Disclosed embodiments provide an electrofusion pipe coupler with mechanical support. The electrofusion pipe coupler comprises a coupler housing. A wire is configured and disposed within the housing. Electrodes are affixed to the coupler housing and in electrical contact with the wire. A threaded pattern is formed in an outer surface of the coupler housing. Gripping wedges are affixed to the coupler housing. Each gripping wedge extends from the coupler housing. A nut is attached to the coupler housing, engaging with the threaded pattern, and compressing the wedges against the connecting pipes. This serves to provide axial load transfer from the connecting pipes to the coupler housing via the wedges, thereby providing improved mechanical stability for such pipe assemblies.

Electrofusion is a technique for joining thermoplastic pipes, such as where valves, elbows, and tees must be added. Prefabricated fittings are used, incorporating an electrical heating coil which melts the plastic of both the fitting and the pipe, causing them to fuse together. While electrofusion has various advantages, there are also some shortcomings. Pipe joints manufactured via existing electrofusion methods are limited by the inability to join thermoset pipe, the inability to join unbonded reinforced thermoplastic pipe (RTP), a low shear strength of bonded plastic compared to axial loads in pipes, and a low burst pressure of short fiber reinforced composite or neat thermoplastic. Therefore, it is desirable to have improvements in pipe joining techniques and equipment.

Continuous fiber reinforced composite and metal electrofusion coupler

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Germany GmbH


A printing cylinder/roller cleaning apparatus for a printing press includes a cleaning cloth, a take-up shaft, a supply shaft, a ratchet wheel, a lock member, a swing lever, a one-way clutch, and an air cylinder. The cleaning cloth is pressed against a circumferential surface of a rotating printing cylinder/roller. The take-up shaft takes up the cleaning cloth. The supply shaft supplies the cleaning cloth. The ratchet wheel is coaxially mounted on the supply shaft. The lock lever is engaged with the ratchet wheel when the cleaning cloth is not taken up. The swing lever is coaxially mounted on the take-up shaft and rotated to actuate the lock lever, thereby releasing engagement between the ratchet wheel and the lock lever. The one-way clutch connects the take-up shaft with the swing lever only in a direction to take up the cleaning cloth. The air cylinder pivots the swing lever in response to a cleaning operation of the printing cylinder/roller.

The present invention relates to a printing cylinder/roller cleaning apparatus for a printing press, which cleans the circumferential surface of a printing cylinder, e.g., a blanket cylinder, an impression cylinder, or a transfer cylinder, and the circumferential surface of a roller, e.g., a form roller or a vibrating roller.
Generally, a printing cylinder/roller cleaning apparatus of this type has a cleaning cloth take-up mechanism comprising a pair of rotatably supported roller-shaped cloth guides pressed against the circumferential surface of a printing cylinder/roller through a cleaning cloth, a supply shaft for supplying the cleaning cloth to the cloth guides, and a take-up shaft for taking up the cleaning cloth supplied from the supply shaft. The cleaning cloth is pressed against the circumferential surface of the printing cylinder/roller by intermittently taking up the cleaning cloth on the take-up shaft from the supply shaft, and the residue, e.g., ink dust or paper dust on the circumferential surface of the printing cylinder/roller is wiped with the cleaning cloth, thereby cleaning the circumferential surface of the printing cylinder/roller. In this case, when the cleaning cloth is taken up in the downstream side of the printing cylinder/roller, the cleaning cloth can be undesirably caught in the printing cylinder/roller. Hence, the supply shaft must be provided with a countermeasure so that the cleaning cloth will not be pulled unless the cleaning cloth is taken up.
An example of an apparatus provided with such a countermeasure is a cylinder cleaning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-20349. In the cylinder cleaning apparatus disclosed in this official gazette, a rotation stop mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel mounted on the shaft end of a supply shaft, a ratchet to be engaged with this ratchet wheel, an air cylinder for engaging and disengaging the ratchet with and from the ratchet wheel, and a spring for biasing the ratchet away from the ratchet wheel is provided to the supply shaft. When the cleaning cloth is to be taken up on the take-up shaft, while the ratchet is separated from the ratchet wheel by the biasing force of the spring, the take-up shaft is driven by a take-up driving unit to take up the cleaning cloth. Unless the cleaning cloth is to be taken up, the ratchet is engaged with the ratchet wheel against the biasing force of the spring by the operation of the air cylinder as the driving unit of the rotation stop mechanism, so that rotation of the supply shaft in the supply direction is prohibited, thereby preventing the cleaning cloth to be pulled out.
However, in the conventional cylinder cleaning apparatus described above, the driving unit for driving the rotation stop mechanism comprising the air cylinder is required in addition to the take-up driving unit for the take-up shaft. In addition, since take-up driving of the take-up shaft and rotation regulation release of the supply shaft must be performed almost simultaneously, when the take-up driving mechanism and the rotation stop mechanism respectively having a separate driving means are to be interlocked, the entire apparatus is increased in size, and the operation becomes complicated, so that a smooth operation cannot be obtained.

Printing cylinder/roller cleaning apparatus for printing press


A method and apparatus has a body of graphite and a magnetic field source operatively connected with the body of graphite so that a magnetic field of the magnetic field source penetrates at least a portion of a surface of the body of graphite. The portion of the surface is crystalline graphite. At least one of the magnetic field source and the body of graphite is movable relative to the other for movement of the at least one of the magnetic field source and the body of graphite relative to the other to cause the magnetic field in the surface portion of the body of graphite to vary to induce eddy currents in the body of graphite and heat the body of graphite.

There is a need for methods for the use, storage or recovery of forms of energy which at present are under-utilised, or utilised inefficiently. Examples of such forms of energy are waste heat from industrial processes, heat from waste incineration, and solar energy in various forms, such as insolation, tidal energy, wind energy, ocean currents and hydrodynamic energy. Insolation energy conversion in particular is the subject of intensive research. Present methods of collection of solar energy mainly depend either on using the solar collector to heat water and generate steam which is then converted to rotary motive power, or on using solar radiation to produce electrical energy in solar cells. Other forms of waste heat energy are often utilised by heating water and generating steam. In such processes, major losses in the energy collection and conversion to steam are inherent. In addition, the energy collected and converted cannot be economically stored. Such a disadvantage is particularly acute in the collection of solar energy, because of the variability and unpredictability of the incidence of solar radiation.
The direct conversion of solar energy to electricity is at present only possible with relatively low efficiencies. Current methods of storing solar energy converted into electrical power are by use of electrical storage batteries but in most cases, known batteries are too expensive and inefficient to justify their widespread use.
A further shortcoming of present energy supply technologies results from the need for large scale commercial producers of electricity to install generating capacity substantially in excess of the average demand, because electricity generating plant must meet peaks of demand, which typically occur in the mornings and evenings and which are usually highest in winter, and because there previously existed no convenient and inexpensive method for storing electrical energy on a large scale.
Thus, there is a need for a method which provides for efficient conversion and/or storage of energy, particularly waste or low grade heat energy.
The unusual properties of graphite render it of surprising utility in the collection and storage of energy. The useful properties of graphite in this connection include: (a) its high thermal conductivity, (b) its high heat capacity, especially at elevated temperatures and (c) heat lost by radiation is relatively low when graphite is hot (except for long wavelength radiation).
Further, known methods for the utilisation of solar energy in its various forms are subject to inefficiencies, particularly, in the case of windmills or water turbines, at low air or water flow rates (such as in low winds, in the case of windmills.) Thus there is a need for an improved apparatus for generating electricity from a moving fluid, and for a an improved apparatus for more efficiently converting solar energy in the form of wind or water power into more directly usable heat energy.
Additionally, known methods for the collection of solar radiation using lenses or mirrors tend to be cumbersome and expensive owing to the need for sophisticated tracking equipment to permit the lens or mirror to be positioned at all times of the day and in all seasons so as to collect the sun's rays. There is therefore a need for an improved process for producing a lens which can simplify the collection of solar radiation.

Apparatus for eddy current heating a body of graphite


A system for improved reliability operations of a system with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) are presented. The system includes a processor configured to execute a model library to model a safety system. The model library includes a plurality of subsystem models each configured to derive a reliability measure. The system also includes the HRSG and an HRSG advisory system. The HRSG advisory system may be executed by the processor and is configured to receive one or more condition monitoring algorithm results, receive one or more measurements; and determine a probability of failure for the HRSG based at least in part on the one or more condition monitoring algorithm results, the one or more measurements, the model library, or a combination thereof. Moreover, determining the probability of failure includes determining a most likely state of a plurality of states of the HRSG.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to operations, and more specifically, to reliability operations of systems having a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG).
Machine systems, including turbomachine systems, may include a variety of components and subsystems participating in a process. For example, a turbomachine may include fuel lines, combustors, turbine system, exhaust systems, and so forth, participating in the generation of power. The components and subsystems may additionally include a safety instrumented system (SIS) suitable for monitoring the process, and determining if the process is operating within certain safety limits. The SIS may automatically actuate certain devices, such as field devices (e.g., valves, pumps), to bring the process back into a desired safety range. However, machine systems may be complex, including numerous interrelated components and subsystems. Accordingly, recognizing or predicting a reliability of operations, such as SIS operations, may be difficult and time-consuming.

