An isometric exercise system according to the present invention facilitates user interaction with a host computer system and includes at least one effector, at least one sensor coupled to the effector, a platform to accommodate the user and control circuitry including a processor. The platform accommodates a user and includes the effector attached thereto. The sensor measures at least one force applied by a user to the effector, where the applied force effects a strain on or deflects the effector. The processor receives and processes data corresponding to applied force information measured by the sensor for transference to the host computer system in a compatible format and facilitates user interaction with the host computer system via effector manipulation by the user. The host computer system processes the information to update or respond to events within an executing software application (e.g., a game).

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to game controllers and exercise systems of the types disclosed in the aforementioned patent applications and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/133,449, entitled "Force Measurement System for an Isometric Exercise Device" and filed May 20, 2005; and Ser. No. 11/097,370, entitled "Game Controller Connection System and Method of Selectively Connecting a Game Controller with a Plurality of Different Video Gaming Systems" and filed Apr. 4, 2005. The disclosures of these patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In particular, the present invention pertains to an isometric exercise device serving as a controller for video games to enable users to exercise during game play.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Currently, a wide variety of different types of exercise devices are commonly utilized to promote health and fitness, particularly for people having sedimentary lifestyles and/or work environments, and to provide rehabilitation for particular types of injuries. The vast majority of these exercise devices utilize isokinetic and/or isotonic forms of exercise during operation, where a user's muscles are moved under resistance through a selected range of motion.
Isometric exercise is another effective form of muscular exercise that is very useful for rehabilitation, fitness and/or training. For example, isometric training is useful for fighter jet pilots who perform isometric muscular contractions of the lower limbs and body core during flights to prevent blackouts when subjected to high gravitational forces. Isometric exercise involves the exertion of force by a user against an object that significantly resists movement as a result of the exerted force such that there is substantially minimal or no movement of the user's muscles during the force exertion. Examples of simple forms of isometric exercise include pushing against a stationary surface (e.g., a doorframe or a wall), attempting to pull apart tightly gripped hands or to bend or flex a sufficiently rigid steel bar, etc. Due to their inherently tedious nature, isometric exercise devices are less popular and, accordingly, are limited in type and availability, in comparison to more conventional forms of isotonic and isokinetic exercise devices.
In an attempt to overcome the aforementioned problems, the related art provides various exercise systems. For example, International Publication No. WO 91/11221 (Bond et al.) describes a computer controlled exercise system that sequentially and automatically implements isokinetic, isotonic and isometric exercises to permit a physical therapist to attend to other patients while the computer interacts with the patient to effect a desired therapy. In one embodiment, the motion of a patient's body, such as lifting or twisting the patient's limb, is converted into a runner on a display that competes against another runner. If the patient meets or exceeds the exercise goals, such as a number of repetitions or torque applied to the exercise unit, then the runner representing the patient will match or beat the other runner representing the goal.
Further, an Interactive Video Exercise System (IVES) is disclosed in Dang et al. "Interactive Video Exercise System for Pediatric Brain Injury Rehabilitation", Proceedings of the RESNA 20th Annual Conference, June 1998. This system provides an instrumented video-game-enhanced exercise program for pediatric brain injury patients, where the system includes an isometric test apparatus, a data processing circuit box, and a SUPER NES system with an adapted game controller. The isometric test apparatus includes a first load cell rigidly mounted onto a metal cross-bar that clamps to two rear legs of a chair. A high tensile cable and an ankle band couple the shank of a subject sitting in the chair to the first load cell. A second load cell is mounted between two aluminum plates which rest on the floor. The subject's foot rests on the top plate against a heel stop and is secured with two straps. Isometric extensions of the subject's knee are measured by the first load cell, and isometric ankle dorsiflexion of the subject is measured by the second load cell. The signal from either load cell is transmitted to the data processing box, where it is processed and compared with a variable threshold value set by a potentiometer. When the transducer's signal exceeds the threshold value, voltage is passed to the adapted game controller whereby the selected operation is executed in a game (e.g., move right, move left, move up, move down, etc.). As a result, the subject can only play the game by performing certain isometric exercises.
However, the above-described exercise systems of the related art suffer from several disadvantages. In particular, interaction between the exercise system and a computer in the previously described International Publication is limited to simple representations on a display that are based upon achieving set goals. Thus, this exercise system does not provide a fully interactive virtual reality environment (e.g., controlling a variety of movements of a character or an object in the scenario as well as other features relating to the scenario), thereby offering limited entertainment during user exercise that may be insufficient to maintain user interest for exercise. Further, the system is generally not universally compatible with various gaming or other processors and associated "off the shelf" gaming or other applications. This limits the applications for which the system may be utilized. In addition, the system is bulky and includes various components for operation, thereby complicating portability and use for exercise at various locations.
Moreover, the previously described IVES system requires a game controller for a SUPER NES system to be adapted to render the system operable. Thus, the system is generally not universally compatible with various gaming or other processors and associated "off the shelf" gaming or other applications. This limits the applications for which the system may be utilized. Further, the system includes various components requiring assembly for operation, thereby complicating portability and use for exercise at various locations and preventing immediate (e.g., plug and play type) operation. In addition, the IVES system is limited to isometric knee and ankle exercises and, thus, is incapable of being utilized in a variety of different contexts where it is desirable to exercise upper body parts alone or in combination with lower body parts of a user.

Isometric exercise system and method of facilitating user exercise during video game play


A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in association with a blood pressure measuring cuff includes a housing having an upper shell and a lower shell defining an interior chamber and a replaceable module disposed within the interior chamber. The replaceable module houses a pump for inflating the blood pressure measuring cuff and a vent valve for venting the blood pressure measuring cuff. A cuff pressure sensor is provided within the interior chamber, either within or externally of the replaceable module. A control circuit for controlling the pump and the vent valve is provided on a circuit board disposed externally of the replaceable module. A power pack may be provided within the replaceable module for supplying electric power to the pump, the valve, the control circuit and other components within the interior chamber.

The present invention relates generally to the field of blood pressure measurement and, more particularly, to electronic blood pressure measurement devices.
Electronic blood pressure measurement devices are used in connection with an inflatable sleeve, commonly referred to as a cuff, to measure arterial blood pressure. The cuff, which is adapted to fit around a limb over an artery of a patient, typically around the patient's arm over the brachial artery, includes an interior chamber that is in fluid communication with a motor driven pump for selectively inflating, i.e. pressuring, the interior chamber of the cuff with air. One or more sensors, such as a pressure transducer, are operatively connected in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the cuff for monitoring the air pressure within the interior chamber of the cuff, as well as the patient's blood pressure pulses, as the cuff inflates or deflates. The pressure transducer detects minute changes in the cuff pressure due to flow through the brachial artery. A bleed valve is also operatively connected in fluid communication with the interior chamber to permit selective depressuring of the interior chamber when it is desired to deflate the cuff. Electronic circuitry is provided that processes the signals from the pressure sensing devices and determines the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Typically, a digital display is also provided for displaying the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Alternatively, the signals indicative of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements may be transmitted to an external device, such as a laptop or a patient monitor, for display and/or data recording.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,512, Flachslaender, discloses a blood pressure measuring device housed in a hermetically sealed, small casing, which is sealed in dust, water and pressure-tight manner by a film on the outside of the casing's cover and on the casing's underside. The device includes a pump, a valve, a pressure sensor and a printed circuit board disposed within the interior of the casing. These components are arranged individually and held on the casing frame by means of conventional snap catches. Housed within the interior of the hermetically sealed casing, these individual components are not readily replaceable in the event of component failure.
Batteries, valves, pumps and pressure sensors, in particular, commonly fail before the other components in an electronic blood pressure measurement device, but have not been easily replaceable or replaced in the field by the end user. Rather, the end user would have to send the complete device back to the manufacturer or authorized service facility for repair or simply discard the device and purchase a new one. A much longer working life for the overall device could be realized if the end user could readily replace the failed component or components in the field. Further, the overall cost to the end user would be reduced if the end user could easily replace the failed components thereby extending the life of the device, rather than purchasing a new device.

Modular blood pressure measurement apparatus


A golf club head (such as a putter head), has a face that includes a ball-contacting region. The ball-contacting region has an inset containing an elastically deformable material and at least one rigid element disposed within the elastically deformable material. When a golf ball is struck, the elastically deformable material compresses and the rigid element imparts overspin to the ball that causes it to roll more accurately.

