HYDROXYALKYL polyhydric alcohol ether compounds of the general formulae (I) and (II) have excellent thickening effect and stability at low temperature, are useful as a thickening agent usable for the preparation of liquid detergents, can be produced by a condensation reaction of 1,2-epoxyalkanes of the formula (III) with aliphatic diols of the formula (IV), and are usable for the production of liquid detergent compositions, together with various surfactants (except for cationic surfactants), particularly sulfur atom-containing anionic surfactants or dipolar-ionic surfactants

It is known that, for the purpose of increasing a viscosity of a detergent composition to enhance a practical handling property of the detergent composition, or to stably disperse a water-insoluble substance, for example, a pearl brightening agent, an abrasive, etc, in the detergent composition, various types of thickening agents are mixed into the detergent composition.
As conventional main thickening methods, a method in which an inorganic salt, for example, sodium chloride is mixed into the detergent composition to agglomerate the micelles of the detergent with each other; a method in which a thickening polymeric agent is mixed into the detergent composition, and a method in which electrical mutual actions generated between the molecules of surfactant compounds in the detergent composition, are utilized for thickening the composition.
As a most common thickening method, it is known to use fatty acid alkanolamides as thickening agents. The fatty acid alkanolamides are surface-active agents exhibiting very excellent thickening (viscosity-increasing) effects and foam-stabilizing effects, particularly when used in combination with an anionic surface active agent. However, the fatty acid alkanolamides contain a nitrogen atom in the molecular structure thereof and, thus, in some surface active agent compositions, an undesired coloration of the composition unavoidably occurs with a lapse of time. Accordingly, development of a new type of thickening agent having a thickening property equal to or more than that of the fatty acid alkanolamides but not containing nitrogen atom in the molecular structure thereof has been demanded.
As a non-ionic surface active compound containing nitrogen atom and utilizable as a thickening agent, compounds having a very long polyoxyethylene chain segment, for example, polyethylene glycol distearate having a high addition degree of a polyoxyethylene segment, are known, and a method in which the above-mentioned compounds are used to exhibit the thickening effect thereof, is also known. This type of compounds has, however, a chemical structure similar to that of polymeric compounds and thus a problem such that when the compound is mixed, as a thickening agent, in a detergent composition, the compound causes the resultant mixture to exhibit an unpleasant slippery feel, occurs.
With respect to derivative compounds from hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 54-49322 (JP-54-49322-A) discloses that the derivative compound is used as a non-medical anti-bacterial and mildew-proofing agent. In this Japanese publication, it is reported that a hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compound having an excellent anti-bacterial and mildew-proofing property can be obtained when ethyleneglycol is used as a polyhydric alcohol.
Also, in a rust preventive lubricant agent for zinc-plated steel sheet disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-173486 (JP-7-173486-A), an additive for lubricant oils and a lubricant oil composition disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-17283 (JP-2000-17283-A), hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compounds having a fluidity-enhancing effect and a rust preventive effect are employed. However, none of the above-mentioned prior art publications discloses that the hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compounds are mixed, as a thickening agent, into detergents. Namely, in the above-mentioned publications, the employment of the hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compounds for the purpose of cleaning or lavation is not disclosed.
With respect to the use as a detergent, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 01-67235 (JP-01-67235-A) discloses a method in which, in the preparation of an aqueous ionic surface active agent-containing detergent, hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compounds are mixed into water-soluble ionic surface active agents, is disclosed. In this prior method, the employed polyhydric alcohols include ethylene glycol, glycerol, erythritol, pentaerythritol, trimethylolpropane, sorbitol, cyclohexanetriol and inositol. Further, the publication reports that in consideration of the degree of increase in the viscosity of the mixture of the water-soluble ionic surface active agent with the polyhydric alcohol, glycerol and trimethylol propane are preferably employed as the polyhydric alcohols.
In fact, although hydroxydodecyl glycelylether produced from glycerol and 1,2-epoxydodecane can be used as a viscosity-modifier of the surface active agent composition, this compound has a problem such that the compound has a very high melting point and causes the resultant composition to exhibit a decreased stability at low temperature. Therefore, the compound has a low usability in practice.
Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-315043 (JP-11-315043-A) discloses a composition in which a hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compound prepared by using a solid acid catalyst is mixed into a detergent. The Japanese publication reports that, in the preparation of the ether compound, the polyhydric alcohol is preferably selected from polyhydroxy compounds, for example, glycerol, diglycerol, triglycerol, tetraglycerol, polyglycerol, glucose, methylglucoside, ethylglucoside, alkyl polyglucoside, sorbitol, mannitol, and pentaerythritol. The hydroxyalkyl polyhydric alcohol ether compounds produced from the above-mentioned polyhydroxy compounds exhibit an enhanced solubility in water. However, the compound is not always satisfactory in the thickening effect on the detergent, in comparison with that of the conventional fatty acid alkanolamide compounds.

Thickener comprising hydroxyalkylated polyhydric alcohol ether compound and high-viscosity liquid detergent composition containing the same


The invention encompasses a system that utilizes radio frequency circuitry in combination with microprocessor devices and specially designed software to provide an improved structure and operation for the monitoring, protection and control of inventory assets. Generally, the system is embodied in a system controller unit, one or more interrogator devices and multiple transponder units. The system controller unit may be a personal computer (PC) based device for effecting the control and monitoring of the system's operation. In addition, the system controller unit serves as a data collection device and as an alarm device. The interrogator device(s) incorporate a transceiver controlled by microprocessor circuitry within the interrogator devices. The transponder units also include a radio transceiver and microprocessor circuitry. The transponder units are attached to a container or item to be monitored and protected. The microprocessor circuit and the memory therein store the transponder identification code and can also contain data on the contents or nature of the container/item to which it is attached. When a transponder receives a RF signal from an interrogator device containing a correct transponder identification code, the transponder unit is enabled for receiving and processing messages. The transponder unit may also respond by sending out its own RF signal which contains an acknowledgment and all available data as requested by the interrogator device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for the monitoring, tracking and inventory management of various assets and materials. In particular, the invention relates to inventory control by the monitoring of the status of the inventory using an automated process of interrogation and reply. In addition, the invention relates to controlling the distribution and shipment of material through the ability to remotely store and read manifest data to and from a plurality of transponders attached to the materials being shipped. Further, the invention involves a system for protecting stored assets and material through the use of the above-noted transponders as tamper-detecting devices and through the interfacing with those devices by interrogation to insure that the transponders and thereby, the material are still present. All in all, the invention provides a user with the ability to reduce the cost of inventory management and to enhance the security of valuable assets.
2. Prior Art
At the present time, most "automated" inventory management systems are based upon the use of a system of coded pattern of vertical bars called "bar codes." The bar codes are placed somewhere on the items or containers to be stored/inventoried to identify that item/container with a unique number. Even when using the most modern bar code readers that may be remotely linked to a computer database, the process of inventorying and identifying contents by container identification number is labor-intensive. If the process required the manual entry of database information on the inventoried contents, the process would, in addition, be open to unpredictable input errors. Consequently, a system based on using bar codes does not offer a reliable means for protecting and securing materials that require monitoring.
Some inventory management systems have begun to use radio frequency (RF) devices called tags that are attached to containers to permit remote container identification through a RF communication link. The use of both passive (i.e., no battery or external power source required) and active (i.e., powered) tags has been attempted. Passive tags offer the advantage of eliminating the need for a power source such as batteries, but suffer from a lack of an effective communications range. In such passive systems, the device on the container is programmed with a unique identification number that is transmitted back to an interrogator when it is activated by the signal from the interrogator. While this provides identification of the container, it does not account directly for the contents of the container. A separate database is required that relates the information concerning the contents of the container to its identification number. That database typically relies on manual entry for any content data, and for being updated with any changes in the contents of the container.
Active RF tags incorporate self-contained power sources, such as batteries, that provide the power necessary to operate higher powered transmitters. This increased transmitter power provides for increased communications range. In addition, the self-contained power source permits the additional circuitry necessary to store data and to transfer data to and from memory in the tags. RF tag-based systems offer a reduction in the cost of inventory and data entry by permitting the automated reading of the RF tags on the containers. However, currently available systems suffer from very short battery lifespans and very slow data transfer rates.
All current inventory control systems involve some means of counting items and some means of assessing loss. Generally, the data is processed or stored in a computer database system. The data may be entered by hand or, in the case of a system using bar codes, bar code scanners may be used to directly load the results of an inventory into the computer. In either case, some degree of manual inventory and/or data entry is required, thereby resulting in very costly processes.

Method and system for remote monitoring and tracking of inventory


The device and method for coupling pipes includes an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, such that the housing define an elongated cylindrical bore therein. A stop is located on an inner diameter of the housing between the first end and the second end of the housing, and a distance from the stop to the first end of the housing is greater than a distance from the stop to the second end. The device provides a low cost, easy to use and cost-effective way to repair or connect pipe ends.

