A triac dimmable compact fluorescent lamp including a power feedback circuit. The power feedback circuit helps to maintain the level of current drawn from the triac to at least the level of the triac holding current especially during low dim levels. In one preferred embodiment, the feedback circuit is fed into a junction joining together a pair of fast recovery diodes for converting the high frequency square wave signal into a unidirectional signal supplied to an inverter. Overboost voltages across a buffer capacitor are minimized during low dim levels.

This invention relates generally to a ballast for a fluorescent lamp, and more particularly to a triac dimmable, single stage compact fluorescent lamp.
A conventional single stage compact fluorescent lamp, such as disclosed in PCT Patent Application No. WO 96/07297, is designed to provide a high input power factor (p.f) ranging from about 0.93 to 0.99 with low total harmonic distortion (THD). The lamp ballast includes only an output (i.e. inverter) stage commonly referred to as a single stage compact fluorescent lamp. There is no need for an additional stage such as a switch mode power supply for maintaining high p.f Instead, the lamp ballast includes a feedback capacitor for drawing sufficient current from the ballast input to maintain high p.f. A resonant tank circuit is designed to operate in an inductive mode so as to maintain zero voltage switching (ZVS). A voltage across a buffer capacitor of the lamp ballast is generally above its nominal rating during preheat and ignition of the lamp. Consequently, the ballast components must be designed to withstand the voltage stress experienced during lamp start-up.
Unfortunately, the feedback capacitor is undesirably large in size for a CFL in order to draw sufficient current to maintain high p.f. The resonant tank circuit, which serves to maintain ZVS, must be oversized and is relatively expensive. The lamp ballast also includes a choke to compensate for the capacitive impedance of the inverter output. Otherwise, the size of the resonant tank circuit would need to be further increased to achieve ZVS. The need for the choke also undesirably further increases the CFL space requirements.
The lamp ballast is not designed for triac dimming. In particular, unacceptably high overboost voltages will occur across the buffer capacitor during low level dimming (e.g. at about 10% of full light output). At such low dim levels, it can be difficult to continue to draw current through the triac at or above the triac holding current to maintain triac conduction.
The values of many of the components within a conventional triac dimmable CFL also must be changed based on the type of triac and lamp (i.e. burner) employed. The need to change the values of these components in order to accommodate different types of triacs and burners makes it difficult to modularize the feedback components.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved triac dimmable CFL in which both the buffer capacitor and resonant tank circuit can be significantly reduced in size. Overboost voltages across the buffer capacitor should be minimized especially during low dim levels while continuing to draw current through the triac at or above the triac holding current to maintain triac conduction. The improved triac dimmable CFL, in particular, should provide modularity in regard to the feedback components.

Triac dimmable, single stage compact flourescent lamp

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


A method of forming a container including the steps of: providing a sheet material defining a peripheral wall structure bounding a receptacle with an open end, and a closure portion having gable panels and a plurality of fins for closing the open end of the receptacle; reconfiguring the closure portion to place the closure portion in a closed state wherein the plurality of fins are in overlying relationship and the gable panels reside between the fins and the peripheral wall structure; effecting a seal between a plurality of the fins using a first sealing pattern; and after effecting the seal using the first sealing pattern effecting a seal between a plurality of the fins using a second sealing pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to a container having a gabled closure portion.
2. Background Art
Gabled containers made from paperboard material abound in many different environments. These containers are used commonly for both edible and non-edible products.
Typically, this type of container is erected from a pre-formed paperboard blank which is coated on both sides with polyethylene, or other known heat-sealable material. The blank has pre-formed fold lines which allow sequential folding of parts of the blank in a predetermined fashion to erect the container. In one preliminary folding stage, the container assumes a cup shape with an open end. A closure portion, which is made up of gable panels and a plurality of fins, is then reconfigured so that the panels converge upwardly to the fins which are brought into mutually overlying relationship.
The closure portion of the container can be sealed using a number of different techniques, among which is an ultrasonic sealing technique. Ultrasonic sealing is carried out by sandwiching the fins between a sealing horn/sonotrode and anvil. Vibrational energy generated through the horn/sonotrode causes a fusion between the heat-sealable material on abutting fin surfaces. Exemplary ultrasonic sealing apparatus and methods are described in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,564,255; 5,575,884; and 5,605,026, all of which have been assigned to Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance S.A.
For product that is required to be maintained in an aseptic environment, hermetic sealing between the fins is required. Conventional hot air sealing techniques may not be capable of effecting the required quality of hermetic seal for these products. Thus, ultrasonic sealing is conventionally used in most such operations. While conventional ultrasonic sealing techniques may be practiced to produce a high integrity hermetic seal, conventional ultrasonic sealing techniques introduce a time factor that must be contended with.
More particularly, the heat-sealable material must be cooled after fusion sufficiently that it will stably maintain the seal. The seal is put under stress by the restoring force in the gable panels and fins after the captive force between the sealing horn/sonotrode and anvil is eliminated. This problem can be minimized by allowing additional cooling time. However, doing so may not be compatible with the intended operating speeds of modern filling equipment. As an example, a line which is designed to operate at 14,000 packages per hour, allows only approximately 580 ms for each sealing step. The objectives of making a high integrity hermetic seal and producing the seal quickly on a filling line thus come into competition. By effecting the seal over substantially the entirety of the exposed fin surfaces, a more aggressive holding force can be established between the fins. However, the larger the area that is sealed, the greater is the heat retention within the seal and the longer becomes the cooling time for the seal to be stabilized.

Method and apparatus for sealing a gabled container


In a disc drive device upon recording, the writing of data is executed and thereafter the reading of data is executed to verify, i.e., make a check as to whether the written data can be properly read out. In this case, the gain of a gain control amplifier for amplifying a reproduced signal is set so as to be lower than usual and a window width of a window comparator is set so as to be greater than usual. An error rate in a bubble shaped region in which the amplitude of the reproduced signal is small, is rendered high. Thus, verify can be taken as NG when recording power falls within the bubble region. Verify is determined based on RESYNC bytes added every predetermined data intervals, i.e., detected information about patterns for data having the minimum and maximum inversion intervals as well as on error information. As a result, verify can be reliably taken as NG even when the recording power is placed in a region between the bubble shaped region and a normal region. Thus, the accuracy of verify can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disc drive device suitable for application to a write-once, read-many-times disc device or the like, for example. This invention relates more specifically to a disc drive device wherein upon verify for checking whether data written into a disc medium can be properly read out, for example, an amplification factor of a reproduced signal is set smaller than usual, a window width of a comparator for bringing the reproduced signal into binary form is set larger than usual, and a verify check is made based on the detected number of synchronous pattern codes from the reproduced signal as well as on error information about read data, whereby the accuracy of verify is enhanced.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a disc medium such as an optical disc, a magneto-optic disc or the like suffers large or many defects on its recording surface, there may be cases in which even if an ECC (Error Correction Code) corresponding to a redundant word is added to data and the data is written into the disc medium, error correction cannot be made thereto so that the data cannot be read out properly. Therefore, a process for checking whether the data written into the disc medium can be read properly, is executed. This process is called "verify". When the data cannot be read correctly upon verify, a process for writing the data into another area or region (alternate region) is executed.
Meanwhile, a WORM (Write Once Read Many type) disc using a pit generation system for recording marks thereon, for example, has the potential that when data is written into the disc with low recording power (mark edge recording is done), marks such as pits or the like recorded after the elapse of a few days in time deteriorate, and the data which can be properly read immediately after the writing of the data cannot thereafter be read.
FIG. 7 shows the typical relationship between recording power, an error rate and signal amplitude employed in the WORM disc. That is, a solid line a indicates the relationship between recording power and an error rate immediately after the recording of data, a broken line b indicates the relationship between recording power and an error rate after a few days since the recording, and a solid line c indicates the relationship between recording power and the amplitude of a reproduced signal immediately after the recording. Ro indicates the upper limit of an error-correctable error rate.
There may be cases in which when the recording power is placed in a small bubble shaped region Fa, the error rate is low immediately after the recording and the error correction is made possible well. Since reflectivity changes due to the occurrence of a phase change or the like although pits are not defined in the WORM disc as marks, for example, it is possible to read data. However, when the recording power falls within the bubble shaped region Fa, the phase change is restored to the original state a few days later and even recording traces of data are not left behind, whereby the data can be read. Incidentally, the amplitude of a reproduced signal at the time that the recording power lies within the bubble shaped region Fa, results in one-fourth or less the amplitude of a reproduced signal at the time that the recording power lies within a normal region Fc.
Even when the recording power is placed within a region Fb between the bubble shaped region Fa and the normal region Fc, the error rate is low immediately after the recording and the data can be read in a manner similar to the case in which the recording power lies within the bubble shaped region Fa. However, there is a potential that the error rate becomes high a few days later and the data cannot be read. This reason is considered as follows:
When data Dr shown in FIG. 8A is recorded with the recording power in the normal region Fc by using the pit generation system, for example, a pit 101 set as a record mark is defined in the WORM disc in a length corresponding to the data Dr as shown in FIG. 8B. On the other hand, when the data Dr shown in FIG. 8A is recorded with the recording power in the region Fb, a pit 102 used as a record mark is defined in the WORM disc immediately after the recording as shown in FIG. 8C. However, the periphery (shown by hatching) of the pit 102 remains in a phase-changed state. This portion is restored to the original state with the elapse of time and the pit 102 becomes short a few days later as shown in FIG. 8D, thus making it impossible to read the data. Incidentally, the amplitude of the reproduced signal at the time that the recording power lies within the region Fb, is not so reduced as compared with the case in which the recording power is placed in the normal region Fc.