Systems and methods for improved reliability operations


A bearing device in which a rolling bearing is fitted on one axial end of a shaft and in which the one axial end of the shaft is caulked to fix the rolling bearing while preventing the same from coming out. The shape of the outer end face of the caulked portion is devised to maximize the resistance to the coming-out by the caulked portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bearing device having a rolling bearing fitted on a shaft. This bearing device can be utilized, for example, in the fields of a vehicular hub unit or a guide roller of the slide door of an automobile, and in other general fields of bearing devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIG. 17, a vehicular hub unit will be described as one example of the bearing device. In this hub unit B, a double row angular contact ball bearing 82 with vertex of contact angles outside of bearing is fitted on a journal 81 of a hub wheel 80. The free end of the journal 81 is rolled-caulked to bend radially outward. This bent caulked portion 85 is pushed onto the outer end face of an inner ring 84 of the bearing 82. As a result, the bearing 82 is so fixed on the hub wheel 80 as to be prevented from coming out.
The caulked portion 85 is so curved as to have an entirely roundish outer end face, as shown in FIG. 18. The curve at the outer end face of the caulked portion 85 has a single radius of curvature r0.
The cylindrical free end of the journal 81 at the hub wheel 80 is rolled-caulked by using a caulking jig 90, as shown in FIG. 19. At this time, the leading end of the caulking jig 90 is applied to the journal 81 and is rolled at a predetermined angle θ on a single-dotted line O. As a result, the free end of the journal 81 is bent radially outward so that the inner ring 84 is prevented from coming out by the bent caulked portion 85.
In the example of the prior art thus far described, the shape of the outer end face of the caulked portion 85 is not strictly managed. This outer end face of the caulked portion 85 usually has a roundish shape. As a result, the shape of the caulked portion 85 may disperse for the caulking works. In an extreme case, the radially intermediate portion of the caulked portion 85 may leave and float over the inner ring 84. In this case, a resistance to a coming-out load, i.e., a coming-out resistance has a tendency to fall short.
On the other hand, the outer end face of the caulked portion 85 may be formed of a curve having a single radius of curvature r0. The caulked portion 85 of this outer end face shape is achieved by a caulking treatment under a substantially constant pressure from the initial to final stages of the caulking process. In this case, too, there occurs the aforementioned defect.
Against this defect, it is conceivable to inspect the finished state of the caulked portion 85 visually after the caulking treatment. Since the outer end face of the caulked portion 85 has the roundish shape, however, it is impossible to confirm from the appearance whether or not the floating state has occurred.


A chair is provided having a seat with a resiliently deflectable shell defining a front portion thereof. The front shell is deflectable downwardly in response to the user. An adjustment mechanism is provided which controls the deflected position of the front shell section to provide for controlled deflection of the seat which adjusts the effected length of the seat while also providing for user responsive deflection of the seat.

Office chairs include a seat-back arrangement having a horizontally enlarged seat and a back projecting upwardly from a rear edge of the seat. The seat has a front edge thereof which defines the forwardmost point of contact between the upward facing seat surface and the thighs of a chair occupant or user. Various chairs have been designed which allow for adjustment of the contact points between the chair seat and the occupant's thighs.
The invention relates to an improved chair seat arrangement which allows adjustment of the contact point. In the inventive seat arrangement, the seat includes a front portion thereof which is adapted to support the thighs of the user and also is deflectable downwardly in response to the weight of the occupant and the occupant's movements. The seat is formed of a resilient material which is normally biased to an undeflected position.
To adjust the contact point between the front seat section and the occupant's thighs, an adjustment mechanism is provided so that the front seat portion may be pulled downwardly or pushed upwardly depending upon the seat construction, which adjusts the forwardmost contact point between the front seat section and the occupant's thighs and thereby adjusts the effective length of the seat. The adjustment mechanism preferably provides an adjustment force acting opposite to the resilient restoring force of the seat while the seat section remains essentially unrestrained in the downward direction. Thus, when the adjustment mechanism modifies the deflection of the front seat section to an adjusted position, the front seat section is still able to move downwardly away from the adjusted position in response to the weight and movements of the occupant, or upon removal of the occupant's influences, to restore itself to the adjusted position defined by the adjustment mechanism.
In one embodiment, the adjustment mechanism comprises a cable which is connected to the front seat section wherein pulling on the cable pulls the front seat section downwardly, but the flexibility of the cable still allows for additional downward deflection away from the adjusted position. In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism may comprise a resilient lever which pushes the seat upwardly but is deflectable downwardly.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words "upwardly", "downwardly", "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the system and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

Chair having a seat with adjustable front edge


A machine for forming a case from a blank of sheet material includes a body, a mandrel mounted on the body and having an external shape complimentary to an internal shape of at least a portion of the case, a member mounted on the body adjacent the mandrel for applying a force to the blank for at least one of folding a portion of the blank around the mandrel, moving the blank, and securing portions of the blank together, and a servomechanism operatively connected to the member for driving and controlling movement of the member to apply the force to the blank.

This invention relates generally to cases formed from sheet material, and more specifically to dispenser cases, blanks of sheet material for producing dispenser cases, and methods and apparatus for forming dispenser cases.
Paperboard dispensers are often used to dispense multiple individual articles, such as confectionary products (e.g., candy, gum, etc.), bulk products, food condiments (e.g., packets of sugar, salt, ketchup, mustard, etc.), or other dispensable articles. The dispenser is usually filled with the articles and closed for transportation to a home, restaurant, or retail store. Once at the home, restaurant, or store the dispenser is opened and the articles can be removed therefrom for purchase, consumption, etc. Dispensers therefore often include a dispenser panel that is movable (e.g., slidable or hinged) with respect to the dispenser such that an opening within the dispenser can be closed for transport and yet opened for access to the articles when desired. However, due to the complexity of the at least some known dispenser panels, such dispensers are difficult and time-consuming to manufacture. Accordingly, such dispensers are costly to manufacture and require more human attention in the forming of the dispenser, as well as a more sophisticated forming machine, than many non-dispenser cases. Moreover, because of the increased costs, at least some dispenser cases are simply designed in an effort to reduce costs, manufacturing time, and labor, which oftentimes results in reduced functionality of the dispenser.

Blank and methods and apparatus for forming a dispenser case from the blank

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.


Cell based assays are used to assess the hepatotoxicity of a stimulus. Imaging technologies are used to analyze the effects of a stimulus on hepatocytes. Image analysis may characterize the stimulus on the basis of whether it is hepatotoxic, and if so what type of pathology is exhibited; e.g., apoptosis, necrosis, cholestasis, and/or steatosis.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for assessing the hepatotoxicity of a stimulus. More particularly, the present invention relates to image analysis methods and apparatus that characterize a stimulus based upon phenotypic characteristics of hepatocytes and some other cell types exposed to the stimulus.
II. Background
Hepatotoxicity is a major safety concern for drug development. Approximately 90 percent of lead candidates fail to become drugs, and hepatotoxicity accounts for about 22 percent of these failures. Traditionally, a variety of strategies have been used to predict hepatotoxicity during preclinical development. These include incubating compounds with cultured hepatocytes to measure cytotoxicity or induction of the various isoforms comprising the drug metabolizing CYP enzymes. Biochemical enzyme assays, using purified CYP enzymes or crude liver microsome extracts, are used to determine the substrate activities of drug candidates and to profile their metabolic products using chromatographic methods.
Animal studies have also been widely used to predict human hepatotoxicity. In these studies, rats or mice are dosed with various concentrations of the test compound, and the animals are monitored for important serum markers such as serum albumin, prothrombin, bilirubin, AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphate at different time points. The animals are then sacrificed, and a full histopathological analysis of the liver, kidney, and other important organs and/or tissues is carried out.
More recently, gene expression studies have been used to predict hepatotoxicity. The RNA is isolated from cultured hepatocytes or liver sections from animals and analyzed using microarray technology. The advantages of this approach include faster turnaround times and less labor compared to animal pathology studies, and the method (as applied to cultured hepatocytes) requires a smaller amount of the experimental compound. Many industrial and academic groups are attempting to identify key genes that are expressed during a hepatotoxic response. The goal is to create a database that contains the gene expression patterns of known hepatotoxins and associated liver pathologies. The database is then used to predict the mechanism of hepatotoxicity by comparing the gene expression patterns of a new compound to those of reference compounds. This approach is still under development, and the number of marker genes reported to be relevant for the rat model varies from 400 to over 3000 genes. See "Serious liver injury: leading reasons for drug removals, restrictions" www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/301_liver.html; and ToxExpress™ Application Note, GeneExpress ToxExpress Predictive System™, Gene Logic, Gaithersburg, Md. (2002).
Unfortunately, none of the traditional approaches adequately predicts the hepatotoxic potential of drugs that reach the marketplace. At least three drugs within the last five years, Duract (bromfenac), Trovan (trovafloxacin) and Rezulin (troglitazone), have significant use limitations or were pulled from the market due to human hepatotoxicity. Thus, there is a great need for new methods to predict hepatotoxicity, and to use these methods early in the lead optimization process to save time and cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Predicting hepatotoxicity using cell based assays


The invention relates to isolated polynucleotides homologous with a portion of one strand of the human tumor suppressor gene, FEZ1, and to the tumor suppressor protein encoded thereby, Fez1. The polynucleotides are useful, for example, as probes, primers, portions of expression vectors, and the like. The invention also includes diagnostic, therapeutic, cell proliferation enhancement, and screening methods which involve these polynucleotides and protein. The invention further includes kits useful for performing the methods of the invention.

