A vent tube for a filling apparatus comprises a tube extending from an upper end which is selectively coupleable to the apparatus, to a lower end forming a fill tip, wherein the fill tip includes at least one opening formed therethrough to fluidly couple an atmosphere surrounding the fill tip to the lumen and a spreader having an upper surface extending a predetermined distance from a portion of the tube above the fill tip in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the tube. A tapered bottle guide extends from the tube between the fill tip and the spreader, so that a diameter of the bottle guide increases from a minimum diameter at a lower end thereof to a maximum diameter at an upper surface thereof, wherein the upper surface of the bottle guide abuts a lower surface of the spreader.

Machines for filling liquid into containers (fillers), such as bottles and/or cans, are known which include a rotating assembly having a plurality of filling stations each of which receives a single container. Each bottle is initially received on a base which, as the assembly rotates, is moved upward so that a vent tube extending downward from the filling station is received in the bottle. This vent tube serves several purposes. First, the vent tube aids in centering the bottle so that it is received in the filling station in a desired orientation. In addition, as liquid is filled, the vent tube vents gas from the bottle, sets the height to which liquid is filled in the bottle and modifies the flow pattern of the liquid being filled into the bottle.
To achieve these goals, known vent tubes have included a central hollow tube extending from a lower, tapered, fill tip upward to a filling valve. Between the filling valve and the fill tip, a spreader in the form of a projecting disc extends from the outside of the vent tube to divert the flow path of liquid flowing down the outside of the vent tube so that the liquid flows down the sides of the bottle. This allows much higher filling speeds than could be obtained if the liquid were filled straight into the bottle.
However, increased filling speeds have increased the severity and frequency of problems caused when the bottles improperly receive the vent tubes. If on entering the filling station, the bottle is misaligned with respect to the vent tube, contact between the bottle neck and the spreader can cause the bottle to be crushed as the base raises the bottle toward the filling valve. This can cause jams which, at high speeds, can result in jams which require that the production line be shut down, decreasing efficiency and requiring the services of one or more technicians to remedy the problem. In addition, such jams can result in the destruction of the filling valve at the effected filling station. This valve, which is an expensive part, must then be replaced. Replacing the valve is difficult and time consuming and requires the emptying of the liquid from the filler, further increasing the costs associated with the jam.
Alternatively, contact between the spreader and the bottle can result in damage to the upper surface of the bottle neck. This can impair the sealing of the bottle causing problems such as, for example, loss of carbonation of the product. This, in turn, results in a decrease in the shelf-life of the product.
In order to reduce contact between bottles and the spreader, a vent tube 10, as shown in FIG. 1, is known in which the fill tip 12 has been extended outward so that a maximum diameter of the fill tip 12 is equal to or greater than a maximum diameter of the spreader 14. However, although this fill tip 12 has reduced problems associated with contact between the bottle and the spreader 14, a new problem has arisen in the filling of carbonated products. Due to the increased diameter, a vacuum is drawn when the fill tip 12 is removed through the neck of the bottle, adversely effecting the carbonation of the product, thereby decreasing product shelf life.
As shown in FIG. 2A, a vent tube 10' is known which includes a bottle guide 20 positioned between the fill tip 12 and the spreader 14. The diameter of the bottle guide 20 gradually increases from a minimum diameter at the lowermost portion thereof to a maximum diameter after which the diameter decreases to the diameter of the vent tube 10'. The portion of the vent tube 10' above the bottle guide 20 includes a threaded portion 22 with a first locking nut 24 received below the spreader 14 and a second locking nut 24' positioned above the spreader 14 on a second threaded portion 23. The locking nuts 24 and 24' maintain the spreader 14 in a desired position and allow this position to be adjusted by moving the locking nuts up or down on the threaded portion 22. Similarly, locking nut 21 is received on a third threaded portion 27 above for adjusting the position of the fill tip 12, while locking nuts 25 and 25' are received on threaded portions 27 and 22, respectively for adjusting the position of the bottle guide 20. Thus, such vent tubes 10' may be adapted for use with various bottle sizes and shapes by moving the spreader 14, the bottle guide 20 and the fill tip 12 to desired locations relative one another and to the filling valve.
However, adjusting the height of the spreader 14 requires that an operator grip one of the locking nuts 24, 24' by inserting a tool over the locking nut and rotating the locking nut until the spreader 14 has reached the desired position. The other locking nut is then rotated to tighten the spreader 14 in the desired position. However, this operation can loosen the vent tube 10' which is screwed into the filling station at the threaded portion 29. This can require further tightening of the vent tube using a tool to turn one of the locking nuts which may move the spreader 14 out of the desired position. The position of the spreader 14 is critical to filling efficiency and differences in the height of the spreader 14 of 1/16" or less can adversely effect the filling speed. Thus, this type of vent tube 10' is susceptible to improper vent tube positioning, reducing efficiency and requires a significant effort on the part of the technician to replace and/or adjust the tubes to adapt a filler to accept a new size or shape of bottle. Similarly, improper positioning of the fill tip and the consequent inaccuracy of the fill height may lead to consumer complaints and may also result in violations of consumer protection laws.
Finally as shown in FIG. 2B, a vent tube 10" similar in shape to the vent tube 10' is known which has addressed the problems associated with the adjustable height spreader tubes 10' by including an open tip 11, bottle guide 20 and spreader 14 integrally formed with the vent tube. This vent tube is snap fit into the filling station eliminating the need to use tools to tighten the vent tube into the filling station and ensuring proper spreader placement. Thus, instead of adjusting the relative position of the spreader and the fill tip to accommodate different bottle sizes and shapes, users of this vent tube simply exchange the old vent tubes for a new set specifically adapted for the new type of bottle.
However, both the vent tube 10' and the above-described vent tube with the integrally formed spreader suffer from all of the problems associated with contact between the bottle and the spreader 14. The bottle guide 20 reduced but has not eliminated these problems. Especially at higher filling speeds (up to 1,000 bottles a minute), these problems persist and the resulting jams are more serious and costly. Specifically, when a bottle enters a filling station out of the proper alignment, the neck of the bottle may slide past the bottle guide 20 to abut the under side of the spreader 14. Then, as the bottle is raised through the camming action of the filler, the neck of the bottle may be crushed. This crushed bottle will likely cause a jam--for example, during transfer from the filler to the next processing station.


A technique is disclosed for automatically identifying a criterion of designated type. The technique comprises providing a description; identifying a passage of the description with a predefined trigger phrase; determining whether the passage includes a type of criterion; and identifying a criterion within the passage as being the same type of criterion associated with the trigger phrase

A challenge common to nearly all companies is hiring the most talented employees. Finding the best candidates can be a very daunting task for a recruiter or hiring manager due to an overwhelming volume of resumes available. As a result, many companies rely on automation to help with the task of finding qualified candidates in a large candidate pool. The standard practice within a human resources department is to create a job requisition and associated description for each open position. The requisition is then typically posted or advertised so that potential candidates can locate and review it. In order to identify qualified candidates the recruiter often performs a resume search using an automated system. The recruiter typically faces the task of choosing appropriate search terms and formulating potentially complex queries to perform the search.
It would be desirable to simplify the process of searching for qualified candidates. The present invention addresses such a need.