Sprinkler systems using plastic or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes have become widely used as a result of their low cost and ease of connection and repair. Such pipes, may be joined without threading by applying an adhesive such as a solvent cement to the ends of the pipes and slipping a pipe coupling over the ends.
However, installing new pipe and repairing sprinkler systems and broken pipes has traditionally been a difficult and complicated procedure. When a break occurs in an underground sprinkler system, the repair process has required isolating the break and then excavating around or otherwise clearing a long section of the PVC pipe surrounding the break. As disclosed in Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,232, a long section of pipe on both sides of the break is required because the standard repair coupling until now has comprised a short piece of similar PVC piping which is radially enlarged relative to the pipe to be repaired and which is slipped and solvent welded over the broken ends of pipe. This requires that the broken ends of pipe be relatively free in order to have enough play to be bent back so that the weld coupling may be inserted and then the broken ends of pipe moved toward each other into the coupling. This method of bending and moving the pipe sections to be joined frequently results in an insertion of extra pipe length into the existing pipe line exerting additional stresses upon the pipe line. This problem is exacerbated in the instance of PVC pipe having a large diameter since in order to gain the required flexibility, a much greater length of pipe must be cleared on either side of the break. The same difficulties pertain wherein an additional branch pipe is to be added to an existing line since the existing pipe must be cut and a T-coupling inserted in the manner described above.
In repairing non-PVC pipe, the process is much more complicated. Frequently the entire length of pipe which is broken must be removed and a new length of pipe, if it is compatible, must be replaced and sometimes forced into place to fit the existing couplings. Otherwise, a torch cutting procedure must be employed and then a new length of pipe must be fitted and welded or otherwise heat fused into place.
In addition, the use of pipe couplings is not limited to the repair of sprinkler systems and other broken pipes. Pipe couplings are also in demand for new construction projects.
In repairing old sprinklers or completion of new construction, various devices have been developed and used. One solution has been the use of an extendable housing which is expensive. Alternatively, when repairing or completing a section of pipe, if a gap is left for removing a section of broken pipe or inaccurate measurements in new construction, using traditional pipe couplings, at least two pipe couplings and a length of pipe is needed to repair or complete the section of pipe. The present invention can repair or complete most of these sections with a single pipe coupling.
Accordingly, what is needed is a low cost, easy to use and effective means of coupling pipe ends for use with sprinkler systems, conduits in walls or fixed pipes in substrates, and other coupling of pipe ends.
Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,232 discloses an in-line pipe coupling including a joint housing which encloses a piston means having a standard diameter pipe section which protrudes from one end of the joint housing that may be compressed and inserted into a small cutaway section of existing pipeline and then expanded to fit over the two free ends of pipe using a coupling on the sliding end to form a continuous water tight connection. The slip joint may be utilized in conjunction with either a standard or straight pipe coupling or a T-coupling or cross coupling in order to facilitate addition of one or more branch lines to an existing pipeline.
Curtain, U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,944 discloses a coupling for unthreaded pipes of a sprinkler system, which permits the replacement of a small damaged pipe section without bending the pipes already emplaced in the ground. The coupling includes a pair of semi-cylindrical pipe sections adapted to fit around and engage the emplaced pipes. The longitudinal edges of the two semi-cylindrical pipe sections are formed so as to mate with one another to hold the sections together as an applied adhesive forms a water tight seal.
It would be highly desirable to provide an easy to use and cost-effective way to repair or connect pipe ends.
This invention provides a simple, low-cost way of repairing or completing the assembly of pipe ends.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a pipe coupling includes an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the housing defining an elongated cylindrical bore therein; a stop located on an inner diameter of the housing, the stop located between the first end and the second end of the housing; and wherein a distance from the stop to the first end of the housing is greater than a distance from the stop to the second end.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a pipe coupling includes an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the housing defining an elongated cylindrical bore therein; a stop located on an inner diameter of the housing, the stop located between the first end and the second end of the housing; wherein a distance from the stop to the first end of the housing is greater than a distance from the stop to the second end, the housing having a length of between about 3xc2xd and about 5xc2xd inches.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method for using a pipe coupling includes the steps of inserting a first end of the pipe coupling onto an end of a first pipe, the pipe coupling having an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the housing defining an elongated cylindrical bore therein, a stop located on an inner diameter of the housing and between the first end and the second end of the housing, and wherein the distance from the stop to the first end of the housing is greater than the distance from the stop to the second end; advancing the pipe coupling in a first direction onto the first pipe; aligning the second end of the pipe coupling with an end of a second pipe; and advancing the pipe coupling in an opposite direction onto the second pipe until the stop reaches the end of the second pipe.


The present invention relates to jacketed cable especially useful for plenum enclosures of buildings, the jacket of the cable comprising perfluoropolymer, such as tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and inorganic char-forming agent, and preferably an additional ingredient, hydrocarbon polymer, the cable passing the NFPA-255 burn test.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a burn-resistant plenum cable.
2. Description of Related Art
Plenum cable is cable used for data and voice transmission that is installed in building plenums, i.e. the spaces above dropped ceilings or below raised floors that are used to return air to conditioning equipment. The cable comprises a core which performs the transmission function and a jacket over the core. Typical core constructions include a plurality of twisted pairs of insulated wires or coaxially-positioned insulated conductors.
Cable jackets of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and flame retardant additives are known for plenum cable, but the resultant compositions do not pass the NFPA-255 burn test (Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials), that requires both non-flammability and low-to-no smoke. This burn test is more severe than the burn test UL-910 (NFPA-262). UL 2424, Appendix A, provides that cables tested in accordance with NFPA-255 must have a smoke developed index (hereinafter Smoke Index) of no greater than 50 and a flame spread index (Flame Spread Index) of no greater than 25.
Cable jackets of tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene (FEP) copolymer are also known that do pass the NFPA-255 burn test. Such FEP has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 2-7 g/10 min, which means that it has a high melt viscosity. Because of this high melt viscosity, this FEP has the disadvantage of high production cost cable jacket, because this FEP is only capable of being extruded at a rate (line speed) of up to about 120 ft/min. Higher MFR (lower melt viscosity) FEP has been tried as cable jacket, but such jacket does not pass the NFPA-255 test. As the MFR increases above 10 g/10 min, the resultant lower melt viscosity of the FEP causes it to drip and smoke, resulting in a Smoke Index of greater than 50.


A developer cartridge container including a container body having a cylindrical body formed with an opening at one end and a bottom wall member provided on the other end opposite from the one end, an resilient thin wall container to be accommodated in the container body, and a closing lid having a developer discharge port capable of being attached to and detached from the container body and a mounting portion of a coupler for closing the opening of the container body and an opening of the resilient thin wall container in a state of being mounted to the container body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer cartridge container used for an electrophotographic image forming unit and an image forming method where by an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor (first image carrier) by electrostatic charge and light exposure, the electrostatic latent image is developed to a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to a second image carrier, such as an image recording sheet or an intermediate transfer material, a developer cartridge using the developer cartridge container, an image forming unit using the developer cartridge container or the developer cartridge, and a recycling method of the developer cartridge container and the developer cartridge.
The image forming unit of the present invention is used in a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile.
2 . Description of the Related Art
In the related art, an image forming unit in which a cartridge mounting member for detachably mounting a developer cartridge containing supplemental developer therein is provided in the image forming unit for replenishing developer to the developer container of the developing device is known. In such image forming unit, developer is supplied from the developer cartridge as the developer in the developer container of the developing device is consumed and thus decreased.
The developer cartridge conventionally known is disclosed in JP-A-2002-6603.
This Patent Document 1 discloses a developer cartridge having a feeding member for feeding toner contained in a container body 301A in the direction toward a toner supply opening 301g provided along the entire length of the developer cartridge container.
In JP-A-2002-6603, the feeding member is provided along the entire length of the developer cartridge container, and hence the structure of the entire cartridge container is complicated. In addition, when dividing the developer cartridge container into an upper frame and a lower frame, it is divided along the length thereof. Therefore, both of the divided upper frame and lower frame cannot be reduced in size (the maximum dimensions) so much, and thus a large storage space is required when storing them on a flat surface side-by-side in the divided state.
Recently, recycling of various devices is carried out for reducing disposal of radioactive waste and preventing environmental destruction. In the technological field of the image forming unit, the recycling technology for various components is being developed.
In order to recycle the developer cartridges used in the electrophotographic image forming unit for the copying machine, the printer, and the facsimile easily at low cost, it is necessary to configure the developer cartridge container so as to be capable of being recycled easily at low cost. In order to do so, it is necessary to configure the developer cartridge container in such a manner that components thereof can easily be assembled and disassembled, and the used components can easily be washed for recycling.
When considering washing of the developer cartridge container for recycling (reuse), washing operation may be facilitated, when it can be divided into parts having easy-to-wash configurations, when the divided parts are not of complex shapes, but of easy-to-wash configurations (simple shapes), and when the number of divided parts is small. The developer cartridge container is inevitably provided with a coupler mounting portion for mounting a coupler for transmitting a rotational force to a mixing member for mixing developer in the container and a developer discharge port for supplying the developer in the container to the developing device. The part formed with the coupler mounting portion or the developer discharge port does not assume a simple shape, but assumes a complex shape.
When dividing the developer cartridge container, and when the part formed with the coupler mounting portion and the part formed with the developer discharge port are divided into the separate parts, those parts assume relatively complex shapes, and thus two parts of relatively complex shapes are generated. Since the part of complex shape requires longer time for washing, providing the coupler mounting portion and the developer discharge port on a single part is more convenient for washing operation for recycling (reuse) as long as the shape of the part does not become too much complicated even when the coupler mounting portion and the developer discharge port are provided in a single part.

