A discharging container having outer and inner layers with an ambient air inlet formed solely in the outer layer without a valve. The inlet has an opening smaller than the opening of a discharging outlet mouth formed in a cap, so that the outer layer""s body part may be squeezed to compress the air between the inner and outer layers, whereby the compressed air depresses the inner layer inwardly and radially to exude a liquid content outwards through the discharging outlet.

The present invention relates to a discharging container comprising a laminated bottle that has a delaminatable inner layer on the inner surface of an outer layer and at least one ventilation hole to suck ambient air into a space between the inner and outer layers, wherein the container is adapted for use as a hair-dyeing tool or the like.
The Patent Laying-Open Gazette No. Hei. 4-267727 discloses a multi-layered container designed such that ambient air is inhibited from entering the container through a mouth while allowing its content to be discharged by the pumping action of an inner and outer layers. This container consists of a bottle and a cap, wherein the bottle is composed of an impermeable inner layer and a squeezable outer layer, with the cap being attached to the mouth part of the bottle. The inner layer can be readily delaminated from the outer layer in which at least one ventilation hole is formed such that the ambient air can communicate with a space between the layers. A check valve is incorporated in connection with the ventilation hole. The cap has a discharging outlet and a further check valve cooperating therewith.
Therefore, the inner layer will spontaneously shrivel as quantity of the content decreases, with the ambient air flowing into the space through the at least one ventilation hole so that only the outer layer can restore and always maintain its normal configuration. Its content remains satisfactory in quality, from the beginning to end of use, without being adversely affected by ambient air or external light beams.
The multi-layered container in the prior art has a film tag adhered in part to the rim of the ventilation hole, and a tag larger than the hole is disposed inside the outer layer so as to serve as a valve body in a ventilation valve. Such a kind of ventilation valve will allow air to flow only inwardly into the container from outside. When a user grips the container having a decreased amount of content left therein, the ventilation hole will be closed by the valve body due to an increasing inner pressure between the layers so as not to allow any amount of air to leak out from the interlayer space. Thus, such a depressed outer layer will compress air present between the layers, thereby causing the compressed interlayer air to press in a centripetal direction the inner layer to be capable of exuding the content out of the container to the very end.
The prior art method may comprise the steps of preliminarily blow molding or thermally forming the outer layer that has the ventilation hole formed therein, and subsequently integrating it with the inner layer. However, such a method requires so many steps as to raise manufacture cost of the discharging containers and lower yield thereof.
The present invention provides a discharging container having at least one ventilation hole but lacking any valve body in connection therewith, nevertheless allowing ambient air to flow into the interlayer space and ensuring exhaustion of the liquid content. Thus, the invention aims at simplifying the structure of the container and lowering its manufacture cost.
The discharging container of the present invention may comprise a laminated bottle having a mouth part and a cap fitting on the mouth part of the bottle. The laminated bottle may comprise of an outer layer and an inner layer laminated on an inner surface of the outer layer such as to be capable of delaminating from the outer layer, and the inner layer may be capable of being charged with a liquid content. The outer layer may have a body part capable of being deformed so as to deflate and recovering its undeformed normal configuration. At least one inlet may be formed in the outer layer to allow ambient air to flow into a space present between the outer layer and the inner layer while the deformed outer layer is recovering the normal configuration. The cap may have an outlet for discharging the liquid content out of the inner layer.
In the container of the invention, the inlet may always be kept open, and the inlet may have an opening area smaller than that of the discharging outlet such that an air in the space between the layers is compressed when the body part of the outer layer is deformed so as to deflate, whereby the liquid content is discharged out through the outlet as a result that the compressed air presses inwardly about a circumference of the inner layer. Owing to this feature wherein the ambient air inlet has such a small diameter, for instance about 0.1 to 0.5 mm, a rate at which the actual and varying internal capacity of the bottle""s body part inner layer will be decreased is rendered higher than a flow rate of the interlayer air being discharged outwards, when squeezing the bottle""s body part holding a reduced amount of liquid content left therein. The air between the inner and outer layers will consequently be compressed, and such compressed air causes the inner layer to further deform itself inwardly and centripetally so as to allow the liquid content to be squeezed out more smoothly through the cap""s discharging outlet. This outlet has an opening area much larger than that of the ambient air inlet, whereby a flow resistance of the content flowing out through the outlet is much lower than that of the air flowing out through the inlet. In addition, the discharging outlet in usual cases may have a check valve in connection therewith in order to prevent the liquid content from flowing backwards. Preferably, this check valve is designed to open substantially without encountering any resistance.
Releasing the bottle after use, the outer layer will expand and restore its normal configuration due to its shape recovering property. In the course of such a change in shape, the space between the inner and outer layers will become larger and larger to produce a negative pressure. Consequently, the ambient air will gradually flow into the interlayer space through the ambient air inlet, until the negative pressure disappears.
Such a slow expansion and gentle recovery of natural statue of its outer layer body part after use to discharge the content, in contrast with quick deformation of said part when discharging the liquid content, will however scarcely hinder convenient usage of the container of this type. The present invention utilizing this advantage is capable of providing a simply constructed discharging container dispensed with any extra or additional valve.
The laminated bottle described above may be formed by blow molding such a laminated parison that the inner layer is preliminarily molded on the inner surface of the outer layer. It may be possible to employ, in place of this method, any other appropriate molding methods such as an injection-blow-molding. The body part of the laminated bottle may be depressed to deform itself radially and inwardly (to show the so-called xe2x80x9cthe squeezabilityxe2x80x9d), or alternatively be depressed to deform itself in an axial direction if the outer layer body part is made to be of a spherical shape, a tubby beer-barrel shape or any other configuration. It is preferable, after preparation of the laminated bottle and before mounting a cap thereon, to evacuate the interior of the inner layer through the bottle mouth. This is for the purpose of facilitating the inner layer to delaminate readily from the outer layer during use. Also preferably, at least one ventilation hole whose opening is larger than that of the ambient air inlet may be formed in the outer layer, in order to smoothly introduce the external air into the interlayer space when evacuating the bottle as just mentioned above. After evacuation, compressed air will be blown inwardly through the bottle mouth so as to return the inner layer into its position sticking to the outer layer, before stopping the ventilation hole with a closing member. The bottle will then be filled with the liquid content poured through its mouth, and then putting the cap thereon to provide a bottle container of the present invention. The ventilation hole and/or the ambient air inlet may be formed by pricking the outer layer with an appropriate member such as a needle, pin or the like heated to a sufficiently high temperature, during evacuation of the bottle to shrivel its inner layer. Any other appropriate means may be used instead to form these openings solely in the outer layer.
The closing member may be a plug snugly fitted in the ventilation hole, or alternatively, the cap on the bottle mouth may act as the closing member.
Further, it also may be possible to form the ambient air inlet in the member closing the ventilation hole.
From another aspect, the discharging container of the present invention comprises a laminated bottle having a delaminatable inner layer laminated on the inner surface of an outer layer in such a manner as to be capable of exfoliation therefrom, and also comprises a cap detachably attached to the mouth part of the bottle. The cap has an outlet formed therein to discharge a liquid content held inside the inner layer. A body part of the bottle outer layer can squeeze itself and then restore its normal configuration, and a mouth part of the outer layer has at least one comparatively large ventilation hole formed therein. The cap may closely contact the mouth part of the bottle substantially all around expect for a clearance below the ventilation hole, the clearance being defined between the mouth part and the cap.
The clearance may have an opening area smaller than that of the discharging outlet such that an air in the space between the layers is compressed when the body part of the outer layer is deformed so as to deflate, whereby the liquid content is discharged out through the outlet as a result of the compressed air pressing inwardly a circumference of the inner layer. Also in this case, a compression rate per unit time of the internal capacity of the inner layer is rendered higher than a flow rate of the air being blown outwards from between the inner and outer layers through the clearance when squeezing the bottle""s body part with a user""s hand. The interlayer air thus compressed will depress and shrivel the inner layer so as to allow the liquid content to be squeezed out through the outlet. In the bottle of this type, the inner layer""s bottom may comprise a flange engaging with the outer layer""s bottom so as to firmly secure these bottoms to each other and prevent the inner layer""s lower end portion from curling up. Preferably, the flange may be formed when injecting a molten resin to mold the inner layer, in such a manner that the resin dashes inwards through a hole previously formed in the closed bottom of the cylindrical outer layer.
The laminated bottle of the present invention may be connected at its mouth with a cap having a check valve therein, thus rendering the discharging container applicable to various uses. In detail, the discharging container comprises the laminated bottle whose outer layer""s body part is capable of deflating and deforming itself and the cap fitted on the bottle""s mouth. The cap has a discharging outlet formed therein to discharge a liquid content held within the inner layer, and the discharging outlet has a check valve disposed therein. The outer layer""s body part may be of a cylindrical shape to deform itself radially and inwardly, or may be of a spherical shape, of a tubby beer-barrel shape or of any other shape that can be depressed down towards its bottom to axially deform itself.
The laminated bottle of the present invention may be formed by any appropriate method such as the injection molding technique or the blow molding technique. The direct-blow molding, the injection-stretch-blow molding or the like technique may be employed as the blow molding method. However, the injection-stretch-blow molding is preferable to ensure precision in the molded products.