Automatically identifying required job criteria


Various silicone materials, which have a low order of toxicity to fish, birds, and wildlife; and which slowly degrade to carbon dioxide and silicon dioxide in the environment, may be used to treat local soils to make them permanently oleophillic. These soils can then be used to minimize, consolidate, and clean up oily spills. Because local soils are used and only minor amounts of chemicals are required, the cost of cleanup is drastically lowered while response time is much quicker.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates in general to treating a local soil to make it oleophillic and using the treated soil to minimize, consolidate, and clean up an oily spill.
It relates in particular to using silicone-type materials at ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressure as treating agents for naturally-occurring, locally-available soils, carrying out the treatment in locally available, commercial mixing equipment, spreading these treated soils on or adjacent to the oily spill-or where an oily spill might occur in the future--with locally-available commercial spreading equipment, allowing the oil to adsorb onto these soils, and then removing the oil-contaminated particles with locally-available, commercial earth-moving equipment.
2. Description of related art
When the spill of an oily substance, such as crude oil, a refined petroleum product, or other water-immiscible material occurs, it is extremely important to remove the substance as soon as possible to alleviate any harmful effects said materials might have on the environment. Delays can:
a) cause the volatile portion of the spill to vaporize, PA1 b) cause the spill to spread over vast distances, PA1 c) kill wildlife, PA1 d) contaminate beaches, waterways, groundwater, and other portions of the lithosphere. PA1 a) synthetic organic polymer particles PA1 b) chemically treated indigenous soils PA1 a) are acceptable in the environment, PA1 b) are efficacious in the application, PA1 c) are nonhazardous to inventory and ship, and PA1 d) have a low order of toxicity. PA1 a) methyl silicone chemicals degrade slowly in the environment to carbon dioxide and silica which are naturally-occurring materials, PA1 b) methyl silicones have an extremely low order of toxicity to humans and wildlife, PA1 c) the methyl silicone-treated soils have a long life in the environment. PA1 a) many of these same methyl silicone treatments may be carried out on many of the uncleaned, ungraded local soils present in the lithosphere, PA1 b) soils treated with permanent methyl silicone treatments will adsorb large amounts of oily spills, PA1 c) treatment techniques can be extremely simple and can be carried out in readily available commercial equipment, PA1 d) the treated soils can be spread on or adjacent to the oily spill, or at a site where an oily spill could occur at sometime in the future, using readily available commercial equipment. PA1 e) once the treated soils have adsorbed the oil, they can readily be separated from either water or the lithosphere with readily available commercial equipment and easily disposed of. PA1 a) Silylated Surfaces, D. E. Leyden and W. T. Collins, Gordon and Breach Publishers Inc, New York, (1980), PA1 b) Silanes, Surfaces, and Interfaces, D. E. Leyden and W. T. Collins, Gordon and Breach Publishers Inc, New York, (1986) PA1 a) None of the work was performed on dirty, unwashed, ungraded locally-available soils. PA1 b) None of the resulting particles was tested on or suggested for use in the environment for cleaning up oily spills. PA1 c) None of the treatments was applied in readily-available, portable, commercial mixing equipment. PA1 a) manufactured foamed particles created from a blend of solid and liquid alkali metal silicates are not naturally-occurring, locally-available soils. PA1 b) foamed particles created from a blend of solid and liquid alkali metal silicates cannot be manufactured in readily-available, portable, commercial mixing equipment. The process requires special manufacturing equipment to heat, crush, and classify the particles. PA1 a) they are a manufactured product, not a locally-available, naturally-occurring particle. PA1 b) they cannot be manufactured in readily-available, portable, commercial mixing equipment. The process requires special manufacturing equipment. PA1 c) the beads are not post-treated with a silicone-based surface treatment to make them oleophillic PA1 a) it is a manufactured product produced by burning chlorosilanes and collecting the resulting ash, not a locally-available, naturally-occurring particle. PA1 b) it cannot be manufactured in readily-available, portable, commercial mixing equipment. The process requires special manufacturing equipment. PA1 a) Organochlorosilanes having the general formula R.sub.n SiCl.sub.(4-n) where n is equal to 1, 2, or 3 and R is equal to H or any hydrocarbon group such as methyl, ethyl, or octadecyl. PA1 b) Organoalkoxysilanes having the general formula R'.sub.n Si(OR).sub.(4-n) where n is equal to 1, 2, or 3 and R and R' are equal to H or any hydrocarbon group such as methyl, ethyl, or octadecyl. PA1 c) Organoacetoxysilanes having the general formula R.sub.n Si(OOCCH.sub.3).sub.(4-n) where n is equal to 1, 2, or 3 and R is equal to any hydrocarbon group such as methyl, ethyl, or octadecyl. PA1 d) Methylhydrogensiloxane polymers having the general formula R.sub.3 SiO(CH.sub.3 SiHO).sub.n SiR.sub.3 where n is any value from 1 to 60 and R is equal to any hydrocarbon group such as methyl, ethyl, or octadecyl. PA1 e) Polydimethylsiloxane polymers having the general formula R.sub.3 SiO[(CH.sub.3).sub.2 SiO].sub.n SiR.sub.3 where n is any value from 0 to 500,000 and R is equal to any hydrocarbon or alkoxy group such as methyl, ethyl, or octadecyl, methoxy, or ethoxy. PA1 f) Alkali salts of methyl silicates such as sodium methyl siliconate and sodium dimethyl siliconate. PA1 g) Copolymers or mixtures of the above classes of materials such as mixed organochlorosilanes or dimethylmethylhydrogensiloxane copolymers.
When the volatile portion of the spill vaporizes, the air is contaminated and the higher-boiling portions of the substance are left. These high boilers are usually more difficult to remove from the environment.
When the spill spreads; more of the environment is damaged, mans ability to effectively clean up the spill is diminished, and the cost of cleanup rises dramatically.
When fish, mammals, or birds are contaminated by oily spills, they can be killed or their reproductive cycle can be disturbed. In the case of local endangered species, the entire species can be wiped out.
When beaches are contaminated, they are effectively rendered unfit for use by both man and wildlife. The same is true for waterways. In both cases, a valuable natural asset is lost for sometime, if not forever.
When other portions of the lithosphere, such as the ground, are contaminated, the oil can penetrate soil and seep into aquifers thereby contaminating groundwater supplies.
Almost any organic polymer which can be fabricated as a particle, particularly as a foamed-particle with a specific gravity less than one, and which has an oleophillic surface can effectively adsorb most oily pollutants.
Unfortunately, the majority of the soils which make up the earth's lithosphere are inorganic, oleophobic materials. They will not readily adsorb oily substances. However, they can be made oleophillic by treating them with chemicals.
Thus it is possible to use two types of particles to assist in containing an oily spill and cleaning it up, namely;
If synthetic organic polymer particles are used, they must be factory-produced ahead of time, transported in huge volumes to the site prior to the spill occurring, and stored in anticipation of a spill. After the spill has been contained, this huge volume of oil-contaminated particles must be disposed of in its entirety. Thus large costs are incurred which may or may not prove to have been necessary.
If naturally-occurring soils at or near the spill site are made oleophillic by chemically treating them, no action need be taken until a spill occurs; and after the spill has been cleaned up, the oil can be removed from the soil and the cleaned soil can be returned to the environment. This eliminates some very large costs. However, the chemicals must be carefully chosen in order to make certain that they:
It has been well known for over 50 years that clean, washed, graded, naturally-occurring siliceous materials containing surface hydroxy groups, such as silica sand and kaolinite-containing clays can be treated with various methyl-containing silicone materials to make the particles highly oleophillic. Some of these treatments are only temporary while others are permanent. A number of manufacturing plants exist around the world where such production takes place.
It is also widely known and documented that:
When these three facts are combined, methyl silicone treatments quickly become the first material of choice to evaluate for minimizing, consolidating, and cleaning up oily spills in an effective and economical manner.
It is the object of this invention to show:
3. Prior art
Methyl silicone treatment of siliceous particles
The process of treating siliceous particles with methyl silicones is well known and the body of work has been summarized in several major textbooks, two of which are:
The treatments discussed in this body of work fail to meet the objectives of this invention for one or more of the following reasons:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,306, Oct. 22, 1974, Whittington et al. In this patent, Whittington claims a manufactured foamed particle created from a blend of solid and liquid alkali metal silicates post treated with an oleophillic/hydrophobic agent used for the purpose of controlling oil pollution. The patent shows examples of using various silicone materials as the post treatment.
The foamed particle in this patent fails to meet the objectives of this invention because:
A product called "Seabeads", produced by Pittsburg-Corning, is cited as a competitive material in U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,306. (Col 2, lines 5-22). Seabeads fail to meet the objectives of this invention because:
A product called "silane-treated Cabo-O-Sil", produced by the Cabot Corporation is also cited as a competitive material in U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,306. Cab-O-Sil is characterized as a silane-treated silica. It fails to meet the objectives of this invention because:
Letter from Earth Sciences, Inc to US Geological Survey, Feb. 25, 1969, Douglas N. Stevens
This letter discloses Earth Sciences, Inc work with sand and chlorosilanes to manufacture an oleophillic particle from methyl silicone materials and locally-available, naturally-occurring soils. This was an initial disclosure of an early version of the invention cited in this patent application.
The treatment disclosed in this letter fails to meet the objectives of this invention because the treatment is carried out using a gaseous mixture of dichlorodimethylsilane and chlorotrimethylsilane. These particular compounds vaporize at temperatures in excess of 150.degree. F. As this temperature of vaporization is above normal ambient air temperature, the manufacturing process would have to include a step in which the chlorosilane mixture is heated to vaporize it. The invention cited in this application does not require this heating step.
It is also well-known that dichlorodimethylsilane and chlorotrimethylsilane hydrolyze readily at normal ambient temperatures in moist air releasing gaseous hydrogen chloride which can then further react with moisture to form hydrochloric acid. Thus, these materials are hazardous to ship and require a users to protect themselves against injury during particle treatment.
Article, California Oil World, Los Angeles, Calif., April 1969: This article, titled "Claim Oil Slick May Be Kept From Beaches", also discloses Earth Sciences, Inc work with sand and chlorosilanes to. manufacture an oleophillic particle from methyl silicone materials and locally-available, naturally-occurring soils. Again, this was an initial disclosure of an early version of the invention cited in this patent application.
The treatment disclosed in this article fails to meet the objectives of this invention because the treatment is carried out using the vapors of silicon compounds volatilized at 150.degree. F. As this temperature of vaporization is above normal ambient air temperature, the manufacturing process would have to include a step in which the chlorosilane mixture is heated to vaporize it. The invention cited in this application does not require this heating step.
Article, Denver Post Wed. Mar. 19, 1969: This article, titled "Sand May Clean Up Oil" and written by Gene Linberg, also discloses Earth Sciences, Inc work with sand and chlorosilanes to manufacture an oleophillic particle from methyl silicone materials and locally-available, naturally-occurring soils. Again, this was an initial disclosure of an early version of the invention cited in this patent application.
The treatment disclosed in this article fails to meet the objectives of this invention because the chemical nature of the treatment is not specified.