Golf is enjoyed by a wide variety of players—players of different genders, and players of dramatically different ages and skill levels. Golf is somewhat unique in the sporting world in that such diverse collections of players can play together in golf outings or events, even in direct competition with one another (e.g., using handicapped scoring, different tee boxes, etc.), and still enjoy the golf outing or competition. These factors, together with increased golf programming on television (e.g., golf tournaments, golf news, golf history, and/or other golf programming) and the rise of well known golf superstars, at least in part, have increased golfs popularity in recent years, both in the United States and across the world. The number of individuals participating in the game and the number of golf courses have increased steadily over recent years.
Golfers at all skill levels seek to improve their performance, lower their golf scores, and reach that next performance "level." Manufacturers of all types of golf equipment have responded to these demands, and recent years have seen dramatic changes and improvements in golf equipment. For example, a wide range of different golf ball models now are available, with some balls designed to fly farther and straighter, provide higher or flatter trajectory, provide more spin, control, and feel (particularly around the greens), etc.
Being the sole instrument that sets a golf ball in motion during play, the golf club also has been the subject of much technological research and advancement in recent years. For example, the market has seen improvements in golf club heads, shafts, and grips in recent years. Additionally, other technological advancements have been made in an effort to better match the various elements of the golf club and characteristics of a golf ball to a particular user's swing features or characteristics (e.g., club fitting technology, ball launch angle measurement technology, etc.).
Despite the various technological improvements, golf remains a difficult game to play at a high level. For a golf ball to reliably fly straight and in the desired direction, a golf club must meet the golf ball square (or substantially square) to the desired target path. Moreover, the golf club must meet the golf ball at or close to a desired location on the club head face (i.e., on or near a "desired" or "optimal" ball contact location") to reliably fly straight, in the desired direction, and for a desired distance. Off-center hits may tend to "twist" the club face when it contacts the ball, thereby sending the ball in the wrong direction, imparting undesired hook or slice spin, and/or robbing the shot of distance. Club face/ball contact that deviates from squared contact and/or is located away from the club's desired ball contact location, even by a relatively minor amount, also can launch the golf ball in the wrong direction, often with undesired hook or slice spin, and/or can rob the shot of distance. Accordingly, club head features that can help a user keep the club face square with the ball would tend to help the ball fly straighter and truer, in the desired direction, and often with improved and/or reliable distance.
Like other golf clubs, putters also must make square contact with the golf ball, in the desired direction or path, in order to produce straight and true rolls in the desired direction. Even small deviation from squareness between the putter head and the golf ball at the point of contact can cause inaccuracy, particularly on longer putts. Accordingly, putter head features that can ensure that the club face is square to the ball at the point of contact tend to help the ball roll straighter, truer, and in the desired direction. Additionally, friction between the putter head and the ball at contact can impart spin to the ball, potentially affecting accuracy. Some putter heads have been designed to reduce friction between the club face and the ball to reduce spin.
The present device addresses the problems discussed above and other problems, and provides advantages and aspects not provided by prior ball striking devices of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Disclosed are compositions suitable for use with an oral care implement. The compositions provide improved sensory appeal, and comparable reduction in volatile sulfur compounds and antibacterial activity to advanced formula toothpaste formulations. The compositions include a high percentage of antibacterial agent and flavoring, when compared to conventional toothpastes, and some mouth washes formulations, such that only minor amounts of the composition can be delivered to the oral care implement to provide improved reduction in volatile sulfur compounds, antibacterial efficacy, and optionally a cooling sensation.

Oral care implements, particularly toothbrushes, are typically used by applying toothpaste to a bristle section followed by brushing regions of the oral cavity, e.g., the teeth, tongue, and/or gums. Tooth brushing is part of a daily oral hygiene activity. Proper dental care involves regular flossing, brushing, rinsing with mouthwash and mouthrinses, and dental checkups. Dentists generally recommend that an individual brush his or her teeth for a minimum interval per cleaning, such as two minutes. Despite such recommendations, many individuals, especially young children, do not regularly brush their teeth for the recommended minimum interval. Such habits often can be attributed to the individual regarding tooth brushing as a mundane duty with few pleasurable aspects. Dental checkups to a dentist office are typically the only feedback a person receives on their dental cleaning efforts. There is unfortunately plenty of time in between checkups for poor dental habits to cause problems. For example, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and a host of other problems can be magnified if dental cleaning habits are not rectified promptly.
Toothbrush devices with liquid collection systems are known in the art, including those having a capillary fluid system to wick the liquid from the collection area to the bristles. Such deviceds are disclosed and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,102,251; 5,352,052; 5,769,553; 5,842,487; 6,089,776; 6,095,707; 6,164,858; 6,183,155; 6,322,268; 6,497,527; 6,669,390; 7,124,894; 7,311,456, as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007/0154863, 2008/0176183. Some toothbrushes have been equipped with fluid reservoirs and systems for delivering auxiliary active agents, such as whitening agents, breath freshening agents, and the like. The devices contain various transfer mechanisms that can transport the fluids to the brush or applicator (sponge, foams, etc.), including, for example, capillary channels constructed of wicking materials, vibration devices, squeeze triggers or pumps, and combinations of these.
Mouthwash and mouthrinse formulations also are well known in the art. Various formulations include antibacterial agents, flavorants, colorants, sweeteners, breath freshening agents, and the like. Appropriate dental hygiene typically includes brushing, flossing, and rinsing. It would be desirable to combine at least brushing with toothpaste, and rinsing with mouthwash into one procedure, making it easier to promote beneficial dental care. Thus, there exists a need to provide a device that provides adequate brushing and mouthrinsing capabilities, in which the formulation of the mouthwash or rinse is tailored to the device to provide sufficient quantities of active agents to the tooth surfaces.

Mouthwash formulations for use with toothbrush delivery device


A portable camera actuation system is disclosed that may be used for taking self-portraits. The system includes an extendable handle assembly that may be held by a user at a first end thereof, and a base unit coupled to a second end of said extendable handle assembly. The base unit is for receiving a camera mounted thereon. The system also includes a remote shutter transmitter unit for providing a wireless shutter signal, and a remote wireless signal receiver unit. The remote shutter transmitter unit is provided at a location that is remote from the camera. The wireless shutter signal receiver unit is coupled to the base unit and is for providing actuation of an external shutter button on the camera responsive to the wireless shutter signal.

The invention generally relates to camera accessories, and relates in particular to camera accessories for facilitating the taking of pictures from a location that is remote from a location of the camera.
While many camera accessories have been developed for assisting users in taking self portraits, such systems have either involve the use of a tripod and a timer on the camera, or require that the camera itself provide an internal connector for connecting the camera's shutter actuator control assembly to a remote actuation device.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,580 discloses a telescopic extender for supporting a compact camera that includes a head member to be attached to the camera, a grip to be held by a user, and a telescoping rod member connecting the head member to the grip. Actuation of the camera is disclosed to be achieved by a remote electronic switch that is disclosed to be connected in parallel with the shutter activation switch on the camera. Such a system, however, requires that the camera be specially designed or modified to include a socket with internal contacts that are connected in parallel with the shutter activation switch on the camera. The '580 patent states that if the camera does not have a socket to receive a remote electronic switch, then the camera's self timer may be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,645 discloses an alignment means for a disposable camera that assists a user in taking self and group portraits. The alignment means is disclosed to include one or two supporting arms, and a mirror on the front face of the camera for the user to look at to observe himself when taking a self-portrait. Actuation of the camera is disclosed to be achieved via an air bubble 44 that is coupled to a pneumatic cable 42 that raises a pin and thereby releases the shutter of a camera (not shown). There is no further disclosure, however, of how the bubble 42 and pneumatic cable 42 cause the camera shutter to be released, and it is not at all clear from FIG. 16 how this would occur unless access to the camera shutter switch inside the camera is somehow provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,542 discloses a remote camera and positioning control system that includes one or more beam modules that are disclosed to have improved cross-sectional flexural rigidity for permitting the camera to be positioned and moved smoothly while minimizing image instability. The actuation controls of the video camera are controlled by a joystick interface that is coupled via electronic cables to a remote control access port in the camera.
There remains a need for a portable remote camera control device that does not require accessing interior control functionality within the camera, and may be used, therefore, with disposable or digital cameras. There is further a need for such a device that is also portable and collapses to a conveniently carried size.


A method of coating an article during injection molding wherein coating material carried by a high pressure carrier gas is blasted at high velocity directly onto the internal walls of a closed mold and then a plastics substrate is injected into the coated mold to form in-situ a coated molded product.

This invention relates to a method of coating an article as it is produced during injection moulding and to the products of such a method. In particular, it relates to the use of paint for such coating.
Assembly industries are making increasing use of components produced by injection moulding. Frequently such components need to be coated in order to provide an article with the necessary surface finish; for example, painting body components of motor vehicles. Such industries have typically used painting shops. However, paint shops have a high capital cost and often require a long commissioning period before painted surfaces of sufficiently high quality can be achieved. In addition, they are environmentally unfriendly; provide an opportunity for foreign particles to accumulate on components awaiting painting; and represent an undesirable secondary operation.
In order to overcome these drawbacks attempts have been made to apply paint during the actual injection moulding step. Thus, a method of forming a moulding with a coating using dual injection is known. Typically, a plastics paint material is first injected into a mould so as to only partially fill the mould. A plastics substrate material is then injected within this plastics paint material so that as the moulding is formed the plastics paint material encapsulates the plastics substrate until at the end of the moulding process it forms an outer coating for the moulded article. While this method has many advantages over traditional secondary painting in spraying shops, there is one drawback; disruption of the paint flow due to a hole or other surface feature may result in so called "weld lines" in the vicinity of such features. This problem is particularly evident when metallic paints are used.
Powder paints and gel coats have been used to coat mould tools; but the tool has always been in the open condition. Even with careful masking of areas, paint generally coats the tool "shut-off" edge adversely affecting sealing.


