Rotational member (310) with plural tactile pins (301) movable up-and-down for displaying characters is rotated by rotation driving means. Elastic O-rings (370) are provided in the rotational member (310) for pressing and holding the pins (301). Actuators (320) brought to contact the pins (301) are provided nearby the rotational member (310) for positioning the pins (301) at desired heights from a tactile surface. Cam (330) brought to contact with the pins (301) is provided also nearby the rotational member (310) for positioning the pins (301) at the reset position or height. Furthermore, selectively actuating means is provided for selectively actuating the actuators (320). Owing to such arrangement, a continuous tactile pin display apparatus can be reduced in size, weight and cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tactile pin holding apparatus for holding plural pins such as 6 pins, 8 pins or more, and to a tactile pin display apparatus for continuously displaying desired characters and/or graphics, either braille or general (for e.g. the non-handicapped), two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. More particularly, it relates to a tactile pin holding and moving mechanism by which the pins are moved up-and-down from and to a tactile surface, and held at desired positions or heights from the tactile surface. The present invention furthermore relates to a braille display member capable of decomposing contaminants deposited on the pins or their peripheral portions.
2. Background Art
In a conventional braille display apparatus, which is usually a tactile pin display apparatus, a plurality of braille cells, i.e. display cells, in a given number are arranged in one (braille) line. The tactile pins (hereinafter frequently referred to as pins simply) in the braille or display cells in one (braille) line are electromagnetically moved up-and-down for tactile pin display. After a user (visually handicapped) touches and read the tactile pins in the one braille line, a next braille line is displayed. By sequentially displaying such braille lines of display cells, the user reads the braille information line by line.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 2000-122526 discloses a continuous braille display or tactile pin display apparatus comprising the following six elements. A first element comprises a rotational display drum having a plurality of braille cells, each being composed of 6 pins, wherein the 6 pins in each braille cell are raised and lowered in various ways to display one braille character. A second element comprises a display cover, which covers the display drum, and which exposes a part of the display drum at a braille display window thereof, i.e. braille display location. A third element comprises a display command input unit for inputting display commands. A fourth element comprises a display setting unit for selectively moving up-and-down, relative to a tactile surface, 6 pins in a braille cell at a non-display location of braille cells, thereby preliminarily setting the combination of the positions (heights relative to the tactile surface) of the 6 pins to display a braille character in correspondence with a character signal input to the display command input unit.
A fifth element comprises a display drum rotation driving unit for rotating the display drum relative to the display cover in response to a braille display command, such that the braille cell having been preliminarily set with respect to the combination of the positions of the 6 pins is brought to the place of the braille display window for being exposed outside thereat, and that the braille cell having been exposed outside at the braille display window is brought to a non-display location of braille cells. A sixth element comprises a display holding unit for holding the combination of the pins of the braille cell at the display location, namely at the braille display window.
Japanese Laid-open patent publication 2000-206873 proposes another continuous braille display apparatus comprising: a rotational display drum having a plurality of braille cells, each being composed of 6 pins to be raised and lowered in various ways to display one braille character, each pin being made of permanent magnet; a first arrangement for selectively raising or lowering the pins, using electromagnets; and a second arrangement for holding the pins at the raised and the lowered positions by two kinds of shape-memory alloy springs and heating means.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 09-127859 discloses an arrangement, using an elastic cantilever made of a flat spring, for holding pins at certain positions (heights) of the pins from a tactile surface.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 09-311622 discloses an arrangement, using frictional force of rubber sheet, for holding the pins to be movable up-and-down relative to the tactile surface.
However, the conventional braille display apparatuses according to e.g. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications 2000-122526 and 2000-206873 have drawbacks, such that pin moving means and pin holding means have complicated structures, making it difficult to reduce in size, weight and cost. In addition, none of the four Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications teach any arrangements for keeping clean the pins and/or the rotational drums, constituting the braille display apparatuses, against odor, bacteria, sweat, oil of the hand, food particles and so on.
The conventional braille display or tactile pin display apparatuses will be more specifically described hereinbelow.
Firstly, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 2000-122526 requires a very complicated structure comprising: slippage prevention members (reference numeral 15 in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the Publication) for preventing the pins at the non-display place from slipping in an unintentional direction, either raising or lowering; and a display holding unit (reference numeral 9 in FIG. 2 there), i.e. hooking portions (reference numeral 22 in FIGS. 4, 8 and 9 there) of latching members (reference numeral 22a in FIGS. 8 and 9 there), for holding the pins against strong force of pressing the pins downward by e.g. a finger of a user.
Furthermore, for preventing the pin from pivoting or turning, it is required to bend an end of each pin (reference numeral 7b in FIG. 6 there), and to provide pivoting prevention slits (reference numeral 4e in FIGS. 5 and 6 there) Additionally, three pins (reference numeral 7 there) of each column of each braille cell (reference numeral 6 there) are moved up-and-down by three actuators (reference numeral 17 in FIG. 7 there) that are arranged at one place and are driven simultaneously. Moreover, at an abnormal condition such that a foreign article, such as a paper clip, falls onto the braille cells at the braille display window exposed to outside, and is stuck between the rotational display drum (reference numeral 4 there) and some other element of the apparatus, the rotation of the rotation driving motor is disturbed or stopped. Thereby, an overload or abnormal load is undesirably applied to the motor. This may undesirably cause the apparatus to overheat, emit smoke or even catch fire in the absence of any means to prevent the apparatus therefrom.
Secondly, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 09-127859 is not a continuous braille display apparatus. A display plate (reference numeral 2 there) is fixed, and displays braille characters linearly. In other words, the display plate (2) neither rotates, nor continuously displays braille cells in linear movement.
Furthermore, pins (reference numeral 3 there) for displaying braille characters are held by flat springs (reference numeral 8 there). However, the flat springs (8) are not integrated with the display plate (2) or a plate (reference numeral 4 there), but are fixed on a holding member support plate (reference numeral 9 there). The flat springs (8) can hold the pins (3) against the movement of the pins (3) to be lowered to the display plate (2), but cannot hold the pins against the movement of the pins (3) to be raised from the display plate (2). That is, it only provides a unidirectional holding force.
Lastly, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 09-311622 is not a continuous display apparatus, either. Pins (reference numeral 2 there) are arranged in predetermined numbers of rows and columns in one display zone for displaying characters and/or graphics. The display zone does not move, either rotate or move linearly, so that continuous display cannot be realized. There is provided a lower stopper plate (reference numeral 10 there) made of rubber material for holding the pins (2). However, the lower stopper plate (10) is not integrally supported or held with a flat display plate (reference numeral 1 there) having the pins (2) arranged thereon, and is fixed in the apparatus as a member separate from the flat display plate (1).

Tactile pin holding apparatus, tactile pin display apparatus and braille display member

Abstract: By providing at least the pins (301) or the rotational member (310) with a photocatalyst, it becomes possible to decompose contaminants, such as bacteria, sweat, oil of the hand and food particles, deposited on the pins or their peripheral portions.


