An adjustable hinge assembly and method for mounting a hinge strap of a deck lid to a vehicle body is disclosed. The assembly and method permit rapid adjustment of the deck lid to properly fit the vehicle body. The assembly includes a hinge box, a pivot pin, and an adjustment screw. The hinge box mounts to the vehicle body and has spaced apart sides. The sides of the hinge box are shaped to provide aligned adjustment slots formed on a tangent to an arc centered at substantially the deck lid striker. The pivot pin extends through the adjustment slots and is slidable therealong. The hinge strap has a proximal end for pivotal connection to the pivot pin. The adjustment screw extends within the hinge box and is connected thereto. The adjustment screw is threadingly engaged with the pivot pin. Rotation of the adjustment screw causes the pivot pin to slide along the adjustment slots thereby vertically adjusting of the position of the deck lid in relation to the vehicle body while maintaining the proper relationship with the deck lid striker.

Hinge assemblies swingably mount a closure such as a deck lid or hood relative to an opening in a vehicle between opened and closed positions. Known hinge assemblies include hinge boxes which are mounted to a part of the vehicle body, such as an inner shelf panel, horizontally disposed hinge pivot pins carried by the hinge boxes, and hinge straps having one end mounted to the deck lid and the other end pivotally connected to the hinge pins. The deck lid and the hinge straps pivot on a pivot axis defined by the hinge pins.
Known hinge assemblies further include an adjustment mechanism to adjust the deck lid side-to-side (horizontally) between the quarter panels and fore-and-aft of the quarter panels to properly position the deck lid relative to the deck lid opening of the vehicle. For instance, oversized or slotted holes in the deck lid or in the ends of the hinge straps mounted to the deck lid enable the deck lid to be shifted relative to the hinge straps. Once the deck lid is shifted to the proper position, fasteners extending through the holes which mount the hinge straps to the deck lid are tightened. Oversized holes in the inner shelf panel also allow horizontal and fore-and-aft adjustment of the deck lid by allowing movement of the hinge boxes prior to being fastened to the inner shelf panel.
In addition to horizontal and fore-and-aft adjustment, vertical adjustment is also needed to effect proper alignment and flushness of the deck lid with the quarter panels. Adjustable deck lid hinge assemblies which provide for vertical and fore-and-aft adjustment of the deck lid are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,158,333, 4,893,863 and others.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,158,333 and 4,893,863 disclose adjustable deck lid hinge assemblies which provide vertical translation of a hinge strap relative to the inner shelf panel of the vehicle. Accordingly, the forward portion of the deck lid mounted to the vehicle by such hinge assemblies can be vertically adjusted to flushly mate with the quarter panels of the vehicle.
A serious disadvantage associated with such patents is that when the pivot axis of the straps is only adjusted vertically, the deck lid and the deck lid latch at the rear of the deck lid move fore-and-aft relative to the deck lid striker and this can cause a failure of the latching action unless either the hinge straps are adjusted relative to the deck lid or the vertical position of the deck lid latch or the hinge boxes are adjusted fore-and-aft.
This fore-and-aft movement of the deck lid upon vertical adjustment of the pivot axis makes alignment of the deck lid difficult. Moving the hinge boxes or the hinge straps relative to either the deck lid or the deck lid latch after vertically adjusting the hinge assemblies are extra steps which take too much time and effort. In the high volume production environment in which the present invention is useful, extra steps are not trivial.


A multi-compartment package attachment apparatus and method for coupling a plurality of items with a package, for example a food package. Printed items such as marketing materials or promotional flyers may be inserted into a first compartment while condiments, napkins, hand-wipes or utensils may be inserted into one or more other compartments. The apparatus may then be fixedly coupled with another package and may also cover or hold prizes for example. One or more compartments may comprise thermal protective layers to keep condiments from melting when hot food packages are stacked. Thermochromic materials may be used to show temperatures of items in compartments. Each compartment may utilize any technique for enclosing an item. Embodiments may be constructed from materials that allow underlying package branding to be visible when the embodiment is coupled with the package or may be coupled to an area of a package not covering existing branding.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of packaging. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable items to be packaged in a plurality of compartments and coupled with another package.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is no known apparatus that enables the coupling of multiple items such as marketing materials, condiments, napkins or utensils to a package, for example a food package. For instance in situations where delivery personnel supply food items to customers, there is no easy way to attach a plurality of items intended for an end customer. For example there is no known device that allows for attaching cheese or peppers along with a promotional flyer to a pizza box. In this example, a delivery person may or may not remember to provide the customer with these items and therefore, missed marketing opportunities occur. In this scenario, customers are not provided with the items that they need to complete the act of eating the package food item.
Delivery personal that physically transport the packages are ill equipped to perform marketing for a company since many of the delivery personnel are low paid, unskilled workers. When a worker is directed to deliver a package, for example a package that contains food, the worker is generally paid for each delivery and does not have an incentive to provide materials other than the item to be delivered. The delivery of condiments (such as parmesan cheese or hot peppers for example) and napkins is inconsistent since these items are not physically coupled with the package that is being delivered. When a delivery worker is in a rush, these items may be haphazardly delivered or not delivered at all.
Coupons, prizes or promotional materials are generally not delivered with packaged items, and when these items are intended for delivery, they may also go undelivered, especially when the delivery worker is under pressure to transport a number of items in a short period of time. In addition to the problem of delivery or non-delivery of items other than the actual packaged item, delivery of multiple items simply makes each delivery harder. For example, a worker that has half of a dozen salads to deliver with napkins and salt/pepper and hand-wipes may forget many of these items since there are so many separate items to carry. These delivery problems make the end user's experience sub-optimal and causes further work for the delivery center since some customers may call in and complain. Other customers may simply not order from establishments that have good food since the end experience also depends on the items delivered along with the food.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a multi-compartment package attachment apparatus and method.

Multi-compartment package attachment apparatus and method


A hunter's tree stand has a longitudinally adjustable main frame, a standing platform suspended from the main frame, a seat, and a collapsible canopy cover pivotally engaged with the main frame. The main frame has two parallel rails and a plurality of cross bars extending transversely between the rail. An archery bow holder and a pair of gun holders are detachably supported by the rails. The standing platform is attached to the rails using telescoping struts.

This invention relates to a tree stand and, more particularly, to a tree stand that can be used for supporting hunters, wild life watchers, photographers, and the like on a tree.
Tree stands are generally well known in the sport of hunting. The tree stands typically include a hunter support platform made of wood or plywood. The tree stand is secured to a tree at some distance above the ground, and a mechanism, such as a ladder, is used to allow the hunter to climb up to, and down from, the tree stand. A conventional tree stand can be either permanently or detachably positioned on the tree. The tree stand may include a seat, a rifle or bow support, or even a blind to conceal the hunter. Most of the tree stands require assistance of several persons to erect and take down.
In response to the need for a single-person operation, there has been proposed a number of portable stands, which usually combine a ladder with a small platform attached to the top of the ladder. The hunter leans the ladder against a large tree and climbs to the platform which can be 10-20 feet above the ground. Needless to say, such tree stands are inherently unsafe.
Other solutions provide for the use of a platform, which is permanently attached to a tree, and a plurality of spaced-apart brackets attached to the tree. The brackets serve as steps for the hunter to climb in order to reach the platform.
Still other solutions provide for the use of a tree stand and a tree climber attachment, which the hunter moves with his feet while advancing up the tree. These stands, while advantageous in many respects, are often made of separate foldable and telescoping parts. As these tree stands are put in use, the noise of the unfolding telescoping parts scares the wildlife. The majority of tree stands support a hunter in a sitting position; they are equipped with a seat and sometimes with a foot rest, which is positioned at an angle to the seat. In such position, a hunter may find it impossibly difficult to shoot an arrow or make a gun shot from a standing position.
It is also noted that hunter may spend considerable amount of time waiting for game. In inclement weather, conventional tree stands offer little to no protection from the elements.
The present invention contemplates elimination of these and other drawbacks associated with conventional tree stands and provision of an easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-use tree stand that a single hunter can position on a tree by using a moveable tree-climber unit.