The invention relates generally to cancer and tumor suppressor genes.
Proliferation of normal cells is thought to be regulated by growth-promoting proto-oncogenes and by growth-constraining tumor suppressor genes (Weinberg, 1991, Science 254:1138). Genetic alterations that inactivate tumor suppressor genes or that activate proto-oncogenes free cells from growth constraints imposed by the non-altered genes, thereby enabling tumor growth. Accumulation of genetic aberrations in a cell in vivo causes the cell to proceed from a normal growth or quiescent stage, potentially through a discernable pre-neoplastic stage, to a cancerous stage in which the cell replicates abnormally quickly, and potentially spreads to body locations at which the cell is not normally found (Knudson, 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:10914; Nowell, 1993, Adv. Cancer Res. 62:1).
The presence of a tumor suppressor gene at a particular chromosomal location is sometimes evidenced by an increased prevalence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the chromosomal location in tumor tissues, relative to non-cancerous tissue (Weinberg, 1991, Science 254:1138; Lasko et al., 1991, Ann. Rev. Genet. 25:281; Knudson, 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:10914; Nowell, 1993, Adv. Cancer Res. 62:1). Allelotyping studies indicate that allelic loss(es) on chromosome 8p, particularly at band 21–22, are associated with various tumors, including prostate tumors, breast tumors, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, urinary bladder carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, and hematological malignancies (Kagan et al., 1995, Oncogene 11:2121; Macoska et al., 1995, Cancer Res. 55:5390; Jenkins et al., 1998, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 21:131; Yaremko et al., 1995, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 13:186; Yaremko et al., 1996, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 16:189; Kerangueven et al., 1997, Cancer Res. 57:5469; Anbazhagan et al., 1998, Am. J. Pathol. 152:815; El-Naggar et al., 1998, Oncogene 16:2983; Sunwoo et al., 1996, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 16:164; Wu et al., 1997, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 20:347; Wagner et al., 1997, Am. J. Pathol. 151:753; Boige et al., 1997, Cancer Res. 57:1986; Takeuchi et al., 1995, Cancer Res. 55:5377).
Studies in which chromosome regions were transferred into tumor cells have provided evidence that one or more tumor suppressor genes is present at human chromosome location 8p (Gustafson et al., 1996, Cancer Res. 56:5238; Ichikawa et al., 1994, Cancer Res. 54:2299; Kuramochi et al., 1997, Prostate 31:14). These observations suggest that chromosome region 8p21–22 has an important role in the development of various tumors.
Efforts by others to identify tumor suppressor gene(s) located on chromosome 8p identified two candidate tumor suppressor genes, designated N33 and PRLTS (Bookstein et al., 1997, Br. J. Urol. 79(Suppl. 1):28; Bova et al., 1996, Genomics 35:46; MacGrogan et al., 1996, Genomics 35:55; Cher et al., 1994, Genes Chromosom. Cancer 11:153; Bookstein, et al., 1994, Genomics 24:317; Fujiwara et al., 1995, Oncogene 10:891; Komiya et al., 1997, Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 88:389). Gene N33 is located at position 8p22, near the MSR gene locus, but no point mutations in N33 have been associated with tumors. Four cancer-associated point mutations have been reported in PRLTS, which is located at position 8p21.3–22. The frequency of alterations in this gene was, however, very low. Thus, it is unlikely that either the N33 gene or the PRLTS gene are tumor suppressor genes associated with common cancers.
Until the present disclosure, the tumor suppressor gene(s) located at chromosome location 8p has not been identified. The failure of others to identify this gene has delayed development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and other useful methods and compositions which involve this tumor suppressor gene. The present invention enables these methods and compositions.

Compositions, kits, and methods relating to the human FEZ1 gene, a novel tumor suppressor gene


A proximity alert system tracks geographic locations of riders and drivers using global navigation satellite system receivers in their mobile devices or in a device such as a beacon or dashcam. The proximity alert system compares the location data received from the riders' and drivers' devices and determines whether a service-requesting user is within a threshold distance of one of the driver devices that does not belong to the driver assigned to provide transport service for the rider. If so, the proximity alert system can communicate a notification message to the rider to confirm whether the rider is in the correct car. The proximity alert system can also communicate a message to the driver asking the driver to double-check the identity of the rider.

A network service can enable users to request and receive various services through applications on mobile computing devices. The network service typically selects a service provider to fulfill the request for service based on user-specified data from the request. These service providers can interact with the network service to accept or decline service requests, receive data about the requesting users, and set various status modes such as whether the provider is online and available to fulfill requests or offline.


The present invention provides a method for programming and erasing a plurality of flash memory cells simultaneously while the power consumptions for those operations are significantly reduced, and the method for programming a memory cell of a flash memory device, wherein the memory cell is formed on a P-well surrounded by an N-well of a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: applying a negative voltage to a control gate of the memory cell; applying a positive voltage to a drain of the memory cell; applying a positive voltage to the P-well, wherein the voltage is the same as or lower than the voltage applied to the drain; applying a power supply voltage to the N-well; and leaving a source of the memory cell uncoupled, wherein the steps are performed either in sequence or at random.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3A, a conventional method for programming and erasing a conventional flash memory cell is described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a NOR type flash memory cell array and a table of conventional bias voltage conditions for some modes of operations, and FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional diagram which shows the conventional mechanisms of programming and erasing.
In order to program a flash memory cell, a voltage of about 9V is applied to a control gate 10 of the selected memory cell, a power supply voltage Vcc of, e.g., 5V is applied to a bit line(drain) 40 of the selected memory cell and a ground voltage of, e.g., 0V is applied to other bit lines(not shown) of unselected memory cells(not shown). Under this bias condition, hot electrons are generated in the channel(not shown) in the vicinity of the drain of the selected memory cell and injected into a floating gate 20 of the memory cell.
While the above described programming process, a large amount of current of 300 .mu.A to 500 .mu.A is dissipated per each memory cell. Therefore, under the above described bias condition, only one word or byte of memory cells can be programmed at the same time. This becomes especially serious problem for portable apparatus which uses battery as power supply.
Further, in order to erase the flash memory cell, a voltage of about -9V is applied to the control gate 10 of the selected memory cell, the power supply voltage Vcc of 5V is applied to the source 30 of the selected memory cell. While erasing the flash memory cell, the drain 40 is left floated, which means the drain is not coupled to anything. Then, a strong electric field is established between the floating gate 20 and the source 30, so that the electrons stored in the floating gate 20 are ejected to the source 30 by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling("F-N tunneling"). Due to these ejected electrons, a leakage current is generated in the vicinity of the source 30.
One of the solutions to reduce this leakage current is to form a double diffused junction as the source junction. However, the double diffused source junction results in a lateral diffusion, so that the size of the memory cell is increased.

Method for programming and erasing a memory cell of a flash memory device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


The use of relatively heavy, large profile headers in a heat exchanger are avoided through a header construction wherein headers (20, 22) are formed of header plates (34) tapped with tank plates (36) having a concave surface (38) facing the header plate (34). The header plates (34) include a plurality of flanges (82) directed away from the tank plates (36) surrounding elongated slots (48). Each of the flanges (82) includes a pilot surface (80) extending about the associated slot (48) for receiving the end (90) of a flattened tube (20). The construction prevents the ends (90) of the tubes (28) from entering the header chambers (42) to a location whereat they could disrupt the flow of a heat exchange fluid therein to prevent uniform distribution of the same throughout the associated header (20, 22).

