The invention relates to light-scattering polymethacrylate resins with high heat- and weather resistance, which resins may optionally be colored with dyestuffs or pigments. The desirable properties are achieved by addition of a combination of:. particles which are light-scattering, and are crosslinked and contain phenyl groups; PA0 UV protectants; and PA0 radical scavengers.. The inventive polymethacrylate molded articles are advantageously employed in illumination technology.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to polymethacrylate molded articles, with crosslinked polystyrene as a light-scattering agent to render them translucent (cloudy) rather than transparent.
2. Discussion of the Background
Glass substitutes based on methyl methacrylate (hereinafter, "methyl methacrylate glass materials") play an important role in the lighting industry and in the manufacture of light couples. For good room illumination it is necessary that the transparent or translucent fixture elements around the light sources, and dome elements, have fillers added to them which are not dissolved in the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) glass. The purpose of these fillers is to cloud the material and act as a scattering agent for through-transmitted light, while not greatly lessening the high light permeability of the material.
In addition to inorganic fillers, (e.g. barium sulfate), polystyrene has proved to be a particularly advantageous scattering agent, providing high scattering when employed as an additive. As described in DE 2,225,578 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,617) and DE 2,264,224 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,338), un-crosslinked polystyrene may be added to the monomer which is to be polymerized, which monomer is comprised essentially of methyl methacrylate. The polystyrene initially dissolves in the monomer, but separates out as the polymerization proceeds. It becomes finely and uniformly distributed, because polystyrene is insoluble in PMMA and the system forms two phases, comprising two respective incompatible polymers. Further processing of such polystyrene-clouded polymers, e.g. by injection molding or extruding, to mass produce molded or formed articles, has resulted in a quality degradation as to the light-scattering and light-permeability of the translucent material. This may be attributed to the formation of aggregates of the polystyrene particles, and to changes in the solubility and distribution of the polystyrene after it undergoes shear strain during processing in the PMMA matrix.
The disadvantages of this type can be alleviated according to the teaching of DE 2,146,607 and DE 2,264,224 if crosslinked polymers comprised essentially of styrene units are used. The crosslinked polystyrenes contain up to c. 5 wt. % of crosslinking agent.
According to DE 2,225,578, one can achieve the benefits of a crosslinked polymer clouding agent by using un-crosslinked polystyrene soluble in methyl methacrylate monomer, if the polystyrene also contains comonomer units which react to produce crosslinking at temperatures above 100.degree. C., in particular during further processing of the organic glass materials.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,311 and 5,004,785 describe translucent (clouded) plastic elements, e.g. such elements based on methacrylate resins, wherein the clouding agent comprises beads or fine particles of crosslinked material comprised essentially of monomer units containing aromatic groups, e.g. styrene or phenyl methacrylate, wherewith the material also comprises (in the polymer molecule) up to 20 wt. % of crosslinking agents.
Polymethacrylate clouded by means of un-crosslinked polystyrene, e.g. PMMA in the form of plate or sheet known as acrylic glass plate or sheet, has optical properties quite different from those of pure (and colorless) PMMA, such as light scattering (desired) and decreased transmissivity (not desired). The properties of such clouded PMMA are further diminished by tempering and by the action of light and weather; this degradation shows up in measurements of yellow value and of transmissivity. Addition of UV-protection agents and weathering protection agents, alone, to PMMA containing (un-crosslinked) polystyrene does not substantially alleviate this degradation.
It is sought to devise a polymethacrylate composition containing polystyrene as a clouding agent, which composition has high heat- and weather resistance, and which retains such resistance when subjected to, e.g., thermal forming operations to form light-scattering PMMA molded articles, and under conditions of use of such articles in illumination engineering, particularly outdoors.
Surprisingly, it was found that PMMA molded articles containing polystyrene light-scattering particles have high heat- and weather resistance, and retain such resistance, if the polymethacrylate composition contains:
a) crosslinked polymer particles comprised of units of phenyl group-containing monomers,
b) UV protection agents, and
c) radical scavengers.
Substances which may be used as crosslinked polymer particles comprised of units of phenyl-group-containing monomers include, in particular, crosslinked polystyrene, and crosslinked polymers which are comprised of phenyl-group-containing monomers.
The inventive polymethacrylate compositions and molded articles produced therefrom may also be colored, wherewith suitable colorants and dyestuff pigments may be added for this purpose.

Light-scattering translucent polymethacrylate molded articles with good resistance to elevated temperature and weathering


The present invention relates to methods for efficiently generating recombinant monoclonal antibodies derived from B cells of a non-human host which has been immunochallenged with one or more target antigens. The methods comprise the steps of identifying and isolating B cell that bind to the antigen by FACS, and recombining and enriching for thousands of cells to create a B cell library. Related products and methods, such as methods of producing expression libraries, are also disclosed.

The immune system of a mammal is one of the most versatile biological systems as probably greater than 1×107 antibody specificities can be produced. In an individual animal there are at least 5,000-10,000 different B-cell clones capable of generating unique antibodies. Further, because of the process of somatic mutation during the generation of antibody diversity, essentially an unlimited number of unique antibody molecules may be generated. Indeed, much of contemporary biological and medical research is directed toward tapping this repertoire. The development of the hybridoma methodology by Kohler and Milstein made it possible to produce monoclonal antibodies, i.e., a composition of antibody molecules of a single specificity, from the repertoire of antibodies induced during an immune response.
Unfortunately, current methods for generating monoclonal antibodies are not capable of efficiently surveying the entire antibody response induced by a particular immunogen. In contrast to this vast potential for different antibodies, current hybridoma methodologies typically yield only a few hundred different monoclonal antibodies per fusion.
Other difficulties in producing monoclonal antibodies with the hybridoma methodology include genetic instability and low production capacity of hybridoma cultures. One means by which the art has attempted to overcome these latter two problems has been to clone the immunoglobulin-producing genes from a particular hybridoma of interest into an expression system.
Analysis of antibodies expressed at a given moment in a subject is not trivial, since the immunoglobulin repertoire probably contains millions of different molecules. Only a small number of reagents capable of specifically recognizing elements of such a repertoire are currently available. Determining the sequence of expressed genes is possible; however, practically speaking, it is difficult to analyze routinely more than about ten or, perhaps, a hundred genes, and the operation is expensive and time-consuming. In short, the repertoire of immunoglobulins is described at the present time only by a small number of means.
The present invention provides methods to efficiently produce high-affinity monoclonal antibodies taking advantage of natural diversity and high diversity approaches.

Comprehensive monoclonal antibody generation


A lubricant for use in a refrigeration system using a tetrafluoroethane refrigerant, which comprises a fluorine-containing compound represented by the following formula: ##STR1## wherein X represents a multiple bond-containing monovalent group, and A represents a mono-, bi- or trivalent unsubstituted or partially substituted perfluorocarbon residue, a mono, bi- or trivalent unsubstituted or partially substituted perfluoroether residue or a mono-, bi- or trivalent unsubstituted or partially substituted perfluoropolyether residue.. This lubricant has a good miscibility with a tetrafluoroethane refrigerant as represented by HFC-134a over a wide range of temperatures ranging from the low temperature to the high temperature and is excellent in properties, such as heat resistance, lubricating properties, electrically insulating properties and viscosity-temperature characteristics.

