An improved ink-jet printer of the so-called current flow type wherein a current is passed through a conductive ink contained between a pair of electrodes so as to cause the ink to become vaporized and cause trapped gasses or bubbles to expand suddenly, exerting a sufficient pressure upon the ink to force a droplet of ink from a nozzle is disclosed, wherein at least one projection of electrically insulating material is disposed between the pair of electrode for increasing the density of the current at a position directly below a nozzle. With the projection thus provided, only a limited portion of the conductive ink participates in the generation of heat, and boiling of the conductive ink takes place only at the position directly below the nozzle. Accordingly, droplets of conductive ink are produced with minimum power consumption and can be ejected in a uniform direction. The position where boiling of the conductive ink takes place is remote from the electrodes, so that the electrodes are substantially free from cavitation and thermal shock and, hence, they have a long life span.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bubble jet printing systems that use the volume change of bubbles produced by heating in order to spray small jets of conductive ink, and more particularly to an ink-jet head of such an ink-jet printer of the so-called "current-flow" type wherein a current is passed through a conductive ink to cause the ink to become vaporized and cause any trapped gases or bubbles to expand, forcing droplets of ink to spout from the ink-jet head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With a growing demand for a quick, quiet and color-printout printer, interest has been shown towards ink-jet printers recently.
The ink-jet printers are generally classified into two groups, one being the continuous type and the other being the on-demand type. The on-demand type ink-jet printer is further divided, according to the driving system, into Kyser type, Stemme type, and Gould type, all types that are driven by a piezoelectric device, and a bubble jet type in which a conductive ink is ejected using volume change of a bubble produced on heating.
The bubble jet type ink-jet printer is further classified into two groups according to the heating system. The first group is called "thermal head type" in which a heater is used for heating the conductive ink, while the second group is called "current-flow type" using a current flowing through the conductive ink to cause the conductive ink to generate heat,
A typical example of ink-jet heads used in the conventional current-flow type ink-jet printers will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the conventional ink-jet head, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII--VII of FIG. 6. The ink-jet head includes a base plate 1 on which a heat-insulating layer 2 is laminated. A nozzle plate 4 having a plurality of discharge holes 3 (only one being shown) is disposed in parallel spaced relation to the base plate 1. A plurality of pairs of opposed electrodes 5 (only one electrode pair being shown) arranged in a predetermined pattern or matrix are disposed on an upper surface of the heat-insulating layer 2, with each of the individual pairs of electrodes 5 being located at a position corresponding to the position of one of the discharge holes 3. Each of the electrode pairs 5 is composed of a signal electrode 5A and a common electrode 5b confronting one another with a predetermined space or gap therebetween. A partition member 6 made of an electrically insulating material is disposed between the heat-insulating layer 2 and the nozzle plate 4 so as to isolate the individual discharge holes 3 from one another against interference. The heat-insulating layer 2, partition member 6 and nozzle plate 4 jointly define therebetween a plurality of pressure chambers 7 (only one being shown) each of which communicates with an ink passage 8, so that a conductive ink is introduced into the pressure chamber 7 through the ink passage 8. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 10 is a pulse voltage generator by means of which a voltage from a DC power supply 11 is selectively applied to the opposed electrodes 5.
Reference character a designates electric lines of force, also known as electric flux lines, passing through a portion of the conductive ink contained between the signal electrode 5A and the common electrode 5B. The signal electrodes 5A and the common electrode 5B define therebetween a current flow passage A which is dimensioned by the distance D (FIG. 7) between the electrodes 5A, 5B, the width W of the electrodes 5A, 5B and the height H (FIG. 6) of the electrodes 5A, 5B.
With this arrangement, when a current flows along the electric lines of force a, the conductive ink contained in the current flow channel A is caused to evolve heat and become vaporized, thereby producing bubbles. The bubbles thus formed raises the pressure in the pressure chamber 7, forcing a droplet 9 of ink from the discharge hole 3 of the ink-jet head.
Operation of the conventional ink-jet head of the foregoing construction will be described below in greater detail.
When a pulse voltage is applied from the pulse voltage generator 10 to the signal electrode 5A and the common electrode 5B, a current is passed through the current flow passage A along electric lines a of force created between the electrodes 5A and 5B. The current causes that portion of the conductive ink contained in the current flow passage A to evolve heat and then become vaporized, thereby producing bubbles (not shown). Due to the bubbles thus produced, the pressure in the pressure chamber 7 rises suddenly so that a droplet 9 of ink is forced from the discharge hole 3 onto the surface of a recording paper (not shown) placed above the ink-jet head, thus forming a dot of a character to be printed on the recording paper. After ejection of the conductive ink, an adequate amount of conductive ink is replenished from the ink passage 8 to the pressure chamber 7 so that the pressure chamber 7 is always filled with the conductive ink.
The conventional ink-jet head, however, has drawbacks as described below. Due to the shape and configuration of the current flow passage A, the conductive ink contained in the current flow passage A generates heat uniformly over the entire area thereof. This means that the whole of the conductive ink contained in the current flow channel A are participated in the generation of heat and must evolve heat above a boiling point in order to produce bubbles. Thus, a large amount of power is dissipated as heat and hence the energy efficiency is low. In addition, due to the uneven shape and configuration of the electrodes 5, due to deterioration of the electrodes 5, or due to the uneven shape and configuration of the pressure chambers 7, bubbles produced on boiling of the conductive ink tend to distribute unevenly over the entire area of each of the current flow passage A. With this uneven distribution of bubbles, droplets of ink are liable to be ejected in different directions and with different sizes. In order to produce uniformly distributed bubbles, the distance D (FIG. 7) between the signal electrode 5A and the common electrode 5B and the width W of the electrodes 5A, 5B must be smaller than 50 .mu.m, or end surfaces of the respective electrodes 5A, 5B must be finished precisely. In either case, an additional production cost is needed, resulting in an expensive ink-jet heat.


A bulb-shaped outer envelope for accommodating at least one lamp including a light-emitting body and a control gear is disclosed. The envelope has a substantially spherical section for receiving the light-emitting body, and an elongated end section for receiving at least a part of the control gear components. The elongated end section is provided with a neck section. A substantially tubular neck-extension portion connects to an inner surface portion of and protruding from the neck section. The neck-extension portion is suitable for accommodating a remaining part of the control gear components. In a method for the manufacture of a glass outer envelope, a flare that is normally used in the manufacture of incandescent lamps is turned around by 180°, put into a skirted bulbous envelope, melted into the envelope while the skirt is detached and the flare is formed into a neck-extension portion. A self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamp with the bulb-shaped outer envelope is also disclosed. A part of the ballast components are disposed in the neck-extension portion of the outer envelope.

Outer envelopes with insert lamps have wide household and industrial application. The outer envelopes protect the insert lamps from harmful outside effects and impacts, make the light of the insert lamp diffuse and more uniform when their surface is suitable formed, and lend the light source an advantageous aesthetical appearance. The outer envelopes are also used with compact fluorescent lamps. Most recently, compact fluorescent lamps retrofits for an incandescent lamp have been designed. These lamps are provided with bulb-shaped outer envelope that has dimensions close to those of incandescent lamps, and imitate an aesthetic appearance of incandescent lamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,089 discloses a compact fluorescent lamp comprising multiple, individual tubes mechanically formed into an assembly and inserted into an outer envelope. The individual open-ended tubes are connected to each other through an arc directing means to form a continuous arc path. The outer envelope has a cylindrical shape, is sealed and includes an arc generating and sustaining medium such as an atmosphere of mercury and argon. The electric wires of the fluorescent lamp as lead-in wires are led through a flare that serves as a sealing element of the cylindrical outer envelope. The ballast circuit providing energy for the fluorescent lamp is situated outside the outer envelope and therefore it requires special contact elements and arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,856 describes a compact low-pressure arc discharge lamp with multiple tubes frictionally fitted into apertures in a base plate. The base plate is held in a fixed position inside the sealed outer envelope but there is no built in ballast in the outer envelope or bulb. A CFL of such a construction has to be connected to outer ballast, which requires external electric connections and a special connection means to connect the ballast to a power supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,155 discloses a fluorescent lamp with an outer envelope having an external shape of an incandescent lamp on a standard Edison-type base. The discharge tube is wound in a coil around the axis of the envelope and is disposed within the outer envelope. Ballast is also disposed within the outer envelope. A heat shield is disposed between the lamp and the ballast to thermally isolate the lamp from the ballast, whereby heat from the lamp will not adversely affect the ballast. Although this lamp is provided with integrated ballast inside the outer envelope, it is not disclosed and therefore it is not clear from this document how the lamp and the ballast circuit components are positioned inside the relatively small inner space of the outer envelope and how the electrical connection between the lamp electrodes and the ballast circuit or between the ballast circuit and the base is established.
There is a need for bulb-shaped outer envelopes that provide sufficient space for lamps and components of the control gear of lamps while preserve the size of the envelope of usual incandescent lamps. Similarly, there is a need for a self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamp that has a bulb-shaped outer envelope, can replace usual incandescent lamps, can be manufactured easily, and has high lumen output and relatively small size.