A pressure source for a pressure device has a pump for pumping fluid from a tank, an accumulator connected to the pump and to a pressure device, a device for detecting the pressure in the accumulator, and a control system for controlling the operation of the pump in an ON/OFF manner based on results of detection of the pressure detecting device. The pressure detecting device includes a pressure switch to detect pressure in the accumulator to produce an ON/OFF signal, and a pressure sensor outputting a pressure signal corresponding to pressure in the accumulator. The control system judges whether the pressure sensor is normal or out of order, and when the pressure is normal, controls the operation of the pump with the pressure signal. The pressure signal and the ON/OFF signal are compared with each other, and when these signals do not correspond, the pressure switch is determined to be out of order, and when the pressure sensor is out of order, the pump operation is controlled with the ON/OFF signal. In this way, the pump can be controlled appropriately, irrespective of any trouble or abnormality in the detecting device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pressure source for a pressure device, comprising a pump for pumping a fluid from a fluid tank, an accumulator connected to the pump and to a pressure device, pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the accumulator, and a control system for controlling the operation of the pump in an ON/OFF manner on the basis of results of detection of the pressure detecting means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a conventionally known pressure source of the above-described type for a pressure device, used in a brake device, or the like, for a vehicle and which includes, as the pressure detecting means, a pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the accumulator to produce an ON/OFF signal, and a pressure sensor for outputting a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure in the accumulator to detect whether the pressure switch is normal or out of order.
The above-described prior art pressure source for the pressure device is constructed, as shown in FIG. 7, so that if the pressure in the accumulator is reduced, thereby permitting the pressure switch 1 to be turned OFF, the pump is started to increase the pressure in the accumulator, and if the pressure in the accumulator is increased, thereby permitting the pressure switch 1 to be turned ON, the pump is stopped. If the pressure sensor detects the pressure in the accumulator being increased to exceed a judging value F.sub.PH, or being reduced to exceed a judging value F.sub.PL, it is judged that the pressure switch is out of order.
In the above-described prior art pressure source, each of the judging values F.sub.PH and F.sub.PL as a criterion for judgement of the trouble of the pressure switch is a fixed value. For this reason, if the operating pressure for the pressure switch is offset or deflected toward a high pressure side due to a variation that may be generated during manufacturing, as shown by 2 in FIG. 7, it is mis-judged that the pressure switch has an OFF trouble (a trouble of the pressure switch fixed at its OFF position). In contrast, if the operating pressure for the pressure switch is offset or deflected toward a low pressure side as shown by 3, it is mis-judged that the pressure switch has an ON trouble (a trouble of the pressure switch fixed at its ON position).
If the interval between the judging values F.sub.PH and F.sub.PL as criteria for judgement of the troubles is set larger, as shown in FIG. 8, in order to avoid the above-described misjudgement, the range of controlling hydraulic pressure becomes wider, and as a result, an abnormal increase or reduction in hydraulic pressure may be caused.


An exercise machine comprises an actuator, a motor coupled to the actuator, and a motor controller coupled to the motor. The motor controller is configured to receive an indication of a characteristic of a workout on the actuator, wherein the workout comprises a next exercise movement, determine a suggested weight for the next exercise movement, based at least in part on a physiological analysis of the workout characteristic, and control torque of the motor for the next exercise movement, based at least in part on the suggested weight.

Strength training may eventually be demotivational for a user. One aspect of this is a feeling of a lack of progress over time. When maintaining a strength training regimen, users are often at a loss as to what weight levels to choose for a given movement, which may contribute to this feeling of a lack of progress if the chosen weight levels are inappropriate.


A DC offset cancellation device is provided, including a baseband circuit, a common mode feedback (CMFB) circuit, a low-pass filter (LPF), and an amplifier. The CMFB circuit is used to set a specific common mode DC voltage in a differential circuit; thus, the CMFB circuit can be used for detecting the common mode voltage of a differential circuit, and force the voltage to a specific value by using a feedback control. Because the size of a typical CMFB circuit is much smaller than the size of an LPF, the final size of the one-LPF device is smaller than the conventional design using two LPFs.

DC offset, which is often created at the amplification stage, is an undesired component in the analog and RF implementation of wireless communication. A DC offset can either corrupt the signals or saturate the following stage. The DC offset is particularly large after a down-conversion mixer as the down-conversion method translates the radio signal directly to baseband, in which the majority of the gain and filtering are performed in a frequency band from DC to the signal bandwidth. The DC offset in the signal path is amplified throughout the process and the amplified DC offset can further degrade the dynamic range of the circuit. In addition, the DC offset is created when some of the on-channel local oscillator (LO) signal leaks to input port of the mixer and is down-converted. The LO self-mixing effect caused by the LO signal leakage will further aggravate the DC offset problem. If the DC offset is not properly suppressed or cancelled, the sensitivity of the receiver using the down-conversion mixer will suffer greatly.
Various DC offset cancellation schemes have been developed to overcome this problem in the recent years. For examples, the AC-coupling method can be used to solve the problem for applications in which no useful information content in included in the DC signal. However, the large RC area occupation and the long settling time of the AC-coupling method will add an extra problem in the low-cost and high data rate transceiver circuits.
Another DC offset cancellation approach is to use a high-gain differential amplifier and a negative-feedback method. As shown in FIG. 1, a high-gain differential amplifier 108 is used to detect the output DC offset of a circuit 102, and a negative-feedback loop is used to force the DC offset down, or cancel the DC offset entirely This approach, commonly used in many design, uses two low-pass filters (LPF) 104, 106 to realize the differential DC feedback. Without the two LPFs, the AC signal will also be detected and cancelled by the feedback loop that cancels the DC offset. The conventional way to implement the low-pass filters 104, 106 can be either on-chip or off-chip. The former is problematic due to the high RC value, which results in occupying a large chip area, while the latter requires the consumption of two chip pins. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a new approach for reducing the use of the LPF.


A method for ballistic target defense including identifying a launched ballistic target having a target launch point, a target launch direction, a target speed, and a target trajectory; launching a target interceptor in a launch direction that is generally the same as the target launch direction and with a speed that is less than the target speed; providing the interceptor with an approximate target intercept trajectory; and accelerating the interceptor at an approximate point of intercept to substantially match the target trajectory. During a relatively long target engagement time, the interceptor has approximately a zero net relative velocity with respect to the target. The interceptor will have a speed change capability sufficient to maneuver the interceptor around and/or in a target object cloud, providing the interceptor with the ability to inspect an object of the object cloud, capture an object of the object cloud, nondestructively engage in object of the object cloud, and/or destructively engage in object of the object cloud. Embodiments are also directed to a ballistic target defense system and a ballistic target interceptor.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to ballistic target defense and, more particularly, to anti-ballistic missile defense systems and methods that are non-provocative, accurate and reliable.
2. Description of Related Art
Ballistic missile defense (BMD) is one of the most technically challenging aerospace endeavors, and is of great strategic importance to many countries. The traditional approach to BMD employed by the United States of America, for example, evolved from the threat of USSR long-range bomber attack using land based missiles such as the NIKE, in a frontal attack scenario. The relatively large target size and comparatively slow speed of manned bombers enabled a frontal attack by land based anti-aircraft missiles to achieve a high kill probability. When the strategic threat shifted from bombers to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) in the 1960's, the frontal attack approach was retained for anti-ICBM defense with systems such as SPARTAN and SPRINT, two historic missiles related to the U.S. ABM defense system. However, the extremely small size of an ICBM warhead, its much greater hardness compared to that of a manned bomber, its flight environment for all but the launch and termination portions of its trajectory and, in particular, its much higher closing speed dramatically increased the difficulty of a successful frontal intercept.
The high kinetic energy of an ICBM warhead offers an approach to turn its high flight speed into a defensive advantage. At ICBM trajectory speeds of approximately 20,000 feet per second, the kinetic energy of each pound of the warhead is several times the energy of chemical explosives. Therefore, contact with any reasonably sized solid object will cause the warhead to vaporize. This physical principal has led to the development of sophisticated sensor and precision trajectory technologies required to "hit a bullet with a bullet" in a direct frontal attack. This approach of turning the target's high kinetic energy against itself enables a relatively small interceptor missile to accomplish the ballistic missile defense mission because the required interceptor speed change capability, ΔV, can be substantially less than the ICBM ΔV, and because the sufficient interceptor impact mass can be small compared to the mass of the ICBM warhead. Thus, the frontal attack kinetic energy approach to BMD trades the advantages of a potentially smaller interceptor missile and payload for the sensor and guidance challenges of locating and then hitting a ballistic missile warhead with closing speeds in excess of 20,000 feet per second.
Despite advances in sensor technology that have undoubtedly increased the kill probability of the frontal intercept approach to ballistic missile defense, defensive counter measures also continue to be developed. These counter measures may include, for example, the use of decoys such as balloons, locating warheads in a decoy, chilling or heating the decoys to mask their thermal signature, adding divert propulsion to the warhead, or adding an offensive capability that launches a mask in front of the warhead to destroy the interceptor's payload.
In recognition of the importance of ballistic missile defense and the challenges associated therewith, there is a need for an alternative BMD system and approach that utilizes existing and developing technology in tracking, guidance, and communications, and which is more reliable, accurate and cost effective than past approaches and those currently in use.