Methods of treating local soils to make them oleophillic and of using the soils to minimize, consolidate, and clean up oily spills


An ultra-lean dilution apparatus is provided for proportioning minute quantities of a first fluid, such as a concentrated cleaning solution, for mixing into a second fluid, such as tap water, which provides improved performance and which can be manufactured by assembling several molded components with little or no machining. The dilution apparatus (20) provides a selective pressure drop in a conduit (22) by including a plurality of dilution disks (50a-50f), each dilution disk (50a-50f) having a tortuous path (52a-52f) of sufficient cross-sectional area to be resistant to clogging and having a sufficient number of sharp turns to create a desired pressure drop. While each disk (50a-50f) produces a predetermined drop, the serial configuration of the tortuous paths of the plurality of dilution disks is additive to produce a range of dilution suitable for the chemicals used. Advantageously, the tortuous path of a first of the plurality of dilution disks (50a) is recessed into a front face so that bringing the front face (54a) of the first dilution disk (50a) in contact with a back face (55b) of a second dilution disk (50b) completes the tortuous path (52a). Furthermore, a blind intake (58a) of the tortuous path (52a) of the first dilution disk (50a-50f) selectively communicates with an output port (56b) of another tortuous path (52b) on a front face (54b) the second dilution disk (50b).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for dispensing and mixing liquids, and more particularly to such devices that dispense and mix chemicals, and even more particularly to devices that dispense and mix cleaning chemicals.
2. Prior Art
It is common practice to purchase concentrated cleaning chemicals and to mix them with other liquids such as water to achieve the desired usage concentration for cleaning. A variety of proportioning dispensers have been developed to achieve this. The dispensers often employ venturi-type devices sometimes called eductors to draw the concentrated liquid chemical and mix it with the water stream. Examples of such eductors include the Sand U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,522,419, 5,253,677 5,159,958, and 5,862,829 all of which are assigned to the Assignee of the present invention and are expressly incorporated herein. Water traveling through the central, constricted portion of the venturi creates suction which draws the concentrated liquid chemical into the water stream.
The structure of such eductors is generally fixed, and thus, for a given water stream flow rate, the amount of concentrated liquid chemical drawn is a function of the fluid resistance in the flow path of the concentrated liquid chemical. Adjusting the amount of chemical educted is generally controlled by a metering orifice interposed into the flow path of the concentrated liquid chemical. Such orifices may be fixed or adjustable to vary the proportionate flow. Achieving the proper proportion of chemical merely with selection of a metering orifice is complicated by factors which vary per the application, such as the desired usage concentration, the viscosity of the concentrated liquid chemical, and the pressures at which the liquids are provided. Using metering orifices to control dilution means that very small metering orifice sizes are required, as shown in Table 1.
Metering orifices generally achieve dilution ratios of 2:1 to 300:1. More dilute mixtures are constrained by the volume rate of water available and by the smallest practical size of the metering orifices. Very small orifices are susceptible to clogging such as from contaminant particles or artifacts in the concentrated chemicals. In addition, the viscosity of the chemical imposes a size limitation. Introducing a fixed pressure drop to the overall dimensioning of the chemical feed line, or supply conduit, to achieve more dilute concentrations would preclude applications requiring less dilute concentrations.
Active devices which could monitor the relative amount of liquids being mixed and control dispensing are impractical as being uneconomical, increasing the cost of producing the dispenser. Moreover, providing such active devices with a power supply such as batteries or an electrical outlet is generally uneconomical or inconvenient. Moreover, dispensing devices often dispense conductive or corrosive materials that would further complicate protection of electronic components of an active system. Consequently, passive dispensing devices are generally used, even though this constrains the range of achievable usage concentrations.
Consequently, appropriate chemicals for dispensing are not concentrated as much as would be desirable, imposing additional costs of shipment. Dispensing devices for such less-concentrated liquid chemicals are thus required to have provisions for larger storage of chemicals and/or more frequent refills. In addition, at the more dilute end of the generally achievable range of operation, the metering orifice is susceptible to clogging, allowing defective mixtures to be generated. Moreover, certain types of chemicals that tend to have suspended solids are precluded from being dispensed at all by such devices.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-lean dilution apparatus for proportioning minute quantities of a first fluid, such as a concentrated cleaning solution, for mixing into a second fluid, such as tap water, which provides improved performance and which can be manufactured by assembling several molded components with little or no machining.
According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with the described embodiments, the present invention provides a dilution apparatus for providing a selective pressure drop in a conduit by including a plurality of dilution disks, each dilution disk acting as a channel carrier by including a tortuous path of sufficient cross-sectional area to be resistant to clogging and having a sufficient number of sharp turns to create a desired pressure drop.
For ultra-lean dilutions of 350:1 to 1500:1, using metering orifices would require openings smaller than 0.010 inches in diameter. Yet in this range many particles or artifacts in chemicals may clog them. Thus, such metering orifices are generally not used. On the other hand, the disk channel formed herein from a plurality of tortuous paths would be several time larger than 0.010, as shown in three illustrative examples in Table 2. Thus, the channel is of a size to pass such particles or artifacts which would otherwise clog orifices in at least part of the noted range yet still produce the pressure drop necessary to produce the ultra-lean proportion.
While each disk produces a predetermined drop, the serial configuration of the tortuous paths of the plurality of dilution disks is additive to produce a range of dilution suitable for the chemicals used. In other words, disks are selectively inserted or withdrawn from the circuit to vary the pressure drop between the concentrated chemical and the carrier fluid and so vary the proportion of the mix.
In one embodiment of the invention, the tortuous path of a first of the plurality of dilution disks is recessed into a front face so that bringing the front face of the first dilution disk in contact with a back face of a second dilution disk completes the tortuous path. Furthermore, a blind intake of the tortuous path of the second dilution disk selectively communicates with an output port of another tortuous path on a front face of the first dilution disk.
In a further aspect of the invention, the desired pressure drop across the dilution apparatus is selectable by adding additional dilution disks and/or by varying the length and multiplicity of turns included in the tortuous path.
For example, given a predetermined number of dilution disks with a given tortuous path characteristic, a user selectable dilution control is provided by including a bypass for one or more pairs of dilution disks. More particularly, an output port and a blind intake are provided on each dilution disk, such that in an engaged position the output port and the blind intake of one dilution disk aligns respectively to a downstream blind intake and an upstream output port, placing the tortuous path in series. Furthermore, the dilution disk has a bypass position such that the upstream output port communicates via the intervening output port of the interposed dilution disk with the downstream blind intake without going through the tortuous path.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, a stack of dilution disks molded from economical elastomeric material are compressed together within an engagable housing including a window access for selectively positioning or rotating each disk into or out of the fluid circuit and to verify the setting of each disk, wherein, once engaged, the housing locks the disks into position. Advantageously provided are a positioning tab and an alignment tab, both peripherally located on each disk. The positioning tab allows for rotatably positioning, and verifying the position, of each disk within the window of the housing. The alignment tab cooperates with an alignment groove within the housing to constrain the range of rotation of each disk such that the two rotation extremes allowed correspond to an engaged and a bypass position for the disk.
In an additional aspect of the invention, a dilution reference is provided to indicate the relative dilution ratio based on the position of the positioning tabs.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a rotatable dilution disk is separated from another rotatable dilution disk by a fixed dilution disk, wherein the respective alignment tab is substantially constrained by the alignment groove of the housing. Movement of a rotatable dilution disk is thus prevented from inadvertently moving other rotatable dilution disks.


