous and highly-densed images can be obtained since the sheet has an even thickness, flexibility and a smaller thermal conductivity than paper made of cellulose fiber, and others. However, the use of the film gives disadvantages that the formation of an image receiving layer, and the lamination thereof onto a core member, and other processes are further required so that the production efficiency is insufficient and product costs also increase largely.
Patent Document 3 describes a thermal transfer image receiving member which is used in combination with a dye-supplying material which contains a thermally-transferable dye and which has an image receiving layer for receiving the thermally-transferred dye, in which the image receiving layer is a layer of a film obtained by forming a polyester or resins made mainly of a polyester into a film by melt-extrusion and then drawing the film at a draw ratio by area of 1.2 to 3.6 (inclusive). However, the above-mentioned image receiving layer is insufficient in thermal insulation performance since the layer has no pores or voids. Thus, in the printed matter, to which an image is formed, the printed image density is not at a satisfactory level.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-030639    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-16539    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-1943

Thermal transfer image receiving sheet, and method for manufacturing same


A universal oxygen connector for connecting an oxygen supply tubing or an oxygen supply hose between and an oxygen supply appliance and an oxygen mask or a nasal oxygen dispenser. Multiple and aligned and spaced hose or tubing connection bodies on a single universal oxygen connector accepts oxygen supply tubing or an oxygen supply hose for use as required.

None.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a medical device and, more particularly, is for an oxygen connector that can be incorporated for use with an oxygen tubing or hose, each having a different diameter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art oxygen connectors are fashioned to connect at their proximal end to supply oxygen from an oxygen tank flow meter or to supply oxygen from a flow meter which is connected to a wall-mounted oxygen outlet, each method utilizing common sized threaded surfaces for connection. However, connection of a large oxygen supply hose or a small oxygen supply tubing at the connector distal end is not afforded such convenient commonality and as such various sized connectors must be utilized depending on the size of oxygen conveyance desired, be it a large oxygen supply hose or a small oxygen supply tubing. The practitioner first must determine whether a large oxygen supply hose or a small oxygen supply tubing must be used, and then must select and subsequently install and utilize the properly dimensioned oxygen connector. Often after surgery oxygen requirements are needed, thereby requiring an oxygen supply hose or tubing. Such determination of and installation of the properly dimensioned oxygen hose or tubing requires extra time, effort, inconvenience and cost. Clearly, what is required is an oxygen connector which accommodates either an oxygen hose or tubing and which reduces practitioner workload and overcomes the problems associated with prior art devices.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a universal oxygen connector which can be incorporated for use with either a small oxygen supply tubing or a large oxygen supply hose. The universal connector attaches at one end to an oxygen supply appliance, such as an oxygen tank flow meter, or to a wall-mounted flow meter. Oxygen supply tubing or an oxygen supply hose can be attached to the remaining end of the universal connector, and the tubing or hose can lead to and supply oxygen to a nasal oxygen dispenser or an oxygen mask, as required. The universal oxygen connector includes concentrically aligned, but longitudinally spaced, connection bodies of at least two different radii for connection, one at a time, to an oxygen supply hose or to an oxygen supply tubing. The smaller tubing connection body accepts and frictionally engages one end of an oxygen supply tubing which communicates through a centrally located lumen which is partially located within the tubing connection body and partially located within a large hose connection body. The lumen also communicates with a sealing gland located at the proximal end of a main body where the sealing gland mates with an oxygen supply appliance.
The larger hose connection body accepts and frictionally engages one end of an oxygen supply hose which also encompasses and surrounds the tubing connection body. The acceptance of the oxygen supply hose over and about the hose connection body provides for communication of the oxygen supply hose with the tubing connection body generally, and specifically with the lumen extending partially through the tubing connection body and extending partially within the large hose connection body, whereby communication through the plastic sealing gland to the oxygen supply appliance occurs.
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a universal oxygen connector having a cylindrically shaped main body the proximal end of which is threaded for connection to an oxygen supply appliance, a hose connection body of relatively large radius having an annular hose connection surface each being contiguous with and extending distally from the region of the main body, a tubing connection body having an annular tubing connection surface of relatively small radius, each being continuous with and extending distally from the region of the hose connection body, a barb located at the end of the tubing connection body, a plastic sealing gland centrally located at the proximal end of the main body, and, a lumen extending through the tubing connection body, the hose connection body and partially into the main body to communicate with the plastic sealing gland and with an oxygen supply appliance.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a universal oxygen connector.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a universal oxygen connector which includes a hose connection body.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a universal oxygen connector which includes a tubing connection body.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a universal oxygen connector which accepts at least two differently sized oxygen transfer means.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a universal oxygen connector which reduces changeout of connectors for oxygen transfer means of different size.
Having thus described embodiments of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a universal oxygen connector.