Developer cartridge container, developer cartridge, image forming unit, recycling method of developer cartridge container, and recycling method of developer cartridge


A method of forming a pattern and a method of producing an electronic element are characterized by including a first step of forming an electrically conductive film (D) by applying a liquid composition onto a first plate (10), and heating the first plate (10); a second step of forming an electrically conductive pattern (D′) on the first plate (10) by pressing a second plate (20) having a projection-and-recess pattern on a surface side thereof onto a surface side of the first plate (10), on which the electrically conductive film (D) is formed, to transfer an unwanted pattern of the electrically conductive film (D) to top faces of projections (20a) of the second plate (20), thereby removing the unwanted pattern; and a third step of transferring the electrically conductive pattern (D′) to a surface of a transfer-receiving substrate (30) by pressing the surface side of the first plate (10), on which the electrically conductive pattern (D′) is formed, onto the surface of the transfer-receiving substrate (30), wherein the liquid composition contains a solvent having a vapor pressure of 133 Pa or less at a surface temperature of the heated first plate (10). These methods provide a method of forming a pattern and a method of producing an electronic element in which a state of a liquid-composition coating film is stabilized and a fine and precise pattern can be stably formed with good reproducibility.

Various methods have been studied in order to efficiently form a fine and precise pattern on a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or the like at a low cost. For example, a printing method has been disclosed in which a resin to be printed is applied onto the entire surface of a first plate called a blanket, a surface of which is coated with silicone rubber having detachability, and a second plate having a projection-and-recess pattern on a surface side thereof is then pressed onto the surface side of the first plate, on which the resin is provided, to transfer an unwanted pattern of the resin to top faces of projections of the second plate, thereby removing the unwanted pattern, and a resin pattern remaining on the surface of the first plate is transferred to a transfer-receiving substrate (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-58921).
When a fine and precise pattern is formed using this printing method, it is necessary that a liquid composition used therein maintain an appropriate transfer characteristic of the liquid composition in each of the steps of applying the liquid composition onto a first plate, transferring an unwanted pattern of a liquid-composition coating film from the first plate to a second plate, and transferring a pattern from the first plate to the transfer-receiving substrate.
First, in the step of applying the liquid composition onto the first plate, in general, the surface of the first plate is formed of a material having detachability, and a thin, smooth, and uniform liquid-composition coating film must be formed on this surface having detachability. Accordingly, it is necessary to appropriately control physical property values of the liquid composition.
In addition, in the next step of transferring an unwanted pattern of the liquid-composition coating film from the first plate to the second plate, the liquid-composition coating film applied onto the first plate must be completely transferred with the pattern shape remaining as it is on the top faces of the projections of the second plate to be contacted. For this purpose, it is necessary that after the liquid composition is applied onto the first plate, the viscosity of the resulting liquid-composition coating film be appropriately increased, and the liquid-composition coating film on the first plate maintain an appropriate tackiness and cohesive property.
Furthermore, in the step of transferring to the transfer-receiving substrate, the patterned liquid-composition coating film remaining on the first plate must be completely transferred to the transfer-receiving substrate. For this purpose, it is necessary that the liquid-composition coating film after patterning be in an appropriate coating film state (dry state) suitable for transfer.
An example of an ink composition for preparing a color filter in which the viscosity value of an ink composition (liquid composition) used in printing, the surface energy thereof, and the vapor pressure value of a solvent are set to cope with these technical problems has been disclosed (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-128346).

Method of forming pattern and method of producing electronic element


High molecular weight buffering compositions and polymeric buffering compositions incorporating such compositions are described. The compositions are useful in applications where lower molecular weight buffers are unsatisfactory because of their tendency to leak out of an encapsulating membrane. Methods of making such compositions are described, as well as a particular application in a fiber optic carbon dioxide physiological probe.

A buffer is generally a solution containing both a weak acid and its conjugate weak base whose pH changes only slightly on addition of acid or alkali. The weak acid becomes a buffer when alkali is added and the weak base becomes a buffer on addition of acid. This action can be explained by the reaction: EQU A+HOH.fwdarw.B+H.sub.3 O.sub.n ( 1)
in which the base B is formed by the loss of proton from the corresponding acid A. The acid may be a cation such as NH.sub.4.sup.+, a neutral molecule such as CH.sub.3 COOH, or an anion such as H.sub.2 PO.sub.4.sup.-. When alkali is added, hydrogen ions are removed to form water, but as long as the added alkali is not in excess of the buffer acid, many of the hydrogen ions are replaced by further ionization of the acid to maintain the equilibrium. When acid is added, this reaction is reversed as hydrogen ions combine with the base to form acid.
Buffers of this type are used in many applications. One specific application is the use of a bicarbonate as a buffering composition in a fiber optic physiological probe, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,268 issued May 15, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,901 issued Mar. 19, 1991. The probes described in these two patents include a carbon dioxide sensor that relies upon the optical absorbence of an indicator material, such as phenol red (PR) in its basic form, to provide a measure of carbon dioxide in the analyte. Generally, the degree that phenol red absorbs visible light is affected by the pH of the environment around the phenol red. As described below, in the carbon dioxide sensors of the noted patents, the pH of the environment around the phenol red is made dependent upon the concentration of carbon dioxide around the sensor, by relying upon a buffering composition. The buffering solution responds to changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide by changing the pH of the environment in which it is contained.
In the sensors described in the above-noted patents, the phenol red is codissolved in a matrix of methyl methacrylate (MMA), methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) having a molecular weight of about 600 K. The matrix also incorporates a base that establishes an equilibrium within the matrix, such that when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the matrix changes, the pH within the matrix changes. The change in pH affects the absorbence of phenol red. One type of buffer described in the above-noted patents comprises a bicarbonate ion. The bicarbonate ion is incorporated into the matrix in the form of an inorganic salt, such as a sodium salt. Bicarbonate sets up the following equilibrium that is sensitive to the carbon dioxide concentration: EQU CO.sub.2 +H.sub.2 O.revreaction.H.sub.2 CO.sub.3 .revreaction.HCO.sub.3.sup.- +H.sup.+ ( 2)
In the probe described in the above-noted patents, a matrix of MMA/MAPTAC/PR/PEG is applied to the end of an optical fiber by using a solvent based film coating technique. The bicarbonate can then be introduced into the matrix by diffusion, so that a coating of the MMA/MAPTAC/PR/PEG matrix impregnated with sodium bicarbonate covers the end of the optical fiber. The sensor matrix can be further encapsulated by a layer of a plastic which forms a gas permeable, but ion impermeable membrane around the matrix. Visible light is directed onto the sensor matrix through the optical fiber. The absorbence of the impinging light by the phenol red can be measured by detecting the light reflected by the sensor matrix.
When the probe is designed to monitor carbon dioxide concentrations in blood, the accuracy of the measurement is vitally important. In the past, the possibility of bicarbonate ions leaking out of the sensor matrix increased the likelihood that signal drift would occur. Leaking of the bicarbonate ions from the sensor matrix could result if small voids occurred in the plastic membrane encapsulating the sensor matrix.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,901 and 4,925,268 teach that as an alternative to sodium bicarbonate, other bases having a pKa in the targeted physiological range can be used. Suitable monomeric bases that are listed include 2-vinylpyridine, 4-vinylpyridine, histamine, 1-vinylimidazole and 4-vinylimidazole. These patents note that the vinylic monomers can be homopolymerized or copolymerized to provide a polymeric base of sufficiently high molecular weight to nullify loss by permeation when physically entrained in the sensor matrix. In order to immobilize the base by covalent linkage to the sensor matrix, the monomers are described as being copolymerizable with MMA or otherwise bondable to a resin emulsion. The disclosed monomeric bases have a pKa that is near the low end of the physiological range and accordingly, compared to bicarbonate, they are not as effective at providing a sensor that has the desired sensitivity and response time. Accordingly, while the polymeric bases described above may avoid the potential problem of leakage of the base from the sensor matrix and the consequent signal drift, they are less desirable from an accuracy and speed standpoint.
The buffering composition formed in accordance with the present invention overcomes the problems of using free bicarbonate ions as a buffer in a sensor matrix such as that described above to monitor carbon dioxide concentrations. The composition of the present invention avoids the potential leakage and signal drift problems associated with the use of free bicarbonate without a sacrifice in performance in demanding applications such as physiological probes.