A nozzle dam has a valve controlled passage through the nozzle dam wall for releasing trapped gas from the nozzle in the region below the nozzle dam. The gas is released while the reactor coolant system water general level is above the level of the nozzle dam.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with nuclear reactor damage prevention, more particularly with preventing occurrence of a coolant void at the top of the nuclear fuel assembly from sudden loss of reactor coolant system (RCS) inventory level caused by nozzle dam removal at the completion of a maintenance cycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists the possibility of a sudden, uncontrolled, substantial drop in reactor coolant system inventory level when a nozzle dam is removed, more specifically at the moment when the seal between the nozzle dam and the nozzle is broken, after the nozzle dam has been in place for sufficient time to perform an average maintenance cycle of several weeks or longer.
If the drop is severe enough, the water will fall below the level of the reactor hot side opening to the residual heat removal system (RHR), starving the system and stalling the RHR pump. This can result in overheating and water not reaching the exposed top of the core. This is a potentially hazardous condition which must be prevented.
A phenomena that is likely to be associated with this potential condition is an uncontrolled upward bounding of the nozzle dam, which can be hazardous to personnel unbolting the dam from the nozzle. This also must be prevented.
Indications of the phenomena and lowered RCS inventory level were observed for example at the following instances, when nozzle dams were being removed after the usual industry procedure of lowering the water level to mid loop from being at the refueling level for some extended period. The following data is based on recollections by the technicians and on-site management personnel. No coordinated data collection, however, was made at the time to specifically record changes in RCS inventory levels during nozzle dam removal.
In the summer of 1990, and spring of 1991, at the Catawba plant, Unit 2, 4-loop system with common drain on steam generator. The cold leg dam bounded. Although one of the incidents was recorded on video tape, the RCS inventory levels were not recorded.
In the Spring of 1992, at the Callaway plant, 4-loop system, common drain on steam generator. The dams bounded in the 4th and 8th cold legs. The control room reported a substantial drop in the Reactor coolant system inventory level after removal of the 4th and 8th cold legs.
In the Fall of 1992, at Diablo Canyon plant 4-loop, individual drain on steam generator system, a cold leg dam bounded.
In present industry practice, after primary water is drained below the steam generator bowl, down to mid loop, and before it is restored to refueling level above the steam generator bowl, every precaution is taken to hermetically seal off the steam generator bowl from the hot and cold leg nozzles by a nozzle dam for each nozzle, and by a drain plug for each individual drain conduit between the bowl, also termed "channel head", and nozzle which bypasses the dam.
Once the water is restored to the refueling level, leakage may occur around the seal of some nozzle dams. The typical procedure, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,192, Trundle et al, patented Sep. 25, 1990, is to monitor for leakage into the bowl, the leakage being acceptable provided a bowl drain pump can keep up with the leakage.
Many nozzle dams, especially including ones with inflated seals such as the BUSI Nozzle Dam, available from Brand Utility Services Inc., and generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,215, Evans et al., patented Sep. 18, 1990, are designed to have no leakage across the seal barrier between the nozzle and the bowl interior once the dam is bolted in place. Having a combination of passive and inflated seals, the BUSI Nozzle Dam usually seals against cross leakage even without the inflatable seals being inflated.
Inflatable seals are also described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,076, Wentzell, patented Nov. 13, 1984, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,172, Everett, patented Sep. 1, 1987.
In removing a nozzle dam, it is standard in the industry, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,192, Trundle, to remove the nozzle dam after the reactor coolant system has been drained to mid loop. Trundle suggests that it is preferable to remove the hot leg dam prior to the cold leg dam. He also suggests that in a system having an individual drain conduit to remove the drain plug after draining down below the nozzle dam in order to confirm that the loop is adequately drained, that is, drained below the level of the nozzle as indicated by an absence of water leaking up from the drain conduit, before removing the nozzle.
He also suggests to allow several minutes to elapse between removal of the drain plug after the water level is drained below the nozzle dam and attempting removal of the nozzle dam when working in the cold leg, in order to allow any low pressure caused by draining the loop to dissipate.
Although the above steps and precautions which are characteristic in the field are useful and continue to be advisable in installing and removing a nozzle dam and drain plug, they do not prevent chance of the aforedescribed bounding or of an uncontrolled drop in reactor coolant system, and may bring on the conditions leading to the occurrences.
The present invention is designed to prevent the above described phenomena of nozzle dam bounding and sudden excessive drop in reactor coolant system inventory level when a nozzle dam is removed from the nozzle.

Nuclear reactor coolant system inventory control system and method


A pontic (10) having a prefabricated notch, channel or slot (11) to physically engage and ensure a secure mechanical lock with the dental appliance (30). The invention also pertains to a method of fabricating a dental appliance (30) and a kit for facilitating the same. The invention has particular application to thermoformed, removable appliances.

The present invention is a temporary bridge as used with a dental appliance such as a retainer. More particularly, the invention relates to a pontic having a prefabricated channel or slot, such as a lingual channel therein, helping to ensure a secure mechanical lock with the dental appliance. The invention also pertains to a method of fabricating a dental appliance and a kit for facilitating the same. The invention has particular application to removable appliances.

Notched pontic and system for fabricating dental appliance for use therewith


A system and method for verifying the integrity of a DSL circuit on a shared telephone line. The invention uses the amplitude modulation principles to overcome the difficulty associated with a blocking capacitor that isolates a DSLAM on the DSL circuit from the rest of the shared telephone line. A transmitter of the invention mixes a high frequency carrier signal and a low frequency audio signal to produce an amplitude-modulated test signal. The amplitude modulated signal is supplied to the telephone line at a main distributing frame side of the blocking capacitor and is detected by a receiver at the DSLAM side of the blocking capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to test equipment, and more particularly to a system and method for verifying central office (CO) wiring associated with line sharing.
2. Background of the Invention
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has promulgated rules that require Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers. (ILEC) to share certain telecommunications resources with Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC). One of these rules enables a CLEC to use telephone lines of an ILEC, in competition with the ILEC, to offer telecommunications services to customers of the ILEC. Such line sharing arrangement allows the CLEC to provide, for example, digital subscriber line (DSL) services over the same loop that is used by the ILEC for voice communications.
Without the line sharing arrangement, DSL services can be provided by the ILEC using a combined splitter and DSL modem (also known as a digital subscriber line access multiplexer or DSLAM) that are placed at a common location within a CO. Testing or verification of the wiring would not be a difficult task because both voice and data are provided by the ILEC. Under a line sharing arrangement, however, the CLEC's DSLAM is a different unit that is physically separated from the ILEC's splitter. Due to the competitive nature between the ILEC and the CLEC, the ILEC's splitter and the CLEC's DSLAM are physically located in different parts of a CO, even though each of the splitter and the DSLAM is ultimately connected to a common telephone line that serves the same customer. More often than not, the ILEC's splitter and the CLEC's DSLAM are located on separate floors in a building that houses the CO. Such physical separation of the splitter and the DSLAM creates unprecedented complexity associated with testing CO wiring. In some cases, for instance, five two-wire connections between wire terminals are required. This complexity, of course, increases the potential for wiring errors.
Portable telephone test sets are used extensively in the telecommunications industry to establish temporary communications or test lines for proper operation. These test sets are widely referred to as "butt sets." The term butt sets is used herein to refer to the portable telephone test sets. As known in the art, voice circuits can be "verified" or tested using the CO's embedded Automatic Number Announcement Circuit (ANAC). The verification process typically involves the following steps. First, a technician bridges across the circuit with a conventional butt set. Second, the technician causes the butt set to go off-hook to draw a dial tone. Third, the technician dials the ANAC number. Fourth, the ANAC responds with the telephone number of the telephone line being tested. Fifth, the telephone number provided by the ANAC is used by the technician to verify the line. Unfortunately, this method of verification cannot be used to verify the DSL circuit in a line sharing arrangement in which the splitter and the. DSLAM are physically separated.
To minimize the possibility of faults on the DSL circuit affecting the voice circuit, the industry standard for line sharing requires a blocking capacitor in the splitter. As known in the art, the blocking capacitor prevents the flow of direct current, which signals the switch to provide dial tone. For this reason, the ANAC process described above cannot be used.
There are currently no known products on the market that are specifically designed to verify the DSL circuit under the line sharing arrangement. As a result, technicians of local exchange carriers must improvise a method to verify CO wiring associated with line sharing.
Technicians have attempted to verify the DSL circuit using frequencies higher than those in the voice band to overcome the blocking capacitor. This method is undesirable because it requires a transmitter and a specially made receiver that is adapted to detect high frequencies. A conventional butt set cannot be used as the receiver in this method. The use of the transmitter and the special receiver to verify CO wiring is not considered to be cost-effective. In some situations, several special receivers per CO may be necessary, making this solution more expensive and even less desirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that can verify the DSL circuit in a line sharing arrangement in a cost effective manner. Specifically, there is a need for a system and method that can utilize existing conventional butt sets to verify the DSL circuit in a line sharing arrangement.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for verifying central office wiring associated with line sharing


An integrated circuit chip is attached to a support that includes first conductive elements. First conductive pads are located on the integrated circuit chip and are electrically coupled to the first conductive elements by conductive wires. The integrated circuit chip further includes a conductive track. A switch circuit is provided to selectively electrically connect each first conductive pad to the conductive track. To test the conductive wires, a group of first conductive pads are connected by their respective switch circuits to the conductive track and current flow between corresponding first conductive elements is measured.

It is known to form electronic devices comprising a chip attached to a support and coupled to other devices via this support, the chip being generally covered with a protection layer. The link between the chip and the support is often formed by wire links, that is, by electric wires, or cables.
Wire links are generally tested by means of X rays, enabling to observe the cables. Such tests however do not enable to electrically test the cables.
There is a need in the art to address the disadvantages of known devices comprising wire links.