Recent years have seen the expenditure of considerable effort to reduce the size of various heat exchangers, particularly those used in air conditioning systems and even more particularly, those used in vehicular air conditioning systems. At the same time, heat exchange efficiency cannot be lost as the heat exchangers are down-sized.
Size reduction typically results in weight reduction which, in a given vehicle, can improve fuel economy. Furthermore, a size reduction permits greater freedom in designing the envelope, i.e. vehicle body, in which the heat exchanger will be housed. This, in turn, allows the achievement of designs that are more aerodynamically clean. This, in turn, provides another source of fuel savings.
Moreover, reduction in size frequently means that the refrigerant charge may be reduced as well. Given that most common refrigerants today are chloro fluoro carbons or so called "CFC's", and given further that CFC's have a deleterious effect on the ozone layer, a reduction in refrigerant charge reduces the amount of refrigerant that is potentially available to leak to the atmosphere.
Hydrochlorofluoro carbons (HCFC's) suggested a replacement for CFC's have adverse global warning potential.
In the quest for size and weight reduction, some effort has been focused on header construction. Headers are, of course, necessary to properly distribute the heat exchange fluid to one or more flow paths in which heat is exchanged. However, the headers themselves do not contribute significantly to heat exchange between fluids. Thus, to the extent that a header occupies part of a given envelope, it represents a reduction in that part of the envelope that may be devoted to the components primarily responsible for heat exchange, namely, tubes interconnecting the headers and fins extending between the tubes or runs of a tube.
At the same time, headers may be required to withstand substantial pressures. For example, it is not uncommon to design headers for use with condensers in vehicular air conditioning systems to withstand pressures approaching 2000 psi, even though such a pressure is substantially in excess of normal working pressure within the system.
To meet these and other objectives, the use of tubular headers has been proposed for heat exchangers used in vehicular air conditioning systems. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,580, issued Mar. 12, 1992, to Guntly et al., the details of which are herein incorporated by reference. This heat exchanger utilizes cylindrical tubes as headers. The tubes are slotted at regular intervals and then flattened tubes are brazed into the slots with fins extending between adjacent flattened tubes.
This construction results in a light weight, low volume, heat exchanger capable of withstanding substantial pressures and having a high efficiency. It appears to be well on its way to recognition as the state-of-the-art automotive air conditioning condenser.
At the same time, further efforts are being made to reduce header size so as to maximize the amount of tube and fin surface that may be contained in a given envelope. A number of recent patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,389 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to Wolf, have disclosed what might be termed "laminated header constructions". In these constructions, typically a minimum of three relatively thin plates are sandwiched together. One plate on the exterior of the sandwich may be a cap plate while the opposite exterior plate in the sandwich may be a tube plate, receiving the ends of flattened tubes or the like. The center plate may contain a series of channels interconnecting the various slots in the tube plate to define, with the tube plate and the cap plate, a header chamber.
This type of construction is highly pressure resistant and is of minimal volume, allowing an increase in the percentage of any given envelope that may be devoted to tubes and fins. However, the use of three or more plates is not as efficient from the weight standpoint as other types of headers.
As a consequence, two lamination headers have evolved. In a typically two lamination header, one plate serves as a tube plate just as in a conventional laminated header. The other plate is stamped to include one or more concave channels or troughs which face the tube plate. This plate may be termed a tank plate and the same is bonded to the tube plate and sealed thereto. As a consequence, the channels in the tank plate serve as header chambers' interconnecting slots in the tube plate. In the usual case, a two lamination header will occupy no more space than a conventional laminated header and yet will weigh considerably less since it permits the elimination of at least one plate in the conventional laminated header construction.
Unfortunately, two lamination headers cannot be used efficiently in heat exchangers employed as evaporators. Typically, some part of the sides of the channel stamped in the tank plate are caused to overly the slots in the tube plates so that tubes received in these slots have their excursion into the header chamber limited by interference with sides of the channel or channels formed in the tank plate. In the usual case, the ends of the tubes will extend a small distance into the header chamber and thus each tube end acts as a small fence around the end of the associated flow path defined by tube itself. Where attempts are made to eliminate this small fence, part of the tank plate that fits flush against the tube plate must overly each slot and thus tends to partially occlude the tube receiving opening.
In either case, flow of refrigerant within the header chamber to the tubes is interfered with and one consequence is that the distribution of the refrigerant, which will be at least partially in the liquid phase when the heat exchanger is being used as an evaporator, is poor from one side of the evaporator to the other. And, the poor distribution, in turn, results in inefficient heat transfer.
This difficulty cannot be easily solved by return to the use of tubular headers as disclosed in the previously identified U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,580. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the tube ends will also act as fences in such a construction, simply because the side of the tubular headers through which they enter is not flat.
The present invention is directed to solving one or more of the above problems.


A distance measurement apparatus includes: a control unit that makes an imaging unit acquire a plurality of first captured images corresponding to light patterns when making an optical system set the focal length to a first focal length, and that makes the imaging unit acquire second captured images corresponding to the light patterns when making the optical system set the focal length to a second focal length; a first distance measurement unit that determines presence or absence of an image blur and acquires a first distance to a subject from an image blur index value indicating an extent of the image blur; a second distance measurement unit that acquires a second distance to the subject based on triangulation; and a measurement result synthesis unit that outputs the first distance for a pixel with the image blur and that outputs the second distance for a pixel with no image blur.

There has conventionally been known a distance measurement apparatus that measures a distance (a subject distance) to a subject (an object) by using a blur amount of a captured image (image data) obtained by an imaging unit of a camera (for example, see Patent Reference 1). There has also been known an apparatus that measures a shape of an object to be measured on the basis of a captured image (image data) obtained by photographing the subject (object to be measured) with a camera which has been illuminated with light patterns by a light projection device (see Patent Reference 2, for example).

Distance measurement apparatus and distance measurement method


A system and method for separating air in an air separation plant is provided. The disclosed systems and methods divert a portion of the compressed, purified air stream to a bypass system configured to selectively produce a higher pressure compressed output stream or a lower pressure compressed output stream. The higher pressure and/or lower pressure compressed output streams are cooled in a main heat exchanger by indirect heat transfer with a plurality of product streams from the air separation plant and then rectified in the distillation column system. A second portion of the compressed, purified air stream is partially cooled in the main heat exchanger and expanding in a turbo-expander to produce power and an exhaust stream which is directed to the distillation column system of the air separation plant where it imparts additional refrigeration generated by the expansion of the compressed air stream in the turbo-expander.

Air is separated in air separation plants that employ cryogenic rectification to separate the air into products that include nitrogen, oxygen and argon. In such plants, the air is compressed, purified of higher boiling contaminants such as carbon dioxide and water, cooled to a temperature suitable for the distillation of the air and then introduced into a distillation column system.
In one typical distillation column system, the air is separated in a higher pressure column into a nitrogen-rich vapor column overhead and a crude liquid oxygen column bottoms, also known as kettle liquid. A stream of the crude liquid oxygen column bottoms is introduced into a lower pressure column for further refinement into an oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms and a nitrogen-rich vapor column overhead. The lower pressure column operates at a lower pressure than the higher pressure column and is thermally linked to the higher pressure column by a heat exchanger known as a condenser reboiler. The condenser reboiler condenses a stream of the of the nitrogen-rich vapor column overhead through indirect heat exchange with the oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms to produce liquid nitrogen reflux for both the higher and lower pressure columns and to create boilup in the lower pressure column by vaporization of part of the oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms produced in such column.
In any type of air separation plant, liquid and vapor that can be composed of nitrogen-rich and oxygen-rich liquid and vapor are introduced into a main heat exchanger and passed in indirect heat exchange with the incoming air to help cool the air and to be taken as products from the warm end of the main heat exchanger. In addition, liquid products enriched in oxygen, nitrogen or both can be taken from the distillation column system as liquid products. Also, all or a portion of liquid streams removed from columns can be pumped to produce a pumped or pressurized liquid which is heated in the main heat exchanger or a separate heat exchanger designed to operate at high pressure and produce a enriched products as either a vapor or a supercritical fluid.
Since an air separation plant must be maintained at cryogenic temperatures in order to allow the air to be distilled, refrigeration must be imparted to the plant in order to compensate for heat leakage into the plant and warm end losses from the main heat exchanger or other heat exchanger operated in association therewith. Further, the removal of liquid products will also remove imparted refrigeration that must also be compensated through introduction of refrigeration into the plant. This is commonly done by forming a compressed air stream by introducing the compressed and purified air into a booster compressor. The compressed air stream after such further compression is then introduced, either directly or after partially cooling such stream, into a turbo-expander to produce an exhaust stream that is introduced into the distillation column system. In this regard, such exhaust stream can be introduced into the lower pressure column or the higher pressure column.
In large part, the ongoing expense in operating an air separation plant is the cost of electricity that is consumed in compressing the air. As mentioned above, when liquid is to be taken as a product, further compression will be required to generate the refrigeration that will be required when such liquid products are produced. However, the demand for liquid products and the cost of electricity are not constant. For instance, the cost of electricity and the liquid demand will often be less during evening hours as compared with daylight electricity costs and liquid demands. Consequently, air separation plants can be designed to cyclically produce a greater share of liquid products or higher pressure products when electricity is less expensive.
Many air separation plants also have a need to vary the pressure of the gaseous and liquid products produced. Examples may include an air separation plant that feeds multiple pipelines or dual air separation plant that is specifically designed having dual cores or dual cold boxes to produce products at different pressures. In such situations, there is occasionally the need to alter the product mix requiring a switch or reallocation to or from the higher pressure product or higher pressure pipeline. Yet another common scenario is a dual or single pressure air separation plant that selectively modifies the product slate to produce more argon or low pressure nitrogen when electricity is less expensive in lieu of high pressure or medium pressure oxygen.
The conventional solution or technique used to achieve this variation in product pressures is to adjust the compressor guide vanes to reduce BAC pressure. However, when lowering the product pressures, the conventional solution of varying the compressor guide vanes to reduce BAC pressure often leads to little or no power savings and thus no significant cost reductions. As will be discussed, the present invention provides a method of separating air and an air separation plant which among other advantages, allows a booster compressor to by bypassed to turn down or turn up the pressurized product pressures and/or production rates with greater efficiencies and cost savings than are contemplated in the prior art.