Bulb-shaped outer envelope for lamps, method for manufacture thereof, and compact fluorescent lamp therewith


Apparatus for generating chlorine gas from sodium chloride and for transmitting the generated gas to water for purification of the water.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the generation of chlorine gas for the purification of water and, more particularly, to the electrolytic generation of chlorine gas using sodium chloride for purifying water, such as swimming pools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of chlorine for purifying water is old and well known. For purifying large bodies or large amounts of water, such as swimming pools, chlorine in the form of tablets is typically used by a majority of swimming pool owners. However, rather close and careful attention to the water is required in order to add the proper amount of chemicals to maintain the proper chemical balance in the water. Moreover, solid chlorine, in addition to requiring a substantial amount of attention, is also relatively expensive, time consuming, and awkward since the solid chlorine is a relatively bulky product.
To overcome some of the inherent deficiencies of solid chlorine, chlorine generators have been suggested in the prior art. Chlorine, and other gases, may be generated electrolytically from various salts. Such gas generation is well known in the prior art.


A glass door hinge is provided which is self-centering and clamps a glass door between two opposed clamps. The hinge includes a mount, a pair of clamps, a hinge block, a spindle, and a biasing member for engaging the spindle to return the clamps and the door to a centered position. Each of the clamps is preferably provided with a lipped gasket which isolates the door from the metal hinge components. One of the clamps has a pair of set screws for holding the spindle in position relative to the clamps, and a pair of locking screws for inhibiting movement of the set screws. The set screws and locking screws are concealed from view by being received entirely within the clamp.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with hinges for glass doors. More particularly, it is concerned with a hinge having improved stability and isolation of the glass from the hinge element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hinges of various types for permitting doors to swing about an axis are well known. One particular application for such hinges is on glass doors of the types used for bath and shower stalls and the like. Such applications place particular demands on the hinge due to the weight of the door and the generally brittle character of glass. Moreover, the use of glass necessitates the provision of an attractive hinge, and must be moisture resistant in light of the often moist and humid environment in which it may often be required to operate.
On particular hinge device which has been developed for use on a glass door or panel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,869. This type of hinge uses pressure on a main pivot roller by a sub pin roller in order to return the swinging door to a desired orientation. However, the hinge shown in this design is subject to fatigue from repeated cycling of use, whereby the hinge may loosen. Moreover, while gaskets are designed to be positioned between the glass and the metal in order to avoid damage to the glass, the glass may nevertheless contact the metal hinge components after repeated use or during installation.
Thus, a need for an improved glass door hinge which overcomes these and other problems has developed.
The present invention addresses these problems by improving the ability of the hinge to maintain correct alignment over a large number of cycles of use, and by facilitating the task of the installer in regard to isolating the glass door from the metal components of the hinge. The glass door hinge hereof particularly addresses these needs while providing an attractive appearance by the use of locking screws to hold set screws which engage complementally shaped countersunk indentations in the spindle to resist slippage of the spindle relative to the hinge block in which it is received, by providing a lipped gasket to maintain isolation of the glass from the metal clamp for the door or panel, by providing a groove in the spindle for receiving and retaining lubricant over a large number of cycles.
Broadly speaking, the glass door hinge hereof includes a pair of opposed clamps which receive therebetween a glass door. A pair of specially configured lipped gaskets of flexible elastomeric material are placed between the glass door and the clamps to isolate the glass door from the clamps. The clamps also receive therebetween a spindle which is maintained stationary relative to the clamps by a first pair of set screws which are in turn locked into place by a pair of backing screws. The clamps and the spindle thus pivot with the door relative to a hinge block. The hinge block is coupled by fasteners to a hinge mount to maintain a fixed relationship thereto, whereby the spindle pivots relative to the block and defines the door pivot axis. The hinge block includes at least one centering member biased by a spring against a face of the spindle. The spring is held between the mount and the centering member in order to exert a force against the spindle face which serves to urge the door to a desired initial orientation relative to the mount. The mount may be a wall mount or, alternative, a second set of glass clamps and lipped gaskets to couple the glass door hinge to a panel, such as a glass panel.
The glass door hinge hereof greatly facilitates installation of the door to a wall or adjacent panel. The lipped gaskets may be positioned on the clamps to prevent contact between the metal clamps including around the boss during assembly and adjustment of the positioning of the door during installation. Once installed, the locking screws and the set screws are completely concealed from view, the set screws engaging the spindle at countersunk indentations, but together inhibit movement of the spindle relative to the clamps notwithstanding repeated cycles of usage.


Log file amnesia detection is accomplished by associating a unique identifier with each record in a log file, where each record receives a unique log sequence number. Multiple time intervals are associated with the log file with different events triggering the beginning of a new time interval. The log file implementation marks the beginnings of these multiple time intervals with a unique identifier. Every time an event occurs that triggers a new time interval a new unique identifier is generated. This unique identifier will be associated with the records in the log file that are created thereafter until the next unique identifier gets generated, marking the beginning of a next time interval. Log file amnesia can be identified when a log client requests information about a record and then comparing the unique identifier and log sequence number of the record with all records in the log file.

A computer file that records actions that have occurred is commonly referred to as a log file. A log file represents a durable and consistent recording of all the work that was done during a single continuous time interval. Log files may be text files, binary files, or data files (stateful or stateless). For example, servers typically maintain log files listing every request made to the server. Web servers maintain log files containing a history of page requests. By utilizing log analysis software/log file analysis tools, referred to as log clients, it is possible, for example, to get a good idea of where visitors to a web site are coming from, how often they return, and how they navigate through a web site. Many other applications, such as transaction managers, queue managers, and databases also use log files to track work done. Log clients may be designed to interact with the log files for different purposes for a particular application.


A technique for creating and applying half tone screen patterns by computer, consisting of a screen generator and a screen applicator. The screen generator accepts a set of parameters specifying the angle and frequency of the desired screen, the output printing device resolution, and parameter tolerances. It then produces a half tone screen pattern file according to the specified parameters, as a set of repeat arrays for each desired gray level. The screen applicator accepts an input contone image representation such as is produced by a scanner or other device, and the half tone screen pattern file produced by the screen generator. It then interpolates between the pixel values, at the output device resolution, by examining the repeat arrays for each device cell. In this way, a representation of a half tone screening of the input contone image results where the output device resolution is fully exploited.

Various apparatus for quality reproduction of images on plain paper, such as the printing press and electrostatic copier, have been known for hundreds of years. Such apparatus typically operate by exposing selected areas of the paper to ink or toner and preventing exposure of other areas. They work quite well for sharp, high contrast images such as text and line art graphics.
Quality reproduction of images consisting of continuous tones, such as photographs, requires an additional so-called half tone screening step. Half tone screening involves photographing the image through a screen to break it into a grid of small screened dots of varying size. The screen is comprised of many identical elemental apertures, or screen cells--the area of a screen cell thus determines the size of resulting screened dots. The result is that although the screened dots themselves are of solid, uniform color, the variation in size is averaged by the eye to give an appearance of gray tones.
Screening is also used when printing color images to enable separate printing of the primary color components. A separate half tone plate is first made for each of the primary colors. The primary color components are then printed over one another by means of the plates, which serve to selectively control where inks of different colors are applied to the paper. A common problem in color image reproduction is avoiding Moire patterns, which result from interference between the periodic dot patterns printed by the respective screens. Moire patterns may be eliminated by careful control of the relative angular orientation for screens of different colors. Moire patterns may also be avoided by using different screen frequencies (or pitches) for each of the primary colors. The ability to use various screen angles and screen pitches can also be used to improve the quality of monochrome images.
With proliferation in the use of computers in the publishing industry in the last two decades, processes for electronic generation of half tone screened images are also widely used. Generally speaking, such techniques proceed by first electro-optically scanning the image line-by-line and digitizing the resulting electrical signals, to produce a computer-readable representation of the source image. The source image representation consists of a matrix, or array, of digital data values, called pixel values, which correspond to the light intensity of a particular elemental area, or pixel, of the source image. The memory location in which a pixel value is located corresponds to the spatial position of its corresponding pixel in the source image. In the case of a monochrome source image, the source image pixel values may assume a number of different gray values or levels.
Although in an electronic screening system as described herein, no light actually passes from the source image through a screen, an analogy can be made to physical systems whereby the relative size of the screened dot corresponds to the intensity of the light from the source image.
Thus, a mathematical representation for the screen is also developed. This has previously been accomplished by using a second array of optical density values which specify the light transmissive properties of a single physical screen cell. The source image pixel values are then compared to the screen of cell array to generate an indication of how large each screened dot of the printed image should be made.
However, to reproduce the effect of various screen angles and pitches, this comparison process must also include a number of trigonometric calculations to translate and rotate the screen cell array representation with respect to the image. Unfortunately these calculations are fairly computeintensive. As such, prior approaches typically require special hardware to generate the transformations with the required accuracy resolution, at the time the image is rendered on an output device.
What is needed is a way to electronically produce screened half tone images in real time while avoiding the need for specialized hardware to perform these trigonometric calculations.
Another problem typically occurs because of the nature of most present day output devices. Film recorders, raster-scan displays and laser printers are device-dot addressable; that is, each elemental displayable or printable unit, or device dot must be specified.
In the case of a monochrome display, the device dot is rendered by turning it either on or off, and in the case of a laser printer, the device dot is rendered by either coloring the paper black or leaving it white. Thus, in some prior art devices, the comparison of source image pixel values and density values can be partially completed beforehand. That is, given a particular screen cell size, it is possible to determine a screen cell array for a particular source image pixel value, where the elements of the screen cell array specify how a number of adjacent device dots are to be rendered in order to produce a screened dot of the correct size. A screen cell array can thus be precalculated for each of the possible values which a source image pixel may assume: at the time of rendering the source image, the correct screen cell array is then simply used, as specified by the source image pixel value.
However, a given screen cell array must still be translated and rotated, and thus the axes of the device dots will not be necessarily aligned any longer. Thus, the screen cell array often not perfectly aligned with the grid of device dots, any resulting fractional bias of the device dots is often readily visible to the eye in the resulting half tone image and thus additional calculations are necessary to compensate for this.
Furthermore, consider also that as the gray levels across an area of the source image change, the resulting change in screened dot shape should occur in a controlled fashion. For example, in some instances, elliptically shaped dots are preferred to ensure that the dots merge uniformly as the gray level increases above a mid tone value.
A number of difficulties thus exist with electronic production and application of half tone screens when using present day device dot addressable output devices.