A fold-up wheelbarrow comprises a wheel and two elongate frame members connected pivotally to the wheel by hinges. A pair of legs and a flexible, load-bearing body depend from the frame members. The load-bearing body is comprised of a plurality of sheet-like panels made of a flexible material such as canvas or plastic. The wheelbarrow is held open by locking bars that help to stabilize the frame members. When the wheelbarrow is in its open position, the frame members are biased away from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fold-up wheelbarrow and, more particularly, to a wheelbarrow having a load-bearing body constructed of flexible material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheelbarrows have long been used as a means of transporting small loads over short distances. Loads may be characterized as pieces of stone or wood, refuse or other items suited to the basket-like arrangement of the wheelbarrow's body. Although convenient as a hauling device, the cumbersome size and shape of most standard wheelbarrows makes them difficult to store.
Many wheelbarrows have been contemplated that are functional as a hauling device, yet are easy to store. By and large, these wheelbarrows have employed the idea of compressing, folding, rotating or collapsing parts of the wheelbarrow until a more easily stored shape is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,396 issued Nov. 1, 1988 to King discloses a wheelbarrow that hinges the wheelbarrow's front wall and compresses the body into an easily collapsed V-shape. Since a storable shape can be achieved by folding a single front wall hinge, the King wheelbarrow represents an improvement over previous collapsible wheelbarrows. These earlier wheelbarrows often required the manipulation of a number of rods, hinges or latches to collapse the wheelbarrow into its storage shape.
Despite these advances, the King device has several drawbacks. The King device is constructed from rigid panels. It is dependent on proper manipulation of various hinges in order to achieve complete or partial closure. Such hinges can become rusted or otherwise can fail. Desirably, a wheelbarrow would be constructed that would have no hinges or other mechanical parts in its load-bearing walls.
King also does not provide for a back wall to his wheelbarrow. Such an omission makes it difficult for the user to haul loads that are subject to shifting or spillage, or that are as large as otherwise might be transported.
The King wheelbarrow employs arms that slidably attach to the axle of the wheelbarrow's wheel. Such an attachment presumably causes excessive wear of both the wheel axle and the arms. It is believed that such wear eventually can lead to failure of the wheelbarrow.
Finally, the King device permits partial closure during operation. The King device includes no means for preventing spontaneous, undesired closing. Such a drawback can present various problems during operation of the wheelbarrow.
In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, a desirable wheelbarrow would be light, easily collapsible and storable. The wheelbarrow desirably would comprise a container capable of carrying a large load without spillage. The wheelbarrow preferably could be locked in place in an open position, and would have no moving parts that could slide along the wheel axle when opened and closed, or during use. It would be constructed of light material for easy storage, yet be durable enough to withstand outdoor storage without sustaining rapid deterioration.


A decorative lighting system (14, 50) includes a plurality of electrically conductive filaments (36) that emit visible electromagnetic radiation when an electric current is passed therebetween. First and second flexible insulated electrically conductive wires (16, 18) are electrically coupled at spaced intervals to first ends (37) and second ends (39) of the filaments (36) to form a parallel circuit between the conductive wires (16, 18). In one embodiment, the conductive wires (16, 18) form a substantially planar serpentine pattern by intersecting themselves at spaced crossing points (19). Connectors (34) are disposed at the crossing points (19) to provide an adjustable substantially planar web-like configuration (26). In another embodiment, netting (30) is provided of unitary construction formed by intersecting strands (28) of non-conductive flexible material. Fasteners (29) couple the netting (30) to the web-like configuration (26).

Conventional Christmas tree lighting systems commonly employ a plurality of electrical receptacles, each adapted to receive individual Christmas lights and mounted spatially along a pair of elongate insulated conductors. The conductors typically terminate at one end in an attachment suitable for connecting the system to a source of electricity and at another end in an individual Christmas light or in an attachment suitable for interconnecting multiple lighting systems. Such systems typically have the individual lights arranged in either a series or parallel connection, with the voltage and current ratings of the lights selected accordingly.
Christmas tree lights are typically placed about a Christmas tree by repeatedly winding a continuous string of lights over and between the tree branches. Applying and removing strings of lights is time consuming and burdensome. The process may result in broken branches, branches stripped of needles, partial destruction of the continuous wire to which the lights are attached, or injury to the person applying the light strings to the tree. These strings of lights are very difficult to apply in a uniform, balanced, or patterned distribution over the entire tree surface. In addition, these strings of lights are difficult to remove and store without severe tangling.
To facilitate the deployment of Christmas tree lights, U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,943 to Forrer describes the use of a non-adjustable grid-like lighting assembly consisting of interconnected light-bearing risers, which may be wrapped once around the circumference of a tree and fastened to assume a substantially frustro-conical form. Forrer cannot be adapted to a variety of tree sizes and shapes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,976 to DuMong describes a unitary assembly that may be wrapped once around the circumference of a tree and fastened to provide a substantially even light presentation over the portion of the tree surface actually covered by the assembly. Like Forrer, the system described in DuMong lacks adaptability to different sized trees. U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,519 to Dorfman describes a unitary assembly that may be draped over and around a tree but, like Forrer and DuMong, cannot present a particular spatial distribution of lights over the tree surface without regard to the size of the tree and the corresponding size and spatial distribution of its branches. Furthermore, prior art lighting systems, such as those described in Forrer, DuMong, and Dorfman, employ lighting elements that extend outward from the plane of the assembly, which exacerbates the tangling problem.


An ignition system for spark-ignited internal combustion engines that measures the octane requirement of individual cylinders and optimizes the spark advance timing of the individual cylinders.

The present invention relates to ignition systems for internal combustion engines and particularly to an ignition system for optimizing the ignition timing of a four-cycle internal combustion engine.
It has been discovered that in a multi-cylinder four-cycle internal combustion engine the octane requirement of a few cylinders; for example, one or two, will greatly exceed the octane requirement of the remaining cylinders. The term `octane requirement` refers to the octane number of the fuel required to obtain substantially knock-free performance from an engine or a particular cylinder at the designed ignition timing. The term `knock` refers to the condition where a fuel auto-ignites in the cylinder causing severe pounding or knocking. It is the present practice to adjust the ignition timing of the engine so that the engine has no audible knock when operating on a particular gasoline. With this adjustment, the majority of the cylinders are operating with a retarded ignition timing while one or two are operating at or near the optimum timing.
At the present state in development of internal combustion engines, particularly those for use in automobiles and light duty vehicles, emission standards require the use of a catalytic converter. The use of a catalytic converter requires the use of unleaded gasoline. It is extremely expensive to increase the octane rating of unleaded gasoline since any increase requires quality high octane components that are only available from sophisticated refining operations. Thus, it has been the practice to retard the ignition timing on modern automobile engines operating on unleaded gasoline to eliminate, or at least reduce, their tendency to auto-ignite or knock. Normally, a clean engine will operate on available regular unleaded gasoline at near its designed ignition timing but as deposits build up in the cylinder heads with use, the tendency to pre-ignite or knock increases. As explained above, the auto-ignition or knocking of the engine usually occurs in only one or two cylinders in a multi-cylinder engine. For example, in a 1977 8-cylinder automotive engine, the clean engine octane requirement was approximately 84 octane. After the deposit buildup had reached equilibrium, six of the cylinders required approximately 90 octane while one cylinder required 93 octane and one cylinder required 95 octane. If an attempt was made to run this engine without knock, the ignition timing would have to be severely retarded to prevent the cylinder that required a 95 octane gasoline from knocking. This amount of ignition timing retardation would severely affect the efficiency of the remaining six cylinders which required only a 90 octane gasoline. The loss in efficiency would affect the overall economy of the engine as well as its performance.


A pH sensor has a core of an electrochemically inert insulating or semi-conductive material, and is coated with an electrically conductive, electrochemically sensitive coating. The preferred core is insulating and made of alumina, with a thin coating of iridium oxide deposited over at least a portion of the outer surface of the core. The coating is carried to a surface remote from the sensing surface and is used for making electrically conductive connections that lead to remote circuitry. The core is made in a form that can be supported and held in an insulating, electrochemically inert, deformable material that is sealed around the outer surface of the coating on the core to prevent leakage of chemicals being sensed. The body also permits sealing quite easily onto access ports on which the sensor housing is mounted. Various connections to the electrode coating can be made quite easily to provide for a unique sensor assembly.

The present invention relates to a pH sensitive electrode that has an electrochemically inactive and electrically insulating or semi-conductor core coated with a thin coating of electrochemically active electrode material, and supported in an elastomeric body that has an opening to leave a portion of the sensitive coating exposed to a chemical sample. A conductor carries the signal generated at the chemical coating interface to suitable circuitry and the entire electrode assembly can be mounted in an outer housing to form a pH sensor. Preferably the core is made of alumina and the coating is deposited iridium oxide.
In the prior art, various pH sensors have been advanced, using an electrochemically active material which may be in the form of a solid bar, a cap, a sleeve or the like, or which may be a metal-metal oxide type electrode where the active material is a coating on an electrically conductive substrate. Some electrochemical active coatings have been applied to flat insulating substrates, but the signal connections are difficult to make because the connections have to be made on the active face and then insulated and sealed to protect the connections from the sample gas or solution with a chemical resistant epoxy or other material.
Most prior art electrodes are adhesively bonded to an assembly body, and most adhesives either deteriorate with age or are very fragile. Minute leakage of the sample solution that is being tested to the back of the electrode and/or its electrical connection is not unusual and the leakage results in a loss of signal or the generation of an extraneous electrochemical signal. Many of the problems of sealing the coated core and maintaining a sealed conductor coating interface are solved with the present invention.