At present, CFC-12 is mainly used as a refrigerant for car air conditioners and refrigerators. However, development of a refrigerant which can be used as a substitution for CFC-12 has been desired with a viewpoint of protection of the ozone layer.
HFC-134a as a refrigerant has properties similar to those of CFC-12, and it can be used as a substitute for CFC-12 with only minor changes of equipment being necessary. Likewise, HFC-134 (1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane), which is an isomer of HFC-134a, can also be used.
In a refrigeration system using CFC-12, mineral oil is used as a lubricant for a compressor. CFC-12 is miscible with mineral oil over a wide temperature range and therefore, even in the refrigeration system where evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant are repeated, phase separation of the refrigerant from the lubricant does not occur.
However, HFC-134a is not satisfactorily miscible with mineral oil. Therefore, when mineral oil is used, the mineral oil is replaced by the refrigerant, for example, in a compressor, causing various serious problems. For example, the lubrication becomes unsatisfactory and the lubricant adheres to the inner wall of a heat exchanger, leading to a lowering of the heat exchange efficiency.
The lubricant for a refrigerator using HFC-134a as the refrigerant should be miscible with HFC-134a at least over a temperature range of from 0.degree. to 50.degree. C., preferably over a wide temperature range of from -20.degree. to 70.degree. C., more preferably over a wider temperature range of from -40.degree. to 90.degree. C., and most preferably over a still wider temperature range.
The lubricant should have a kinetic viscosity of from 3 to 500 centistokes (hereinafter, frequently abbreviated as "cst") at 40.degree. C., preferably from 5 to 300 cst at 40.degree. C., more preferably from 5 to 170 cst at 40.degree. C., and most preferably form 10 to 150 cst at 40.degree. C., for exerting excellent lubricating performances.
Accordingly, development of a lubricant having a desired viscosity and being miscible with HFC-134a over a wide temperature range has been desired.
Various polyoxyalkylene glycol substances have been proposed as the lubricant to be used in combination with HFC-134a. Particularly, a polyoxyalkylene glycol having at least two hydroxyl groups (specifically, polyoxypropylene glycol), disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,316, is taught to exhibit a good miscibility with HFC-134a over a wide temperature range. However, the temperature range over which this lubricant is miscible with HFC-134a is still unsatisfactory, and improvement of the miscibility, especially at high temperatures, is required.
Polyoxyalkylene glycols have not only unsatisfactory lubrication properties under application conditions, but also high moisture absorption properties and therefore, various problems are likely to arise with respect to, for example, the freezing of water, corrosion of metals, and lowering of the volume resistivity (such a lowering of the volume resistivity causes a problem in the case of a closed type freezer, such as a refrigerator). Accordingly, polyoxyalkylene glycols are not an excellent lubricant for a refrigeration system from a practical point of view.
A perfluoropolyether oil appears to be a lubricant miscible with HFC-134a which is a fluorine-containing compound.
Various perfluoroether oils having different structures can be mentioned. For example, there can be mentioned oils comprised mainly of recurring units, which may be either of a single type or of a plurality of types, represented by the following formula (V): ##STR2## wherein n' is 1, 2 or 3 with the proviso that n' is not simultaneously 1 with respect to all of the recurring units of the perfluoroether portion.
Specific examples of perfluoroether oils include those, which are available in the market as a vacuum pump oil and a lubricating oil, having a terminal stabilized with a perfluoroalkyl group, as shown below: ##STR3## wherein q.sub.1, q.sub.2, q.sub.3, q.sub.4, q.sub.5 and q.sub.6 are each a positive integer.
The present inventors examined the miscibility of these various perfluoropolyether oils with HFC-134a, and found that each oil shows a good miscibility with HFC-134a at temperatures higher than about room temperature, but oils, except those having a low molecular weight, are unsatisfactory in the miscibility with HFC-134a at low temperatures below 0.degree. C. Accordingly, it was confirmed that these oils are not suitable as a lubricant for a refrigeration system employing HFC-134a as the refrigerant.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-96684, it is taught that when a fluorolubricant, such as a fluorinated silicone or a perfluoropolyether, is used in a fluorocarbon motive fluid for a heat pump, the heat resistance of a fluorocarbon refrigerant is improved. However, no description is made with respect to the miscibility of a tetrafluoroethane with a fluoro-lubricant. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1-118598 teaches that a perfluoropolyether and/or a fluorinated silicone can be used as a lubricant for fluorocarbon refrigerants. However, with respect to the miscibility at low temperatures below about room temperature, no description is made.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Application No. 62-146996, it is taught that addition of up to 5% by weight of a carboxyl group- or hydroxyl group-containing perfluoropolyether derivative as an extreme pressure additive to a lubricant is effective. However, no description is made with respect to the miscibility of this carboxyl group- or hydroxyl group-containing perfluoropolyether derivative with a fluorocarbon refrigerator, such as a tetrafluoroethane.
In Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 51-2083 and the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,273, it is taught that a perfluoropolyether type triazine compound can be used as a lubricant, but no description is made with respect to the miscibility of this compound with a fluorocarbon refrigerant, such as a tetrafluoroethane. The lubricating performances of a perfluoropolyether type triazine compound and poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide) are described in Internationales Jahrbuch der Tribologie (International Yearbook of Tribology), 1, 383 (1982), but the miscibility properties of these compounds with a fluorocarbon refrigerant, such as a tetrafluoroethane, are not described at all.
In these situations, the present inventors have made researches with a view toward developing a substance showing not only a good miscibility with a tetrafluoroethane, such as HFC-134a, over a wide temperature range of from low temperatures to high temperatures, but also a viscosity ensuring satisfactory lubricating performances. As a result, it has been found that a fluorine-containing compound having a specific viscosity and having a structure represented by formula (I) defined herein or a composition comprising at least 25% by weight of this fluorine-containing compound and the balance of other oil, has not only a good miscibility with a tetrafluoroethane, such as HFC-134a but also a viscosity suitable for a lubricant for a refrigeration system and, is therefore suitable as a lubricant for use in a refrigeration system using a refrigerant comprising a tetrafluoroethane, such as HFC-134a. The present invention has now been completed, based on this finding.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel lubricant for use in a refrigeration system, which exhibits not only a good miscibility with a tetrafluoroethane, such as HFC-134A which is a refrigerant promising as a substitute for CFC-12, over a wide temperature range of from low temperatures to high temperatures, but has also a viscosity suitable for a lubricant for use in a refrigeration system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant composition comprising the above-mentioned lubricant for use in a refrigeration system and a tetrafluoroethane refrigerant.
These and other objects, characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims.

Refrigerant composition comprising tetrafluoroethane refrigerant and lubricant having miscibility therewith at low temperature


In a sliding contact chain guide of the kind used in the timing transmission of an internal combustion engine, the back of the guide shoe, which engages a metal guide base, is formed with two, spaced longitudinal ribs, having between them a set of ribs formed in a lattice. The longitudinal ribs are wider than the ribs of the lattice.