Verifying data by controlling the gain of an amplifying means according to a window width comparator


The present invention is directed to a method for reducing monomer loss during curing of a high internal phase emulsion. The method has the steps of: forming a water-in-oil emulsion, curing the monomer component in the emulsion in a saturated steam environment, and forming a saturated polymeric foam material. The water-in-oil emulsion has an aqueous phase and an oil phase comprising a monomer component.

The development of microporous foams is the subject of substantial commercial interest. Such foams have found utility in various applications, such as thermal, acoustic, electrical, and mechanical (e.g., for cushioning or packaging) insulators; absorbent materials; filters; membranes; floor mats; toys; carriers for inks, dyes, lubricants, and lotions; and the like. References describing such uses and properties of foams include Oertel, G., "Polyurethane Handbook"; Hanser Publishers: Munich, 1985, and Gibson, L. J.; Ashby, M. F., "Cellular Solids. Structure and Properties"; Pergamon Press: Oxford, 1988. The term "insulator" refers to any material which reduces the transfer of energy from one location to another. The term "absorbent" refers to materials which imbibe and hold or distribute fluids, usually liquids, an example being a sponge. The term "filter" refers to materials which pass a fluid, either gas or liquid, while retaining impurities within the material by size exclusion, interception, electrostatic attraction, adsorption, etc. Other uses for foams are generally obvious to one skilled in the art.
Open-celled foams prepared from High Internal Phase Emulsions (hereinafter referred to as "HIPE") are particularly useful in a variety of applications including absorbent disposable articles (U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,015 (DesMarais et al.) issued Jul. 19, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,345 (DesMarais et al.) issued Nov. 9, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,224 (DesMarais et al.) issued Dec. 7, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,737 (Stone et al.) issued May 27, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,207 (Dyer et al.) issued Feb. 7, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,395 (Stone et al.) Jul. 28, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,921 (Dyer et al.) issued Aug. 18, 1998), insulation (thermal, acoustic, mechanical) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,634 (Dyer et al.) issued Jun. 23, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,359 (Dyer et al.) issued May 19, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,291 (Dyer et al.) issued May 27, 1997), filtration (Bhumgara, Z. Filtration & Separation 1995, March, 245-251; Walsh et al. J. Aerosol Sci. 1996, 27, 5629-5630; published PCT application W/O 97/37745, published on Oct. 16, 1997, in the name of Shell Oil Co.), and various other uses. The HIPE process provides facile control over the density, cell and pore size and distribution, proportion of cell struts to windows, and porosity in these foams.
Economics is an important issue in making HIPE foams commercially attractive. Especially, it is important to make HIPE efficiently and with cost effective equipment. There are some attempts to achieve the goal; however there is still a substantial opportunity for substantial improvement of efficiency during the process for making HIPE. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop a method for reducing material loss during the process for making and curing the HIPE and to use cost effective equipment.

Method for curing high internal phase emulsions


A method for improving combustion in a main combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and a resulting engine are disclosed. The engine includes a main combustion chamber arranged between a head and a reciprocating piston. A heat retaining element is provided between the head and the main combustion chamber. The heat retaining element is configured to reduce heat transfer from the main combustion chamber into the engine head. A precombustion chamber is provided having a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is configured to be provided with a secondary charge of air/fuel and a first spark igniter.

Large, stationary, so-called "legacy" natural gas fuel burning, reciprocating piston, combination or integrated internal combustion engines and compressors driven by such engines have been used to pump natural gas through distribution pipelines for more than 100 years following conversion of such compressor engines to burn natural gas fuels instead of liquid fuels or steam.
Some layouts of such combination engine-compressors can be observed in patents to Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,287; Scheiterlein U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,226; and Heater et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,772. More recent examples of the combustion chamber arrangement of such engines can be observed in pending U.S. patent application publication US 2010/0319655 of McClendon. Additional description of the legacy engines can be found in the report sponsored by Engines and Energy Conversion Lab entitled "ERLE Cost Study of the Retrofit Legacy Pipeline Engines to Satisfy 1/2 g/BHP-HR NOx", Rev. 1, May 21, 2009, involving a study performed by Engines and Energy Conversion Lab, National Gas Machinery Laboratory (An Institute of Kansas State University), Advance Technology Corporation and Hoerbiger.
A further review of legacy Cooper-Bessemer Type GMV Integral-Angle Gas Engine-Compressors may be found at "An ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark" published by the ASME History and Heritage Committee in August 2006 for Knox County Historical Museum, Mount Vernon, Ohio. Another publication describing such engines may be observed in Bourn, Gingrich, and Smith's "Advanced Compressor Engine Controls to Enhance Operation, Reliability and Integrity", Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Tex., USA, per Doe Award No. DE-FC26-03NT41859, SwRi Project No. 03.10198, March 2004.
Legacy engines of the type discussed above have served well and continue in service up to the present time. On the other hand, they still suffer from certain disadvantages that have required further study and research to overcome. To name a few such disadvantages, the engines are prone to be difficult to start when cold; run roughly when cold, with mechanical stresses imposed on moving parts such as pistons and bearings and with preignition events that damage spark igniters; run with relatively high variation of peak firing pressure and variation of timing of peak firing pressures of combustion cycles; emit excess NOx, unburned hydrocarbons and excess CO; and run at efficiencies that are less than theoretically possible due to compromises imposed on the operating conditions of the engines.
Thus, a review of reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine art reveals various attempts to improve lean-burn combustion in the combustion chamber of such engines by utilizing prechambers to initiate a torch-like output to cause ignition in lean-burn fuel-air mixtures.
There is thus a need for improved combustion chamber design for such engines to overcome or avoid the described disadvantages and to bring the emissions of the engines into line with modern emission standards. Obtaining such improvements, however, must not come at a cost of excess downtime for the engines, which operate around the clock, or major modifications of the engine components which would require costly and lengthy trials and research to prove feasibility and demonstrate successful results. Such engines are no longer manufactured, and repair and overhauling of the engine often require manufacturing parts to replace worn out elements and components that are no longer readily available.