In response to the provision of a collection of semi-structured data (or its schema), a mapper generates a structured organization to store the collection of semi-structured data. The mapper further collaterally generates a description of how the semi-structured data are stored under the structured organization. In one embodiment, normalized relational tables are used for the structured organization. In alternate embodiments, non-normalized relational tables or other structured organization may also be used. The reverse, that is, the creation of a semistructured data organization for a collection of structured data may also be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of data processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to the storage of semi-structured data.
2. Background Information
Increasingly, because of its richness in functions and extensibility, information pages, such as web pages, are being constructed using the extensible style language (XSL) and semi-structured data, such as extensible markup language (XML) encoded data.
"Semi-structured data" refers to data that has structure, but where the contents of particular structural elements need not be consistent. To facilitate this characteristic, data are "self-describing." For example, in a "person" application, a person can be validly defined by semi-structured data with only a subset of all possible data associated with a person, e.g., by only a last name and a telephone number, or a first name, last name, and address, or some other combinations. Or, a person may be defined with additional data not previously seen, such as an employer name, an employer address, and an employer telephone number. Thus, each semi-structured "person" definition may vary.
"XML" is one example of a language for representing semi-structured data. XML is a subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), a system promulgated by the International Standards Organization (ISO) for organizing and tagging elements of a document. Interpretation of the XML tags, however, is left to an interpreter. Thus, XML is adaptable to a wide variety of purposes. In particular, since XML is based on plain text, and therefore, XML based documents can be received and processed by many different computing platforms, such as by a platform-independent browser or other networked application programs.
"Structured data," in contrast, refers to data formats such as those used for databases, spreadsheets, address books, and so forth, where in each case, the data format is well-defined by a schema and essentially inflexible. For example, in the database context, a database can be defined to store data according to some data-storage requirements. The storage requirements, e.g., the schema or nature of valid input, are known in advance, and the database is defined according to the structure of the potential input data. If the database were storing information about person, such as first name, last name, address, telephone number, and employer, every person record in the database would have space allocated for the information being tracked. Hence, the database is structured.
An example of a structured database is the relation database, also referred to as SQL database, where SQL is the name of its query language, Structured Query Language. In addition to being "inflexible," unlike semi-structured data, SQL databases are also platform dependent. Nevertheless, because of its availability as well as robustness, recent research has turned towards using structured databases, such as a SQL database, to store and retrieve information defined by semi-structured data.
One significant issue, however, is how to convert from semi-structured data, such as XML encoded data, to structured data storage, such as a SQL database. Towards this end, various approaches have been proposed. For example, see Florescu et al., A Performance Evaluation of Alternative Mapping Schemes for Storing XML Data in a Relational Database, Rapport de Recherche No. 3680, INRIA, Rocquencourt, France (May 1999), discusses techniques and issues related to using directed graphs to represent semi-structured data. And, Shanmugasundaram et al, Relational Databases for Querying XML documents: Limitations and Opportunities, Proceedings of the 25th VLDB Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland (1999), discusses using XML document type descriptors (DTDs) to convert XML documents to relational tuples.
A significant limitation of these and other current conversion approaches is that mapping between structured and semi-structured data formats is by way of applying a fixed set of "rules" to perform the mapping. That is, in each of the these techniques, one and only one mapping is possible. For a given semi-structured input, the conversion rules control conversion into corresponding structured database output. The conversion is not flexible.
Thus, a more flexible approach to handling semi-structured data in a structured manner is desired.

Method and apparatus for storing semi-structured data in a structured manner


An inexpensive block polymer which is effectively available in various uses with regard to hot-melt resin compositions, pressure sensitive adhesives, carriers for pressure sensitive adhesives, and the like. This block polymer has a structure including a polyvalent mercaptan segment at its center from which two or more polymer segments are radially extended. The number-average molecular weight of this polymer is in a range of 2,000 to 1,000,000, and the two or more polymer segments have two or more different compositions. This block polymer is obtainable by a process including two or more steps of radical polymerization of polymerizable monomer components having different compositions using a polyvalent mercaptan as a polymerization initiator.

Examples of known thermoplastic polymers having two or more polymer segments which are radially extended from a central segment of the polymers are as follows: a hybrid star-shaped polymer having a condensed polymer segment and acrylic addition polymer segments which are radially extended from the condensed polymer segment (Japanese Official Patent Provisional Publication (Kokai) No. Showa 63-132914); a star-shaped polymer having a structure including a diphenylethylene derivative at its center from which three polymer segments formed by polymerization are radially extended (Japanese Official Patent Provisional Publication (Kokai) No. Heisei 3-190911); a star-shaped polymer having a structure in which a polyfunctional crosslinking agent having at least two polymerizable double bonds is included at the polymer center from which two or more polymer segments formed by polymerization are radially extended (Japanese Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. Heisei 5-500827); a star-shaped block polymer formed by photo-initiated radical polymerization utilizing a dithiocarbamate group (Poly. J., vol. 16, p. 511 (published 1984)); a star-shaped block polymer formed by thermal-cleavage radical polymerization utilizing a triphenylmethyl group that is introduced into a terminal of a polymer (Poly. Bull., vol. 16, p. 277 (published 1985)); and so on.
In the above-mentioned conventional star-shaped polymers, the centers of the radial structures derive from the condensed polymer, diphenylethylene derivative, the polyfunctional crosslinking agent, the polyfunctional polymerization-initiator, and the like. Therefore, the combination of the polymer segments is limited, the polymer segments are limited to those which derive from homopolymers, the type of monomer units constituting the polymer segments is limited, or the irradiation of light (ultraviolet rays) is needed and the permeability of monomers in a depth direction is too weak for industrial mass production. Thus, the conventional star-shaped polymers are only utilized in very limited industrial fields and expensive.
In addition, in the above-mentioned conventional star-shaped polymers, blocks of an identical polymer cause phase separation, whereby the transparency is deteriorated and the mechanical strength is weakened.

Block polymer thermoplastic addition polymer and their production process and use


A polymeric fluorescent substance showing fluorescence in the solid state, having a polystyrene reduced number-average molecular weight of 103 to 108, and comprising one or more repeating units of formula (1) and one or more repeating units of formula (2) which is different from formula (1),

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymeric fluorescent substance, a polymer light emitting device (hereinafter, referred to as polymer LED) containing the same in an light emitting layer, and a device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light-emitting materials having higher molecular weight (polymeric fluorescent substance) are variously investigated since they are soluble in a solvent and can form a light-emitting layer in a light-emitting device by an application method, differing from those having lower molecular weight. As the polymer material which can be used in a polymer LED as a light-emitting material or charge transportation material, there are conventionally known polyphenylenevinylene derivatives, polyfluorene derivatives, polyphenylene derivatives and the like. For example, Japanese Patent Application National Publication (Laid-Open) No.11-502248 has disclosed copolymers of oligophenylene. One example thereof is oligophenylenevinylene. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-246660 has disclosed copolymers of an aromatic amine compound group and an unsaturated double bond group. Specifically, a copolymer of a dimer of triphenylamine and un-substituted terphenylene is exemplified. Further, as the polymer material containing 2,5-dialkoxyphenylene, copolymers such as phenylene, thiophene, pyridine, biphenylene, bithiophene and the like have been known (Synthetic Metals, vol. 102,p. 1060 (1999)).
An object of the present invention is to provide a polymeric fluorescent substance containing a specific phenylene structure and showing strong fluorescence and/or excellent charge transporting property, and a polymer LED of high performance which can be driven at low voltage with high efficiency using this polymeric fluorescent substance.
The present inventors have intensively studied and resultantly found that a polymeric fluorescent substance showing fluorescence in the solid state and having a polystyrene reduced number-average molecular weight of 103 to 108, wherein the substance contains one or more repeating units of formula (1) and one or more repeating units of formula (2), shows strong fluorescence and/or excellent charge transporting property, and a polymer LED of high performance which can be driven at low voltage with high efficiency is obtained by using this polymeric fluorescent substance, leading to completion of the present invention.

Polymeric fluorescent substance and polymer light-emitting device using the same

Abstract: exhibits strong fluorescence and/or excellent charge transporting property, and a high performance polymer LED which can be driven at low voltage and high efficiency is obtained.