A coupling unit for coupling an optical transmitting and/or receiving module to an optical fiber connector. The coupling unit has a connecting region, which can be connected to a transmitting and/or receiving module, a receiving region, which receives an optical fiber connector, and a glass component, via which light is coupled directly between an optical fiber inserted into the receiving region and a coupled-on transmitting and/or receiving module. In this case, the coupling unit is formed as a plastic part apart from the glass component. The glass component is introduced into a bore in the plastic part.

It is known to couple an optical fiber arranged in an optical connector to a transmitting and/or receiving module by means of a coupling unit. Light emerging from the optical fiber is thereby directed onto the photosensitive surface of a receiving element, in particular a photodiode, and/or light emitted by a transmitting element, in particular a laser diode, is coupled into the optical fiber.
In order to minimize reflections at the light-entering face or light-exiting face of the optical fiber, direct contact (physical contact) of the fiber core with an optical medium which has the same or a similar refractive index as the fiber core is advisable. In a fiber-air transition, for instance, reflections of the order of magnitude of −15 dB are produced. However, significantly better values of −27 dB are often required.
To realize such a physical contact, it is known to introduce into a coupling unit a glass fiber which is cemented into a precision ceramic pin. The one end face of the glass fiber serves as a stop face for the optical fiber of the optical connector to be coupled on. Light coupling with the transmitting and/or receiving module takes place via the other end face of the glass fiber. Among the applications for such configurations of a coupling unit are their use in optoelectronic transceivers that are produced and sold by Infineon Technologies AG under the designation "OC 48 SFF (P) transceiver".
However, such a coupling unit is relatively expensive to produce and requires a relatively high level of assembly effort. For instance, the end face of the glass fiber that comes into direct contact with the optical fiber of the optical connector must be of very good quality. The diameter of the ceramic pin into which the glass fiber is cemented must also be configured to within an accuracy of a few μm. A large number of high-precision, relatively expensive individual parts are required.
DE 102 46 532 A1 describes a coupling unit for coupling an optical transmitting and/or receiving module to an optical fiber, in which the coupling unit forms a connecting region, which can be connected to a transmitting and/or receiving module, and a receiving region, which receives an optical fiber. Formed between these regions, in a horizontally running base plate, is a transparent coupling region, which is an integral part of the coupling unit and, like the latter, consists of plastic. Via the coupling region of transparent plastic, light is coupled directly between an optical fiber inserted into the receiving region and a coupled-on transmitting and/or receiving module.
A disadvantage of this configuration is that a coupling region made of plastic is sensitive to damage, so that a required long lifetime of the coupling unit is not always obtained.
There is a need for a coupling unit for coupling an optical transmitting and/or receiving module to an optical fiber connector which is simple and inexpensive to produce and at the same time has a coupling region which is insensitive to damage.

Coupling unit for coupling an optical transmitting and/or receiving module to an optical fiber connector


An apparatus for performing imprint lithography especially useful in creating patterns with ultrafine features on a substrate. The apparatus comprises a substrate having moldable surface carried on a first block, a mold having a molding surface carried on a second block, positioners for moving the first and second blocks relative to each other, a sensor of the relative positions of the blocks and a controller for controlling the relative positions of the blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lithographic apparatus for performing imprint lithography. More specifically, it relates to lithographic apparatus particularly useful for imprinting ultrafine features in a moldable surface on a substrate.
2. Background of the Art
In many different areas of technology and commercial utility, it is highly desirable that surface be provided with non-stick functionality. The wide range of utility for this type of technology ranges from antistain treatments for fabrics and surfaces (e.g., countertops, stove tops, and the like), to utensils (e.g., cooking or laboratory utensils and surfaces), release surfaces for imaging technology (e.g., image transfer surfaces, temporary carriers), and mold release surfaces. Antistick functionality has clear lubricating implications where the antistick function can be provided in a substantive or retentive manner onto a substrate.
In the fabrication of semiconductor integrated electrical circuits, integrated optical, magnetic, mechanical circuits and microdevices, and the like, one of the key processing methods is lithography and especially photolithography. Lithography can be used, along with its traditional resist imaging in the formation of printing plates and resist images, to create a pattern in a thin film carried on a substrate so that, in subsequent process steps, the pattern can be replicated in the substrate or in another material which is added onto the substrate. The thin film which accepts a pattern or image during the lithographic process is often referred to as resist. The resist may be either a positive resist or a negative resist, depending on its operation of formation. For example, a positive photoresist becomes more soluble in a solvent where irradiated and a negative resist becomes more insoluble where irradiated. A typical lithographic process for integrated circuit fabrication involves exposing or irradiating a photoresist composition or film with a beam of radiation or particles, including light, energetic particles (which may be electrons), photons, or ions, by either passing a flood beam through a mask or scanning a focused beam. The radiation or particle beam changes the chemical structure of the exposed area of the film, so that when washed or immersed in a developer or washed with a developer, either the exposed area or the unexposed area of the resist will be removed to recreate the patterns or its obverse of the mask or the scanning. The lithography resolution is limited by the wavelength of the particles and the resolution of the beam, the particle scattering in the resist and the substrate, and the properties of the resist.
There is an ongoing need in art of lithography to produce progressively smaller pattern sizes while maintaining cost efficiency in the process. There is a great need to develop low-cost technologies for mass producing sub-50 nm structures since such a technology could have an enormous impact in many areas of engineering and science. Not only will the future of semiconductor integrated circuits be affected, but also the commercialization of many innovative electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical microdevices that are far superior to current devices will rely on the possibility of such technology. Additionally optical materials, including reflective coatings and reflective sheeting (as may be used for security purposes or for signage) can use microreplication techniques according to lithographic technology.
Numerous technologies have been developed to service these needs, but they all suffer serious drawbacks and none of them can mass produce sub-50 nm lithography at a low cost. Electron beam lithography has demonstrated 10 nm lithography resolution. A. N. Broers, J. M. Harper, and W. W. Molzen, Appl. Phys. Lett. 33, 392 (1978) and P. B. Fischer and S. Y. Chou, Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 2989 (1993). However, using these technologies for mass production of sub-50 nm structures seems economically impractical due to inherent low throughput in a serial processing tool. X-ray lithography, which can have a high throughput, has demonstrated 50 nm lithography resolution. K. Early, M. L. Schattenburg, and H. I. Smith, Microelectronic Engineering 11, 317 (1990). But X-ray lithography tools are rather expensive and its ability for mass producing sub-50 nm structures is yet to be commercially demonstrated. Lithography based on scanning probes has produced sub-10 nm structures in a very thin layer of materials. However, the practicality of such lithography as a manufacturing tool is hard to judge at this point.
Imprint technology using compressive molding of thermoplastic polymers is a low cost mass manufacturing technology and has been around for several decades. Features with sizes greater than 1 micrometers have been routinely imprinted in plastics. Compact disks which are based on imprinting of polycarbonate are one example of the commercial use of this technology. Other examples are imprinted polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) structures with a feature size on the order to 10 micrometers for making micromechanical parts. M. Harmening, W. Bacher, P. Bley, A. El-Kholi, H. Kalb, B. Kowanz, W. Menz, A. Michel, and J. Mohr, Proceedings IEEE Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 202 (1992). Molded polyester micromechanical parts with feature dimensions of several tens of microns have also been used. H. Li and S. D. Senturia, Proceedings of 1992 13th IEEE/CHMT International Electronic Manufacturing Technology Symposium, 145 (1992). However, no one has recognized the use of imprint technology to provide 25 nm structures with high aspect ratios. Furthermore, the possibility of developing a lithographic method that combines imprint technology and other technologies to replace the conventional lithography used in semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing has never been raised.

Lithographic apparatus for molding ultrafine features


A hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device comprises a round recess socket with hoop female threads created into the reverse side of a shower head shell to let an alerting pod screwing mesh therein. A signal circuit device is embedded in the alerting pod for measuring and displaying function. The alerting pod can be either screwing meshed into the recess socket for normal measuring and alerting function or screwing detached off the recess socket for battery recharging operation. Thereby, not only the shower head shell can be adequately powered but also the alerting pod can be separated out of the shower head shell for independently recharging operation so that shower head shell is unnecessary to discarded and replaced even the power supply in the signal circuit device is running out. Thus, it not only saves resource waste but also conserves economical expense incurred by frequent replacement of the shower head shell.