Ballistic target defense system and methods


A reference data extraction unit extracts, from a photographic image from an imaging device that captures an image of an object to be recognized, an image of a reference image region serving as a reference and containing a detection subject in the object. A expanded data extraction unit extracts from the photographic image an image of an expanded-image region, which is an image region that includes the reference image region and is larger than the reference image region. A reduced data extraction unit extracts from the photographic image an image of a reduced-image region, which is an image region that includes the detection subject and is smaller than the reference image region, with the result that a portion of the object is outside of the region. A learning unit uses the extracted images of the image region to learn a dictionary.

There is a case where the length or the like of an object to be observed is measured by using a captured image of the object to be observed imaged by an imaging device. In such a case, when the length or the like of the object is measured from the captured image by using a computer, the computer performs processing of detecting both ends of a length measurement target portion of the object from the captured image, and then performs processing of calculating the length between the detected both ends, for example.
In the processing of detecting the both ends of the length measurement target portion as described above from the captured image, the computer refers to reference data of a dictionary held in a storage device, for example. As a method of generating the reference data, for example, there is machine learning using a plurality of teacher data different from each other in which the both ends of the length measurement target portion of the object to be observed are imaged.
PTL 1 discloses a technique related to generation of a clipping area detection model used in processing of clipping an image area necessary for personal authentication and motion recognition from a captured image.

Dictionary learning device, dictionary learning method, and program storage medium


In an embodiment, a system includes: a chuck; multiple groove conduits arranged around a circumference of a wafer position on the chuck; a gas source in fluid communication with the multiple groove conduits; and a flow monitor configured to determine an amount of gas flow from the gas source to an individual one of the multiple groove conduits.

Modern manufacturing processes are typically highly automated to manipulate materials and devices and create a finished product. Quality control and maintenance processes often rely on human skill, knowledge and expertise for inspection of the manufactured product both during manufacture and as a finished product.
Typical processing of wafers (e.g., semiconductor workpieces, semiconductor devices, or semiconductor materials) may employ no specific inspection technique for wafer placement on a chuck aside from a manual inspection. This manual inspection may require opening a semiconductor processing chamber in which the wafer is placed on the chuck. Such a manual inspection may also require taking the semiconductor processing chamber offline. Such inspection techniques require large amounts of overhead, but still fail to produce satisfactory results. Therefore, conventional inspection techniques are not entirely satisfactory.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A memory module test socket can accept modules with bent or warped printed-circuit boards (PCBs). A support plate is mounted above a Personal Computer (PC) motherboard by standoffs. An extender card fits through a slot in the support plate. The bottom edge of the extender card is plugged into a motherboard memory module socket on the motherboard. The top of the extender card has an extender socket that sits atop the support plate. End guides are mounted to the support plate and clamp down the extender socket. Funnel guides formed in the end guides have a funnel shape to guide ends of a memory module for better alignment when inserted into the extender socket. A pusher plate with a triangular guide or a perpendicular rod applies a perpendicular force on the middle of a warped memory module to align the middle to the extender socket during insertion.

Memory modules such as Dual-Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs) are widely used in personal computer (PC) and other systems. Robotic arms may pick and place memory modules into special test sockets. The test sockets may be mounted on an inexpensive PC motherboard rather than on an expensive electronic test machine such as automated-test-equipment (ATE).
Test sockets used in memory module production are typically more durable that ordinary memory modules sockets on an inexpensive PC motherboard. Special attention may be given to providing a smooth insertion of the module into the test socket so that the module is not nicked or otherwise damaged during testing.
While the test socket is usually manufactured to a significant degree of precision, the memory modules may not be as precise. Sometimes the small printed-circuit board (PCB) that the memory chips are soldered to is not exactly planar. A certain amount of bend or warpage may exist. Such warped memory modules may be manually inserted into memory module sockets on a PC motherboard, since the human hand can bend the module board slightly to make it fit into the socket. However, during testing, a robotic arm often is used for module insertion. The robotic arm very precisely moves and places the module into the socket, and is not as adaptive as the human hand. When a robotic arm inserts a warped module into a test socket, often the robotic arm is not able to insert the module properly. The module board's warpage may get caught on part of the test socket and hinder insertion.
What is desired is a memory module test socket and robotic system that can test warped memory modules. A test socket that can accept bent modules is desirable, especially for use with a robotic arm.

Socket fixture for testing warped memory modules on a PC motherboard


A high-precision image control method that can be conducted frequently without time or labor. When a sheet-passing operation starts, maximum exposure is performed at present settings in a predetermined non-image forming area and potential is detected by a potential sensor. Detected potential is compared with VH at a first control to judge whether a difference of 10 V or more exists. For a difference of 10 V or more, the signal is made responsive to laser output for achieving VH set at the first control. When the last image forming for that job is performed, potential returns to the potential set at the first control, and control ends. When the last image forming is completed in a consecutive job during short-term variability of VH, VH is restored to its original potential before the next job, whereby settings obtained with the first control are restored.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, copier or facsimile machine.
2. Related Background Art
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-258931, the methods described hereunder are conventionally known as methods that adjust image processing characteristics (hereunder, referred to as "image control method") in image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers and facsimile machines.
According to one method, after an image forming apparatus is turned on and warm-up operations are completed, a specific pattern is formed on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum. The density of the formed pattern is then read, and based on the obtained density value, operations of circuits that determine the image forming conditions, such as a γ correction circuit (gamma correction circuit), are changed to stabilize the quality of formed images.
According to another method, when the gradation characteristics of an image forming apparatus have changed due to fluctuations in environmental conditions, the image quality can be stabilized in accordance with the fluctuations in the environmental conditions by forming a specific pattern on an image bearing member once more and reading the density value, and providing feedback again to circuits that determine the image forming conditions such as a γ correction circuit.
Methods are also known which carry out the above-described control for each image forming operation or at the end of each image forming operation to ensure better stabilization.
Further, when an image forming apparatus has been used over a long period, there are cases in which the density that has been read for a pattern on an image bearing member does not match with the density of an image which is actually printed. Therefore, a method is known in which a specific pattern is formed on a recording material and the image forming conditions are then corrected on the basis of the density value thereof.
A method is also known which corrects a gamma look-up table (γLUT) on the basis of density information for one image pattern, creates a γLUT modulation table, and adds correction information that had been lacking in a gamma correction circuit.
Since the control in the afore-mentioned methods involves time and working operations, the image control cannot be carried out frequently. Accordingly, it cannot be said that image quality such as gradation reproduction and the like can be stabilized sufficiently with respect to the imaging characteristics of image forming apparatuses that vary from one minute to the next.
Further, in a method which enables correction of a gamma correction circuit to be conducted comparatively simply by correcting a γLUT based on density information of one image pattern and then adding the correction information to a gamma correction circuit, when the number of additions increases the gradation differences in the γLUT can no longer be disregarded, and thus false contour is generated.
In addition, when increases in potential in an exposure portion vary several dozen volts for several sheets of formed images as a result of accumulation of residual charges on a photosensitive member caused by exposure, even when a method is adopted which detects the densities of patches having a halftone density that are formed in a non-image formation area (non-image forming area) and corrects a γLUT at a high frequency based on the detected values, since it is necessary to set the correction of the γLUT on the premise of a certain degree of stability in the potential, it is not possible to maintain a stable image density and color tint.