The present invention provides an awning, which is excellent in the appearance and the opening and closing operation. Roof cover 3 having a light shielding effect is provided so as to hang down forward above open cabin 2 of cruiser C, transparent window panel 4 is provided and inclined to be in parallel with said roof cover 3, said window panel 4 is made to freely open and close by sliding in the space X between the front end of the roof cover 3 and the front portion of the open cabin at the front side of the roof cover, the opening and closing operability of the window panel 4 is made excellent, and in particular, when the window panel 4 is closed, the form becomes streamline in appearance in which the wind is directed to fall forward from the window panel 4 to the roof cover 3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an awning to be fit to an open cabin of a cruiser or recreational boat whose upper side is open.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a cruiser that has a main cabin with a steering which is open to the air, a cruiser that has a flying deck (called a flying bridge, also) with a steering which is provided on the roof of a main cabin, and a cruiser having a cabin whose upper side is open (hereinafter, such as cabin is referred to as an open cabin).
Since the upper side of such an open cabin is open, a steersman can enjoy a refreshing sense of freedom during steering.
However, when steering in such an open cabin, a steersman may be exposed to a strong head wind, sprayed by the waves, or exposed to sunlight, so an enclosure is installed in the open cabin in order to enclose the steering seat and protect the steersman.
There are various types of enclosures, and most of them are formed so that transparent vinyl sheets are spread via fasteners on the front face and both side faces of a main frame constructed in the form of a box on the open cabin, and a shielding sheet is spread on the top face of the main frame. Therefore, such an enclosure does not have a good external appearance since the box-shaped enclosure projects from the streamlined hull.
Furthermore, the enclosure is ventilated by opening the fasteners of the transparent vinyl sheets, however, the cruiser is typically anchored while being left exposed to rain at a marina, so that the transparent vinyl sheets may deform due to changes in temperature and other environmental conditions making smooth opening and closing of the fasteners difficult.
To solve the abovementioned problems such as a poor appearance of the enclosure and a difficulty in opening and closing the fasteners of the enclosure in the conventional art, in the present invention, a roof cover with a light shielding effect is provided so as to hang down toward the front side at the upper side of the open cabin of the cruiser, a transparent window panel is provided and inclined so as to be in parallel with said roof cover, said window panel is made to freely open and close by sliding in a space between the front end of the roof cover and the front portion of the open cabin that is provided at the front side of the roof cover, the opening and closing operability of the window panel is excellent, and in particular, when closing the window panel, the awning is made to have a streamlined form so that wind flows down forward from the window panel to the roof cover.
In short, according to the invention, since the roof cover 3 having a light shielding effect is disposed so as to hang down forward at the upper side of the open cabin 2, the roof cover is in good harmony with the streamlined cruiser C, and can be used as a roof with an excellent appearance in comparison with the conventional box-shaped enclosure.
In addition, air resistance against a head wind heading for the open cabin 2 is relieved by the inclination of the roof cover 3 to reduce the pitching and rolling of the cruiser C due to the head wind, whereby the steering is made excellent.
Since the space X between the front end of the roof cover 3 and the front portion of the open cabin 2 is freely opened and closed by sliding the transparent window panel 4 disposed and inclined so as to be in parallel with the roof cover 3, the space X can be opened and closed by the easy operation of sliding the window panel 4 in comparison with the conventional opening and closing means by means of fasteners that are troublesome to open and close, whereby, in the condition where the window panel 4 is opened, wind can be allowed to blow in the steering sheet of the open cabin 2, and a steersman can feel a refreshing sense of freedom.
Furthermore, in the condition where the window panel 4 is closed, the form becomes an excellent streamline in appearance in which inclination continues from the window panel 4 to the roof cover 3 in comparison with the conventional type, the field of view is good, and a strong head wind and the sea spray can be avoided, so that the cruiser C can be steered with no problem.
A pair of parallel rods 8 and 8a disposed in parallel at the right and left are provided on the lower ends of the side frames 12 and 12a supporting the roof cover 3, and the parallel rods 8 and 8a are connected via the attaching and detaching means 24, 24a . . . to the handrails C1 and C1a provided at the left and right of the open cabin 2, so that the awning 1 can be attached to the existing handrails C1 and C1a without providing and fixing an attaching member exclusive for the awning 1, and the attaching work becomes easy.
The awning can be easily removed from the open cabin 2 as necessary.
Moreover, since the rear end of the roof cover 3 is extended so as to cover the upper side of the rear deck C4, the shading area of the roof cover 3 can be expanded not only to the steering sheet but also to the extent up to the rear deck C4, and this roof cover 3 also shields the rear deck C4 from sunlight and rain. Therefore, the practical effect of the invention is great.

Awning for a recreational boat including a sliding window

Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, 464-0038


A fundus imaging apparatus comprises: an irradiation optical system comprising a light source which emits a laser beam and a scanner which two-dimensionally scans the laser beam on a fundus of an examinee's eye, the irradiation optical system being adapted to focus the laser beam emitted from the light source on the fundus to form a confocal region; an imaging optical system comprising a photo-receiving element which receives reflection light of the laser beam reflected from the fundus, the imaging optical system being adapted to focus the reflection light from the fundus and receive the reflection light by the photo-receiving element; and a beam restriction member placed in an optical path of the imaging optical system, the beam restriction member comprising: one of an opening through which part of the reflection light from the fundus outside the confocal region is allowed to pass toward the photo-receiving element and a mirror part which reflects the part of the reflection light from the fundus outside the confocal region toward the photo-receiving element; and a light shielding part which shields the reflection light from the fundus in the confocal region and the part of the reflection light from the fundus outside the confocal region. The light shielding part includes a first light shielding part placed in a conjugate position with a focus point of the laser beam on the fundus and a second light shielding part placed in a nearly conjugate position with the fundus and adapted to shield part of an optical path of the reflection light, the second light shielding part is formed around the first light shielding part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fundus imaging apparatus for imaging a fundus of an examinee's eye to observe the fundus.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a known fundus imaging apparatus arranged to two-dimensionally scan a laser beam across a fundus, and receive reflection light therefrom to produce a fundus image. For such fundus imaging apparatus, a technique (Scattered Light Imaging) has been known in which a ring aperture including a ring-shaped opening and a black-spot plate is placed in conjugate relation with a fundus of an examinee's eye to restrict reflection light from a light condensing point (a focus point) on a portion under observation, the method including receiving scattered light from front and back of the light condensing point to create an image (see JP2007-89828A).
In the case of conventional scattered light imaging, meanwhile, scattered light coming from front and back of the light condensing point is extracted through a ring-shaped opening and the scattered light (excluding the light shielded by a black-spot plate) scattered in nearly cone shape in all directions is received by a photo-receiving element. A scattered state of the scattered light is too strong to obscure fine biological materials (e.g. a fiber layer between cells in a fundus) existing on the fundus. It is therefore difficult to image such fine biological materials in an observable state.


An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary drive system and an engine which have greater toughness and which are capable of smoothly converting linear thrust force into rotary torque. In the present invention, a pair of elongated members are arranged parallel in a first direction. A moving guide is spanned between the elongated members, arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and capable of moving in the first direction. A moving body is capable of moving in the second direction along the moving guide. A rotary shaft is capable of rotating about an axial line, which is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. A lever has one part, which is pivotably connected with the moving body, and another part, which is fixed to the rotary shaft, whereby the lever rotates the rotary shaft when the moving body moves round. A driving mechanism moves the moving guide in the first direction. A control mechanism stabilizes rotational speed of the rotary shaft.

Recipro-engines and hydraulic motors, for example, have been used as mechanisms for converting linear movement into rotation. In the conventional converting mechanisms, thrust force of a piston, which linearly moves in cylinders, is converted into rotation of a crank shaft.
The conventional mechanisms, e.g., the recipro engines, the oil motors, the have following disadvantages. Firstly, the piston and the crank shaft are connected by a connecting rod. One end of the connecting rod is pivotably connected with the piston, so they mutually incline while in operation. The connecting rod and the crank are also pivotably connected by a piston pin, so they mutually incline while in operation. When the connecting rod inclines with respect to the piston and the crank shaft, 100% of the thrust force of the piston cannot be transmitted to the crank shaft. Namely, component force in the tangent direction of the crank shaft, which is divided from component force of the thrust force toward the connecting rod, is transmitted to the crank shaft, so that transmitting loss is great. Thus, the rotary torque of the crank shaft is quite lower with respect to the linear thrust force of the piston; efficiency of converting the linear thrust force into the rotary torque is low.
Secondly, the crank shaft rotates at fixed speed when the linear movement of the piston is converted into the rotation of the crank shaft, so the speed of the piston is faster near an upper dead point and slower near a lower dead point. Thus, vibration is apt to happen. This point will be explained with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21.
FIG. 20 is an explanation view showing an example of the conventional crank mechanism including the connecting rod.
In this example, stroke "S" of the piston 110 is 40 mm; length of the connecting rod 120 is 50 mm. A connecting section 125 of the crank 130 and the connecting rod 120 are located at a 0.degree. position "L", which is the furthest position from a cylinder 140, when the piston 110 is at the lower dead point P.sub.1. If the crank 130 turns 90.degree. from the 0.degree. position "L", the connecting section is at a 90.degree. position "M"; the connecting section is at a 180.degree. position "H", when the crank 130 turns 180.degree. and the piston 110 locates at the upper dead point P.sub.2.
FIG. 21 is a graph showing relationship (a solid line) between the rotational angle X.sub.c (degree) of the crank 130 and a position Y.sub.p (mm) on the stroke of the piston 110 of the example shown in FIG. 20. Note that, a one-dot-chain line shows a sine wave.
When the crank 130 is at the 0.degree. position "L", the piston 110 is at the lower dead point P.sub.1, so the position Y.sub.p (mm) of the piston 110 is 0 mm; when the crank 130 is at the 180.degree. position "H", the piston 110 is at the upper dead point P.sub.2, so the position Y.sub.p (mm) of the piston is 40 mm.
When the piston 110 moves from the lower dead point P.sub.1 to the upper dead point P.sub.2, the crank 130 turns from the 0.degree. position "L" to the 90.degree. position "M", and the piston 110 moves 15.83 mm. When the crank 130 turns from the 90.degree. position "M" to the 180.degree. position "H", the piston 110 moves 24.17 mm. Namely, the speed of the piston 110 is faster near the upper dead point P.sub.2 and slower near the lower dead point P.sub.1. So it is difficult to stably rotate the crank shaft, and a vibration is likely to occur. Near the upper dead point P.sub.2, fuel is ignited and burnt, but the speed of the piston is fast, so that it is difficult to ignite at proper timing. With this untimely ignition, the efficiency of the conventional crank mechanism is limited, and noise cannot be reduced.
To improve above described disadvantages, the inventor of the present invention has invented a rotary drive system (Japanese Patent Kokai Gazette No. 7-12199) shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. The structure of the rotary drive system will be explained.
The rotary drive system comprises: a pair of first elongated members 16a and 16b being arranged parallel in a first direction; a pair of second elongated members 18a and 18b being arranged parallel in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first rod 20 being arranged parallel to the first elongated members 16a and 16b and capable of moving in the second direction in a state of being parallel to the first elongated members 16a and 16b; a second rod 22 being arranged parallel to the second elongated members 18a and 18b and capable of moving in the first direction in a state of being parallel to the second elongated members 18a and 18b; a moving body 24 being capable of moving in the first direction and the second direction along the first rod 20 and the second rod 22 in a rectangular plane 28 enclosed by the first elongated members 16a and 16b and the second elongated members 18a and 18b; a first driving mechanism 26a-d for moving the second rod 22 in the first direction; a second driving mechanism 34a-d for moving the first rod 20 in the second direction; rotary shafts 36a and 36b being capable of rotating about axial lines; and levers 38a and 38b whose one ends are pivotably connected with the moving body 24 and whose the other ends are fixed to one of the rotary shafts 36a and 36b, whereby the levers rotate the rotary shafts 36a and 36b when the moving body 24 moves round the rotary shafts 36a and 36b.
In the rotary drive system, the one ends of the levers 38a and 38b are pivotably connected with the moving body 24; the other ends thereof are fixed to one of the rotary shafts 36a and 36b, which are capable of rotating about the axial lines. So the rotary shafts 36a and 36b are rotated about their axial lines when the moving body 24 moves round the rotary shafts 36a and 36b. With this structure, the rotary drive system can convert the linear thrust force into the rotary torque without employing the conventional connecting rod, so that the converting efficiency can be improved and reducing the vibration.