Polymeric buffering composition for fiber-optic physiological probe


A method of treating or preventing post-operative ileus in a mammalian subject is disclosed. The method involves administering to the subject, a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound that is effective in (i) preventing mast cell degranulation, (ii) inhibiting tryptase and chymase, and (iii) antagonizing PAR-2. The treatment is based on the discoveries that proteinase-activated receptor 2 is expressed in colonic muscle cells, and that activation of PAR-2 inhibits colonic motility. The PAR-2 receptor is activated, at least in part, by tryptase and chymase, produced by infiltration and degranulation of mast cells.

Inhibition of intestinal motility, especially colonic motility, is a major complication of abdominal surgery. The condition, termed post-operative ileus, delays the normal resumption of food intake after surgery and often leads to prolonged hospitalization.
Mast cells are pro-inflammatory cells that are normally present in the wall of the intestine. Manipulation of intestine and intestinal inflammation are accompanied by influx and degranulation of mast cells in the wall of the intestine (Vermillion). Mast cell tryptase and chymase are proteases that account for 25% of the total protein of mast cells (Caughey). They are released from mast cells upon degranulation within the wall of the colon.
Heretofore, postoperative ileus has been treated, in extreme cases, with surgical intervention to unblock the colon. Ileus may also be treated with drugs that act to increase colonic motility, such as Leul3-motilin and prostaglandin F2 alpha. However, these approaches have generally been ineffective in significantly reducing the period of postoperative ileus and its complications. It would therefore be useful to provide a more effective method of treating post-operative ileus, in particular, to accelerate recovery time following colonic surgery.

The Regents of the University of California


A pattern evaluation method for evaluating a mask pattern includes generating desired wafer pattern data corresponding to the evaluation position of a mask pattern, generating mask pattern contour data based on an image of the mask pattern, and performing a lithography/simulation process based on the mask pattern contour data and generating predicted wafer pattern data when the mask pattern is transferred to a wafer. Further, it includes deriving positional offset between the mask pattern contour data and mask pattern data, correcting a positional error between the desired wafer pattern data and the predicted wafer pattern data based on the positional offset, and comparing the desired wafer pattern data with the predicted wafer pattern data with the positional error corrected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pattern evaluation method and evaluation apparatus which evaluate a mask pattern formed on an exposure mask. Further, this invention relates to a pattern evaluation program which causes a computer to evaluate a mask pattern. In addition, this invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device for forming a pattern on a semiconductor substrate by use of a mask which is determined to be an acceptable product by the above evaluation method or apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a process of manufacturing large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), a method for transferring a pattern formed on an exposure mask to a wafer by use of the photolithography technique is generally used. With recent developments in the pattern miniaturizing process, the wavelength used for transfer has become almost equal to the pattern line width and the degree of difficulty in forming a desired pattern on a wafer is rapidly increasing. In order to cope with this problem, in the photolithography, the light phase effect is utilized or the optical proximity effect correction (OPC) method which corrects a variation in a transfer pattern caused by an influence of a proximity pattern is used.
Miniaturization of the pattern and increased complexity of the pattern due to the optical proximity effect correction increases an influence exerted by the mask pattern on a pattern formed on the wafer via the photolithography. For example, it becomes impossible to neglect a dimensional difference between the line width of the mask pattern and a desired value and a minute difference in the mask pattern caused by an error in the manufacturing process. Further, a large number of fine step differences are formed on the pattern by the optical proximity effect correction method and the area of a portion with a simple linear form becomes less. Therefore, conventionally, it becomes difficult to measure and manage the line width.
Based on the above condition, a method for evaluating a mask pattern by performing the lithography/simulation process is proposed (W. C. Wang et al. "Mask pattern fidelity quantification method" SPIE Vol. 5256 (2003) pp. 266 to 275). In the above method, an image of a mask pattern actually formed is acquired by use of a scanning secondary electron microscope (SEM) and a pattern contour is extracted from the image. Then, the lithography/simulation process is performed based on the pattern contour to evaluate the mask pattern according to whether or not desired lithography tolerance is obtained or whether or not a predictable wafer pattern has a form within a preset range.
However, the following problem occurs in the above type of method. That is, when the mask pattern is evaluated, a pattern contour is extracted from the image of the mask pattern and then the lithography/simulation process is performed based on the pattern contour to acquire predicted wafer pattern data. At the same time, desired wafer pattern data is acquired based on design data. Then, it is necessary to compare the above data items. At this time, it is difficult to align the predicted wafer pattern with the desired wafer pattern and it becomes impossible to precisely compare the predicted wafer pattern with the desired wafer pattern. As a result, there occurs a problem that the precision of the pattern evaluation process is lowered.

Pattern evaluation method and evaluation apparatus and pattern evaluation program


A steering control device can shorten a braking distance during straight-traveling deceleration and can efficiently acquire the acceleration performance during straight-traveling acceleration with a simple control while maintaining the stability of a vehicle by steering the wheel on a higher road surface friction coefficient road side with a predetermined steering angle when either one of the straight-traveling braking state and the straight-traveling acceleration state of the vehicle is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering control device of a vehicle properly performing a steering control in a straight-traveling braking state and in a straight-traveling acceleration state by independently steering left wheels and right wheels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with respect to a vehicle, a steering control device having various structures which can independently steer the left wheels and the right wheels (a steering control device which includes a steer-by-wire mechanism or a steering control device which includes a variable toe angle mechanism) has been developed and put into practice.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Application JP-A-2004-268858 discloses a steering control system which includes a steering mechanism for independently steering left and right steering wheels and a unit for detecting lateral slide angles of the wheels, and independently controls the left and right steering wheels such that a cornering force becomes optimum for the respective left and right wheels in response to the lateral slide angles of the steering wheels so as to increase a gripping force during cornering of the vehicle.
However, in the above-mentioned system, the lateral slide angle at the center of gravity of a vehicle body is obtained based on a two-wheel model of a vehicle, a vehicle-body lateral slide angle is obtained at respective steering wheel steered positions based on the lateral slide angle at the center of gravity of the vehicle body, and the lateral slide angle of the steering wheel is obtained based on the vehicle-body lateral steering angle of the vehicle at the steering wheel steered positions. Further, the control is performed in response to the lateral slide angle of the steering wheel and hence, there exists a possibility that the responsiveness of the control is not favorable and many errors occur in the control. Further, in this system, both wheels are independently controlled in response to the cornering. Accordingly, when both wheels are controlled in a straight-traveling deceleration state or in a straight-traveling acceleration state, a braking distance is enlarged and, further, the acceleration performance can not be obtained efficiently.


In a method and system for controlling voice communication of a first person with at least a second person via a communication network a first microphone receives and converts vocal utterances from the first person to a voice signal. A first processor generates a transmission signal by processing the voice signal. A transmitter sends the transmission signal to a receiver. The receiver generates a listening signal by processing the received signal and transmits the listening signal to a speaker. The speaker converts the listening signal to an acoustic signal to be perceived by the first person. In this method a second processor generates the listening signal from the received signal by branching the voice signal and adding the branched voice signal to the received signal. The branched voice signal may be subjected to variable attenuation and/or amplification before being added to the branched voice signal to the received signal.

For voice communication procedures like teleconferencing/videoconferencing when also using a headset with cellular phones or the like, voice quality is an important design criterion.
If conference participants are located in a loud environment, this can disrupt the conference. This can happen if the participant is taking part in the conference using a cell phone in public, but participants using a headset in a conference environment can also be affected. On the one hand, the participants in the loud environment find it more difficult to understand the content of the conference; on the other hand, the ambient noise is transmitted to the other conference participants. In addition, the participants in the loud environment cannot hear their own voices well, which makes them have to speak louder to overcome the ambient noise. This can cause at least two other disadvantages. For one, speaking louder can result in additional noise, which can be disruptive at the location of the other participant, e.g., in an open-plan office (in an environment with many conference participants, this can also result in everyone attempting to speak louder than the others, and the noise level building up accordingly). For another, it is difficult to discuss confidential and/or commercial matters in publicly accessible buildings or publicly accessible locations, since basically anyone in the vicinity can listen in. The participant's auditory impression can also be disrupted if the speaker's own voice is played back to him or her out of the conference system with a certain delay (i.e., "round trip delay"). Echo and hall effects can be created, for example, if the voice signal is output by the conference system via a speaker and picked up by a microphone (acoustic echo), or if signals are simultaneously sent and received by telecommunication equipment (duplex echo). An echo and the resulting disruption gets stronger the louder the participant speaks.
To minimize the disruption caused to other participants by a participant speaking too loud, it is common for a conference moderator or the participant to manually lower the sound level of the line with the loud environment (i.e., "muting"). This is often a repetitive procedure, and it might have to be adjusted multiple times or constantly.
To handle disruptive ambient noise, it is common, e.g., for teleconferencing, to output to the ear's speaker the ambient noise phase shifted by 180° in addition to the conference signal. This cancels out the ambient noise for the ear. Similar solutions have also been developed for listening to music on a plane or in a train car, or for aircraft or helicopter pilot headsets. In the best case, the environment can barely be heard. However, the participant's voice can also barely be heard, since this type of headset often fits very tightly against the ear and is designed to be soundproof. To hear himself or herself, the participant again attempts to speak very loudly, which leads to the disadvantages described above.
As described, ambient noise can also be picked up by a participant's voice microphone and transmitted via the conference system or a telephone system to other participants. A solution to this problem has already been developed for headsets in the mobile communications field, using two directional microphones, for example, arranged in opposite directions (toward the mouth/away from the mouth). The signal-to-noise ratio of the transmission signal is also improved there by compensating for the ambient noise. In this case, the other participants no longer hear the background noise as loudly. However, the participant is still subjected to the loud environment, and the other participants cannot tell that the speaker is speaking so loudly to overcome the ambient noise, and that this person may still have problems following along with the conference due to disruption from the loud ambient noise.
There is also another problem with a headset. Many headsets are designed for the earpiece to form a soundproof seal to block out the ambient noise. This also makes it necessary to remove the headset to interact with one's surroundings. The headset is also disruptively large. This means that a compromise must be made to acoustically seal the earpiece so the desired signal does not have to be amplified very strongly, since this amplification is energy-intensive and comes at a cost of battery life. In addition, it is also common here to output the ambient noise with a 180° phase shift, i.e., inverted, which causes the ear to cancel out the ambient noise.