A refractive characteristics measuring apparatus enables the measurement of the refractive characteristics of a progressive multifocal lens through the observation of a geometrical test pattern through the lens. The apparatus comprises selector switches for selecting a desired geometrical test pattern, modifying the geometrical test pattern and moving the geometrical test pattern, a pattern generator for generating data representing the selected geometrical test pattern, a display for displaying the selected geometrical test pattern, and supporting members for supporting the lens on the display. The geometrical test pattern displayed on the display is observed through the lens to determine the respective positions of the far viewing section and near viewing section of the progressive multifocal lens through the observation of the geometrical test pattern distorted according to the distribution of refractive power in the progressive multifocal lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refractive characteristics measuring apparatus for measuring the refractive characteristics of a lens to determine the distribution of refractive power in the lens and, more particularly, to a refractive characteristics measuring apparatus for determining the respective positions of the far viewing section and near viewing section of a progressive multifocal lens through the measurement and observation of the distribution of refractive power in the progressive multifocal lens.
2. Description of Related Art
The refractive power of a progressive multifocal lens, which has become prevalent in recent years, varies continuously from a far viewing section through a progressively varying focus area to a near viewing section. The progressive multifocal lens is similar in appearance to a single-focus lens and it is impossible to discriminate between the far viewing section and near viewing section of the progressive multifocal lens from the appearance of the same.
Therefore, the far viewing section and near viewing section of a progressive multifocal lens as manufactured, such as a progressive multifocal lens as shipped from the lens maker, are indicated by marks and dimensions of the respective positions of the far viewing section and the near viewing section, which differ between progressive multifocal lenses of different types. The respective positions of the far viewing section and the near viewing section are determined by measuring the progressive multifocal lens with reference to concealed marks indicating reference points and additive diopter or by placing the progressive multifocal lens on a layout chart showing the far viewing section and the near viewing section and printed on a sheet of paper. The respective refractive powers of the far viewing section and the near viewing section are measured individually by a lens meter.
However, it is difficult and requires much time to determine the respective positions of the far viewing section and near viewing section of the progressive multifocal lens by measuring the progressive multifocal lens after the progressive multifocal lens has been shaped and framed. Furthermore, there have been no effective optical measures for detecting errors in the specified positions of the far viewing section and the near viewing section and it is possible that the respective positions of the far viewing section and near viewing section are determined erroneously by measurement.

Refractive characteristics measuring apparatus for measuring the refractive characteristics of a lens


A dual-sided pacifying gum and teeth cleaning device. The pacifying cleaning device is comprised of a U-shaped cleansing portion proceeding in a circular manner between the base of a nipple and a raised lip displacer. The cleansing portion has a pair of walls with sets of bristles, such that the respective sets of bristles generally face each other. As an infant sucks on the pacifying device, the position of the bristles and sucking action result in frictional contact against both the front and back of the infant's teeth, providing improved overall cleaning of teeth and gums.

It is important to keep the teeth of infants and young children cleaned and free of infection, yet this has recently become more challenging. One continuing problem is an infection known by several names, including "Baby Bottle Caries," early childhood caries and bottle rot. It is a disease derived from a bacterial infection that results in decay in the teeth of infants and younger children. Baby Bottle Caries has greatly increased in the US to an epidemic level. In some populations and areas of the country, particularly in rural and minority populations, as many as 70% of children are infected. In addition to infections, cavities have become more and more prevalent because of the greater availability of foods containing processed sugars. Cavities, if left untreated, can lead to infection, rot, and possible loss of individual teeth and even parts of the gums underlying the teeth.
The incidence of problems such as cavities, Baby Bottle Caries and other dental issues can be greatly reduced by regular teeth cleaning and removal of the bacteria. In addition, it is generally important, for good dental hygiene, that infant teeth be periodically cleaned. However, obtaining regular cleanings can be difficult. Many do not have the funds or ability to schedule cleanings for their infant or young child. Often, even regular dental care and visits go neglected until there is an unavoidable problem or great pain. Furthermore, getting infants and young children to keep from moving around while having their teeth cleaned can add a layer of difficulty to the cleanings themselves. Some infants and children can have such a hard time staying still, due to anxiety or excess energy, that cleaning their teeth without anesthesia can be nearly or completely impossible.
Regular brushing or other process of home cleansing of teeth can not only be helpful, but critical. Cleaning is periodic, whereas brushing or other home cleansing can (and should be) daily. It is important, when either getting teeth either periodically cleaned or daily that the upper and lower teeth both be cleaned or brushed, as well as the inner-facing and outer-facing portions of teeth. Simply cleansing one side, or one part, of teeth is clearly insufficient, as this leaves much surface still as vulnerable to the problems above.
However, achieving this kind of coverage, by brushing or other cleansing method, of the teeth of infants or children can be very difficult. First, as in the case with periodic cleanings, there is the discussed, and still present, problem of getting infants or children to stay still long enough for the process. Doing so periodically is difficult; doing so daily is that much more difficult. A second issue is that the mouths of infants and children tend to be smaller, making reaching front and back, as well as top and bottom, surfaces effectively more difficult than with an adult-sized mouth.
Solutions to reach these multiple surfaces are not very satisfactory. People often use or try to adapt some kind of toothbrush, but these often do not reach the various surfaces, particularly with an infant or child moving about. Sometimes a caregiver will use a baby wipe, cloth, or similar item, but these are likely even less effective than brushing. Some adults may try to use their finger, but as a finger is wider than a brush, it is also likely to be less effective at reaching surfaces. In addition, there is the possibility that the child may bite down, causing injury.
Therefore, there is a need for a pediatric oral cleaning product to help keep the teeth of infants and toddlers clean, and capable of providing cleansing of teeth surfaces, including upper and lower teeth, and in both the front and back areas of teeth.

Dual-sided cleaning pacifier and method of use


A system and method for secure data transmission over an unsecured communication channel by means of public key cryptography is disclosed. A plurality of digital certificates associated with a plurality of user devices within a peer network are maintained at each of the user devices in a certificate database. Each user device is assigned with a secure hardware token. The hardware token stores a private key and a local encryption key associated with the corresponding device. In order to transfer data between a first user device and a second user device, a public key of second user device stored in the certificate database is used to encrypt a data to be transferred from a first user device to the second user device within the peer network. At the second user device, the encrypted data is decrypted using a private key associated with the second user device to retrieve the data.

Data security and authenticity over an unsecured network is a major concern for the e-business. Data traveling over an open network is visible to unauthorized users and hackers. To address this problem the concept of cryptography was introduced in order to generate cipher text from plain text to be transmitted over the network. The concept of using Private and Public key for encryption and decryption of data is well known in the art. However, the public key cryptography requires maintaining records of all the users who are assigned the pair of private and public key. Further, if the pair of private and public key is compromised, any unauthorized user can generate a false identity and transfer data to other users, using the false identity.
To address this problem, the concept of digital signature was introduced. The digital signature is generated by a registration authority (RA). The digitally signed document acts as the proof for data integrity and authenticity of the user transmitting data. For this purpose, the digital certificate needs to be signed by a certification authority (CA) such that other users of the system can verity with the CA that the digital certificate belongs to a genuine user. The root certification authority (R-CA), certification authority (CA), and registration authority (RA) together constitute a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) provides an infrastructure to generate, distribute, revoke and update digital certificates for a plurality of users communicating over a network. The PKI generates a public key and a private key for each of the certificate holders. The digital certificate is generated using identification information associated with the user and is digitally signed by a certification authority (CA). The digital certificate further stores the private key of the user who is assigned the digital certificate. Whenever a secured data transfer is to be done between a sender and a receiver, the digitally signed certificate of the sender is attached to the data to be transferred. The complete set of data and digital signature is encrypted using the public key of the receiver to generate an encrypted message and transferred to the receiver where the private key of the receiver is used to decrypt the encrypted message. The digital certificate is used to verify the identity of the sender.
However, many a times there are situations where the private key of the user is compromised to an intruder. In such a case, the encrypted data can be easily accessed by an intruder. Now a day's hardware tokens such as smartcard, USB drives are used to provide more security to the private key and digital certificate. As a result, only a person with secure hardware token can access the private key and securely transfer data. However, the existing PKI system does not provide any means to remotely manage the digital certificate stored on the hardware token. Further, the existing PKI system does not provide any means by which the digital certificate can be updated, revoked or even canceled. Furthermore, the existing infrastructure does not provide any means to secure the data and log file of data transfer between a sender and a receiver.
As discussed above the existing hardware based PKI Framework has various limitations related to security of data, authenticity of data and maintenance of hardware tokens.