An automobile engine generally includes a transmission device, which utilizes an endless, traveling, flexible, transmission medium, such as a roller chain, silent chain, toothed belt, or the like, to transmit rotation from the engine crankshaft to one or more valve-operating camshafts. In such a transmission device, sliding contact guides are used to guide the chain. Typically, a fixed guide is disposed in sliding engagement with the tension side of the chain, i.e., the side moving from a driven sprocket to the driving sprocket, and a movable guide is disposed in sliding engagement with the slack side of the chain, i.e., the side moving from the driving sprocket to a driven sprocket. Both guides control the path of the chain to prevent vibration, both in the plane of movement of the chain and in directions transverse to the plane of movement of the chain. The movable guide additionally cooperates with a tensioner to maintain appropriate tension in the chain. The movable guide is typically pivoted on a mounting pin extending from the engine block, and the fixed guide is typically attached to the engine block by mounting bolts. A conventional transmission device of the kind described above is depicted and explained in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,498, granted Jul. 11, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference.
Each guide usually comprises a resin shoe that is fixed to a metal guide base. The resin shoe has a guide surface on which the transmission medium slides, and a back surface which abuts the metal guide base. FIG. 4 shows the back of a typical shoe 100 of the kind used in a conventional fixed guide. The back 120 of the guide is provided with a central, longitudinal rib 140, and a plurality of perpendicular ribs 142.
In the conventional resin shoe of the kind depicted in FIG. 4, it is difficult to remove heat from the central portion of a chain-contacting surface during molding. Consequently, deformation is liable to occur as a result of thermal shrinkage and warping following molding. Another problem encountered in the molding of the conventional shoes is that the size of the finished product is difficult to control, and consequently significant size variations have been observed.
The principal object of the invention is to avoid the above-mentioned problems encountered in the manufacture and use of conventional sliding contact guides, to provide a sliding contact guide having improved strength without increasing its weight, to avoid deformation of the guide during and following molding, and to minimize size variations in the finished products.
The sliding contact guide in accordance with the invention comprises a metal guide base, and an elongated resin shoe fixed to the guide base. The shoe has a front guide surface, facing in a first direction, for sliding contact with a flexible transmission medium traveling along the direction of elongation of the shoe. The back of the shoe faces opposite to the first direction, and is disposed in abutting relationship with the guide base. The shoe also has a pair of opposite sides, and both its front guide surface and its back are situated between the sides. The back of the shoe comprises a pair of elongated first ribs extending longitudinally along the shoe in spaced relationship to each other, and a lattice composed of elongated second ribs disposed between the first ribs. The widths of the first ribs, measured in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the back of the shoe faces, are greater than the widths of the second ribs, also measured in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the back of the shoe faces.
The longitudinal first ribs preferably form parts of the pair of opposite sides of the shoe, and both the first ribs and the second ribs are preferably in contact with a front surface of the base.
The term "lattice," as used herein, refers to a configuration of ribs in which a first rib or set of generally parallel ribs is in intersecting relationship with a second rib or set of generally parallel ribs, where corresponding parts of the ribs are disposed in a common surface such as a plane or a gradually curved surface, which may be defined by a simple, two-dimensional curve, or which may be a compound curve. The respective sets of ribs of the lattice can be disposed longitudinally and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shoe, or all the ribs can be oblique relative to the longitudinal direction of the shoe. The ribs of the two sets need not intersect one another perpendicularly.
Any of a wide variety of materials may be used to form the resin shoe. However, since the sliding contact surface of the shoe is in engagement with a moving chain or other traveling power transmission medium, the resin shoe is preferably composed of an engineering plastics such as polyamide base resins and the like, which exhibit excellent wear resistance and lubricity. Preferably materials such as nylon 6, nylon 66, aromatic group nylons, and the like are used. Fiber-reinforced plastics may be also be used, either by themselves or in combination with other materials, depending on factors such as strength requirements.
Provided that the guide has adequate heat resistance and strength, any of a wide variety of materials may be used for the metal guide base. However, iron-base metal such as cast iron, stainless steel and the like, and non-ferrous metals and metal alloys, comprising aluminum, magnesium, titanium or the like as the main component, are preferred.
The spaced, longitudinal ribs, which preferably extend along the sides of the shoe, allow uniform cooling during thermal shrinkage. The ribs of the lattice formed between the longitudinal ribs ensure that the guide has adequate strength to serve as a sliding contact guide for a travelling transmission medium. Moreover, since the widths of the longitudinal ribs are greater than the widths of the lattice ribs, deformation of the shoe due to thermal shrinkage following molding is suppressed.
Suppression of thermal shrinkage after molding affords a greater degree of freedom in the design of the shoe, and reduces the size variation of the finished product so that consistent high quality can be achieved. Suppression of thermal shrinkage of the shoe also reduces deformation of the sliding contact surface, so that a chain or other traveling transmission medium can run over the shoe in a stable manner with a minimum of wear. As a result, the service life of the shoe is extended.

Sliding contact guide for transmission device


A filter device for separating particulate material from a stream of flowable plastics; the device comprises a body member having at least a filter chamber and a flow path extending between inlet and outlet sides. A filter band transversally extends in said filter chamber, across the flow path, being supported by a back-plate having a perforated area. An axially movable valving member comprising a flow passage for the plastic material, is provided into the chamber, and an actuator to axially move the valving member between an advanced and a retracted position in which the valving member connects respectively disconnects the flow passage from the inlet or the outlet sides of the device, and for sealingly clamping the filter band peripherally around the perforated area of the back-plate.

The present invention relates to a filter device for separating unwanted particulate material from molten or flowable plastic material, such as thermoplastic polymer, wherein a stream of plastic material having particles, such as dirt, lumps and/or carbonised polymer entrained therein, is fed to the inlet side of the filter device, for processing.
More precisely the invention relates to an automatic screen changer particularly suitable for production of pellets in recycling of plastics, in which use is made of a filter element comprising a filter band or wire net which is step advanced or moved throughout a filter chamber, across a flow path for the plastic material to be processed and cleaned from the unwanted particles.