An injection device is proposed for internal combustion engines whose vane cell pump has two channels 23, 22. Each channel begins at the end portion of the compression recess 21 and discharges into the congruent openings 24, 25 of the support ring 17 and of the receiving ring 16, respectively. These openings are embodied as grooves and are disposed near the rotary wall 28 of the housing 10 of the injection device.

In known distributor-injection devices, the rotary pump which constantly fills the interior of the housing with fuel is embodied as a vane cell pump. An opening which connects the compression recess of the pump with the housing interior penetrates a receiving ring and a support ring in the axial direction and is disposed approximately in the center of the compression recess. Cavitation has been found in such devices particularly after long periods of operation, which can be traced back to the occurrence of underpressure.
As is shown on a chart of "Bosch Distributor-Type Fuel Injection Pump VA" (training chart VDT-U 2/304 En), copyright 1971, a roller ring is a supporting element of the rollers which bring about, among other things, the axial motion of the distributor piston in interaction with a cam plate. As explained in the description in the specification of the application, cavitation damages were noted in the area of the only axially directioned rupture in known injection devices which can be certainly traced to cavitation. This is explained in that the roller ring impacted or attacked by the pressure liquid starts to vibrate and this vibration causes the cavitation damages in conjunction with the pressure liquid in the inner chamber.

Rotary fuel injection pump with two compression openings


In a computer-implemented method for displaying an electronic product page responsive to scanning a retail item a retail item is scanned via a scanning device at a location, wherein the scanning device comprises a display screen, and wherein the location is not a point-of-sale at a retail store. In response to scanning the retail item, an electronic product page of said retail item is automatically displayed on the display screen. A user of the scanning device is enabled to purchase the retail item via the electronic product page displayed on the display screen.

Oftentimes a customer may visit a retail store and peruse retail items that the customer may be interested in purchasing. However, the customer may leave the store without purchasing any retail items for various reasons. Such reasons for not purchasing an item may be that the items in stock were not in the desired size, color, etc.

Displaying an electronic product page responsive to scanning a retail item


A running or driving data central display arrangement for motor vehicles and the like in which a plurality of indications, (for example, an abnormal operating state or trouble warning display, a response display for providing information readouts according to call instructions entered by a driver, and a time display), are centralized into a single display portion for enabling a reduction in the mounting space required for the display unit and also enabling the easy facilitation of reading the indications provided by the display unit.

The present invention relates to a display arrangement for motor vehicles and the like and more particularly, to a central display arrangement of running or driving data for motor vehicles, etc. in which a plurality of indications, (for example, an abnormal operating state or trouble warning display function for indicating an abnormal operating state or troubles at selected inspection positions of a motor vehicle, a response display indication function for display selected running conditions of a motor vehicle in response to call instructions entered by a driver, and also a time indicating display function), are centralized in a single display portion.
Following the recent trend towards improvements in quality directed toward the manufacture of a higher class of motor vehicles, new diversified equipment have been employed and, for example, besides providing an ordinary stereophonic player and digital clock, etc., which are commonly provided in motor vehicles, and in addition to providing the abnormal operating state or trouble warning display devices, (i.e., the so-called safety monitors for indicating detected problems such as the wearing out of brake pads, broken filaments of various lamps, etc.), a response display device is provided which indicates, in response to call instructions entered by a driver, the average fuel cost, the estimated fuel requirements until arrival at a predetermined destination, the expected time of arrival at the predetermined destination the average vehicle speed, etc. Such response display indications are provided through direct utilization or processing by the calculation of the measured data signals, (for example, of running distance, vehicle speed, remaining fuel, running time and the like), which vary as the motor vehicle continues to run.
The abnormal operating state display device, the response display device, the clock used as the time display device, etc. as described above are commonly mounted separately on an instrument panel or other portions of the motor vehicle where they are readily observed by the driver, and it has been a conventional practice to provide independent display portions for the abnormal operating state display device and response display device, despite the fact that these two devices have an extremely small indicating frequency with a low working efficiency as compared with the time indicating device, (i.e.--clock) which continuously indicates the time.
The conventional arrangement as described above, however, has disadvantages in that it is difficult to secure sufficient mounting space concentrated at a limited position which may be readily inspected by a driver, and the display indications can not be conveniently read, if such display portions are not centralized at one position.

Running data central display arrangement for motor vehicles and the like


Methods, systems, and storage media are described for identity management and identity verification is provided in which users authenticate their identities during an enrollment process, and may access and modify their identity information via a secure portal. The enrollment process includes collecting various identifying data and biometric data of a user. A live interview portion during the enrollment process is used to check the liveness and verify the collected identifying data and biometric data. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Identity verification services are often used by businesses and/or government agencies to ensure that information provided by users is associated with the identity of a real person. Businesses or government agencies may verify the identity of the real person using identity information indicated by physical identifying documents (e.g., driver's license, passport, identity cards, etc.), or they may verify identity information against authoritative sources (e.g., credit bureaus, government database(s), corporate database(s), etc.).
In order to authenticate a user's identity, many identity verification services utilize identity information from physical identifying documents, images or videos of physical identifying documents, authentication or authorization credentials, identity scores, biometric data, or knowledge-based authentication (KBA) data. The identity information may be provided to the identity verification service (directly or through the businesses/government agencies) physically or electronically (e.g., entering and submitting identity information to an authentication mechanism via a web form). Some identity verification services employ or otherwise utilize identity management systems to manage individual identities, authentication, authorization, roles, and privileges within or across one or more organizations.


A variable camshaft timing system for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing having an outer circumference for accepting drive force, a rotor for connection to a camshaft coaxially located within the housing capable of rotation to shift the relative angular position of the housing and the rotor, a locking pin, and a centrifugal valve. The locking pin is slidably located and radially moveable in a radial bore from a locked position in which the inner end fits into the recess defined by the housing, locking the relative angular position of the rotor and housing, to an unlocked position in which the inner end does not engage the receiving hole defined by the housing. The centrifugal valve is in fluid communication with an inlet line coupled directly to an engine oil supply controlling flow of oil to the locking pin.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of variable cam timing systems. More particularly, the invention pertains to a variable cam timing system where a centrifugally operated valve controls the oil flow to a locking pin.
2. Description of Related Art
Internal combustion engines have employed various mechanisms to vary the angle between the camshaft and the crankshaft for improved engine performance or reduced emissions. The majority of these variable camshaft timing (VCT) mechanisms use one or more "vane phasers" on the engine camshaft (or camshafts, in a multiple-camshaft engine). In most cases, the phasers have a housing with one or more vanes, mounted to the end of the camshaft, surrounded by a housing with the vane chambers into which the vanes fit. It is possible to have the vanes mounted to the housing, and the chambers in the housing, as well. The housing's outer circumference forms the sprocket, pulley, or gear accepting drive force through a chain, belt, or gears, usually from the camshaft, or possibly from another camshaft in a multiple-cam engine.
In some engines, the locking pins don't remain seated in the locked position, preventing movement of the rotor relative to the housing, until the engine speed is great enough. Other times, the locking pin does not lock at the appropriate time during engine shutdown, allowing the vane to oscillate within the chambers of the phaser and cause damage.
Some phasers use locking pins that utilize the aid of centrifugal force to lock the housing relative to the rotor, as shown in JP2001227311A, "Lock Pin With Centrifugally Operated Release Valve." JP2001227311A shows a locking pin and the centrifugal force that acts on the pin during idle to aid in locking the pin quickly. The locking pin in this reference is controlled by a hydraulic force that acts on the locking pin with the aid of any centrifugal force present.

Lock pin with centrifugally operated release valve


A burner unit for a flame treatment of flat textile materials includes a combustion chamber terminating in a singeing slot supplied from a gas mixture chamber by two parallel burner slots, with the gas mixture chamber being encased by a burner element including two substantially U-shaped profile members clamped together along longitudinal edges with an interposition of mixture distributing rail for delimiting the burner slots respectively along a longitudinal side. To achieve a significant uniformity of the singeing flame in a longitudinal direction, the mixture distributing rail is enclosed between two guide strips respectively defining the outer longitudinal side of the burner slots, with the guide strips being clamped together with the mixture distributing rail, as a package, between the two substantially U-shaped profile members.