An electronic commerce server (10) including a time adjustment information memory unit (10b), an irregular day information comparison circuit (43), and an irregular day notification circuit (44). The time adjustment information memory unit (10b) records information on time adjustment. The irregular day information comparison circuit (43) compares the transaction available period and the time adjustment information. The irregular day notification circuit (44) notifies the occurrence of a day on which time adjustment is performed. The electronic commerce server (10) checks whether there is a region where time adjustment is performed during the transaction available period. If a start-date or end data of Daylight Saving Time occurs, that day is checked by the irregular day information comparison circuit (43). The irregular day notification circuit (44) transmits the occurrence of a time adjustment day to the computer (1a) for the seller. The seller changes that transaction available period, and the buyer learns the fact that an irregular day, that is the start-date or end-date, occurs during the transaction available period and how much the transaction available period will differ from the current clock time.

In recent years, cross-border electronic commerce has become easier through utilization of the Internet. "Online auction" is an example of electronic commerce utilizing the Internet. This is a system where a seller that has an item for sale uploads information on that item for sale onto an auction site on the Internet, and the buying price is determined through bidding by a plurality of buyers wishing to buy that item for sale.
Many electronic commerce transactions take a form of business-to-business (BtoB) or business-to-consumer (BtoC), however, in the case of online auctions, transactions are mainly in the form of consumer-to-consumer (CtoC). Accordingly, online auctions can contribute at large to the popularization of electronic commerce.
However, the Internet is widely used throughout the entire world, and addresses of the people participating in online auctions are also wide-ranging. Accordingly, there are many cases where a seller lives in the United States, whereas a buyer lives in Japan, for example. In the case where such international electronic commerce is conducted, the following points must be taken into consideration.
In many major industrialized countries in the world, including the United States, "Daylight Saving Time" (or "Summer Time in the United Kingdom") is introduced every year. With this system, the clock is shifted forward one hour on a certain day for approximately half a year spanning the summer when daylight is relatively long, and in turn shifted back on a certain day for approximately half a year spanning the winter when daylight is relatively short. There are several reasons for introducing Daylight Saving Time; to economize energy or fossil fuels, be in line with neighbor countries, economic policy, and effectively utilize the daytime hours. Daylight Saving Time has been introduced in at least 70 countries in the world at the present. Particularly, among the 29 countries that have joined the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (ODEC). It is implemented in all ODEC countries except for Japan, South Korea, and Iceland where introduction of Daylight Saving Time is not needed because of the midnight sun.
More specifically, in the case of the United States, clocks are advanced one hour on the start-date of Daylight Saving Time by re-setting the clock so that one minute after 1:59 A.M. becomes 3:00 A.M. Then on the end-date of Daylight savings, clocks are turned back one hour by re-setting the clock so that one minute after 1:59 A.M. becomes 1:00 A.M. In North America, i.e. the United States and Canada, the start-date of Daylight Saving Time is set to the first Sunday in April and the end-date to the last Sunday in October. In addition, in Europe, i.e. the United Kingdom and EU affiliated countries, the start-date of Daylight Saving Time is set to the last Sunday in March and the end-date to the last Sunday in October. In the year 2000, the start-date of Daylight Saving Time is April 2nd and the end-date of Daylight Saving Time is October 29th in North America, whereas the start-date of Daylight Saving Time is March 26th and the end-date of Daylight Saving Time is October 29th in Europe.