The present invention, Extended Port Addressing (EPA), is a physical link layer communication protocol for enumeration of more than one device attached to the same parallel port on a desktop personal computer. EPA automatically determines individual devices as they are added or removed from the parallel port. EPA also allows time sharing of device drivers to a particular device without any one device driver locking the logical port. EPA extends plug `n` play characteristics by determining if other devices share the same parallel port when attached to a T-box EPA device.

Over the past several years, personal desktop computer have made tremendous leaps in capability. However, changing or reconfiguring the hardware usually requires the computer be opened thereby causing some anxiety for the end user. Manufacture of several "add-on" devices, such as scanners, tape machines, CD players, network interfaces have realized that interfacing their product to the computer's parallel port eliminates the need to open the computer. These parallel port add-ons have gained additional functionality with the standardization of a bidirectional parallel port as defined by the IEEE Std 1284-1994 specification entitled IEEE Standard Signaling Method for a Bidirectional Parallel Peripheral Interface for Personal Computers, (Dec. 2, 1994) incorporated herein by reference (herein referred to as IEEE 1284).
Personal desktop computer parallel interface add-ons are becoming more numerous and useful. However, with the present parallel port, the user must keep connecting one and disconnecting another. Some of these add-ons provide a pass-through port connection for connecting a printer. Such a configuration can be seen in FIG. 2. Typically, a second add-on may not be connected to the pass-through port. Such daisy-chain may be possible, however, it may not always work. The parallel port on a personal computer was not designed for daisy-chaining.
An additional problem exists with IEEE 1284 compatible ports. Some printer drivers and their associated status monitors currently lock the parallel port, thereby disallowing any other device access to the port.

Extended addressing to multiple devices on a single parallel I/O port


A musical tone waveform signal forming apparatus comprises a waveform signal transmission section, a musical tone control signal input section and a pitch control section. The waveform signal transmission section comprises a plurality of signal transmission units which are connected in cascade one by one and each of which comprises first and second signal lines respectively serving as forward and backward paths of a waveform signal and a node portion for feeding back an output from the first signal line to an input side of the second signal line. At least one of the first and second signal lines serves as a signal delay line. The musical tone control signal input section receives the waveform signal from the waveform signal transmission section and a musical tone control signal for controlling musical tone parameters of a musical tone to be generated to change the waveform signal in accordance with the musical tone control signal and output the changed waveform signal to the waveform signal transmission section. The pitch control section changes delay times of the signal delay lines in accordance with a pitch signal, one of the tone control signal, for controlling a tone pitch of the musical tone to be generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical tone waveform signal forming apparatus utilized in electronic musical instruments, reverberation apparatuses, toys, and the like and, more particularly, to a musical tone waveform signal forming apparatus for receiving a musical tone control signal for steadily or time-serially controlling musical tone parameters such as a pitch, a tone color, a tone volume, and the like of a musical tone, and forming a musical tone waveform signal according to the input musical tone control signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 63-40199, a conventional apparatus of this type comprises a waveform signal transmission section constituted by a plurality of signal transmission units which are connected in cascade one by one and each of which comprises a first signal line serving as a forward path of a waveform signal, a second signal line serving as a backward path of the waveform signal, and a node portion for attenuating an output from the first signal line, transmitting the attenuated output to the next stage, and feeding back the output from the first signal line to an input side of the second signal line, at least one of the first and second signal lines serving as a signal delay line., a musical tone control signal input section for receiving a waveform signal from the waveform signal transmission section and a musical tone control signal for controlling musical tone parameters of a musical tone to be generated, changing the waveform signal in accordance with the musical tone control signal, and outputting the changed waveform signal to the waveform signal transmission section., and a pitch control section for changing attenuation coefficients and feedback coefficients of the respective node portions in accordance with a pitch control signal for controlling a pitch of the musical tone control signal. The musical tone control signal input section corresponds to a mouthpiece of a wind instrument, the waveform signal transmission section corresponds to a resonance tube of a wind instrument, and the node portions in the waveform transmission section correspond to tone holes of the wind instrument, so that a musical tone control signal according to performance data is inputted to the musical tone signal input section and the pitch control section, and a waveform signal is generated according to the input musical tone control signal, thereby generating a musical tone imitating a musical tone of the wind instrument, or the like.
More specifically, in the conventional apparatus, pitch control is performed by simulating tone holes of the wind instrument, and the delay times of delay lines corresponding to a flared tubular shape of the wind instrument are set to be constant. Therefore, it is difficult to change a pitch at an interval smaller than that determined by tone hole intervals.

Musical tone waveform signal forming apparatus having pitch control means


In an apparatus (1) having a drive shaft (18) and having a disc-shaped support (17) which is rotationally locked to the drive shaft (18) the support (17) has two tubular projections (22, 23) each having a connecting zone (24, 25) in its interior, which connecting zone has a given height (H1, H2) and a given inner diameter (D1, D2), each of the two projections (22, 23) being connected to the drive shaft (18) by a press-fit in the area of its connecting zone (24, 25), and the two inner diameters (D1, D2) of the two connecting zones (24, 25) having different values.

The invention relates to an apparatus as defined in the opening part of claim 1.
Such an apparatus is known from the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,690, which apparatus is a so-called video recorder. In the known apparatus a clamping device is arranged in the area of each of the two tubular projections of the support, which clamping device is mounted on the relevant projection and, after it has been mounted onto the relevant potion, it is made to exert its clamping action by actuation of an adjustment screw. This construction is comparatively expensive and complicated and requires comparatively much effort in order to obtain the desired clamping action and, consequently, the desired force-coupling and locking of the projections and thus the support to the drive shaft. Furthermore, the known apparatus has the problem that the clamping forces which act in the areas of the two projections are tolerance dependent to a comparatively large extent, as a result of which the situation may arise that in the areas of the two projections, which are axially spaced apart, substantially equal clamping forces are produced, which is not favorable because it has been found that, for a correct and precise clamping of a disc-shaped support onto a drive shaft with the aid of two spaced-apart tubular projections, it is advantageous if the clamping forces in the area of the one projection and the clamping forces in the area of the other projection differ from one another by an as accurate as possible nominal amount, which guarantees that a so-called main clamping point and, in addition, a stabilization clamping point are obtained.
It is an object of the invention to improve an apparatus of the type defined in the opening part of claim 1 and to couple a disc-shaped support to a drive shaft in an improved and highly precise manner using simple means.
According to the invention, in order to achieve the aforementioned object, an apparatus as defined in the opening part of claim 1 in addition has the characteristic features defined in the characterizing part of claim 1.
The construction in accordance with the invention guarantees a very precise and stable non-aging fastening of a support for a component to a drive shaft for driving the support together with the component, the desired result being obtained with a simple construction and without any separate clamping elements. By means of the measures in accordance with the invention it is achieved that as a result of the difference between the two inner diameters of the two connecting zones, which difference can be controlled very accurately, the clamping forces that occur in the areas of the two connecting zones can be given accurately defined different magnitudes, as a result of which a main clamping point and a stabilization clamping point are obtained in a highly reliable manner.
In an apparatus in accordance with the invention it has proved to be very advantageous when, in addition, the characteristic features defined in claim 2 and in claim 3 are provided. After extensive testing these constructions have proved to be advantageous in view of a maximal precision in conjunction with a production at reasonable cost.
In an apparatus in accordance with the invention it has further proved to be very advantageous when, in addition, the characteristic features defined in claim 4 are provided. This construction is advantageous in view of a clear definition of the main clamping point and the stabilization clamping point.
The above-mentioned as well as further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiment described hereinafter by way of example and will be elucidated with reference to this example.

Apparatus having a disc-shaped component support force-coupled to a drive shaft


The present invention enables equipment housed in unmanned facilities to be periodically scanned by remote systems for information regarding physical hardware and software configurations. The captured configurations can be compared against a reference configuration that represents the healthy state of the installed equipment. During outages, these captured configurations can be analyzed to determine possible root causes and resolutions for restoration.

Equipment supporting VoIP services is often housed in remote locations, e.g., unmanned facilities. When outages occur with this equipment, it is sometimes difficult to determine both root causes and, in the case of a severe problem, restoration techniques to return the equipment to a functional state. Human site inspection may be necessary to provide a full understanding of service interruptions; however, this is costly with respect to time and money.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for determining the configurations of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) equipment remotely in unmanned locations during service interruptions.

