A system and method for providing interactive multimedia services to subscriber premises utilizing wireless distribution within the subscriber premise. The service is provided via a communications link delivering to the subscriber premises broad band digital information including video and audio from a plurality of information providers and control signals in a multiplexed form. This multiplexed signal is then separated and processed on premise and distributed in a two-way fashion using frequency hopping code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum using radio frequency signals preferably at UHF. Upstream control signals from the user installation are communicated from the individual user terminals in the same wireless manner.

Distribution of full motion video data has evolved from early television broadcasting to meet viewer demand. Earliest video distribution was by point-to-point wiring between a camera and a video monitor. This was followed by scheduled television broadcasting of programming over the public air waves. In the 1960s, Community Antenna Television (CATV) was chartered to provide off-air television signals to viewers in broadcast reception fringe areas. Later, under FCC regulation, the CATV industry was required to provide local access and original programming in addition to off-air broadcast signal distribution.
In response, several sources of cable network programming were established. Because of the wide bandwidth available on cable television systems, additional channels were available for the new programming. However, programming was generally prescheduled, with the viewer left to tune to the designated channel at the appointed time to view a particular program.
To increase revenues, cable television systems have initiated distribution of premium channels viewable only by subscribers having appropriate descramblers. The subscriber tunes the descrambler to receive a premium channel, descramble the video and audio information and supply a signal capable of reception on a standard television set. Pay-per-view programs, which evolved later, include recently released movies, live concerts and popular sporting events. Subscribers wishing to view a pay-per-view program place an order with the cable operator. At the designated time, the subscriber's descrambler is activated by some control from the cable operator to permit viewing of the pay-per-view programming. However, the subscriber is still restricted to viewing the programming at the scheduled time. There is no capability of delivering programming to a subscriber on demand, that is, immediately or at a subscriber-specified time and date.
More recently, several different wideband digital distribution networks have been proposed for offering subscribers an array of video services, including true Video On Demand service. The following U.S. Patents disclose representative examples of such digital video distributions networks: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,275 to Yurt et al., 5,132,992 to Yurt et al., 5,133,079 to Ballantyne et al., 5,130,792 to Tindell et al., 5,057,932 to Lang, 4,963,995 to Lang, 4,949,187 to Cohen, 5,027,400 to Baji et al., and 4,506,387 to Walter. In particular, Litteral et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347 discloses a digital video distribution network providing subscribers with access to multiple Video On Demand service providers through the public switched telephone network, as described in more detail below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347 to Litteral et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety into this disclosure by reference, discloses an enhanced public switched telephone network which also provides a video on demand service to subscribers over the public switched telephone network. A menu of video programming information is displayed at the subscriber's premises by a set-top terminal and a TV set. The subscriber may transmit ordering information via the public switched telephone network to the independent video information providers. Video programming may be accessed and transmitted to the subscriber directly from a video information provider (VIP) or through a video buffer located at a central office (CO) serving the subscriber.
Connectivity between the central office and the subscriber for transmission of video data is provided by an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) system. ADSL interface units at the central office multiplex digital video information with voice information to be transmitted to the subscriber and support two-way transmission between the subscriber's line and the X.25 packet data network of one or more control channels. A complementary ADSL interface unit at the subscriber's premises separates downstream video control signals and voice telephone signals from the line and multiplexes upstream control signals and voice telephone signals onto the line.
A subscriber can request transmission of video data using a telephone instrument by dialing a Voice Response Unit (VRU) of a video gateway device, through the voice telephone switch and dialing in selection information. Alternatively, the user can access the video gateway device and select a video using a remote control device, the set-top terminal and the control signalling channel through the network. The VIP's equipment identifies the requested title and determines if the title is available.
If the title is found, the corresponding data file is opened and a reserve idle communications port is identified for transmission of the video data to an input node of a digital cross-connect switch (DCS). The video data file is transmitted from the VIP's video storage device, through the DCS, to the designated ADSL interfaces for transmission to the requesting subscriber's premises. The ADSL interface on the subscriber premises demultiplexes the broadband program transmission off of the subscriber loop and applies the digital data stream to a decoder unit in the set-top terminal. The decoder unit decompresses the audio and video data, and converts the digital audio and video to corresponding analog signals. The decoder can supply baseband analog audio and video signals to a television receiver, or these analog signals can be modulated to a standard television channel frequency for use by the television receiver.
While the foregoing patents deal with systems involving wired distribution of the data, entertainment and information within the consumer premises, a number of patents have proposed various schemes for wireless distribution of information of one sort or another.
Robbins U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,211, issued Apr. 2, 1985, describes an electrical system that utilizes an extended infrared radiation link for remote control, such as a TV selector or for data communication.
Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,747, issued Nov. 21, 1989, describes a teleconferencing system including infrared communication apparatus that provides simultaneous video control at a number of remote teleconferencing sites from a central teleconferencing location.
Yasuoka et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,766, issued Dec. 5, 1989, describes a tele-controller system including a control device that receives and stores incoming commands transmitted through a telephone line. The commands are used to operate various apparatuses such as VCR, air conditioner, lamp, etc., at pre-determined times.
Kameo et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,370 issued Feb. 6, 1990, describes an apparatus enabling remote control of electronic equipment such as a VCR through the use of a remote telephone set. A remote controller will provide wireless, line of sight operation of the VCR in response to a signal from the telephone set.
Streck et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,916,532, 5,012,350 and 5,023,931, issued Apr. 10, 1990, Apr. 30, 1991, and Jun. 11, 1991, respectively, describe the transmission of a wireless signal from a VCR to a TV. The output of the VCR is fed into a transmitter and sent to the TV receiver. These patents also describe several prior art arrangements for transmitting a signal from a VCR to a TV set without linking wiring.
The above discussed media distribution systems provide varied approaches to providing to business and residential premises numerous media services via different types of delivery mechanisms. However, all systems known to have been proposed to date have required a greater or lesser installation of additional signal distribution wiring or cabling in the served premise. In many instances, the installation of such facilities involves a major construction project and significant expense.

Customer premise wireless distribution of audio-video, control signals and voice using CDMA


A wound care product in the form of a gel is provided, and contains protein from egg shell membrane. The gel is made by first hydrating the egg shell membrane powder and then adding carbomer to partially neutralize the egg shell membrane. The neutralization is completed with the addition of triethanolamine, so as to form a homogeneous gel with a smooth consistency. An antimicrobial compound and a tissue growth accelerator are added to the gel. The gel, infused with egg shell membrane, is applied directly to the wound tissue to form a barrier trapping the active ingredients adjacent the wound site and inhibiting penetration of outside bacteria into the wound site.

Many different types of products have been known for use in wound care and treatment. The prior art literature discusses the use egg shell membrane for treating wounds. See, for example, Neuhauser U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,732 and 3,196,075 and British Patent 1,251,720. However, egg shell membrane is rich in protein, which promotes bacteria growth. It is undesirable to use any product that promotes the growth of bacteria on an open wound.
A wound care product in the form of a gel is often desirable, since the gel forms a barrier to retain active ingredients in the wound sight and preclude migration of exterior bacteria into the wound sight. However, the addition of egg shell membrane in a powder form creates a lumpy, globular gel which is undesirable.
Therefore, the primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved wound care gel containing protein from egg shell membrane.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a homogenous gel having egg shell membrane therein for use in wound treatment and care.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of treating a wound using an egg shell membrane gel.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of making a smooth, homogenous gel having egg shell membrane for use in wound care.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a wound care gel having irradiated egg shell membrane therein.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a wound care gel having egg shell membrane, a tissue growth accelerator, and an antimicrobial compound
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a wound care gel having protein from egg shell membrane, which is economical to manufacture and effective in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Wound care product with egg shell membrane