The present invention provides a magnetic head construction, a connection method and a connecting device by which excellent electrical connection can be carried out between a core electrode and a substrate land face on a flexure in a magnetic head employing the piggy back system. In order to attain the object of interest, in the present invention, a fine adjustment actuator is arranged between a core and a flexure; a projection portion which is projected from the fine adjustment actuator when viewed from the flexure is provided in the core; a hole is provided in the position, on the flexure, corresponding to the projection portion; only the core is fixed by a support portion provided through the hole portion and a clamp pin without applying any load to the fine adjustment actuator; and while maintaining this fixing state, an electrode and a substrate land are bonded to each other with a wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a magnetic head for use in a hard disc drive (hereinafter, referred to as an HDD). More particularly, the invention relates to the construction of a magnetic head for use in the HDD for which the high recording density has been obtained, a bonding device which is suitably employed in the process of manufacturing the magnetic head, and a bonding method.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, the recording density of HDDs has been rapidly increased, and the width of each of the tracks as the recording areas in the hard disc as the recording medium has become remarkably narrow combined with the miniaturization of the HDDs. For this reason, with the tracking of the magnetic head by only a voice coil motor which has been conventionally carried out, it becomes difficult to position accurately the magnetic head in this narrow track Thus, there has been proposed the control of the tracking based on the piggy back system.
The conventional magnetic head comprises a core actually writing and reading the recorded information to and from the hard disc, and a suspension for supporting the core. On the other hand, the piggy back system is characterized in construction by providing a fine adjustment actuator between the core and the suspension (hereinafter, referred to as a gimbal). That is, the system of interest is such that the position of the magnetic head is moved to the neighborhood of the desired position of the tracking by the voice coil motor and then, the position of the core is corrected by the fine adjustment actuator, whereby the tracking of the high accuracy is carried out.
As for the construction of the magnetic head for use in the piggy back system, for example, there is one shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. A magnetic head 1 includes a core 10, a gimbal 2 which extends in one direction to support the core 10 at one end thereof, and a fine adjustment actuator 30 which is arranged between the core 10 and the gimbal 2. The gimbal 2 is composed of a flexure 4 formed of an insulating flexible resin thin plate on which a conductor pattern for wiring is formed, a load beam 3 which is formed of a elastic metallic thin plate or the like to which the flexure 4 is adhered, and a base plate 7 which is firmly fixed to the base portion of the load beam 3 as the other end of the gimbal 2.
The head portion of the flexure 4 has an actuator attaching portion 5 which is not adhered to the head portion of the load beam 3, but is arranged so as to lie on the load beam 3 roughly in parallel therewith. The fine adjustment actuator 30 is firmly fixed to the actuator attaching portion 5, and the core 10 is fixed to the fine adjustment actuator 30 so as to be able to pivot in the extension direction of the gimbal 2.
A dimple (a projection portion for abutting from the back face the flexure 4) 6 which is formed integrally with the head portion of the load beam comes in contact with the back face of the actuator attaching portion 5, i.e., the back face of the flexure 4 (refer to FIG. 1). Normally, the fixing of the core 10 and the fine adjustment actuator 30 to the flexure 4 is carried out such that the pivotal center of the core 10 is aligned with the center of the dimple 6.
An element (not shown) including an electromagnetic conversion element and a magnetoelelctric conversion element, and electrodes 11 which are used to draw the electrical signal from that element to the outside are formed on one end face of the core 10. The electrodes 11 are electrically connected to end portions 8 of the electrical wiring provided in the flexure 4 (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate land) through wires 66 each made of Au or the like. In this connection, the flat surface in which the substrate lands 8 are formed and the flat surface on the core 10 in which the electrodes 11 are formed make an angle of about 90 degrees.
As for the method of connecting electrically the electrodes formed on the two flat surfaces making an angle of about 90 degrees as described above, there have been proposed the various methods such as the wire bonding method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-56046 and No. 11-235785 by the present applicant, and the ball bonding method employing conductor balls disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-283568 by the present applicant.
As described above, in the construction as well of the magnetic head employing the piggy back system, the electrodes 11 and the substrate lands 8 need to be electrically connected to each other through the wires 66. However, the fine adjustment actuator 30 is present between the core 10 and the flexure 4, and also the fixed distance is defined between the electrodes 11 and the substrate lands 8. Therefore, the ball bonding method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-283568 is difficult to be applied thereto.
In addition, in the above-mentioned wire bonding method, when bonding the wires 66 to the electrodes 11 and the substrate lands 8, the core 10 and the flexure 4 are clamped by a clamp mechanism to carry out the fixing therefor. However, the fine adjustment actuator 30 is in general weak against the force applied from the outside and hence is readily damaged. Since in the clamp mechanism in the conventional wire bonding method, the fine adjustment actuator 30 is loaded with the force for clamping, the method of interest can not be directly applied to the magnetic head employing the piggy back system.
In addition, while in the magnetic head employing the piggy back system, the core 10 is pivoted by the fine adjustment actuator 30, when each of the wires 66 is short, there may occur the case where the pivotal movement is limited by these wires 66. Therefore, in order to carry out smoothly and accurately that pivotal movement, each of the wires 66 needs to have the flexibility and the sufficient length. Further, against the bending which is applied to the wires 66 by the pivotal movement operation, each of the wires 66 needs also to have the sufficient durability.