Method and apparatus for determining the configuration of voice over internet protocol equipment in remote locations


A battery module includes unit cells and a housing for accommodating the unit cells therein, the housing having paths for circulating a cooling medium. The housing includes: a unit cell receptor for receiving the unit cells, the unit cell receptor having an inner space with an inner spatial section area perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the housing; and a cooling medium circulator having an inner space for circulating a cooling medium, the inner space being in communication with the inner space of the unit cell receptor and having an inner spatial section area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing. The inner spatial section area of the unit cell receptor is larger than the inner spatial section area of the circulator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery, and in particular, to a battery module which is constructed by interconnecting a plurality of unit cells, and involves heightened cooling efficiency of the unit cells.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional high-capacity rechargeable battery (referred to hereinafter as a "battery module") is constructed by serially interconnecting a plurality of rechargeable battery cells (referred to simply as the "unit cells"). The respective unit cells include an electrode assembly with positive and negative electrode plates while interposing a separator, and a case mounting the electrode assembly therein. A cap assembly is fitted to the case to seal it, and positive and negative electrode terminals are electrically connected to current collectors of the positive and the negative electrode plates of the electrode assembly.
In typical prismatic batteries, the respective unit cells are arranged such that the positive and the negative electrode terminals thereof protrude out of the top of the cap assembly and alternate with the positive and negative electrode terminals of the neighboring unit cell. A conductor interconnects the screwed negative and positive electrode terminals via a nut.
If the temperature difference between the locations of the respective unit cells within the battery module is large, the battery capacity deteriorates, so heat dissipation is advantageous. If the heat is not dissipated properly, the temperature deviation between the respective unit cells deteriorates the charge/discharge efficiency. The internal temperature of the battery is elevated due to the heat generated from the unit cells to deteriorate the battery capacity, and, in a serious case, the battery may explode.
Particularly when the battery module is used to drive a motor for an electronic washer, an electric scooter or a vehicle (such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle), the module is charged and discharged by a high electric current so that the heat generated due to the internal reaction of the unit cells during the usage thereof is liable to be elevated to a considerable degree. This badly affects the battery characteristic, and deteriorates the inherent battery capacity. Accordingly, proper heat dissipation is advantageous.


The present invention relates to a method of binary encoding the N points of a constellation corresponding to the discrete positions, in amplitude and in phase, associated with the encoding of binary words in the case of a multicarrier modulation of OFDM type (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) of a digitized signal. According to the method, two adjacent points of the constellation correspond to binary words which differ from one another by at most two bits. The present invention applies in particular to digital television.

In international patent application PCT/FR 89/00546, filed in the name of THOMSON-CSF, an especially powerful method of transmission has been described which uses a multicarrier modulation of OFDM type enabling a digitized signal to be transmitted with a high density. In the method of transmission described, a plurality of orthogonal frequencies are used and a pair (amplitude-phase) or (real part, imaginary part) is transmitted on each frequency, the amplitude-phase or real part-imaginary part pair being the one-to-one equivalent of the item of information to be forwarded. In order to produce the above one-to-one function, use is made of a constellation in a known manner. Indeed, each sub-carrier constituting the signal is modulated in amplitude and in phase in a discrete manner and the discrete positions, in amplitude and in phase, constitute a constellation in the complex plane. Several types of constellation can be used. Thus, in international patent application PCT/FR 89/00546 a circular constellation has been proposed. In this case, the amplitude-phase pairs corresponding to each digital word are distributed uniformly over concentric circles. The transcoding between the binary words of the digitized signal and a point of the constellation can be done in many ways without using any especially simple relationship. However, it is important for this encoding to make it possible to avoid, during reception, the maximum number of errors at the signal recovery level.
Thus, the aim of the present invention is to offer a novel method of binary encoding the points of a constellation which makes it possible to limit the number of errors during decoding.

Method of binary encoding the points of a constellation used in a multicarrier modulation of OFDM type


A seeder assembly for placing a commodity in underlying soil that has a frame member having at least one ground engaging mechanism configured to contact an underlying surface, a rockshaft pivotally coupled to the frame member and pivotal between a lowered position and a raised position, a plurality of disk opener assemblies coupled to the rockshaft, the disk opener assemblies each having a single disk opener configured to cut into the underlying soil to provide an opening for the commodity, a plurality of row cleaner assemblies pivotally coupled to the frame member and each having a row cleaner configured to move residue on the underlying surface, and a plurality of linkages each coupling the rockshaft to a corresponding one of the plurality of row cleaner assemblies. When the rockshaft is in the raised position, the plurality of linkages maintain the corresponding plurality of row cleaner assemblies in a raised position.

Air seeders, grain drills, and the like are frequently used for no till or reduced till applications. Often, these machines utilize a single cutting disk per row being planted to cut through the residue and soil to provide a location in the soil for the seed or other commodity to be distributed. In no or reduced till machines, the single cutting disk must cut through any overlying residue to ensure the seed or other commodity is positioned in the soil. If the residue on the underlying surface is too tough or the soil is too soft, the cutting disk may fail to cut through the residue and wedge the residue into the opening intended for the seed or other commodity. When residue is wedged in the opening, the seed or other commodity is "hairpinned" on top of the residue in the opening. The hairpinned seed or commodity then fails to perform as expected because it was not properly distributed into the soil. Further still, if the residue over a planted seed is too thick, it may prevent the soil around the seed from being sufficiently heated by the sun to allow the seed to germinate and emerge therefrom.


An automated highly efficient “design-test-optimize” recursive loop method for experimentally optimizing embedding networks of active RF networks especially subject to wideband modulated signals, whereby the results of a matching network design are fed into the active load pull system, which synthesizes the response of the specific network design iteration and tests the transistor in real time under the emulated load conditions of the network. The weighed difference between expected and test results are used in an error function and the “design-test” loop is repeated until the error is minimized. The capacity of passive and active modulated tuners and network analysis software tools are jointly used, sharing calculated and measured data. The result of the automated optimization procedure ends into a compromise, which, if acceptable, can be processed into manufacturing with realistically expectable results.

This invention relates to design and real time experimental testing and optimizing RF embedding (matching) networks of microwave active components such as power amplifiers. Explosive increase in modern wireless communication needs requires an increased frequency bandwidth at high (including millimeter-wave) frequencies, able to handle a large volume of channels simultaneously. This leads to the requirement for large modulation bandwidths (FIG. 4). Power amplifiers must be designed to deliver predictable performance over such modulation bandwidths up to more than 2000 MHz. Transistor load pull data (i.e. transistor characteristics under non-50Ω load conditions) to be used in power amplifier design software tools are generated either by (nonlinear) numerical transistor models (see ref. 4) or by load pull measurements (see ref. 1). Even though the term "model" is generally understood to have general validity among a certain species, in this case, i.e. microwave transistors (DUT) this is not true. Nonlinear transistor models are accurate enough only in a very narrow space of transistor type and operation conditions (frequency, DC bias conditions and operation power). Outside this space, data provided by "generic" nonlinear models are notoriously inaccurate and, in fact, useless for practical amplifier designs. In that sense, i.e. the limited validity space, such models are not better than actual load pull measurements performed on specific transistor samples at specific frequencies, bias and input power. Anything yielding results below approximately 1% accuracy is practically useless. Things become in fact really hairy when the signals used are heavily modulated. The models become invalid and the load pull tuners create uncontrollable impedances (FIG. 3).
Commonly used slide screw tuners (see ref. 2) create accurate predictable reflection factors (impedances) for one carrier wave frequency (Fo) only. Harmonic tuners (see ref. 8) do so also for up to 2 concrete harmonic frequencies (2Fo and/or 3Fo). But, if the carrier frequency Fo is modulated to Fo+ΔF the impedance is not constant over the frequency band (FIG. 3). At Fo, slide screw tuners are benign devices. Only the phase of the reflection factor changes in a narrow area around Fo, whereas the amplitude is approximately constant: |Γ(Fo)|≈|Γ(Fo+ΔF)| as long as ΔF<<Fo. But this is still not enough; not only at harmonic frequencies 2(Fo+ΔF) or 3(Fo+ΔF) is the tuner behavior truly unpredictable, but the phase Φ also changes significantly: Φ(Fo)≠Φ(Fo+ΔF). It is impossible to emulate the response of a transistor which is submitted to a modulated signal stimulus to a real impedance matching network, or test and optimize such network, using passive slide screw tuners (see ref. 2 and FIG. 3).

Method for experimental optimization of RF matching networks


A cable winding device is provided, around which a cable unit is wound that includes a first connector, a first cable connected to the first connector, and a control unit connected to the first cable and controlling an amount of a current flowing through the first cable. The cable winding device includes a fixing portion, a rotating portion provided rotatably with respect to the fixing portion. The rotating portion includes a tube portion having an outer circumferential surface around which the first cable is wound, and a first holding portion provided within the tube portion and holding the control unit.