A pore-size graded, packed cascade barrier bed, flow-through cell for the measurement of dissolution behavior. The cell containing a porous packing of insoluble multi-particulate solids is designed to retain, in a flow of solvent, particulate solids such as contained in suspensions and slurries or as a result from the disintegration of tablets, capsules, or the like. The vertical bed is packed in discrete layers with uniform sized, inert particles, progressing from layers of small particles at the bottom to layers of large particles at the top. The solid material to be dissolved, when introduced at the top, is carried down into the bed by gravity and the downward flow of the solvent, separated into particle size fractions by the bed, and held in contact with the flowing solvent. The cell is used in conjunction with suitable means for pumping and controlling solvent flow, for controlling ambient and solvent temperature, and for measuring the concentration of the dissolved solid in the effluent solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for the measurement of the dissolution behavior of solid soluble materials in particular solvents. More particularly, the invention relates to a cell for the measurement of the dissolution behavior of drugs.
When dissolution is the rate limiting step in drug absorption, correlations between in vivo drug levels and in vitro dissolution test data are essential if the latter are to serve a useful quality control or dosage form design and development function. Presently known devices for in vitro dissolution testing are poorly designed so as to be fluid-dynamically ill-defined and/or unstable, and/or are not capable of providing unambiguous dissolution information on the heterodisperse multiparticulate solids which are typical of solid drug dosage forms. The invention described herein enables one to subject various sized particles from such dosage forms to well defined solvent flow conditions which are unambiguously related to drug particle size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dissolution testing of drugs has been conducted in numerous apparatus variations and types. This equipment represents variations of a relatively few general classes, having well documented design features and primarily falling into two categories: flow-through cells and stirred vessels.
The principal stirred vessel methods are the rotating basket and paddle methods of the USP/NF and the stationary basket--rotating filter method. The former consists of a cylindrical vessel with a rounded bottom having a vertically mounted, rotating screen basket or paddle at the central axis of the vessel. In the latter case, a similar vessel is used, agitation being produced by the vertically mounted and rotating sampling filter at the vessel axis. The dosage unit is placed in a stationary screen basket to one side of the filter. In all three cases, mixing of the dissolution solvent is poor and dissolution of larger particles is favored over smaller. Large particles retained in the baskets are subject to more rapid dissolution. Moreover, small particles tend to lodge between larger particles on the vessel bottom and are shielded from solvent flow. Smaller particles entrained in the solvent, and moving with it, will also experience reduced flow past their surfaces.
Flow-through cells generally provide only gravity restraint of particles in an upward solvent flow, but have filters at both ends preventing particles from leaving the cell. As with the stirred vessel, entrainment of smaller particles in the flow field will diminish their dissolution rate. The largest and smallest particles, immobilized by their weight or by the barrier filter, respectively, will experience essentially the same solvent flow. Alternatively some cells immobilize all particles by sandwiching them tightly between two filters or screens. The USP/NF tablet disintegration apparatus consisting of a vertically oscillating basket arrangement in a solvent bath has been used for dissolution testing. One commercial device subjects the dosage form to a tumbling/kneading action within a bed of uniform sized glass balls, which presumably simulates the action of the GI tract.
Any of the above described devices may be used with simulated gastric or intestinal fluids. Only the sandwich type cell provides a closely defined solvent flow as a function of particle size. The fluid-dynamics of none of the methods favor dissolution of the smaller particles over the larger. Recent studies have correlated data obtained by the three principal stirred vessel methods, indicating that the data obtained provide the same information. Where correlations have not been found, differences in dosage unit disintegration may be responsible.
The Kelvin effect and the large divergence of concentration gradient fields surrounding very small particles tend to favor their rapid dissolution under most conditions. Where the morphology of particles in a polydisperse system is size independent, these may be the only effects. However, various dosage unit formulations may cause differences in the relative intrinsic solubilities and dissolution rates of particles of different sizes. This requires that the fluid-dynamics of dissolution be controlled as a function of particle size. Furthermore, depending upon the resolution desired, at least two procedures, which produce well defined and linearly independent functional relationships between particle size and dissolution fluid-dynamics, are needed. Thus, a single dissolution test procedure cannot be expected to produce data which correlate adequately with the in vivo behavior of different formulations. The present invention provides an essential set of alternate procedures.

Drug dissolution with a cascade barrier bed

The Regents of the University of Minnesota


An integral magnet vibration sensor apparatus optimizes sensor response in a non-permanently attachable package. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes a housing having a magnet, a vibration sensor, and a conditioning circuit disposed within the housing. The magnet enables the apparatus to be magnetically attached to a machine. The vibration sensor senses machine vibration when the apparatus is attached to the machine, and the conditioning circuit optimizes the frequency response of the vibration sensor in a preferred embodiment by reducing the gain of the sensor output at resonance.

The present invention relates generally to vibration sensors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vibration sensor module having an integral magnet for attaching the vibration sensor to a machine.
Industrial and manufacturing facilities typically employ large electrically powered machines to provide the horsepower and motive forces needed for production. Proper operation of such machines is often essential to meeting production needs. To this end, production facilities often adopt predictive maintenance programs in which machines are periodically monitored to ensure proper operation. Many predictive maintenance programs employ vibration analysis as a way to assess the health of the machine. During vibration analysis, a vibration sensor, or accelerometer, is positioned against the machine to be monitored and the accelerometer output is analyzed to detect the presence of anomalous operating conditions.
A variety of methods are used for maintaining contact between the accelerometer and the machine being monitored. For example, the accelerometer can be configured to be manually held against the machine as data is taken. Other methods allow for permanent attachment of the accelerometer to the machine (such as by threaded fastener or adhesive) to enable hands-free taking of data. However, such permanent mounting methods are less than desirable due to the labor and costs involved, and the use of attachment methods which do not permanently affix the accelerometer to the machine have historically proven to be disadvantageous as a result of poor sensor response.
Therefore, there is a need for an effective method of non-permanently attaching a vibration sensor to a machine.
The present invention eliminates the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by configuring a vibration sensor to be non-permanently attached to a machine. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inventive vibration sensor apparatus includes a housing having a first end and a second end. A magnet for magnetically and removably attaching the apparatus to a machine is disposed within the housing adjacent the first end and rigidly affixed thereto. A vibration sensor disposed within the housing adjacent the magnet senses vibration produced by the machine and outputs a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed vibration. The vibration sensor, which may be a single axis or a multiple axis sensor, is in rigid relation to the magnet and electrically isolated therefrom. Also disposed within the housing is a conditioning circuit for conditioning the sensor signal. At the resonant frequency of the apparatus, the conditioned sensor signal preferably has a gain of less than 20 dB relative to the sensor""s linear response range. A connector adjacent the second end of the housing enables a peripheral device, such as a portable data collector, to access the sensor signal over a broad frequency band.
In accordance with one aspect of the preferred embodiment, the sensor signal may be output by the vibration sensor in the form an electrical charge. In the conditioning circuit, a filter (such as a two-pole, low pass filter) attenuates the sensor signal thereby providing acceptable response at the resonant frequency. The filtered sensor signal produced by the conditioning circuit is in the form of an electrical charge. A converter receives the filtered sensor signal and converts it from an electrical charge to a corresponding voltage for use by the peripheral device.
To enhance the stability of the apparatus when being attached to an uneven machine surface, a plurality of feet are rigidly attached to the first end of the housing so that both feet contact the machine surface when the apparatus is magnetically attached to the machine.