In turn, for countries where Daylight Saving Time has not been introduced such as Japan, there is limited understanding of this system, and there is a possibility that confusion may occur due to time adjustment on the start-date and end-date of this system. Namely, due to the start-date consisting of 23 hours and the end-date consisting of 25 hours in this system, there is a one-hour time difference in the finish time of online auction accompanying this. Accordingly, an online auction valid for three days is normally conducted for a period of 24 hours×3=72 hours, however, in the case where the start-date of Daylight Saving Time is included in that period, the clock time at the end is one hour shorter than the clock time at the beginning. Similarly, in the case where the end-date of Daylight Saving Time is included in that period, the clock time at the end is one hour longer than the clock time at the beginning. Thus, if for instance, a Japanese person is to participate in this online auction, that finish time is difficult to ascertain easily, and there may be a possibility of losing the opportunity to participate in the last-minute bidding, which is the most important action in online auctions.
Furthermore, such a problem is not just a problem for those whose country does not adopt Daylight Saving Time system such as Japanese. Even in the case where both the seller and buyer live in the United States, a problem similar to the one above happens unless accustomed to the time adjustment on the start-date and end-date of Daylight Saving Time, which occurs only twice a year.
Particularly, the one-hour from 1:00 A.M. to 2:00 A.M. occurs twice on the end-date of Daylight Saving Time. Accordingly, in the case where the finish time of an online auction is at 1:00 A.M. on that end-date, ascertaining which 1:00 A.M. is the original finish time of the online auction is extremely difficult for even someone who lives in a country that adopts Daylight Saving Time.
Furthermore, the time for Daylight Saving Time adjustment, that is 1:00 A.M. or 2:00 A.M. in the middle of the night (around noon in Japan time), is a period of time when comparatively many people connect to the Internet. Therefore, time adjustment at this period of time increases the number of cases where hereafter caution is required in not only online auction but other electronic commerce transactions as well.

Method of electronic commerce including receiving an acceptance signal indicating a change in a transaction available period based on a time adjustment day


The invention relates to an extension arm (6) that is arranged on a carrier (4) in such a way that it can pivot about the axis (18) thereof by means of a steering rod (20), and can be blocked in the pivoted position. Said steering rod (20) is arranged on a sleeve (44) that can be pivoted about the extension arm (6), can engage with the extension arm in different rotational angle positions, and can be directly or indirectly blocked on the carrier. According to the invention, a first coupling part (40) fixed to the extension arm (6) co-operates with a second coupling part (42) arranged on the sleeve (44) and acting in the axial direction. Furthermore, the steering rod (20) comprises a supporting element (56) that co-operates with a counterpart (58) arranged on the extension arm (6), in order to displace the second coupling part (42) in the axial direction by means of the steering rod (20). In this way, the extension arm can be pivoted and blocked in a simple manner with one hand.

An extension arm of the type mentioned at the beginning, pivotably arranged about its axis on a carrier, is known, for example, from WO 01/52686, in which the extension arm is configured as an extendable free arm and the carrier is configured as a pole of a free arm parasol. For optimum use of shade as the position of the sun changes, not only can the pole be rotated about its own axis, but, in particular, the extension arm can also be pivoted about its axis, so that the parasol can be brought into a corresponding oblique position and can be retained there. For this purpose, a guide rod is attached in an articulated manner to a sleeve which is arranged in a manner such that it can pivot about the extension arm and can be latched in various pivoted positions on the extension arm by means of a latching device. For the latching, use is made of a latching bolt which is mounted in a radially displaceable manner in the sleeve, is preloaded against the extension arm by means of a spring and can be latched into various openings in the extension arm. In order to release the latching bolt, a pulling member is arranged in the guide rod and is connected to the latching bolt and can be actuated on a hand part of the guide rod by means of a handle. It is disadvantageous here that, firstly, the possible number of pivoted angles of the guide rod on the extension arm is limited. Secondly, during the actuation of the hand lever to unlatch the latching bolt by pulling radially on the handle and to pivot the guide rod, two maneuvers are always required. When the latching device is released, the guide rod can be pivoted around the extension arm, whereupon the changed angular position on the extension arm can be retained by actuation of the latching device. By the latched guide rod being pivoted back toward the carrier and being retained on the carrier, the extension arm is secured in the pivoted position.