The present applicant innovatively invented a "hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device" having been already granted an U.S. invent patent in number of U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,127, a mainland China invent patent in number of 584889, a British invent patent in number of GB 2435797 and a Korea invent patent in number of 10-0912738, which are on the record. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the structure of the "hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device" comprises a shower head 10, a base seat 20, a cover seat 30, a propeller wheel 40 and a signal circuit device 50 such that the base seat 20, the cover seat 30 and the propeller wheel 40 are totally imbedded and affixed in the inner of the shower head 10, wherein:
said shower head 10 has a hollow body and a water inlet 11, which is having screw threads 111 formed thereon, and provided to connect with a filter hand hold 60, in front of the shower head 10 has firmly mounted a cover member 12 by means of a screw 121, and said cover member 12 has a plurality of spray holes 122 to allow the water spray out of the shower head 10, to the rear of the shower head 10 is tightly affixed a LCD display circuit 56, is used in displaying an instruction sent by the microprocessor 51 of the signal circuit device 50 (as shown in FIG. 3);
said base seat 20 has an indented water chamber 21 formed at the bottom surface of a water inlet channel 22 and an outlet channel 23 are formed at the two sides of the water chamber 21 respectively to be communicable with each other, and a rotation axle 24 downwardly protruded from central area of a top surface of the water chamber 21 of the base seat 20;
said cover seat 30, which is tightly affixed on the bottom side of the base seat 20 with the bottom surface of the base seat 20 abutting to a top surface of the cover seat 30, has a water inlet 31 formed on a side surface of the cover seat 30 with two ends thereof being corresponding to the inlet channel 22 and the water inlet 11 respectively, a water outlet 32, which is corresponding to the outlet channel 23 and is formed on a top surface of the cover seat 30, a supporting axle 33 is upwardly protruded from a central area of a top side of the cover seat 30, and a threaded hole 341 of central dowel 34 downwardly protruded the opposite side.
said propeller wheel 40, which is a circular body with a plurality of curved propeller blades are extended radically from the circular body to be situated and supported in the water chamber 21 of the base seat 20 in rotatable manner, has two central axial recesses 41 coaxially created at a center of top side and a bottom side of the propeller wheel 40 respectively, a magnetic element 42 embedded on a top side of the propeller wheel 40 so that the rotation axle 24 and the supporting axle 33 are fitted into the two central axial recesses 41 located in the center of the water chamber 21 of the base seat 20 (as shown in FIG. 1); and
said signal circuit device 50 comprises a microprocessor 51, a DC power supply 52 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51, a transducer 53 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51, a reset switch 54 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51, a re-start (rest) switch 55 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51, a LCD display circuit 56 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51, a buzzer 57 electrically connected to the microprocessor 51 and a signal receiver 58, which is closed at the top surface of base seat 20 and corresponding to the magnetic element 42 (as shown in FIG. 1).
The foregoing base seat 20, the cover seat 30 and the propeller wheel 40 are assembled by means of the screws 14 and affixed to the inner of the shower head 10, so that the water inlet 31, the inlet channel 22, the water chamber 21, the outlet 23 and the water outlet 32 define a water flowing passage.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 3. In accordance with an operating mode of the present invention, a water supply pipe is connected to the filter handhold 60. Water flow enters the water chamber 21 through the water inlet 31 and inlet channel 22, forcing the propeller wheel 40 to rotate, and flows out through the outlet channel 23, the water outlet 32 and the spray holes 122 of the cover member 12. When the propeller wheel 40 rotates, the magnetic element 42 induces the signal receiver 58 of the signal circuit device 50, so that the signal receiver 58 receives a sensor signal and transmit to the microprocessor 51 via the transducer 53. Such continuous signals are transmitted to the microprocessor 51 and will process sending corresponding signals to the LCD display circuit 56, an accurate quantity of flow can be calculated according to the equation:Quantity of Flow (Q)=Cross Sectional Area (A) times Flow Velocity (V)
Thereby, a user can easily obtain a total statistical volume of water flowing through the filter handhold 60, simply by looking at the LCD display circuit 56.
The total water reading value, that is a total volume of flowing water made by the filtration element 62 of the filter handhold 60, is formatted and input into the microprocessor 51 as a predetermined reference value which is a digital standard reference value showing the service life (critical point) of the respective filtration element. When the total flowing volume value reach to the service life of the filter handhold 60, the microprocessor 51 will sending a signal to the buzzer 57 for advancing a warning alarm to notify that it is the time for the user to replace a new filtration element of the filter handhold 60. Therefore, the user can avoid in consequence of missing replacement timing and still continuously using the malfunctioned filter.
After practical test of the foregoing conventional "hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device" for a certain period, two issues are emerged though it can achieves the expected effects. The issues are that the power source of the DC power supply 52 in the signal circuit device 50 will gradually run out to disable the measuring and displaying functions; and the DC power supply 52 in the signal circuit device 50 can not be independently replaced because the LCD display circuit 56 is integrated with the shower head 10 as unitary entity so that the DC power supply 52 together with the shower head 10 must be discarded and replaced once the power source of the DC power supply 52 runs out. Thus, it not only causes resource waste but also increase economical expense incurred by frequent replacement of the shower head. Consequently, it becomes a marketing disadvantage due to reluctance in continuously usage of the conventional "hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device". Having further researched and studied in painstaking manner by addressing the issues mentioned above, the present inventor eventually works out the present invention by overcoming the issues mentioned above.

Hand held shower head with filter replacing pre-display device


A device for abrasive-blasting of workpieces including a chamber (which is to be evacuated during operation) having a first opening, a nozzle pipe unit with a nozzle pipe which can be inserted through the first opening into the chamber, and a container for the accommodation of blasting material, in which case the container for the accommodation of blasting material is mounted, or can be mounted, to the nozzle pipe unit in such a manner that the blasting material can flow freely out of the container into an inlet of the nozzle pipe unit.

Devices for abrasive-blasting, for example sand-blasting devices, have been known. Generally, these known devices consist of a blasting material container and an extension pole. In this case, a compressor is used to transport pressurized blasting material, for example, quartz sand, through a hose from the blasting material container to the extension pole in order to be directed at a workpiece to be treated.
These known devices are relatively expensive, in particular because of the necessity of the compressor, so that their use for occasional work such as in the home or hobby environment, for example, in model construction, is not economical.
Furthermore, these devices are generally relatively bulky and, as a rule, cannot be operated at low operating pressure, so that very small components or very small areas cannot be treated in a satisfactory manner. Another disadvantage is that, by using these devices, a large amount of blasting material reaches the environment, which is why their use in the home environment is avoided. Alternately, the blasting material can be trapped by using an additional closed booth, which, however, even further enlarges the system, making it more expensive.
Known devices allow sealing of the area that is to be treated by taping or masking the remaining areas. However, taping causes a relatively abrupt transition at the boundary of the blasted area, in which case said transition must be smoothed first by repeatedly applying and polishing a filler or putty material.
Furthermore, DE 19614555 discloses a device and a method for abrasive-blasting of workpieces, in which case blasting material is transported—by creating a vacuum by evacuating a chamber—from a material storage container through a hose and an extension pole into the chamber, and is blasted onto a small workpiece located in said chamber. The present invention is based on this principle of effects known from the prior art. The disadvantages of this prior art system are the limitations of the working and movement range due to the hose length, and the restricted movement due to the hose that must be carried along, as well as a restriction of size of the workpieces that can be treated if they are to be placed in a circumferentially closed chamber.

Device for abrasive-blasting of workpieces


An electric submersible hydraulic lift pump system is used for removing fluid from a well. The hydraulic lift pump system includes a source of fluid, a tubing string extending from the surface and in fluid communication with the source of fluid, a first pump interposed in the tubing string so the first pump is positioned below the surface and operably arranged to draw fluid from the tubing string upstream of the first pump and to discharge the fluid into the tubing string downstream of the first pump as a power fluid, and a second pump interposed in the tubing string and operably arranged to receive the power fluid from the first pump and be combined with a production fluid to form a return fluid to be discharged into the annulus.

Various downhole well configurations, including vertical, directional, or horizontal, are used in oil and gas production from subterranean formations. Horizontal wells typically comprise a relatively vertical section and a relatively lateral section. These sections are connected by a curved build section, often called a heel. The top of the heel is called "the kick-off point." In almost all cases, the lateral section is the productive target of the well and configured to allow the inflow of fluids (oil/water/gas) from the reservoir into the wellbore.
Horizontal wells can have sub-hydrostatic flowing reservoir pressures that require artificial lift systems to produce the well. However, conventional lift systems, such as submersible pumps, gas lifts, or plunger lifts are not suited for installation deeper than the kick-off point of the well due to their structure. When artificial lift systems are not positioned within the productive target formation, the resulting inflow of fluids becomes inconsistent, with the majority of the produced fluids coming from near the heel section and less coming from the target lateral section.
Hydraulic lift pumps (e.g., jet pumps, reciprocating piston pumps, turbine pumps) have been employed to remove fluid from both vertical wells and horizontal wells. With respect to a jet pump, the length of a typical jet pump ranges from four to six feet allowing it to be easily positioned in the lateral section of the wellbore. In addition, jet pumps have no moving parts, increasing their reliability and ability to handle sand, paraffin, heavy oil, water, gas, or corrosive fluids. Jet pumps generally include a power fluid line operably coupled to the inlet of the jet pump and a return line (e.g., annulus) to receive fluids from a discharge end of the pump. The jet pump includes a venturi or an area of constricted flow. As the pressurized power fluid is forced through the venturi of the jet pump, the power fluid draws in and intermixes with the production fluid. The power fluid and production fluid travel to the surface through the annulus where the production fluid and the power fluid are recovered.
One drawback of conventional hydraulic lift pump systems is they are generally not efficient when compared to other types of artificial lift pumps. One reason for this is the requirement of high pressure power fluid for energizing the pumps. The power fluid is created with a high-pressure pump at the surface. The pump draws fluid from a source at the surface and injects it down the tubing string to the hydraulic lift pump at high pressure. To operate, the hydraulic lift pump may require the power fluid to be at a pressure of 5,000-7,000 psi, for example. The hydraulic lift pump will generally be positioned several thousand feet below the surface (e.g., 5,000 ft. to 15,000 ft.). To overcome friction losses resulting from the power fluid traveling down the tubing string, the power fluid must be pumped at a greater pressure. For example, the power fluid may need to be pressurized to 8,000-9,000 psi depending on depth at the surface to account for the friction losses.
Because of the structural advantages of hydraulic lift pumps, a need exists to overcome the operational inefficiencies of hydraulic lift pumps. It is to such an apparatus and method that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed.