A disc cartridge comprises a cartridge case in which a disc accommodating chamber is formed between an upper shell, an intermediate shell and a lower shell. The intermediate shell is held rotatably by the upper and lower shells without using a spring; and a pair of shutter members is opened/closed by the rotation of the intermediate shell. Not only with the pair of shutter members completely closed, but also closed incompletely or opened completely, this disc cartridge can be loaded on a recording/reproducing apparatus and upon the loading, the opening portion is opened securely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc cartridge in which a disc-like recording medium such as an optical disc, a photomagnetic disc and a magnetic disc is accommodated rotatably in a disc-accommodating chamber of a cartridge case. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disc cartridge in which by rotating an intermediate shell for forming a disc accommodating chamber with an upper shell or a lower shell, a pair of shutter members are opened/closed so as to open/close an opening portion and when it is opened, part of the disc-like recording medium is exposed through the opening portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a disc cartridge in which a disc-like recording medium allowing recording/reproduction of information such as audio, video and computer data is accommodated rotatably in a cartridge case thereof, a disc cartridge having a structure shown in FIG. 42 has been well known. This disc cartridge 1 contains an additionally writable photomagnetic disc 4 allowing information such as computer data to be additionally written therein and has an external shape shown in FIG. 42.
This disc cartridge 1 comprises a cartridge case 2 composed of a pair of an upper shell 2a and a lower shell 2b, a photomagnetic disc 4 accommodated rotatably in the disc accommodating chamber 3 of the cartridge case 2 and the like. A top face and a bottom face of the cartridge case 2 have upper and lower opening portions 5 extending from the center portion to a side thereof. The opening portions 5 can be opened/closed by a shutter member 6 capable of sliding along a side. This shutter member 6 is always urged in a direction of closing the opening portion 5 by a spring (not shown). Reference numeral 6a denotes a pressing member for preventing a front end of the shutter member 6 from slipping out.
A center hub 7 formed of metal in a circular shape is provided in the center of the photomagnetic disc 4. This center hub 7 is disposed at a position corresponding to an inside end of the opening portion 5, that is, substantially in the center of the cartridge case 2. A turntable provided on the main body of an information recording/reproducing apparatus is loaded on this center hub 7. Then, the center hub 7 is chucked by the turntable, so that the photomagnetic disc 4 is driven at a predetermined speed (for example, constant linear speed). By means of a photomagnetic pickup unit whose head portion is inserted into the opening portion 5, recording and reproduction of information signal from/into the photomagnetic disc 4 are carried out.
In the conventional disc cartridge having such a structure, the shutter member 6 for opening/closing the opening portion 5 is formed to have a U-shaped section and this shutter member 6 is fit to a side of the cartridge case 2 such that the shutter member 6 is slidable along that side to open/close the opening portion 5. Thus, because a large gap is generated between the cartridge case 2 and the shutter member 6, it is difficult to block invasion of minute dirt, dust and the like.
In the recent trend of increased capacity of the optical disc and intensified recording density, narrowed pitches in recording patterns and an increase in line density have been accelerated. If dust or dirt invades onto a recording face of the optical disc or photomagnetic disc, reading or writing beam may be intercepted or normal reading/writing of information may be disabled by damage on the information recording face. Thus, in the conventional disc cartridge, as shown in FIG. 42, the shutter member 6 formed to have the substantially U-shaped section is mounted slidably on a side of the cartridge case 2 and by moving the shutter member 6 along the side, the opening portion is opened/closed so as to protect information recording face of the optical disc or the like.
Because of the trend of further increased capacity and intensified recording density, minute dust and dirt, which hardly affect conventionally, influence reading and writing of data more seriously. However, the shutter member formed to have the above-described substantially U-shaped section is incapable of blocking the infiltration of such minute dust and dirt. If the minute dust or dirt infiltrating into the cartridge case 2 is attached to the information recording face of the photomagnetic disc 4, the information recording face is damaged by this dirt or dust, so that proper reading and writing of information are disabled.
Further, because in the conventional disc cartridge 1, the shutter member 6 is located at a position where a user is likely to touch, he may slide the shutter member 6 by mistake to open the opening portion 5. Further, because the shutter member 6 is always urged in the direction of closing the opening portion 5 by a spring (not shown), not only the spring is needed as a component, but also it takes much labor and time to assemble the spring, thereby leading to poor assembly efficiency and productivity of such a disc cartridge.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above-described problem and therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a disc cartridge in which an intermediate shell is held rotatably by an upper shell and a lower shell without using a spring while a pair of the shutter members are opened/closed by rotation of the intermediate shell, the disc cartridge being capable of being mounted on a recording/reproducing apparatus not only when the pair of the shutter members are completely closed, but also incompletely closed or completely opened, the opening portion being opened securely upon loading of the disc cartridge and the pair of the shutter members being closed securely when discharged from the recording/reproducing apparatus, thereby securing high dust resistance and airtightness.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge comprising: cartridge case in which a disc accommodating chamber is formed between an upper shell and an intermediate shell or between the intermediate shell and a lower shell by overlaying the upper shell, the intermediate shell and the lower shell, while the intermediate shell is supported rotatably by the upper shell and the lower shell; disc-like recording medium which is accommodated rotatably in the disc accommodating chamber while part of the disc-like recording medium is exposed through an opening portion provided in the intermediate shell, the lower shell or the upper shell; and a pair of shutter members mounted on the intermediate shell, capable of opening/closing the opening portion, wherein at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell is provided with an operating window for rotating the intermediate shell and a driven portion, which is engaged with a shutter opening/closing means passing outside the operating window for rotating the intermediate shell up to a predetermined position, is provided on an external peripheral face of the intermediate shell.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge according to the first aspect wherein the pair of the shutter members is comprised of a combination of two plates of the same shape while the pair of the shutter members are disposed symmetrically on a side face of the intermediate shell so as to close the opening portion, and a side portion of each of the shutter members is supported rotatably by the intermediate shell while the other side portion thereof is engaged slidably with the lower shell or the upper shell, so that the pair of the shutter members opens/closes the opening portion by relative rotations of the intermediate shell, the lower shell and the upper shell.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge according to the first aspect wherein the shutter opening/closing means comprises a rack portion reciprocating outside the operating window, an initial action convex portion disposed before and after the rack portion and a stopper convex portion, and the driven portion comprises a gear portion which meshes detachably with the rack portion, a rack portion which is an initial shutter opening/closing means disposed on both sides in the circumferential direction of the gear portion and an empty shift portion which releases engagement with the gear portion provided between the initial action convex portion and the stopper convex portion, the driven portion being provided with a sliding portion for generating a relative sliding corresponding to the empty shift portion.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a rotation joint portion is comprised of a shaft portion provided on any one of the shutter members acting in pair and the intermediate shell and a fitting hole provided in the other component. A shift joint portion is comprised of a guide groove provided in the shutter members and the lower shell or the upper shell and an operating convex portion provided in the other component. By moving the operating convex portion along the guide groove based on rotation of the intermediate shell, a pair of the shutter members are opened/closed.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge according to the fourth aspect wherein the stopper convex portion is formed higher than the rack portion while a set position concave portion is provided in a tooth root circle of the gear portion.
In the disc cartridge of the first aspect, comprising the cartridge case containing the disc accommodating chamber, the disc-like recording medium and a pair of the shutter members, the driven portion provided on the external peripheral face of the intermediate shell faces the operating window provided on at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell. If the shutter opening/closing means passes outside this operating window, the driven portion engages with this shutter opening/closing means so as to rotate the intermediate shell up to a predetermined position. Thus, a gap between the pair of the shutter members and the cartridge case is reduced so that minute dust and dirt become difficult to enter into the disc-accommodating chamber. Consequently, dust resistance of the cartridge case is intensified and irrespective of whether the pair of the shutter members are opened or closed, the opening portion is opened surely when the disc cartridge is loaded on the recording/reproducing apparatus. When the disc cartridge is discharged from the recording/reproducing apparatus, the opening portion is kept closed surely.
In the disc cartridge of the second aspect of the present invention, two sheets of the same shape are disposed so as to close the opening portion while one side portion of each is supported rotatably on the intermediate shell and the other side portion is engaged with the lower shell or the upper shell slidably. A pair of the shutter members is opened/closed by a relative rotation of the intermediate shell and the lower shell or the upper shell. Consequently, while the area of each shutter member is reduced, it is possible to open/close a wider-area opening portion thereby leading to increase of opening/closing efficiency of the opening portion. At the same time, reduction of the size and thickness of the disc cartridge can be achieved and a pair of the shutter members can be opened/closed smoothly and surely.
In the disc cartridge of the third aspect of the present invention, the shutter opening/closing means comprises the rack portion, the initial action convex portion and the stopper convex portion. The driven portion of the intermediate shell comprises the gear portion, the initial action concave portion and the set position concave portion. Consequently, if the shutter opening/closing means is passed outside the operating window, the initial action convex portion or the rack portion engages with the initial action concave portion or the gear portion, so that the intermediate shell is rotated up to a predetermined position. As a result, the intermediate shell can be rotated surely up to the predetermined position and a pair of the shutter members is opened/closed smoothly by the rotation of the intermediate shell, thereby achieving the opening/closing of the opening portion.
In the disc cartridge of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the empty shift portion is provided between the rack portion, the initial action convex portion and the stopper concave portion and correspondingly, the driven portion is provided with the sliding portion. Consequently, the rack portion and the gear portion can be synchronized with each other so as to rotate the intermediate shell securely to a predetermined position. As a result, a pair of the shutter members can be opened/closed securely so as to achieve the opening/closing of the opening portion.
In the disc cartridge of the fifth aspect of the present invention, because the stopper convex portion is higher than the rack portion, when the stopper convex portion engages with the set position concave portion, the intermediate shell can be fixed at a predetermined position as if it is locked, so that the intermediate shell is protected from being rotated by vibration or the like.