Systems and methods for secure communication over an unsecured communication channel


A quantum semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of quantum boxes formed adjacent to one another in the semiconductor substrate, and a quantum level control unit for changing the effective size of at least one of the quantum boxes, to thereby change the quantum level of each of the quantum boxes. Consequently, according to the present invention, an influence of charges due to peripheral impurities is small, and thereby a compact quantum semiconductor device can be provided. Further, according to the present invention, a highly integrated high-speed switching circuit can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, more particularly, to a quantum semiconductor device employing a plurality of quantum boxes whose degree of freedom of carriers is zero-dimensional.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, advancements in fine semiconductor processing technology and fine structure growing technology have realized the processing of submicron semiconductor regions. In such a fine region, electrons demonstrate quantum mechanical characteristics and their energy levels are quantized. Namely, highly advanced fine semiconductor processing technology is capable of fabricating semiconductor devices on the order of submicrons. In a very fine semiconductor region on the order of a de Broglie wave of an electron in a solid, carriers demonstrate quantum mechanical characteristics, and the energy levels of electrons and positive holes are quantized.
A quantum well layer having the degree of freedom of two dimensions, a quantum thin line (or quantum wire) having a degree of freedom of one dimension, and a quantum box having a degree of freedom of zero dimensions achieve a quantized state that is different from one achieved by three-dimensional particles. Positively utilizing such a quantized state may realize a functional element that provides new functions.
One of the new functions achieved by use of the quantized levels is a resonant tunneling phenomenon. In this resonant tunneling phenomenon, carriers are selectively transferred between adjacent regions by tunneling only when two adjacent energy levels coincide with each other. A resonant hot electron transistor (RHET) with its emitter using the resonance phenomenon has been experimentally fabricated.
Note, quantum semiconductor devices may employ not only two-dimensional regions formed from the quantum well layers explained above but also one- or zero-dimensional regions. For example, Mark A. Reed and Robert T. Bate have proposed quantum semiconductor devices employing a pair of zero-dimensional regions and utilizing an energy resonant phenomenon between the regions (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 61-81662, 61-82470, 61-82471, 61-82472, 61-82473, and 61-123174).

Quantum semiconductor device employing quantum boxes for enabling compact size and high-speed operation


An active vibration absorber is provided for absorbing vibrations in a member. An inertial mass is mounted on the member with a stiffness between the member and the mass. A force actuator arrangement applies a force between the inertial mass and the member. A damping arrangement provides for damping of a resonance of the active vibration absorber. A first sensor arrangement provides at least one first signal indicative of at least one movement and/or stress related parameter for the member and a second sensor arrangement provides for at least one second signal indicative of a reaction of the inertial mass. A control arrangement is provided for controlling the force actuator arrangement using the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal.

It is well known in the prior art that it is desirable to provide a vibration absorber that can absorb vibrations in a vibrating member.
One prior art technique for absorbing vibrations comprises a tuned vibration absorber. Such a passive absorber is illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated in this diagram, a vibrating member in which the vibrations are to be reduced by absorption comprises a base 1. An inertial mass 2 is stiffly mounted to the base 1 by a stiffness element which is illustrated as a spring member 3. As is well known in the art, the mass and the stiffness of the spring can be selected or tuned to a particular frequency to provide absorption at the frequency. At the particular chosen frequency resonance occurs by movement of the inertial mass 2 thus causing an absorption of the vibrations in the base 1. FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the amplitude of vibrations in the mass 2 when the mass is mounted to the base 1 in an undamped manner.
It can be seen in FIG. 2 that although the undamped vibration absorber provides for good absorption at the resonance frequency, the frequency range is limited. Thus, it is known to provide a damper 4 to damp the vibrations between the mass 2 and the base 1. The damping provides for a reduction in the peak height of the resonance and a broadening of the peak. This is illustrated in FIG. 2.
The well-known passive tuned vibration absorber is limited in that it has a narrow frequency response. If the absorption of more than one frequency is required, typically more than one tuned vibration absorber is required. Also, the resonance frequency of the tuned vibration absorber is fixed by the effective mass of the inertial mass 2 and the spring stiffness of the spring member 3.
A known active vibration absorber is illustrated in FIG. 3. An inertial mass 11 is mounted to a base 10 via a spring arrangement 12. An actuator 13 is provided to provide a force between the mass 11 and the base 10. A sensor 14 senses vibrations in the base 10 and provides for an error signal which is input to a controller 15 having a gain G to generate a control signal for the actuator 13. Controller 15 comprises an adaptive controller which controls the actuator 13 in order to reduce the vibrations sensed by the sensor 14. As the controller 15 achieves control, i.e. vibrations are absorbed in the base 10, the error signal 14 provided for feedback control to the controller 15 reduce in amplitude and will tend towards zero. It is thus necessary for the controller 15 to have a very high feedback gain in order to provide for control. This provides a problem with stability. Further, although some passive damping can be provided between the mass 11 and the base 10, this is not actively controlled.


A control device of a hybrid vehicle of the disclosure includes a clutch controller configured to perform slip control of a hydraulic clutch in response to satisfaction of a start condition of an engine and to perform pressure increase control of increasing a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic clutch with elapse of time after a rotation speed difference between the engine and a motor enters a predetermined range; and an engine controller configured to start fuel injection and ignition of the engine before the rotation speed difference enters the predetermined range, to control the engine such that the rotation speed of the engine becomes equal to a target rotation speed after the start of the fuel injection and the ignition, and to increase the target rotation speed of the engine as an angular acceleration of the motor becomes larger during execution of the pressure increase control.

A known configuration of a control device of a hybrid vehicle performs slip control of a clutch (engagement device with separating function) and starts an internal combustion engine with a torque transmitted from a rotating electrical machine via the clutch, in response to an engine start request in the state that the engine is stopped (as described in, for example, JP 2013-028304A). This control device shifts the clutch from a slip engaged state to a fully engaged state after a start of ignition control of the engine and controls the engine such as to output a reduced torque relative to a required engine output torque corresponding to a required driving force for a predetermined time period when the clutch is shifted from the slip engaged state to the fully engaged state.

Control device of hybrid vehicle and control method


Enlargement of a reference list is prevented by supporting appropriate deletion of transaction objects, which are unnecessary to register in the reference list, from the reference list. An information processing apparatus includes: a selecting means that selects, as candidates for deletion from a reference list, a transaction object associated with a transaction object targeted for operation among transaction objects registered in the reference list, based on reference list information of a user, which is stored in a storing means that stores the reference list information indicating transaction objects registered in the reference list holding a reference to information associated with the transaction objects, when a predetermined operation relating to selection of the transaction object is performed by the user; and a controlling means that suggests the deletion candidates selected by the selecting means.

Conventionally, there has been known an electronic commerce website allowing the purchase of transaction objects, such as the purchase of items or the reservation of services. In such a website, there is a web page on which information on transaction objects are posted with respect to each of the transaction objects. Also, such a website provides a function of allowing a user to register arbitrary transaction objects in a reference list. The reference list is, for example, a list holding a reference to information on transaction objects, such as a URL of information on transaction objects. The reference list is referred to as, for example, a bookmark or the like. The user registers, for example, interesting transaction objects, transaction objects as purchase candidates, favorite transaction objects, and the like, in the reference list. This makes it possible to easily access information on the transaction objects from the reference list.
There is a case where the transaction objects registered in the reference list are no longer necessary for the user due to, for example, a change in a user's situation. Therefore, if the user registers the transaction objects in the reference list one after another, unnecessary transaction objects also are included and a large number of transaction objects are registered in the reference list, resulting in the enlargement of the reference list. Thus, there is a case where it is necessary for the user to search a desired transaction object from the reference list and access information on the transaction object. In order to prevent the enlargement of the reference list, the reference list needs to be organized. However, in this case, it is necessary for the user to search unnecessary transaction objects from a large number of transaction objects and delete the unnecessary transaction objects from the reference list. There is a case where it takes time and effort to perform this operation.
In this regard, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique that collectively deletes URLs a user has not accessed for a predetermined time, among URLs registered in bookmarks.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing program, and recording medium


An electronic music instrument system, comprising: an electronic music instrument, having selectable groups of reproducible sounds and individually selectable reproducible sounds; a signal generator for energizing an audio amplifier responsive to different digital audio sources, including the groups of sounds and the individual sounds a graphical user interface for displaying at least one control graphic representing controllable parameters of the audio signals generated by the generator; and, a controller responsive to operation of the control graphic for adjusting the controllable parameters of the generator and for selectively coupling different ones of the sources to the generator. The graphical user interface can comprise: a video display; and, a touch-responsive overlay. The controllable parameters can include multiple instrument sound selection and sound layer assignment, controlled responsive to operation of the at least one control graphic. The at least one control graphic can be displayed on a single screen.

Known musical keyboard systems utilizing computer systems for computer-assisted production of musical output typically have complicated control systems and user controls, such as numerous buttons, knobs, switches and sliders, making them impractical for novice users and even for proficient musicians during performances.
Early developments in computer-assisted musical instruments have utilized MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) protocol to process musical instrument inputs for the emulation of musical sound through playback of digitally stored voice samples. Numerous devices have been developed utilizing MIDI and associated technology to provide electronic keyboards as well as digital and digital/acoustic pianos.
Resulting systems have interfaced with the user in one of two extremes. The systems either provide little or no interaction between the user and the underlying computer system, as in the case of consumer digital pianos, commonly used for player piano and recording functions, or are primarily intended for use by recording and performing professionals, utilizing complicated interfaces involving numerous buttons, knobs, switches and sliders. Other systems utilize complicated visual interfaces, making the features largely inaccessible to novice or consumer users and unmanageable for "real time" adjustment during performances by professional musicians.
Moreover, most systems incorporating computer-based management of a musical instrument have primarily focused on the operation of the musical instrument and have not incorporated the musical instrument and its sound production into a larger music information management environment that is readily accessible to both novices and performing musicians through a consolidated, rapidly accessible graphical user interface. Existing systems also do not provide a vehicle to launch multimedia applications from a consolidated graphical user interface for use in a musical instrument and multimedia music information environment.