Method of creating and applying half tone screen patterns


A cargo management system is provided. That cargo management system includes a mat of memory foam and at least one adjustable stop positioned below the mat and forming a raised hump in the mat to help retain cargo from shifting or rolling during motor vehicle operation. A method of managing cargo in a motor vehicle is also disclosed.

When transporting cargo in a motor vehicle, it is not unusual for that cargo to shift or roll when subjected to the forces generated when a motor vehicle is cornering, braking or accelerating. At a minimum, such shifting and rolling of cargo is an unwanted driver distraction. In some instances, it may even lead to damaging of the cargo and/or the motor vehicle.
This document relates to a new and improved cargo management system and related method for managing cargo in a motor vehicle. Advantageously, the system incorporates a mat of memory foam in conjunction with one or more adjustable stops which make the cargo management system customizable to support substantially any cargo and positively maintain that cargo in position even during spirited driving of the motor vehicle.

Cargo management system incorporating a mat of memory foam


There is provided a zeolite bound zeolite catalyst which can be tailored to optimize its performance and a process for converting hydrocarbons utilizing the zeolite bound zeolite catalyst. The zeolite bound zeolite catalyst comprises a first zeolite and a binder comprising a second zeolite. The structure type of the second zeolite is different from the structure type of the first zeolite. The zeolite bound zeolite finds particular application in hydrocarbon conversion process, e.g., catalytic cracking, alkylation, disproportional of toluene, isomerization, and transalkylation reactions.

Crystalline microporous molecular sieves, both natural and synthetic, have been demonstrated to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion processes. In addition, the crystalline microporous molecular sieves have been used as adsorbents and catalyst carriers for various types of hydrocarbon conversion processes, and other applications. These molecular sieves are ordered, porous, crystalline material having a definite crystalline structure as determined by x-ray diffraction, within which there are a large number of smaller cavities which may be interconnected by a number of still smaller channels or pores. The dimensions of these channels or pores are such as to allow for adsorption of molecules with certain dimensions while rejecting those of large dimensions. The interstitial spaces or channels formed by the crystalline network enable molecular sieves such as crystalline silicates, aluminosilicates, crystalline silicoalumino phosphates, and crystalline aluminophosphates, to be used as molecular sieves in separation processes and catalysts and catalyst supports in a wide variety of hydrocarbon conversion processes.
Within a pore of the crystalline molecular sieve, hydrocarbon conversion reactions such as paraffin isomerization, olefin skeletal or double bond isomerization, disproportionation, alkylation, and transalkylation of aromatics are governed by constraints imposed by the channel size of the molecular sieve. Reactant selectivity occurs when a fraction of the feedstock is too large to enter the pores to react; while product selectivity occurs when some of the products can not leave the channels or do not subsequently react. Product distributions can also be altered by transition state selectivity in which certain reactions can not occur because the reaction transition state is too large to form within the pores. Selectivity can also result from configuration constraints on diffusion where the dimensions of the molecule approach that of the pore system. Non-selective reactions on the surface of the molecular sieve, such reactions on the surface acid sites of the molecular sieve, are generally not desirable as such reactions are not subject to the shape selective constraints imposed on those reactions occurring within the channels of the molecular sieve.
Zeolites are comprised of a lattice silica and optionally alumina combined with exchangeable cations such as alkali or alkaline earth metal ions. Although the term "zeolites" includes materials containing silica and optionally alumina, it is recognized that the silica and alumina portions may be replaced in whole or in part with other oxides. For example, germanium oxide, tin oxide, phosphorous oxide, and mixtures thereof can replace the silica portion. Boron oxide, iron oxide, gallium oxide, indium oxide, and mixtures thereof can replace the alumina portion. Accordingly, the terms "zeolite", "zeolites" and "zeolite material", as used herein, shall mean not only materials containing silicon and, optionally, aluminum atoms in the crystalline lattice structure thereof, but also materials which contain suitable replacement atoms for such silicon and aluminum, such as gallosilicates, silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO) and aluminophosphates (ALPO). The term "aluminosilicate zeolite", as used herein, shall mean zeolite materials consisting essentially of silicon and aluminum atoms in the crystalline lattice structure thereof.
Synthetic zeolites are conventionally prepared by the crystallization of zeolites from a supersaturated synthesis mixture. The resulting crystalline product is then dried and calcined to produce a zeolite powder. Although the zeolite powder has good adsorptive properties, its practical applications are severely limited because it is difficult to operate fixed beds with zeolite powder. Therefore, prior to using the powder in commercial processes, the zeolite crystals are usually bound.
Mechanical strength is conventionally conferred on the zeolite provider by forming a zeolite aggregate such as a pill, sphere, or extrudate. The extrudate can be formed by extruding the zeohte in the presence of a non-zeolitic binder and drying and calcining the resulting extrudate. The binder materials used are resistant to the temperatures and other conditions, e.g., mechanical attrition, which occur in various hydrocarbon conversion processes. It is generally necessary that the zeolite be resistant to mechanical attrition, that is, the formation of fines which are small particles, e.g., particles having a size of less than 20 microns. Examples of suitable binders include amorphous materials such as alumina, silica, titania, and various types of clays.
Although such bound zeolite aggregates have much better mechanical strength than the zeolite powder, when the bound zeolite is used in a catalytic conversion process, the performance of the catalyst, e.g., activity, selectivity, activity maintenance, or combinations thereof, can be reduced because of the binder. For instance, since the binder is typically present in amounts of up to about 60 wt. % of zeolite, the binder dilutes the adsorptive properties of the zeolite aggregate. In addition, since the bound zeolite is prepared by extruding or otherwise forming the zeolite with the binder and subsequently drying and calcining the extrudate, the amorphous binder can penetrate the pores of the zeolite or otherwise block access to the pores of the zeolite, or slow the rate of mass transfer to and from the pores of the zeolite which can reduce the effectiveness of the zeolite when used in hydrocarbon conversion processes and other applications. Furthermore, when a bound zeolite is used in catalytic conversions processes, the binder may affect the chemical reactions that are taking place within the zeolite and also may itself catalyze undesirable reactions which can result in the formation of undesirable products. Therefore, it is desirable that zeolite catalysts used in hydrocarbon conversion not include deleterious amounts of such binders.
In certain hydrocarbon conversion processes, it is sometimes desirable that the catalyst used in the process be tailored to maximize its performance. For instance, it is sometimes desirable that the catalyst used in a hydrocarbon conversion process be a multifunctional catalyst, e.g., a bifunctional catalyst having the capability of performing two or more functions. A bifunctional catalyst comprises two separate catalysts which induce separate reactions. The reaction products can be separate or the two catalysts can be used together such that the reaction product of one catalyst is transported to and reacts on a catalyst site of the second catalyst. Also, since one of the benefits of using a zeolite catalyst is that the catalyst is shape selective and non-selective reactions on the surface of the zeolite are usually not desirable, it is sometimes desirable that the catalyst used in a hydrocarbon conversion process have the capability of preventing or at least reducing unwanted reactions which may take place on the surface of the zeolite catalyst by selectively sieving molecules in the feedstream based on their size or shape to prevent undesirable molecules present in the feedstream from entering the catalytic phase of the zeolite catalyst and reacting with the catalyst. In addition, the performance of a zeolite catalyst can sometimes be maximized if the catalyst selectively sieves desired molecules based on their size or shape in order to prevent the molecules from exiting the catalyst phase of the catalyst.
The present invention provides a zeolite bound zeolite catalyst for use in hydrocarbon conversion processes which does not contain substantial amounts of a non-zeolitic binder and comprises core and binder zeolites that can be tailored to optimize its performance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Zeolite catalyst and use for hydrocarbon conversion