Extension arm for a free arm parasol, pivotably arranged on a carrier


In a flip-flop including a control element and a holding element, in which a first current causes the control element to set a logic state and a second current causes the holding element to maintain the logic state, the cut-off frequency is increased by dimensioning the transistors of the holding element to be smaller than the transistors of the control element. In other words the transistors of the holding element have a smaller current-carrying capacity than the transistors of the control element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for increasing the cut-off frequency of flip-flops.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Circuits with flip-flops are used in the digital signal processing field for storing logic states. They consist internally of a control element, which takes the logic state which is applied to its input and makes it available for evaluation at its output, and of a holding element, which maintains the state which is set. Using a clock, inter alia, so-called frequency dividers or dividing stages can be assembled from a series connection of a plurality of flip-flops. The processing of increasingly higher frequencies requires dividing stages which operate at several gigahertz, especially in the GSM, ISM wireless communication field. Because of the development to higher frequencies, the transistors which are used in the flip-flops have to meet higher requirements in terms of the cut-off frequency thereof, which must be approximately twice the maximum frequency of the divider.
The transistor production process is becoming significantly more complex and cost-intensive due to the higher frequency requirements. The cut-off frequency of an individual flip-flop circuit results from the signal propagation time within the circuit. It is essentially determined by the product of the load resistance and the capacitance at the output line of the flip-flop and, considered quite generally, can be conceived as a low pass filter. With a given load resistance, the transistors of the circuit must be able to handle a sufficiently high current, according to the value of the capacitance which is to be recharged upon a change occurring in the logic state. If this is not the case, high-current effects will occur and the cut-off frequency of the flip-flop will drop drastically.
In the methods known from the prior art, for example in M. Wurzer et al., ISSCC 2000, San Francisco, the transistors which are used in the control elements and holding elements are dimensioned to prevent high-current effects following the maximum peak current values occurring in the control elements.
The disadvantage of the previous conventional method and circuit design lies in the fact that the different electrical requirements to be met by the control element and the holding element are not taken into account, and the transistor capacitances linked with the area are consequently not optimized. As these have to be recharged at the output lines of the flip-flop each time there is a change in the logic state, this has an adverse influence on the cut-off frequency of the flip-flop.
The present invention seeks to provide a method which increases the cut-off frequency of flip-flops and which can at the same time be implemented easily and inexpensively.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for increasing the cut-off frequency of a flip-flop including at least one control element having at least two transistors and at least one holding element having at least two transistors, said control element setting, by means of a first current, a logic state of said flip-flop, said logic state being maintained by said holding element by means of a second current, wherein the current carrying capacity of said transistors of said control element is adapted to the value of said first current, and the current carrying capacity of said transistors of said holding element is adapted to the value of said second current.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a flip-flop including at least one control element having at least two transistors and at least one holding element having at least two transistors, and means supplying a first current to said control element so that it sets a logic state of the flip-flop and a second current to said holding element so that it maintains said logic state, wherein said transistors of said holding element have smaller dimensions than said transistors of said control element.