Method for modifying combustion chamber in a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine and resulting engine


An upper die is removable in an up-down direction with respect to an upper die mounting groove that is arranged in a left-right direction at a lower part of an upper table of a press brake. The upper die includes a stop piece having a stop projection that is engageable with a stop groove that is formed in the left-right direction in each of upper die contact faces which face each other in a front-rear direction, the stop piece being movable out of and into a surface of the upper die and pushed in a direction to project out of the surface of the upper die. A bottom face of the stop projection for engaging with the stop groove is an inclined face that rises toward a front end of the stop projection.

A press brake has an upper table and a lower table that are elongated in a left-right direction and vertically faced to each other. The upper table or the lower table is configured as a ram that is vertically movable. A lower part of the upper table is provided with an upper die mounting part to which an upper die is mounted. An upper part of the lower table is provided with a lower die mounting part to which a lower die is mounted. Removing and replacing a die with respect to the upper or lower die mounting part is carried out manually or automatically with the use of, for example, a robot as disclosed in, for example, Published PCT International Application No. WO00/41824 (Patent Literature 1).

Upper die and temporary clamping method thereof


An external fixator for osteosynthesis features application to the fixation of fractures of small bones such as those of the hand or foot. A small central unit contains two ball joints which are releasably clamped via a single actuation. Bone fasteners, such as bone pins or bone screws are releasably clamped, via a single actuation at each of two clamping units, and each of the clamping units is adjustably clamped to a carrier rod within a wide range of selected positions, which extends to the smallest of offsets from the central double-ball joint unit, by reason of the fact that the ball of each ball joint is the inner end of one of the respective carrier rods.

The invention relates to an orthopedic appliance, often referred to as an external fixator, for stabilized maintenance of spaced portions of a bone fracture and for the selective and progressive incremental adjustment thereof in the course of osteosynthesis, i.e., bone healing at the fracture. The invention has particular use in application to small bone fractures, as of the hand or foot.
From German Patent DE-3,701,533 C2 (and its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,349), a fixator of the character indicated is known wherein a short central spacer has flexible connection at its respective ends, via twin ball joints, to separate arms which can be so selectively clamped as to provide a wide range of universal angular setting between the two arms, thereby providing a wide range of adjustment for bone-fastener units that anchor bone screws or pins via selectively adjustable fixation of such units to the respective arms. The design permits swivel and height adjustment of the bone-fastener units via individually locked ball joints at the central spacer, thereby creating added freedom of adjustment over a widened overall angular range. Thus, even very complex bone positions and their fine adjustment can be controlled by the surgeon.
When applying an external fixator in the area of the hand and of individual fingers, the surgeon also needs a maximum range of adjustment of single elements in relation to each other. At the same time, however, the structural elements should be kept small enough so that they will interfere to a minimum degree with movements of the hand, for example. The fixator of said patent has serious limitations in such a small-bone context.


Systems and methods for discharging a high-voltage bus coupled to a discharge circuit are provided. A method comprises obtaining a first voltage level of the high-voltage bus. The method further comprises determining a first discharge time based on the first voltage level and activating the discharge circuit. The method further comprises obtaining a second voltage level of the high-voltage bus after the first discharge time, comparing the first voltage level and the second voltage level, and deactivating the discharge circuit if a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is less than a threshold value.

In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the power usage and complexity of the various electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles.
In most hybrid vehicles, energy storage devices, such as capacitors, are often used to improve efficiency by capturing energy within the powertrain system or supplying additional power during periods of operation when a primary energy source cannot supply the required power quickly enough. For example, regenerative braking may be used to capture energy by converting kinetic energy to electrical energy and storing the electrical energy in a bank of capacitors for later use. In order to accommodate high-voltage operation within automobiles, capacitor banks or supercapacitors are often used because they have the ability to quickly store energy and can be discharged at a much higher rate than other energy sources.
However, capacitors may retain a charge long after power is removed from a circuit or an automobile is turned off. Therefore, high-voltage capacitors should be properly discharged after turning off a vehicle or before accessing the equipment housing the capacitors. Discharging a capacitor is typically accomplished by placing a discharge or bleed resistor across the capacitor or bus terminals in parallel.
In an automobile, there are possible fault conditions that may result in a constant voltage across the capacitor terminals. If a fault is not properly detected and protected against, attempting to discharge the capacitor will overheat and destroy the discharge resistor. Moreover, the failure of a discharge resistor prevents future discharge, resulting in voltage being retained on a capacitor or within the circuit for an extended period of time.
Previous discharge circuits and methods require unacceptably high average power dissipation in a discharge resistor during fault conditions and are not easily adaptable to higher voltage levels. These designs require discharge resistors with the ability to handle high average power dissipation. These resistors generally occupy a larger surface area and often require additional harnesses, connectors, and heat sinks, which prevent the discharge resistors from being built on a circuit board. In addition to the spatial requirements, these discharge circuits are adapted more for the less frequent fault mode, rather than a normal operating mode.

High-voltage bus discharge with logarithmic self-protection


Multi-level reputation based recommendation system and method focused on users as opposed to products or web sites. Establishes reputations of recommenders that may extend beyond a given user's first hand trust of these recommenders. Trust formed between a second and third user based on similar valuations that may not be shared between the first user and the third user may be utilized when recommending something useful for the first user. Reputations are subjective to each user and change over time. Provides recommendations to connect users with blogs, videos, other users, music, books, web sites, reviews, products, vacations spots, hotels, cities, events, activities and ad units for example. Does not rely on the number of static information connections, i.e., links to a given web site, but rather utilize dynamic information as it spreads through the interaction of users. May be utilized in any application or domain where users attribute value to things or actions.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to computers. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a personalized multi-level reputation based recommendation system and method configured to provide recommendations based on user reputation quantified by historical votes that are extended through network analysis. This enables recommendations based on reputations of recommenders at and beyond first hand level of trust of recommenders, i.e., with or without common votes on items respectively.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet includes millions of active users that are constantly generating content via blog postings, websites and reviews for example. The potential for providing timely, engaging and valuable information that suits a specific user's specific interest and need is great. Yet, finding desirable information is difficult and information overload is a typical result of searching for valuable information. A user can spend large amounts of time sifting through irrelevant and unimportant or unrelated content and miss potentially valuable content that the user would be interested in.
In the physical world, people often make decisions on issues they have not personally evaluated. Instead, people often rely on recommendations made by people that they trust. The trust is built up over time based on past agreements on related issues. The level of trust that a given individual places in another individual is highly subjective and may be influenced and sometimes specifically informed by the level of trust that third party individuals place on that individual.
Search engines exist that allow for the ranking of web pages, based on the number of links to a web page for example. These search engines do not calculate trust for users, but rather place value on websites based on how highly regarded they are, e.g., as ascertained by the number of links to the site by other highly ranked sites. In some implementations, HTML is simply scanned for hyperlinks to sites and the number of hyperlinks to a given URL and the ranking of the linking site determines the relative perceived importance of the web site. This type of ranking of websites provides search results for web pages that are the most highly linked to. This type of ranking is strictly objective and generates a one-size fits all results to keyword searches. It does not take into account the subjective, individual tastes of each user doing the searching.
Collaborative filtering technologies are used for example by certain websites that sell products. Current collaborative filtering implementations do not provide a wide set of recommenders and recommendations. Generally, current collaborative filtering implementations do not provide deep coverage since users may have voted on (or rated/purchased/used) an item in common with a large set of other users that may have completely different tastes. Specifically, recommendations take into account only those recommenders who have direct votes in common with the user yet who as a whole do not necessarily represent a reputable, expert source of recommendations suited to the tastes of that individual searcher. Hence, these recommendations may be inaccurate since the reputations of the recommenders are not taken into account.
New recommendations are provided based on items that a set of users have rated and are not based on what the best recommenders would suggest for example. Many current implementations are shallow, one level systems that do not follow the real world analogy of finding the best recommendations or recommenders to provide recommendations.
With respect to searching for valued information, there is no known system or method that establishes a multi-level network of users with recorded levels of trust derived from rating activity to provide personalized recommendations based on similar valuations of users. Specifically, there is no known system for example that establishes reputations of recommenders beyond a given user's first hand trust of these recommenders. A system which takes into account the reputations of recommenders beyond the given user's first hand trust would improve the scope and accuracy of the recommendations. Hence, there is a need for a multi-level reputation based recommendation system and method.