A multiplier for performing multiple types of multiplication including integer, floating point, vector, and polynomial multiplication. The multiplier includes a modified booth encoder within the multiplier and unified circuitry to perform the various types of multiplication. A carry save adder tree is modified to route sum outputs to one part of the tree and to route carry outputs to another part of the tree. The carry save adder tree is also organized into multiple carry save adder trees to perform vector multiplication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multipliers, and in particular to methods and mechanisms for performing numerous types of multiplication with the same multiplier circuitry.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern-day processors often need to perform several different types of multiplication (e.g., integer, floating point, vector, polynomial). The multipliers used by processors are typically large, resource intensive circuits. Implementing numerous separate multipliers to perform each type of multiplication can consume a large amount of die space. Die space on a processor is limited in availability and typically there is only so much die space on the processor available for multiplier circuits. The less space taken up by the multipliers, the more space is available for other circuits, and therefore the number and size of the multipliers should be reduced as much as possible.

Shared integer, floating point, polynomial, and vector multiplier


Aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods increase an aircraft's fuel capacity. The fuel tanks have a tank body defining an interior space for holding aircraft fuel, and a relief manifold assembly operatively associated to the tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the fuel tank body. The relief manifold assembly preferably includes a buffer vessel defining a buffer chamber in fluid communication with the interior space defined by the fuel tank body. The buffer vessel may advantageously be fixed to the tank body within the interior space thereof. At least one of a fuel vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the fuel tank and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank. At least one control box (e.g., containing valves, pumps and/or sensors) external of the fuel tank may be provided so as to fluid-connect the at least one fluid manifold assembly to the main fuel system of the aircraft. A plurality of aircraft fuel tanks may therefore be positioned adjacent to one another, preferably within the fuselage (e.g., a cargo compartment) of the aircraft so as to be disposed generally along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

Commercial and military transport aircraft are typically designed to carry a given load of passengers, cargo or both, at a given range and/or at a given endurance. Occasionally, the range and/or endurance of the aircraft may need to be increased. Such extended range and/or endurance can be accomplished by installing additional or auxiliary fuel tank systems in the aircraft, typically by positioning fuel tanks physically within the aircraft's fuselage cargo space (i.e., that space within the aircraft's pressurized fuselage which is below the passenger deck). Conventional auxiliary fuel tank systems are typically comprised of additional fuel tanks and their respective equipment, manifolds, and harnesses necessary to manage the additional fuel carried in the tanks.
These additional fuel tanks and systems could come in diverse configurations, for example, with tanks installed under the wings, external to the aircraft or with tanks internal to the fuselage. These additional fuel tanks and systems could be configured to directly supply fuel to the engines or to transfer the fuel to other tanks and from there to feed the aircraft engines or be used to control aircraft center of gravity or even to transfer fuel to other aircraft, in flight or to other vehicles, on ground.
Whatever the reasons to install these additional tanks and systems, they should be at most practical to the aircraft operator. Thus, additional tanks and systems which complement an aircraft's main wing tanks should be relatively simple to install, remove, and integrate into the basic aircraft fuel system. In addition, such additional tanks and systems should be relatively simple to maintain.
Auxiliary fuel tank systems are in and of themselves know. For example, it has recently been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,889,940, 7,040,579 and 7,051,979 (the entire content of each being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference) to provide auxiliary fuel tank systems that contemplate providing various separate manifold assemblies (e.g., fuel inlet and outlet manifolds, vent manifolds and the like) internally of each tank. By positioning the tanks assemblies in adjacent side-by-side configuration, their respective internal manifolds may be connected together to provide a tank system that can be operatively interconnected with the aircraft's on-board fuel management systems. However, the proposed auxiliary tank systems of these patents may be somewhat sometimes troublesome. For example, the proposed tank systems may require relatively costly precision machining of the respective manifolds as well as relatively expensive assembly of both the tanks and the aircraft. In addition, these proposed conventional auxiliary fuel tanks systems necessarily demand that a high degree of flexibility in the manifold connections be provided so as to assure that the individual fuel tanks (which themselves are of relatively large dimension and heavy weight) are perfectly aligned in a row within an aircraft fuselage in such a way that the manifolds can be properly connected. Potentially therefore, a series of accesses should be provided in such systems so as to ensure that the tanks, manifolds, and their respective connections may be properly inspected against misconnections, leakage and/or damage.
So-called aircraft turn-around time (i.e., the time needed to return a revenue generating aircraft to the flight line after being withdrawn for maintenance purposes) and maintenance costs are of utmost concern to aircraft operators in the aeronautical industry. Thus, although the conventional auxiliary fuel tanks noted previously may be practical for relatively large auxiliary fuel tanks associated with larger aircraft designs, they may be prove to be quite difficult to be embodied in relatively smaller auxiliary fuel tanks associated with smaller aircraft designs due, for example to inadequate access space to install the necessary fuel management equipment by an assembly worker. In addition, these conventional auxiliary fuel tanks may eventually require disassembly and removal of the tanks so as to allow for equipment inspection, repair or replacement, thereby demanding a relatively stiff penalty in both cost and scheduled maintenance down time.
The installation of electrical equipment near or inside such conventional fuel tanks is another subject of concern, when designing fuel system and equipment. The risk of fire, due to contact between fuel or fuel vapors and equipment that potentially causes sparks must be minimized. Thus, for safety reasons, the adoption of "dry bays" is also recommended in auxiliary fuel tank systems so as to provide an installation space for such equipment that is isolated from the fuel and/or fuel vapors. "Dry bays" which are integral to the fuel tanks also make it easier to detect and drain of any leaked fuel even though they may increase tank design and manufacturing costs, add weight and reduce useable fuel quantity. An alternative concept to such "dry bays" includes providing one or more barriers to prevent occasional fuel leakage or diffusion of fuel vapors into the aircraft interior.
Another difficulty that may be encountered in the conventional auxiliary fuel tank systems noted previously relates to the manifolds that interconnect one tank to another so as to transfer fluids in both directions (i.e., into and out of a respective tank). In case of high accelerations or decelerations in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft (and hence the row of auxiliary fuel tanks positioned within the aircraft's fuselage), if the fuel tanks are fluid-connected to one another through one or more manifolds and fuel is allowed to migrate from one fuel tank to another in a cascade fashion, the pressure that responsively develops in the last one of the fuel tanks in that row may reach values well above the tank's structural limits. As a result, a real risk of potentially damaging or even rupturing the fuel tank exists.
It would therefore be highly desirable if aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods were provided which address at least some (if not all) of the various design concerns and/or considerations noted above with respect to conventional auxiliary fuel tank systems. It is towards fulfilling such a need that the present invention is directed.

Aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods for increasing an aircraft's on-board fuel capacity

EMBRAER—Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A.


Earth-boring tools include at least one up-drill feature disposed on a transition surface so as to be passive during down drilling and active during up drilling and/or back reaming operations. Systems for down drilling and up drilling with drill bits comprising one or more up-drill features are also disclosed. Furthermore, methods for forming a borehole with an earth-boring tool including such up-drill features and for forming an earth-boring tool comprising such up-drill features are also disclosed.