A multi-channel fiber optic rotatable interconnection system for coupling tical signals from a plurality of diverse optical signal sources at a source location to a like plurality of optical signal receivers at a destination location rotatable relative to each other. The interconnection system comprises an input fiber and an output fibber both of which are comprised of step-index multi-mode optical fibers. The input fiber includes an input end which receives optical signals from the optical signal sources, the fiber forming a composite optical signal therefrom. The optical signal sources are positioned at diverse polar angles relative to the input end of the input fiber to provide a plurality of optical transmission modes having minimal crosstalk, so that the composite optical signal can be resolved into its component optical signals at the destination. A rotatable coupler is positioned co-axially between the input fiber and the output fiber thereby no allow the input fiber and the output fiber to rotate axially relative to each other. The rotatable coupler couples the composite optical signal from the input fiber to the output fiber. A signal detection arrangement positioned axially at the output end of the output fiber receives optical signals therefrom and separates it into its component optical signals for coupling to the receivers.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of fiber optic data transmission systems and more particularly provides an arrangement for use in concurrently transmitting a plurality optical signals from a like plurality of inputs over a single optical fiber, and for separating the individual optical signals at the output.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Fiber optic data transmission systems have been developed and are finding use in areas in which high data transfer rates are required, since optical fibers can easily transfer signals of very high bandwidth. In addition, fiber optic transmission systems are finding use in areas in which environmental damage can occur to conventional copper wire transmission systems. There are, however, several problems with use of optical fibers as data transmission media, which do not arise in connection with copper wire transmission system. One problem arises in connection with joining of two optical fibers, which must be accomplished if a single length of optical fiber does not sufficiently long to extend between the signal source and the intended destination. Joining of two copper wires in a conventional copper wire transmission system is generally a relatively simple matter. Another problem arises in connection with coupling of signals from a number of sources at a common location for transfer over a single optical fiber to a destination, and then separating the signals at the destination. With conventional copper wire transmission systems, it is well known that signals of diverse frequencies can easily be transferred over the same copper wire and resolved into the individual signals at the output.
A further problem arises if the source location and the destination need to rotate relative to each other, which may occur if the source is, for example, an optical signal generator located in a periscope and the destination is processing circuitry elsewhere in a submarine. It is known that optical fibers are generally quite brittle, and with twisting and bending they can easily be broken.
A prior art structure for coupling signals where the source location and the destination need to rotate relative to each other employs an intermediate de-rotation prism which must be rotated at one-half the rate of relative rotation of the source and destination. Such an arrangement clearly requires a complex mechanical linkage.

Multi-channel fiber optic rotatable interconnection system

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


An electronic ovulation monitor is provided having a housing containing means for processing information, means which serve as a sensor to detect then transmit information to the means for processing of such information, and means for indicating the presence of a viable egg. The information which is processed includes values associated with mucous density, basal body temperature, pH level, and LH level. The information is processed and compared with data associated with the presence of a viable egg, such that if a viable egg is empirically indicated as being present, a visual display and audible component will signal such presence.

The present invention relates generally to a monitor, and more particularly, to a device for electronically sensing that ovulation has occurred.
Infertility and birth control superficially have nothing in common. Couples who have problems with infertility need to maximize fertilization of a viable egg. Meanwhile, other couples are desirous of intercourse absent the possibility of conception.
For couples suffering from infertility, it is extremely important for them to determine when ovulation has occurred, to maximize the potential for pregnancy. At ovulation, an egg is released from the ovary. This egg remains viable approximately 12-24 hours. Conception occurs when an egg present in the fallopian tube is fertilized by a sperm. However, the egg is present in the fallopian tube typically for only a few hours, i.e. 3-10. Meanwhile, sperm remains viable in a female for up to 48 hours. Thus, if a woman wishes to become pregnant it is necessary for the sperm and egg to interact within the 12-24 hours following ovulation.
Meanwhile, for other couples who desire to practice family planning or minimize the potential for pregnancy by monitoring the female ovulation cycle, it is possible to determine that portion of the month where conception is physically impossible. Thus, both infertility and birth control may be impacted by the ovulation cycle.
There are tests which can be conducted relative to the time of ovulation. For example, one test is designed to predict ovulation by comparing the pH in a woman's saliva with that of her vagina over the course of time. By comparing the changes in the pH levels of a woman's body, it is scientifically possible to predict when ovulation will occur. Such a test employs a device similar to the digital pH meters known to exist which permit a determination on the precise pH of a solution. Similarly, tests exist for measuring the level of luteinizing hormone. These tests can either include a urine test or a blood test. Luteinizing hormone is a hormone of protein-carbohydrate composition that is obtained from the interior lobe of the pituitary gland, and that in the female, stimulates the development of corpora lutea, and together with follicle stimulating hormone, the secretion of progesterone. The luteinizing hormonal level surges just before ovulation and drops after ovulation.
It is also possible to predict when ovulation has occurred based on the fact that the basal body temperature increases up to 1.degree. F. Still a fourth test involves "ferning" of the cervical mucous. The optimal time for conception exists when the cervical mucous is at its maximum density. Presently medical personnel, in conjunction with a pelvic exam, can mircorscopically examine mucous which has been deposited on a slide. Whereas the normal amount of "ferning" ranges from 1-3, optimal conditions for conception exist when the value associated with "ferning" is 4+.
Attempting to conduct all of the above tests is both time consuming, relatively expensive, and requires the assistance of medical professionals. However, to verify that optimum conditions exist, all of the above tests should be performed and should test positive.
It is thus apparent that the need exists for an improved ovulation monitor which permits simple and quick establishment of whether ovulation has occurred.


An orbital welding apparatus includes a first housing defining a weld head assembly and a circular rotor disposed therein for rotation about a first axis. A welding electrode is carried by the rotor for welding. A second housing separate from the first housing forms a power transmission and has a second drive shaft extending therefrom. A flexible drive shaft connects the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft to conduct rotary drive forces from the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft while permitting the relative orientations of the first and second housings to be freely adjustable. A third and independent housing carries an electric drive motor and forms a power drive motor module with a rotary output shaft. A releasable clamping mechanism is provided for positioning and holding cylindrical members to be welded in an axially aligned relationship with their ends abutting in a single plane. A safety interlock mechanism is provided for sensing the releasable clamping mechanism in an operative position to prevent inadvertent operation or operation of the welding unit when the clamping mechanism is malaligned.

The subject invention is directed toward the art of welding and, more particularly, to an orbital welding apparatus for circular products such as tubes or rods.
The invention is especially suited for incorporation in apparatus for welding small diameter tubing in closely confined spaces and will be described with references thereto. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is capable of broader application and could be used in many different welding devices of widely varying sizes for many purposes.
Orbital arc welding equipment is often used to weld tubing and piping for use in fluid handling and processing system. Currently, there is significant interest in welding small diameter tubing, fittings, and control equipment such as valves, filters, and the like to form small, compact control and processing systems. Frequently, the various components must be welded in confined and nearly inaccessible areas. In addition, system designers are desirous of reducing, to the greatest extent possible, the size of the processing and control systems by reducing the distance between components. Much effort has been expended in miniaturizing tube fittings and system components; however, the space required by the welding apparatus has been a significant limitation on further system size reduction.
Safe use of potentially dangerous equipment has long been a concern in all areas of manufacturing and repair services. Fail-safe electrical interlocks are one of the various methods of ensuring operator safety during use of such equipment. Generally, electrical interlocks have met with great success and are therefore widely accepted in all areas of manufacturing and repair services.
The subject invention provides a unique combination of features which allows welds to be made safely in extremely confined spaces and under conditions which have heretofore prevented use of orbital welding equipment. The invention makes it possible to obtain the maximum system size reduction benefits through the use of miniaturized fittings and components.

Orbital welding apparatus with safety interlock


The application discloses an organic Rankine Cycle system with a generating unit, a condenser for condensing an organic work fluid, a feeder pump for circulating the organic work fluid and an evaporator (14) for evaporating the organic work fluid. The generating unit comprises a high-pressure screw expander and a low-pressure screw expander, which are connected in series, wherein the high-pressure screw expander and the low-pressure screw expander are mechanically connectable to a generator, which is provided between the high-pressure screw expander and the low-pressure screw expander. The ORC system comprises a by-pass line for bypassing the high-pressure screw expander. The bypass line comprises a control valve for opening and closing the by-pass line.

An Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is named for its use of an organic, high molecular mass fluid with a liquid-vapor phase change, or boiling point, occurring at a lower temperature than the water-steam phase change. The fluid allows Rankine cycle heat recovery from lower temperature sources such as biomass combustion, industrial waste heat, and waste heat from various small-scale heat engines, fuel cells or electric devices, geothermal heat, solar ponds, energy from combustion or decomposition of biodegradable materials. The low-temperature heat is converted into useful work that can itself be converted into electricity.
An idealized Clausius-Rankine cycle, also known as Rankine cycle, is characterized by an isentropic expansion, a heat dissipation at constant temperature, isentropic compression and an isobaric heating, which may be followed by a superheating. In a real Rankine cycle, the steps of expansion and compression are not exactly isentropic but the entropy increases slightly.
In the case of a "dry fluid", the Rankine cycle can be improved by the use of a regenerator. In a temperature—entropy diagram, a dry-fluid is characterized by an overhanging mixed phase to vapour phase boundary. The dry fluid, which has not reached the two-phase state at the end of the expansion, has a temperature that is higher than the condensing temperature. The higher temperature fluid can be used to preheat the work fluid before it enters the evaporator.


A communication apparatus connected to first and second terminals via a line stores files of image data and file identification values therein, and communicates with the first terminal by transmitting/receiving the image data and/or file identification values. Since the communication apparatus allots the file identification values to each image data file to identify each file, a desired image data file can be transmitted to the first or second terminal when the first terminal transmits a predetermined instruction and a desired file identification value corresponding to the desired image data file to said communication apparatus. The present invention can be applied to a facsimile apparatus having an image memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to facsimile apparatuses, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus which stores image data to be transmitted and received image data in an image memory thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
A facsimile apparatus (abbreviated FAX hereinafter), use of which has recently become wide-spread, has improved functions, a higher communication speed, and various communication methods. A conventional FAX, designed for high communication speed, has an image memory, such as a hard disk, in which image data to be transmitted and received image data are stored. Thus, an operator of the FAX can plot received image data at any time and then delete it. Another conventional FAX, designed for keeping faxes confidential, has a so-called confidential function for managing received image data in accordance with an ID which has been transmitted thereto with the image data. Thus, an operator can plot the received image data if he/she directly inputs the ID to the FAX. Still another conventional FAX has a transfer function for transferring image data to a designated terminal when a transfer instruction with the ID which has been stored in the image memory is input from a host machine thereto. Incidentally, since only one ID representing the FAX is provided for the FAX, the FAX transfers all the stored image data to the designated terminal when the transfer instruction with the ID is input thereto.
However, each of the above conventional FAXs has the following disadvantage. That is, even if an operator of a terminal connected to one of the above conventional FAXs wants to transmit desired data stored in the image memory thereto or another designated terminal, none of the above FAXs can transmit only the desired data to the terminal operated by the operator or the other designated terminal. Particularly, since the above conventional FAX having the transfer function transfers all of the image data including non-desired data to the other designated terminal, communication speed is low and a secret of the non-desired data will be leaked.

Facsimile apparatus which stores image data to be transmitted and received image data in image memory thereof


Cube-corner type retroreflective articles which retroreflect infrared light but do not substantially retroreflect visible light. The cube-corner elements comprise a polymeric matrix selected to be highly transmissive to infrared light but substantially opaque to visible light.

Retroreflective articles are made in a variety of forms, including sheetings such as are used on traffic signs and license plates, rigid safety reflectors mounted on motor vehicles and bikes, patches and appliques such as are applied to garments and book bags, etc. One major use of retroreflective sheeting is in the field of highway markings and signage to improve the visibility and legibility of informational signs, traffic directions, barriers, etc. to drivers.
One common type of retroreflector employs transparent microspheres, typically with hemispheric reflectors thereon. Illustrative examples of such retroreflectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,190,178 (McKenzie), 4,025,159 (McGrath), and 5,066,098 (Kult).
A second common type of retroreflector employs what are referred to as cube-corner elements. Cube-corner retroreflectors typically comprise a sheet having a generally planar front surface and an array of cube-corner elements protruding from the back surface. In use, the retroreflector is arranged with the front surface disposed toward the anticipated location of intended observers. Light incident to the front surface enters the sheet, passes through the body of the sheet to be internally reflected by the faces of the elements so as to exit the front surface in a direction substantially toward the light source, i.e., retroreflection. Illustrative examples of cube-corner type retroreflectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,712,706 (Stamm), 4,025,159 (McGrath), 4,202,600 (Burke et al.), 4,243,618 (Van Arnam), 4,576,850 (Martens), 4,588,258 (Hoopman), and 4,775,219 (Appeldorn et al.).
It is known to alter the color of either microsphere-based or cube-cornered retroreflectors by incorporating colorants, e.g., dyes and/or pigments, in overlays which are disposed within the path of retroreflected light or within the retroreflective elements themselves. In addition, incorporation of colorants in the binder layer of microsphere-based retroreflectors has been disclosed.
Retroreflectors are most well known for the capability to retroreflect visible light they exhibit. It would be advantageous in some applications, however, to employ the desirable properties of retroreflectors to selectively retroreflect infrared light without substantially reflecting or retroreflecting visible light. Such retroreflectors would enable the use of signs and markings detectable only by infrared viewing devices located at narrow observation angles relative to an infrared illumination source, while avoiding distracting and/or unwanted detection of the marking by persons in the general vicinity. Such a development would allow inconspicuous marking of and/or signaling by articles for security purposes or identification.
Articles which retroreflect infrared light have been proposed in the past but suffered serious shortcomings. U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,193 (Tung) discloses embedded-lens type retroreflectors comprising overlays containing pigments selected to transmit infrared light and absorb visible light. A disadvantage of such retroreflectors is that they will retroreflect visible light when the overlay is removed. Thus, if the article delaminates or the overlay is scratched, the article may retroreflect visible light undesirably.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,771 (Tung) discloses black glass microspheres which are highly transmissive to infrared light and highly absorptive to visible light. A disadvantage of such retroreflectors lies in the production thereof. The manufacture of suitable microspheres for retroreflective products in general is a sophisticated process as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,335 (Kuney) for instance. Accordingly, the same facilities used to manufacture IR selective microspheres are typically also used to manufacture microspheres for use in visible light retroreflectors, presenting problems of contamination. Cleaning such facilities of residues from visible light transmissive glass is exceedingly difficult. In one illustrative manufacturing experience, an extensive one-week attempt to remove all visible light transmissive, i.e., uncolored, glass residue from a production facility prior to production of IR selective glass microspheres was unsuccessful. Low contamination levels can impart unacceptable levels of visible light retroreflection to resultant microsphere-based retroreflective articles, depending upon the embodiment. Depending upon the tolerance of acceptable levels of visible light retroreflection, production of IR selective microspheres may require a separate, dedicated production facility, an economically undesirable option.

Infrared reflecting cube-cornered sheeting

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


Methods and systems are described herein for notifying a user about content that the user has previously missed in media. Users may get easily distracted when viewing media by mobile device notifications or other users viewing the media with the user. Consequentially, the user may miss content in media. The user may miss the same content in the media when consuming the media for a second time if the distractions are still present. An interactive media guide determines when the user has previously missed content in media and alerts the user when the content is going to be missed for a second time.

The proliferation of new technologies has allowed users to do more tasks at the same time. For example, a user may consume media while performing another task, such as responding to an email on a smartphone or talking to a friend. However, the user will miss content in the media asset when their attention is directed to another task. Oftentimes, a user will not remember at what point in the media they were distracted from consuming the media. Consequently, the user will consume the media for a second time to catch up on the content that was missed the first time. If the user is distracted once again while consuming the media for the second time, the user will miss the content again and will need to consume the media for a third time to catch up on the missed content.

Systems and methods for alerting a user to missed content in previously accessed media


A device management apparatus including a receiving unit configured to receive state information indicating a change in a state of a device and store the state information in a state information storage unit; a sending unit configured to send report information relating to the state information to a predetermined destination, when the state information received by the receiving unit corresponds to a report target; and a changing unit configured to expand the report targets when an operation state of the device does not fulfill a scheduled state of a present time point, the operation state being identified based on history of the state information stored in the state information storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device management apparatus, a device management system, and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are cases where SLA (Service Level Agreement) for guaranteeing normal operations of a device, is made between a device vendor and a customer. The device vendor is a vendor of devices such as an image forming apparatus, typically a multifunction peripheral, a copier, a scanner, a printer, a fax machine, etc. For example, in SLA, the guaranteed contents relevant to the operation status of the device are defined, by using the operation rate as an index.
In order to confirm the fulfillment of SLA, usage of a system for remote monitoring the operation status of the device via a network (hereinafter, "device management system") may be considered. That is to say, in a device management system, the history of changes in the state of the device is managed. By using such a history, the operation status of the device in a predetermined period can be recognized, and a report indicating whether SLA is fulfilled can be obtained.
However, when the above report indicates non-fulfillment of SLA, at the time point of obtaining the report, the non-fulfillment of SLA may have already been determined.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2012-151738

Device management apparatus, device management system, and information processing method


A syringe for dispensing medicaments includes a barrel with a discharge end and an open end for receiving a plunger. The plunger has a head with engagement means for receiving a plunger seal. The plunger seal is a tubular member which is severed along a generally longitudinal direction providing a slit which allows the seal to be expanded for fitting onto the plunger head. Preferably the slit has an irregularity at the forward end which provides a locking configuration which prevents the seal from being twisted away from its normally tubular shape. For metered dose application, the shank of the plunger may be threaded for the desired placement of a stop ring threaded on the shank. In one form, the ring and barrel have interlocking means to prevent the ring from moving backward when pressure is applied to the plunger after the ring has reached the barrel.