The present invention relates to a burner unit for the flame treatment of flat textile materials and, more particularly, to a burner unit for singeing machines, with a combustion chamber terminating in a singeing slot supplied from a gas mixture chamber by two parallel burner slots, and with the gas mixture chamber being encased by a burner element including two approximately U-shaped profile members clamped together along their longitudinal edges with an interposition of a mixture distributing rail respectively delimiting the burner slots along a longitudinal side.
A primary difficulty in the singeing of textile fabrics resides in effecting complete uniform singeing over an entire area of the fabric, because even minor spatial or temporal fluctuations during the singeing action can lead to undesirable patterns, such as, for example, spotting or streaking of the fabric. Regular singeing presupposes a flame that is extremely uniform over its length and stable against disturbing influences, the length of the singeing flame generally amounting to several meters. However, the singeing flame is very greatly dependent, inter alia, on the way in which the gas mixture is fed into the combustion chamber.
As compared with older burner designs with mixture feed via a single burner slot, a burner unit such as, for example, dislosed in German Pat. No. 2,023,782 has proven to be extraordinarily effective, under practical conditions, wherein two burner slots, arranged in parallel to each other, are provided, ensuring a temporally and locally extensively uniform feeding of the singeing flame. In the conventional burner unit, the outwardly disposed longitudinal sides of the two burner slots are in each case formed by the longitudinal sides of approximately U-shaped profile members surrounding a mixture distributing rail, these profile members encompassing the gas mixture chamber. During the machining of the longitudinal edges by milling, grinding, or the like, these edges, due to the shape and size of the profile, are perforce located at a relatively great distance from the clamping sites on the work table or the like, so that an elastic yielding in front of the machining tool cannot be avoided. Consequently, marked limits are set for the machining accuracy, i.e. certain dimensional tolerances and undulations in the surface and, therefore, certain spatial residual fluctuations in the singeing flame must be tolerated.
The aim underlying the present invention resides in providing a burner unit of the type discussed above wherein an especially high uniformity of the singeing flame is achieved in its longitudinal extension.
According to this invention, the mixture distributing rail is encased between two guide strips, respectively defining the other longitudinal side of the burner slots, these guide strips being clamped together with the mixture distributing rail as a package between the two U-shaped profile members. The invention offers the advantage that in this structure both sides of the burner slots are constituted by strips that can be machined with a substantially higher precision and uniformity. Consequently, a high surface quality of the burner slots and thus a clean flow of the gas mixture can be achieved. Any waviness in the longitudinal direction, still unavoidable in the manufacture of the U-shaped profile members, is now no longer effective directly on the contour of the burner slots; rather, such waviness is transmitted, at most, to a markedly reduced extent due to the interposed guide strips.
According to a preferred embodiment, the guide strips can exhibit a narrow bulge on their outer side, upstream of the burner slots, and they are clamped between the two U-shaped profile members at the site of this bulge. Consequently, the guide strips are in contact with the U-shaped profile members, in this arrangement, only along a narrowly limited area which furthermore is clearly distant from the zone of the burner slots. Irregularities on the longitudinal edges of the U-shaped profile members can be transmitted to the guide strips only along this narrow area, and fade very quickly toward the rims of the guide strips. Due to this feature, the precision of the burner slots now depends exclusively on the machining quality of the guide strips and of the mixture distributing rail; as a result, burner slots of extreme precision can be manufactured which even with small slot widths of about 0.25 mm do not exhibit any detectable nonuniformities.
According to this invention, each guide strip can be provided with a fitting lug on its contact surface facing the mixture distributing rail, and this fitting lug can engage into a corresponding counter groove in the mixture distributing rail. The fitting lug can preferably exhibit a V-shaped cross section. The guide strips and the mixture distributing rail, combined into a package, are placed into an unequivocal position relatively to each other, which is of great importance particularly with regard to the front edges of the burner slots. If these are not arranged in exact opposition, considerable irregularities can occur in the flow pattern. Centering of the guide strips on the mixture distributing rail with the aid of V-shaped lugs permits a simple and yet very precise assembly and does not pose any special manufacturing problems.
According to another feature of the invention, the mixture distributing rail can have a rectangular cross section with the rail being provided on each longitudinal side with a pressure-equalizing groove respectively in communication with a burner slot. The mixture distributing rail can exhibit blind bores emanating from the inlet and oriented in parallel to the clamping surfaces, with a diameter of these bores corresponding approximately to half the thickness of the mixture distributing rail, and with these bores intersecting the pressure-equalizing grooves along a width of respectively about 1/5 of their diameter. The blind bores can terminate into an inlet groove, with a width of the latter being equal to the diameter of the blind bores. An advantage of this embodiment resides in that it is very simple to manufacture as compared with conventional structures. Since the blind bores directly intersect the pressure-equalizing grooves, heretofore customary cross bores can be omitted. However, a more important factor for the function of the burner unit is that the blind bores exhibit a relatively large diameter, that there is no abrupt transition between the inlet groove and the blind bores, and that the flow during transition from the blind bores to the pressure-equalizing grooves is only moderately deflected so that, in total, a very uniform flow through the mixture distributing rail is attained. The ensuing uniform supply to the burner slots is, beside the manufacturing accuracy of the burner slots, of great importance for keeping the singeing flame free of disturbances.
According to a further feature of the invention, the two sidewalls of the inlet groove can exhibit recesses that are approximately of the shape of a circular arc in cross section. These recesses effect, in the flow direction, initially a gradual cross-sectional flaring and thereafter a gradual cross-sectional narrowing. As a result, an additional smoothing of the flow in the inlet zone of the mixture distributing rail is achieved.

Burner unit for the flame treatment of flat textile materials


A ventilation nozzle for vehicles has a main duct and a secondary duct branching off therefrom. The ducts lead into two mutually separated blow-out openings and have controllable air adjusting devices. These adjusting devices are arranged in the area of the secondary duct branch off. Each adjusting device is assigned to one of the ducts, respectively, for adjusting the air quantities flowing to the blow-out openings. To provide an individually adjustable indirect air flow by way of the blow-out opening of the secondary duct, the adjusting device assigned to the secondary duct is constructed as an air flap which provides an air siphoning function from the main duct. A separate control element is assigned to each adjusting device for its adjustment.

This invention relates to a ventilation nozzle for vehicles having a main duct and a secondary duct which branches off from the main duct. The main and secondary ducts are constructed in a nozzle housing and lead out in two mutually separated blow-out openings. The ventilation nozzle has controllable adjusting devices which are assigned to respective ducts and which are arranged in the area of the secondary duct branch-off. These adjusting devices are used for adjusting the air quantities flowing to the blow-out openings.
In a known ventilation nozzle of this type (German Patent Document DE 195 29 451 C1), two adjusting devices for a main duct and a secondary duct are provided. These adjusting devices are constructed as two-bladed air flaps which are disposed in the center and which are adjusted by a common control element. In order to provide the secondary flap with a desired opening characteristic, this secondary flap is coupled with a connecting link in a swivellably arranged control segment, and the control segment is connected with the main flap by an adjusting rod with a control element to be operated manually. The connecting link in the control segment is constructed such that, when the adjusting element is operated out of the first end position of the air flaps causing the respectively assigned duct to be closed, the auxiliary flap keeps the secondary duct completely covered until the main flap has approximately reached its center position, completely opening up the main duct.
In another known ventilation nozzle of this type (German Patent Document DE 43 27 266 C1), the adjusting devices for two ducts are constructed as two-bladed air flaps which are disposed in the center and which, on the one hand, can be operated by a manual operating element and, on the other hand, can be remotely operated from the driver's position in order to adjust a defroster function. Between the two air flaps, coupling devices are provided by which the secondary flap can be closed when the main flap undergoes opening movement and the main flap can be closed when the secondary flap undergoes opening movement. As a result of positioning the ventilating nozzles in the dashboard, the blow-out opening of the secondary duct is intended for dehumidifying and defrosting the side windows, and the blow-out opening of the main duct is intended for a direct blowing at the front passengers. The blow-out direction can also be adjusted laterally and upwards and downwards by swivelling lamellae which extend vertically and horizontally.
It is an object of the invention to improve a ventilation nozzle of the initially mentioned type such that, by way of the secondary duct, indirect ventilation of the vehicle occupant compartment is sufficiently effective and can be adjusted independently of direct ventilation of the vehicle occupants carried out by the main duct.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by constructing the adjusting device assigned to the secondary duct as an air flap with an air siphoning function from the main duct and providing a separate control element for each adjusting device.
The ventilation nozzle according to the invention has the advantage that, as a result of constructing the adjusting device for the secondary duct as an air siphoning flap, even when the main duct is partially open, an air flow which is branched off for the secondary duct is sufficiently large to permit intensive indirect ventilation of the vehicle occupant compartment. The operating possibility of the air siphoning flap, which is independent of the adjusting device for the main duct, permits sensitive metering of the air quantity flowing out of the secondary duct.
Advantageous embodiments of the ventilation nozzle according to the invention with expedient developments, and further developments of the invention, are defined by the claims.