Electronic music instrument system with musical keyboard


In a first crystal growth process for manufacturing a semiconductor laser, an n-(Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P clad layer, an undoped (Al.sub.z Ga.sub.1-z).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P active layer, a p-(Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P clad layer, a p-Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer, are sequentially stacked in the named order on an upper surface of a GaAs substrate. Thereafter, the n-type semiconductor layer is removed, and the p-Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer and the p-(Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P clad layer are selectively removed so as to form a ridge stripe. A current block layer is formed on the p-(Al.sub.y Ga.sub.-y).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P clad layer at both sides of the ridge stripe, and a p-GaAs contact layer is formed on the ridge stripe and the current block layer. With this process, since the n-type semiconductor layer is formed to cover the p-Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer in the first crystal growth process, the saturated concentration of the doping characteristics of the p-Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer becomes high, and accordingly, confinement of injected carriers within the active layer in the doubleheterojunction structure is improved, so that an electron overflow from the active layer is reduced, and therefore, the oscillation threshold current becomes low.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser which can be used as a light source in a laser printer, a bar code reader and the like, and more specifically to a process for manufacturing a semiconductor laser generating a visible light having an oscillation wavelength of 680 nm or less.
2. Description of Related Art
Article No. 27p-R-12 in 1990 Autumn Meeting Transactions of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, page 927 discloses a semiconductor laser as shown in FIG. 1, and a method for manufacturing the same. This semiconductor laser includes a GaAs substrate 1 having an upper surface inclined at an angle of 5 degrees from a (1 0 0) plane toward a <0 1 1> direction (namely, (100) 5.degree. off to <0 1 1>). In a first crystal growth process of a MO-VPE (metal organic vapor phase epitaxy) process, a doubleheterojunction structure composed of a (Al.sub.0.1 Ga.sub.0.9).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P active layer 4 (forming a light emission region) sandwiched between an n-type and p-type (Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y).sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P clad layers 3 and 5 having a forbidden band width larger than that of the active layer, is formed on the upper surface of the substrate, and furthermore, a p-type Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer 6 is grown on the p-type clad layer 5.
Thereafter, an oxide film (not shown) is deposited, and then patterned by a photoresist process so as to an oxide stripe which forms an etching mask for formation of a ridge stripe and a selective growth. And, the p-type clad layer 5 is etched to a middle in the thickness direction.
Then, a second crystal growth is performed so that a current block layer 10 is selectively grown using the remaining oxide stripe as a mask. Thereafter, the oxide film is removed, and a p-type GaAs contact layer 11 is grown on a whole surface. Finally, a pair of electrodes 12 and 13 are deposited on top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. Thus, the semiconductor laser is formed.
The conventional semiconductor laser as mentioned above has an oscillation light wavelength of 645 nm and an oscillation threshold of 80 mA to 90 mA. Another conventional semiconductor laser is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. Sho 62-200785.
In the above mentioned conventional process for manufacturing the semiconductor laser, the first crystal growth is terminated at the formation of the p-type Ga.sub.0.5 In.sub.0.5 P layer 6. Because of this, a doping characteristics of the p-type clad layer 5 becomes as a curve line "b" shown in FIG. 2. Namely, a saturated carrier concentration is as low as 3.times.10.sup.17 cm.sup.-3. Therefore, confinement of injected carriers within the active layer 4 in the doubleheterojunction structure becomes insufficient, so that an electron overflow becomes much, and therefore, the oscillation threshold becomes as high as 80 mA to 90 mA.

Process for manufacturing semiconductor laser having low oscillation threshold current


A stabilized antibody-containing preparation containing acetyltryptophan or an acetyltryptophan derivative or a salt thereof as a stabilizer for controlling the decrease in the biological activity of the antibody.

With the development of genetic engineering technology, various protein formulations became supplied in stable amounts. To ensure stability, these formulations are supplied in the dosage form of a lyophilized protein ingredient powder to be dissolved just before use in a separately packaged water-soluble diluent or in the dosage form of a protein solution formulation containing additives for improving stability.
Recently, efforts have been made to provide various antibody preparations in the form of solution formulations, but antibodies such as immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies and humanized antibodies are unstable proteins liable to physical or chemical changes such as association or aggregation under stresses of filtration, concentration and heating for removing viruses during the purification step. Antibody preparations also have the disadvantage that the biological activity of the antibodies decreases after long-term storage though it is essential for them to maintain the binding activity for their antigens in vivo.
A stabilization effect was found by adding polymers including proteins such as human serum albumin or purified gelatin or oligomers such as polyols, amino acids and surfactants as stabilizers for controlling chemical or physical changes. However, the addition of proteins such as human serum albumin or purified gelatin as stabilizers involves a very complicated step for removing viral contamination or other problems.
Acetyltryptophan was added to proteins such as albumin, human growth hormones and human B cell differentiation factor (BCDF) (JPB No. HEI7-68137, JPA No. HEI10-265404, JPA No. HEI3-27320). We previously reported stabilizing hematopoietic growth factors such as G-CSF and EPO by adding acetyltryptophan (PCT/JP01/01524).
However, it has not been so far known to stabilize antibody preparations by adding acetyltryptophan. Moreover, all the conventional preparations stabilized with acetyltryptophan described above were reported to show improved protein residuals by adding acetyltryptophan, but its effect on controlling the decrease in the biological activity in protein preparations, especially antibody preparations has not been known.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Stabilized preparations containing antibody


A ground mounted solar power assembly having at least one solar panel having a support beam connected to the back of the solar panel. A plurality of legs have a bracket at one end that receive the support beam. Finally, an eccentric handle is connected to the bracket to permit selective rotation of the support beam within the bracket.

This invention is directed to a solar power assembly and more particularly to a stand for a solar power assembly that permits efficient use of solar power over a wider range of ground conditions.
Solar power assemblies are known in the art. Typically solar panel assemblies are mounted on top of a building. While there exist ground mounted solar power assemblies to keep the panels cooler, they are expensive to install and limited to certain ground conditions. Not only can soft ground prevent accessibility of cement trucks, but the holes for the heavy support members or legs create excessive spoil dirt and require a substantial amount of concrete.
In addition, it is desirable to maintain the solar panels as close to perpendicular to the light rays as possible. While trackers are used to maintain an optimum position of the panels, the trackers are expensive and prone to mechanical wear and breakage. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a solar power assembly that addresses these discrepancies.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a solar power assembly that is more efficient to operate.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a solar power assembly that is easier and less expensive to install.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a stand for a solar array that is less expensive to manufacture with no loss of strength to withstand wind forces.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an easy mechanical adjustment of array angle.
These and other objectives will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art based upon the following written description, drawings, and claims.