Drilling wells for oil and gas production conventionally employ longitudinally extending sections, or so-called "strings," of drill pipe to which, at one end, is secured a drill bit of a larger diameter. The drill bit conventionally forms a bore hole through the subterranean earth formation to a selected depth. Generally, after a selected portion of the bore hole has been drilled, the drill bit is removed from the bore hole so that a string of tubular members of lesser diameter than the bore hole, known as casing, can be placed in the bore hole and secured therein with cement. Therefore, drilling and casing according to the conventional process typically requires sequentially drilling the bore hole using drill string with the drill bit attached thereto, removing the drill string and drill bit from the bore hole, and disposing and cementing a casing into the bore hole.
Rotary drill bits are commonly used for drilling such bore holes or wells. One type of rotary drill bit is the fixed-cutter bit (often referred to as a "drag" bit), which typically includes a plurality of cutting elements secured to a face region of a bit body. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional fixed-cutter rotary drill bit 100 includes a bit body 110 having a face 120 defining a proximal end and comprising generally radially extending blades 130, forming fluid courses 140 therebetween extending to junk slots 150 between circumferentially adjacent blades 130. Bit body 110 may comprise a composite matrix or a steel body, both as known in the art.
The drill bit includes an outer diameter 155 defining the radius of the wall surface of a bore hole. The outer diameter 155 may be defined by a plurality of gage regions 160, which may also be characterized as "gage pads" in the art. Gage regions 160 comprise longitudinally upward (as the drill bit 100 is oriented during use) extensions of blades 130. The gage regions 160 may have wear-resistant inserts and/or coatings, such as hardfacing material, tungsten carbide inserts natural or synthetic diamonds, or a combination thereof, on radially outer surfaces 165 thereof as known in the art to inhibit excessive wear thereto so that the design borehole diameter to be drilled by the drill bit is maintained over time.
A plurality of cutting elements 180 is conventionally positioned on each of the blades 130. Generally, the cutting elements 180 have either a disk shape or, in some instances, a more elongated, substantially cylindrical shape. The cutting elements 180 commonly comprise a "table" of super-abrasive material, such as mutually bound particles of polycrystalline diamond, formed on a supporting substrate of a hard material, conventionally cemented tungsten carbide. Such cutting elements are often referred to as "polycrystalline diamond compact" (PDC) cutting elements or cutters. The plurality of PDC cutting elements 180 may be provided within cutting element pockets 190 formed in rotationally leading surfaces of each of the blades 130. Conventionally, a bonding material such as an adhesive or, more typically, a braze alloy may be used to secure the cutting elements 180 to the bit body 110.
The bit body 110 of a rotary drill bit 100 typically is secured to a steel shank 200 having an American Petroleum Institute (API) threaded connection for attaching the drill bit 100 to a drill string (not shown). Top transition surfaces 210 are located at the upper ends of the gage regions 160 between the outer diameter defined by the radially outer surfaces 165 of gage regions 160 and a shank shoulder 220. Transition edges 230 are defined between the radially outer surfaces 165 of gage regions 160 and their respective, associated top transition surfaces 210.
During drilling operations, the drill bit 100 is positioned at the bottom of a well bore hole and rotated. Drilling fluid is pumped through the inside of the bit body 110, and out through nozzles (not shown). As the drill bit 100 is rotated, the PDC cutting elements 180 scrape across and shear away the underlying earth formation material. The formation cuttings mix with the drilling fluid and pass through the fluid courses 140 and then through the junk slots 150, up through an annular space between the wall of the bore hole and the outer surface of the drill string to the surface of the earth formation.
When drilling in unconsolidated, highly abrasive and/or hardened formations as well as in other formation materials, the radially outer surface of the gage regions 160 of the drill bits are subjected to wear caused by the abrasive cuttings being drilled, the high sand content in the mud, and the sand particles along the borehole wall. Improvements in the wear-resistant inserts and/or coatings have helped to limit the accelerated wear from occurring to the radially outer surfaces 165 of the gage regions 160 in the normal (i.e., downward) drilling mode. However, when the drill bit 100 is reversed in the bore hole, such as when back reaming or up drilling is performed, substantial wear to the top transition surfaces 210 including the transition edges 230 located near the shank 200 end of the bit may occur. Such wear causes rounding over the gage region 160 and eventually will significantly wear the gage region 160.

Passive and active up-drill features on fixed cutter earth-boring tools and related systems and methods


Provided herein are gas and/or temperature assisted electrospinning apparatus, processes, components and polymer nanofibers.

Electrospinning is a process for forming fibers, including nanofibers, through the action of electrostatic forces. When the electrical force at the interface of polymer overcomes surface tension, a charged jet is ejected. The jet initially extends in a straight line, then undergoes various whipping motions during the flight from nozzle to collector. The polymer is usually collected onto a grounded mesh or plate in the form of a nonwoven mat of high surface area. The resultant fibers have a fine thickness, ranging from micron-scale diameter to nano-scale. Polymer nanofibers, possessing high surface area to mass ratios, have great potential for applications in a wide variety of fields, including high performance filtration, chemical sensing, and biomedical engineering.


A control system for an automatic transmission having a running status detector for detecting the running status of a vehicle including an input torque from an engine; a running resistance estimator for estimating a running resistance on the basis of the running status of the vehicle; a running resistance comparator for comparing the estimated running resistance and a preset reference value; and a shift characteristic changing device for changing shift characteristics in accordance with the comparison result of the running resistance comparator. The automatic transmission control system further has a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature relating to the temperature of the engine and a decision device for determining a specific engine running status, in which the output of the engine drops, on the basis of an output signal coming from the temperature sensor. The running resistance comparator changes the reference value in accordance with the determination of the decision device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control system for an automatic transmission, for changing a shift map by comparing an acceleration from an input torque and an acceleration from a vehicle speed to estimate a running resistance and, more particularly, to a control system for an automatic transmission for changing the shift map accurately even when the engine is cold.
2. Related Art
In the control system for an automatic transmission in the prior art, a gear change is effected according to predetermined shift characteristics. However, these shift characteristics are determined on the basis of an ordinary running status so that they cannot always satisfy the driver for the road gradient situations of uphill or downhill roads, for example. In order to achieve a gear change matching the road gradient situations of uphill or downhill roads, therefore, there has been proposed the so-called "hill control" (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 45160/1986) for changing the shift characteristics according to the road gradient situation, as determined from a running resistance, by estimating the running resistance from the running status of a vehicle as including an input torque coming from the engine.
In the prior art described above, however, the engine output drops at cold or overheated conditions of the engine, for example. As a result, a decrease in accuracy occurs that can result in a misjudgment that an uphill road is being followed even though the vehicle actually is running on a flat road. This may result in a misapplication of the hill control.
In order to solve this problem, there has been proposed a technique (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 266154/1990) for selecting a map to calculate a running resistance estimated value in accordance with an engine water temperature and an A/T oil temperature.
When the running resistance estimated value calculating map is to be selected, as in the prior art, according to the engine water temperature or the A/T oil temperature, a memory having a larger capacity is necessary for storing the maps according to the temperatures. When the aforementioned hill control is added to the existing electronic control unit (ECU), for example, the excessive data required for the hill control may make the memory short of capacity, and the memory may have to be replaced by another having a larger capacity. Moreover, this change in the memory makes it necessary to change the circuit design for the entire ECU. Further, in order to prepare the data for the running resistance estimated value computing maps, there are required a number of steps for calibrations.