1. Field
This invention relates to syringes and in particular to plastic syringes, especially those intended for dispensing viscous medicament compositions.
2. Prior Art
There are problems associated with the manufacture of prefilled syringes in which satisfactory solutions have not been found. Normally, the discharge end of the syringe is first capped, the medicament is placed in the barrel to an appropriate height and the plunger is then introduced until the plunger tip with its seal comes into contact with the medicament. The air in the barrel above the medicament must be expelled in some manner during this final step. This can be accomplished either by providing an air vent in the plunger tip seal or by manually inserting a wire or similar device between the barrel wall and the seal to generate an air vent while inserting the plunger, then withdrawing the wire. The former method is unsatisfactory since the medicament can escape through the air vent. The latter method is time consuming and would not lend itself to automated prefilling techniques. The latter method also would require that the seal on the plunger tip have a thin, flexible wiper configuration but such a seal is readily subject to deformation particularly when made of plastic, which would result in an unsatisfactory seal. Seals made of rubber often are undesireable since the medicament or its vehicle may react in an unfavorable manner.
There have been a number of syringes which have been designed for metered dosage of a medicament such as those typified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,764,981, 2,856,925, 2,869,541, 2,875,761 and 3,934,586, all of which show various stop means on the plunger for permitting metered doses to be administered. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,563,240 and 4,153,056 represent syringes in which fine adjustment of metered dosages are achieved by the use of a ring threadedly attached to the shaft of the plunger.


The invention relates to an aqueous drilling fluid composition, a filtration control agent for utilization in said aqueous drilling fluid, and a method of forming a filter cake on the wall of a well for the reduction of filtrate from said drilling fluid, by utilization of a copolymer of: (1) a (meth) acrylamido alkyl sulfonic acid or alkali metal salt thereof; and (2) a (meth) acrylamide or N-alkyl (meth) acrylamide. The copolymer may be cross-linked with a quaternary ammonium salt cross-linking agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the utilization of a copolymer of: (1) a (meth) acrylamido alkyl sulfonic acid or alkali metal salt thereof; and (2) a (meth) acrylamide or N-alkyl (meth) acrylamide or a cross-linked copolymer of (1) and (2) above, to effectively reduce the filtrate loss of an aqueous drilling fluid used in the drilling of a subterranean well.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally agreed among those skilled in the art that a rotary system is an acceptable form of drilling an oil or gas well. This system depends upon the rotation of a string of drill pipe to the bottom of which is attached a multi-pronged drilling bit. The bit cuts into the earth causing the cuttings to accumulate as drilling continues. As a result, a drilling fluid must be used to carry these cuttings to the surface for removal, thus allowing the bit to continue functioning and the bottom hole to be kept clean and free of cuttings at all times. Drilling systems other than the rotary system are sometimes employed during drilling operations. Nevertheless, these systems still require a drilling fluid to remove the bore hole cuttings and to otherwise perform functions related to drilling fluids.
Oil-producing formations are generally porous layers having varying degrees of permeability to the flow of fluids such as oil, water, or gas. Consequently, the rate of oil production is largely determined by the rate of flow through these permeable formations which, in turn, is dependent upon the porosity or permeability of the sand or stone present. In drilling through such a porous layer, it is desirable to employ a drilling fluid having such characteristics that excessive amounts of liquids or solids are prevented from penetrating through the porous formation. The ability of the drilling fluid to prevent excessive formation fluid penetration is called filtration control.
Materials that have been used in the past to control filtration rates of aqueous drilling fluids by plugging, producing cakes, or similar methods, have included materials such as pregelatinized starch, sodium carboxylmethylcellulose, sodium polyacrylates, and lignites. Each of these materials have certain limitations. For example, lignite becomes ineffective in high salt concentrations.
Acrylic and methacrylic derivatives, such as those which are copolymerized with hydrocarbon substituted styrenes, such as alpha methyl styrene, para methyl styrene, 2-4 dimethyl styrene, and the like have been utilized in drilling fluids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,497, to Oldham, et al, teaches the use of relatively high molecular weight polymers of these materials to control water loss characteristics of aqueous muds and clay dispersions. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,905 to Fordyce, et al, teaches the use of water soluble sulfonated polystyrene derivatives for filtration control in water-based drilling fluids.
The prior art has utilized acrylic acid derivatives as thickeners for numerous commercial purposes, including utilization in drilling fluids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,552 to Zweigle, et al, teaches the use of acrylamide-sodium acrylate or acrylic acid-substituted acrylates. A similar thickening material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,035, to Blanc, et al, by utilization of an acrylamide-sodium acrylate constituent with an acrylamide-acrylic acid alkanolamine. Similarly, copolymers of acrylamide and sodium acrylate and acrylate derivitives thereof formed by irradiation polymerization are utilized as thickeners, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,756 to Restaino. U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,404 to Korte, et al, teaches utilization as thickeners for printing paste and the like of substituted acrylamide-acrylic acid-acrylate derivitives.
Hydrophilic gels derived from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate have been found to be useful in a number of medical applications as material for gel filtration, such as copolymers of acrylamide, acrylic ester-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,841, to Dusek.
Acrylamide-sodium acrylate-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate cross-linked agents of a comparatively high molecular weight are utilized as soil stabilizers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,002, to Higashimura, et al.
Acrylic acid derivatives such as copolymers of acrylamide and sodium acrylate derivitives have been frequently and commercially utilized as flocculants for drilling fluids, and are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,545, and No. 3,472,325 to Lummus. Similarly, a copolymer derived from acrylic acid and acrylamide is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,603 to Lummus et al, as a flocculant for aqueous drilling fluids.
Acrylamide/2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonate and polymers of N-sulfohydrocarbon-substituted acrylamides have been utilized as viscosifiers in water-flooding operations for secondary and tertiary petroleum recovery, such as in: U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,000 issued July 25, 1972, entitled "Secondary Oil Recovery Method Using N-Sulfohydrocarbon-substituted Acrylamide Polymers as Viscosity Increasing Agents"; "A Comparative Evaluation of Polymers For Oil Recovery-Rheological Properties", by Miklos T. Szabo, Society of Petroleum Engineers, A.I.M.E., Paper Number SPE 6601-A; and "Recent Advances In Ion-Containing Polymers", by M. F. Hoover and G. B. Butler (J. Polymer SCL: Symposium No. 45, 1-37, 1974).
In the present invention, enhanced filtration control is obtained by incorporation into an aqueous drilling fluid a filtration control agent consisting essentially of a copolymer of: (1) a (meth) acrylamido alkyl sulfonic acid or alkali metal salt thereof; and (2) a (meth) acrylamide or N-alkyl (meth) acrylamide. The copolymer of (1) and (2) may be enhanced by cross-linking with a quaternary ammonium salt. Although it is not fully understood, it is believed that the copolymer together with the other drilling fluid constituents will produce a filter cake along the bore hole to maintain effective filtration control during circulation of the drilling fluid within the well.
It is an object of this invention to provide a filter cake which is substantially unaffected by comparatively high bore hole temperatures and pressures.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a filtration control agent which will not materially affect the viscosity of the utilized drilling fluid system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a comparatively low cost, easily prepared, filtration control agent for use in aqueous drilling fluids.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a filtration control agent for aqueous drilling fluids which functions in salt environments within the aqueous system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a filtration control agent which may be utilized in weighted drilling fluids.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art from a reading of the description, examples and claims which follow.

Drilling fluid containing a copolymer filtration control agent


A video game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU executes a game according to a game program in a virtual space. During the game, the player selectively displays a 2D game screen and a 3D game screen by operating a controller. It should be noted that a player character, etc. is subjected to a modeling process in a virtual three-dimensional space, and the image is photographed by a virtual camera so as to be displayed as a 2D or 3D game screen on a monitor. If it is determined whether or not the player character and the predetermined object are contacted with each other, collision data for 2D display or collision data for 3D display set in advance to the object is utilized.