Flip-flop circuit arrangement with increased cut-off frequency


A system for driving a piezoelectric load includes a direct current (DC) voltage source and a bi-directional DC-to-DC converter having a primary side coupled to the DC voltage source and a secondary side and comprising a control input configured to receive a first control signal configured to control conversion of a first voltage on the primary side of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter to a second voltage on the secondary side of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter. The driver system also includes a capacitor coupled to the secondary side of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter and configured to remove a DC offset of the second voltage and includes a reactive load having a first terminal coupled to the capacitor and a second terminal coupled to the secondary side of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to piezoelectric actuators and, more particularly, to a driver circuit for piezoelectric actuators.
Piezoelectric materials are known to change dimensions upon application of an electric field. This phenomenon allows the use of piezoelectric materials to be used as actuators in micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices. For example, such actuators have been used in synthetic jet actuators that generate a synthetic jet of fluid to influence the flow of that fluid over a surface. A typical synthetic jet actuator comprises a housing defining an internal chamber. An orifice is present in a wall of the housing. The actuator further includes a mechanism in or about the housing for periodically changing the volume within the internal chamber so that a series of fluid vortices are generated and projected in an external environment out from the orifice of the housing. Examples of volume changing mechanisms may include, for example, a piston positioned in the jet housing to move fluid in and out of the orifice during reciprocation of the piston or a flexible diaphragm as a wall of the housing. The flexible diaphragm is typically actuated by a piezoelectric actuator or other appropriate means.
Typically, piezoelectric actuators often require voltages in the tens of volts or higher for proper operation, and some classes of actuators require AC voltages of possibly variable frequency and amplitude. In applications where piezoelectric actuators are interfaced with low voltage circuitry such as in portable, consumer, aviation, or transportation electronic devices, it can be difficult to drive these actuators. For example, when trying to drive a piezoelectric actuator with an AC voltage waveform or one with variable value with peak voltages higher than are available from a power source, known methods often accomplish this goal using complex, inefficient, large, and/or expensive drivers. In addition, many applications where piezoelectric actuators are used call for using minimum power consumption, and inefficient piezoelectric actuator drivers having low efficiencies often fail such minimum power consumption requirements.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system for driving a piezoelectric load so as to provide a highly efficient driver circuit that can operate from a low voltage source and efficiently generate a controllable high voltage AC waveform of variable frequency and amplitude.

System for driving a piezoelectric load and method of making same


A method is provided of operating an adsorption refrigeration system. The system includes a primary adsorption pump which is arranged in communication with a primary chamber containing coolant, a secondary adsorption pump and a high fluid impedance conduit which places the secondary adsorption pump and primary chamber into communication. The method includes saturating the primary and secondary adsorption pumps with coolant while each pump is at its respective operational temperature. The pumps are then heated above their operational temperatures to desorb the coolant such that the coolant pressure in the primary chamber and the secondary adsorption pump substantially equalizes through the conduit while the primary chamber is cooled. The secondary adsorption pump is then cooled causing coolant gas to be adsorbed and, therefore, a reduction in temperature and pressure of the coolant in the primary chamber is effected. The primary adsorption pump is then cooled to an operational temperature causing adsorption of the coolant and, therefore, a reduction in temperature and pressure of the coolant in the primary chamber.