Items, for example grocery items in a shopping cart or warehoused items being inventoried, are counted by electronically registering flickers from tags attached to, or incorporated into, the items. The registration takes place during an interval of time equal to the flicker repetition rate of the tags. For example, each item's tag might flicker out an identifying signal (preferably from an LED in the tag) in about a thousandth of a second, and repeat this flicker once a second. A detector registers all of the flickers from all of the items during a one-second interval, and thereby counts the items because each will have flickered once during that time. Other items, with different identifying flickers, can be counted during the same interval. Thus, large numbers of various tagged items can be counted rapidly.

In an article in Scientific American magazine (vol. 290, no. 1, January 2004, incorporated by reference), Roy Want discusses RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology, which is widely used in retail theft prevention and vehicle registration at toll booths. Want states (page 58, bottom of third column), "higher-frequency [RFID] tags now enable a reader [detector] to identify many individual tags grouped together, even haphazardly—although they are not yet able to distinguish perfectly among all the items in a loaded grocery cart [which] is a major aim of this technology. Once perfected, such RFID scanning should steamline inventory and checkout procedures and save millions of dollars for retailers." Want cites (page 65) The RFID Handbook by Klaus Finkenzeller, published by John Wiley & Sons, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
The probable reason that RFID cannot distinguish items jumbled haphazardly is that RFID tags are powered by radio signals from the RFID detector, which means that after they are exposed to the radio energy from the detector, they will respond after a certain interval. (The radio-wave energy they receive is accumulated in a capacitor until there is enough charge to run the tag-signal emitting circuit.) Therefore, if there are two cans of Grandma's Chicken Soup, 16 oz. size, in the grocery cart, the tags on both cans will respond at about the same time, if they are next to each other and similarly oriented. If they are not oriented the same, or are at different distances from the detector, or are more or less obscured by a radio-blocking object (such as a metallic food package), then they will respond at different times.
In any event, there will be no information available from the timing of the identifying signals from the two tags of the two cans.
Also, conventional tags do not have a definite repetition rate at which they send out identification information, so if the tags' information is sent out repeatedly in identifiable bursts, then the repetition interval of any such bursts is not constant or steady.
It appears that, because there is little information available from the timing of the signals from the RFID tags, there is little possibility of using that timing to count the number of one item (e.g., Grandma's Chicken Soup, 16 oz. size) in the cart.

Registering multiple similar items with flickers


A battery system comprises a plurality of sodium-sulfur storage cells connected in series to form a battery, with voltage measurement leads attached across each of the individual storage cells. A charge-limiting circuit controllably isolates an individual storage cell from a charging current applied across the battery when the measured voltage across that individual storage cell exceeds a preselected maximum storage cell voltage. Preferably, the charge-limiting circuit includes a bypass circuit connected through the voltage measurement leads and a circuit element that becomes conductive when the voltage across the individual storage cell exceeds the preselected maximum storage cell voltage. There are a plurality of charge-limiting circuits, one for each of the storage cells of the battery. In operation, a high charging current is imposed on the battery while measuring the voltage across each individual storage cell, until the voltage measured across at least one of the storage cells exceeds a preselected reduced-current voltage that is less than the preselected maximum storage cell voltage. The charging current is thereafter reduced to a low charging current while continuing to charge the battery. The low charging current is bypassed around each of the individual storage cells as that storage cell reaches the maximum voltage, until all of the storage cells reach the same state of charge.

This invention relates to controlling the charging of electrical storage batteries, and, more particularly, to attaining optimal charging of sodium-sulfur batteries having multiple storage cells.
Rechargeable storage cells are electrochemical devices for storing and retaining an electrical charge and later delivering that charge as useful power. A number of such storage cells are typically connected together electrically to form a battery having specific voltage or current delivery capability. Familiar examples of the rechargeable storage cell are the lead-acid storage cell used in automobiles and the nickel-cadmium storage cell used in portable electronic devices such as cameras. Another type of storage cell having a greater storage capacity for its weight is the nickel oxide pressurized hydrogen cell, an important type of which is commonly called the nickel-hydrogen cell and is used in spacecraft applications.
Yet another type of storage cell is the sodium-sulfur storage cell, which has been under development for over 20 years for use in a variety of terrestrial applications such as nonpolluting electric vehicles. The sodium-sulfur storage cell has the particular advantage that its storage capacity per unit weight of storage cell is several times the storage capacity of the nickel-hydrogen cell. The sodium-sulfur storage cell therefore is an attractive candidate for use in spacecraft applications as well as automotive applications.
The most common type of construction for a sodium sulfur storage cell includes a cylindrical metal outer housing which serves as a positive terminal and a cylindrical shell of an alumina-based ceramic within the outer housing. Sodium is placed into a first or inner chamber formed within the alumina shell, and sulfur is placed into a second chamber formed between the alumina shell and the outer housing. The storage cell is heated to a temperature of about 350 C., at which temperature both the sodium and the sulfur are molten. The liquid sodium is the anode of the storage cell, the liquid sulfur is the cathode, and the solid ceramic is the electrolyte. Electrical energy is released when sodium ions diffuse through the ceramic into the sulfur, thereby forming sodium polysulfides. Electrical energy can be stored when the process is reversed during charging of the battery, with an applied voltage causing the sodium polysulfides to decompose to yield sodium and sulfur, and the sodium ions diffuse through the ceramic electrolyte back into the first chamber.
It is observed in some tests of batteries made from a number of individual sodium-sulfur storage cells connected in series that the usable electrical storage capacity of the battery may be less than expected, and may deteriorate even further after repeated cycles of charging and discharging. This reduced storage capacity must be considered in designing the battery and assessing the total battery capacity required to provide sufficient storage capacity for a particular mission. Since the sodium-sulfur battery may be required to operate for 10-20 years, even very gradual reductions in storage capacity may have a marked adverse impact on spacecraft design by adding considerable battery weight, because the battery must be designed to meet the performance requirements at the end as well as the beginning of the mission.
There is a need for an improved sodium-sulfur storage battery which has the expected storage capacity and retains that storage capacity over extended periods of time. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Charge balancing of batteries during charging


A passive noise reduction apparatus for altering predetermined sound levels of a sound producing device, the noise reduction apparatus includes at least one piezoelectric foil sensor disposed relative to the sound producing device with the at least one piezoelectric foil sensor being operable to convert such sound wave energy into an electric sound signal and one or more electric circuits in electrical communication with the at least one piezoelectric foil sensor for receiving the electric sound signal and shunting the electric sound signal to a ground connection, thereby reducing sound heard outside the sound producing device.