Filter device for flowable plastic material


An active matrix LED display driving circuit. The circuit comprises a first transistor having a drain, a source coupled to receive a data signal and a gate coupled to receive a scan signal and, a second transistor having a drain, a source coupled to receive the data signal and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal, a third transistor having a source, a drain coupled to the drain of the second transistor and a gate coupled to the drain of the first transistor, a fourth transistor having a drain coupled to receive a first voltage, and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal and a source coupled to the drain of the second transistor, a light emitting diode having an anode coupled to the source of the third transistor and a cathode coupled to receive a second voltage, and a capacitor coupled between the gate and source of the third transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix LED display driving circuit and particularly to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display driving circuit having a simple circuit structure, small circuit area and low power consumption as well as providing a high contrast ratio.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional active matrix OLED driving circuit. In each pixel, there are four N-type transistors 11˜14, an OLED 15 and a capacitor 16. The transistor 11 has a drain coupled to receive a data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive a scan signal Vselect. The transistor 12 has a drain coupled to receive the data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal Vselect. The transistor 13 has a drain coupled to the source of the transistor 12, and a gate coupled to the source of the transistor 11. The transistor 14 has a drain and gate commonly coupled to receive a power supply voltage VDD, and a source coupled to the source of the transistor 12. The OLED 15 has an anode coupled to the source of the transistor 13 and a cathode coupled to the ground. The capacitor 16 is coupled between the drain of the transistor 14 and the gate of the transistor 13. Since all the transistors 11˜14 are N-type transistors, they can be amorphous Si thin-film transistors (a-Si TFTs).
The capacitor 16 is mainly used for charge storage. During a scan period, the transistors 11 and 12 are turned on by the scan signal Vselect so that the data signal IData drives a current through the transistor 13 and charging the capacitor 16. At the end of the scan period, the transistors 11 and 12 are turned off by the scan signal Vselect so that the current driven by the data signal IData is cut off. The voltage established by the charges on the capacitor 16 succeeds the data signal IData to drive the same current through the transistor 13 until the beginning of the next scan period.
The previously described driving circuit has a relatively narrow range of the current through the transistor 13. If a larger data signal IData is used in order to raise the brightness of the OLED 15, the gate-to-source voltage of the transistor 14 will be increased. The drain-to-source voltage of the transistor 13 will decrease as the transistor 14 increases. Accordingly, the transistor 13 will operate in the linear region rather than saturation region if the data signal IData is large enough. This adversely pulls down the current through the transistor 13 to drive the OLED 15. If a higher voltage VDD is used for a higher brightness, the transistor 14 in each dark pixel will be mistakenly turned on beyond the scan period since the dark current through the transistor 13 will be too small to maintain a high enough voltage level on the drain of the transistor 13. Therefore, the range of the variation of the current driving the OLED 15 is limited, which lowers the contrast ratio of the display.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another conventional active matrix OLED driving circuit. In each pixel, there are four N-type transistors 21˜24, an OLED 25 and a capacitor 26. The transistor 21 has a drain coupled to receive a data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive a scan signal Vselect. The transistor 22 has a drain coupled to receive the data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal Vselect. The transistor 23 has a drain coupled to the source of the transistor 22, and a gate coupled to the source of the transistor 21. The transistor 24 has a drain coupled to receive a power supply voltage VDD, a gate coupled to a control signal Vctrl, and a source coupled to the source of the transistor 22. The OLED 25 has an anode coupled to the source of the transistor 23 and a cathode coupled to the ground. The capacitor 26 is coupled between the drain of the transistor 24 and the gate of the transistor 23. Since all the transistors 21˜24 are N-type transistors, they can be a-Si TFTs.
In the circuit of FIG. 2, the problem in the circuit of FIG. 1 is solved by providing the external control signal Vctrl to the transistor 24 so that the variation range of the driving current is wider. However, this requires additional wiring and circuits for the signal Vctrl.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing still another conventional active matrix OLED driving circuit. In each pixel, there are six N-type transistors 31˜34, 37, and 38, an OLED 35, and a capacitor 36. The transistor 31 has a drain coupled to receive a data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive a scan signal Vselect. The transistor 32 has a drain coupled to receive the data signal IData, and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal Vselect. The transistor 33 has a drain coupled to the source of the transistor 32, and a gate coupled to the source of the transistor 31. The transistor 34 has a drain coupled to receive a power supply voltage VDD and a source coupled to the source of the transistor 32. The OLED 35 has an anode coupled to the source of the transistor 33 and a cathode coupled to the ground. The capacitor 36 is coupled between the drain of the transistor 34 and the gate of the transistor 33. The transistor 37 has a drain and gate commonly coupled to receive the power supply voltage VDD, and a source coupled to the gate of the transistor 34. The transistor 38 has a drain coupled to the source of the transistor 37, and a gate coupled to receive the scan signal Vselect and a source coupled to the ground. The transistors 37 and 38 act as an inverter. Since all the transistors are N-type transistors, they can be a-Si TFTs.
In the circuit of FIG. 3, there are additional transistors used as an inverter to consume more power and have a large circuit area.

Active matrix LED display driving circuit


An electrode catheter for mapping right sided supra-ventricular accessory electrical pathways comprises an elongated tubular catheter body and a tip portion which comprises a compound curve. The compound curve has a first bend and a second bend which forms a generally circular curve. The plane of the generally circular curve lies transverse to and preferably at an angle of about 30.degree. to the axis of the catheter body. The generally circular curve portion of the tip portion carries a plurality of electrodes. A puller wire extends through the catheter body and into the tip portion, the distal end of the puller wire being fixedly attached to the distal end of the tip portion. A handle is provided at the proximal end of the catheter for controlling longitudinal movement of the puller wire relative to the catheter body. Proximal movement of the puller wire relative to the catheter body results in the angle of the first bend becoming more acute and a decrease in the diameter of the generally circular curve of the tip portion.

Millions of people suffer from abnormally high heart beat rhythm, a condition referred to as "tachycardia." One type of tachycardia is right sided supra-ventricular tachycardia (SVT). This condition is caused by a conducting pathway between the right atrium at the right ventricle across the tricuspid annulus. With right sided supra-ventricular tachycardia, the atria typically beats too rapidly. Symptoms of right sided supra-ventricular tachycardia include chest pain, fatigue and dizziness.
Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has been found to be a safe and efficacious means of interrupting accessory electrical pathways which result in tachycardia. In such a procedure, a special electrophysiology catheter is guided through a vein into the patient's heart and to the site of the accessory pathway. The catheter is designed to transmit energy from an external source into the accessory pathway in an amount sufficient to ablate the tissue. The ablated tissue is replaced with scar tissue which interrupts the accessory pathway. The normal conduction of electroactivity is thereby restored.
Before an RF catheter ablation procedure can be utilized, the site of the accessory pathway must be determined. This is accomplished with a diagnostic or mapping catheter which typically comprises multiple electrodes for stimulating and sensing electrical activity. In, general, this procedure involves introducing a mapping catheter into the patient's heart and into the chamber where the arrhythmia condition exists. The tissue is stimulated in a manner intended to induce the arrhythmia and expose the abnormal electrical conduction. The resulting information regarding the number and locations of aberrant sites identified and the severity of the abnormality enables the electrophysiologists to determine the appropriate course of treatment. Electrophysiologic evaluation generally involves multiple tests to diagnose the arrhythmia and to assess the potential effectiveness of various treatment strategies.
One procedure for determining the site of right sided supra-ventricular tachycardia is to introduce a mapping catheter into the right coronary artery which extends about the right atrium at about the location of the tricuspid annulus. This procedure is very dangerous and accordingly not favored. Another known procedure is to introduce a deflectable tip mapping catheter into the right atrium and, by manipulation of the catheter, to move the catheter about, particularly around the tricuspid annulus until the accessory pathway is located. This is a time-consuming and cumbersome approach.
An improvement in mapping the right sided supra-ventricular pathways has been the use of a multiple electrode catheter having a generally circular precurved tip portion. Such a catheter is advanced from the femoral vein by Seldinger technique into the right atrium. The distal end of the tip portion is maneuvered into the coronary sinus (C.S.) ostium and the remainder of the circular tip portion is maneuvered into the region of the tricuspid annulus. Through the use of multiple electrodes around the circular tip portion, the time required to map the right sided supra-ventricular pathways is greatly reduced.
While the use of a generally circular tip portion has greatly improved the efficiency of the mapping procedure for right sided supra-ventricular pathways, there are still some difficulties associated with this procedure. First, the circular tip portion of the catheter is difficult to maneuver. Secondly, the diameter of the generally circular tip portion is fixed and therefore cannot be adjusted to accommodate atrial chambers of varying sizes. The catheter tip is also difficult to maneuver, particularly being difficult to anchor the distal end of the tip portion in the CS ostium.

Electrophysiology catheter with pre-curved circular tip


A spraying device comprises a nozzle casing surrounding an interior which holds a nozzle block and a conduit coupler therein. The nozzle block and the coupler are axially aligned, a front wall of the coupler facing a rear wall of the nozzle block. The nozzle block and the coupler are relatively rotatable, enabling the front wall of the coupler to rotate relative to the rear wall of the nozzle block. A plurality of spray pattern forming apertures pass through the nozzle block, from the rear to the front wall thereof. A fluid passage in the coupler has a liquid outlet on the front wall of the coupler that is sealingly disposed against the rear wall of the nozzle block, eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the coupler in a manner which permits the liquid output to be brought into fluid communication with any one of the spray generating apertures. A comparatively large cylindrical bore which extends along the axis of the nozzle block forms a chamber which is open to the front wall of the nozzle block and is in fluid communication with one of the apertures. The chamber is designed to interchangeably hold therein either a nozzle insert which serves to generate one particular type of spray or a turbo assembly for generating a turbo or rotating liquid jet.