Adsorption refrigeration systems are well known in the field of refrigeration and particularly cryogenics, for providing very low temperatures in a region such as a chamber. Adsorption refrigeration systems operate by the provision of an amount of liquid coolant within a chamber to be cooled. This is placed in gaseous communication with an amount of adsorbing material such as charcoal, the entire system being closed such that the amount of coolant within the system remains constant. Typically the coolant in liquid form is obtained by condensation of gaseous coolant in contact with the cold walls of a member pre-cooled by an external source. This is performed in many conventional adsorption refrigeration systems by the use of a "1K pot".
A second and alternative method of obtaining liquid coolant uses an expansion process, in which case the coolant is decompressed from a high pressure under adiabatic conditions. This decompression causes liquefaction of the gas thereby generating the liquid coolant. The adsorption material of the system is arranged to adsorb the gas above the liquid coolant such that further evaporation of the liquid occurs due to the corresponding reduction in the pressure. The latent heat of evaporation causes a reduction in the temperature of the system.
One problem with using such systems is that they are effectively "single-shot", meaning that they may only be operated for a predetermined period of time which, in commercial systems, may be a number of hours.
Adsorption systems are advantageous in that they are relatively simple devices which can be re-charged by simply heating the adsorption material so as to cause desorption of the coolant gas thereby returning it to the gaseous state. Upon sufficient subsequent cooling, the adsorption material can once more be reused. Since the systems are "closed", there is no loss of coolant and there are no moving parts. This is beneficial in that low temperature experiments can be performed at low levels of vibration for many hours.
In order to address the relatively short time period "single-shot" nature of such systems, we have previously devised a method of operating an adsorption refrigeration system in accordance with our earlier European patent application EP1387133A, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure. This system involved the expansion of the coolant within the chamber into an auxiliary volume member (which may be a further adsorption pump) so as to effectively pre-cool the coolant prior to the use of the main adsorption pump. Effectively this produced a lower starting temperature and thereby improved the operational period of the system.
The abovementioned system as disclosed in EP1387133A is particularly advantageous over the prior art although in some circumstances, such as where extremely stable conditions are required, the operation of the valve (such as valve 8 in FIG. 1 thereof) causes mechanical vibrations, which is disadvantageous. There is a further desire, in addition to overcoming this problem, to reduce the cost of manufacture of the apparatus, to simplify its operation and to increase its operational reliability. It is these problems, among others, that are addressed by the present invention.

Method of operating an adsorption refrigeration system

Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Limited


An image display apparatus for a viewer to view a two-dimensional image demonstrated on an image display device as an enlarged virtual image by a virtual-image optical system. The image display apparatus includes a prism and a reflective transmitting surface for reflecting or transmitting image light incident from an incident optical surface. The image display apparatus also includes a reflective optical component for reflecting image light reflected from the reflective transmitting surface and radiated from a first planar optical surface towards the reflective transmitting surface as a collimated light beam and a phase difference optical component arranged on a light path between the first planar optical surface and the reflective optical component to the state of polarization of the image light.

There has so far been proposed a head-mounted image display apparatus for allowing a two-dimensional image, demonstrated on an image display device, to be observed by a viewer as an enlarged virtual image by a virtual-image optical system employing a reflective/transmitting optical device. As typical of this sort of image display apparatus, there is an image display apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,822. With the virtual-image optical system found in the image display apparatus disclosed in the Patent Publication, it is desirable to improve the mounting feeling by arranging the apparatus so as to conform the shape of the face of a user, in particular the shape of the face in the vicinity of his/her eyes. It is also desirable to reduce the thickness of the apparatus in a direction along the field of view and to improve the light utilization efficiency as much as possible.

Image display apparatus with relaying optical system, reflective optical component and phase difference optical component