Control system for automatic transmission


Implementations of this specification provide service identifier-based data indexing. An example method performed by a data indexing apparatus of a centralized database service provider that stores data by using a blockchain-type ledger includes obtaining a service identifier and a service label of a data record, the service identifier uniquely identifying a service attribute of the data record, and the service label representing a type of the data record; determining location information of the data record in the blockchain-type ledger, the location information including a block height of a data block that includes the data record, and a positional offset of the data record in the data block that includes the data record; establishing a mapping relationship among the service identifier, the service label, and the location information; and writing the mapping relationship into an index for which a primary key is the service identifier.

When a centralized database service provider provides services by using a blockchain-type ledger, that stores data based on a blockchain data structure (e.g., in a form of a blockchain), the ledger records related data records to be stored by related users.
In practice, the centralized database service provider is usually connected to enterprise users, and data records to be stored by the enterprise users usually have different service identifiers (which can be considered as service attributes), such as sources of the data records, users of the data records, and projects to which the data records belong. The same service identifier may correspond to different types of data records. For example, in a source tracing process, when the same batch of products is transported at different transport points, the different transport points have transport records of the products, and the different transport points have different transport urgency levels for the products and may have multiple different sending urgency levels.
Data records with the same service identifier are usually stored in a blockchain-type ledger in a distributed way, and multiple different types of data records are usually included for the same service identifier. However, current querying in a blockchain-type ledger is usually in a serial manner. On this basis, a service identifier-based data indexing solution is needed.


The present invention provides a cordless thermal vaporizer of the liquid type wherein the body of the vaporizer has a heater for heating a wick for drawing up a chemical solution from a bottle, and a socket disposed under the heater and removably fittable in the form of a cap to the bottle for attachment thereto. The body is reduced in weight and thereby made attachable to an electric outlet with stability. The solution bottle can be attached directly to the socket of the body and is therefore easy to replace.

Thermal vaporizers, such as electric mosquito controlling devices, include those of the mat type wherein a mat impregnated with an insecticidal solution is used as placed on a heat plate, and those of the liquid type wherein a chemical solution is heated for vaporization while being drawn up through a wick from a bottle. Those of the mat type include cordless devices already proposed, while cordless devices of the liquid type have yet to be proposed. The electric mosquito controlling device of the liquid type is relatively heavy in its entirety since the overall weight of the device includes the weight of the device body and that of the solution bottle. If cordless, the entire device must be supported against gravity solely by a plug attached to the electric outlet. It is therefore likely that the plug will slip off the outlet when the device is heavy. This defect has been a serious obstacle to overcome in designing cordless liquid-type devices. For example, the conventional electric mosquito controlling device of the liquid type with a cord comprises a box-shaped body and is used with a solution bottle accommodated in the body. The device body of the conventional structure must have a height at least sufficient for the body to accommodate the solution bottle and the wick projecting upward from the bottle, and is consequently large-sized, heavy and unsuited for use as a cordless device. The device is further inconvenient in that the bottom portion of the device body needs to be removed when the solution bottle is to be accommodated in the body.

Method for thermal vaporization of chemical


A filling system for an anesthetic evaporator allows an adapter neck (5) of a bottle adapter (1), which said adapter neck is coded in an anesthetic-specific manner, to be inserted into the filler neck of a filling device in a simple manner. A hinge (39) is provided between the adapter neck (5) and the threaded sleeve (2) of the bottle adapter (1).

A filling system of the type has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,016 B1. To make it possible to fill liquid anesthetic into an anesthetic evaporator, a bottle adapter is necessary, which establishes the connection between the reservoir for liquid anesthetic and the filling device at the anesthetic evaporator. A threaded sleeve, which has two grooves for receiving an indexing ridge arranged at the neck of the reservoir, is provided at the bottle-side end of the bottle adapter. The indexing ridge has an anesthetic-specific design, so that only the bottle adapter fitting the reservoir can be screwed on the thread of the bottle.
An anesthetic-specific code in the form of two projections, which are arranged offset at an angle in relation to one another and mesh with corresponding recesses on the filler neck of the filling device, is also provided on the adapter neck of the bottle adapter.
The outlet connection of the bottle adapter is closed by means of a spring-loaded adapter valve, so that no anesthetic vapor can enter the environment. A corresponding filling valve is provided on the filling device. A stationary rod, whose length is selected to be such that when the adapter neck is introduced into the filler neck of the filling device, the adapter valve can be opened, is located in the middle of the filler neck of the filling device. The interplay of the bottle adapter and the filling device is designed such that the filling valve opens first and the adapter valve thereafter. Liquid anesthetic can then flow from the reservoir into the tank of the anesthetic evaporator.
The drawback of the prior-art filling system is that the anesthetic-specific code on the adapter neck can be introduced into the filler neck of the filling device in a certain preferred position only.

Filling system for an anesthetic evaporator


A lamp (10) comprising an hermetically sealed, cylindrical envelope (12) arrayed about a longitudinal axis (13); two filament supports (14, 16) sealed in the envelop; a filament (18) fixed between the filaments supports; and an internal reflector (20) in the envelope for directing light emitted from the filament outwardly from the envelope.

Increasing the light output of any given lamp is a constant effort. Beyond gaining small advantages by tweaking the filament or the environment in which the filament operates it is generally necessary supply more power, that is, increase the wattage. While the latter technique works, it also increases the cost of operation. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the light out put of lamps without increasing the wattage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,513, issued Sep. 28, 1976, suggests that this can be accomplished by providing a reflective coating on the inside of a portion of large spherical or hemispherical lamp envelopes; however, providing internal coatings on lamp envelopes is a difficult and costly endeavor. Also, such a technique does not readily adapt to cylindrical lamp envelopes.

Cylindrical lamp employing internal reflector


An ultra quiet electric motor includes a drive shaft, bearing structure rotatably supporting the drive shaft, and an armature assembly and commutator each fixed on the drive shaft. A motor housing is disposed around the armature assembly and has an open end portion. A permanent magnet structure is disposed between the motor housing and the armature. Brush structure is provided having a pair of brush support arms each guiding a generally crescent-shaped brush. Each of the brushes contacts the commutator. A noise absorbing housing is defined by a plurality of walls and is disposed generally around the brush structure. Noise absorption material covers at least a portion of at least one of the walls of the noise absorbing housing. An end cap is fixed to the motor housing to close the open end portion thereof. The structure of the motor is such that during operation, a decibel rating of approximately 32 dbA is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electric motors for automobile applications and, more particularly, to electric motors incorporating vibration reduction structures to effectively minimize component vibration and noise generated during operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Fractional horsepower direct current electric motors are commonly used in the automotive industry to power heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning systems, radiator engine cooling fans, etc. These motors generally include an outer frame or housing and an armature mounted for rotational movement within the housing. An electric current is carried through electromagnetic windings of the armature to create an electromagnetic field which cooperates with permanently fixed magnets disposed within the housing to cause rotation of the armature thus, powering the system.
Due to various factors such as motor or armature imbalance, unequal magnetic force and bearing defects and hammering effects of the brushes, operation of the motor may cause excessive surface vibration of the motor components. This vibration results in the generation of undesired noise and structural sound which often propagates to the vehicle interior, thereby affecting passenger comfort.
Automotive manufacturers and part suppliers have undertaken efforts to minimize acoustic noise of electric motors. One conventional approach incorporates resilient washers which are positioned about the armature shaft proximate the bearings to resist movement of the armature relative to the frame, thus, attempting to minimize noise created by axial movement of the armature. Other noise suppression approaches include the use of noise absorption materials, and barriers within the motor.
None of the foregoing efforts, however, provides an adequate solution for effective suppression of vibration and noise generated by an electric motor.