In consideration of the environment, much interest has been recently focused on a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel-cell vehicle and the like equipped with a battery.
Accordingly, attention has also been given to a charging device for charging the battery equipped in the vehicle from outside the vehicle.
For example, a cord set for charging an electric vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-52861 includes an interrupt device having two terminal units; a housing that houses this interrupt device; a plug connected to an outlet installed in a wall surface of a building; and a connector connected to an inlet of the electric vehicle.
This cord set includes a first cord having one end connected to one terminal unit and the other end connected to the plug; and a second cord having one end connected to the other terminal unit and the other end connected to the connector.
Furthermore, the cord set includes a drum rotatably provided in the housing that houses the interrupt device and having an outer circumferential surface around which the second cord is wound. The first cord is pulled out through a hole provided in the housing to the outside of the housing. The end of the pulled out first cord is provided with a plug.
The charging device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-226817 is a wall-hung type charging device. This charging device includes a cabinet for charging; a flat plate portion formed below the cabinet; a CCID holder formed in the flat plate portion; a CCID mounted on this CCID holder; and a charging cable connected to the CCID and hooked on to the cabinet.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-161886 and the like also disclose various types of charging devices.


A pot bearing is provided for absorbing rotations with little constraint, comprising a pot, an elastomer cushion accommodated therein and a cover projecting at least partially into the pot and supported on said cushion. The elastomer cushion is slidingly sealed off from the pot, around the edge beneath the cover by means of a circumferential inner seal, which consists entirely or at least primarily of acetal with a melt flow index (MFI 190/2.16) of less than 6 g/10 min.

Pot bearings of the foregoing type are known and in use especially for applications in structural engineering. They permit—making them superior to diverse other conventional bearings—in a particularly compact structure, bracing of a supported component on a load-bearing component, in a manner suitable for transmission of large loads, in the case of varying—within certain limits—inclinations of the two components relative to one another, especially due to tilting ("rotation") of the cover relative to the pot. A pertinent document for structural engineering applications of pot bearings is DIN "Bearings in Construction—Part 5: Pot bearings", i.e. DIN EN 1337-5, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. The patent literature, for example DE 2725621 C2, also relates to the design of pot bearings.
To permit the cover to become inclined relative to the pot (i.e. to tilt or "rotate" around a generally horizontal axis), it is imperative to provide a circumferential annular gap between the cover and the pot. Precisely in pot bearings subjected to particularly high stress, sealing of the elastomer cushion relative to the pot underneath the cover takes on particular importance to ensure that the elastomer cushion does not flow through that annular gap or be pressed out of the associated cavity. According to the pertinent standard (DIN EN 1337-5), brass, polyoxymethylene (POM), carbon-filled PTFE and stainless steel can be considered as material for the inner seal in question. In the case of use of POM, the standard specifies providing a POM sealing chain consisting of individual elements engaging in one another, wherein the POM to be used has a density (according to ISO 1183, incorporated by reference herein) of 1410 kg/m3±20 kg/m3, a melt flow index MFI 190/2.16 (according to EN ISO 1133, incorporated by reference herein) of (corrected!) 10 g/10 min±2 g/10 min, a tensile strength (according to EN ISO 527-2, incorporated by reference herein) of >=62 N/mm2 and an elongation at break (according to EN ISO 527-2, incorporated by reference herein) of >=30%. Furthermore, the production of the inner seal in question from UHMWPE (see WO 2006/042571 A1) has been proposed as an alternative.
The object of the present invention is to provide a pot bearing of the type mentioned in the introduction that is characterized by a performance further improved compared with the bearings with POM inner seal according to the standard.


Software systems and methods for predicting the melting temperature (Tm) and other characteristics of oligonucleotides, including modified oligonucleotides. Modified oligonucleotides are provided containing bases selected from unsubstituted and 3-substituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines and 5-substituted pyrimidines, and optionally have attached minor groove binders and reporter groups.

The present invention generally relates to computer software systems and methods useful in the field of molecular biology relating to the use of oligonucleotides as probes and primers in liquid, solid and mixed phase assays. More particularly, the present invention relates to computer software systems and methods useful for predicting the melting temperatures (Tms) and other characteristics of oligonucleotides, particularly oligonucleotides including modified bases to improve the hybridization properties and discriminatory abilities of oligonucleotides that are used in arrays and as probes and primers.
Many techniques currently in use in molecular biology utilize oligonucleotides as probes and/or primers. It is often advantageous, in the practice of these techniques, to be able to distinguish between two or more sequences which are related but which differ by one or more nucleotides. For example, many mutations of clinical significance differ by only a single nucleotide from the wild-type sequence. Polymorphisms in mammalian genomes are also often characterized by sequence differences of one or a few nucleotides. The ability to make such a distinction is known as mismatch discrimination. In practical terms, mismatch discrimination describes the property by which a defined sequence oligonucleotide, at a given stringency, hybridizes strongly (one manifestation of which is that the hybrids have a high melting temperature) to a target sequence with which it is complementary along its entire length (a perfect hybrid or perfect match), but hybridizes detectably more weakly to a target sequence that is non-complementary to the sequence of the oligonucleotide at one or a few nucleotides (a mismatch). The differences in hybridization strength are such that a particular stringency can be selected at which a perfect match is detectable as a hybrid and a mismatch fails to form a hybrid.
In a nucleic acid duplex, each base pair contributes to stability. Hence, the shorter the duplex, the greater the relative contribution of each individual base pair to the stability of the duplex. As a result, the difference in stability between a perfect match and a mismatch will be greater for shorter oligonucleotides. However, short oligonucleotides hybridize weakly, even to a perfectly complementary sequence, and thus must be hybridized under conditions of reduced stringency. Thus, the potential discriminatory power of short oligonucleotides cannot be easily realized except under conditions of low stringency.
What is needed in the art are new methods for mismatch discrimination, particularly for single-nucleotide mismatches, under conditions of high stringency; for example, at the elevated temperatures characteristic of most nucleic acid amplification reactions. What is also needed in the art are new systems and methods for analyzing and predicting properties, such as Tm, and other characteristics of nucleotide sequences. Surprisingly, the present invention provides such systems and methods, along with new reagents and compositions which can be used in the methods.

Systems and methods for predicting oligonucleotide melting temperature (T


A resistance layer, a buffering layer and a protective layer are formed in a predetermined area of a dielectric layer. An insulating layer is formed on the semiconductor wafer to cover the upper and side surfaces of the protective layer, the side surfaces of the buffering layer and the resistance layer, and the surface of the dielectric layer outside of the predetermined area. Two openings extending down to the protective layer are formed by performing a dry-etching process on the insulating layer. Two openings extending down to the buffering layer are formed by performing a first wet-etching process on the protective layer below the two openings of the insulating layer. Two openings extending down to the resistance layer are formed by performing a second wet-etching process on the buffering layer below the two openings of the protective layer. Two conductive layers, which serve as two electrical terminals for connecting the two ends of resistance layer, are formed in the two openings to contact the two ends of the resistance layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resistor device, and more particularly, to a thin-film resistor fabricated on a semiconductor wafer displaying superior performance and higher stability.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In semiconductor integrated circuit designs, a simple resistor is often made from a gate conductive layer or an impurity-doped layer in a predetermined area of the semiconductor wafer. However, the resistance typically obtained from the gate conductive layer and the impurity-doped layer is often insufficient. One approach to increase the resistance is to design a larger surface area of the resistor. However, it is undesirable to make this resistor device having a large surface area in a highly-integrated ULSI product. Furthermore, the resistance of the silicon-containing gate conductive layer and impurity doped layer varies with temperature changes, which results in instability of the resistance values. Therefore, there is a need for fabricating a stable thin-film resistor with lower conductivity on a semiconductor wafer.
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are cross-sectional diagrams schematically showing a method of forming a resistor 20 on a dielectric layer 12 according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, a resistor 20 is produced by first sequentially forming a resistance layer 14 and a protective layer 16 on the surface of the dielectric layer 12. The resistance layer 14 and the protective layer 16 are defined by conventional photolithographic and etching processes. A conductive layer 18, made of an aluminum alloy, is then formed on the protective layer 16. As shown in FIG. 2, a large portion of the conductive layer 18 and the protective layer 16 positioned on the resistance layer 14 is removed by a wet-etching process. The remaining portion at the two ends of the resistance layer 14 functions as two electrical terminals for the two ends of the resistance layer 14.
The wet-etching process is an isotropic etching process with equal horizontal and vertical etching depths. To define the conductive layer 18 properly through wet etching, the surface area of the resistance layer 14 and the protective layer 16 must be large. Only if the resistance layer 14 and protective layer 16 is large can a large portion of the conductive layer 18 and protective layer 16 be removed while still preserving the two portions at the ends of the resistance layer 14. Although this method can be utilized in processing gate widths greater than 3 micrometers, it is ineffective in processing narrower gate widths.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved thin-film resistor with much more stable resistance and a smaller required surface area.
In accordance with the objective of the present invention, the present invention provides a thin-film resistor on a dielectric layer of a semiconductor wafer. The thin-film resistor has a dielectric layer deposited on the semiconductor wafer. A patterned resistance layer is formed on the dielectric layer. A buffering layer is formed on the resistance layer, the buffering layer comprising two openings above two opposite ends of the resistance layer. A protective layer is positioned on the buffering layer and comprises two openings above the two openings of the buffering layer. An insulating layer covers the upper and side surfaces of the protective layer, the side surface of the buffering layer and the resistance layer, and the dielectric layer. The insulating layer has two openings above the two openings of the protective layer. Two conductive layers are positioned in the two openings of the buffering layer, the protective layer and the insulating layer, and are in contact with the two ends of resistance layer. The conductive layers are used as two electric terminals for electrically connecting to the two ends of the resistance layer.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the thin-film resistor thus formed comprises a resistance layer below a buffering layer and a protective layer. The buffering layer buffers the thermal stress exerted on the resistance layer, and the protective layer protects the resistance layer from plasma damage. The resulting thin-film resistor has a much more stable resistance.
This and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.