Apparatus and process for delivering small controlled quantities of a liquid cryogen to a use point in an intermittent manner comprising an off-period in which no liquid is desired at the use point and followed by an on-period in which liquid is delivered to the use point essentially free of vapor.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for delivering a liquid cryogen to a use point. More particularly, the invention relates to a process and apparatus for delivering small quantities of a liquid cryogen, such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid argon, etc., intermittently to a use point in a controlled manner.
Many applications, such as cooling of dies in aluminum die extrusion, purging of cans in the canning industry, etc., require supplying relatively small (up to about 400 lbs/hr) controlled amounts of a cryogenic liquid, e.g. liquid nitrogen, to a use point. In such applications, control of the amount of liquid dispensed, control of the amount of refrigeration provided, and control of the timing of dispensation are very important. In transferring the liquid cryogen from a (remote) supply source to the use point, the conventional practice of transferring liquid through an insulated conduit is often unacceptable because of heat leaks which cause a relatively large fraction of the liquid mass transferred to vaporize, especially in applications such as aluminum die extrusion which involve high temperatures at or near the use point. For example, in a typical aluminum die extrusion plant, a 3/4 in. nominal diameter liquid nitrogen pipe, insulated with 3 in. of urethane foam, will vaporize, because of heat leak alone, about 13.9 lbs/hr of liquid nitrogen for every 150 ft. of a pipe length, i.e. an amount at least within the same order of magnitude as the amount of the desired liquid nitrogen flow used in cooling the aluminum extrusion die, and often many times that amount. This causes problems with cryogen flow control and interferes with control of the amount of liquid cryogen delivered to the use point, resulting in loss of refrigeration at the use point and/or waste of liquid cryogen.
In addition, if the flow of liquid cryogen is intermittent, the problem is compounded further because the residual liquid in the pipe continues to vaporize during non-use periods, necessitating purging the pipe of vapor before any liquid can be delivered to the use point, thus slowing down the process and often resulting in further waste of cryogen.
Furthermore, heat leak is not the only factor causing vaporization. An additional, though usually smaller, amount of cryogen vaporizes by flash vaporization due to pipe line pressure drop. This flash vaporization factor may become very significant, especially when cryogen is transferred from a remote supply source and undergoes a change in elevation.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a liquid cryogen delivery system which is capable of delivering small predetermined quantities of a liquid cryogen (i.e. essentially free of vapor) promptly to a use point in a controlled manner and on an intermittent basis, and with minimum loss of refrigeration.
One technique used in the prior art for transporting liquid cryogen has involved a concentric pipe system having a coolant in the outer jacket. Concentric pipe construction, however, is expensive, complicated, not suited to intermittent flow, and inefficient because vaporization of the jacket liquid results in coolant waste. Use has also been made of phase separators designed to separate and vent vaporized cryogen. Such separators, however, deliver liquid in a saturated liquid state (at line pressure) and fail to prevent further vaporization downstream.


Disclosed are systems methods circuits and associated computer executable code for facilitating selective messaging and multicasting, wherein system users are associated with one or more identifiers. And, wherein user messages or multicasts are relayed along with one or more identifiers or filtering conditions to a system server, and the system server relays the messages to users associated with the system server received identifiers or to users satisfying the system server received filtering conditions.

Instant messaging is a set of communication technologies used for text-based communication between two or more participants over the Internet or other types of networks. IM—chat happens in real-time. Of importance is that online chat and instant messaging differ from other technologies such as email due to the perceived quasi-synchrony of the communications by the users. Some systems permit messages to be sent to users not then 'logged on' (offline messages), thus removing some differences between IM and email (often done by sending the message to the associated email account).
IM allows effective and efficient communication, allowing immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply. However IM is basically not necessarily supported by transaction control. In many cases, instant messaging includes added features which can make it even more popular. For example, users may see each other via webcams, or talk directly for free over the Internet using a microphone and headphones or loudspeakers. Many applications allow file transfers, although they are usually limited in the permissible file-size.
It is usually possible to save a text conversation for later reference. Instant messages are often logged in a local message history, making it similar to the persistent nature of emails.
Still, there remains a need, in the fields of instant messaging and multicasting, for technologies that may facilitate instant messaging and/or multicasting communication with previously unknown individuals/users based on one or more identifiers associated with them/their-usernames.

Systems methods circuits and associated computer executable code for facilitating selective messaging and multicasting


A kelly bushing guard which encapsulates the rotating parts of a rotary table of a rotary drilling rig. The guard includes a shoe which rests on the fixed floor area of the table. The rotating center is located inwardly of the shoe. A bearing member has a fixed housing and a rotating center member. The fixed housing is attached to the shoe by a circumferentially extending wall member while the center member rotates with and slidably receives the kelly therethrough.. The kelly can be lifted from the kelly bushing carrying the guard therewith so that the floor is unobstructed and the inner slip bowl is free to receive a set of slips or the like.

Rotary drilling rigs for forming boreholes require a rotary table centrally positioned on the floor of the drilling rig. The rotary table has a rotating center which receives a kelly bushing therein which imparts rotation into a kelly. The kelly is free to slide within the bushing and has a string of drill pipe connected at the lower end and a swivel at the upper end thereof.
The rotating table center and kelly bushing usually have bolt heads, fastener heads, and various other protrusions as well as various different indentions formed thereon. This is especially so on the older rotary drilling rigs.
The roughnecks working on the confined floor of a drilling rig must handle cables, chains, ropes, water hoses, and various hand and power tools. All of this is carried out in an extremely small floor area and from time to time a tool will inadvertently fall onto the rotating table center and centrifugal force throws the tool outwardly where it may strike a workman.
Now and then a roughneck will accidently get the end of a chain, rope, or hose caught in the rotary, which usually results in a fatal injury.
Drillers and pushers take great care to protect their roughnecks but they cannot always prevent one from entangling a piece of equipment in the inherently dangerous rotating mass of the drilling rig.
Accordingly, it is advantageous and highly desirable to encapsulate the rotary table of a drilling rig so as to isolate this dangerous area from the workmen so that should one accidently drop anything on the rig floor, it cannot possibly be caught in the rotating center.


A wheel frame for supporting at least two wheels along the bottom surface of a vacuum inlet nozzle of the type commonly used for vacuuming concrete floors of shops and other areas which have cement or wooden floors. The wheel frame is rectangular and has preferably two wheels held by the frame. The frame fits over the conventional vacuum nozzle and snaps over the flange at the bottom of the vacuum nozzle. The wheels are positioned so that they are near the back of the nozzle so that the front edge of the nozzle can be lifted by tilting the nozzle toward the back. This greatly facilitates the vacuuming up of leaves and other larger objects which do not fit under the front edge of the conventional vacuum nozzle.

The field of the invention is cleaning tools and the invention relates more particularly to vacuums of the type generally referred to as shop vacuums. Shop vacuums inevitably have injection molded nozzles with an elongated rectangular inlet opening which glides over the floor to be vacuumed. The inlet openings typically have an air inlet notch along both the front, back and side edges. As used herein the term "front" refers to that part of a nozzle which is on the forward edge when the nozzle is being pushed forward and the back is the leading edge when the nozzle is being pulled back. These inlet notches provide an air flow path to attract debris from the floor into the interior of the vacuum nozzle. While such notches work well for dust and dirt, they are too shallow to permit larger objects such as leaves to enter the interior of the vacuum nozzle. As the result, if one is using such a vacuum to clean a patio floor which has a number of leaves or other larger objects on it, the job becomes very tedious. Furthermore, if one tilts the standard plastic injection molded nozzle rearwardly and moves it back and forth over a concrete surface, the back edge of the nozzle is quickly worn down by the abrasive action of the concrete surface.


The present invention is an orally-administrable composition for preventing and treating Helicobacter pylori-associated stomach gastritis and ulcers, and for preventing Helicobacter pylori-associated stomach cancer. The invention is a herb or herb extract containing an anti-H. pylori activity. The invention further includes methods for making and methods for using the invention.

A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of compositions and methods for treating and preventing Helicobactor pylori-associated stomach gastritis, ulcers and cancer. More specifically, this invention relates to the field of compositions of herbs, herb parts or herb extracts which can be used to treat or prevent Helicobactor pylori-associated stomach gastritis, ulcers and cancer, and methods for making and using such compositions.
B. Description of Related Art
Twelve years ago it was first reported and subsequently verified by many scientific studies that a particular bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori ("H. pylori") commonly infects the human stomach. Many people so infected subsequently acquire what is known as chronic superficial gastritis ("stomach inflammation") which may continue on for many decades. It is now known that left untreated, this condition may lead to stomach ulcers and even stomach cancer disease. (Marshall, B. J. and Warren, J. B. Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet, No.8390: 1311-1315 (1984); Nomura, A., Stemmermann, G. N., Chyou, P.-H., et al., Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinoma among Japanese Americans in Hawaii. New Engl. J. Med., 325: 1132-1136 (1991); Blaser, M. J. and Parsonnet, J., Parasitism by the "slow" bacterium Helicobacter leads to altered gastric homeostasis and neoplasia. J. Clin, Invest., 94: 4-8 (1994).) Extensive laboratory as well as clinical studies have been reported which clearly show that people suffering from chronic gastritis and/or stomach ulcer disease caused by H. pylori infection can be cured when administered certain antibiotics which eradicate H. pylori [Rubinstein, G., Dunkin, K. and Howard, A. J., The susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to 12 antimicrobial agents, omeprazole and bismuth salts. J. Antimicrob. Chemother., 34: 409-413 (1994); Rosioru, C. Glassman, M. S., Berezin, S. H., et al., Treatment of Helicobacter pylori--associated gastroduodenal disease in children. Dig. Dis. Sci., 38: 123-128 (1993); Blaser, M. J., The bacteria behind the ulcers. Sci. Amer., February 1996, 104-107]. On the other hand, the use of antibiotics has some drawbacks, including the rapid resistance of H. pylori to antimicrobial agents (Rubinstein, G. et al., op. cit.) as well as the well known fact that many people are allergic to antibiotics and some develop severe diarrhea and/or secondary infections which complicate antibiotic therapy. Furthermore, the antibiotics used to treat (i.e., kill H. pylori) ulcers also kill a wide variety of non-pathogenic bacteria in the body, a most undesirable feature of antibiotic therapy (i.e., "non-selectivity").