Procedure and mechanism for controlling and using voice communication


A method includes: synchronously calculating offsets of a first mechanical arm, a second mechanical arm and an endoscopy mechanical arm corresponding to a change of posture of the surgical bed when the change of posture of the surgical bed is detected in real time; calculating target joint readings of each of the first mechanical arm, the second mechanical arm and the endoscopy mechanical arm based on the offsets; adjusting in real time the first mechanical arm, the second mechanical arm and the endoscopy mechanical arm, based on the calculated target joint readings. The method acquires the joint readings of the mechanical arm of the surgical robot with information about a change of posture of the surgical bed so as to achieve the purpose of synchronizing the mechanical arm with the change of posture of the surgical bed.

The Da Vinci Surgical System is an advanced robotic platform the design concept of which is implementing complex minimally invasive surgical operations through the use of a robotic method. The Da Vinci Surgical System is composed of the following three portions: a surgeon console, a bedside mechanical arm system and an imaging system.
The current method for controlling a mechanical arm of a surgical robot needs to disassemble the mechanical arm of the robot and a trocar thereof when adjusting the body posture of a patient, and after the adjusting, the mechanical arm and the trocar are reassembled and reconnected so as to continue operating, which leads to a complicated and time-consuming operation, and an offset for the visual field of a doctor, and meanwhile, the anesthesia time for a patient increases which is likely to bring danger to the patient. With the self-customized bed by Da Vinci, other surgical beds are not compatible and other robotic surgical systems need to disconnect the trocar.

Method for controlling a mechanical arm of a surgical robot following the movement of a surgical bed and a device therefor


A narrow profile, variable width stump grinder comprising a stump treatment tool adapted to forcibly grind a stump and a variable width carriage. The carriage comprises a rigid elongated frame and independently driven wheels coupled to the frame by extensible axles or struts. The frame comprises a longitudinal central member terminating in a header supporting the tool and a front tongue adapted to be coupled to a tow vehicle. The retractable struts are oriented generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the machine. The header comprises a housing defining parallel sleeves oriented perpendicularly to the axis to receive the struts. A hinged stand is pivotally secured to the top of the header to support the treatment tool in a raised position for transport. A linkage interconnecting the struts and a hydraulic cylinder deploys or retracts the struts to widen or narrow the grinder's stance. The linkage comprises an L-shaped crank pivoted to the frame. The major portion of the crank is pivotally coupled to a tie rod connected to the in-board end of the strut. The minor portion is pivotally coupled to the cylinder. Extension of the cylinder pivots the crank relative to the frame and retracts the strut. The linkage and cylinders nest against the frame when the struts are retracted presenting an overall narrow profile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to stump grinders. Specifically, the present invention is a Variable Width Stump Grinder with independently extensible axles. Representative prior art pertinent to motorized stump grinders is found in U.S. Patent Class 144, subclass 2 N.
2. Prior Art
One of the most difficult and time consuming tasks associated with land clearing and tree removal is removal of the stumps. Stumps generally must be removed in order to render land useful for building, cultivation or for aesthetic reasons. Conventional approaches to stump removal are time consuming, costly and oftentimes dangerous. The stumps may be cut out by hand using axes and chain saws. Needless to say this approach is time consuming and hard on equipment. Heavy equipment may be used to dig stumps out or pull them up. This requires space and the use of a large piece of equipment such as a bulldozer. Blasting is a costly method of stump removal and often not practical in an urban setting. Additionally once the stump is removed a problem remains, what to do with it. Many landfills will not accept tree stumps. Burning on site might cause ecological problems and be prohibited by local laws or ordinances. Composting is not very practical from a time standpoint.
The art is replete with machines devised to comminute tree stumps in place. Some of these machines grind the stump away until it is below the surface of the surrounding soil. The devices, utilize a rotating cutting wheel, usually driven by an internal combustion engine.
Forslund, U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,846, discloses a device for eradicating tree stumps which employs a series of hydraulic cylinders and booms to pull apart an already split stump.
Various types of stump grinders or cutters have proven most effective for stump eradication. The prior art attempts share some common elements. Most devices include some form of elongated, rigid frame which rests on two or more wheels. A rotating, cutter blade is employed to engage and reduce the stump. The cutter may be actuated by remote hydraulic controls. Alternatively the cutters may be manually controlled and moved about by the operator.
A manual "push" stump remover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,914, issued to Bowling Nov. 15, 1988. Another push unit is disclosed in Doskocil, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,786. U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,112 issued Mar. 3, 1964, discloses a one man stump cutter in which a motor is disposed upon an elongated frame between front mounted wheels and a rear mounted stump cutter assembly.
U S. Pat. No. 3,783,914 discloses a "walk behind" self propelled stump cutter which includes a downwardly projecting cutter wheel disposed between the front support wheels and the rear handles. The latter patent is similar to Carlton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,958, issued Aug. 22, 1967. This patent discloses a one man machine in which a front mounted cutter wheel assembly is moved downwardly into engagement with a stump when an operator lifts up on the rear mounted handles. The drive wheels of the device provide the pivot point.
Other stump cutters are intended to be employed as an attachment. Bolton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,625, discloses a stump cutter which must be mounted to some other type of structure or frame In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,107 and 4,041,996 Grover discloses stump eradicators intended to be attached to the boom of a crane or other heavy equipment.
Cutter tooth construction and deployment are discussed in McKenry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,617.
Various stump cutters intended to be towed into position are disclosed in various U.S. patents. A stump cutter employing a towable frame is illustrated in Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,396. Other examples of towable stump grinders are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,879; 3,568,740; 4,074,447; RE 28,651; and 3,625,267. Some of the latter devices disclose stump cutting machines in which a variety of hydraulic and other complex linkages are provided for controlling the rotation cutter blade assembly.
On modern building sites many trees are left in place for environmental, ecological, and ascetic purposes. Therefore, it is often necessary to maneuver a stump grinder, capable of handling fairly large stumps, around trees, buildings and fences. Once in position it must be deployed around standing trees. Therefore, it is desirous to provide a stump grinder of a relatively large size which can easily be deployed in a "tight" situation. Such a stump grinder needs to have independently retractable and extensible axles.
Prior art stump cutters and grinders employ fixed axles. Various patents speaking to land vehicles disclose extensible axles such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,574 issued to Kulyk on Jul. 11, 1967. Wheels can be expanded forward and backward as seen in Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,155. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,698,734 and 4,358,133 both show trailers having wheels that can be extended or contracted.
Hence, it is desirous to provide a stump grinder which may be easily towed behind a relatively small vehicle such as a van or pickup truck, but which has the ability to handle fairly large stumps. Therefore, it is desirous to provide a stump grinder which has an extensible base or stance to provide stability for a relatively large motor and grinding wheel during towing and operation. It is also disable that such a stump grinder also be capable of being deployed without the use of the tow vehicle in tight situations such as through the gates or around existing trees and buildings.
As a result, it is desirous to provide a stump grinder with a rigid frame and extensible axles to provide the necessary extended base. These axles should be independently extensible to facilitate use around existing trees and structures, avoiding damage thereto. Further, the stump grinder needs to be self propelled and capable of being maneuvered by a single individual. Finally, it is desirous that extension of the axles and operation of the grinder be controlled from a central location to facilitate one man use and coordinated use of the axles and the grinding wheel.