Oscillators have capacitors, respectively, whose capacitances change according to an external force and generate first oscillating signals according to the capacitances. Each of the capacitors is disposed, for example, between a substrate and a mass body that is movably disposed to face the substrate and oscillates in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. A detecting unit detects a relative difference between the capacitances of the capacitors as a difference between frequencies of the first oscillating signals. An angular speed or acceleration applied in a horizontal direction of the substrate is calculated according to the frequency change detected by the detecting unit. Therefore, a capacitance difference detecting circuit and a MEMS sensor that detect a minute change in the capacitances of the two capacitors caused by the external force are formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitance difference detecting circuit that detects a change in capacitances of two capacitors and a MEMS sensor that detects an applied angular speed or acceleration according to the change in the capacitances of the two capacitors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, MEMS sensors (an angular speed sensor and an acceleration sensor) formed by MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) are in practical use. The MEMS sensors of this type have a substrate, a mass body disposed displaceably relative to the substrate and oscillating in a vertical direction of the substrate, and two capacitors formed between the substrate and the mass body. They detect, as a change in capacitances (difference between capacitances) of the two capacitors, the displacement of the mass body relative to the substrate caused by a coriolis force (corresponding to an applied angular speed or acceleration) applied in a direction perpendicular to an oscillation direction.
A MEMS sensor of this type detects the change in capacitance caused by the coriolis force as, for example, a difference in delay time that changes according to the capacitance (charge/discharge to the capacitors). Specifically, two nodes to which the two capacitors are connected are supplied with pulse signals respectively. The delay times of the pulse signals differ depending on the capacitance difference. Next, a pulse signal with a pulse width corresponding to the difference between the delay times thereof is generated, and a voltage of this pulse signal is smoothed. Then, the MEMS sensor detects the change in DC voltage resulting from the smoothing as an angular speed or acceleration.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 8-278336, for example, has disclosed technique for forming a resonance circuit with use of a capacitor and detecting as the change in capacitance a phase difference between an oscillating signal outputted from the resonance circuit and a reference oscillating signal outputted from a reference oscillator.
Each element of the MEMS sensor can be made very small because it is formed by the use of semiconductor manufacturing technology. However, the capacitance of a capacitor as a constituent of the MEMS sensor is also small, so that an amount of change in the capacitance caused by the coriolis force is small. This results in lowered detection sensitivity. With an extremely small amount of change in capacitance, only a small change is caused in delay time, and thus the DC voltage hardly changes. This may cause a failure in detection of a small angular speed and acceleration. Specifically, the capacitance of a capacitor used in the MEMS sensor is as small as several pF, and the change in capacitance of one capacitor caused by the coriolis force is several tens fF. Accordingly, a difference between capacitances of two capacitors that change according to the angular speed and acceleration is several aF to several tens aF. In other words, a highly sensitive MEMS sensor which can detect the capacitance difference of several aF is required.
Moreover, in the aforementioned technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 8-278336, there is only one resonance circuit whose capacitance changes by an external force. Therefore, it is not possible to form a capacitance difference detecting circuit that detects a difference between capacitances of two capacitors that change by an external force. Nor is it possible to form a MEMS sensor having two capacitors between a substrate and a mass body to detect an angular speed or acceleration according to capacitances each changing according to the coriolis force.

Capacitance difference detecting circuit and MEMS sensor


Described are mechanisms and methods for implementing highly configurable power delivery management policies. An apparatus may comprise a first circuitry, a second circuitry, a third circuitry, and a fourth circuitry. The first circuitry may include a memory to store a first table having one or more first entries and to store a second table having one or more respectively corresponding second entries. The second circuitry may, upon the occurrence of an event, test a condition specified by an entry in the first table. The third circuitry may, upon the test of the condition having a positive result, evaluate a set of one or more parameters as specified by an entry in a second table corresponding with the entry in the first table. The fourth circuitry may initiate a power-management action based upon the evaluation of the set of one or more parameters.

Platform power architectures in modern computer systems (e.g., mobile Personal Computers (PCs)) has become increasingly complex. With the Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C port becoming a de facto PC charging port, there may be a wide range of Alternating Current (AC) power levels at play in a computer system. A peak power capability of a battery may vary significantly due to its state-of-charge, its temperature, and potential wear-out conditions. Moreover, detachable designs and dual-display systems may use two battery packs, which may further complicate a power architecture.
Due to this increasing complexity, a large set of parameters and combinations of parameters may be applicable as factors for setting power delivery limits.

Highly configurable power-delivery management policy


An electric motor assembly includes a rotor rotatable about an axis and a stator spaced radially away from the rotor. An isolation housing, configured to permit magnetic flux to flow therethrough between the rotor and the stator, is disposed between the rotor and the stator and defines an internal rotor chamber, in which the rotor is located. The isolation housing fluidly isolates the internal rotor chamber from the stator. An encapsulating cover is provided that radially and axially surrounds the stator. The cover is formed of a resin material and bonds the stator to the isolation housing to prevent relative movement therebetween.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electric motor assembly. More specifically, the present invention concerns an electric motor assembly that is particularly useful in actuating a valve body within a pressurized working fluid conduit, with the motor assembly including an isolation housing in which the rotor is located, with the housing serving to fluidly isolate the stator from the rotor and from any contact with the working fluid.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that an electric motor, such as a linear stepper motor, can be used for many different applications, one of which involves shifting a valve body of a valve assembly to control the flow of a working fluid within a system. It is common to use such a stepper motor controlled valve assembly to control the flow of a refrigerant with a cooling system, and examples of such cooling systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,368 ("the '368 patent") and U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,870 ("the '870 patent").
When such a motor controlled valve system has been used in the past, a conventional linear stepper motor has been enclosed inside of a welded housing in order to seal the coolant inside the system and prevent it from leaking out to the environment. Traditionally, such a welded housing has included a steel container bowl brazed to a threaded brass connector for associating the motor control with the valve assembly. In addition, once a conventional motor is placed within the steel housing, a top cover has been welded onto the steel housing and wiring terminals, such as glass beads, have been incorporated into the cover so that wiring leads can be connected to power and control sources. In such a prior art assembly, the entire motor assembly is disposed within the coolant environment and all of the components are therefore exposed to the working fluid.
While such conventional systems have been satisfactory in some respects, those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that such a complex housing arrangement has resulted in an expensive construction with poor reliability, as the multitude of connections, including glass beads and welds, often become leak points for the pressurized refrigerant. The disadvantages of multiple leak points are typically exacerbated by the fact that many of these assemblies are used in systems that experience high vibration, such as a cooling assembly on a refrigerated truck. Moreover, because the entire motor has been placed within the welded housing, a small motor has been required in order to maintain an acceptable overall footprint, a design constraint that has limited the available motor power for evolving applications.
As refrigerants or other working fluids are improved, or as new substances are mandated by law, the operating pressure of the fluid in newer systems is often significantly higher than in previous iterations of such systems. For example, the new refrigerant R-410-A requires an operating pressure that is between about 50% and 70% higher than that of the previous refrigerant R-22. Such an increase in the operating pressure of a conventional system increases the likelihood of the working fluid leaking out to the environment, and will require more powerful motors than can currently be incorporated into the footprint provided by the welded housing.
The prior art simply does not include an electric motor assembly for use in a valve assembly that will satisfactorily seal the pressurized working fluid within the system and that can provide sufficient power as operating pressures increase.

Encapsulated outer stator isolated rotor stepper motor valve assembly


A drained urinal comprises: an inverted truncated cone; a pivot arm connected beneath the truncated cone, having a hollow interior to drain urine therethrough; and, a base having a top portion adapted to receive and secure a bottom portion of the pivot arm, said base including a hinge to allow the pivot arm to bend down from an upright storage position to an oblique in-use position, and having a flat side portion adapted for attachment to a carrying surface. Most preferably the pivot arm has an adjustable length and the truncated cone has a top peripheral rim contoured to fit closely against a groin of a woman's body. The hinge comprises an upright flexible hose surrounded by a large cylindrical spring having a lower end portion secured in the base to thereby bias the pivot arm to the upright storage position.

Urine receptacles offer a convenience of use which toilets do not. While mothers mostly would prefer their sons to sit on the toilet to urinate, rather than to stand, the boys much prefer to stand, and aim. Because young boys are relatively close to the toilet bowl, when they initially aim correctly, which is frequently not the case, there is minimal splatter. With men, who are much elevated above the toilet bowl, splatter of urine outside of the toilet bowl is much prevalent. The problem of properly directing urine flow from a greater distance away from the urine bowl is more challenging for men. Before cleaning public urinals all attest to this problem.
A self supporting urinal which has an adjustable position, a position which can readily adjusted, would mostly eliminate problems of misdirection and splatter. Another concern in home bathrooms today is space. What is needed is a urinal which would occupy minimal space. When the urinal is not being used it should be as unobtrusive as possible. The requirement of occupying minimal space is generally a trade off with convenience. The less something has to be put away, generally the more it is in the way while not in use. What is needed is a urinal which requires minimal adjustment so that it is generally in the right place, and a urinal which mostly puts itself away so that it is unobtrusive when not in use. The urinal should be able to be used by both men and women, and finally, the urinal should minimize water consumption.


Systems for improving the quality of video images generated by a forward-looking infrared detector array include mechanisms for dynamically adjusting the output signals from one or more non-linear detectors in such an array. These systems and methods utilize the output signals from two or more detectors adjacent to each non-linear detector to provide accurate DC restoration to the signals from such non-linear detectors.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and method for improving the quality of video images generated by a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) detector array. These DC-restored systems and methods include means and methods for dynamically adjusting the output signals from one or more non-linear detectors in such arrays.
2. Description of Related Art
Until now, detector arrays that include one or more detectors that have a non-linear transfer function from temperature to output signals have had no capacity for utilizing the good data in these signals, namely the AC portions of the signals.
In the past, non-linear detectors in such array were completely cross-coupled to an adjacent, linear detector. This cross-coupling discarded entirely the good data that such non-linear detectors produced and lowered the vertical MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) in the region that the non-linear detectors scanned, resulting in visible artifacts or defects in the video images based upon signals from these detectors, particularly on diagonal lines in the scene.
A need exists for means and methods for utilizing the AC portion of the output signals from such non-linear detectors while compensating for the imperfect DC portion of these output signals. In this way, the vertical MTF in the region of the non-linear detectors need not be lost.