Composition and method for treating and preventing helicobactor-pylori-associated stomach gastritis, ulcers and cancer


A container provided with a partition forming compartments for accommodating wine bottles.. The container has a triangular cross section and two adjoining side walls are provided with a step directed towards the corner between the side walls.. A handle for carrying the container is formed by an opening in said step.

The invention relates to a nondeformable container, having a bottom part and side walls with thereinbetween a partition for a number of objects, in particular to a container for wine bottles. These containers are commonly known and are used for storing and transporting a number of bottles.
These containers have the disadvantage that mostly they have to be handled with both hands, the said containers being provided for that aim with handles on the opposite side walls. Another disadvantage of these containers is that they can be stacked bottom-down only, which, for example when stacking up containers containing wine bottles, is undesirable because in such a case it is better to be able to stack these containers on their sides.

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Systems and methods for processing personal communications wherein one embodiment comprises a communication processing system which has a data processing system that receives communications from a user. The data processing system authenticates the received communications, selects one of a plurality of actions for processing the communication item, and processes the communication item according to the selected action. The communication includes one or more communication items which may be voice data, text data, or some other form of information. The data processing system may receive communications from devices such as cellular phones and may also transmit generated results to users' phones. The processing performed by the system may, for example, include storing, forwarding or distributing communication items to multiple recipients, converting them to text, using them to generate reminders, and so on. Generated results may be transmitted to the original caller, transmitted to other recipients, stored for later access, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication and information tracking systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for the recording, storage, distribution and processing of an information item wherein, for example, in a single step, an individual records an information item and has it immediately transmitted to a system for further processing.
2. Related Art
With all the gadgets, devices, and tools that exist in today's mobile world, individuals continue to suffer from the lack of a reliable, readily available, and simple method of remembering and making records of ideas, appointments, and tasks. Automatically receiving follow up reminders and then getting those items "into play" in a timely manner is another issue that is not adequately addressed. It would be desirable to address these two distinct problems with a single, simple solution.
The first problem is that of notating or recording the item that has the potential to be forgotten or lost. The second is the act of delivering that item to a system and/or entity that can take some sort of action on the item, and do it in a timely manner.
It is important to provide a solution that can be initiated with a simple, almost automatic action that requires a minimum number of steps to accomplish the task of recording the item that comes to the user's mind, and then getting that item into a system that can handle any required storage, distribution, and/or execution related to the recorded item. Additionally it is important that any process involved in the solution minimizes the interruption of the user's thought process. In other words, it should cause the minimum amount of distraction between the time the thought of a specific item comes to the user and that item's arrival in a system that can then manage the storage, distribution, and/or execution of tasks associated with the information. The actions taken by the system should not require further action on the part of the user.
There have been many attempts to solve these problems. Until the advent of the ubiquitous presence of the cell phone network, there appeared to be no realistic way to solve them. Essentially every attempt at solving the problems has met with the same fate—each attempted solution has been either incomplete, unreliable, or inconvenient. Often, all three of these issues remained in the prior art "solutions."
If the user is at a computer and that computer has access to the tools necessary to record and transmit the user's information, that is one thing. But increasingly this is NOT the case. Oftentimes, the user has only a cell phone, or some other personal communication device that can behave similarly to a cell phone, and therein lies the problem.
Users of cell phones and other personal communication devices experience a unique problem when attempting to make notes, leave reminders for themselves, or communicate messages and instructions to others. The number of steps that are currently required to do this is excessive, and the methods are essentially unreliable. This problem manifests itself to an even larger extent when users are not in a situation where they can focus on organizing their thoughts, etc. Driving is but one example of this type of situation, but is a common one.
One of the underlying problems need to be solved is that of having to deal with too many interruptions and having to perform too many steps to get the item from the user's mind to the user's "target," and to make sure that any required follow up actions are monitored until that item is acknowledged. Preferably, these things need to be done without user intervention to provide authentication.
As mentioned above, there are existing solutions, but each of these has significant shortcomings. These other solutions include: hand held recorders; email and instant messaging; voicemail to oneself and to others; etc.
Hand Held Recorder
Shortcomings:
1. Hand held recorders can be lost, stolen, or otherwise misplaced; any recordings, of course, that are in the device are also lost.
2. Hand held recorders can reach their capacity. Once that has happened, there is no way to record any further information. The user is right back to the point of the problem—having to depend on their own memory to recall the item.
3. Hand held recorders can lose power and there is often no realistic, immediate alternative method to accomplish the task of remembering the item.
4. The information that is recorded on today's hand held recorders are not transmitted or furnished to a system and/or a person that could do something with it until additional manual steps are taken—oftentimes hours, days or even weeks later!
Email, Instant Messaging
Shortcomings:
1. Composing, entering, and editing tend to leave a user to NOT complete their thought process, thereby possibly eliminating important elements of the communication to the intended recipient.
2. Too much of a mechanical process.
3. Must be at a computer (not available while driving.
Voicemail to the Recipient
Shortcomings:
1. Not every intended recipient of a message has voicemail.
2. Voicemail often has lengthy introductory messages that the user must wait for, again disrupting their thought process and leading to an incomplete communication.
3. The recipient may answer. The thought process is interrupted and an unintended conversation may ensue.
4. When leaving a message on someone else's message machine or voice mail, the user has no record of the message that they left.
5. There is no way a user can know if the message was received by the recipient.
6. There is no guarantee of the privacy of the message—anyone who has access to that phone or message machine can listen to, and even erase the message.
Voicemail to Self (User)
Shortcomings:
1. Not every user has voicemail at a location that they can guarantee will be unanswered.
2. Most cell phone services will not allow you to leave a voicemail to yourself when calling your cell phone from that cell phone.
3. It is either difficult or impossible to capture and save the message left for future reference and/or processing.
Following are some exemplary scenarios in which the shortcomings of other solutions are apparent.
A user could call his own cell phone and leave a message. On most cell phone services, however, this option does not exist. In most such services, upon answering, the user is immediately put into a mode to retrieve his voicemail or perform other operations that are unrelated to the user's intended purpose—that of leaving a message and optionally forwarding it to other parties. In many cases, a person must let the phone ring for some amount of time (to allow the called number to be possibly answered by a human) and then be forced to listen to a distracting message before being given the opportunity to leave his message. All of these factors tend to distract the caller and often cause that caller to forget the message he wanted to leave, in part or in whole. Further, while accomplishing the task of getting the message into a tangible form that can be retrieved at a later time, most systems do not offer the ability to distribute that message to others immediately, nor do they offer a way for the caller to easily access the message for future processing and handling. Further, the above processes do not accomplish the task of recording the information and getting it to the target in a single step with any degree of user authentication.
A user could alternatively call a "land line" and attempt to leave voice mail or a message. Some of the same problems exist as with calling one's own cell phone:
1. The user must wait for the requisite number of rings to occur before the land-line even answers.
2. The user must often wait for a message to be played before leaving a message.
3. Because the user does not have the ability to control other callers leaving messages in their voicemail, the voicemail box may be full.
4. When attempting to retrieve a specific reminder, the user will have to "wade" through other unrelated voicemails before reaching the desired voicemail message/reminder.
There are additional issues that must also be dealt with:
1. The phone system that receives the message may be keyed to call the user's cell phone or pager to inform them that there is a message in their voicemail when, in fact, that message is their own!
2. The phone system voicemail inbox/receiver that receives the message may be available to multiple persons or people that the user may not want to leave said message with.
Again, the above process does not accomplish the task of recording the information and getting it to the target in a single step with authentication.
Alternatively, a user could take any number of steps to fire up a program on a computer, PDA, or even a cell phone to get a message to either themselves or others via SMS, MMS, email, instant message, etc. All of those methods, however, require far more than a single step to get the message to the target.