241
FSC 56
FSC 83
FSC 30
FSC 144
FSC 37
FSC 280
FSC 180


Apparatus for coating pipes includes means for applying a sheet material 32,33,34, to a pipe 2 and means for heating 23,31 the sheet material and/or pipe. The means for heating may be operative to heat the sheet material during its application to the pipe. The means for heating may comprise a means for directing hot air towards the pipe and/or sheet material. The sheet material may be disposed on reels housed in canisters 22 that are releasably mounted on the apparatus.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for coating pipes and particularly, but not exclusively, girth welds on oil and gas pipelines.
Oil and gas pipelines are usually formed from many lengths of externally coated steel pipe welded together. The pipes are coated to prevent corrosion. They are usually coated at a factory remote from the site where they are to be laid. This is generally more cost effective than coating them on site. At the factory a coating is applied to the outside of the pipes leaving a short length uncoated at each end. This is necessary to enable the pipes to be welded together end-to-end on site to form a pipeline. Each resulting girth weld and adjacent uncoated region of the pipe must be coated before the pipeline is laid. This coating is known as the field joint coating. Ideally, the properties of the field joint coating should match those of the factory applied coating applied to the remainder of the pipes.
In one known arrangement the factory applied coating comprises polypropylene and the field joint coating is formed by polypropylene tape wound helically over the field joint area and factory applied coating adjacent the field joint area. Each turn of the tape overlaps either part of the factory applied coating or a previous layer or layers of tape by a predetermined amount.
A known method of applying a polypropylene tape field joint includes the following steps. The surface of the factory applied coating which will be overlapped by tape is cleaned and masked. The field joint area is then abrasive blast cleaned and induction heated. A layer of fusion bonded epoxy powder is applied to the field joint area, followed by a layer of polypropylene powder. The heat in the pipe causes the epoxy powder to bond to the pipe, the polypropylene subsequently bonds with the epoxy as it melts and flows to cover the surface of the field joint. The masking on the adjacent factory applied coating is now removed. The surface of the factory applied coating will now have been heated by conduction of heat through the coating from the pipe, but not so much as it melts. A layer of molten polypropylene is then applied to the surface of the factory coating to be overlapped by tape using a flame spraying process.
Polypropylene tape is now wrapped helically across the field joint area and adjacent factory applied coating. Residual heat in the pipe and factory applied coating from induction heating and subsequent flame spraying causes the surface of the polypropylene tape brought into contact with the pipe or factory applied coating to melt so that the tape becomes welded to the pipe or coating on cooling. Bonding of overlapping layers of tape together occurs through conduction of residual heat in the pipe through an underlying layer of tape to an overlying layer of tape sufficient to cause the abutting surfaces of the tape layers to melt. Bonding of layers of tape may also be facilitated by the subsequent external application of heat to the tape using a gas flame.
A problem with this existing method is that heating of the factory applied coating and molten polypropylene bonded thereto during the flame spraying is difficult to control. The margin between insufficient heating, leading to poor bonding between factory applied coating and tape, and overheating, causing burning of the factory applied coating or applied molten polypropylene which also adversely affects bonding with tape, is very narrow. In practice it is difficult to achieve consistently good bonding.
Another problem arises because the polypropylene applied to the factory coating remains molten for a limited period only. If there is too great a delay before application of tape the polypropylene can begin to solidify making it unlikely that tape will bond properly to it. This can happen, for example, where two turns of tape are required to coat the factory applied coating and the polypropylene solidifies between application of the two turns, and where the factory coating adjacent one side of a field joint is coated with tape before that at the opposite side of the joint.
Another problem is poor bonding between layers of tape. Bonding occurs through conduction of residual heat from the pipe and/or application of heat externally using a gas flame. Application of external heat is, in practice, largely ineffective in heating up a thickness of tape and it can take a considerable amount of time for sufficient heat to cause bonding to be conducted through layers of tape from the pipe itself. As the field joint coating increases in thickness there becomes a point where sufficient heat to cause satisfactory bonding cannot be conducted from the pipe. Further, because it is often necessary to force quench a field joint to solidify the polypropylene coating in order for it to withstand mechanical loading, for example from pipe rollers, and in many instances offshore a finished field joint is immersed in the sea within two or three minutes of application, regardless of its thickness a joint is often cooled before bonding between tape layers is complete. Also, the application of external heat using a gas flame despite being largely ineffective is also imprecise and can easily result in burning or complete melting of the outside of the coating, both of which are undesirable. As interlayer bonding and adhesion to the factory coating cannot be verified other than by destructive testing there can be little confidence in the integrity of a finished field joint coating.


A well drilling bit having a bit body attachable to a tubular drill string, which bit body is internally provided with a passageway providing fluid communication, when the drill string is attached to the bit body, between the interior of the drill string and the exterior of the bit body; a closure element for selectively closing the passageway; and one or more chip-making elements, wherein the chip-making elements has one or more roller-cones, wherein the closure element is releasably connectable to the bit body, and outwardly movable from a closing position to an opening position, and wherein the closure element includes at least one of the roller-cones.

Well drilling bits provided with such a passageway are particularly useful for performing operations in the wellbore ahead of the drilling bit quickly after drilling operation has stopped, without the need to first retrieve the drilling bit to the surface. Such operations can for example include formation testing (logging), or drilling of a pilot hole of smaller size.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,050 discloses a well drilling bit comprising a bit body provided at its face with one or more fixedly attached roller cones. The bit body is attachable to a tubular drill string, and is internally provided with a passageway providing fluid communication between the interior of the attached drill string and the exterior of the bit body. The passageway opens towards the exterior of the bit body through a port in the face of the bit body, which port is arranged in a region where no roller cone is attached. The bit body comprises a hinged closure means for selectively closing the port. When the port is open, a tool such as a logging tool or a pilot drill string can be passed from inside the drill string through the passageway into the well exterior of the well drilling bit. In conventional roller-cone bits without a passageway, the roller cones cover virtually all the face of the bit body, and shape and relative arrangement of the cones and the cutters on the cones are designed for optimum drilling performance. A well-known roller-cone bit that is widely used in the art is known as the tricone bit wherein three substantially equal cones carrying teeth or cutters are arranged symmetrically on the bit face. The size and geometry of the cones, the arrangement of the teeth or cutters on the cones, the precise alignment, bearing and materials used are optimised in conventional roller cone bits depending on the particular application.
In contrast, in comparison with conventional roller-cone bits, at least one of the roller cones has to be left out in the well drilling bit according to the USA patent, in order to allow sufficient space for a port. This well drilling bit therefore has the disadvantage that in order to provide the passageway the drilling performance is decreased in comparison with that of a conventional roller-cone bit.


The present invention provides a method for obtaining thermostable enzymes. The present invention also provides variants of DNA polymerase I from Thermus aquaticus. The present invention further provides methods of identifying mutant DNA polymerases having enhanced catalytic activity. The present invention also provides polynucleotides, expression systems, and host cells encoding the mutant DNA polymerases. Still further, the present invention provides a method to carry out reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and kits to facilitate the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a method for obtaining thermostable enzymes. The present invention also provides variants of DNA polymerase I from Thermus aquaticus. The present invention further provides methods of identifying mutant DNA polymerases having enhanced catalytic activity. The present invention also provides polynucleotides, expression systems, and host cells encoding the mutant DNA polymerases. Still further, the present invention provides a method to carry out reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and kits to facilitate the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
Filamentous phage display is commonly used as a method to establish a link between a protein expressed as a fusion with a phage coat protein and its corresponding gene located within the phage particle (Marks et al., J. Biol. Chem. (1992) 267, 16007-16010). The use of filamentous phage particles as a chemical reagent provides further a strategy to create a complex between an enzyme, its gene and a substrate (Jestin et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (1999) 38, 1124-1127). This substrate can be cross-linked on the surface of filamentous phage using the nucleophilic properties of coat proteins. If the enzyme is active, conversion of the substrate to the product yields a phage particle cross-linked with the product, which can be captured by affinity chromatography (see discussion in Vichier-Guerre & Jestin, Biocat. & Biotransf. (2003) 21, 75-78).
Several similar approaches based on product formation for the isolation of genes encoding enzymes using phage display have been described in the literature for various enzymes (Fastrez et al., (2002) In: Brackmann, S. and Johnsson, K. eds., Directed Molecular Evolution of Proteins (Wiley VCH, Weinheim), pp 79-110). These in vitro selections of proteins for catalytic activity are well suited for use with large repertoires of about 108 proteins or more. Several libraries of enzyme variants on phage have been constructed and catalytically active proteins with wild type like activities have been isolated (Atwell & Wells (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 9497-9502; Heinis et al. (2001) Prot. Eng. 14, 1043-1052; Ponsard et al. (2001) Chembiochem. 2, 253-259; Ting et al. (2001) Biopol. 60, 220-228.). Mutants with different substrate specificities have been also obtained (Xia et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 6597-6602.). In these studies, the fraction of active variants in the libraries can be large and it remains unclear how rare an enzyme can be in the initial protein library so as to be selected after iterative selection cycles. Accordingly, there remains a critical need for an efficient process for making and identifying thermostable enzymes possessing a desired catalytic activity.
Reverse transcriptases are enzymes that are present generally in certain animal viruses (i.e., retroviruses), which are used in vitro to make complementary DNA (cDNA) from an mRNA template. Practically, reverse transcriptases have engendered significant interest for their use in reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). As such, these proteins lend themselves to be a model system for development of an efficient method of making thermostable enzymes having a desired activity.
RNA generally contains secondary structures and complex tertiary sections, accordingly it is highly desired that the RNA be copied in its entirety by reverse transcription to ensure that integrity of cDNA is maintained with high accuracy. However, due to the often complicated secondary and tertiary structures of RNA, the denaturation temperatures are generally about 90° C. and, as such, the reverse transcriptase must be capable of withstanding these extreme conditions while maintaining catalytic efficiency.
The classically utilized enzymes for RT-PCR have been isolated from the AMV (Avian myeloblastosis virus) or MMLV (Moloney murine leukemia virus); however, these enzymes suffer from a critical limitation in that they are not thermostable. In fact, the maximum temperature tolerated by most commercially available reverse transcriptases is about 70° C.
One common approach to overcome this limitation in the existing technology with the previously described polymerases has been the use of a protein chaperones in addition to the polymerase. However, this method leads to problems associated with environmental compatibility metal ion requirements, multi-stage procedures, and overall inconvenience. Accordingly, an alternative strategy has been to use thermostable reverse transcriptases. This approach makes it possible to perform multiple denaturation and reverse transcription cycles using only a single enzyme.
To this end, the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase I of Thermus aquaticus (i.e., Taq polymerase), is thermostable and has reverse transcriptase activity only in the presence of manganese. However, when the manganese ion concentration is maintained in the millimolar range the fidelity of the enzyme is affected. It has been suggested that the thermostable DNA-dependent DNA polymerase of Bacillus stearothermophilus has reverse transcriptase activity, even in absence of magnesium, but in this case it is necessary to add a thermostable DNA polymerase for the PCR.
Therefore, there remains a critical need for high efficiency, thermostable enzymes that are capable of catalyzing reverse transcription and subsequent DNA polymerization in "one-pot" RT-PCR. Accordingly, the present invention provides an isolated population of thermostable reverse transcriptases, which are active in absence of manganese, by directed evolution of the Stoffel fragment of the Taq polymerase.