The present disclosure provides a security enhanced channel control system useable on a wireless device comprising a policy module including at least one processor and memory, the policy module configured to store, in the memory, one or more security policies and apply a compliance check to a first system layer and a second system layer; and a first policy base stored in the memory of the policy module, the first policy base being associated with a mandatory access control (“MAC”) base and defining one more security polices for access to a plurality of channels associated with the first and second system layers. The policy module cooperates with the first policy base to establish one or more access control rules that are applied to at least one of the plurality of channels to preclude an unauthorized application from accessing at least one of the channels.

The prosperity of the Android ecosystem brings in a broad spectrum of external resources (accessories, web services, etc.), which vastly enrich Android devices' functionalities. Many individuals use smartphone accessories not only for convenience and entertainment (e.g., Bluetooth earpieces, USB travel chargers, etc.), but for performing important tasks related to domains such as healthcare and fitness (e.g., diabetes self-management), finance (e.g., credit card payments) and even home security. Furthermore, web resources are extensively utilized to support Android applications providing sensitive services like mobile banking, monetary transactions and investment management. The external resources carry private user information (health, finance, etc.) and are responsible for security-critical operations (e.g., home security). However, it is not clear whether they are sufficiently protected by mobile operating systems (OS).
EXTERNAL RESOURCE PROTECTION ON ANDROID. A recent study shows that an unauthorized software application(s) or "app(s)" with BLUETOOTH and BLUETOOTH_ADMIN permissions can acquire unfettered access to Android system's Bluetooth healthcare accessories and download sensitive medical data such as, for example, a patient's blood sugar level or other personal healthcare information. Also, research indicates that network sockets opened by screenshot services are exposed to any applications with the INTERNET permission, allowing them to capture the screen of an Android phone at any given point. This lack of control on the network channel can also have other consequences. For example, given the INTERNET permission, an untrusted game application might be able to directly communicate with a corporate internal server, as an authorized application does. Moreover, popular mobile credit-card payment systems are known to be vulnerable to unauthorized access as well. For example, it is reported that credit-card information transmitted by Square dongle to its mobile application through the Audio jack is not encrypted. The credit card information can be easily accessed or acquired by any application with the AUDIO permission. Although the security vulnerability with Square dongle may be fixed with an AES encryption scheme built into its dongle (which increases the cost of the device), such accessory/app side solutions are rather ad hoc, and have security characteristics which are difficult to control. Additionally, most external resources today are completely unprotected due to reasons such as the desire to make applications easy for users, limited capabilities of accessories, cost constraints, etc.
Indeed, as further described herein, researchers have successfully exploited the popular Jawbone UP wristband (an activity tracker recording a user's sleep, eating habits and other daily activities) through the Audio channel, and downloaded all its data using an unauthorized app. This lack of protection is also ubiquitous in apps receiving sensitive information from online resources through Short Message Service ("SMS") and those connected to external devices using Near-Field Communication ("NFC"). More specifically, an analysis of high-profile online financial services (Bank of America, Chase, PayPal, etc.) and social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that deliver messages to their customers' devices (which should be received by the system app com.android.sms or the official apps of those services), and popular apps that have the NFC capability, has concluded that they are all vulnerable. Again, unauthorized apps could get the user's messages once they are granted the RECEIVE_SMS or READ_SMS permission, and read from the NFC devices they are not supposed to touch when they possess the NFC permission. Of particular concern here are the short messages from banks, which often contain sensitive information such as a password for two-factor authentication, account balances, etc., and therefore should only be seen by their customers through com.android.sms or other official apps provided by the vendor. In addition, messages from Twitter and Facebook even carry links for resetting account passwords. Such information turns out to be completely unprotected from unauthorized apps. Demos for the attacks are posted on a private website.
Such threats to external resources are both realistic and serious, given the fact that indeed a lot of not-so-trustworthy apps do ask for related permissions (with a good reason for doing so sometimes) and have already been used by hundreds of millions of Android users. Take RECEIVE_SMS as an example. Popular third-party apps like Go Locker (50,000,000 to 100,000,000 installations) use it to receive messages (in this case, displaying the message on the lock screen). As further described below, a study on 13,500 highly-ranked apps (500 top apps from each of the 27 Google Play categories) from Google Play shows that altogether 560 apps require the RECEIVE_SMS or the READ_SMS permission, gleaning totally over 3 billion installations. The problem is that once those apps get the permission, they are also granted the privilege to read any messages, including those from Chase with one's account details, from Facebook with the link for resetting the password and from Life360 with the information about the family members' locations.
Fundamentally, Android is not designed to protect its external resources. Specifically, the Discretionary Access Control (hereinafter "DAC") mechanism Android provides to its user is based upon permissions, which are meant for authorizing access to an Android device's local resources such as camera, SD card, etc. When it comes to external resources, all permissions can do is to merely control individual channels through which the phone talks to external resources, such as Bluetooth, NFC, Internet, SMS and Audio. This access control is too coarse-grained to safeguard external resources of critical importance to the user, as it cannot differentiate those attached to the same channel, not to mention implementation of different access policies to protect them. As a result, whoever gets the permission to the channel (e.g., BLUETOOTH, AUDIO) is always given full access to any resources associated with the channel. Even for the emerging SEAndroid powered kernel, a Mandatory Access Control (hereinafter "MAC") mechanism incorporated into Android to enable manufacturers or organizational administrators to specify and enforce finer-grained security policies, it just covers local resources (e.g., files) and cannot even assign a security tag to an external resource.
SECURITY-ENHANCED CHANNEL CONTROL. Given the ongoing trend of using Android devices to support Internet of Things (IoT) for security-critical applications (e.g., home security), it is important to extend the Android security model to protect its external resources. This needs to be done on both the MAC and DAC layers. On one hand, device manufacturers and organizational administrators should be given the means to dictate the way their accessories and online resources should be accessed by apps: for example, only an official Samsung app is allowed to talk to the Samsung smart watch through Bluetooth. On the other hand, flexibility needs to be granted to ordinary users, who utilize third-party accessories (e.g., activity tracking wristband) and interact with third-party online services to manage their private information. For example, the user may hope to install her favorite apps like Go Locker but wants to ensure that they cannot read her bank's messages. Development of such protection mechanisms needs to be well thought-out, to avoid two separate mechanisms with duplicated functionalities, which complicates both the implementation and operations of the security model.

External resource control of mobile devices

Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


A mobile system travels with a work crew to various remote well sites and monitors the presence of H2S (hydrogen sulfide gas) at those sites. If the concentration of H2S reaches a toxic level, the system notifies a distant host computer of not only the problem but also where the problem exists. Help can then be dispatched to the known area. In some embodiments, the system notifies the work crew when help is on the way.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention pertains to the hazards of hydrogen sulfide and more specifically to a system for responding to an excessive amount of hydrogen sulfide at a well site.
2. Description of Related Art
Hydrogen sulfide, H2S, is a toxic gas that often accompanies the production of gas, oil and water. H2S can usually be contained, but if it escapes, an H2S monitor can be used for alerting personnel in the area. In response to sensing about 10 to 20 ppm of H2S, typical H2S monitors will sound an alarm that warns of the danger. Once the alarm sounds, personnel often have sufficient time to vacate the area. In some cases, however, someone or everyone in the area may be overcome by the gas and fall to the ground. Since H2S is heavier than air, an unconscious person lying on the ground may continue breathing the toxic gas. If outside help is not quickly summoned to the area, eventually those continuing to breath the gas may die.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,510 discloses an H2S system that calls for outside help upon sensing an excessive amount of H2S at a distant location. The system appears to be designed for an established chemical plant where the H2S monitor is at a fixed, known location. Such a system may be fine for such an application because the location of the H2S monitor is known, thus the location where medical assistance is needed is also known.
However, in the case of an oilfield crew working among numerous remote oilfields, the location of the crew may be unknown to those that may otherwise be able to dispatch help to where it is needed. Thus, oilfield workers may be left stranded in an emergency and have to rely solely on their own ability to help themselves.
It is conceivable to install a dedicated H2S monitor at each and every oilfield; however, such an approach would be unnecessarily expensive because the vast majority of oilfields operate unattended. Often, an H2S monitor and an emergency call-out alarm is only needed when a work crew or other personnel are in the area.
Consequently, a need exists for an H2S monitor that can not only travel with a work crew but also communicate to outside help the location of the monitor.