Magnetic head, and device and method for manufacturing the same


A chemically resistant, extractable free, composite laminar film including polyimide, PFA and m-PTFE layers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to high-strength, chemically-resistant laminar films; and specifically such films used in pump and valve diaphragms.
2. Background Information
Diaphragm pumps are used in pumping a wide variety of materials especially when the materials are abrasive, have high viscosity, consist of slurries that might damage other pump designs, have a high purity requirement or are not robust. These pumps are often air driven which is advantageous in pumping flammable liquids or in environments where electrically driven equipment could otherwise be hazardous. However, electrically or otherwise mechanically driven designs also find wide utility. Others are driven by incompressible fluids.
Due to the wide range of different materials these pumps are used to move, a correspondingly wide variety of materials are used in the pump construction. These include plastics, metals and composites. For the same reason the critical driving member of such pumps, the diaphragm, typically must be manufactured from a variety of materials.
Chemically resistant layers, such as those made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are widely used in industry to protect sensitive parts of machinery or equipment from the corrosive effects of acids or other chemicals. One such use is in pump diaphragms commonly used with air or electrically driven diaphragm pumps. In such diaphragms, an outer PTFE overlay diaphragm is commonly used to protect an inner rubber diaphragm from materials that would cause rapid failure of the rubber part alone. In other cases, the PTFE provides the sole material of construction of the diaphragm.
Polyimide is very useful material for industrial use for machineries and parts because of it's mechanical strength, electrical property and chemical property. However, the tensile strength and endurance against the cycle-bending fatigue for polyimide membrane are easily reduced under certain conditions such as under strong acidic or strong basic media. Thus, a polyimide film alone cannot be used for the diaphragm application for feed pump using for microelectronics chemical such as photo resists and TARC. On the other hand, fluorinated resin including PTFE, FEP, or PFA have extremely high resistivity against any chemicals. However, the materials' respective low mechanical strengths are not satisfactory for the use.
Recently, there are several patents application regarding polyimide and fluorinated resin laminated composite films. One includes PCT Publication No. WO93/1493. It discloses a laminar film structure comprising a polyimide and a fluoropolymer. Such prior art discloses uses for such laminates such as endless belt, motor coil and cable. One of the methods reported in such prior art includes the dispersion of fluorinated resin in organic solvent that was then coated on both sides of polyimide film. The second method is heat-press-bonding method with polyimide and fluorinated resin powder. For either method, the obtained laminated films did not have enough peeling strength between two layers for pump diaphragm applications. Other methods reported included improving peeling strength between two layers by adding titanium complex into the fluorinated layer. This method is not also applicable for microelectronics use because the risk of contamination of metal from the titanium additive.
The preparation methods for laminated film describe above were not satisfied the requirements need for the microelectronics chemical feed pump application, which are high accuracy, cycle bending fatigue endurance, and not producing any contamination such as metal or particle from film fibrillation.
Blends of the fluoropolymer and the dissimilar layer themselves are in some cases employed as an intermediate layer to help bond the two layers together. European Patent Application 0523644 (Kawashima et al.) discloses a plastic laminate having a polyamide resin surface layer and a fluororesin surface layer. The reference recognizes the difficulties encountered when making laminates having a polyamide layer and a fluororesin layer because of the incompatibility of the two materials. The laminate of the reference is prepared by use of an intermediate layer composed of a blend of an aliphatic polyamide resin with a fluorine-containing graft copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,393 discloses a method of bonding substantially non-fluorinated polymeric material to a fluoropolymer utilizing a bonding composition comprising primary or secondary di- or poly-amine and a melt-processable, substantially non-fluorinated component.
It would be desirable to provide a laminar film that has both the mechanical strength and chemical resistant properties sufficient for use in valve and pump diaphragms.

High-strength, chemically resistant laminar film with limited extractables


A clam shell style large hay bale feeder includes a rectangular frame supporting a bale holding clam shell structure with two opposing sides formed by respective sets of steel straps. The sides are attached to the support frame such that they can fold inward and outward within the frame. Each adjacent pair of straps is spaced apart a distance sufficient to form a livestock feeding station. The clam shell structure folds inward about a hay bale placed in it such that the bale is always securely clamped in the clam shell and such that feeding livestock have constant access to the perimeter of the bale as it diminishes in size. A number of different operating mechanisms are described which serve to reopen the clam shell after the bale is consumed.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus which holds a large hay bale for feeding livestock and, in particular, to an apparatus for holding the large hay bale while allowing livestock access to the bale as it shrinks in size during feeding. The apparatus includes a clam shell structure which folds inward around the bale as it decreases in size to securely hold the bale, yet provides continuous access to the bale by feeding cattle.
II. Description of the Related Art
Prior art large bale feeders have generally included some type of bale holding cradle which is accessible by livestock from one or more sides of the feeder. In most such feeders, the bale holding cradle is fixed in size which means that, as the hay bale shrinks during feeding, access to the bale by feeding livestock may be interrupted. This can result in wasted hay and also in damage to the feeder as cattle push against the feeder in an effort to reach the shrinking bale.
Numerous attempts have been made to address the problem of wasted hay in bale feeders. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,840 to Earnest Rumbaugh, which teaches a bale cradle spaced from feeding cattle by a bar framework such that cattle can reach the bale but hay dropped by feeding cattle falls into a protected area which the cattle can also reach. The cradle is fixed in size and position in the Rumbaugh patent.
Another example of a hay saving feeder is that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,699 to Dyson, directed to a cylindrical hay bale feeder which accommodates a round bale standing on end. A number of bale centering springs are positioned on the cylindrical sidewalls and extend inward to hold the hay bale a predetermined distance from the feeding cattle. Again, the Dyson patent does not make any allowance for cattle to reach a shrinking hay bale.
Attempts have been made to accommodate a shrinking hay bale. Both U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,302 to Gee, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,449 to Harton show variations of a rectangular cage for holding a hay bale. In both patents the cages have side panel grids which are movable toward the center of the cage as feeding cattle push on them to allow feeding cattle access to a shrinking hay bale. A problem with both the Gee, Jr. and Harton patents is the requirement for cattle to actively push on the feeder side panels in order to move them inward toward the shrinking bale. Furthermore, the mechanisms which allow the sides of the feeder to move toward each other are somewhat complex and prone to lock up if they get cluttered or dirty.
It is clear then, that a need still exists for a large hay bale livestock feeder which allows feeding cattle to easily and efficiently reach a shrinking hay bale. Such a feeder should also act as a hay saver by preventing hay pulled from the bale from being trampled and wasted. Finally, such a feeder should make it easy to load a large bale into it or unload a large bale from it.

Clam shell style large hay bale feeding apparatus


A lamp for producing a spectral light distribution which is substantially identical in uniformity to the spectral light distribution of a desired daylight throughout the entire visible light spectrum from about 380 to about 780 nanometers. The lamp contains a lamp envelope comprised of an exterior surface, a light-producing element substantially centrally disposed within said lamp envelope, a reflector around the light-producing element, and an aperture assembly in front of the light-producing element.

Many attempts have been made to simulate natural daylight by artificial means. Some of the more successful devices for this purpose are described in U.S. pat. Nos. 5,079,683; 5,083,252; and 5,282,115. The entire disclosure of each of these United States patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
The daylight lamp assemblies described in the aforementioned patents, in addition to producing focused light, also produces a non-focused component of stray light which often is distracting. It is an object of this invention to provide a daylight lamp assembly which will produce a directed daylight beam with only a minimal amount of stray light.


A method of performing a send money transfer transaction through a financial services institution includes storing transaction details on a data base, wherein the transaction details include a desired amount of money to be sent; establishing a code that corresponds to the transaction details stored on the data base; entering the code into an electronic transaction fulfillment device in communication with the data base to retrieve the transaction details from the data base; and determining a collect amount based on the transaction details. A system for performing a send money transfer transaction is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method and system for performing a send money transfer transaction with a financial services institution.
Money transfer transactions performed with a financial services institution include send transactions and receive transactions. Under a send transaction, a sender sends or xe2x80x9cwiresxe2x80x9d money to a recipient through the financial services institution. Under a receive transaction, the recipient receives money through the financial services institution. Many such transactions are also facilitated by other businesses, companies or organizations that act as agents of the financial services institution. Furthermore, both the sender and the recipient may be referred to as customers of the financial services institution and/or the agent.
A prior method of performing a send transaction involves a sender completing a transaction form and providing the form to an agent. The transaction form includes such information as the desired amount of money to be sent, sender information, and recipient information. The agent then enters the information from the transaction form into a computer that is in communication with a central data base of the financial services institution. Alternatively, the agent may read the information to a representative of the financial services institution, and the representative may provide additional information to the agent that is added to the transaction form. Next, the agent collects from the sender the desired amount of money to be sent plus any applicable fees and/or taxes.
Because this method requires the sender to complete the transaction form, and further requires the agent to either input all information included on the transaction form into the computer, or convey the information to a representative of the financial services institution, the method is time-consuming and error prone. Furthermore, the method does not account for language barriers that may arise should the sender speak a different language than the agent.
Another method of performing a send transaction involves providing a telephone at an agent location with which a sender can access an operator of a financial services institution. The sender then provides information to the operator, such as recipient name, desired amount of money to be sent, and agent location. Next, the operator transmits a transaction form, which includes the information provided by the sender, to an agent at the agent location via a facsimile transmittal machine. The sender then signs the transaction form. Next, the agent collects from the sender the desired amount of money to be sent plus any applicable fees and/or taxes. The agent then signs the transaction form and transmits the form back to the operator. Next, the operator enters the information from the transaction form into a central data base of the financial services institution.
Still another method of performing a send transaction includes providing a sender an access card that is used to access a central data base of a financial services institution. The sender provides the access card to an agent, and the agent retrieves from the central data base a list of potential recipient names previously identified by the sender. After the list has been retrieved, the sender selects a desired recipient from the list, and provides a desired amount of money to be sent to the selected recipient. Next, the agent collects from the sender the desired amount of money to be sent plus any applicable fees and/or taxes.
A prior method of performing a receive transaction involves a sender providing a recipient a money transfer control number (MTCN), which represents a unique key to the transaction information stored in the data base. The MTCN is then provided to an agent by the recipient. Next, the agent accesses the data base and obtains a receive amount that corresponds to the MTCN. The agent then issues a check, money order, or cash to the recipient for the receive amount.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an improved method and system for performing a send money transfer transaction, wherein the method and system reduce total transaction time and increase accuracy compared with prior art methods and systems.
Under the invention, a method of performing a send money transfer transaction through a financial services institution includes storing transaction details on a data base, wherein the transaction details include a desired amount of money to be sent; establishing a code that corresponds to the transaction details stored on the data base; entering the code into an electronic transaction fulfillment device in communication with the data base to retrieve the transaction details from the data base; and determining a collect amount based on the transaction details.
The method may further include providing a customer direct access to the data base in order for the financial services institution and/or agent to receive the transaction details from the customer. Alternatively, the method may further include providing a customer direct access to an employee of the financial services institution in order to receive the transaction details from the customer. Advantageously, in either case, a form is not required to be completed by the customer.
Preferably, the code is provided as a numeric code so that it may be entered into an electronic transaction fulfillment device having only a numeric keypad. Alternatively, the code may include one or more alpha-numeric characters, symbols, sounds and/or images. For example, the code may be the customer""s name, voice print, fingerprint, retinal image, or facial image.
Under the invention, a system for performing a send money transfer transaction includes a data base for storing transaction details, and a transaction staging device in communication with the data base for establishing a code that corresponds to the transaction details. An electronic transaction fulfillment device is also in communication with the data base. The electronic fulfillment device is configured to receive the code and to retrieve the transaction details from the data base based on the code.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and system for performing money transfer transactions