One example of a related art is disclosed in "Super Mario 64 Otasuke Guide", First edition, published by Soft Bank Co. Ltd., on Sep. 7, 1996, on page 48 and 49. According to this document, a player operates a hero character (player character) to move the player character on a map developed in a three-dimensional space, and conquers the game by attacking an enemy character, and so forth.
Another example of the related art is disclosed in "Super Mario Brothers Urawaza Taizensyu", the 19-th edition, Futami Shobo Co. Ltd, on Mar. 31, 1986, on page 4 and 5. According to this document, an initial video game is proposed, in which a player character moves in a two-dimensional map to be scrolled in a horizontal direction according to player's operation, and conquers the game by attacking an enemy character, and so forth.
As described above, the three-dimensional game is disclosed in the first document, and the two-dimensional game is disclosed in the second document. It is a recognized that the two-dimensional game can be developed into the three-dimensional game. The respective games have a specific amusement values, and cannot be compared with each other. However, there is no game for pursuing a further enjoyment of the game by combining the respective properties.
Of course, it is easily conceivable that the respective games are simply combined, but data for the two-dimensional game and data for the three-dimensional game would be required, resulting in a large processing load and a large memory capacity.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing a novel game apparatus and storage medium storing game program.
Another feature of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing a game apparatus and a storage medium storing game program which can increase interest of the game by utilizing properties of a two-dimensional game and of a three-dimensional game.
Still another feature of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing a game apparatus and a storage medium storing game program capable of playing a two-dimensional game by utilizing a three-dimensional game space.
Certain exemplary embodiments employ the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems. It should be noted that reference numerals and supplement inside the parentheses show one example of a corresponding relationship with the embodiments described later for easy understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention.
A game apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment has an operating means with which a player makes an operation input, a display means for displaying a game image, and a storage means for storing in advance data for generating at least a virtual three-dimensional space. The game apparatus includes an input detecting means, a player character controlling means, an object controlling means, a contact detection means, a viewpoint controlling means, and a viewpoint switching means. The input detecting means detects input data corresponding to an operation input from the operating means, and temporarily stores it in the storage means. The player character controlling means arranges a player character to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing player character data stored in the storage means in response to first input data temporarily stored by the input detecting means. The object controlling means arranges an object not to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing object data stored in the storage means. The contact detection means determines whether or not the player character and a predetermined object are contacted with each other. The viewpoint controlling means controls a viewpoint in the virtual three-dimensional space. The viewpoint switching means switches the viewpoint depending on second input data temporarily stored by the input detecting means. The contact detection means changes contact detection data set to the predetermined object depending on a switching result of the viewpoint switching means.
More specifically, a game apparatus (12) has an operating means (22, 26) with which a player makes an operation input, a display means (34) for displaying a game image, and a storage means (40) for storing in advance data for generating at least a virtual three-dimensional space. The game apparatus further includes an input detecting means (36, S51), a player character controlling means (36, S5), an object controlling means (36, S7), contact detection means (36, S9), a viewpoint controlling means (36, S3), and a viewpoint switching means (36, S21, S23, S29). The input detecting means detects input data corresponding to an operation input from the operating means, and temporarily stores it in the storage means. The player character controlling means arranges a player character to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing player character data (404c) stored in the storage means in response to first input data temporarily stored by the input detecting means. For example, the player character is moved in response to an operation input from the operating means within the virtual three-dimensional space. The object controlling means arranges an object not to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing object data (404d) stored in the storage means. For example, a computer or a processor (36) causes an enemy object to appear, move independent of player's operation according to a program, and arrange (generate) an item object and a background object (104,106,108). The contact detection means determines whether or not the player character and a predetermined object are contacted with each other. The viewpoint controlling means controls a viewpoint (virtual camera) in the virtual three-dimensional space. For example, a position of the viewpoint is updated according to the movement of the player character. The viewpoint switching means switches the viewpoint depending on second input data temporarily stored by the input detecting means. For example, according to an instruction of switching the viewpoint by the player, the position and the direction of the viewpoint are switched. The contact detection means changes contact detection data set to the predetermined object depending on a switching result of the viewpoint switching means.
According an exemplary embodiment, a contact detection is executed by utilizing contact detection data depending on the viewpoint, so that a player can enjoy playing a game by viewing a different game screen depending on the viewpoint.
In one exemplary embodiment, the contact detection data includes first detection data for performing a contact detection on all the coordinate systems defining a virtual three-dimensional space and second detection data for performing a contact detection on one or a combination of any two of the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space, and the contact detection means selects any one of the first detection data and the second detection data depending on a switching result of the viewpoint switching means. More specifically, the contact detection data includes first detection data (404i) for performing a contact detection on all the coordinate systems defining a virtual three-dimensional space and second detection data (404j) for performing a contact detection on one or a combination of any two of the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space. For example, the first detection data is data for performing a contact detection in an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction within a virtual three-dimensional space. Furthermore, the second detection data is data for performing a contact detection within the virtual three-dimensional space in one or a combination of any two of the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction (x-axis direction and y-axis direction, y-axis direction and z-axis direction, and z-axis direction and x-axis direction). The contact detection means selects any one of the first detection data and the second detection data depending on a switching result of the viewpoint switching means. A contact detection is performed on the three-dimensional display and the two (one) dimensional display, and therefore, it is possible to perform a contact detection in a first-dimensional or a second-dimensional manner in the three-dimensional game.
In one exemplary aspect of certain exemplary embodiment embodiments, the game apparatus further includes a mode switching means for switching between a first mode for switching a view point as to all the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space by the viewpoint switching means and a second mode for switching a viewpoint by combining one or a combination of any two of the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space by the viewpoint switching means. The contact detection means selects the first detection data when the mode switching means switches to the first mode, and the contact detection means selects the second detection data when the mode switching means switches to the second mode. More specifically, the game apparatus further includes a mode switching means (36, S55, S59, S61, S63). The mode switching means switches between a first mode for switching a view point as to all the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space by the viewpoint switching means and a second mode for switching a viewpoint by combining one or a combination of any two of the coordinates systems defining the virtual three-dimensional space by the viewpoint switching means. Accordingly, in the first mode, a switching of the viewpoint is performed on all the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction. On the other hand, in the second mode, a switching of the viewpoint is performed on one or a combination of any two of the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction (x-axis direction and y-axis direction, y-axis direction and z-axis direction, and z-axis direction and x-axis direction). Thus, the contact detection means selects the first detection data when the mode switching means switches to the first mode, and the contact detection means selects the second detection data when the mode switching means switches to the second mode. The viewpoint can thus be switched, so that a player can enjoy playing a game while viewing a different game screen depending on the viewpoint. For example, it is possible to play a game by displaying the game screen of the three-dimensional game in a two-dimensional manner.
A storage medium storing game program according to an exemplary embodiment stores a game program of a game apparatus having an operating means with which a player makes an operation input, a display means for displaying a game image, and a storage means for storing in advance data for generating at least a virtual three-dimensional space. The game program makes a processor of the game apparatus function as an input detecting means, a player character controlling means, an object controlling means, a contact detection means, a viewpoint controlling means, and a viewpoint switching means. The input detecting means detects input data corresponding to an operation input from the operating means, and temporarily stores it in the storage means. The player character controlling means arranges a player character to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing the player character data stored in the storage means in response to first input data temporarily stored in the input detecting means. The object controlling means arranges an object not to be operated by the player in the virtual three-dimensional space by utilizing the object data stored in the storage means. The contact detection means determines whether or not the player character and the predetermined object are contacted with each other. The viewpoint controlling means controls a viewpoint in the virtual three-dimensional space. The viewpoint switching means switches the viewpoint depending on second input data temporarily stored by the input detecting means. The contact detection means changes contact detection data set to the predetermined object depending on a switching result of said viewpoint switching means.
In an exemplary embodiment also, similarly to the above-described game apparatus, a player can enjoy playing a game by viewing different game screen depending on the viewpoint.
The above described features, aspects, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Game apparatus and storage medium storing game program


An exemplary embodiment discloses a touch panel including: a substrate; an organic layer disposed on the substrate; and a touch sensor unit disposed on a surface of the organic layer.

Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a touch panel, a method for manufacturing a touch panel, a display device, and a method for manufacturing a display device.
Discussion of the Background
A touch panel is an apparatus which detects a touch by a pen or a user's finger. The touch panel has been included on display panels such as an organic light emitting diode display or a liquid crystal display to receive input signal to a display device.
The touch panel includes a substrate and a touch sensor disposed on the substrate to detect a touch. Recently, a flexible touch panel including a flexible substrate has been developed.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Touch panel, method for manufacturing touch panel, display device, and method for manufacturing display device


An adapter apparatus for securing the slats, or outer rail end or center supports, of a vehicle article carrier to an outer body surface of a vehicle. The adapter apparatus has a plurality of groups of openings for enabling attachment of a slat having previously formed openings to a variety of vehicles having different spacings of holes drilled therein, which would otherwise normally require additional drilling of holes in the slat or additional drilling of holes in the outer body surface to enable direct alignment of the holes in the slat with the holes in the outer body surface of the vehicle. The adapter apparatus, through its plurality of groups of openings, enables the adapter apparatus to be secured to vehicles having openings in their outer body surfaces which differ in spacing, and which otherwise would require additional drilling of holes in either the slats or the outer body surface to secure the slats thereto. A plurality of openings is further provided in the apparatus for enabling the slat to be secured to the apparatus. The apparatus is further of dimensions which enable it to be concealed within the interior area of the slat once the slat is secured to the outer body surface of the vehicle so as to not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the slat.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to vehicle article carriers, and more particularly to an adapter for securing a support or slat of a vehicle article carrier to an outer body surface such as a roof or deck lid of a vehicle.
2. Discussion
Vehicle article carriers are used in a wide-variety of applications to transport articles such as luggage which are too large or cumbersome to transport within a trunk or other interior area of the vehicle. Typically, such vehicle article carriers incorporate a slat or some form of end and/or center support to which a side rail is secured. With vehicle article carriers incorporating slats, a bracket member is typically fixedly or releasably securable to the slat and has attached to it a crossbar. A second bracket member at an opposite end of the crossbar is also either fixedly or releasably secured to its own associated slat. The slats are typically secured directly to the outer body vehicle surface and provide a means for supporting the bracket members and their associated crossbar on the outer body surface of the vehicle.
Vehicle article carriers incorporating end supports typically include a pair of side rails elevated from the outer body surface of the vehicle by a pair of end supports, which are in turn secured directly to the outer body surface of the vehicle. One or more crossbars may be fixedly or slidably coupled to the side rails such that cargo can be supported above the outer body surface by the crossbars and side rails.
With either of the above-described vehicle article carrier systems, the end (or enter) supports or slats need to be secured directly to the outer body surface of the vehicle. Typically, during construction of the vehicle, one or more openings are drilled or otherwise formed along areas closely adjacent opposite longitudinal sides of the vehicle roof or deck lid. With vehicle article carriers adapted to be secured to a roof of a vehicle, the holes are typically drilled or formed closely adjacent the outermost sides of the roof. Typically, the end supports or slats also have holes pre-drilled at certain positions there along which hasten the assembly of the vehicle article carrier to the roof.
As will be appreciated, the positioning of the openings in the slat or end support must align with the openings in the vehicle body for either the end support or slat to be easily attached to the outer body surface of the vehicle. With vehicles of different body lengths, the pre-drilled holes along the outermost sides of the outer body vehicle surface must often be drilled at varying distances. Accordingly, the length-wise spacing between pre-drilled holes in the vehicle roof, for different model vehicles, will vary slightly, thus necessitating additional pre-drilling of holes having the proper spacing in the slats. Accordingly, the manufacture and assembly of the slats or supports becomes more expensive and complicated because additional pluralities of openings which enable the slat or support to be secured to the specific pre-drilled holes in the outer body surfaces of specific model vehicles need to be provided.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide some form of adapter which enables a slat or end (or center) support having pre-drilled holes to be secured to a variety of outer body vehicle surfaces which employ openings having varying spacings therebetween which would otherwise not align perfectly with the spacings of the pre-drilled holes in the slats or supports.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an adapter apparatus for a vehicle article carrier which enables a slat or end support to be secured to outer body surfaces of vehicles having pre-drilled, punched or otherwise formed holes of varying spacing, without the need for additional drilling of holes in the slat or support itself to enable the slat or support to be secured to the vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an adapter for securing a slat to a vehicle article carrier in which the adapter has a plurality of pre-drilled, precisely positioned holes for enabling the adapter itself to be secured to outer body surfaces of various vehicles having pre-drilled holes with varying spacings therebetween. Such an adapter would therefore be securable to a wide-variety of vehicle outer body surfaces and be securable itself to a slat, to thereby enable a slat having a minimum number of pre-drilled holes therein to be secured to outer body vehicle surfaces having openings which vary in spacing therebetween from vehicle-to-vehicle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an adapter suitable for securing a slat or support to an outer body surface of the vehicle, which adapter is light-weight, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and is concealable within an interior area of the slat or support when the slat or support is secured via the adapter to the outer body surface of the roof, to thereby not detract from the aesthetic appeal of the end support or slat when same is secured to the outer body surface of the vehicle.


The present invention relates to a polymer composition comprising a thermoplastic polyester and a propylene-based elastomer, wherein the propylene-based elastomer comprises propylene-derived units and 5 to 30 wt % of α-olefin-derived units, and has a melting temperature of less than 120° C. and a heat of fusion of less than 75 J/g.

Polyesters have become quite an important engineering thermoplastic materials. The two most common polyesters are poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), and, to a lesser extent, poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PCT). PET has a higher melting point and higher modulus and is economically more attractive than PBT. However, these types of polyesters suffer from slow crystallization rates making it necessary to use long molding cycles and high mold temperatures when fabricating molded parts. PET along with PCT are particularly deficient in this respect which tends to negate their economic advantages, particularly in regard to PET.
It is known that the crystallization rate and crystallization temperature of PET can be increased by the addition of a nucleating agent to a molding composition. Several nucleating agents have the characteristic of promoting rapid crystallization under conditions of rapid cooling from the melt. An acceptable nucleating agent should be highly effective at low concentration in promoting crystallization, and further should be readily dispersible so that rapid and uniform crystallization of the polymer from the melt is possible.
A number of techniques have been applied to improve the crystallization rate of poly(alkylene terephthalates) by way of nucleating the amorphous polymer. These techniques have involved the seeding or nucleation of the amorphous materials in much the same manner as supersaturated organic solutions are seeded to cause a solute to crystallize out; see "Heterogeneous Nucleation of Polyethylene Terephthalate" by D. Garcia, Polymer Preprints, American Chemical Soc., 25(1), 197 (1984).
Commonly employed nucleating agents for PET are the alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of organic acids. U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,904 discloses the sodium and potassium salts of carboxylic acids, as well as the salts of organic polymers containing pendant acidic groups, including carboxylic acid groups, as nucleating agents for PET. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,322,335; 4,368,288; 4,305,864; 4,390,493; 4,393,178 and EP 21,648 and 351,732 all disclose the use of ionizable metal salts of aromatic ring containing compounds, wherein the aromatic rings are substituted by acid groups which are carboxylic acid, sulfinic acid, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid and phenolic groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,931 shows metal salts of carboxylic acids as nucleating agents for PET. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,792 discloses alkali metal salts of polyethylene ionomers and benzoic acid as nucleating agents for PET. U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,470 discloses alkali metal salts of ethylene terephthalate oligomers as nucleating agents for PET. U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,507 shows alkali and alkaline earth metal carboxylate salts of tertiary and quaternary amines as PET nucleating agents. Other inorganic nucleating agents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,979 such as certain lithium, manganese, and zirconium salts.
However, when the need exists for very fast crystallization rates or even lower mold temperatures, merely adding greater quantities of inorganic or organic nucleating agents with low molecular weight is not satisfactory, because the incremental effect of such nucleating agents frequently diminishes with greater quantities of the same, and large quantities of such nucleating agents can have an adverse effect on the physical properties of molded articles made from compositions containing the same. Exemplary drawback of polyester compositions with nucleating agents known to the art is that the polymer during its processing suffers a decrease in weight average molecular weight, mostly because of the degradation phenomenon caused by ionic nucleating agents. Further, small molecular weight acids remaining in the polymer after nucleation which are derived from the acid salts cause acid degradation of the PET.
Therefore, there still remains a need for providing rapidly crystallizing polyester compositions in a facile, economic, and simplified manner, particularly absent or substantially absent inorganic or organic nucleating agents with low molecular weight.

Polyester compositions, and process for making articles therefrom


A Li-ion conductive oxide ceramic material including a garnet-type or similar crystal structure according to an aspect of the present disclosure contains Li, La, Zr, and O, the material further containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of rare-earth elements. A Li-ion conductive oxide ceramic material including a garnet-type or similar crystal structure according to the other aspects of the present disclosure is represented by the following composition formula (1) Li7+xLa3Zr2−xAxO12 where A is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of rare-earth elements, and x is a number such that 0<x≤0.5.

All-solid lithium ion secondary batteries with the electrolyte including sintered ceramic material have high thermal stability compared s pith lithium secondary batteries in which nonaqueous electrolyte is used. However, an ail-solid lithium ion secondary battery having high capacity has yet to be put to practical use anywhere in the world. One of the reasons lies in the solid electrolyte itself. Three examples of the major characteristics required of solid electrolyte are high ion conductivity (electrical conductivity), high chemical stability, and a wide potential window. Among others, the garnet-type oxide ceramic material satisfies the high chemical stability and potential window requirements, and is therefore considered one of the most promising candidates for solid electrolyte (see, for example, J. Am. Ceram. Soc,. 2003, 86 (3), pp. 437-440, and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 7778-7781).

Li-ion conductive oxide ceramic material including garnet-type or similar crystal structure