Mobile system for responding to hydrogen sulfide gas at a plurality of remote well sites


Provided are a method and apparatus for verifying or correcting the temperature sensor and compressor pairings within the HVAC system control logic, indicating that a sensor is logically paired with the specific compressor, from amongst a tandem compressor group, to which the sensor is coupled.

Field of the Invention
This application is directed, in general, to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) and, more specifically, to systems and methods for ensuring that sensed data from a sensor logically paired with the compressor, from among a set of two, or more, compressors configured for tandem operation, to which the sensor is physically coupled.
Description of the Related Art
Some HVAC systems utilize one or more tandem compressor arrangements. Tandem compressors may share common refrigerant piping. Specifically, the suction pipe leg for each compressor configured for tandem operation may fork off from a single, common suction pipe. Similarly, the discharge pipe leg for each compressor configured for tandem operation may merge into a single, common discharge pipe. The tandem compressor arrangement may allow for efficient HVAC system operation by providing greater ability to match partial load demands on the HVAC system while still allowing for high overall system capacity during full load operation.
One disadvantage of the tandem compressor arrangement is that the shared piping among the tandem compressors, and attendant merged refrigerant flow, can make monitoring specific compressor operation and identifying specific compressor failures difficult. For example, the tandem compressor arrangement can render a discharge pressure switch incapable of identifying the specific failing compressor among the tandem compressors when an over-pressure condition is sensed. This may be due to the merged discharge piping among the tandem compressors. The discharge pressure switch may sense the combined pressure from all compressors configured for tandem operation, and lack a means for discerning the specific compressor, or compressors, causing the failure condition.
In HVAC systems utilizing a tandem compressor arrangement, it is critical for individual monitoring of the performance and operation of each compressor of tandem compressor arrangement that the refrigerant discharge temperature exiting each of the tandem compressors be accurately sensed. The HVAC systems provided with tandem compressors commonly place a temperature sensor at, or near, the discharge port of each compressor of the tandem compressor arrangement to sense the refrigerant discharge temperature specific to each compressor of the tandem compressor arrangement.
Unfortunately, the proximity of tandem compressors to one another within the compressor section of an HVAC system creates the possibility that these discharge temperature sensors may be installed on the incorrect compressor. Incorrect installation may destroy the ability of the HVAC system to monitor the performance the individual compressors configured for tandem operation since the temperature sensor and compressor pairing in the HVAC system control logic will not match the physical pairing of the components.

Sensor coupling verification in tandem compressor units


A collapsible, portable goal net for sports comprises a frame consisting of tubular components coupled together, with an elastic cord running through the components to retain a flexible connection between the components even when they are uncoupled to collapse the net. A flexible mesh is provided with sleeves composed of a less flexible material than the mesh, for affixing the mesh to the frame. The components of the frame can slide freely in the sleeves, thus preventing the mesh from becoming caught or entangled in the detached joints when the net is collapsed.

Sports which involve the use of a goal net, such as hockey, soccer and many others, are popular in many parts of the world. In general, the object in such games is to impel a ball, puck or other object into an area defined as the goal. The goal net is essentially a framed backstop which captures the object when a goal has been scored.
Such sports activities are played both in organized leagues and informally. Using hockey as an example, the sport is played by professionals and schoolchildren alike. Variations on the basic game of ice hockey have also become popular, such as field hockey, floor hockey and ball hockey, to name a few. In all cases, unless the game is being played at an arena specifically designed for the sport, it is necessary for the players to provide goal nets.
It is thus advantageous to provide some measure of portability in a goal net. A typical goal net comprises a tubular metal frame to which is tied a flexible mesh. The frame tends to be rather heavy and therefore difficult to carry. Even where a light metal such as aluminum is used, the goal net is awkward to carry because of its size and shape. It is necessary to use a strong, rigid material for the frame, to withstand the rigours of the sport, and it is impractical to untie and retie the mesh, which would be required to disassemble the frame, every time the goal net needs to be transported.
This invention solves these problems by providing a goal net with a frame composed of several connected tubes which can be uncoupled without becoming completely detached, and without the need to remove the mesh from the frame, thereby maintaining the integrity of the goal net even when collapsed. The goal net can thus be collapsed for transport and then quickly and easily erected at the desired location.
This is accomplished by providing an elastic cord running through the components of the frame, and providing the edges of the mesh with sleeves through which the tubes of the frame are disposed. The elastic cord keeps the components of the frame in the proper arrangement when the frame is collapsed, because the components remain flexibly connected even though adjoining tubes have been uncoupled from one another. Sleeves joining the mesh to the frame keep the mesh from becoming entangled in the uncoupled joints of the frame and from getting caught on the tube connectors as the goal net is erected.


A sprue for a low-pressure casting device includes a stalk connection part to be connected to a stalk, a molten metal reservoir and a cavity connection part to be connected to the cavity. The shape of the molten metal reservoir is such that the perimeter of the cross section perpendicular to the flow direction of molten metal gradually increases toward the cavity connection part while the area of the cross section remains constant.

A low-pressure casting device typically includes a holding furnace for storing molten metal, a mold having a cavity and a stalk that communicates the holding furnace with a cavity, which is used for molding a casting by increasing the pressure in the holding furnace to supply the molten metal to the cavity through the stalk and allowing the molten metal to solidify.
A casting device is disclosed in JP 2003-251453A, which includes a molten metal passage for supplying molten metal to a cavity, having a circular cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
In the above-described device of JP 2003-251453A, it is difficult to supply molten metal to a wide area in a cavity since the molten metal passage has a circular cross section. Due to such poor delivery (running property), it has been difficult to produce a product having a complex shape or a thin product in which molten metal is rapidly cooled.
In order to improve the delivery, a flat fan gate has been provided in a sprue to supply molten metal to a wide area.
However, when the cross-sectional shape of the molten metal passage greatly changes at the connection part between the sprue and the fan gate, the change of the flow rate of the molten metal causes ruffle in the molten metal surface, which may produce an oxide in the new surface of the molten metal and result in the degraded quality of molded products.
In particular, since increasing the supply rate of the molten metal is likely to cause large ruffle, it is difficult to achieve both reduction in supply time of the molten metal and reduction in oxide production.
In order to improve the delivery while preventing ruffle of the molten metal, one possible measure is to flatten the entire sprue while keeping the cross-sectional shape of the sprue. However, the entirely flat sprue makes it difficult to adjust the solidification time of molten metal according to the size and shape of molded products. As a result, clogging of the sprue is more likely to occur, in which a molded product cannot be released from the sprue.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems with the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a sprue for a low-pressure casting device which enables reduction of the cycle time and also prevents oxidation of molten metal and which hereby enables efficient production of high-quality molded products, and a low-pressure casting device with the sprue.

Sprue structure for low-pressure casting device and low-pressure casting device having said sprue


Disclosed herein are a hygienic handle assembly and related methods for automatically advancing a clean portion of a protective sleeve over a handle after use of the handle by a person. In one embodiment, an exemplary hygienic handle assembly comprises a pair of first magnetic couplers, each having a passage therethrough, and a handle extending between the pair of first magnetic couplers and having a second magnetic coupler at each of its opposing ends. Each of the second magnetic couplers may be configured to be located within at least a portion of a corresponding first magnetic coupler, wherein magnetic fields of the first magnetic coupler repel magnetic fields of the second magnetic couplers received therein such that each second magnetic coupler is magnetically suspended within the corresponding first magnetic coupler.