Electric motor having brush noise absorption system


An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

In some ablation procedures, an electrode disposed at the distal end of an intrabody probe is brought into contact with tissue, and radiofrequency (RF) energy is then passed from the electrode into the tissue.
US Patent Application Publication 2018/0110562, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,898,262 on Jan. 26, 2021, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a catheter that includes an insertion tube, a flexible substrate, and one or more electrical devices. The insertion tube is configured for insertion into a patient body. The flexible substrate is configured to wrap around a distal end of the insertion tube and includes electrical interconnections. The electrical devices are coupled to the flexible substrate and are connected to the electrical interconnections.

Heat transfer through an ablation electrode


An electrical apparatus connected to a commercial power source includes: a case made of resin and housing a functional member; blades insert-molded in the case and each having an exposed part connected to the commercial power source and a resin facing part which is enclosed by the resin and all along an outer periphery of which a groove is formed; and elastic members each disposed between the resin and the resin facing part and having a fitting convex coming into close contact with the groove at the time of the insert molding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical apparatus connected to a commercial power source and a method of manufacturing the electrical apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrical apparatus of this type, for example, an AC adapter has a metal plug, and the plug is connected to a commercial power source. The plug is made up of a set of blades and is insert-molded in a waterproof resin case. Such a plug is disclosed in a pamphlet of International Publication WO 07/116791.
This adapter converts alternating-current power to direct-current power, and during this conversion, heat is generated in the adapter. This heat causes gaps between the case and the blades due to a difference in shrinkage percentage between the case and the blades, which will be a cause of lowering airtightness of the case.
Under such circumstances, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3815733 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-265748) discloses an example of a technique for enhancing airtightness of the case by filling a sealing resin material in the case. However, this resin material is generally expensive, and in addition, the time for drying the resin material is required in addition to the time for solidifying the resin forming the case, resulting in a longer manufacturing period.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 9-306578 and Japanese Utility Model Registration Publication No. 3075008 disclose techniques for coating outer peripheries of the blades by injection molding. These techniques can fill the gap between the case and the blades.
However, the techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 9-306578 and Japanese Utility Model Registration Publication No. 3075008 apply an insulation layer for coating in order to prevent tracking and are not intended to ensure airtightness of the case. Further, in these techniques, a groove and a through hole are formed in an exposed part of each of the blades connected to a receptacle in order to facilitate the application of the insulation layers, which is not preferable in view of regulations regarding safety of electrical appliances.
Further, in these techniques, the groove is formed in part of each of the blades, and therefore, part of the blade where no groove is formed is not fully in close contact with the insulation layer, which poses a problem that airtightness of the case cannot be ensured. Another problem to be noted in these techniques is that the through hole is formed in the blade. This hole has a function of guiding the insulation layer to a rear side of the blade, but the injection pressure may possibly separate the insulation layer and the blade all the more.
As described above, the aforesaid techniques of coating the outer periphery of the blade still have a problem to be solved with respect to ensuring waterproofness of the case.

Electrical apparatus and method of manufacturing the same


A collapsible container system for use on the bed of a truck including a flexible, water resistant, fabric bag assembly having a sealable opening in connection with a storage chamber for storing articles to be transported. The bottom of the bag assembly is coated or otherwise treated to be waterproof so that standing water is prevented from soaking through the water resistant fabric. The container system also includes a pair of rigid braces that are securable to the interior surface of two opposed sidewalls of the bag assembly. Each of the rigid braces extends to the corners of its respective opposed sidewall. The exterior surface of each of the opposed sidewalls is provided with a mechanism for securing the end of at least one and preferably two or more securing cords. The other end of each of the securing cords is provided with a mechanism for attachment to the body of the truck. In use, one end of each of the securing cords is attached to the exterior of one of the two thus braced opposed sidewalls and the other end of each securing cord is attached so the truck body in a manner such that the bag assembly is stretched therebetween and held in the expanded configuration.

Because pickup trucks have limited passenger compartment space and no trunk space, it is often necessary to place items to be transported by these vehicles in the bed section of the truck where they are exposed to the weather including wind, dust, rain and snow. Although many items are not effected by such exposure, many items such as groceries, luggage, etc. can be damaged or ruined if exposed to one or more of these elements. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a container positioned in the bed of the truck for covering these items and protecting them during transportation. One solution to this problem is to install a hard sided container having a hinged cover in the truck bed to store and transport these items. Although such hard sided containers work well, they reduce the size of the bed and, thereby, limit the beds use. It would be a benefit, therefore to have a container for protecting items from the elements during transporting of the items in the bed of a pickup truck that was collapsible for storage within the cab of the pickup truck when not needed or when the full bed of the pickup was needed. It would also be desirable if the collapsible container was easily and rapidly installed when needed and removed when not needed. It would of course also be desirable to have such a collapsible container that was inexpensive to manufacture.

Collapsible container system for truck beds


A packer is provided with a continuous flow of side-by-side columns of plastic bottles that move down an inclined ramp and into a load station where groups or slugs of bottles are deposited into trays or cases. An overhead flight bar conveyor provides a gap between each such group and the cases move by line pressure through the load station. Neck ring guides are provided above the flight bar path to control the descent of the bottles into each case. The path of the flight bars assures that each slug or group is closely controlled, initially by the steep entry angle and as a result of the shallow V-shaped path defined by the angularly related linear active runs on the flight bars prior to entry into the load station and by a second active run forming an abrupt V at the entry to the load station and inclined toward the neck ring guides at the same angle defined by the first run.

This invention relates generally to improvements in packing plastic bottles into cases which are fed one adjacent the other from below the path of the bottles so as to be continuously mated with groups or slugs of the bottles at a load station.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,805 shows a system for loading plastic bottles into inline cases or trays where the articles are guided by neck ring guides, and wherein rotating disks are provided with projecting circumferentially spaced lugs that move downwardly between the articles and more particularly between those articles which must be separated to accommodate the end panels of the inline cases. The packer disclosed in this 5,241,805 patent suffers from a disadvantage in that relatively soft plastic bottles of the type filled with any fluid beverages particularly cannot be conveniently accommodated by these rotating disks so as to create the desired spacing between the article rows for accommodating these adjacent end panels of the inline cases.
The more recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,186 represents an attempt to cure this problem, but the elimination of the neck ring guide in the packer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,186 has led to inconsistent results with soft plastic product of the general type described in the preceding paragraph. Whereas the '560 patent discloses side guides that are adapted to engage shoulders in the plastic bottles rather than neck ring guides for engaging the necks of the bottles as in the '805 patent. It has been found advantageous to provide a packer capable of utilizing neck ring guides to control the movement of the bottles into the case after leaving the downstream edge of the inclined shelf across which the bottles move into the load station.
One purpose and aim of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a packer of the type which can be fitted either with the separator wheels disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,805, or that allows these wheels to be replaced with structure of the present invention, particularly with a structure that provides neck ring guides to control the path of the plastic bottles as they leave the dead plate or shelf and are gradually lowered into the packing case.
Another purpose and aim of the present invention is to provide an overhead flight bar structure that achieves positive control over the slug or group of plastic bottles being loaded into the end-to-end packing cases, and that allows withdrawal of the flight bars along a shallow inclined path that matches the angle of the path taken by the flight bars as they create the spaced slugs or groups of bottles to be loaded.


A method is provided. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is operated. A position of the UAV is determined while in flight, and a nonce is generated. A Merkel root is generated based at least in part on a timestamp and the position of the UAV. A current block is calculated based at least in part on a previous block, the Merkel root, and the nonce, and the current block, the timestamp, the nonce, the prior block, and the position of the UAV are transmitted.