The present invention is directed broadly to apparatus for altering sound energy in the form of passively reducing noise emitted from appliances for residential and commercial settings and, more particularly, to an apparatus for altering sound energy in a manner that passively reduces such sound energy in the form of noise produced during the operation of residential or home appliances.
In the present case, passive noise reduction refers to noise reduction without input to the appliance at issue. On the other hand, an active noise reduction system provides some sound negating input to the appliance, either electrical or in the form of cancelling sound wave energy.
Large household appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, laundry machines, including washers and dryers, and even smaller household appliances such as oven hood vent fans, wine coolers, espresso-making apparatus, food mixers, food processors, juice centrifuges, juice extractors, and waste masticators all emit a certain amount of sound in the form of noise in connection with the operation of fans, electric drive motors, pumps, compressors, or other customary components of such appliances. Such sound emissions may be objectionable as noise to some and to others may just appear as loud sound energy. The use and accommodation of such appliances within residences and other settings would be improved if there existed a capability to selectively alter the sound level including altering the sound level to a reduced (lower decibel) level.
To that end, much time and effort has already been expended in providing insulation for sound producing components of such appliances, in providing more balancing of such sound producing components, and in more efficiently using electricity so as to reduce the emitted noise. The insulation helps to reduce the noise heard outside of the sound producing device and, indeed, much progress has been made in reducing noise from household appliances. On the other hand, it is generally understood that to further lower noise or sound emissions from these appliances would be desirable and will in fact advance the desired goal of full seamless integration of such appliances into the full range of residential and commercial settings. It would therefore be desirable if other methods and apparatus beyond the known insulation, balancing, and energy efficiency approaches were available to help reduce the sound level emitted from such sound producing home appliances.


The present invention discloses a polarizing filter and a display device. The polarizing filter comprises a polarization layer and a conductive layer provided on one side of the polarization layer. In the present invention, the conductive layer is provided on the polarization layer, thus, when the electrostatic charge are present on the color film substrate having the polarizing filter, the electrostatic charge may be shielded by the conductive layer, and will not adversely affect the liquid crystal molecule between the color film substrate and a array substrate celled to the color film substrate even if the charge are present on a surface of the color film substrate, such that the display quality of the display panel having the color film substrate and the array substrate is improved. In addition, there is no need to provide a conductive tape used to guide the electrostatic charge out of the color film substrate in the display panel, so as to prevent some undesirable phenomenon, such as local uneven force on the panel, light leak and glue residue and the like, caused by the arrangement of the conductive tape.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a field of display technology, and more particularly, relates to a polarizing filter and a display device.
Description of the Related Art
Presently, a liquid crystal display panel is more and more widely used in various products, such as a mobile phone, a television and the like. In a liquid crystal display panel using ADS (Advanced Super Dimension Switch) technology, a horizontal electric field mode is adopted, a pixel electrode and a common electrode, which drive a liquid crystal molecule to deflect, are both provided on an array substrate, while no electrode is provided on a color film substrate, the electrostatic charge thus tends to be cumulated on the color film substrate and adversely affects the display quality of the display panel to some extent.
In order to solve the above-described problem, generally, a conductive tape is additionally attached to the display panel to prevent the display panel from being affected by the electrostatic charge. More specifically, firstly, a dedicated space for the conductive tape is preset, for example, the conductive tape may be provided on a surface of the color film substrate, and the electrostatic charge on the color film substrate may be guided out by the conductive tape. However, in the case of breakage of the conductive tape, the electrostatic charge on the color film substrate cannot be guided out by the conductive tape, thereby having adversely impact on the display effect of the display panel.

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Intensity data of the signals produced by an ion detector are sequentially stored in a data processor, with each piece of intensity data being associated with time t required for each of the various ions ejected from an ion trap to fly through a time-of-flight space and reach the ion detector. The data obtained within a time range T2 corresponding to a measurement mass range are extracted as profile data. The data obtained within either a time range T1 before the arrival of an ion having the smallest m/z value or a time range T3 after the arrival of an ion having the largest m/z value are extracted as noise component data. Various kinds of noise information such as the noise level or standard deviation are calculated from the noise component data. Based on this noise information, a noise component is removed from the profile data. For every mass scan cycle, the noise component data and profile data are almost simultaneously obtained. Therefore, even if the electrical noise from the ion detector changes with time, the noise can be properly removed with little influence from that change of the noise.

A chromatograph mass spectrometer, which consists of the combination of a high-speed liquid chromatograph (LC) or gas chromatograph (GC) and a mass spectrometer (MS), is capable of repeating a mass analysis over a predetermined measurement mass range (specifically, a mass-to-charge ratio range over which the mass analysis is to be performed) to obtain a series of mass spectra of various components of a sample eluted from a column of the LC of GC with the lapse of time. An ion detector of the mass spectrometer typically includes a secondary electron multiplier combined with a conversion dynode, microchannel plate or similar element.
The ion detector and other elements in the subsequent stages, such as a current/voltage converter or amplifier, include electrical circuits, which inevitably produce electrical noise and may also receive external noise. Therefore, the detection signal obtained during the mass scan operation will contain an electrical noise signal superimposed on a signal produced by the ions originating from the sample. Given these factors, conventional mass spectrometers perform a noise-removing process, which includes measuring a noise component due to the aforementioned electrical factors before the measurement of a target sample, and then subtracting the noise information obtained by the noise measurement from the mass spectrum information of the target sample.
Mass spectrometers perform an averaging process on a set of data obtained in two or more mass scan cycles to stabilize the shape of mass spectra, and some of these apparatuses can change the number of mass scan cycles for the averaging process during the measurement according to a change in the analysis conditions. For example, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-99821 can switch its operational mode between the positive-ion measurement mode and the negative-ion measurement mode for each mass scan cycle or between the normal mass analysis and the MS/MS analysis including a dissociating operation. Changing the number of mass scan cycles creates a different state of noise. Therefore, the aforementioned noise-removing process should be preceded by a preprocess in which the noise information obtained by measuring the noise component is appropriately processed by a statistical method that takes into account the number of mass scan cycles.
However, the level of the electrical noise from the circuits of the ion detector, amplifier and other elements usually changes with time since the state of this noise is sensitive to temperature and other factors. Therefore, in some cases it is impossible to appropriately remove the noise by performing the noise-removing process using the noise information obtained by the preliminary measurement of the noise before the measurement of the target sample.
One known method for avoiding these problems is to perform a noise-removing process using additional noise information obtained by repeatedly measuring the noise component at specific intervals of time during the measurement of the target sample as well as before the same measurement. However, this technique cannot consistently provide a desired noise-removing effect since there is a certain time-gap between the measurement of the target sample and that of the noise component; if the electrical noise has increased during the measurement of the target sample, the time-gap may prevent this increase in the noise from being correctly reflected in the noise information.
The present invention has been developed in view of these problems. Its objective is to provide a method of processing mass analysis data capable of accurately creating mass spectra by properly removing electrical noise from an ion detector, amplifier or other elements, and also a mass spectrometer capable of such a data processing.

Method for processing mass analysis data and mass spectrometer


A cutting element includes, a body having two planes, each of the two planes defining a plurality of edges, and a support extending from a first of the two planes. The support and the body are configured such that when the cutting element is resting against a planar surface such that at least one of the plurality of edges and the support are in contact with the planar surface, the second of the two planes forms an acute angle with the planar surface. Additionally, a protrusion extends laterally from at least one face of the body and an indentation is formed in at least one face of the body. The protrusion and the indentation are complementary to one another such that the protrusion of a first of the cutting elements is positionable within the indentation of a second of the cutting elements.