The presence of sanitary conditions contributes to the health of all people, and a sanitation issue well recognized is that of public door handles, which can be contaminated with germs and other contagions, as well as contaminants left on the handle by a previous user of the handle. Among these contaminants are skin oils and common dirt, as well as potentially more harmful substances such as bacteria, fungi and other pathogens. Such contaminants easily can be transmitted to the hand of anyone who grasps the handle to open the door. Moreover, if the skin of the later user's hand is not intact due to lacerations, abrasions, or other sores, there is a high probability that percutaneous exposure to pathogens can occur. Even if the skin of the user's hand is intact, contaminants may remain viable on the hand and cause infection when the user contacts his eyes, nose, or mouth if these areas are contacted before thorough washing of the hand takes place.
Among the most potentially unsanitary door handles are those used on public restroom doors, hospital doors, and doors for accessing locations such as restaurants, stores, industrial buildings, commercial garages, and even office buildings. In addition to doors, numerous other potentially unsanitary handles also exist, such as grocery store carts, and each also provides the opportunity to pass germs and other contagions from one person to another. Providing cleanliness of such handles has long been a challenge, and has been one addressed by a number of prior devices. However, such prior devices tend to be expensive, overly complex, or require the replacement of an entire door or other object having the potentially unsanitary handle. Individual disposable handle protection items, such as napkins placed near the handle, have also been tried, but these approaches create the issue of disposable waste, which typically results in excess garbage and litter scattered around the area of use.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a simple handle apparatus that provides a sanitary surface for each person using a handle, thus protecting a later user from touching the same handle surface previously touched by another user, but that does not suffer from the deficiencies of conventional approaches. Moreover, a viable solution should be inexpensive, not overly complex, and should be capable of retrofitting existing doors, drawers, etc. The disclosed principles provide such a solution.

Magnetically suspended hygienic handle assembly


A method of connecting a first shell to a second shell to establish a unitary sealed structure. A bead of a diaphragm assembly is connected to a first peripheral surface on the first shell to establish a first sealing surface and to define a first chamber between the diaphragm assembly and the first shell. A spring attached to the diaphragm assembly engages the second shell. A force applied to the second shell compresses the spring to bring a second peripheral surface thereon into engagement with the bead on the diaphragm to establish a second sealing surface and define a second chamber between the diaphragm assembly and the second shell. A vacuum evacuates air from the first and second chambers to establish a pressure differential between the first and second chambers and the surrounding environment. This pressure differential acts on the first and second shells to urge the first and second peripheral surfaces against the diaphragm to establish a unitary structure. Thereafter, the force applied to hold the first and second shells together is removed and the relationship between the first and second sealing surfaces is observed for a fixed time period. Should air from the surrounding environment enter into either the first or second chamber, the pressure differential is sufficiently reduced to allow the spring to separate the first and second shells to indicate a nonconformity between the first and second shells and the diaphragm. If the first and second shells remain together during the fixed time period, the first and second peripheral surfaces are thereafter crimped together to establish the unitary sealed structure.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a fluid pressure servomotor having a diaphragm assembly which separates the interior of a first shell from the interior of a second shell to define first and second chambers. The peripheral surface of the diaphragm assembly is held between the first and second shells by a connection to form a unitary sealed structure. Thereafter, air is evacuated from the first and second chambers to vacuum suspend the diaphragm assembly and allow a return spring to hold the diaphragm assembly against the first shell. In response to an input force applied through an input push rod to the diaphragm assembly, fluid communication between the first and second chambers is interrupted and air is allowed to enter the first chamber to create a corresponding pressure differential. This corresponding pressure differential acts on the diaphragm assembly to provide an output member that extends through the second shell with an output force.
In order to assure that the pressure differential that is developed across the diaphragm assembly is not reduced through the communication of air by way of a leak path through a sealing surface in the unitary structure, U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,930 discloses a method of manufacturing a servomotor wherein a compressive force is continually maintained on the peripheral surface of the diaphragm since that sealing surface possesses the largest surface area and thus the greatest leak path potential. During assembly of the servomotor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,930, the compressive force is applied to the first and second shells causing the peripheral surface of the diaphragm to be compressed. Thereafter, a lancing operation forms a radial clip in one shell which engages a lip of the other shell to affix the first and second shells together. When the compressive force is removed, the internal resiliency of the diaphragm acts on the first and second shells to form a sealed surface that prevents the communication of air into the first and second chambers. Unfortunately during the assembly of mass produced components, the first and second shells do not always exactly match. If the dimensional tolerances of the first and second shells approach opposite manufacturing limits, it is possible that a leak path may develop and allow air to be communicated to the first and second chambers since the expansion of the diaphragm to its original shape may not be sufficient to develop a seal between the peripheral surfaces of the first and second shells. Later, when air is evacuated from the first and second chambers, air flow through the leak path reduces the effective pressure differential as measured by the output force of the output push rod. Unfortunately since the first and second shells have been lanced together, if an attempt is made to salvage the components that make up the servomotor, the shells and diaphragm are often destroyed even though the non-conformity of only one component alone resulted in the leak path. Thus, corrective action to ascertain which component does not confirm to the manufacturing specification is often time consuming since additional damage can be caused by the salvage operation.

Method of assemblying a sealed structure


An ammonium nitrate and paraffinic material based gas generating composition is provided. The gas generating composition includes ammonium nitrate as a oxidizer, mixed with a paraffinic material as a fuel. Examples of paraffinic material include paraffin wax, and broadly includes polyolefins. Polyolefins include polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutylene. Additionally, as alternatives, the gas generating composition of the present invention can also include a small quantity of magnesium stearate, potassium perchlorate or alternatively, RDX. The ammonium nitrate oxidizer, the paraffinic material fuel and the additional alternative components are combined and mixed in a predetermined stoichiometric ratio. The gas generating composition is devoid of metal oxides and produces virtually no particulate and slag upon ignition. It also produces an acceptable, low level of undesirable trace effluents such as carbon monoxide, and nitric oxide, both of which are inherently present in nonazide gas generating compositions. The gas generating composition is environmentally friendly after the deployment of the gas generant and abrasive damage to the tooling used in the manufacture of the gas generating composition is minimized.

Gas generating compositions are extremely useful in the automotive passive restraint (air bag) industry, although other uses, such as commercial or military aircraft applications, are contemplated for such gas generating compositions. Today, most, if not all, new automobiles are equipped with single or multiple air bags to protect the driver and passengers. In the near future it is expected that aircraft manufacturers will be under similar government mandates. In the operation of air bags, sufficient gas must be generated to inflate the device in a fraction of a second. The air bag must fully inflate between the time that the automobile is impacted in a collision, and the time the driver or passenger would otherwise be thrust forward against the steering wheel, dashboard or sideways against the door of a vehicle or aircraft. Consequently, nearly instantaneous gas generation is required.
There are a number of mandated design specifications required by automobile manufacturers and other regulator agencies that must be adhered to in the preparation of gas generating compositions. One such required specification is that the composition produces gas at a specific rate. Automobile manufacturers require that the gas be generated at a sufficiently and reasonably low temperature so that the occupants of the involved automobile are not burned upon impacting an inflated air bag. Inconsistent ballistic output is a major problem with all pyrotechnic inflators. Accordingly, a need exists for a formulation that minimizes the ballistic variability, prevents the production of excessive heat and maintains an adequate burn rate while generating the cleanest possible gas required to fill the specified air bag's internal envelope.
Another specified requirement of the automobile manufacturing industry is that gas generating compositions strictly limit the generation of toxic gases or solids such as but not limited to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Another related design requirement is that the gas generant composition produces a limited quantity of particulate materials, which can interfere with the operation of the passive restraint system, create an inhalation hazard, irritate the skin and eyes, or present a hazardous solid waste that must be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
Sodium azide is one such hazardous constituent of gas generating compositions that is currently being phased out by the industry due to its high toxicity as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,261 to Ramaswamy, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,377 to Highsmith, et al. Further, the use of sodium azide (or other azides) results in extra expense and risk in manufacture of gas generant due to the extreme toxicity of azides.
It has also been found that the non-azide propellant technologies are costly to manufacture, and have inherent performance problems such as high burn temperature, undesirable trace effluent values and inconsistent ballistic output. High burn temperatures are undesirable because the gas requires more cooling to maintain acceptable gas temperatures. Cooling of the gas is typically performed by the inflator filtration system. A disadvantage of the filter is that it also increases material costs. On the other hand, the baffle system minimizes cost. Cool gas temperatures, however, are required to prevent the air bag and subsequently the occupant of the automobile or aircraft from burning.
It would be preferable, therefore, to have a gas generating composition that produces more gas and fewer solids. The nongaseous fraction of the gas generant products must be contained or filtered to provide a clean inflating gas. It would also be desirable that when the composition produces particulates, the majority of these particulates are filterable, solid slag. When conventional gas generating compositions that included a combination of 5AT and a metal oxide were detonated, it was observed that significant quantities of slag formed as a byproduct. The term slag is herein defined as insoluble metallic particulate. This slag was generated in addition to the gasses generated by the ignition of the gas generating composition containing the metal oxide. Slag can be easily filtered, preventing the airborne reaction products from escaping into the surrounding environment during and after air bag deployment. Filtration, therefore, serves a function that limits the dissipation of potentially harmful dust in the vicinity of the spent air bag, which could otherwise cause secondary effects to the passengers and others in the vicinity such as eye, lung, and mucous membrane irritation.
Currently available 5AT based gas generating compositions form a minimum of water-soluble products at combustion of the gas generating composition form a minimum of water-soluble products at combustion of the gas generant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,059 to Lund, et al. teaches that copper oxide is a preferred oxidizer in SAT based gas generating compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,588 to Poole teaches the use of transition metal oxides and other metal oxides having high melting points in 5AT based gas generating compositions to function as high temperature slag forming material.
The utilization of waxes in ballistic formulation is taught in several U.S. patent references. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,787 to Hattori, which suggests the use of wax or oil to create a separate, stable phase in a water mixture. The two phases of the emulsion are combined upon impact, causing detonation. In Hattori '787, the wax is taught to be a combustible substrate at 1% to 7% of the compound. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,198 to Takeuchi also teaches the use of an oil or wax material as a combustible element in a two-phase mixture. In Takeuchi '198 the wax or oil is taught to amount to 1% to 10% of the total composition. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,369 to Tag discloses another variation on the water-in-oil explosive mixture, where 2% to 6% of wax is added.
For other than two-phase explosive mixtures, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,638 to Bachman teaches the addition of a high molecular weight polymer to an ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) explosive mixture. A small amount (approximately 0.1%) of the polymer is added to the ANFO to change the viscosity and detonation properties of the mixture. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,977 Chattopadhyay discloses the hardening of ammonium nitrate (AN) with a polymer additive, such as polystyrene. Chattopadhyay '977 teaches the addition of up to 10% of the polymer. Chattopadhyay '977 directs his application toward the hardening of the AN. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,938 to Holland teaches a gas generating composition that includes an elastomeric binder. Holland '938 specifically directs his invention to non-azide air bag inflation applications. However, the binders disclosed are only plasticizers that comprise up to about 10% of the total mixture. Holland '938 teaches the use of nitroguanidine as a primary fuel.
The primary purpose of the waxes and plastics, especially in water free mixtures, relates to the binding properties that smaller quantities of the plastic materials impart to the mixture.