Methods for obtaining thermostable enzymes, DNA polymerase I variants from


Plastic encapsulated semiconductor devices are susceptible to moisture due to the permeability of molding compounds. Devices may be baked until dry before being shipped to the customer to reduce the risk of cracking. To retain this dry condition, devices are packaged and shipped in dry-packs. A vacuum seal indicator (18) for flexible material enables a user to determine the integrity of a vacuum seal. The seal indicator has a quick recognition pattern composed of either negative (22) or positive (24) features or a combination thereof, and is placed inside a dry-pack bag (30) which is vacuum sealed prior to shipping. The integrity of the vacuum seal can be determined by looking at the dry-pack bag to see whether the recognition pattern is sharply defined against the bag or not. The vacuum seal indicator can be used in conjunction with any shipping media (28) as long as the outer bag is flexible.

Plastic encapsulated semiconductor devices are susceptible to moisture ingress due to the permeable nature of plastic molding compounds. The amount of moisture that a plastic resin encapsulated semiconductor device absorbs from its environment is dependent on several factors: the length of exposure time to the environment, the diffusivity of the plastic or how quickly moisture can be absorbed into the material, the solubility coefficient of the plastic or its saturation capacity, and the thickness of the plastic body on the device. Devices containing moisture levels exceeding some critical amount run the risk of cracking or "popcorning" during the rapid heating of the solder reflow operation associated with board mounting of devices. Semiconductor devices which are subject to cracking are normally baked in an oven at approximately 125.degree. C., a typical temperature, for a predetermined length of time to drive moisture out of the devices before they are shipped to the customer. Those devices that are deemed to be moisture sensitive are packaged in "dry-packs" after baking to ensure that they are protected from moisture thereafter and will arrive dry at the customer site. Otherwise, devices that have absorbed a certain level of moisture run the risk of cracking during the solder reflow operation. Mechanical failure of the semiconductor devices often times lead to subsequent electrical failure of these same devices due to thermal and mechanical stresses induced on the devices during their operation.
Current dry-packing practices involve baking semiconductor devices until dry, placing them into a dry-pack bag with desiccant packets and a humidity indicator card, vacuum sealing the bag immediately thereafter, and shipping the devices to the customer in these dry-packs. The vacuum seal is a highly important component of the dry-pack process because the seal prevents moisture ingress into the dry-pack bag. The dry-pack bag is typically made from a flexible plastic material. A problem with the current method of dry-packing is that once the bag is sealed, determining the integrity of the vacuum seal thereafter is difficult. A reason for this difficulty is that the trays used in shipping semiconductor devices can sometime fit tightly into the dry-pack bag, making the bag taut. Thus, it becomes difficult to quickly determine whether the vacuum seal is still intact or not because the dry-pack bag is not loose. Sometimes, the leak can be as small as a pinhole which makes it difficult to detect. The humidity indicator card is limited to only indicating the present level of moisture to which the card, and thus its surroundings, has been exposed. The humidity indicator card does not provide any indication of the seal condition of the dry-pack bag.

Vacuum seal indicator for flexible packaging material


A gear arrangement for a development unit of an imaging device employing an electrophotographic process. The development unit is provided with a rotation member and swingably supported by the main body of the imaging device through a support shaft to be mounted on a predetermined position of the main body of the imaging device. An input gear is provided on the development unit and coupled with the rotation member thereof to be meshed with a drive gear provided with the imaging device. The rotational force of the drive gear is transmitted to the input gear to thereby rotate the rotation member. The drive gear and the input gear are disposed such that a line obtained by extending a line of action as a moving locus of the point at which the tooth of the drive gear is in contact with the tooth of the input gear is substantially directed to the direction of the support shaft through which the development unit is supported by the main body of the imaging device.

The present invention relates to a gear arrangement for a development unit of an imaging device employing an electrophotographic process.
Conventionally, gears are arranged such that an input gear coupled with a rotation member provided to the development unit meshes with a drive gear provided to the imaging device such that the development unit is swingably supported by the main body of the imaging device through a support shaft and mounted to a predetermined position of the main body, and the rotation of the drive gear is transmitted to the input gear to thereby rotate the rotation member.
Conventionally known are imaging devices such as an electronic copy machine, laser beam printer and the like which make use of the electrophotographic process.
Although various systems can be contemplated to develop images in the electrophotographic process, a system referred to as a magnetic brush method is generally employed, wherein charged toner is supplied to an electrostatic latent image by a magnetic material carrier (magnetic brush) arranged as a chain by a magnet.
The magnetic brush method employs a two-component developer composed of non-magnetic toner mixed with a magnetic material carrier at a preset ratio. Recently, however, a system of using a single-component charged type magnetic toner and a development roller to which a magnetic material carrier is predeposited is also employed by the method.
A development unit to which the aforesaid magnetic brush method is applied is provided with a development roller which is composed of a magnetic roller and a sleeve of a non-magnetic material rotatably inserted around the periphery of the magnetic roller, and toner is sequentially supplied to a development area by the rotation of the sleeve of the development roller.
To stably perform a development operation by the arrangement described above, a gap (development gap) between the circumferential surface of the development roller and the circumferential surface of a photoconductive drum must be set with a pinpoint accuracy. For this purpose, conventionally, guide rollers each having a radius obtained by adding the development gap to be set to the radius of the development roller are rotatably disposed on the opposite ends of the development roller, and the development gap is set at a pinpoint accuracy by causing the guide rollers to be abutted against the circumferential surface of the photoconductive drum. The development unit is swingably mounted to the main body of an imaging unit through a support shaft, so that it can be moved in the direction along which the development roller approaches and retracts from the photoconductive drum.
A rotating force, for rotating the development roller, is transmitted in such a manner that an input gear coupled with the development roller meshes with the drive gear provided to the main body of the imaging device, so that the development unit is set at a predetermined position with respect to the main body of the imaging device. A drive force transmission mechanism composed of the input gear and drive gear need only be provided at one end of the development unit, from the view point of the function thereof.
Nevertheless, with the above arrangement, a problem arises in that the development unit is swung by the rotational torque of the drive gear, and when the drive force transmission mechanism is provided on only one end of the development unit, an urging force for pressing the development roller against the photoconductive drum (i.e., a pressing force for causing the guide rollers to be abutted against the circumferential surface of the photoconductive drum) is slightly different between the right end and the left end of the photoconductive drum. Thus a recording paper is irregularly developed in the width direction of the paper.
This problem can be solved by providing drive force transmission mechanism at both the right and left ends of the development roller (providing drive gears and input gears at the opposite ends) so that a change in a force for pressing the development roller caused by a drive torque being transmitted is made uniform on the right and left sides of the development roller. In this case, however, cost is increased because the structure is made to be more complex. Further, a change in the force for pressing the development roller against the photoconductive drum is not desirable, even if the force is uniformly changed at the right and left ends of the development roller.

Gear arrangement for development unit of imaging device


A portable audio system includes a housing, battery, wiring harness, speakers, and two or more audio controllers, each including at least one audio functionality different from at least one other. The functionality of the portable audio system may be reconfigured as desired by removing one audio controller and installing a different audio controller. A quick-detach connector on the wiring harness facilitates the swapping of audio controllers, which are preferably automotive audio controllers. The portable audio system includes external power and speaker connectors, with the internal power and speakers being switchably disconnectable. Thus, the portable audio system may also be used as a fixed, or home, audio system.