Provided are an adhesive for a polarizing plate and a polarizing plate comprising the same, and more particularly, an adhesive composition for a polarizing plate comprising one or more acrylic monomers having a hydrophilic group, a radical polymerization initiator, an epoxy resin, and a cationic photopolymerization initiator, as well as a polarizing plate comprising a polarizer, a polymer film adhered to one side or both sides of the polarizer, and an adhesive layer for bonding the polarizer and the polymer film, in which the adhesive layer is formed of an adhesive composition comprising one or more acrylic monomers having a hydrophilic group, a radical polymerization initiator, an epoxy resin, and a cationic photopolymerization initiator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-aqueous adhesive composition for a polarizing plate to bond a polarizer and a protective film or a compensation film, and a polarizing plate prepared through bonding by using the non-aqueous adhesive composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device has been used in various display devices due to having characteristics such as low power consumption, low-voltage operation, lightweightness, and thinness. The liquid crystal display device may be composed of many materials such as a liquid cell, a polarizing plate, a retardation film, a light collection sheet, a diffusion film, a light guide plate, and a light reflecting sheet. Therefore, improvements targeting enhancements of productivity, lightening, and brightness have been actively undertaken by reducing the number of constituent films, or decreasing the thicknesses thereof.
In general, a polarizing plate has been used in a structure, in which a protective film is stacked on one or both sides of a polarizer formed of a polyvinyl alcohol (hereinafter, referred to as "PVA")-based resin dyed with a dichroic dye or iodine by using a water-based adhesive prepared by dissolving a PVA-based material in water. However, this may be inconvenient, in that a corona treatment or a primer treatment may be performed due to low adhesive strength between the film and the water-based adhesive.
The protective film may be formed of triacetyl cellulose (TAC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a cycloolefin polymer (COP), an acrylic film, or a combination thereof.
An acrylic adhesive, an adhesive for a dry laminate in which a polyurethane-based resin solution and a polyisocyanate resin solution are mixed, a styrene butadiene rubber-based adhesive, an epoxy-based adhesive, a PVA-based adhesive, a polyurethane-based adhesive, an adhesive containing a polyester-based ionomer type urethane resin and a compound having a glycidyloxy group, or a thermocurable-type adhesive are known as adhesives which may be used for bonding the polarizer and the protective film. In particular, a water-based adhesive formed of an aqueous solution having a PVA-based resin is used in most cases.
However, when the protective film is an acrylic film, adhesive strength, with respect to the water-based adhesive may be low, due to the characteristics thereof. As a result, there may be limitations in reprocessability or cuttability. For this reason, there may be inconvenience, in that the protective film may need to be coated with a primer and then bonded with the water-based adhesive, or wetting, with respect to water, is increased by applying corona discharge.
Meanwhile, in addition to the degradation of adhesive strength according to a substrate, when different substrates are used as protective films on one side and the other side of a PVA device, there may be problems like the occurrence of curling in a polarizing plate caused by a drying process of the water-based adhesive and a degradation of initial optical physical properties, and therefore, a non-aqueous based adhesive was developed in order to resolve the foregoing problems.
In general, with respect to the non-aqueous based adhesive, the thickness of a final adhesive layer tends to be thicker in comparison to the case of the water-based adhesive. Therefore, the thickness of the adhesive layer may be decreased by minimizing the viscosity thereof. At this time, water resistivity becomes poor when the content of an oligomer is reduced and a hydrophilic monomer is used in order to maintain the non-aqueous based adhesive in a state of low viscosity, and a decrease in adhesive strength generally occurs when a polyfunctional monomer or a hydrophobic monomer is added in order to improve water resistance. As another method of increasing water resistance, an isocyanate-based compound having good water resistivity may be added, but there may be a limitation in solution stability caused by the hydrophilic monomer having a reaction therewith.
Therefore, as an adhesive composition which may be used in various substrates, e.g., a TAC film, an acrylic film, a COP film, or a PET film, the development of a non-aqueous adhesive for a polarizing plate having excellent adhesive strength as well as improved water resistivity and degree of curing, and particularly excellent thermal shock properties at low viscosity, and a polarizing plate bonded by using the non-aqueous adhesive are required.

Adhesive for polarizing plate, and polarizing plate comprising the same


In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for detecting a code defect associated with a cloud-based service are presented. A correlation between an operation failure spike in an outermost development ring prior to a production environment for a current software build and an operation failure spike in a development ring that precedes the outermost development ring for the current software build may be identified. A determination may be made that an operation failure spike corresponding to the spike in the outermost development ring in a previous software build did not exist. A determination may be made that an operation failure spike corresponding to the development ring that precedes the outermost development ring for a previous software build did not exist. An operation associated with the failure spikes may be flagged as being related to the code defect based on the findings.