The present invention provides a closed loop fat transplantation system newly designed to aspirate a fat, to handle it without receptacle transfer and to transplant it into the human body, which is composed of a fat transplantation receptacle (hereinafter referred as FT receptacle) and an exterior mechanical pressurization and decompression means. The said FT receptacle includes a vertical hem portion where joining selectively individual syringe needle or cannelae, a cylinder-shaped receptacle into front fat storing space and rear pressurization and decompression space. The said pressurization and decompression means can give positive/negative pressure to the fat storing space through the piston head of the said FT receptacle and it has a structure separable from the said FT receptacle. Accordingly, fat transplantation can be performed without receptacle transfer using the same FT receptacle extracting fat from patient's body giving negative pressure through the piston head to the fat storing space.

Various kinds of fat aspiration and fat transplantation have been already performed, but fat transplantation has a problem that its application range is little due to many limitations.
The process of conventional fat transplantation is as follows. The region of patient's body was small incised. A pipe (cannulae) having a hole on its distal end was inserted. Fat was aspirated through the cannulae using negative pressure. Liquid ingredients such as a serum, blood, injections in the extracted fat were removed except fat. The fat was bottled in a syringe and injected by manually through a thin needle.
When extracting a fat for transplantation, method of making negative pressure is classified into either use of machine or syringe.
In case of using machine for making negative pressure, the cannulae was equipped with a filter in its middle portion to strain fat. The fat was transferred and bottled into a syringe then injected.
Problems on this occasion are
1) Unless a large filter is used, fine hole of the filter gets to be clogged easily. Therefore generally suitable size of filters would be used as allowing for some fat loss, accordingly fat and other fine tissues were lost.
2) In the process of fat transfer from filter to syringe, the process became complicated and much time was required. Consequently the frequency of air contact becomes increased, so that the possibility of contamination gets high.
3) Also loss of a plenty amount of fat is caused because much amount of tissue stuck to the filter.
4) It takes much time and it is inconvenient since hand-operated pressure is used during injection.
Meanwhile, in case of using a syringe and hand-operated negative pressure, the syringe equipped with cannulae was injected into the human body at the maximum forward position of its piston. As the piston was pulled backward by manually, negative pressure was formed in space in front of the syringe piston. At this condition, user locked the piston.
Fat was aspirated while the syringe was reciprocated. Once the syringe was filled with the fat to some degree, the fat would be transferred to other places or a syringe for centrifuge/injection.
Extracted fat was transferred to a syringe for injection then transplanted. In order to use hand-operated injection, the piston syringe having a thick diameter can't be utilized such as a syringe for aspiration due to its big resistance when the fat passes through the needle.
Problems at this situation are
1) Negative pressure drops suddenly due to small amount of air flowing in the syringe at the very moment or just vapor pressure when piston is pulled and locked to form negative pressure. Therefore there is an inconvenience of releasing the lock and repeating again the process.
Efficiency of maintaining a negative pressure by only space of 50-60 cc is extremely low in comparison with the negative pressure formed by machine through air movement of thousands cc per 1 second.
Also the process is hard and troublesome to lock the piston of syringe as pulling it.
2) User has to transfer the aspirated fat to the syringe for centrifuge/injection, so that this process is also complicated and it requires a lot of time. At this time the fat gets to come into contact with a great quantity of air in several spaces, therefore the possibility of contamination is increased.
3) It takes much time and it is inconvenient since hand-operated pressure is used at the time of injection.
The said methods stand on the basis of hand-operated or mechanical method from the viewpoint of fat extraction, on the other hand transplantation of aspirated fat has been dependent upon entirely hand-operated injection method, accordingly some problems are indicated as following.
1) A problem is generated due to low injection pressure.
Pressure for fat movement through syringe needle is very large.
On this account, even though syringe for only fat injection utilizing the leverage is used, user must repeat the process to transplant 100 cc of fat dozens of times.
Therefore it takes much time, user suffers inconvenience. Besides jet pressure is also low. If the resistance at recipient site is strong, injection can't be performed, fat gets together in the place of weak resistance after all.
Thereby it causes following. First, desired cosmetic effect can't be displayed. Second, in case of fat gathered in one place and not spread out evenly, the contacting area with recipient site becomes small in comparison with same amount of fat. Lastly, survival rate is rapidly decreased in view of transplantation characteristic because the transplant gets to be alive with nutrition by contact before blood vessel has been formed with the passage of time.
Under the low survival rate, such as volume decrease, necrosis of middle site away from the contacting site, infection of necrosis tissues are discussed. Since they can be diverted into fatal infection symptoms all over the body, mass transplantation beyond regular amount (about 100 cc or more) is difficult and actually it has been hardly carried.
2) Another serious problem is infection. As the necrosis tissues become a good culture media, infection can spread in a flash. Although the fat tissue is not a necrosis, once it is separated from the body, its resistibility against germs gets extremely weak. Therefore it is unendurable against some germs, it can be spread into infection.
Infection appears when generally the number in the regular amount of tissue is more than a certain level. Even a germ exists in the air, the more the contacting time with non-sterilized indoor air and contacting areas, the higher the possibility of infection.
Lately a method using a suction receptacle itself as an injection receptacle is attempted, it can reduce occasion of indoor air contact and possibility of contamination from other receptacle. However it isn't suitable in case of mass fat transplantation such as over 100 cc of lipoinjection to one site since it uses small syringes.
At present, fat transplantation is used for treating wrinkles and small depression, but mass fat transplantation enough to breast augmentation is scarcely used due to infection and low survival rate.
Although it is carried out, it is considered as impracticable since it takes a lot of time and force.
3) Hand-operated injection method can't regulate injection pressure.
Since excessive high injection pressure affects not only adipose survival rate but also fat embolism, it is necessary to regulate precisely. In the process of fat entrance, resistance is generated. If the resistance can't be perceived, injection circumstance is invisible, so that equal distribution can't be accomplished at each part.


A hydrogen permeable membrane, which includes a polymer stable at temperatures of about 200 C having clay impregnated with Pt or Au or Ru or Pd particles or mixtures thereof with average diameters of less than about 10 nanometers (nms) is disclosed. The membranes are useful in fuel cells or any device which requires hydrogen to be separated from carbon monoxide.