Personal communications processing system


A method of controlling a vehicle including a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motor is provided. The motor is calibrated such that for each torque command, there are corresponding direct-axis (d-axis) and quadrature axis (q-axis) current commands. The method includes establishing a torque command T*. D-axis and q-axis current commands Id* and Iq*, respectively, corresponding to the torque command T* are determined. The motor is controlled based on Id* and Iq*. D-axis and q-axis currents Id and Iq, respectively, are measured. An output torque is estimated as a sum of the torque command T* and a torque difference. The torque difference is determined as a function of Id*, Iq*, Id, and Iq. The vehicle may be controlled based on the estimated output torque.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to electric motor torque estimation. The invention further relates to hybrid and electric vehicles that use permanent magnet (PM) motors.
2. Background Art
The use of permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motors has become widespread. In general, a PM synchronous motor includes a rotor having permanent magnets mounted on the rotor periphery or buried inside the rotor.
In some applications of PM synchronous motors, it is desired to estimate the motor torque produced.
An existing torque estimation method is based on torque equation:T=P/2[phi×Iq+(Ld−Lq)×Id×Iq], in which P is number of poles, phi is permanent magnet flux linkage, Id and Iq are currents which are measured and converted to d and q axes of the motor, Ld and Lq are the inductance at d and q axes. Ld and Lq are also affected by Id and Iq because of the saturation effect of the magnetic circuit.
Normally, current can be easily measured accurately, and phi only varies linearly with temperature and thus can be adjusted easily.
Although this method may be appropriate in some applications, the problem of this method is that the accuracy of the estimation greatly depends on the estimations of Ld and Lq which are very difficult to obtain.
Background information may be found in U.S. Pub. Nos. 2006/0006825A1 and 2009/0179602A1; WO2007066182A1; EP1014554A2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,586,286; and EP1401093A2. Further background information may be found in Y. S. Mohamed and A. A. Hassan, "Performance of modified direct torque controlled induction motor drives," Alexandria Engineering Journal, Vol. 40, No. 1, January, 2001.


The present invention relates to an optical rotary encoder for detecting a position optically. In the optical rotary encoder of the invention, a light beam reflected by a half mirror enters a deflector, whereby it is reflected while being deflected in a certain direction. The reflected light beam again enters the half mirror. Transmitted light from the half mirror enters a position detector, in which a light spot is formed on an annular photodiode. The path of the reflected light from the deflector forms a cone having a vertical angle which is twice the angle of deflection of the deflector. The position detector is disposed perpendicularly to the optical axis of the reflected light in the case of the deflection angle being 0.degree. and with the center of the annular photodiode made coincident with the said optical axis. A suitable distance between the deflector and the photodiode is selected so that a light spot is radiated onto the photodiode. The position of the light spot formed on the annular photodiode is in a corresponding relation to a rotational angle of a rotating shaft. The position detector detects the position of the light spot to detect such rotational angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position detector using a semiconductor, a position detecting method using the same, and an optical rotary encoder, for detecting an incident position of a light spot which moves while describing an annular path.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional position detector. In the same figure, the reference numeral 1 denotes a photodiode which is in the shape of a flat plate, and numerals 2, 3 and 4 denote P, I and N layers, respectively, of the photodiode. Numerals 5a and 5b denote electrodes provided at both ends of the P layer 2 which is a surface layer, and numerals 6a and 6b denote output terminals extending from those electrodes. Numeral 7 denotes a bias electrode attached to the N layer 4 which constitutes the back of the photodiode. Numeral 8 denotes light which is incident on the photodiode 1, and numerals 9a and 9b denote photocurrents generated by the light 8.
The operation of such conventional position detector will now be described. Upon incidence of light 8 on the flat plate-like photodiode 1 in a certain position, an electric charge proportional to the energy of the light 8 is generated in the incident position. The electric charge thus generated passes through the P layer 2 as photocurrents 9a and 9b, which currents are outputted from the electrodes 5a and 5b, respectively. The electric charge in the incident position of the light 8 is divided into electric currents to both electrodes 5a and 5b in inverse proportion to resistance values of the P layer 2 portions up to the electrodes 5a and 5b, respectively. Since the P layer 2 is formed so as to be uniform in resistance value throughout the whole surface thereof, the division of current is inversely proportional to the distance from the incident position of the light 8 up to each of the electrodes 5a and 5b. Therefore, if the electric currents outputted from the electrodes 5a and 5b to the output terminals 6a and 6b are Ia and Ib, respectively, the spacing between the electrodes 5a and 5b is L, and the incident position of the light 8 with respect to the middle point between both electrodes which is assumed to be an origin, is X, the incident position of the light 8 can be detected in accordance with the following equation: EQU (Ia-Ib)/(Ia+Ib)=2X/L (1)
FIG. 2 shows the structure of another conventional position detector, which is described on page 125 of a collection of drafts for "The Third Robot Sensor Symposium" (1992). In the same figure, the numeral 11 denotes a flat plate-like photodiode which corresponds to the photodiode 1 in FIG. 1. Numeral 12 denotes a resistor serving as a dividing resistor, which is formed in parallel with the photodiode 11. Numeral 13 denotes an electrically conductive layer projecting onto the photodiode 11 at equal intervals like the teeth of a comb, and numeral 14 denotes an output electrode drawn out from the resistor 12, the output electrode 14 being provided in a plural number.
The operation of this position detector is basically the same as the position detector illustrated in FIG. 1, provided a difference is recognized in the following point. A photocurrent generated by the incidence of a light spot is conducted to the resistor 12 by means of the conductive layer 13 projecting onto the photodiode 11, whereby variations in the resistance value of the photodiode 11 are absorbed. A section area corresponding to the incidence of the light spot is selected on the basis of current values detected in the output electrodes 14 located at both ends and an incident position of the light spot is specified on the basis of current values in the output electrodes 14 disposed at both ends of the selected section area.
The following description is now provided about an optical rotary encoder. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the construction of a conventional optical rotary encoder which is shown, for example, in "Optical Application Technique 1991, III-1" (Shadan Hojin: Optoelectro-Mechanics Association, published Apr. 30, 1991). In the same figure, the numeral 21 denotes a light emitting element, numeral 22 denotes a light receiving element disposed in an opposed relation to the light emitting element 21, and numeral 23 denotes a rotary slit disk fixed to a rotatable shaft in a position between the light emitting element 21 and the light receiving element 22. Numeral 24 denotes a fixed slit plate disposed between the light emitting element 21 and the light receiving element 22 together with the rotary slit disk 23. Numeral 25 denotes an amplifier for amplifying a signal obtained by the reception and conversion of light in the light receiving element 22 after passing through the rotary slit disk 23 and the fixed slit disk 24.
The operation of such conventional optical rotary encoder will now be described. In the rotary slit disk 23 are formed n number of concentric tracks constituted by slits corresponding to binary code bits which represent absolute angle addresses. Generally, the number of tracks, n, corresponds to the binary code length, n and it is determined by an angular resolution of the encoder used. In the illustrated example, n is set at 4. The fixed slit plate 24 is disposed on an optical path connecting the light emitting element 21 and the light receiving element 22. A rotational angle of the rotatable shaft is coded to the presence or absence of transmitted light from the rotary slit disk 23 and the fixed slit plate 24. This code is converted to an electric signal by the light receiving element 22, which signal is then amplified by the amplifier 25 and outputted.
According to the construction of the conventional position detector, as referred to above, the electrodes 5a and 5b are disposed at both ends of the flat plate-like photodiode 1. Therefore, in the case of forming the photodiode annularly for detecting an incident position of the light spot having an annular path, it is necessary to dispose two output electrodes 5a and 5b in any positions on the annular photodiode 1. In this construction, when the light spot is radiated to both electrodes 5a and 5b or to the gap between both electrodes, there arises a problem such that an output in the position detection is indefinite.
Since the conventional optical rotary encoder has the foregoing construction, in order to clearly detect the amount of light transmitted through openings of both rotary slit disk 23 and the fixed slit plate 24, it is necessary to dispose the disk 23 and the plate 24 in close proximity to each other. Particularly in the case of a high resolution encoder, the diffusion of light is marked because of a narrower slit width, so that a change in the spacing between the rotary slit disk 23 and the fixed slit plate 24 causes a great change in detection characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the spacing. There has also been a problem in that an eccentric condition caused by an error accidentally generated on fabricating the rotary slit disk 23 or an error accidentally generated on mounting the disk 23 to the rotatable shaft directly leads to an angle detection error.

Annular photodiode for use in an optical rotary encoder


An integral turbo jet/ram jet propulsion system has co-axial forward and rear portions and includes a converging supersonic compression chamber and an inlet in the forward portion for directing air into the supersonic compression chamber. A diverging subsonic compression chamber is disposed rearwardly of the supersonic compression chamber. An inlet sonic throat connects the supersonic compression chamber and the subsonic compression chamber and directs a flow of air from the supersonic compression chamber through the throat and into the subsonic compression chamber. A high by-pass turbo jet engine is disposed adjacent to the subsonic compression chamber for heating and expanding the air which passes into the engine. A subsonic expansion exhaust chamber and supersonic expansion exhaust chamber are disposed rearwardly of the engine with an exhaust sonic throat between the two. The exhaust sonic throat connects the subsonic expansion chamber an the supersonic expansion chamber and directs the air from the engine and the subsonic expansion chamber into and through the supersonic expansion chamber. A throttle member is disposed in each of the throats for increasing and decreasing the amount of compression and expansion as the flow of air passes through each of the throats to an exhaust outlet. The heated expanded air maintains a higher velocity and pressure in and against the supersonic expansion chamber than in the supersonic compression chamber to thereby produce a ram jet effect.