Electric submersible hydraulic lift pump system


The embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for producing secure transmission of a message. The methods are based on production of a basic key that is used for producing respective transmitter keys for a plurality of transmitters. For the ascertainment of the receiver keys by respective receivers, the basic key is transmitted to the receivers, which for their part are able to ascertain a receiver key for checking the integrity of the message from a respective transmitter on the basis of the basic key and an identifier for the transmitter. The receiver ascertains a cryptographic checksum, which, in the course of the integrity check, is compared with a cryptographic checksum that has been produced by the transmitter and sent along by the respective message. The embodiments may be used within the context of automation and sensor networks.

In automation and sensor networks, there is a need to guarantee integrity of data to be transmitted between different systems. This may be done by protecting the data with a cryptographic checksum, such as a message authentication code, message integrity code or digital signature, for example. A key management process is needed for this purpose, which supplies the systems involved with the necessary security parameters.
Transferring data using messages in automation and sensor networks is often done by broadcast messages or multicast messages.
In a widely established key management method for broadcast messages or multicast messages, which is used, for example, with Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) based on standard Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, the user nodes are informed of the multicast key or broadcast key by the access point. This has the disadvantage that a user node that has been tampered with may impersonate the broadcast/multicast sender, e.g., the access point.
For a secure broadcast/multicast transmission method, it has therefore been proposed to change relatively frequently the key used for sending broadcast/multicast messages, and to make the key accessible to a receiver node only after a time delay. Once the key used by the sender is known to the receiver node, then the key is already no longer valid for sending.
Using what are known as hash chains is a known option for providing keys for multicast scenarios. In this case, a plurality of keys are calculated in advance, wherein one particular key may be used for one specific period, which may be limited in terms of time or on the basis of messages to be sent.
Time Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication (TESLA) is a multicast protocol based on hash chains. A variation of the TESLA protocol is explained in greater detail under μTESLA. In this case, a particular multicast sender manages its own hash chain. A receiver manages respective hash-chain data explicit to each multicast sender. Such a method is suitable for the situations in which a single multicast sender serves a multiplicity of receiver nodes.
Embedded systems, which have limited processing and memory capacity, are often used in automation and sensor network systems. The TESLA multicast protocol is unsuitable especially for these systems because the hash chain takes into account parameters for a multiplicity of senders, which may result in the embedded system rapidly reaching its physical limits.


The pharmaceutical use of lipases related to the Thermomyces lanuginosus (Humicola lanuginosa) lipase comprising amino acids 1-269 of SEQ ID NO: 2, optionally in combination with a protease and/or an amylase. Examples of medical indications are: Treatment of digestive disorders, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI), pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes type I, and/or diabetes type II. The lipases of the invention have, e.g., an improved digestion performance in vitro, an improved activity at a pH in the neutral range, an improved stability at low pH, an are stable against protease-degradation, and/or are stable in the presence of pepsin and bile salts. The invention also relates to methods of determining digestion performance in vitro of lipases, as well as to certain novel variants of the lipase of T. lanuginosus.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,189 (EP 600868 B1) describes the use of, i.a., a lipase derived from Humicola lanuginosa in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, for example in the treatment of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. This lipase is from Humicola lanuginosa DSM 4109 and has the amino acid sequence of amino acids 1-269 of SEQ ID NO: 2.
WO 92/05249, WO 92/19726, WO 94/25577, WO 95/09909, WO 95/22615, WO 97/04079, WO 97/07202, WO 99/42566, WO 00/32758, WO 00/60063, WO 01/83559, WO 01/83559, WO 2002/055679, WO 2002/062973, WO 2002/062973, WO 2004/099400, and WO 2004/111216 describe a number of variants of SEQ ID NO: 2, but not the pharmaceutical use thereof.
WO 2006/136159 describes the pharmaceutical use of the lipase having amino acids 1-269 of SEQ ID NO: 1, as well as variant N33Q thereof.
There is a need in the art for improved lipases for pharmaceutical use.


A communication system for an industrial process includes multiple slave modules connected in series with a master controller. The master controller stores a communication schedule that defines an ordered sequence of messages and identifiers associated with each message. The master controller transmits messages downstream through the slave modules to a terminal one of the slave modules. The terminal slave module generates a return message that is transmitted upstream to the master controller. Each slave module receives each downstream message, identifies based on the message identifier whether the message is associated with response information from the slave module, and inserts the response information into corresponding upstream messages.

Industrial processes, such as industrial painting processes, industrial finishing processes, or other industrial processes often incorporate multiple sensors, actuators, and other devices that are interconnected to exchange information to automate one or more portions of the process. For instance, certain industrial painting processes include interconnected sensors and other devices to monitor and control process parameters, such as fluid pressures, flow rates, tank levels, agitator speeds, and other parameters associated with the painting process. The automated monitoring and control of process parameters can both increase the efficiency of the process and decrease system downtime.
Certain industrial processes, such as painting and finishing processes, can involve fumes or other combustible materials. As such, intrinsic safety of components within such processes is often an important consideration to limit electrical and thermal energy available for ignition. At the same time, as connectivity and the complexity of monitoring and control of industrial processes increases, the communication bandwidth utilized by such systems also increases. Accordingly, both intrinsic safety and communication bandwidth can be important aspects of a communication system that is used for monitoring and control of industrial process parameters.


A software application, system of using the application, and distributed computer network comprising the application, are provided for managing professional services projects. Professional services practices typically employ distributed proprietary applications which complicate the ready transfer of data between and among applications. The database of the present invention is preferably built on an ODBC-compliant platform, such as Lotus Notes, and operates in conjunction with an SQL and Cold Fusion servers. Data is secured from other applications by the SQL and/or the Cold Fusion servers, depending on the format in which the data is maintained in the other applications, and supplied to an ODBC-compliant database, from which the data is accessible by the user.