Fuel cells are devices that directly convert chemical energy of fuel cells into electrical energy. Fuel cells based on polymer electrolyte (PEFC) have been extensively studied for their potential applications in transportation, stationary, and portable energy devices, see N. C. Otto, P. F. Howard, Fuel Cell Seminar-Program and Abstracts, Orlando, Fla., pp. 559-562, Nov. 17-20, 1996, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Three types of PEFC can be visualized based on the nature of the fuel used in these systems. These are: 1) H2/Air fuel cells, which use pristine hydrogen, 2) Reformate/Air fuel cell, which uses hydrogen generated by reforming fossil fuels such as methanol and gasoline, and 3) Direct Methanol fuel cell, where methanol is used as a fuel and is directly oxidized at the anode.
In the H2/Air fuel cell, the hydrogen electrode generally performs satisfactorily with an overpotential of about 20-30 mV at the operating current densities of 200-400 mA/cm2. In reformate fuel cells, however, their performance is greatly diminished due to carbon monoxide and sulfur poisoning. These impurities are always present in the hydrogen stream produced during reforming of natural gas or petroleum. Typically, the water gas shift reaction used in the reformate fuel cells reduces the CO content to only about 1%. This is relatively higher than the CO tolerance of a typical anode catalyst. The CO poisoning is the most critical problem in the solid electrolyte fuel cells operating at 100° C., because even very small CO levels can be detrimental to the performance of the hydrogen electrode, see H. P. Dhar, L. G. Christner, A. K. Kush, J. Electrchem. Soc., 134, 3021 (1987), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The CO poisoning results in overall voltage losses for the fuel cell due to high anodic polarization. It has been shown that the presence of even 30 ppm carbon monoxide in the reformate gas significantly reduces the performance of 5 kW Ballard fuel cell, see S. Swathirajan, 1994 Fuel Cell Seminar, Ext. Abs., 204 (1994), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Several solutions have been proposed to alleviate the CO poisoning problem. These solutions include water-gas shift reaction, membrane separation (Pd—Ag membrane) process, and introducing oxygen into hydrogen-CO containing fuels.
For DMFC, on the other hand, sluggish kinetics of methanol oxidation and methanol cross-over are the main barriers for its commercialization. The sluggish kinetics of the methanol electrooxidation is due to the poor catalytic activity of platinum anodes for the anode reaction:CH3OH+H2O→CO2+6H++6e−
On a clean pristine platinum surface, the methanol electrooxidation is quite rapid. However, the formation of carbon monoxide as an intermediate in the above reaction poisons the platinum surface and hence greatly inhibits its activity toward methanol oxidation, see R. Parsons and T. VanderNoot, J. Electroanal. Chem., 9, 257 (1988).
In recent years, a new class of materials has been developed by dispersing layered silicates with polymers at the nanoscale level. These new materials have attracted wide interest because they often exhibit chemical and physical characteristics that are very different from the starting materials, see K. A. Carrado. Appl. Clay Sci. 17, 1, 2000, K. A. Carrado, in Advanced Polymeric Materials: Structure Property Relationships, S. G. Advani, G. O. Shonaike, Eds.; CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Fla., 2003, pp. 349-396, and G. Sandi, H. Joachin, R. Kizilel, S. Seifert, and K. A. Carrado, Chemistry of Materials, 15 (4), 838, 2003, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some cases, the silicates and polymers exist as alternating layers of inorganic and organic, see K. A. Carrado, L. Xu, S. Seifert, R. Csencsits, C. A. Bloomquist, in Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites, G. Beall & T. J. Pinnavaia, Eds., Wiley & Sons: UK, 2000, pp. 47-63 and G. Sandi, K. A. Carrado, H. Joachin, W. Lu and J. Prakash, Journal of Power Sources, 119-121, 492, 2003, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Nanocomposite materials of PEO and phyllosilicates were first suggested by Ruiz-Hitzky and Aranda, see E. Ruiz-Hitzky, P. Aranda, Adv. Mater, 2, 545, 2003, incorporated herein by reference, as candidates for polymer electrolytes. Within these materials, the polymer chains are intercalated between the silicate layers. The polymer chains then provide a mobile matrix in which cations are able to move. A considerable amount of interest has been shown in nanocomposites of PEO and montmorillonite, a layered aluminosilicate clay. When this composite contains LiBF4, it displays conductivities up to 2 orders of magnitude larger than that of PEO itself at ambient temperatures. However, the addition of lithium salts, which is needed to obtain such conductivity values, is not desirable for two reasons; the first relates to a more complicated synthetic route and the second is that transference numbers are not unity since in this case both cations and anions move.

Catalytic membranes for CO oxidation in fuel cells


A flexible array probe is disclosed suitable for use in the non-destructive testing and inspection of test pieces with varying cross-sectional geometries. Array elements—such as, but not limited to, eddy current sensors, piezoelectric sensor elements, and magnetic flux leakage sensors—are mounted on thin alignment fins and coupled together with pairs of pivot mechanisms along the axis of desired rotation. The pivot mechanisms allow rotation in exactly one dimension and force the flexible array probe to align its elements orthogonally to the surface of the structure under test. Alignment and coupling fixtures are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to array probes for non-destructive testing and inspection, and more particularly, to a flexibly eddy current or ultrasonic array probe assembly which can be applied and used to inspect contoured surfaces of varying cross-sectional geometry.
Any discussion of the related art throughout this specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Although much of the discussion in the present disclosure speaks specifically to eddy current array probes, it is not limited in this regard. The flexible array probe of the present invention is well suited to any surface coupling array probe, such as, but not limited to, eddy current sensors, piezoelectric sensor elements—such as, but not limited to, ultrasonic transducers and bond testing probe elements—and magnetic flux leakage sensors—such as, but not limited to, Hall Effect sensor elements—devices.
Eddy current inspection is commonly used to detect flaws in manufactured components, such as tubes or billets. An inspection coil, typically referred to as an eddy current probe, is positioned near a piece to be inspected and driven with high frequency alternating electrical currents which, in turn, create an alternating magnetic field near the surface of the test piece. This magnetic field induces eddy currents in the conductive surface of the test piece which are sensed and measured by the eddy current probe. If a flaw or defect is present on the surface of the test piece, the flow of eddy currents will be altered, and this change will be readily detected by the eddy current probe. The amplitude and position of these current changes can then be analyzed and recorded, for example through visual inspection by a test operator or processed through an automated alarm algorithm, to determine the size and location of the defect or flaw. Eddy current array systems comprise of a plurality of inspection coils (or other types of eddy current sensors well known to those skilled in the art) arranged in such a way as to be conducive to a particular inspection task.
Eddy current inspection of contoured surfaces has long been a challenge in non-destructive testing and inspection. Some manufacturing processes—for example, billet rolling systems—can produce items with cross-sectional geometries defined only within a certain tolerance range. This variation on the shape of the test surface can make certain key aspects of eddy current inspection problematic. Maintaining a constant liftoff—the height at which an eddy current sensor is positioned above a test surface—for example can become extremely difficult using a solid, inflexible eddy current array probe. Similarly, it is critical that the axis of each eddy current sensor be held orthogonal to the surface under test. Using an eddy current array probe which holds its elements in fixed positions, this can be impossible to achieve while testing parts with varying geometry.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,528 to Baraona describes a flexible probe assembly which attempts to address these problems. Baraona's array probe uses a plurality of independent test heads—each housing at least one array element—fixed to each other with flexible bands. A two point coupling and alignment fixture—referred to as an "urging mechanism"—is also provided.
While Baraona's flexible array probe provides a reasonable solution to the problem of inspecting a convex surface, it holds a number of limitations. The range of motion (rotation) of each element in the array is limited by the rigidity of the flexible bands and by the spacing of the test heads. To achieve a useful probe curvature, array elements must either be spaced a distance apart or multiple elements placed on each test head. Both options significantly limit the usefulness of the flexible array probe. Baraona's probe and alignment fixture also make a poor showing of maintaining orthogonal coil orientation along sharply curved surfaces. Due to the nature of the design, each test head is allowed a degree of mobility against those directly adjacent to it, and the two point alignment fixture is not suited to support or align the critical center array elements. Furthermore, the design as presented is only suitable for testing convex surfaces.
Accordingly it would be advantageous to provide a robust flexible array probe which provides a large degree of flexibility while maintaining a tight element arrangement. Further, it would also be advantageous if the flexible array probe inherently tended to align its elements orthogonally to the surface of a structure under test. It would also be advantageous if the flexible array probe were conducive to measuring test pieces with variations in their cross-sectional geometry while maintaining a consistent eddy current sensor liftoff and orientation for every element in the array. It would further be advantageous if the probe were conducive to coupling to multiple curve shapes, including, but not limited to, convex, concave, and S-shaped surfaces.

Flexible array probe for the inspection of a contoured surface with varying cross-sectional geometry


This invention relates to improved polypropylene nonwoven fabrics. The fabrics are made from isotactic polypropylene which has been produced with a catalyst systems comprising at least two metallocenes. These nonwoven fabrics, particularly when prepared using a spunbonding process, exhibit significantly improved strength without significant sacrifice of other favorable properties.