Cutting tools, such as mills used in downhole applications, for example, can be made with a plurality of cutting elements that are adhered to a surface of a tool. The cutting elements can be randomly shaped particles made by fracturing larger pieces. Alternately, cutting elements can be precisely formed into repeatable shapes using processes such as pressing and sintering, for example. Regardless of the process employed to make the individual cutting elements, the elements are typically adhered to the mill with random orientations. These random orientations create disparities in maximum heights relative to a surface of the mill. Furthermore, angles of cutting surfaces relative to the target material are randomized and consequently few are near preferred angles that facilitate efficient cutting. In addition to uniformity, greater tool life than can be achieved with a single layer of cutting elements is often desired. If these elements are leaning at the desired angle, when the second layer is stacked on top, the top elements will tend to slide off due to gravity. The elements are typically adhered to each other with molten braze material which lubricates the interface between two elements, thereby further facilitating the top element sliding off the bottom element. Elements that address this undesirable condition would improve the manufacturing process. Multiple layers with the desired orientation and lean angle would be efficient, long lasting, and well received by the industry.

Cutting element, tool and method of cutting within a borehole


A valve (13a) is described comprising: a housing (50) having a fluid inlet for (54) receiving a flow of compressed fluid and a fluid outlet (55); a flow duct (60) movably mounted with respect to the housing, the duct (62) having a fluid inlet (62) for receiving a flow of compressed fluid and a fluid outlet (65), the fluid outlet being positioned around at least a part of the circumference of the duct and being dimensioned to provide a different flow rate at different sections or positions around the circumference of the duct; the fluid outlet of the housing being alignable with a portion of the fluid outlet of the duct to provide a flow rate related to the relative position of the portion of the fluid outlet of the duct and the fluid outlet of the housing; and, a drive element (70) for moving, e.g. rotating, the duct with respect to the housing such that a desired portion of the fluid outlet of the duct aligns with the fluid outlet of the housing. The valve may operate as a so-called throttle valve. It is an advantage that the valve is quickly movable into a desired relative position in order to regulate fluid flow through the valve. The valve is designed to have a long operational lifetime as, even if the outer surface of the duct wears, the outlet will not substantially change in size and the throttling effect will remain substantially the same.

In an air jet weaving system, compressed air is used to draw weft threads from supply spools and to blow them into the shed of an air jet loom. A set of relay nozzles is used to support the movement of the weft thread across the shed, which may be several meters in width. Additional nozzles at the far end of the shed may stretch an inserted thread during a weaving operation. An example air jet loom is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,387.
It is known to adjust the airflow to the main or to the relay nozzles according to the kind of weft thread to be woven. For example, a smooth and strong filament yarn can be woven with a high airflow at the relay nozzles while a weak spun yarn, or a spun yarn with several irregularities, can be woven only with a lower airflow at the relay nozzles. In order to successively insert two or more kinds of weft threads, the airflow of the relay nozzles can be set at a value required by the weakest type of weft yarn so that the weft yarn is not blown apart, broken or damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,387 provides two airflow rates for the relay nozzles and selects the correct airflow such that a yarn will not be blown apart and such that the yarn will be inserted across the shed to arrive timely at the other side or far end of the shed. The weaving machine speed is adapted to suit to the slowest yarn. This machine requires a separate pressure-reducing valve for each required airflow rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,273 describes an electrically actuated throttle valve for an insertion nozzle. The throttle valve comprises a plunger which is movable, in a linear direction, within a bore hole. The plunger can be positioned at a desired distance from a valve seat. This type of valve is relatively slow to operate. In situations where the airflow rate needs to be varied for each insertion, the valve has to operate in a period of less than 35 msec. A second problem with this type of valve is that it has a rubber sealing ring which surrounds the plunger to prevent compressed air from escaping from the valve. This sealing ring is prone to wear and thus this type of valve has a limited life time when used in situations where the airflow rate needs to be varied for each insertion.
It is desirable to have a reduced number of valves as these valves are expensive and are volume/area consuming items. It is also desirable to provide a valve which has a long life time and which does not wear so rapidly. Further, it is also desirable to have a rapidly operating valve.


A machine for gluing a ring-shaped workpiece prior to machining operations. The machine includes a support assembly adapted to receive a removable support element having a top surface for receiving a workpiece; a glue dispenser system adapted to apply a predefined amount of glue on a face of at least one of the workpiece and the support element; a gripper assembly for placing a workpiece on the support element; an illuminating system adapted to illuminate the applied glue with ultraviolet light, this illuminating system including: at least one inner lighting element for radially illuminating an inner radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light, and at least one outer lighting element for radially illuminating an outer radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light.

It is known to manufacture mechanical workpieces using a so-called grinding process, which include a succession of grinding operations performed on a workpiece using several different machines. However, grinding processes are long to implement, which is a serious drawback if the production runs are short. They require the definition of numerous application-specific settings, which make them complicated to implement in industrial settings. Furthermore, they may lead to burning abuses and cause permanent damage to the workpiece.
To avoid these drawbacks, it is known to manufacture workpieces using a so-called hard turning process, in which all the shaping operations of the workpiece by removal of matter are performed on a single machine. The manufacturing process is thus shortened and the risk of burning abuses is reduced. However, in order to achieve satisfactory geometrical accuracy of the machined workpiece, the workpiece must be firmly held in place during machining. In practice, the workpiece is held by at least one of its faces, for example using a magnetic clamping tool, or using instant glue such as cyanoacrylate to hold a face of the workpiece on a flat rigid substrate.
If the workpiece is a ring-shaped mechanical piece meant to be used in a bearing ring, then the workpiece may be held by its lower face or by its upper face, while the outer and inner radial faces and the remaining face are machined.
However, these known methods have some drawbacks. In some cases, the workpieces may be too small to be adequately clamped by magnetic clamping tools, thus increasing the risk of unwanted movement during machining. As for gluing the workpiece with instant glue, there is a risk that, when the workpiece is removed from the substrate once the machining operations are completed, then the released residual forces in the workpiece may cause a distortion of the workpiece, resulting in unacceptable circularity errors. There is also a risk of distortion of the glued face.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,676 discloses using UV-curable glue for joining a workpiece to a fixture that has UV transparent fixation points. However, in some applications, it is not always possible to use a fixture with transparent fixation points.

Machine for gluing a workpiece to a support element prior to machining operations and a method for the same


Processes for producing polyether siloxanes are provided in which unsaturated polyethers are reacted with one or more SiH-functional siloxanes in the presence of Pt(0) compounds and tertiary amines Also, provided is the use of Pt(0) compounds and tertiary amines for producing polyether siloxanes and to the use of the polyether siloxanes thus obtained.