The present invention relates to a liquid spraying nozzle and more particularly to a multi-mode nozzle capable of producing different, selectable spray patterns.
Many known multi-mode spraying nozzles have complex structures, are relatively expensive to produce and have limited versatility Many of these nozzles include means for selecting different spray outlets from the nozzle. Some permit outlet selection by rotating a multi-outlet spray head to align an outlet with a spray nozzle. Typically, the spray nozzles include a spray head which is not easily separable from and replaceable on the nozzle part which defines a water supply to the spray head.
Some spray nozzles include a rotating spray nozzle, in the form of a turbine, which spins as the liquid is sprayed to produce a conical or fanning out spray pattern. It is often difficult to assemble and disassemble such nozzles and their turbines. Also, compared to other types of spray generating structures, turbines are more complex and, therefore, the convention has been to provide special spray heads for turbines In other words, the prior art has not provided a standard spray head body which could be used interchangeably for turbine, as well as non-turbine applications.


The present invention relates to acryl-silicone hybrid impact modifiers, the method of their manufacture, and vinyl chloride resin compositions containing the above. The acryl-silicone hybrid impact modifier of the present invention contains a seed obtained through emulsion copolymerization of vinyl monomers and hydrophilic monomers; an acryl-silicone hybrid rubber core covering the seed in which a polyorganosiloxane rubber phase is dispersed locally onto the inner part and surface of the acrylic rubber core containing alkyl acrylate polymers and a shell covering the above rubber core and containing alkyl methacrylate polymers. Thermoplastic resins containing the above, particularly by being added to vinyl chloride resins, they have effects of granting superior impact resistance, weatherability, and high gloss.

Impact modifiers used in order to improve the impact resistance of vinyl chloride resins include methylmethacrylate butadiene styrene (MBS) resins, chloroethylene (CPE) resins, acrylic resins, etc., where it is necessary to use rubber polymers having a low glass transition temperature (Tg) to the maximum in order to improve the impact resistant strength of thermoplastic resins.
Among them, in butadiene styrene resins, the polybutadiene rubber is more superior to polybutylacrylate, which is the rubber component of acrylic impact modifiers, in view of its impact resistance since the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polybutadiene rubber is about −80° C., which is lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polybutylacrylate, i.e., about −50° C.
However, the polybutadiene rubber is problematic in that it is thermally unstable since there are unsaturated double bonds. Therefore, acrylic resins having no unsaturated double bonds are used widely as the impact modifiers of outdoor plastic products that are exposed to the day light greatly since they have superior weatherability.
In other words, for the products requiring for impact resistance and waterproofing like window frames, etc., polymers having the core-shell structure in which methacrylate polymers that are compatible with vinyl chloride resins are grafted to the rubber core composed of alkyl acrylate are used mainly. However, the above polymers are problematic in that their impact-resistance improvement effects are insufficient since their glass transition temperature is higher than that of butadiene rubber.
In the meantime, polyorganosiloxanes, also known as polydimethylsiloxanes, are very effective polymers for the improvement of impact resistance since their glass transition temperature (Tg) is around −120° C., and therefore, it is expected to improve weatherability as well as impact resistance by using acryl-silicone hybrid rubber graft copolymer particles containing the silicone component.
The factors determining the physical properties of acryl-silicone hybrid impact modifiers having the core-shell structure include the rubber content of impact modifiers, size of rubber particles, distance between rubber particles, swelling index for the solvent, degree of bonding among impact modifier particles dispersed according to processing and matrix, etc. Particularly, bonding between an impact modifier and matrix is determined according to the grafting efficiency of the shell with respect to the core rubber of the impact modifier.
Acryl-silicone hybrid impact modifiers in order to improve the impact resistance of vinyl chloride resins are manufactured through the emulsion polymerization method usually, which include the following methods:
The first method is, as in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,359, a method of completing a core-shell structure by polymerizing polydimethylsiloxane rubber seeds firstly; charging butylacrylate monomers as the rubber core component in order to grow rubber particles, subsequently adding shell component monomers to cover the core surface finally.
The second method is, as in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,694, is a method of microagglomeration by polymerizing separately each of the polydimethylsiloxane rubber latex of less than 100 nm and the polybutylacrylate latex; growing them to particles of a desired size through agglomeration; and forming a core-shell structure by forming encapsulated shells finally.
Usually, shell polymerization is done through graft polymerization of methylmethacrylate monomers that may be compatible with vinyl chloride resins on the surface of the core, or through graft polymerization by adding a small amount of monomers having two or more functional groups. Particularly, methylmethacrylate assumes the role of improving the agglomeration characteristics of the latex since it is highly compatible to the matrix and has a relatively high glass transition temperature.
However, the above method is still disadvantageous in that it fails to have high impact-resistance improving effects and high-gloss characteristic but has a long polymerization time of organosiloxane polymers. Accordingly, in reality, vinyl chloride resins overcoming the above-described problems and having superior impact resistance, weatherability, and high-gloss characteristic simultaneously are demanded continuously.

Acryl-silicone hybrid impact modifiers and vinyl chloride resin compositions having the same


An improved electroluminescent indicator hand which is capable of emitting light from its entire surface area consists of an annular support member mounted on the hand shaft of a timepiece, an electroluminescent indicator hand secured on the support member, and a metal contact for supplying a drive signal to the electroluminescent indicator hand. The electroluminescent indicator hand is formed by sequentially laminating a transparent electrode layer, a luminescent layer, an insulating layer and a rear electrode layer on the rear surface of a light transmissive substrate, which has sufficient rigidity, and has at one end an annular section overlapping the support member. The metal contact has plural conductors resiliently contacting the transparent electrode layer and the rear electrode layer of the electroluminescent hand, and is welded to the support member so as to secure the electroluminescent member therebetween. Since a hand frame is not necessary, the cost of individual components and the assembly thereof is substantially reduced. In addition, it is possible to make the hand thinner than a conventional indicator hand. A desirable three-dimensional visual effect can be also achieved.

A conventional electroluminescent indicator hand of a timepiece is illustrated in FIG. 4. In the conventional electroluminescent indicator hand, an electroluminescent ("EL") member b from the lower end of which a metal lead a projects is integrally laminated with a moisture resistant film, and the electroluminescent member b is mounted in a hollow section of a resin indicator hand frame c. The electroluminescent member b comprises a laminated structure having a luminescent layer, an insulating layer, and a rear electrode film. The transparent electrode film is formed by vacuum evaporating a transparent electrode layer comprising, for example, indium-tin-oxide (ITO) on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The laminated structure is then sealed with a moisture resistant film. A metal conductor d is welded on the shaft of the resin indicator hand frame c, and soldered to the lead a of the electroluminescent member b. Examples of this conventional structure are illustrated in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-97715 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6 34035.
However, since the conventional electroluminescent indicator hand is formed by attaching the electroluminescent member b and the conductor d on the resin indicator hand frame c, there is a drawback in that the conventional arrangement is overly complicated, resulting in an increase in the cost of the individual components as well as in the assembly thereof. In addition, since the electroluminescent member b is mounted on the rear surface of the resin indicator hand frame c, there is another drawback in that light emission from the electroluminescent hand is limited to the area forming the window opening in the hand frame c. Since light emission is limited to only a portion of the indicator hand, only a limited amount of light may be produced by the conventional electroluminescent indicator hand.


Disclosed herein are a membrane sensor capable of changing a reaction condition by a single sample injection and a method for measuring a reaction using the same, and more specifically, a membrane sensor designed so that a bio reaction having two or more reaction conditions is sequentially generated by a single sample injection, by forming an asymmetric membrane between a reactant storing part and a reaction membrane.