The inventors propose herein a switch fabric architecture that allows broadcasting and fast channel access in the ns-range. In various embodiments of the present invention, 10 Gb/s receiver modules are based on a novel heterodyne receiver and detection technique, which is tolerant to moderate wavelength drifts of a local oscillator. A gain clipped electrical amplifier is used in the novel receiver as a rectifier for bandpass signal recovery.

Optical switch fabrics (OSF) are being considered as a powerful alternative to electrical switch fabrics for the next generation of Terabit/s IP routers. OSFs have been shown to be able to overcome the limitations of fully electrical solutions in throughput capacity and power consumption. However, some recently demonstrated OSFs do not support broadcasting, a desired feature from a networking point of view. In general, broadcasting requires wavelength multiplexing of the data channels on the transmitter side and distribution of the WDM signal to every receiver. In this manner, each receiver may select any channel on demand.
Tight specifications concerning response time, selectivity, and wavelength accuracy are required for an OSF to be used in receivers for such channel selection. Recent progress in the development of rapidly tunable lasers suggests investigating coherent detection schemes for the filtering process. Tunability of the local oscillator (LO) wavelength would allow for selection of any channel out of the WDM data signal as long as it resides in the tuning range of the laser. Additional advantages of this approach would be an amplification of the data signal through the relatively high power of the LO and an ultra-short channel access time since such WDM lasers are substantially the fastest tunable wavelength-heterodyne components known today. However, while the wavelength accuracy of WDM lasers is in the 10 to 100 pm wavelength range, a frequency mismatch between a modulated optical data signal and a WDM laser when used as a LO make it necessary to have some kind of slow and time consuming wavelength fine tuning in conventional coherent detection schemes.

Multicasting optical switch fabric and method of detection based on novel heterodyne receiver


A modularized aspirating/venting motor vehicle passenger passive restraint assembly. A first embodiment utilizes two separate inflator units lockingly engaged within a stamped mounting plate which, in turn, is installed within an outer base plate. Both plates comprise a lower depending skirt portion defining an aperture through a lower portion of the corresponding plate. These apertures are located in substantially vertical alignment when the mounting plate is seated within the base plate. An elongated conduit permits a reciprocal fluid flow between the interior of the module and the ambient atmosphere. A first end of the conduit is inserted through the corresponding apertures in the base plate and mounting plate to a location adjacent the inflator units and secured therein by magnaforming the overlapping skirt portions into a groove on the conduit's outer surface. A second end of the conduit extends through an inner structural wall of the vehicle to a location outside of the passenger compartment. A second embodiment of the invention utilizes a single linear, bilateral inflator device having first and second combustion chambers secured at opposite end thereof to a central T-shaped support. The lower leg of the support is grooved to facilitate sealing the inflator to the base plate by magnaforming the base plate skirt into the groove. No mounting plate is required. The elongated conduit is releasably attached to a terminal end of the lower support leg by a fitting and extends out of the vehicle passenger compartment to permit fluid communication with the ambient atmosphere.

Thousands of people are killed or injured annually in motor vehicle accidents wherein the vehicle driver and/or passengers are thrown forward as a result of the initial, i.e., primary, collision so as to impact against the solid surfaces forming the interior of the vehicle. As a result, passive restraint systems adapted for use with such vehicles have been developed for the purpose of reducing or eliminating these injuries and/or deaths.
One system which has been extensively investigated senses rapid vehicle deceleration, such as that which occurs upon a primary impact between an automobile and, for example, another vehicle. Upon receipt of a signal from a remote sensor device, the system initiates inflation of an expandable passive restraint, i.e., an air bag, prior to the occurrence of any secondary collision between the driver and/or passengers and the interior of the automobile. The expandable restraint is normally inflated by the combustion products produced by a pyrotechnic gas generator, i.e., inflator, device (Note: the terms "gas generator" and "inflator" are used interchangably herein). This restraint is interposed between the interior surface of the automobile and one or more occupants of the vehicle. The air bag must therefore be inflated within milliseconds of the primary impact in order to ensure that the vehicle occupants' forward motion is arrested before injury occurs due to the secondary collisions against the adjacent solid interior surfaces.
Moreover, it is additionally desirable to ensure deflation of the restraining device as soon as the force of a crash is expended, so that the occupant(s) do not thereafter become trapped within the vehicle subsequent to the collision. In order to meet such criteria, specifications have been established whereby the expandable bag should be sufficiently inflated to restrain a vehicle occupant in about 30-60 milliseconds after initiation, with substantial deflation occurring after about 100 milliseconds.
Moreover, as is well understood by those practicing in this art, pyrotechnic inflators such as those described above may be fabricated and/or adapted in a variety of different configurations depending upon the particular response characteristics required for the intended application. One particularly important consideration in this regard is as to whether the inflator unit is to be mounted upon the steering wheel to restrain the vehicle operator, or whether it is intended to protect, for example, the front seat passengers. In the latter case, the device is normally installed within the vehicle's dashboard adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle. A different set of requirements must be met depending upon which mode of use is intended.
That is, an inflator unit intended for installation on the driver's side, e.g., within the steering assembly, of an automobile must be smaller in size than a passenger side unit to enable it to fit within the steering wheel. It must additionally generate a gaseous combustion product up to two times faster than a passenger side unit due to the minimal separation between the driver and the steering wheel in comparison to the available space between the body of a passenger within the vehicle and the vehicle's dashboard. Moreover, a passenger side inflator device is required to produce up to four times as much gas as a driver's side inflator to completely inflate the correspondingly larger passenger side air bag. This increase in bag size is necessitated due to the relatively larger volume of space within the vehicle in which the passenger may be found, as opposed to the driver who is "locked" into a position behind the steering wheel. Numerous examples of passenger side inflator devices are known in the prior art, such as that disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,876 to Jorgensen et al.
Commonly encountered features among pyrotechnic gas generators utilized within motor vehicle passive restraint devices of the type described above include: (1) an outer metal housing, e.g., of steel or aluminum, (2) a gas generant composition located within the housing, (3) means to ignite the gas generant responsive to a signal received from a sensor positioned at a location removed from the inflator, and (4) means to filter and to cool the gas, positioned between the propellant composition and a plurality of gas discharge ports, i.e., orifices defined by the generator housing.
Such pyrotechnic gas generators must be capable of withstanding enormous thermal and mechanical stresses for a short period during the gas generation process. Thus, most inflators that have been and are currently being used with automobile air bag devices are commonly fabricated using heavy gauge steel for the casing and other structural housing components, with these components being joined together by, for example, threaded screws, roll crimping or welding. The recent emphasis on weight reduction for the purpose of fuel conservation in motorized vehicles has, however, created a need and a demand for a lighter weight inflation system. One example of such a system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,342 to Adams et al. disclosing an aluminum driver's side inflator unit.
A further advance in the field of motor vehicle passive crash restraints involves the inclusion of aspiration means for drawing ambient air, e.g., from within the vehicle's passenger compartment into the air bag so as to cool the gas entering the bag from a pyrotechnic inflator operatively associated therewith. This arrangement thus permits a more rapid inflation of the air bag than would otherwise be possible upon utilizing only the gas produced by the inflator device.
Various types of aspirating inflators are known in the prior art. Generally speaking however, these devices are typically adapted for installation within the driver's side of the vehicle. For example, a number of references disclose arrangements wherein the interior of the air bag is in fluid communication with the atmosphere within the vehicle through a unidirectional valve. Such valves permit air from within the vehicle to enter the interior of the bag, thus facilitating its inflation. These valves subsequently prevent the atmosphere within the bag from venting back out along the same path, thus requiring the provision of some means (e.g., such as vents or blow-out patches) for permitting the gasses to escape through the fabric of the bag itself. Examples of air bag systems of the type described above may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,675,942 to Huber; 3,767,225 to Mazelsky; 3,773,350 and 3,791,666 to Shibamoto; 3,788,663 to Weman; and 3,909,037 to Stewart.
Alternately, a number of other references disclose air bag inflator assemblies wherein the flow of ambient atmosphere proceeds in two directions, i.e., initially, from within vehicle into the air bag and then, subsequent to the collision, gradually back into the interior of the vehicle, so as to facilitate the deflation of the air bag as well. Air bag devices of this type are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,762,741 and 3,784,225 to Fleck et al.; 3,773,351 to Catanzarite; 3,843,152 to Nonaka and 3,910,595 to Katter et al.
In a further alternate arrangement, ambient air from within the vehicle is initially aspirated into the air bag upon initiation of the system response due to the occurrence of a collision, following which the entire contents of the bag, comprising the gaseous products supplied by the inflator in admixture with the ambient atmosphere, is subsequently directed entirely out of the vehicle into the surrounding space. An example of this type of arrangement for a driver's side air bag apparatus is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Re 29,228 to Hass (i.e., a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,133) wherein the air bag is inflated under the combined influence of a high velocity stream of gas produced by a pyrotechnic gas inflator device and a relatively large volume of air drawn into the bag by the passage of the high-velocity gas. The air may, if desired, be drawn from outside the vehicle through a conduit assembly extending through the steering column, and it may be subsequently discharged through the same conduit to the outside of the vehicle.
In addition, to facilitate the installation and maintenance of some air bag assemblies, they may be produced in modular form, as described for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,205 to Dunford et al. which discloses a driver's side air bag module.
Applicant is unaware, however, of any modularized air bag system for use on the passenger side of a motor vehicle which includes means, such as those described above, for aspirating ambient air, either from within or without the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and directing these additional gases into the air bag so as to facilitate the inflation thereof. Moreover, there is additionally no teaching in the prior art of such a modularized assembly wherein the gaseous mixture from within the air bag is vented completely out of the vehicle and into the surrounding space to facilitate deflation of the bag, while also avoiding the generation of an abrupt pressure increase within the vehicle which is known to be injurious to the occupants thereof.