Turbo jet and ram jet engines have been combined in aircraft which are designed for supersonic flight. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,764 of Lane et al. discloses an aircraft with a plurality of engines wherein the engines are partly turbo jet engines and partly simple combustors forming a ram jet system. A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,377 of Wildner discloses a turboramjet engine. As disclosed by Wildner, a turboramjet engine is provided with a ram pressure air duct shrouding the basic turbo jet engine in an annular manner. When the ram jet operation is disconnected, the ram pressure air duct, while at the same time intake air is released into the basic engine, is blocked off with respect to the supply of ram pressure air. A ring slide is provided which is axially adjustable to always be opposite a body which blocks the ram pressure air duct when the inflow cross-section of the basic engine is unblocked and unblocks it when the inflow cross-section is blocked.
A turbo jet/ram jet propulsion system in accordance with the present invention provides improved performance by efficiently using the waste heat from the turbo jet engine to produce ram jet thrust. This efficiency is achieved by the total integration of the turbo jet and ram jet principles into the flow design which will be described hereinafter.


A biosensor that is capable of measuring a material contained in a sample is provided. The biosensor is configured to be inserted into a display device, and measures a material contained in the sample. The biosensor includes i) first and second substrates that are opposed to each other; ii) a sample guiding layer that has two sample injection openings and is located on the first substrate; iii) a first electrode that is located between the first substrate and the sample guiding layer; iv) a second electrode that is located between the second substrate and the sample guiding layer; v) a third electrode that is located between the sample guiding layer and the second substrate; and vi) a penetrated opening that penetrates the first substrate, the sample guiding layer, and the second substrate. The second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode. The biosensor further includes i) a long edge, and ii) a short edge that shares a corner of the biosensor and neighbors the long edge. Each of the two sample injection openings is formed to correspond to the long edge and the short edge, respectively.

(a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a biosensor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a biosensor for detecting a target material from a blood sample.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, biosensors such as blood glucose meters use an electrochemical method. The electrochemical detecting method generally involves a structure in which an enzyme and a mediator are immobilized in a cell consisting of an anode and a cathode. When a sample is introduced to the inside of such a biosensor, the target material in the sample is oxidized by the catalytic action of an enzyme, while oxygen or an electron transfer medium is reduced. Here, the reduced oxygen or electron transfer medium is oxidized under compulsion by the voltage of the electrode to cause changes in electrons. A method of quantifying such changes in electrons and indirectly measuring the amount of the target material is referred to as an electrochemical detecting method.
Since such biosensors use blood as a specimen, the biosensors are subject to interference depending on the types of blood. Furthermore, there is a need to develop a biosensor that uses smaller blood samples, and that can make measurements more rapidly, more conveniently, and more accurately.


The present invention provides a method for locating a data frame. The method mainly includes: allocating a framing state machine to each byte of a data stream within a current clock cycle; respectively starting, by the framing state machines, hunting for data frames from respective corresponding bytes, and obtaining a plurality of data frame hunt results; and selecting one hunt result from the plurality of data frame hunt results according to a data frame hunt result within a previous clock cycle as a data frame hunt result within the current clock cycle.

With convergence of communications networks, intercommunication and interconnection between an optical transport network and an IP network, as well as other networks, are widely applied. When functioning as a physical layer network of a network of another type, an optical transport network must encapsulate data of the network of another type in a certain format, and the most common encapsulation form is GFP (Generic framing procedure, generic framing procedure) encapsulation.
Common GFP encapsulation is often applied to 1 G-10 G low rate code streams. Therefore, the maximum bit width of encapsulated data is 64 bits. However, with rapid development of networks, encapsulated data streams range from 40 G to 200 G and the data bit width then changes to range from 128 bits to 512 bits. As regards these data streams with large bit widths, a plurality of data frames may be encapsulated within a clock cycle. For example, when a data stream has a bit width of 521 bits, data of each clock cycle is 512/8=64 bytes, and usually the length of a GFP frame is 12 bytes, so that five data frames may be encapsulated within a clock cycle.
In the prior art, a method for performing a frame location on a GFP frame encapsulated within a clock cycle is: adopting a framing state machine to perform a hunt on a data stream within a current clock cycle byte by byte, and determine a starting byte of a header of a GFP frame. The framing state machine includes three states, which respectively are: a HUNT (hunt) state, a PRESYNC (preliminary synchronization) state, and a SYNC (synchronization) state.
The framing state machine is in the HUNT state when a hunt starts, and starts the hunt from a first byte of the data stream in the current clock cycle. After a byte conforming to features of a header of a first GFP frame is hunted out, the state of the framing state machine changes to the PRESYNC state. Then, according to length information of the GFP frame carried in the byte conforming to the features of the header of the GFP frame, the framing state machine hunts out a starting byte of a header of a second GFP frame. After authentication on the starting byte of the header of the GFP frame succeeds, the state of the framing state machine changes to the SYNC state. The framing state machine determines that the starting bytes of the header of the first GFP frame and the header of the second GFP frame are correct, and records the starting bytes of the header of the first GFP frame and the header of the second GFP frame and lengths of the frames in the hunt result. Then, the framing state machine continues the hunt from the starting byte of the header of the second GFP frame until a set hunt period corresponding to the current clock cycle ends.
When the framing state machine is in the PRESYNC state or SYNC state, if the starting byte of the header of the second GFP frame is hunted out, but authentication on the starting byte fails, the framing state machine changes to the HUNT state.
In the implementation of the present invention, the inventor finds that the method for performing a frame location on a GFP frame encapsulated within a clock cycle in the prior art at least has the following problem: since the period of a clock cycle is very short, the set hunt period corresponding to the current clock cycle is also very short. The framing state machine starts the hunt from the first byte of the data stream within the current clock cycle. If the first byte is not the starting byte of the GFP frame, and when a plurality of data frames are encapsulated within the current clock cycle, the method may fail to hunt out a correct starting byte of the GFP frame, and as a result, cannot locate a GFP frame encapsulated in the data stream within the current clock cycle.

Method, apparatus, and system for data transmission


In a low-temperature current transfer structure including a conductor with a cold end for connection to a superconductive component and a warm end for connection to a bus, there are provided heat exchange regions around the conductor at the cold end and a heat exchange region within the conductor at the warm end where the conductor is hollow cylindrical and, in a transition zone, includes passages for conducting coolant from the heat exchange regions around the conductor to the heat exchange region within the hollow conductor at the warm end to which electrical connectors are mounted on the outside. The arrangement permits heating of the coolant within the conductor close to ambient temperature so that no condensation or icing of the structure occurs and no insulation is needed at the connector end. Also the amount of coolant required is reduced so that also cooling equipment requirements are reduced.

The invention relates to a low-temperature current transfer structure which includes a heat exchanger and which has a cold end to which a supercooled, that is, a superconductive component, is connected and an opposite warm end to which cables or current busses are connected. At the cold end, the temperature is close to the absolute zero point while the warm end is at ambient temperature.
With such current transfer structures, high to very high electric currents are supplied to low-temperature superconductive components. The transition from a material of normal conductivity to superconductive material occurs within the current transfer structure.
The current passing through normally conductive material generates heat according to Joule's principle. This heat as well as the heat transmitted from the environment by way of heat transfer has to be removed effectively and reliably so that superconductivity can be maintained. Measures which increase the surface area and a sufficiently large flow of a coolant with good heat capacity are a prerequisite herefor.
The usual designs for low-temperature current transfer structures are such that, at the cold end, the superconductor extends somewhat into the contact area of the current transfer structure and is connected to it there. Above the contact area around the current transfer structure, that is, in the actual heat exchanger area, there are provided surface-enlarging means for the transmission of heat to a coolant flowing therepast. In the normal current transfer structures such surface-enlarging means are, for example, capillaries, wires, filaments, corrugated or rolled metal sheets or wire mesh.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,809 discloses a gas-cooled porous electric conductor up to 450 A with nonconstant cross-section. The proposed form for the porous electric conductor is either a spirally gourd metal screen or a stretched or perforated metal sheet exposed to a coolant flow for the removal of heat therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,377 discloses a current conducting arrangement with a two-way conductor used for supplying current to and from a current source in a cooled load structure.
However, with all these methods, electric current transfer from the heat exchange region to the connector at the warm end takes place in an inadequately cooled area where, at the same time, a substantial amount of heat is generated by the resistance of the electric current.
Low-temperature current transfer structures of this type are mentioned in CRYOGENICS, Apr. 1975, page 197 in an article by Yu L. Buyanov et al. (see particularly column 2, fourth paragraph).
In spite of the heat generated there, the coolant is not heated up to ambient temperature because of insufficient heat exchange surface area. This leads to condensation and the formation of ice which detrimentally affects the electric high-voltage strength at those points.
With such current transfer structures substantial efforts are required to prevent the formation of ice in the area of the warm ends thereof. Two basic measures are utilized alternatively or in combination. One is the provision of heating means by which the warm end area is sufficiently heated. The other is the provision of enclosures through which dry gas is conducted. Both measures if used alone or in combination require substantial design efforts and expenses for technical and physical reasons because of the high current flow and potentially high electrical voltages.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a low-temperature current transfer structure with heat exchangers having heat exchange areas at the warm end by which icing of the current supply structure or the coolant conduit during high current operation as well as during low current operation or without current flow is avoided.

Low-temperature current transfer structure with heat exchanger