A lateral flow assay (LFA) system is mainly used as a method for rapidly measuring an antigen-antibody reaction. It is general in the LFA that an antibody is fixed to a membrane in which a liquid sample enables to flow due to a capillary phenomenon, wherein the membrane has a conjugate pad and a sample pad connected on an upper portion thereof and an absorption pad connected on a lower portion thereof. The conjugation pad contains a dried gold nanoparticle conjugate to which an antibody capable of selectively binding to a sample material is fixed. In the membrane, materials capable of binding an antibody selectively reacting with the sample material and capable of binding the antibody fixed to the gold nanoparticle are fixed at different positions, respectively. The antibody fixed to the membrane and the antibody fixed to the gold nanoparticle, which are capable of selectively binding the sample material, are configured so as to bind to each other in a sandwich shape with respect to the sample material. The absorption pad consists of a material capable of favorably absorbing the liquid sample. In the case where a liquid sample solution drops onto a sample pad in the above-mentioned LFA system, when a sample is present, antibodies having selectivity on the sample, that is, antibodies fixed to the gold nanoparticle and the membrane are bound to each other in a sandwich shape, thereby forming a band capable of confirming with the naked eye at a position of the membrane having the antibodies fixed thereto.
As a membrane sensor, there are various published documents such as Korean Patent No. 599420 entitled with Membrane Strip Biosensor System for Point-of-CareTesting; Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-507511 entitled with Composite Sensor Membrane; Korean Patent No. 348351 entitled with Electrochemical Membrane Strip Biosensor; U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,818 entitled with Method for Determining Concentration of Multiple Analytes in a Single Fluid Sample; Korean Patent No. 591390 entitled with Sensor Having Membrane and Method For Manufacturing the Same; US Patent Application Publication No. 2005-214161 entitled with Test Device for Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Analytes in a Single Sample, and the like.
However, the existing LFA system using nanoparticles requires improving a detection sensitivity due to a low detection sensitivity of 1 ng/ml and has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to implement a high sensitivity reaction such as enzymatic color reaction, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and the like, except for a sandwich method using nanoparticles, by one-step sample injection. In addition, in the case of a bio reaction required for two or more stages of reaction conditions such as an enzyme reaction and a chemiluminescent reaction, an LFA strip has a difficulty in obtaining a desired result by a single sample injection, and in a case of a chemiluminescent strip, 2 step method in which a luminol reaction solution is secondarily injected for a luminol reaction after an antigen-antibody reaction is primarily achieved, or a technology of positioning a support having a luminol reactant applied onto a reaction membrane and being contact the support with a reactant part at a time of completion of an antigen-antibody reaction (EP No. 1,9652,212 and US Patent Application No. 2009-142781) have been known so far.
Therefore, development of a strip capable of measuring a bio reaction having two or more stages of reaction conditions by one-step process through a single sample injection has been demanded.

Membrane sensor capable of sequentially changing reaction condition by single sample injection


Disclosed is a method for synthesizing a sitagliptin intermediate, the method comprising: in the presence of hydrogen and a transition metal catalyst having a chiral phosphine ligand, subjecting a compound of formula II to an asymmetric reductive amination with ammonia or ammonium salt in a proper organic solvent under the condition of adding an acidic additive to produce a compound of formula I, wherein, an R- or S-configuration of a stereocenter is represented by *; the compound of formula I of R configuration can be used to prepare sitagliptin, and a reaction formula is as follows: R1 and R2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, C1-C12 linear or branched alkyl, C3-C12 cycloalkyl, C2-C12 alkenyl, C2-C12 alkynyl and C7-C12 arylalkyl. The method has a high yield and a high ee % value, a mild reaction condition and a low production cost, and is simple to operate, convenient to purify, environmental friendly and suitable for industrial production.

Sitagliptin phosphate has a chemical name of 7-[(3R)-3-Amino-1-oxo-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butyl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-α]pyrazine phosphate, and the commercially medicine form is its monohydrate. The chemical structure thereof is shown as the following formula III:

Sitagliptin phosphate is the first orally-effective and selective DPP-IV inhibitor on the market, and is used for treating Type II diabetes by oral administration once a day. Since launched to the market in 2006, sitagliptin phosphate has already entered about 60 countries, and more than 15 million prescription drugs have been made all over the world. The Phase III clinical trials of sitagliptin on treating Type I diabetes are in process. The trade name of sitagliptin phosphate tablet produced by Merck is JANUVIA (Sitagliptin Phosphate).
(R)-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid is one of the important intermediates for synthesizing sitagliptin, and the chemical structure thereof is shown as the following formula IV:

Based on comprehensive literature investigation, the inventors have found that the key step of synthesizing the compound of formula IV lies in constructing a chiral center of C3 attached to an amino group. Currently, the methods reported in the literatures are generally focusing on the step of preparing a proper substrate with trifluorophenylacetic acid as a start material and constructing a chiral center. There are mainly three methods: 1) separating racemates; 2) catalyzing a prochiral ketone with Ru-BINAP to obtain a chiral secondary alcohol, and reducing it after azidation; and 3) preparing an acyl-protected enamine, and subjecting it to asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation.

The main problems of this method are that:
1) in the reduction of the fourth step, the reaction starts only after borane is produced by catalyzing sodium borohydride with sulfuric acid; however, the use of sulfuric acid would increase the discharge of "three-waste" (waste gas, waste water and waste residues); further, borane gas is highly toxic, rendering potential safety risks; and
2) in the fifth step, a separation is required to obtain G, with a yield of about 31%; the yield is low, the economic efficiency is poor, and thus the production cost is significantly increased.

The main problems of this method are that:
1) in the reduction of the third step, the used (R)-Me-CBS catalyst is expensive, the borane reagent is highly toxic, and the enzyme is difficult to obtain;
2) in the fourth step, an azide is required, rendering large potential safety risks in scale-up production; and
3) seven steps of reactions are required to prepare compound IV, which is a long route.

The isomer purity in this method is low, and the yield is only 41%. Although 24% start materials can be recovered from the mother liquor, the cost and energy consumption is too high for industrial production.
The reaction route described in PCT Publication WO2010078440 is as follows:

The main problems of this method are that: the asymmetric reduction proceeds only after the amino group of the enamine produced from the second step is protected. It is reported that the step of protecting the enamine results in a low yield.

Method for preparing sitagliptin intermediate via asymmetrical reduction method

SHANGHAI SYNCORES TECHNOLOGIES INC. LTD.