Aspirating/venting motor vehicle passenger airbag module


A media sheet handling system and a method of duplex printing are disclosed wherein a media sheet is imaged with a phase change ink on both sides of the media sheet without smudging or remelting the images and the media sheet is partially exited from the printer into a media output tray and then is drawn back into the printer along a duplex path of travel that automatically reverses the media sheet so that the trailing edge becomes the leading edge during the imaging of the second side of the media sheet. The stiffness of the media sheet facilitates the media sheet moving above and beyond a stationary media path diverter prior to reversing its direction of travel along and passing along the duplex path of travel back to the imaging station.

This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for printing on two sides of a media sheet, and more particularly, to a media handling system which first feeds a media sheet with a first side exposed to a print source, then feeds the media sheet with a second side exposed to the print source.
Printing to two sides of a media sheet, referred to as duplex printing, is a desirable feature in printing systems, especially in desktop or office color printers as printing speeds increase. The advantages of duplex printing include reducing the amount of paper required compared to one-sided (simplex) printing, and generating print sets with layouts resembling that of professionally printed books. Conventional duplex printing devices employ complex paper handling mechanisms. Typically, an extra tray is used for temporary storage of pages having printing on a first side. In an alternative approach a second paper path is provided to route a first printed page around the existing paper supply. Another approach utilizes a media re-feed guide that positively blocks the movement of media along a first path of travel and directs the media travel along a second path.
Similarly, duplex copying typically is accomplished by either one of two methods. In one method, first side copies are stacked in a duplex tray. When a set of first side copies is complete, the copies are fed out of the duplex tray and returned with an odd number of inversions along a duplex path to receive second side imaging. In an alternative method first side copies are returned directly to receive second side imaging without stacking.
The development of new technologies to accomplish color office printing, such as solid or phase change ink printing has presented special problems to be overcome if successful duplex printing is to be achieved. Solid ink printing employs a wax-like ink base that is jetted at a molten temperature and then solidifies as it cools on intermediate and final receiving substrates. Printing on the second side of a media sheet without melting or destroying the hardened image on the first side has been a barrier to duplex printing. Paper curling has also been a problem.
Conventional devices to achieve duplex printing tend to have long paper paths, multiple imaging units, and many parts. It is desirable to achieve a simplified method and apparatus for duplex media handling at a desktop printer. These problems are solved in the design of the present invention.


A hand-portable serving tray having a compartmented food carrier releasably engaged over a collector tray, the food carrier comprising a plurality of upstanding walls dividing a plurality of close-pack compartments. Within each compartment is at least one hole on a compartment bottom that drains food exudates to the collector tray below. Each compartment bottom is configured to direct fluid to its drain hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to food carriers, and more specifically to a lightweight portable food server with a plurality of drainable compartments for separating fluids dripping from foodstuffs placed in the compartments, such as oil from fried foods.
2. Prior Art
Certain foods are characteristically intended to be served hot with fluids exuding from them, especially common for fired foods such as oriental egg or spring rolls, pizza pockets, burritos, taquitos, fried potatoes, fish sticks, bread sticks, hot dogs and sausages. Cold foods chilled in cold water will also drain. When these foods, hot and cold, are served in a conventional serving tray, the exudates collect on the tray bottom and the food sits in them, soaking up the exudates. The effect is reduced when elongate foods are assembled generally vertically in the serving tray so the exudates drain down, but the lower portion of the foodstuffs continue to sit in the exudates pooled at the tray bottom. This is undesirable. To reduce the effect, the hot foods may be placed on an absorbing towel to collect a portion of the exudates but the foods cool during the process and are served less hot than preferred. Similarly, the cold foods are wiped with an absorbing towel. Often, for example, rather than allow the hot food to cool, the food is served with the excess exudates.
The object of the present invention is to have a portable server that receives hot or cold foods with exudates directly from the preparation process (i.e., deep frier, baking oven, chilled tub, etc) for uninterrupted delivery to the consumer. It is another object that that food exudates drain from the foods on the server during service but do not pool on the server bottom with the food sitting in it. It is a further object that the server support elongate foodstuffs generally vertically so the exudates drain down to the bottom.

Food serving tray with draining compartments


A washing soap dispensing system and method of manufacture comprising a wand adapted for the discharge of water therefrom in a second mode of operation and for the discharge of water and soap in a first mode of operation. The washing wand is constructed with a chamber adapted for containing concentrated liquid soap. The system includes an adjustable metering device for accurately dispensing concentrated liquid soap from the wand and a fluid assist water valve to control the flow of water through the wand.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to washing systems and, more particularly, to a soap and/or water dispensing wand for use in areas such as a sink.
2. Description of Related Art
Hand-held washing devices, such as those used in kitchen areas for cleaning pots, pans, dishes, silverware and the like, have been the subject of considerable design innovation for decades. Such devices are often constructed for attachment to the water discharge line of the sink for facilitating select positioning of discharged water upon the item to be cleaned. In some prior art designs, brushes are assembled with the wand and the water supply line being flexibly attached for facilitating its use. In certain prior art embodiments, a soap dispensing mechanism is also included within the washing device to facilitate the convenient, direct discharge of soap and/or soapy water solutions onto areas in need of cleaning.
The selected discharge of soap into a stream of water used for washing is well established in the prior art. Many of the soap supply systems have even been incorporated directly into washing systems. Such a design facilitates ease and use of the washing device and expedites the washing process for the user. One such prior art device is set forth and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,767 which issued on Sep. 21, 1954. This patent entitled "Dishwasher Device" teaches a tubular handle assembly forming an elongated soap receptacle and a throat portion extending from one end of the soap receptacle, into which soap may be discharged, in conjunction with the flow of water therethrough. A piston is used in conjunction therewith for actuation by the hand of the user for pumping soap into the discharge stream.
Pumping of liquid into the discharge stream has not always been acceptable. Some prior art devices include means for drawing soap solution from a reservoir region in order to discharge the soap solution from a handle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,728 is a 1955 patent teaching such a concept. Because of the viscosity of concentrated liquid soap, it has often been more expeditious to provide a system for manually pumping the liquid soap. In this manner, a select amount of soap can be dispensed. It would obviously be more convenient for the user to fill a handle with liquid soap and provide for its automatic discharge from the handle. Some prior art systems have addressed the problem of the soap viscosity by first diluting the soap with water. However, a soap and water solution can compromise the integrity of the soap and can result in other problems and disadvantages, including the consistency of the mixture, the shelf life thereof, the size of the required reservoir, and related issues.
Some prior art systems for addressing the numerous problems of soap and water dispensing apparatus of this variety include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,371,370, 2,103,957 and 2,855,619. Each of these patents teach methods of and apparatus for mixing soap and water for selective dispensing. No single reference provides, however, a design that overcomes all of the problems of the prior art in the most cost effective manner.
It would be an advantage therefore to provide a reliable soap and water dispensing system which is economical to fabricate, easy to actuate and adapted for use with concentrated liquid soap in an undiluted capacity. It would also be an advantage to provide such a system without the need to manually pump said soap into said discharge stream. The present invention overcomes the problem of the prior art by providing an in-line liquid discharge system specifically adapted for, and capable of, reliable use with concentrated liquid washing soap for the automatic dispensing thereof directly into a discharge stream for the washing of an item. The present invention utilizes the Venturi principle, and it utilizes a means for carefully metering the discharge of liquid soap in a fashion that provides increased reliability for the user.