Polyether siloxanes are employed in a multitude of industrial processes, for example, as defoamers in fuels, as an additive in paints and coatings, and as a constituent of cosmetic formulations. Polyether siloxanes are also suitable for use as a polyurethane foam stabilizer. A multitude of different polyether siloxanes are marketed, for example, by Evonik Industries AG under the trade name Abil®.
Of particular importance are polyether siloxanes comprising polyether radicals linked to a siloxane backbone via SiC functions. Such polyether siloxanes may be produced by hydrosilylation of polyethers comprising terminal C—C double bonds with SiH-functional siloxanes. C—C double bond-containing polyethers may be produced, for example, by alkoxylation of allyl alcohol and are marketed as allyloxypolyethylene glycols. Typical representatives of this material class are, for example, those having CAS numbers 27274-31-3, 9042-19-7 and 9041-33-2.
The production of polyether siloxanes by hydrosilylation is a known process and has been described many times in the literature, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,541 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0075468. The catalysts typically employed for hydrosilylation are platinum compounds. In commercial practice the use of hexachloroplatinic acid and Karstedt's catalyst and/or formulations thereof has become established for this purpose.
Hydrosilylation is accompanied by a plurality of side reactions. In the presence of OH functions, dehydrogenative coupling of the OH group-bearing component and the SiH-functional siloxane takes place and SiOC functions are formed. Additionally, in the hydrosilylation of allyl group-containing compounds, rearrangement reactions and cleavage reactions occur and propionaldehyde is formed. Propionaldehyde is one component that can result in polyether siloxanes having a strong intrinsic odor.
The aldehyde liberated can further bring about linkage of two polyether siloxane molecules by reacting with OH groups belonging to the polyether radicals and bridging the radicals via acetal bridges.
The formation of SiOC functions and acetal bridges and further crosslinking reactions are generally unwanted since they result in the build-up of highly crosslinked structures. This results in increased product viscosities which markedly hampers processing of the polyether siloxanes and may impair performance. Depending on the extent of crosslinking, gel formation may even occur.
There are a multitude of patent documents concerned with controlling these side reactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,398 (Union Carbide Corporation, 1989) describes a solvent-free process for producing polyether siloxanes in the presence of a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid salt. The use of such additions controls the formation of polyether siloxanes bridged via acetal groups. The examples in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,398 describe the use of a 3.3% solution of H2PtCl6 in 1,2-dimethoxyethane and ethanol (w(Pt)=1.6%). The concentration of the assistants is in the range of from 200 to 10 000 ppm.
EP 2463291 (Shin-Etsu, 2012) describes hydrosilylation in the presence of a carboxamide, a mixture of a nitrile component and an aromatic hydroxy component or a carboxamide salt. The additions are added with the aim of improving the selectivity of the hydrosilylation. The teaching of EP2463291 warns against the use of tertiary amines because they act as a catalyst poison.
DE 102009027215 discloses hydrosilylation with Pt(0) complexes in the presence of amine-N-oxides. Pt (0) catalysts having a platinum content in the range of 0.5-5% are particularly preferred in DE 102009027215.
EP 0032377 (Union Carbide, 1992) describes hydrosilylations in the presence of sterically hindered amines and phosphines. Sterically hindered amines are considered to be amines possessing at least one alkyl radical which comprises a secondary or tertiary carbon atom bonded directly to the amine nitrogen. It is further described that the addition of such amines controls side reactions without impairing the reactivity of platinum catalysts. A series of non-inventive examples shows that various tertiary amines, such as triethylamine, markedly reduce the reactivity of the platinum catalyst.
DE 102009027215 describes hydrosilylation of olefins with SiH group-comprising compounds in the presence of Pt(0) complexes and at least one amine oxide.
The reduction in catalyst activity is an unsolved problem for those skilled in the art. Moreover, the sometimes very high viscosity of the hydrosilylation products, which is caused by the long reaction time of catalyst systems having a relatively low activity, has not been satisfactorily avoided either.


Various embodiments of the invention improve the dynamic response and output voltage accuracy in buck DC-DC converters. In certain embodiments, power efficiency is improved by storing and recycling energy that is otherwise lost during successive load transient events.

A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to DC-DC buck voltage circuits, and particularly, to systems, devices, and methods of suppressing transient load responses in DC-DC buck voltage converters.
B. Background of the Invention
Buck or step-down DC-DC converters efficiently convert a high input DC voltage into a specified lower output DC voltage at a higher current. Buck converters are widely used in processor and power applications for consumer electronic equipment, such as desktop and portable computers; in communications equipment, such as handheld battery powered devices; in industrial applications; and in automotive applications. Buck converters often require exceptional output voltage accuracy, a reduced transient load response, and fast output voltage programming. Transient load requirements are important in low-voltage applications which are subject to fast changing load conditions or require frequent transitions between output voltage settings during operation. High-speed, high-accuracy system loads include central processing units, baseband, application and graphics processors, as well as power amplifiers. Slew rate and efficiency are important in dynamic voltage scaling and power amplifier applications.
The inductance of a DC-DC buck converter is sized to store adequate magnetic energy and keep output current and voltage ripple at reasonably low values. However, the transient output response to fast changes in system voltage and load current is limited by the current slew rate of the inductor. Additionally, prior art DC-DC buck converters which allow large output slew rate, suffer from low operating efficiency. Therefore, a need exists to overcome the deficiencies and inadequacies of the prior art.

Inductive bypass, storage and release improves buck response


There is provided a method for drilling a cased hole and installing a geothermal transfer apparatus. A sonic drilling apparatus is positioned at a desired location. The sonic drilling apparatus includes a rotating and vibrating apparatus for rotating and vibrating a drill string into the ground. A retrievable drill bit is operatively connected to the drill string. The cased hole is drilled to a desired depth by rotating and vibrating the drill string into the ground. The retrievable drill bit is retrieved from the cased hole following the drilling of the cased hole to the desired depth. A geothermal transfer apparatus is lowered into the cased hole following the retrieval of the retrievable drill bit. Grouting material may be discharged into the cased hole before or after the drill string is removed from the ground.

This invention relates to geothermal heat exchange systems and underground thermal energy storage systems and, in particular, to a method of installing geothermal transfer apparatuses using a sonic drill and a removable or retrievable drill bit.
Geothermal heat exchange systems and underground thermal energy storage systems are environmentally friendly, energy efficient, heating and cooling systems. Accordingly, there is a rising demand for such systems for both commercial and residential properties. There is therefore a need for a quick and efficient method of installing the geothermal transfer apparatuses used in many geothermal heat exchange systems and underground thermal energy storage systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for installing cast-in-place concrete piles with a sonic drill and a removable or retrievable drill bit


The present invention relates to an insert bolt, and more particularly, to an insert bolt having an anti-turn function, in which one-way teeth are formed on a bottom surface of a bolt head constituting the insert bolt, such that a bolt shaft can turn only in a clockwise direction when casting concrete, thereby preventing the bolt shaft from loosening from a connecting rod. The insert bolt of the present includes: a bolt shaft, a spring coupled to an outer side of the bolt shaft to perform an elastic function, a sliding movement member coupled to the outer side of the bolt shaft and coupled to a lower part of the spring to perform a sliding movement, a supporting rib member positioned in a lower part of the sliding movement member and supporting the sliding movement member and a connecting rod connected to a lower part of the bolt shaft, wherein the bolt shaft includes a disc-shaped head part, and a central shaft in a form of a circular cylinder integrally formed in a center part of the disc-shaped head part, wherein the disc-shaped head part has one-way, a lower part of the central shaft has a screw thread, and the one-way teeth includes an inclined surface and a vertical surface, such that, when an external pressure is applied due to concrete casting, the concrete casting pressure is dispersed through the inclined surface and the concrete casting pressure is aggregated through the vertical surface such that a rotating force is created only in a direction in which the bolt shaft tightens onto the connecting rod.