A motor driving circuit generates pulse driving signals, and controls the ON/OFF state of a switching circuit connected to a coil of a motor which is to be driven, thereby controlling the conduction period of the motor. A driving signal generating circuit generates the driving signals such that they are pulse modulated according to the torque target value for the motor, and outputs the driving signals to the switching circuit. A current detection circuit detects the current flowing through the coil of the motor. A current limiting circuit controls the logical values of the driving signals generated by the driving signal generating circuit such that the current detected by the current detection circuit does not exceed a predetermined current upper limit. The current limiting circuit increases the current upper limit according to the time elapsed in the starting operation of the motor. After the starting operation of the motor, the current upper limit is set to a predetermined fixed value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor driving technique, and particularly to a technique for controlling the starting of a motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a widely used technique in which the conduction period (ON time) for each coil of a motor is controlled according to a pulse signal such as a pulse width modulation signal or the like, in order to rotationally drive a single-phase motor, or a multi-phase motor, with a desired torque.
Let us consider a case of starting to drive a motor that has stopped. In this case, in a case that a switching voltage is suddenly applied to each coil of the motor, with a pulse width that corresponds to a desired target torque, a rapid increase occurs in the current flowing through the coil of the motor. When the motor is started, and, in particular, in a case that the revolution is close to zero, the motor provides no power generation function. Accordingly, in this case, the value of the current flowing through the coil is obtained by dividing the voltage thus applied by the winding resistance. On the other hand, the resistance value of each coil is set to an extremely low value, which is designed in  order to reduce the power loss. Accordingly, in some cases, with such an arrangement, the coil current exceeds the rated current of the driving circuit or the rated current of the coil itself, leading to the reliability of the circuit being adversely affected.
On the other hand, the counter electromotive voltage generated by each coil is proportional to the rate of change in the current flowing through the coil over time. Accordingly, in a case that a rapid increase occurs in the coil current as described above, an extremely large counter electromotive voltage is generated, which can exceed the rated voltage of the driving circuit.
For such a reason, soft start control is employed in which current control is performed such that the amount of current flowing through the coil is gradually increased immediately after the motor is started (see Patent documents 1 and 2, for example). With the soft start control described in Patent document 1, first, a soft start voltage is generated, the voltage value of which is gradually increased over time. Then, a comparison is made between the soft start voltage thus generated and a triangle wave or sawtooth wave cyclic voltage so as to generate a pulse modulation signal with a duty ratio that gradually increases over time. Such an arrangement provides the conduction period that gradually increases over time for each coil, thereby offering the soft start control.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 07-95792
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-45790


A mower-conditioner includes a header or platform which is equipped with a rotary disc cutter bar having a relatively long length with at least two cutting units being outboard of a central discharge passage where a pair of conditioner rolls are mounted for receiving the cut crop. Aiding in conveying crop to the discharge passage are right- and left-hand sets of three crop converging drums provided at each side of the discharge passage. The outer drums of the two sets are respectively mounted to the top of the right- and left-hand end cutting units of the cutter bar while the other two drums on each side are located behind an inward and rearward extending line that is tangent to the cylindrical path traced by the outer and inner ones of the drums on each side of the discharge passage. In one embodiment, a direct drive transmission is provided, and in a second embodiment a hydraulic motor is provided, for driving the inner two converging drums of each set.

The present invention relates to a crop converging arrangement for mower-conditioners, and more specifically relates to crop converging arrangement associated with a rotary cutter bar of a mower-conditioner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,330, granted Dec. 1, 1998, discloses a mower-conditioner equipped with a rotary cutter bar that includes a pair of converging drum at each of its opposite ends, with each pair of drums cooperating with a converging shield structure to converge cut crop to a narrower stream that is fed to the rear into a conditioning arrangement. This type of converging structure does not satisfactorily converge crop, especially when used with a longer cutter bar for cutting a wider swath of crop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,064, granted Jul. 18, 1995, discloses a mower-conditioner equipped with a rotary cutter bar that is relatively long and includes a pair of driven converging drums arranged above the two outermost cutting units at each end of the cutter bar and used together with a driven converging element located between them. The pair of converging drums and intermediate converging element are all located in line with the centers of rotation of the cutting discs and in this position are found to cause the cut crop transported by them to the conditioner to interfere with the uncut crop so that it is bent over and is not cleanly cut off.
According to the present invention there is provided an improved crop converging arrangement for a mower-conditioner equipped with a rotary cutter bar.
An object of the invention is to provide a mower-conditioner having a rotary cutter bar with which a converging arrangement is associated that includes driven converging drum sets located at opposite end portions of the cutter bar, with each set being disposed generally along a line that diverges to the rear from the line of centers of the cutter disks towards the conditioner arrangement.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mower-conditioner, as set forth in the immediately preceding object, wherein each driven converging drum set includes at an outer and an inner drum, with the outer drum being located on the rotation axis of the outer cutter disc, and with the inner drum being located inward from the outer drum and towards the rear a distance which results in its outer periphery being to the rear of the line of centers of the cutter discs.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mower-conditioner, as set forth in the immediately preceding object, wherein each converging drum set includes at least an outer and two inner converging drums, with the inner two drums being driven by a drive shaft and gear arrangement that obtains its power from the drive that powers the crop conditioning arrangement.
Still a more specific object of the invention is to provide a mower-conditioner, as set forth in the immediately preceding object, wherein the middle drum of each set is located slightly to the rear of a line of centers connecting the outer and inner drums.
Another object of the invention is to provide sets of converging drums, as set forth in one or more objects above, wherein a stripper is provided for preventing recirculation of crop.
An alternative object of the invention is to provide a mower-conditioner, as set forth in the first object stated above, wherein the inner two converging drums of each set are respectively driven at a selected speed by hydraulic motors.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings.

Crop converging arrangement for mower-conditioner equipped with a rotary disc cutter bar


An immunoassay for identifying an inhibitor of HSV DNA replication including providing a DNA polymerizing complex that includes two complex members, the complex members being HSV DNA polymerase and UL42, providing a potential inhibitor that inhibits the binding of HSV DNA polymerase to UL42, mixing the complex members in the presence of the potential inhibitor, and determining whether the potential inhibitor inhibits formation of the complex.

This invention relates to inhibition of viral replication, particularly, Herpes Simplex Virus.
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and other herpesviruses are important human pathogens. These viruses encode several proteins that are required for the replication of their DNA (Wu et al., 1988, J. Virol. 62:435; Weller et al., 1988, Eukaryotic DNA Replication, 6; 53, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). The principal enzyme of herpesvirus replication is a virus-encoded DNA polymerase, whose DNA sequence has been reported (Quinn et al., 1985, Nucleic Acids Res. 13:8143; Gibbs et al., 1985, Proc. Nat. Aca. Sci. 82:7679). Drugs that inhibit herpesvirus DNA polymerase activity, for example, acyclovir, have been used to prevent viral DNA replication.
UL42, also known as 65K DNA binding protein, is another HSV protein required for viral DNA replication. UL42 has double-stranded DNA binding activity and has been found to be associated with HSV DNA polymerase (Powell et al., 1977, J. Virol. 24:618; Gallo et al., 1988, J. Virol. 62:2874; Gallo et al., 1989, J. Virol. 63:5023).

Inhibitors of herpes simplex virus replication

President and Fellows of Harvard College


The present invention relates to an air valve, including a valve body, an air valve adjusting pipe, an adjusting bolt, an airtight ring and a screw cap. With the geometric shapes of the air valve adjusting pipe and the adjusting bolt, the airtight ring installed onto the adjusting bolt is in contact with the internal wall of the air valve adjusting pipe to achieve a totally airtight effect and adjusting the level of airtightness.

In general, an air valve is primarily used for restricting a gas from flowing into an air valve body. If a user wants to change the flow of the gas, the user simply needs to control an adjusting switch of the air valve. However, the gas may leak easily when the user turns the adjusting switch, due to a poor internal structure of the switch. As to the air valve switch used for controlling the flow of a dangerous gas such as petroleum gas, the issue of leakage becomes a safety concern.
To prevent the leakage of an air valve, manufacturers and designers generally adopt a complicated structure with many components for the prevention of leakage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,984 discloses a check valve provided for preventing a leakage, and the check valve includes a spring and a valve component, such that an elastomeric apertured plug plugged into a position of the valve body for stopping a leak. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,132, a check valve with a preset cracking pressure is disclosed for preventing a leakage, and the check valve includes a valve element reciprocatally positioned within a valve body, and both of the valve body and the valve element including valve seats seal together when the valve element is urged forwardly within the valve body. A plug is positioned within the rear of the valve body to constantly urge the valve element forwardly, thereby defining a cracking pressure necessary to unseat the valve seats to allow the flow of fluid through the valve body.
Since the conventional design of valves usually comes with a complicated structure with many components, the maintenance, repair or replacement of components become difficult, if it is necessary to replace a component that is worn out after being used for a long time. Obviously, the structure of the conventional valve requires improvements.