Professional services practices in general, and legal services in particular, rely on information from disparate sources. A law practice typically maintains information relating to: clients; matters being worked on for those clients; projects undertaken in connection with those matters; tasks that are necessary to complete those projects; and events relating to those matters and/or projects. Data may include, without limitation: identifying and/or contact information for clients, potential clients, adversaries, counsel, foreign associate counsel, witnesses, vendors, experts, investigators, and others involved in the matter or project; billing information; documents, references, exhibits, and other records; email and other electronic records; fact and legal research; correspondence; pleadings; docketing; finance, budgeting, timekeeping, expense, billing, general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, collection, and other financial data; and, potentially, a wide variety of other project management tools.
Document management and/or document assembly systems are typically employed in a legal practice to generate, maintain, manage, and retrieve work product. Many legal practices maintain "libraries" of prior work product, work flow forms, and/or "precedents." These resources improve efficiency as well as help maintain quality control, providing a knowledge base for training younger attorneys and efficiently generating work product.
Graphics, modeling, presentation, and visualization tools are becoming more widely used in law practices. In addition, as in medicine, various expert systems are commonly used, particularly in specialized areas of practice, such as litigation, securities, real estate, intellectual property, and others. More recently, the demand for case management systems has increased, particularly among in-house law departments.
A law practice typically maintains these types of information in various custom, proprietary, specialized, mass-marketed, and/or open software applications. These applications typically are not adapted to, and in many instances, are not capable of, cooperating or communicating with one another. Data, therefore, must frequently be converted or re-entered in various applications.
One of the greatest strengths of modern computer networks is their adaptability. They support a wide variety of different software applications and enable users to share work product. They are robust and are expressly designed to reduce the risk of data loss. Moreover, users may be permitted to tailor their computing environment to their individual work patterns. This is highly desirable; yet, this pattern of individualized computing fosters a proliferation of software applications, operating systems, and network management applications. The architecture of computer networks has compounded the difficulties of managing these disparate systems.
Networks used in a law practice also typically combine various hardware components: personal computers; network and mainframe components; servers and routers; desk tops, laptops, and hand-helds; remote access devices; personal digital assistants (PDAs); wireless access devices; portable email devices; various output devices; and a bewildering array of accessories. Each typically has a different operating system, of different vintage, quality, and capability. Apart from the substantial challenges this imposes on network managers and systems administrators, it has made the ready transferability of data between components more difficult, if not impossible.
In a typical law practice, for example, information systems and software may include, without limitation:                Hard copies of documents, files, specimens, and exhibits;        Physical exhibits and samples;        Electronic records;        Audio, video, voice mail, and other records;        Network Operating Systems software (typically some variant of Windows, i.e., 2000, NT, XP, 98, or 95; IBM OS2; Apple; etc.);        Records Management Systems (files; bar coding; indexers; specialized records management applications; etc.);        Document Assembly Systems (such as "IPDAS" in an intellectual property practice setting; or any of a variety of other document assembly systems);        Document Management Systems (such as Hummingbird; PC DOCS; SoftSolutions; iManage; etc.);        "Knowledge Management" Systems (which are typically customized or proprietary software, or some modified version of a Document Management System, etc.);        Email systems (ccmail; Notes mail; Microsoft mail; Novell Groupwise; etc.);        Docketing systems (for example, CPI; Dennemeyer; IP Master; Patsy; IPPO; etc., for intellectual property practices; and other docketing systems for securities, tax, litigation, or other practice areas);        Word processing systems (WordPerfect; Microsoft Word; etc.);        Scheduling and calendaring systems (Lotus Notes; Microsoft Outlook; Novell Groupwise; etc.);        Relationship Management and/or Contact Information (interAction; Outlook; Notes; Elite Apex; Aptus; customized or proprietary software; etc.);        Litigation Support (Summation; LiveNote/VideoNote; Access; CaseMap/TimeMap; Concordance; Trial Director; JFS Litigator's Notebook; Sanction; Folio Views; iConnect; DB Textworks; Isys; Introspect; BRS Search; RealLegal; E-tech; Ipro; etc.);        Electronic evidence service vendors (Ontrack; Electronic Evidence; Applied Discovery; Fios; Daticon; Deloitte & Touche; etc.);        Electronic portals (such as those supplied by vendors such as SV Technology; Plumtree; Sequoia; etc.);        Desktop fax software (RightFax; Legal Fax; etc.);        Time entry systems (DTE; Carpe Diem; CMS Open; Elite; custom or proprietary systems; etc.);        Accounting systems (Elite; CMS Open; Elite for Windows NT; TMC; Rippe & Kingston; custom or propietary in-house; etc.);        Database applications (Lotus Notes; Microsoft Excel; Microsoft Access; Corel Quatro Pro; FoxPro; Lotus 123; Concordance; etc.);        Presentation applications (Microsoft PowerPoint; Corel Presentations; Sanction; Trial Director; etc.);        Project Management support systems (Microsoft Project; Project Gateway;        etc.);        Critical path, probability assessment, and risk analysis tools (such as TreeAge software; etc.);        Various specialty applications (such as, project management, flowcharting, PERT and GANT charting, budgeting tools, etc.);        Case Management systems (LawPack (Hummingbird); Corprasoft; Elite Information Group; Miratech; ProLaw (West Group); RealLegal; and PWC and other systems support vendors; etc.); and        A potentially a wide variety of other software applications.
Data accessed by these various applications may be maintained centrally, on a distributed basis, or in a combination of central and distributed database systems. Prior to the present invention, data was not readily transferable between the various applications used in a professional services practice. Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/315,160 [PJC-0003] and Ser. No. 10/315,196 [PJC-0004], both of which are incorporated herein by reference, include a detailed discussion of some of the problems caused by the lack of portability and application-dependence of data of prior known applications.
There has long been an unresolved need for secure, reliable, simple data transfer between software applications used in a business. Prior known approaches have failed to meet these long-felt and unresolved needs, particularly in the legal services setting. The commercial software industry has generally overlooked the legal services market. The legal market, therefore, have had to rely on either mass-marketed software applications that are not adapted to its particular needs, and/or customized and/or proprietary solutions that are expensive, complex, and limited in their flexibility, adaptability, and, ultimately, effectiveness.
Neither centralized, mass-marketed, nor customized software applications have resolved these problems. Centralized applications have been applied in certain general business environments but have not been generally embraced by legal professionals.
With respect to mass-marketed applications, users typically end up securing multiple, competing software applications. This results in duplication in purchasing and training, while only certain programs or features of each application are actually used. Although many mass-marketed applications advertise that they are "open," they are fundamentally proprietary systems and are "open" only to the extent that the vendor has decided to enable development of certain compatible applications. These proprietary formats are generally not compatible with other software applications. Specifically, the data is not readily portable or application-independent. Even in those situations in which mass-marketed software applications have been marketed with the express representation that data is transferable between them (such as between Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, or between various applications in a single manufacturer's suite of applications software such as Microsoft Office), typically, they are not.
Incompatibilities regularly cause catastrophic failures. Windows XP and other operating systems have not resolved these problems. These types of failures, however, are unacceptable in a modern business environment. Rather, simplicity, transferability, speed, reliability, and security are required. Mass-marketed application software has not met these challenges. Instead, it continues to include known—and remediable—defects.
Incompatibility, flowing from the proprietary nature of various software platforms, ultimately requires that data be converted or that the same information be re-entered in multiple applications. This is wasteful and introduces multiple opportunities for error in data entry, maintenance, and retrieval. Proprietary software applications also require extensive investment in training, retraining, and support. Typically, the more powerful the tool, the more rigorous the training requirements. In a professional services practice, such as legal services, the individuals who could most benefit from these tools (the general counsel in a law department or partners in a law firm) are the individuals whose time is most highly valued and whom the organization can least afford the extensive investment in training, retraining, and support time required to gain proficiency in multiple mass-marketed software applications.
Ideally, the data used in a law practice should be exchanged on a commodity basis. The data should be portable or, preferably, application-independent. Although distributed PC-based networks could have fostered that result, they have had the opposite result. PC-based network systems have fostered the proliferation of incompatible, proprietary, software applications. These proprietary systems have resulted in: maintenance problems; undue complexity in systems architecture and design; excessive network systems support requirements; the need for duplicate copies of applications software; increased systems maintenance; increased cost; impaired access to data; increased training time and expense; diversion of professional time to non-productive uses; and, ultimately, impairment of access to the information needed to run the practice or business.
None of the prior known approaches addresses the need to integrate and make more readily transferable the data used on a distributed basis in a law practice. Although the Internet has fostered the development of a series of protocols that enhance the transferability of data, such as POP (Post Office Protocol), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (extensible Markup Language), WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), and a variety of others, no consensus has yet emerged for standards or protocols for data used in a professional services practice. Moreover, even those web-based applications of which the Applicants are aware fail to aggregate the information to manage a legal project in a simple, easy to use interface. Rather, typically, the user must access multiple software applications through one or more web-based interfaces, in order to access the desired information.
Thus, prior to the present invention, none of the systems of which Applicants are aware facilitate the ready transfer of data between the various distributed applications used in a legal services practice. None provides data in a substantially portable or application-independent fashion. Moreover, none of the prior known approaches have resolved the need to facilitate the transfer of data between outside professional service providers and their clients. Thus, there remains a long-felt and unmet need for a simple, efficient, and effective means for enabling data to be transferred between various software applications and computers in an internal and/or external network and, in particular, in the setting of a professional services practice.

Project management system, method, and network, employing ODBC-compliant database and SQL servers


Metal foams are impregnated with a phthalonitrile prepolymer. The metal f/polymer composite formed upon curing has excellent acoustic damping, structural properties, oxidative stability, and flame resistance. Foams of various metals, such as aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, iron, zinc, lead, silver, gold, platinum, tantalum, and alloys based on these metals may be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lightweight composites and more specifically to lightweight composites with good acoustic damping properties.
2. Description of the Background Art
In many cases, such as in factories, motor vehicles, ships, and submarines, it is desirable to absorb as much noise as possible. In factories, absorbance of machinery noises can minimize noise pollution caused by industrial sounds. In motor vehicles, absorbance of engine noises and noises from road vibration enhances driver and rider comfort. In submarines and ships, the absorbance of machinery sounds helps prevent detection and identification by unfriendly forces. Additionally, in regions where earthquakes are common, the structural components of buildings, bridges, and similar artifacts must not only be strong, but should be able to dampen vibrations.
Past noise reduction efforts have previously taken one of two approaches. The use of soft coupling components (e.g., bushings, pads) to isolate machinery, and the incorporation of structural acoustic damping materials.
Both of these prior art approaches have had drawbacks. Soft coupling components add weight to a device, may require maintenance, and may not be consistent with the required design and performance features. Currently available acoustic damping materials do not exhibit adequate acoustic behavior over broad ranges of temperature, lack the required strain amplitude and frequency, or do not have the desired strength and environmental resistance.
Significant advances have been made to increase the strength and stiffness of lightweight materials. Examples of these developments include the superior density-normalized strength and stiffness of Al--Li, hard dispersion strengthened aluminum and titanium, aluminides, and whisker or fiber reinforced aluminum and magnesium. Although those materials have excellent structural characteristics, the demand continues for high strength, lightweight structural materials that also vastly improve damping capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,000, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, to Ronald P. Reitz describes acoustically transparent windows made of an aluminum/nickel foam impregnated with an acoustically non-absorbent rubber such as BE silicone rubber RTV-11. Nothing in that patent teaches or suggests that a useful material may be obtained by impregnating a metal foam with an acoustically absorptive polymer.
Additionally, demand exists for a lightweight structural material with high stiffness, isotropic mechanical strength, and outstanding fire resistance and high temperature capabilities.

Lightweight high damping porous metal/phthalonitrile composites

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