The present invention relates generally to portable audio systems, and in particular to a portable audio system, capable of serving as the console for a fixed audio system, wherein the audio functionality may be changed by substituting audio controllers.
A wide variety of audio systems—both fixed and portable—are known in the art. These systems reproduce audio content from a variety of sources, such as phonographic records, magnetic tape (e.g., reel-to-reel, 8-track, cassette), optical digital storage media (e.g., audio CD, MP3 CD, DVD), broadcast audio programs (e.g., AM, FM, satellite), and the like. Typically, an audio system will provide the functionality of reproducing audio content from two or more such sources. For example, one audio system may include an AM/FM tuner and a CD player. Another audio system may include a CD player and cassette tape deck, with no broadcast tuner functionality.
With fixed or "home" audio systems, designed to be moved only infrequently, a popular approach to providing a combination of audio system functions is to package such functionality into separate components. Such a system may comprise at its core an amplifier, which may include an AM/FM tuner, with external speaker outputs and certain user controls. A user may then add, for example, a second component including one or more cassette tape decks. A third component may comprise a CD player or multi-CD player, and so on. This allows each user to assemble the precise combination of audio features desired, without incurring the cost of audio system functionality that the user does not desire and would not utilize.
Portable audio system manufacturers, on the other hand, have traditionally eschewed the component approach to providing disparate functionality. Portable audio systems typically come with a fixed combination of functions (e.g., an AM/FM tuner, CD player, and single cassette deck). Users are often forced to select a "best fit" combination of system functionality, and have no way to later add functionality or otherwise change the assembled audio functionality on an ad hoc basis.
Additionally, many users do not wish to incur the expense of separate fixed and portable audio systems. While portable audio systems with the capability of driving a fixed system (e.g., with external speaker connectors and the like) are known, such systems are typically based on the portable audio system model. That is, they provide only a pre-determined, fixed combination of audio system functionality, with no means to add or change that functionality as required or desired by the user.

Portable audio system with changeable functionality


A detection circuit is described that resides in a nonvolatile memory that includes a memory array and a control circuitry coupled to the memory array for controlling operations of the memory array. The detection circuit is coupled to the control circuitry and receives a power supply for detecting potential level of the power supply and for generating a reset signal to reset the control circuitry until the potential level of the power supply rises above a predetermined level. The detection circuit includes a resistor, a first, a second, and a third transistor. The first transistor has a first end coupled to receive the power supply, a second end coupled to a first node, and a third end coupled to the first node. The second transistor has a first end coupled to the first node, a second end coupled to ground, and a third end coupled to the ground. The first and second transistors function as a voltage divider. The third transistor has a first end coupled to the power supply, a second end coupled to an output node, and a third end coupled to the first node. The resistor is coupled between the output node and the ground for coupling the output node to the ground when the third transistor is not conducting, and for providing a positive potential at the output node when the third transistor is conducting. When the power supply has not reached the predetermined level, the third transistor is not conducting and the output node outputs the reset signal that is a ground potential. When the power supply rises above the predetermined level, the third transistor starts to conduct and the output node registers the positive potential and ceases generating the reset signal. The first, second, and third transistors are of the same channel type such that the circuitry operates substantially independent of process variations and temperature variations.

One type of prior EPROM is the flash electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory ("flash EPROM"). The flash EPROM can be programmed by a user, and once programmed, the flash EPROM retains its data until erased. Once programmed, the contents of the flash EPROM can be erased by electrical erasure. The flash EPROM may then be reprogrammed with new code or data.
When a computer system to which a prior flash EPROM is coupled goes through a power up or power down transition, the system level signals such as the power supply voltage V.sub.CC or the program/erase voltage V.sub.PP are typically not guaranteed to be valid. This means that the potential level of the V.sub.CC voltage or the V.sub.PP voltage may be below a minimum operation voltage required for the prior flash EPROM during power up or power down transitions. The invalid V.sub.CC or V.sub.PP signals may cause circuitry of the prior flash EPROM to malfunction and may result in data corruption or physical damage to the prior flash EPROM is typically a result of over-erasing or over-programming. An over-erasing condition arises because too much charge is removed from the floating gate, making the flash EPROM "depletion-like."
One prior art circuit locks out the circuitry of the prior flash EPROM when the system level signals are not valid so as to prevent false operations on the prior flash EPROM. That prior art circuit is referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,883, issued Dec. 4, 1990, and entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE ERASURE AND PROGRAMMING OF A NONVOLATILE MEMORY. That prior art circuit includes a reference voltage generation circuit and a comparator circuit. The reference voltage generation circuit generates a reference voltage that corresponds to the minimum operation voltage required for the prior flash EPROM. The power supply voltage V.sub.CC is then compared in the comparator circuit with the reference voltage. If the voltage level of the power supply voltage V.sub.CC is not above that of the reference voltage, the comparator circuit outputs a signal that forces the prior flash EPROM into a read mode.
One disadvantage associated with this prior art circuit is that the circuit typically requires the power supply voltage V.sub.CC to be higher than 3 volts. Given that three or more transistors are typically connected together in one branch, this prior art circuit cannot typically function properly when the power supply V.sub.CC voltage is below 3 volts. This means that the prior art circuit typically is not used in a 3 volt power supply environment. This drawback is not trivial given that many laptop computers employ a 3 volt power supply.
Another disadvantage associated with this prior art circuit is that it employs a relatively large number of transistors. Thus, the prior art circuit is relatively complex and it occupies a relatively large amount of space on a substrate.
In addition, the prior art circuit also consumes a relatively large amount of power because of the relatively large number of transistors. Power consumption in a computer system is exceptionally critical when the computer system is a battery-powered portable unit, such as a laptop computer. It is typically desirable that a portable computer system consume a minimum amount of power in order to prolong battery life.

Circuitry for power supply voltage detection and system lockout for a nonvolatile memory


A magnetron is provided and includes a tube body with a plurality of communicated first cavities therein, a plurality of anodes in the first cavities including a cylinder and a plurality of vanes, outer ends of the vanes are connected with an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder; a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity are formed between the adjacent vanes, the cylinder is provided with a plurality of coupling slots arranged at intervals and running through the cylinder to communicate the first resonant cavity with the first cavity; a plurality of cathode arranged in and coaxially with the cylinder; the cathodes and inner ends of the vanes are spaced apart; at least part of the cathodes are located inside vanes, and an output slot is defined on the tube body for communicating the first cavity with an outside.

Magnetron has advantages of simple structure, small volume, light weight, low cost and the like, and is widely applied to fields of national defense, industry, agriculture, medical treatment and the like as a high-power microwave source.
In order to realize high-efficiency microwave power combining, the related art adopts an injection phase locking technology to input a stable small signal into a magnetron, and frequency and phase of the magnetron output signal are locked by controlling frequency and phase of the small signal. However, the implementation of the above technology requires addition of a complex external injection phase locking system, which is costly and bulky, and weakens the advantages of the magnetron as the microwave source.

Multi-cathode magnetron with internal electromagnetic field coupling


A system is described for attenuating intermittent forces at the interconnection between a towing vehicle and a trailer. The system includes a linear rocking member suspended between the towing vehicle and the trailer, a shock absorber between the linear rocking member and the vehicle, and a pendulum having a fulcrum connected to the vehicle and a swinging component rotationally connected to the linear rocking member, and a fastening device connecting the linear rocking member to the trailer to be towed.

A trailer and a towing vehicle are two relatively independent entities that are interconnected by a hitching device. The trailer and the vehicle each have their own center of gravity, and when in motion each is subjected to its own pitch, yaw, and roll motions. Because of these differing motions by the trailer and towing vehicle, the interconnection between them is subjected to numerous intermittent jerking forces in addition to the motivational force exerted by the towing vehicle on the trailer. These unsteady, irregular and rapidly changing jerking forces are very undesirable. They cause annoyance and discomfort to drivers and their passengers. They place further burdens on the suspension systems of the trailer such that the contents of the trailer can be jostled and damaged. They cause wear and tear on every component of both the trailer and towing vehicle. It is clear that any attenuation of these jerking forces will result in a smoother and better ride which is safer for the occupants of the vehicle and also for the cargo in the trailer.
Prior art includes a multitude of systems for attenuating these jerking forces. Many of these systems are quite elaborate and require numerous springs and/or other shock absorbing devices. Thus, they can be prohibitively expensive. Other simpler systems dampen longitudinal surges but not vertical shocks. Still others dampen vertical shocks but not longitudinal surges.
Because of either the expense involved or a limitation on effectiveness, most of the hitches in use on the road today do not have any capacity to attenuate intermittent jerking motions and forces. An economical technique for attenuating a significant portion of these jerking motions and forces is clearly needed.

Spring and pendulum system for shock attenuation in trailer hitches