Pseudo cross-couple for non-linear detectors


An in-line protection device for protecting fiber optic splices is disclosed. The device includes a rigid body having a central section with an opening sized to receive and house a fiber optic splice between two optical fibers from two fiber optic cables and an end portion having open ends to receive the optical fiber from the fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cables are connected to the rigid body by crimping a sleeve onto the cable and the end portion of the body. A strain relief device is placed over the end portion of the body and fiber optic cable to provide strain relief at either end of the splice protector.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a device which protects optical fibers which have been spliced, particularly fusion spliced optical fibers. The device is particularly useful for protecting fusion spliced optical fibers in-line, without the need for splice trays or cabinets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In fiber optic systems it is often necessary to connect optical fibers from different fiber optic cables by splicing the fibers together. Typically this is done by the known means of fusion splicing in which the ends of two optical fibers are placed in an end-to-end abutting relationship and fused together through electrical pulsing, also known as arcing.
Since it is necessary to strip away the outer jacket of the fiber optic cable, strength members and buffer in order to expose the bare optical fiber for fusion splicing, the resulting spliced fibers need protection from adverse environmental and physical forces. Typically, the protection is achieved by placing the splice in a tray or cabinet which allows the splice to be enclosed within and secured to a container and, therefore, protected from adverse environmental and physical forces.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible or desirable to splice optical fibers together in locations which are convenient for splice trays and cabinets. For example, should a fiber optic cable break, it may be necessary to connect the fibers by in-line splices at a remote location. In such cases, it is not convenient or even possible to utilize splice trays or cabinets for this purpose. There is, therefore, a need for a device which will protect spliced optical fibers in-line at a variety of points in a fiber optic system.

In-line fiber optic splice protective device


The present invention provides a piezoelectric ceramic having a low mechanical quality coefficient Qm and excellent heat resistance, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic for a filter element which can be applied to surface mounting. The piezoelectric ceramic contains at least a composite oxide of lead, zirconium and titanium, and oxides of manganese, silicon and boron, the concentration of the manganese oxide present in the crystal gain boundary being higher than that in crystal grains of the piezoelectric ceramic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric ceramic and more particularly, to a piezoelectric ceramic used for a surface mounting type piezoelectric part required to have heat resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
A piezoelectric ceramic comprising lead titanate zirconate (Pb(Ti.sub.x Zr.sub.1-k)O.sub.3) or the like as a main component is widely used conventionally as the piezoelectric ceramic for an electronic device such as a ceramic filter, etc., and attempts have been made to add small amounts of various additives for improving the piezoelectric characteristics thereof.
More particularly, a material for a ceramic filter having excellent properties such as a flat group delay time (GDT) and a small phase distortion is required to have a low mechanical quality coefficient Qm. Known examples of such a material include a material comprising lead titanate zirconate containing niobium oxide, antimony oxide, tantalum oxide or the like as an additive, and a material comprising lead titanate zirconate in which Pb atoms are partly displaced by a rare earth element such as Sc, Ba, Ca, La or the like.
Although such a low Qm value piezoelectric ceramic causes no problem when the electrodes formed at both ends thereof are short-circuited, the piezoelectric ceramic has the problem that even if it has a high Curie temperature, the electromechanical coupling factor K decreases as the temperature rises when the electrodes are open, thereby significantly shifting the resonance and antiresonance frequencies. Therefore, when the piezoelectric ceramic is used for a surface-mounting type filter element, there is the problem that filter characteristics significantly deteriorate as the ceramic is heated to a high temperature (above about 250.degree. C.) during reflow soldering.
A method for solving the above problem has been reported in which a manganese compound is thermally diffused from a surface of the piezoelectric ceramic having a low Qm value and a high Curie temperature so that a high concentration of manganese oxide is distributed in a crystal grain boundary layer, thereby decreasing the resistivity of the crystal grain boundary portion and improving the heat resistance of the ceramic (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 6-1655 to 6-1657).
However, this method has a problem with respect to the production process in that if the structure of the crystal grain boundary of the piezoelectric ceramic which was previously sintered is changed or if the Pb amount of the piezoelectric ceramic is changed due to evaporation during the production process or if the inside of a thermal diffusion furnace has a wide temperature distribution, variations in the characteristics are increased when the manganese compound is thermally diffused from the surface of the piezoelectric ceramic. It is thus difficult to perform stable thermal diffusion of a large amount of manganese compound, and it is impossible to sufficiently decrease the resistivity of the crystal grain boundary portion and improve the heat resistance.


A system and method for evaluating an information aggregate. A metrics database stores document indicia including document attributes and associated person. A query engine responsive to a user request and the metrics database aggregates documents having same, unique attributes in a plurality of information aggregates, and determines the intersections of said information aggregates. A visualization engine displays these intersections selectively with reference to people, documents, usage patterns or categories.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and system for analyzing trends in an information aggregate. More particularly, it relates to identifying and visualizing the intersections (or overlaps) between information aggregates.
2. Background Art
Existing systems for knowledge management are focused primarily on individuals and the documents they create. Such systems typically organize documents along two primary dimensions, as follows:    1. A physical dimension that reflects a fundamental unit of storage in the underlying system. Examples of physical units of storage include a Notes database (NSF) or a QuickPlace.    2. A topical dimension that collects documents together based on their content or expected usage. Examples of the logical dimension include categories (to group documents that are concerned with a particular topic) or collections (to group documents that are serving a particular purpose).
The user interfaces in existing information systems are therefore concerned with displaying information along these two dimensions. Search interfaces, for example, often allow a search to be defined based on both the physical and topical dimensions, and of course are focused on returning documents. This approach is useful, but it fails to account for the fact that most work of consequence happens in teams and not at the level of individuals. There is therefore a need to better align information systems with the way people really work by presenting information in terms of groups (for example, teams or communities).
The Lotus Discovery Server (LDS) is a Knowledge Management (KM) tool that allows users to more rapidly locate the people and information they need to answer their questions. It categorizes information from many different sources (referred to generally as knowledge repositories) and provides a coherent entry point for a user seeking information. Moreover, as users interact with LDS and the knowledge repositories that it manages, LDS can learn what the users of the system consider important by observing how users interact with knowledge resources. Thus, it becomes easier for users to quickly locate relevant information.
The focus of LDS is to provide specific knowledge or answers to localized inquiries; focusing users on the documents, categories, and people who can answer their questions. There is a need, however, to use the information that LDS collects from observing the users to discover and quantify relationships that may exist between arbitrary aggregates of information, such as document collections.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for evaluating relationships between information aggregates.

System and method for determining community overlap

International Business Machines Corporation


A USB cable includes two USB connectors and a plurality of cable lines. Each USB connector includes a circuit board, a tongue board, a plurality of connection terminals, a signal processing IC, an isolated housing and a metal housing. The tongue board is connected with the circuit board. One end of the connection terminals are connected to the circuit board, and the other end of the connection terminals are set in the tongue board. The signal processing IC is electrically connected to the circuit board and further connected to the connection terminals. The isolated housing encapsulates the circuit board and the signal processing IC. The metal housing encapsulates the tongue board and the connection terminals. The signal processing IC encrypts data for transmitting externally through the connection terminals, and decrypts data received by the connection terminals to transmit to other end of the USB cable to be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a USB connector, and in particular to a USB connector having a signal processing IC and a USB cable having the USB connector.
2. Description of Prior Art
These years, universal serial bus (USB) connector is very popular, almost every electronic device in the market is arranged at least one USB connector. The USB connector has the function of plug and play. Furthermore, because of the special pin define of the USB connector (Vcc, D−, D+, GND), an electronic device arranged the USB connector can use the USB connector to transmit power directly, very convenient.
However, the convenience of the USB connector brings the security problems of information. Because almost every electronic device is arranged at least one USB connector thereon, a third party can easily steal digital data from, or broadcast virus to a USB connector arranged electronic device, through a simple USB cable or a USB flash disk (UFD). For salving this security problem, a new USB device is demanded in the market that can encrypt data before outputting, and decrypt data after receiving.
Further, the standard USB connector now in the market can provide 5V/500 mA output (which is power 2.5 W), it is enough to satisfy most electronic devices, such as mobile phone, human machine interface (HMI), 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) to charge or to work. However, 5V/500 mA output still not enough for some electronic device which needs higher power to work, such as 3.5-inch HDD or laptop computer.
Actually, the standard USB connector can provide outputted power higher than 2.5 W. However, the USB connector has the function of plug and play mentioned above, and user used to pull out a USB device from the USB connector during usage, if the USB connector provides outputted power higher than 2.5 W without any detection means, it may cause the USB device, the USB connector or the electronic device arranged the USB connector to be burned while the USB connector is pulled out.

USB connector having signal processing IC and USB cable having the USB connector