A separately excited DC motor system is arranged to provide operation in a smooth, continuous electrical retarding mode. A series contactor connects the motor armature to a DC power source and is controlled so as to immediately open upon sensing of a need for electrical braking. Concurrently, power to the motor field is reversed so that no additional changes are required to brake to zero speed. Field current is modulated to control armature current so as to control braking effort. When speed falls below a value necessary to maintain armature voltage above battery voltage, the armature is cyclically short-circuited to boost armature current so that when the short-circuit is removed, the armature reactance forces current to continue for regeneration.

The present invention relates to electric motor powered vehicles and, more particularly, to a power control system and method of operation of such control system using a separately excited DC electric motor for propulsion and electrical retarding of the vehicle.
Battery powered electrically powered vehicles, such as fork-lift trucks, which generally operate at low speeds and require development of relatively large torque have historically used series wound direct current (DC) motors for propulsion since such motors exhibit the speed/torque characteristics for moving heavy materials. However, the characteristics of series wound motors are not as desirable for other types of vehicles such as golf carts or on-road vehicles where higher top end speed is desirable at the sacrifice of torque. These latter vehicles have generally adopted shunt wound or separately excited DC motors for their propulsion systems to obtain higher operating speeds. More recently, the availability of microcomputer controllers coupled with high speed, low cost switching devices have enabled the development of separately excited motor control systems which enable the shunt motor to deliver high torque at low speed and still have the high speed advantage of the shunt motor.
Whenever an electric motor is used in a battery powered vehicle, it is desirable to implement regenerative electrical retarding of the vehicle so that energy from the motor can be used to recharge the on-board batteries. With a series wound motor, electrical retarding generally only involves changing one switch to reverse the motor field. With a separately excited motor, control of field current is still required during braking with a transition to field reversal required when motor speed falls below the speed necessary to maintain regenerative current. This transition during the braking interval results in a momentary loss of braking torque which can be felt by the vehicle operator. If the system is used in a fork-lift truck carrying a heavy, unbalanced load, the momentary torque loss may cause the load to sway or fall. While one solution to this problem is to add a switch in parallel with the motor armature, this solution has the drawbacks of considerable cost, reduced reliability of the system and generation of high switching voltages which can detrimentally effect other components of the system.

Regenerative braking circuit utilizing separately excited motor


Structures which are considered to be primarily useful as toys can be constructed utilizing members or arms adjustably mounted on a rotating shaft within the body of such a structure. By shifting the positions of such members or arms the type of movement of such a structure on a supporting surface can be varied. If desired, adjacent of such structures may be connected through the use of flexible couplings such as suction cups.

The invention set forth in this specification pertains to structures primarily useful as toys which are adapted to move upon an appropriate supporting surface such as, for example, a table top.
In the past a wide variety of different types of vehicular and animated toys which have been adapted to move relative to a supporting surface such as a table top have been constructed and used. Many different mechanisms have been employed for moving the bodies of such toys relative to a supporting surface. Commonly such toys have been constructed so as to be supported on such a surface through the use of wheels; commonly such toys have been constructed so that mechanical power such as is derived from any conventional type of motor is used to rotate such wheels.
On occasion various other somewhat unusual means of supporting and moving such structures have been utilized. Thus, for example, it is known to utilize the force of air to support and/or move various toy and other structures, to utilize magnetic levitation for the same purposes, and to utilize bristles or bristle type structures for transmitting vibratory motion to the bodies of toys and related structures for the purpose of moving them with respect to a supporting surface. A detailed review of all of these and other methods of imparting motion to the body of a toy or similar structure is not considered necessary to an understanding of the present invention.
It is considered that there is a definite need for structures which are primarily useful as toys and which are constructed in such a manner as to utilize a novel method of moving a body relative to a supporting surface. It is considered that this need is related to the fact that in general toys which are constructed in a comparatively novel, attention attracting manner tend to be much more commercially acceptable than toys constructed in a known or established manner. Thus it is considered desirable to provide toys which utilize other than essentially known methods of moving such toys as are briefly indicated in the preceding discussion. It is also considered that there is a related very definite need for toys which can be constructed at a comparatively nominal cost utilizing such a novel method of toy movement.


The invention relates to a plastic-metal hybrid component and to a corresponding method for producing a plastic-metal hybrid component. The production method has the following steps: (i) providing a fiber composite semifinished product based on polyamide, at least one part of the surface of the semifinished product being made of a polymer composition which contains the following: a) 100 wt. % of a polyamide; and b) 0.5 to 20 wt. % of one or more adhesive additives of the formula (I); (ii) providing a metal main part; (iii) optionally pretreating the surface of the metal main part in order to produce functionalities; (iv) introducing the main metal part and the fiber composite semifinished product into a pressing tool and closing the tool; and (v) bonding the fiber composite semifinished product and the metal main part by means of a compression process under the effect of pressure and temperature.

In many realms of technology, fiber composite materials are now being used to improve component properties and especially in order to reduce their weight. The fiber composite material here has at least two main components, namely, a matrix and fibers that are embedded in this matrix and that serve as reinforcement. Only fiber composite materials with a polymer matrix are of interest for the purposes of the present invention. The combination of such fiber composite materials with other materials, especially metals, is a starting point for the development of new lightweight construction technologies, especially in automotive engineering. Here, the special problem arises of ensuring adequate joining of the fiber composite material to the metal. Consequently, there is a need to develop special joining methods when it comes to the production of a plastic-metal hybrid component consisting of a metal body and a fiber composite intermediate that is joined to the body and that is made of a fiber composite material with a polymer matrix.
Commonly used joining methods comprise, for example, the mechanical joining of the fiber composite intermediate to the metal components by riveting, collar joining or tack joining. Moreover, the connection between the fiber composite intermediate and the metal component can also be made by means of an adhesive method. However, classic adhesive methods have the drawback that an adhesive has to be applied and hardened in additional work steps, which makes automation more difficult. Furthermore, the material properties of the adhesive have to be such that an adequately strong adhesive force is established vis-à-vis the fiber composite material on the one hand, and to the metal component on the other hand. Moreover, the other mechanical properties of the adhesive should also be selected in such a way that the advantages of the composite can indeed come to the fore. In the meantime, special melt adhesives have been developed that allow metals to be joined to polymers. For example, European patent specification EP 2 435 246 B1 describes such a melt adhesive on the basis of copolyamide, which permits an integrally bonded connection to the metal surface via isocyanate and epoxide functionalities.
German patent application DE 10 2008 039 869 A1 describes by way of example a method for the production of lightweight components with which an integrally bonded connection of the fiber composite intermediate to the metal body is achieved by applying an adhesive. After the two elements have been combined in a pressing tool, thermal curing is carried out. Additional examples for the use of plastic-metal hybrid components in automotive engineering can be found in German patent applications DE 10 2006 027 546 A1 and DE 10 2006 058 601 A1. Here, too, an integrally bonded connection is created between metal components and the fiber composite intermediate that serves as reinforcement, and this is done by applying a suitable adhesive.
Accordingly, the prior-art integrally bonded joining methods that make use of adhesives exhibit the above-mentioned drawbacks in the method sequence, and these stand in the way of greater automation. In particular, no suitable adhesion promoters are known for the process-integrated joining by means of a pressing method in which polymer materials are joined to metals.

Plastic-metal hybrid component and method for producing same