As computing has increasingly moved toward the cloud, systems that support large numbers of users and the cloud-based applications that they utilize are constantly being modified. The infrastructure of cloud-based systems requires constant monitoring just to maintain, not to mention to update and add additional features and functionality. As new software builds are added to the infrastructure of cloud-based systems through development rings, and eventually production environments, it can be difficult to determine whether operational failures are related to code defects in the new software builds, or whether they simply represent noise that may be completely unrelated to code defects in those builds.
It is with respect to this general technical environment that aspects of the present technology disclosed herein have been contemplated. Furthermore, although a general environment has been discussed, it should be understood that the examples described herein should not be limited to the general environment identified in the background.

Detection of code defects via analysis of telemetry data across internal validation rings


The present invention features compositions and methods of treating or preventing hypertension or a cardiac indication. In particular embodiments, the invention provides E2F2 as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of hypertension or a cardiac indication, and methods of increasing the expression and/or activity of E2F2.

Hypertension contributes to progressive cardiac dysfunction and ultimately heart failure. Heart failure affects over 5 million Americans, with more than 500,000 new diagnoses annually in the United States alone, and remains the leading cause of death. Nearly half of these patients have hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy with apparent preservation of contraction of the heart, a syndrome for which there are currently no specifically tested and approved treatments. Improved therapeutic compositions and methods for the treatment of cardiac conditions, such as cardiac hypertrophy, are urgently required.

Methods of using E2F2 for the treatment of hypertension

Steward Research and Specialty Projects Corporation


A method of forming an electrophotographic transfer image is disclosed which provides color images free from color shear, by which toner images are completely transferred onto a receiving material without being accompanied by degradation of image quality upon the transfer, and in which a light-sensitive element can be repeatedly used without throwing the light-sensitive element away after using it only once.. A method and apparatus for forming an electrophotographic transfer image comprising forming a transfer layer containing a thermoplastic resin on the surface of an electrophotographic light-sensitive element which surface has releasability in the apparatus for forming an electrophotographic transfer image, forming a toner image by an electrophotographic process on the transfer layer, and heat-transferring the toner image together with the transfer layer onto a receiving material.

Methods of forming color printings, color duplicates or color proofs (proofs for printing) which comprises conducting development with electrophotographic developing agents to form a plurality of overlapping color toner images directly on the surface of electrophotographic light-sensitive element and transferring at once the resulting color images onto a receiving material such as printing paper are known.
The developing methods include a so-called dry type developing method and wet type developing method. Color images obtained by the wet type developing method are preferred because of little color shear and good resolution as compared with those formed with dry toners. However, it is very difficult to directly transfer wet type toner images entirely from the surface of the light-sensitive element to printing paper.
In order to solve this problem, a transfer technique in which a non-aqueous solvent is supplied between a light-sensitive element and a receiving material and then transfer is electrostatically performed is described in JP-A-2-272469 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application").
Also, a method in which a transparent film is first laminated on the surface of a light-sensitive element, wet type toner images are formed by an electrophotographic process on the film, and then the film bearing the toner images is separated from the light-sensitive element and stuck on paper, thereby forming transferred images, is described in JP-A-2-115865 and JP-A-2-115866. According to the method, the film to be laminated has suitably a thickness of 9 .mu.m. However, the production and handling of a film having such thickness is very troublesome and it is necessary to arrange a special system for them.
Further, in JP-B-2-43185 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), a method in which imagewise exposure through a transparent electrophotographic light-sensitive element and development are conducted repeatedly to form overlapping color separation images on a dielectric support releasably provided on the light-sensitive element and the dielectric support bearing the images is transferred to a receiving material, is described. Since the imagewise exposure is performed from the side of substrate for the light-sensitive element according to this method, the substrate is required to be transparent. This is disadvantageous in view of a cost.
On the other hand, an electrophotographic transfer method using a so-called dry type developing method in which a releasable transfer layer is provided on the surface of a light-sensitive element, toner images are formed on the transfer layer and the toner images are transferred together with the transfer layer to printing paper, is described in JP-A-1-112264, JP-A-1-281464 and JP-A-3-11347.

Method of forming an electrophotographic transfer image