Ammonium nitrate and paraffinic material based gas generating propellants


A measuring assembly and method for layer thickness measurement of a layer applied to a substrate by means of a vapor deposition method includes a measuring head which is provided with at least one vibration plate, an extraction line which can be coupled in a gas-conducting or vapor-conducting manner with a first end having a vacuum chamber for the vapor deposition method and which can be coupled in a gas-conducting or vapor-conducting manner with an opposite second end having the measuring head, wherein the extraction line includes at least one heating section or at least one cooling section.

In order for coating procedures of substrates by means of evaporative processes, or by means of vapor deposition methods, respectively, to be regulated and controlled it is necessary for the amount or the volumetric flow of the evaporating material that settles on the substrate to be measured. An evaporative process and consequently the entire coating process can be sufficiently monitored or controlled, respectively, by means of measurements of this type.
For some materials and elements, for example for selenium, it is known in principle for a proportion of the evaporated material to be extracted from a vapor chamber, typically from a vacuum chamber, and to be supplied to a vibration plate, typically to an oscillating crystal. The amount of the material that is deposited on the vibration plate leads to a modification of the resonance frequency of the vibration plate, said modification being electronically detectable. To this extent, the shift in the resonance frequency is a measure for the mass and the thickness of the layer accumulating on the vibration plate. To this extent, a volumetric flow of the evaporated material that has to be measured can be measured during the ongoing coating procedure by way of vibration plates of this type.
The vibration plate is to be disposed so as to be spaced apart from the vacuum chamber. Said vibration plate is typically to be coupled to the vacuum chamber in a gas-conducting or vapor-conducting manner by way of an extraction section. When extracting a vapor jet from the vacuum chamber it has to be guaranteed that an amount of the material vapor that is sufficient for a stable measuring signal is extracted. However, it can arise that a condensation temperature of the extracted vapor jet is undershot across the extraction section. Across the longitudinal extent of the extraction section this can lead to part of the material vapor that is propagated by way the extraction section condensing. Of course, such undesirable condensation leads to a distortion of the measuring signal.
It is to be furthermore noted that known vibration plates, typically in the form of quartz or other piezoelectric crystals, when subjected to continuous deposition of material, gradually lose their ability to vibrate in a required resonance range. To this extent, the service life of vibration plates of this type is heavily dependent on the amount of material that accumulates on the vibration plate.
Measuring installations which have a plurality of vibration plates which are impingeable in a sequential manner with the material vapor to be measured in order for the service life of known measuring assemblies to be prolonged are known. A plurality of such vibration plates herein is typically disposed on a rotatably mounted support of a turret measuring head. Individual vibration plates that are disposed on the support can be sequentially held in the extracted vapor jet or be positioned at that end of the extraction section that faces away from the vacuum chamber, respectively, by rotating the support.
Known turret measuring heads are often sealed only in an inadequate manner such that vibration plates that have not yet been used, prior to being employed are subjected to unintentional coating. On account thereof, not only are the measuring results distorted but the reproducibility of measurements, in particular when vibration plates are changed, can be compromised on account thereof.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing an improved measuring assembly for measuring the layer thickness of a layer that is capable of being applied to a substrate by means of a vapor deposition method. To this extent, the measuring assembly is intended to provide an inflow of vaporous or gaseous material, respectively, to the vibration plate that is as minor as possible yet stable and steady. The measuring assembly is intended to supply particularly precise measuring results and at the same time enable a comparatively long lifespan of the vibration plates that are to be used for measuring the layer thickness.
It is therefore a further objective to avoid or to suppress as far as possible any unintentional coating of vibration plates that are not yet located in the vapor jet, so as to enable more exact and more reproducible measurements in particular when vibration plates are changed, in order to ultimately simplify regulating and controlling of evaporative processes.

Apparatus and method for layer thickness measurement for a vapor deposition method


A toy according to an embodiment includes a human sensor, a processor configured to change the operation mode to a suppression mode in which an operation for amusing a target is suppressed when the human sensor detects an object.

Mobiles for amusing babies, by rotating objects such as dolls while playing melodies, have been conventionally known as a toy for babies and the like. A person who cares for a child such as a mother, who is called a parent hereinafter, makes use of a mobile to achieve a good balance between childcare and housework and the like by operating the mobile while doing housework and the like to cause the baby to gaze at the mobile. A related art example is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-205322.
However, the conventional technology has shortcomings that, when a parent attempts to amuse a baby with the mobile operating, the baby keeps on gazing at the mobile. The operation of the mobile may therefore obstruct the parent who is caring for the baby while amusing him/her, and the mobile has been sometimes insufficient in supporting childcare.


Jumper cables (30), (54) and (62) with handles (10), (32) and (56) that do not become entangled when the cables (30), (54) and (62) are being moved to or from their stored positions. The new handles (10), (32) and (56) contain the normally open handle leg ends (17) and (19), (34) and (36), (70) and (72) in a closed position, thereby avoiding any entanglements. Embodiments of the new handles (10), (32) and (56) include: 1. a handle (10) in which normally open ends (17) and (19), (FIG. 1A) are contained in a closed position (FIG. 1C) by means of a notch (20), a latch (22), and a latch hook (21); 2. a handle (32) in which normally open ends (34) and (36), (FIG. 2A) are contained in a closed position (FIG. 2B) by means of semi-circular ring (38); and 3. a handle (56) in which normally open ends (70) and (72), (FIG. 3A) are contained in a closed position (FIG. 3B) by means of a cuff (64).