Over the last few years, drones have become more widely used in a variety of applications ranging from reconnaissance to delivery of supplies. As a result, drones have been incrementally improving and are on the verge of being in wide-spread use. But, widespread usage of drones—especially in urban areas—can be problematic. Namely, the drones can pose a danger to public safety due to (for example) entering prohibited areas (like power substations), airborne collisions, or poor weather conditions. Therefore, there is a need for overriding drone controls to help ensure public safety. Some examples of conventional drone controls and designs can be seen in the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,070,101; 9,262,929; 9,307,383; 9,359,074; 9,373,014; 9,373,149; 9,451,020; 9,479,392; 9,493,238; 9,535,423; 9,547,307; 9,612,123; 9,630,715; 9,631,933; 9,669,904; 9,671,781; 9,720,415; 9,734,723; 9,743,260; 9,754,490; 9,910,441; 9,958,864; 9,983,582; 9,987,971; 10,000,285; and 10,048,683.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle


An assembly for securing an apparatus to a facemask includes a U-shaped frame extending along similarly shaped portions of the facemask. Removable attachment clips secure the frame to the facemask. Two cylindrical pins with circumferential radiused grooves are attached to and extend from the top portion of the frame. The pins mate with bores in a clevis assembly, to which the apparatus can be attached. A spring-loaded bar spans between the bores. The bores in the clevis assembly receive the pins and the spring-bias causes the bar to engage with the grooves to secure the clevis assembly to the frame. A lever is rotatably attached to the clevis assembly. Pivoting the lever works against the spring-bias to lift the bar out of the grooves, disengaging the pins, and allowing the clevis assembly to be disengaged from the frame and facemask.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement for facemasks worn by divers, firefighters, or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement for a bracket structure mountable on the outside of a facemask to secure an external apparatus to the facemask.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Divers, firefighters, first responders and other workers that wear facemasks frequently need to be apprised of environmental and status information for the successful and safe completion of their work assignments. Such information can include details of their surroundings, environmental and ambient conditions, and data regarding depth, orientation, or status of their life-support breathing apparatus.
Typically, a diver is supplied with separate timers, pressure gauges and other displays for monitoring such critical information. In order to access the information, divers may need to rapidly attach or remove various accessories or apparatuses to their facemasks, including such devices as lights, cameras, head-mounted displays (HMDs), thermal imagers, night-vision devices and the like.
Some HMDs have been hard-mounted to a helmet or a full-facemask but these HMDs have not been usable with single strap Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) type facemasks. Some specialized masks have been manufactured with one type or another of display made as an integral part. However, such specialized masks can be costly and may not be suitable for other tasks or other work conditions.
Consequently, many different expensive masks would have to be kept in inventory for the different applications. As the technology for HMDs advances, so does their use. Thus, an inventory of expensive, specialized masks can become obsolete after a relatively short time.
In addition, new safety and job requirements are evolving that require divers to use HMDs while wearing certain mask types. The divers must still be able to quickly remove the HMD systems (e.g. for safety reasons), or to pass the systems to other divers. However, removal of a facemask underwater to make this removal or transfer is unacceptably hazardous, so that further development and improvements of this technology are needed.
Recent bracket designs for securing HMDs make it possible to mount a HMD to a facemask using strap assemblies in addition to the facemask straps. However, such designs are cumbersome and difficult to attach or remove underwater.
Thus, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a means for securely positioning or indexing displays of information and other visual aids in the field of view of a wearer of a facemask that can be fitted onto and removed from the facemask to improve safety and operational effectiveness without unduly encumbering the facemask.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A housing (1) for a load adjusting device of an actuating drive for a throttle of an internal combustion engine, the housing having two housing parts (2, 3), has a circumferential sheet-metal strip (10). The sheet-metal strip (10) in each case engages behind an edge (8, 9) of the housing parts (2, 3). The housing parts (2, 3) are therefore prestressed uniformly against each other and reliably sealed off against each other.

The invention relates to a housing for a load adjusting device of an actuator that determines the output of an internal combustion engine, in particular an actuator designed as a throttle, having two housing parts to accommodate a mechanism and/or a reversible actuating drive for the load adjusting device, and having a fixing means for connecting the housing parts positively, one under the other.
Housings of the above type are most often fixed to a throttle connecting piece and are known from internal combustion engines, for example of motor vehicles. The housing parts accommodate the load adjusting device generally referred to as E-gas. In the known housing, one of the housing parts has latching hooks to engage behind latching recesses in the respective other housing part. The latching hooks are in this case produced in one piece with their housing part.
The drawback with the known housing is that, as a result of the latching hooks, it is not possible to transmit any high prestressing forces to the housing parts. This means that the permanent tightness of the housing is not ensured.
The invention is based on the problem of configuring a housing of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that permanent tightness is reliably ensured.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by the fixing means being formed as a sheet-metal strip which is held by one of the housing parts and by the sheet-metal strip having means to engage behind the other housing part.
As a result of this configuration, the housing parts can be prestressed against each other with very high forces, given appropriate configuration of the sheet-metal strip. Furthermore, point loadings on the housing parts, such as are often produced when there is a low number of latching hooks, are avoided given a correspondingly wide configuration of the sheet-metal strip. The formation of cracks in the housing parts can therefore simply be ruled out, by virtue of the invention. This means that very high tightness of the housing is ensured. A further advantage of this configuration is that the housing parts can in each case be produced particularly cost-effectively, since no latching hooks or apertures for the latching hooks are needed.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the prestressing forces transmitted from the sheet-metal strip to the housing parts can be distributed uniformly over the mutually adjoining regions of the housing parts if the sheet-metal strip has a flange shaped so as to engage behind a circumferential edge arranged on one of the housing parts. In this case, the sheet-metal strip can in each case engage with its edges behind a circumferential edge of the housing parts, it being possible for one of the engagement means to be preformed on the sheet-metal strip, while the other engagement means is produced by the flange during the assembly of the housing.
The housing according to the invention has particularly few components to be assembled if the housing part that is shaped like a pot in order to accommodate just a mechanism of the load adjusting device has the circumferential edge, and if the housing part that forms a cover is produced in one piece with the sheet-metal strip.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the single-piece configuration of the sheet-metal strip with the housing part can be produced simply if one of the housing parts is produced from plastic in the injection-molding process, and if the sheet-metal strip is injection-molded onto this housing part. In order to be injection-molded on, the sheet-metal strip can hereby be simply inserted into the injection mold of the housing part. When the injection mold is filled with plastic, the sheet-metal strip is connected to the housing part.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the sheet-metal strip is reliably connected to the housing part if, in its region in which the housing part is injection-molded around it, the sheet-metal strip has an angled-over section or recesses.
The sheet-metal strip could be produced from virtually any desired material. However, the sheet-metal strip has a particularly low weight and is able to connect the housing parts permanently to each other if the sheet-metal strip is produced from aluminum.
The sheet-metal strip could, for example, have a number of sections separated from one another. However, the assembly of the housing according to the invention is particularly cost-effective if the sheet-metal strip is shaped so as to run around the whole of the mutually adjoining region of the housing parts.


Shrub rose plant having a mounded, well-branched, compact plant habit; vigorous growth; double flowers typically borne in clusters of 3 or more; peach-pink petal color; continuous flowering throughout the growing season; resistance to major fungal diseases and ability to root and grow vigorously from softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings.

The primary objective of making this cross was to produce a new rose variety having the vigorous growth habit, continuous blooming habit, attractive flower form, and winter hardiness of the female parent and the disease resistance, and flower color of the male parent. The pollination occurred in late spring 2003. The seed germinated during the winter of 2003/2004 and 'ZLEMarianneYoshida' was identified as a superior seedling and first asexually propagated in 2004.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of rose plant of the shrub commercial class designated 'ZLEMarianneYoshida' which was originated by me by crossing two of my unnamed seedling selections (female parent is seedling selection 1G15 and the male parent is seedling selection 1B30).

Shrub rose plant named ‘ZLEMarianne Yoshida’