The new generation of metallocene catalyzed polymers is expected to have profound effects on the polyolefin industry. Polyolefin resins produced by metallocene catalysts in general have a number of improved properties as compared to conventional polymers produced with Ziegler-Natta catalysts. As more and more product manufacturers begin utilizing metallocene produced polymers, various areas for polymer improvement will become apparent. Currently, polymer producers may choose from a variety of techniques to manipulate the polymer such as post reactor polymer degradation, blending, change of catalyst, use of additives and varying the polymerization conditions.
Metallocene catalyzed propylene polymers are among the newest metallocene produced polymers now commercially available. One major product area for these new polymers is in nonwoven fabrics. The metallocene produced propylene polymers have a number of advantages over conventional polymers. For example, these polymers have a narrow molecular weight distribution which enable significantly higher spinning speeds and finer denier fibers. In addition, due to their unique molecular architecture, these polymers have an extractable level that is less than one third that of conventional polymers.
In an effort to improve the strength of fabrics made from metallocene produced polypropylene, the present inventors sought to manipulate the polymer tacticity distribution. It was hypothesized that broadening the tacticity distribution of the propylene polymer would result in a broadened bonding window and higher strength fabric. The present inventors have found that the tacticity distribution of isotactic polypropylene can be broadened by making the polymer with at least two different metallocenes, provided that two or more metallocenes are chosen that produce polymer having different tacticities.
It is known in the art to use two metallocenes to make polymer having broadened molecular weight distribution. EP 0 310 734, for example discloses the use of at least two different metallocene catalysts which are chiral and stereorigid in combination with an aluminum compound to produce polymer having a broad molecular weight distribution. EP 645 401 also describes the use of at least two stereorigid metallocenes, of which at least one has substituted indenyl ligands. These catalysts produce high molecular weight isotactic polypropylene having a broad molecular weight distribution.
WO 94/28034 describes supported metallocene catalyst systems containing one metallocene. These metallocenes have high activity and are capable of producing high molecular weight isotactic polypropylene without fouling the reactor. The catalyst system is prepared by premixing the metallocene and alumoxane activator then combining the reaction product with support material.
Thus the prior art teaches that high molecular weight, isotactic polypropylene may be produced with supported metallocene catalyst systems. The prior art further teaches the preparation of high molecular weight istotactic polypropylene having a broad molecular weight distribution using two or more stereorigid metallocenes, of which at least one has substituted indenyl ligands. The prior art, however, does not address the problems that may occur in nonwoven fabrics prepared with polymers having narrow tacticity distribution.
Nonwoven polypropylene fabrics are well known. Nonwoven fabrics or webs may be formed by a variety of processes such as melt blowing, spunbonding, film aperturing, and staple fiber carding. They are used to make many types of products including garments such as work wear, medical garb, and absorbent articles such as diapers. Processes for making nonwoven fabrics generally involve meltspinning thermoplastic material, drawing the filaments using pneumatic means, and collecting the drawn filaments randomly on a conveyor belt and heating the web to cause the filaments to soften and fuse together. The following patents disclose various meltspinning techniques and are herein incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,692,618; 4,692,106; 4,405,297; 4,340,563; 3,692,618; 3,338,992, 3,341,394; 3,502,538; 3,502,763; 3,909,009; and 3,542,615. To the extent that these references are directed to polypropylene fabrics, they are limited to polypropylenes produced with traditional Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The fabrics made from these polymers, therefore, do not share the same attributes as fabrics prepared with single sited, metallocene produced polypropylene.
EP 600 461 and WO 9 482 219 disclose nonwoven fabrics prepared with polypropylene produced with catalyst systems having a single metallocene. The isotactic polypropylene produced from these catalyst systems, therefore, has very narrow molecular weight and tacticity distributions. The fabrics made with metallocene produced polypropylene exhibit improvements in properties such as improved web uniformity, finer fibers and better coverage which typically lead to improved softness and liquid barrier capability when compared to fabrics made with Ziegler-Natta produced polypropylene.
The present inventors have found that polypropylene nonwoven fabric strength is improved by preparing the fabric with polymer comprising polypropylene produced with a catalyst system having at least two metallocenes.


An apparatus and method is disclosed for repairing and removing scratches from an optically-read disc, e. g., compact discs (often called “CD's” or “DVD's” such that when refurbished, an optical reader, which uses a laser to read digital information stored on the disc, can read the digital information on the disc without the optical distortion caused by a scratch and like surface imperfection.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of repairing and removing scratches from an optically-read disc, e. g., compact discs (often called "CD's" or "DVD's"). More specifically, this invention provides a method and apparatus for refurbishing the surface of a disc such that when refurbished, an optical reader, which uses a laser to read digital information stored on the disc, can read the digital information on the disc without the optical distortion caused by a scratch and like surface imperfection.
2. Description of Related Art
Optically read digital storage and play-back media, such as laser discs, compact audio discs, digital video discs, CD-ROM's (i.e., read only memory) and others, hereinafter collectively referred to as compact discs (i.e., "CD's"), are essentially various layers of plastic covering which protect a reflective foil coating. The metallic foil coating may be configured to store a wide variety and quantity of digital information which may be optically read through the use of one or more laser beams or other light amplified beams.
The compact disc, as currently manufactured, is round and comprised of a synthetic material (e.g., polycarbonate), with a typical diameter of the disc being about 4¾ inches and a typical thickness being about 1/16 inches. The disc size varies slightly as to CD's and DVD's. The disc typically has a center aperture approximately ⅝ inches in diameter for receiving a centering spindle in a playback apparatus. Digitally recorded material typically extends on one or both sides of the disc from a data band extending about ¾ inches from the center aperture outward to within about ¼ inch of the peripheral end of the disc. A bearing or contact area may extend on one or both sides, in approximately the same dimensions, for bearing on a playback apparatus, which spins the disc at high speed.
The digital information is contained on a relatively thin layer of metallic material sandwiched in a protective layer of the synthetic material (e.g., the polycarbonate). A laser within the playback apparatus reads the digital information through the plastic layer. If the plastic layer becomes scratched, stained or pitted, the laser light will distort and not accurately read the digital information.
Unless the disc can in some way be refurbished or reconditioned, the disc would have to be thrown away. Due to the high cost of a digital disc, a need exists for an inexpensive means for refurbishing and/or reconditioning the scratched protective surface of the disc.
One known process for reconditioning digital recording discs involves a motorized apparatus having a buffing surface that abrades the protective surfacein a generally uniform manner across the surface area of the disc. While this method may effectively repair the protective surface of some discs, it can leave fine abrasions on other discs, which abrasions can fall into alignment with the spiral data track or otherwise affect the quality of the treated disc so that playability is not restored.
Also, reconditioning by the use of a buffer may leave a sudden or stepwise change between the thickness of an unconditioned portion of the protective surface and a reconditioned portion of the protective surface. A laser beam passing through this sharp demarcation may be undesirably bent or scattered so that the underlying data track or tracks cannot be detected by the playback system.
As such, the buffing technique selectively abrades one area more another area, thus requiring fine manipulation of the buffer relative to the CD. This is very labor intensive and the reconditioning depends on the skill of the worker performing the reconditioning.
Another approach for reconditioning scratched plastic surfaces involves filling the scratch or void with a mixture having the same refractive index. As understood, this method has been used with limited success in glazed canopies of helicopters, but not with CD's.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,309, issued Aug. 21, 2001 to Campbell, discloses a process and device for resurfacing damaged compact discs by melting a thin layer of the optical surface of the compact disc so that it reflows and fills any scratches or other imperfections. Campbell passes the CD beneath a burner that generates flames, with the flames therefrom operating to melt a very thin layer of the layer forming the protective optical surface above the foil. This melted layer then flows into the scratches formed in the optical surface and creates a smooth reconditioned surface.
Because uniform distribution of the heat is essential, Campbell suggests that the burner and the disc may be rotated relative to one another.
The use of a flame is believed to possibly degrade the optical surface or simply burn the disc up. At the least, the Campbell solution is labor intensive and requires an experienced worker to position and adjust the flame relative to the disc. At the worst, the Campbell approach will destroy the disc sought to be reconditioned.
A primary object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cost effective method and apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
A further object and advantage of this invention of this invention is the provision of a method and apparatus that restores a compact disc, as close as possible, to its original or new condition.
Another object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a method and apparatus, which may be repeated several times without wearing away, or otherwise degrading, the optical surface of the disc that is to be restored.
Yet a further object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for refurbishing the optical quality of a compact disc that is inexpensive and capable of being performed by less skilled workers.
Still a further object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for restoring the optical surface of a compact disc that is repeatable with and yields uniformity of results

Method of removing scratches from a compact disc


The present invention relates to a method of conveniently and efficiently producing high-quality reduced coenzyme Q10 which is useful as an ingredient in foods, functional nutritive foods, specific health foods, nutritional supplements, nutrients, animal drugs, drinks, feeds, cosmetics, medicines, remedies, preventive drugs, etc. This method is suitable for industrial production thereof.

It is known that reduced coenzyme Q10 can be prepared by producing coenzyme Q10 in the conventional manner, for example by synthesis, fermentation, or extraction from natural products, and concentrating a reduced coenzyme Q10-containing eluate fraction resulting from chromatography (JP-A-10-109933). On that occasion, as described in the above-cited publication, the chromatographic concentration may be carried out after reduction of oxidized coenzyme Q10 contained in the reduced coenzyme Q10 with a reducing agent such as sodium borohydride or sodium dithionite (sodium hyposulfite), or reduced coenzyme Q10 may be prepared by reacting the reducing agent mentioned above with an existing highly pure grade of coenzyme Q10.
JP-A-57-70834 discloses an example in which reduced coenzyme Q10 was synthesized by dissolving coenzyme Q10 in hexane and adding an aqueous solution of sodium hydrosulfite (sodium hyposulfite) in an amount of twice the weight of coenzyme Q10 to the solution, followed by stirring.
However, the present inventors preliminary investigated the above reduction method, and found that it is not so easy to obtain a high-quality reduced coenzyme Q10 in a high yield.
The above problem leads to not only economical disadvantageous but also to problems in qualities such as the immixture of oxidized coenzyme Q10, which is difficult to remove, into a product. Moreover, use of a large amount of a reducing agent enhances the load for removal and detoxification of the reducing agent and components derived therefrom.
Thus, the above disadvantages in the reduction reaction give rise to a necessity of another process for purification.

Method of producing reduced coenzyme q10

Abstract: A method of producing a reduced coenzyme Q10                 which comprises reducing an oxidized coenzyme Q10 in an aqueous medium with the use of dithionous acid or a salt thereof,        said reduction being carried out in the coexistence of a salt and/or under deoxygenated atmosphere, and at pH of 7 or below. Thus, the formation of the oxidized coenzyme Q10 as a by-product due to oxidation can be minimized, thereby giving reduced coenzyme Q10 having excellent qualities in a high yield.