Field of Invention
This invention relates to electrical jumper cables, specifically to jumper cable handles having means for rendering the handles hangless.
Description of Prior Art
Jumper cable handles, also known as jumper cable clamps, have been in use for many years. They are primarily used with cables connecting a "live" battery to a "dead" battery; and for using the electrical potential of the "live" battery to start the motor of the vehicle whose battery is considered to be "dead". Jumper cable handles are fabricated in several designs, shapes, colors, sizes and lengths to make them attractive to potential buyers. Jumper cables and handles are mostly kept in storage and are used only when needed on rare occasions. Each time they are needed, they are taken from storage, used, and put back into storage. In their normal state, the open handles tend to become hooks for entangling all objects in their path when the jumper cables to which they are attached are being moved from or into storage. The entanglement of the open handles with other objects usually comes at a time when the user of the cables is low on patience, his wrath is inflamed and he may become a danger to society. Users of jumper cables are preoccupied with the task of getting their motors started, and the cables are used so seldom that little time is given for designing hangless jumper cable handles. The hangless jumper cable handle is a new, useful and unobvious invention. This application is complementary to Applicant's earlier application for "Covered Automotive Jumper Cables", U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,426 filed 1995 Mar. 28.


The present disclosure is directed to Ni—P—B alloys and glasses containing small fractions of Nb and Ta and optionally Mn. Over a specific range, the alloys are capable of forming bulk metallic glasses having critical casting thickness in excess of 1 mm. In one embodiment, compositions with a Mn content of between 3 and 4 atomic percent, Nb content of about 3 atomic percent, B content of about 3 atomic percent, and P content of about 16.5 atomic percent, where the balance in Ni, were capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters as large as 5 mm or larger. In another embodiment, Ni-based compositions with a Mn content of between 5 and 7 atomic percent, Ta content of between 1 and 2 atomic percent, B content of about 3 atomic percent, and P content of about 16.5 atomic percent, where the balance in Ni, were capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters as large as 5 mm or larger.

Bulk-glass forming Ni—Nb—P—B alloys bearing Cr capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters of 3 mm or greater have been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/592,095, entitled "Bulk Nickel-Based Chromium and Phosphorous Bearing Metallic Glasses", filed on Aug. 22, 2012, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/067,521, entitled "Bulk Nickel-Based Chromium and Phosphorous Bearing Metallic Glasses with High Toughness", filed on Oct. 30, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Bulk-glass forming Ni—Ta—P—B alloys bearing Cr capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters of 3 mm or greater have been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/081,622, entitled "Bulk Nickel-Phosphorus-Boron Glasses bearing Chromium and Tantalum", filed on Nov. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Bulk-glass forming Ni—Nb—P—B alloys bearing Mo and optionally Mn capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters of 3 mm or greater have been disclosed in another recent application: U.S. Patent Application No. 61/847,955, entitled "Bulk Nickel-Phosphorus-Boron Glasses bearing Molybdenum and Niobium", filed on Oct. 8, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
These previous Ni—Nb—P—B and Ni—Ta—P—B bulk-glass forming compositions include either Cr or Mo for bulk-glass formation where the atomic concentrations of Cr or Mo are relatively high, extending up to 15% for the Cr-bearing alloys and up to 12% for the Mo-bearing alloys. Such high concentrations of Mo and Cr limit the Ni content to mostly below 70 atomic percent.

Bulk nickel-phosphorus-boron glasses bearing manganese, niobium and tantalum


An organic light-emitting diode display panel includes a lower substrate; an upper substrate; and an organic light-emitting diode structure formed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate. A side of the organic light-emitting diode structure facing towards the upper substrate is a light output side, and the upper substrate is a strengthened glass plate, subjected to a strengthening processing, which serves as a protective glass plate as an outermost layer of the organic light-emitting diode display panel.

Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of display, and particularly to an organic light-emitting diode display panel and a display apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
In a conventional organic light-emitting diode display panel, in order to improve its use reliability, it is necessary to dispose a protective glass plate on a light output side of the display panel to prevent the display panel from being damaged by suffering from an impact of an external force so as to decrease display effect. Generally, the protective glass plate is made of a glass plate having a relatively high hardness and relatively strong impact resisting capability, and is bonded on the light output side of the display panel. During manufacturing of the display panel, the number of technology steps is increased due to a step of bonding the protective glass plate and the number of parts and components of the display panel is increased, while a thickness of the display panel is increased, which is unfavourable to lightening and thinning of a product. Since the protective glass plate is additionally disposed on the display panel, a transmittance of visible light and thus display effect of the display panel are reduced.

Organic light-emitting diode display panel and display apparatus

BOE (Hebei) Mobile Display Technology Co., Ltd.


An Fe-Si alloy powder magnetic core comprises an alloy powder of an average particle diameter of 10-100 .mu.m, produced by water atomization, in which the composition by weight of the alloy powder is 2-12% silicon and 0.05-0.95% oxygen with the balance being essentially iron. The process of manufacturing the powder magnetic core is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to iron-silicon alloy powder magnetic cores used in noise filters and choke coils for switching power supplies and a process of manufacturing such powder magnetic cores.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes the following process for manufacturing materials for powder magnetic cores used in magnetic noise suppression and choke coils. Specifically, the process is as follows: magnetic metal powders including pure iron, carbonyl iron, Fe-Ni alloy (hereafter referred to as Permalloy), or Fe-Si-Al alloy (hereafter referred to as Sendust) to which insulating binders such as sodium silicate or epoxy resin are added are compacted under pressure of 1-15 ton/cm.sup.2 and then heat-treated to relieve compression stresses (Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy, Magnetic Materials (1970), The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd.).
Pure iron powder cores are used in choke coils for switching power supplies at frequencies of 50 kHz or lower, transformers for ringing-choke-type power supply circuits, and noise suppressors in circuits in which low-frequency currents are superimposed.
Permalloy powder cores are used as cores for secondary-side smoothing chokes in switching power supplies in the frequency range of 100-150 kHz, and as noise-suppressors. Sendust powder cores can be used in the same frequency range as permalloy powder cores.
However, with recent requirements for severe control of high-frequency noise in electronic equipment, as well as for smaller and more compact equipment, powder cores of high permeability and low core loss are increasingly required. To manufacture powder cores, the powder particles are insulated by epoxy resin or sodium silicate to-avoid direct contact between powder particles and decrease eddy current .losses in the high-frequency region. Furthermore, pressing is used to increase density and obtain high permeability and low core loss.
In order to obtain high permeability, one needs to increase the packing density by high compacting pressure, but with conventional Sendust powder cores, the powder is extremely hard and resistant to plastic deformation, making high-pressure compacting difficult and markedly decreasing the life of dies.
Permalloy powder cores have higher permeability than pure iron powder cores and their high-frequency magnetic properties are excellent, but they are expensive and the adhesion of powder to insulating layer is insufficient so that the insulation between particles breaks down, markedly degrading magnetic properties in the high frequency region.

Iron-silicon alloy powder magnetic cores and method of manufacturing the same


A method of filling and sealing a package with a product wherein a container having a bottom generally deformable in shape is filled with a product having a volume less than the container volume but equal to the filled volume. A continuous top lid is placed onto the container and positioned adjacent to a sealing surface and rim section of the container. In this position enough headspace exists to permit the proper lid placement without squeezing product onto the seal surface. The filled container supported on an anvil and lid are then transferred into a vacuum chamber within the vacuum chamber and with a sealing head disposed above the anvil in the raised position, the pressure within the chamber is evacuated by a vacuum. This process lowers the pressure of the headspace gas from the container to that of the chamber. When the desired vacuum level is achieved, the sealing head is lowered and the lid is sealed to the sealing surface of the container. The container is then removed from the vacuum chamber and is brought back to atmospheric pressure, and as a result thereof, the bottom is inverted upwardly thereby forcing the product to fill the headspace voids.

This invention relates to a method of filling and sealing a container with a product, and more particularly, to a method of producing a package in which the integrity of the seal is preserved and voids within the container are virtually eliminated.
Prior methods for filling and sealing a container have provided a substantial "headspace" within the container in order that the seal area of the container is not contaminated with the product, which will result in incomplete end leaking seals.
This headspace gas hinders exploitation of sterilizable containers, because of the difficulty of accurately controlling the pressure within the containers during temperature changes, to ensure the seals are not ruptured or containers otherwise deformed or damaged. If the headspace gas is air, this will cause spoilage of oxygen-sensitive products.
This headspace also has the appearance of a partially filled container, giving a poor value impression to the consumer.
Additionally, the headspace allows movement of product during shipment, resulting in stressing of the lid material (which may rupture), and also damage to the product.
It is well known to use a diaphragm of stretchable lid material to close a container which is deformed to eliminate headspace. This stretchable lid material, however, typically is not puncture resistant and, hence, requires some secondary protection to maximize quality control of the product.

Method of filling and sealing a deformable container