An access ceiling, in which a vacant space is formed for allowing access from a top and pipes, wires, cables, ducts, etc. are installed in the vacant space, and then the vacant space is finished by a finishing material such as a panel and the like, is provided at a ceiling of a building. To install the access ceiling, an anchor bolt is used to install various frames such as shaped steels, beams, carrying channels, brackets, pipes, wires, cables, etc. on concrete structures.
A portion of the anchor bolt is buried in the concrete structure, a screw part of the anchor bolt protruding from the concrete structure is fastened to a screw hole, which is drilled beforehand through the frame, or the screw part of the anchor bolt passes through the frame so that the screw part is fastened to the frame. To strengthen the anchorage of the anchor bolt when installing the anchor bolt, and to prevent the anchor bolt from moving to an incorrect position or to an inclined state, fixing apparatus of various structures are being used.
The anchor bolt (insert bolt, hereinafter called insert bolt) will be described with reference to the exploded perspective view of the insert bolt of a related art shown in FIG. 1 and a sectional view showing an example of an installed state of the insert bolt of the related art shown in FIG. 2.
As shown, the insert bolt of the related art includes a bolt shaft 10 provided at an end part thereof with a screw part 12, a spring 40 and a washer W sequentially fitted around the bolt shaft 10, a supporting rod 20 having a supporting rib member 22 having elasticity, and a connecting rod 30, which is inserted last and screwed with the screw part 12.
When a bolt head 14 is pressed and inserted into a hole drilled in a steel structure such as a steel beam and the like while all components are completely assembled, as shown in FIG. 6, the supporting rib member 22 is contracted while the spring 40 is compressed to push the washer 24 upward and the washer is continuously moved upward such that the supporting rib member 22 completely passes through the hole, thereby fastening the insert bolt.
When the supporting rib member 22 completely passes through the hole, as described above, the supporting rib member 22 supports a bottom surface of the hole and the washer W is pushed by the spring 40 to support a top surface of the hole such that the supporting rib member 22 is fixed.
Then, the concrete is casted, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, a component having a screw thread, which can fix other structures from a lower side of the connecting rod 30, is screwed to the connecting rod.
However, the insert bolt of the related art includes the washer W and the supporting shaft 20 which are separate components, so when casting she concrete or external force is applied, the spring 40 is compressed and the washer is fluctuated, thus the bolt shaft 10 is not securely fixed in the hole, but transversely moved.
Specifically, when casting the concrete, if the body of the insert bolt is moved and become inclined, a worker needs to fasten the insert bolt while checking the insert bolt using the eye. If this process is performed carelessly, the inclined construction may be realized, so various problems such as levelling errors wish other structures may occur.
To solve the above described problems, the applicant proposed Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0378873 which discloses an insert bolt configured for an accurate installation by clamping a transverse movement even when an external force is applied thereto after the insert bolt is fastened to a hole. The insert bolt, which is installed into a steel structure, includes a bolt shaft 10 having a screw part 12, a spring 40 fitted onto the bolt shaft 10, a washer W, on which a supporting rod 20 is integrated, sequentially fitted onto the bolt shaft 10 after the spring 40, a rib ring R sequentially fitted onto the bolt shaft 10 after the washer W and having supporting rib member 22 corresponding to the washer W, and a connecting rod 30 coupled to the screw part 12, wherein the spring 40, the washer W and the rib ring R are sequentially fitted onto the screw part 10, and then, the connecting rod 30 is fastened to the screw part 12, thereby coupling the insert bolt to the hole.
In the configuration described above, a force may be applied to the bolt shaft and the bolt shaft may be rotated in the process of casting the concrete, thus the bolt shaft and the connecting rod may become released.
In other words, the concrete is casted while the bolt shaft and the connecting rod is screwed, so the pressing force of the concrete is transferred to a bottom surface of the bolt shaft and the bolt shaft vibrates in a counter clockwise direction, thereby releasing the bolt shaft from the connecting rod.
In addition, because there is no structure for adequately dispersing the pressure of the concrete, the proposed structure fails to completely solve the inclination of the bolt head.
In addition, when examining the related art, because the rib ring is slidably coupled to an outer side of the bolt shaft, the rib ring R follows the bolt shaft 10 and is pushed up when the supporting rib member 22 makes contact with an entrance of the hole while the insert bolt is continuously inserted into the hole of the structure such as a steel beam. For this reason, in order to completely couple the insert bolt, the bolt shaft is required to be deeply inserted into the bolt shaft.
In other words, since the rib ring of the related art is slidably coupled, when the insert bolt is inserted into the hole and moved, the rib ring is moved upward by a predetermined height, then the supporting rib member is contracted, so the insertion depth of the insert bolt becomes deeper.


The present invention provides a tool changer of a machine tool capable of suppressing cost increase and preventing size increase of the machine when a tool magazine is mounted. In a tool changer of a machine tool provided with a pallet change mechanism 10 in which a machining-side pallet 11 disposed on a machining area A side and a standby-side pallet 12 disposed on a standby area B side are turned around a turn shaft 14 by a turning member 13 to be automatically changed, a tool magazine 28 holding a plurality of tools T1 to T4 is disposed between the machining-side pallet 11 and the standby-side pallet 12 in the turning member 13 and the tool magazine 28 is turned by the turning member 13 so that the tools T1 to T4 face a spindle 5 disposed on the machining area A side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool changer of a machine tool provided with a pallet change mechanism in which a machining-side pallet and a standby-side pallet are turned by a turning member around a turn shaft to be automatically changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a horizontal machining center sometimes uses, for machining a workpiece, a long tool that is longer than a standard size tool. As an example of a tool changer capable of automatically changing such long tools, there is a tool changer structured such that a support table on which a plurality of long tools are arranged is moved by an actuator between a standby position and a tool change position on a bed, thereby allowing a spindle to grip a required tool (for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2532663). As another example, there is a tool changer structured such that a gate-shaped frame is installed on a bed and a tool holder holding a long tool is disposed on a cross beam of the frame to be movable by an actuator between the outside and the inside of a machining area, thereby allowing a spindle to grip a required tool (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-58161).


The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, systems, architectures, computer readable medium, and processes for use in notifying users of other users' transaction ratings. Some embodiments provide a method for use in facilitating transactions between users. This method determines that a first user is interested in entering into a transaction with a second user, determines a summary rating of the second user, and notifies the first user of the second user's summary rating prior to the first user entering into a transaction with the second user. The method can further determine that the second user's summary rating is below a first threshold, generate the notification to the first user to review the second users summary rating, and implement the notification of the first user when the second user's summary rating is below the first threshold. In some embodiments, the method notifies the first user by displaying a warning box.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to notifying individuals about potential fraud, and more particularly to notifying users contemplating transactions over a distributed computer network about other user's prior transaction histories.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The use of the Internet has provided great advances and tremendous access to information. The Internet has also provided a method for conducting transactions between individuals and/or parties. These transactions can take place between individuals and parties that are at great distances from one another.
Unfortunately, some individuals have taken the opportunity to defraud individuals participating in transactions over the Internet. Because of the anonymity provided by the Internet, it is extremely difficult for users to determine who actual defrauded them and how to attempt to seek redress.
It would be beneficial if systems or methods were available that provided users with information about other individuals and/or parties with whom they contemplate conducting transactions. It is with respect to these and other background information factors that the present invention has evolved.

Methods for use in providing user ratings according to prior transactions


The present invention is direct to a method of connecting a piece of tubing to an outlet manifold of an oxygenator that prevents excessively high positive or negative pressure from forming in the oxygenator and helps to minimize the possibility of misidentifyig the outlet connector. The outlet connector is hollow and substantially cylindrically tubular in shape so that a hollow inner conduit is formed. The outlet connector is in fluid communication with the outlet manifold of an oxygenator through the inner conduit. In one embodiment, the outlet connector has an elongated hole extending through the tubular material of the outlet connector into the hollow inner conduit formed therein. The elongated hole is preferable large enough to be felt by the fingers of the person connecting tubing to the outlet connector. The elongated hole is preferably arrow shaped with the arrow pointing in the direction of fluid flow out of the outlet manifold. In an alternate embodiment, the outlet connector has a channel formed in the outer surface of the outlet connector. The channel extends from the distal end of the outlet connector opposite the point of connection of the outlet connector to the oxygenator towards the oxygenator. The channel does not extend entirely through the tubular material making up the wall of the outlet connector but instead extends into the wall material from the exterior surface only a fraction of the thickness of the wall material.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for infusing and removing gases from blood and more particularly relates to an outlet connector for connecting a means to remove gases from a device for infusing and removing gases from blood to a device for infusing and removing gases from blood.
2. Description of Related Art
During cardiac surgery, it is often desirable to maintain circulation of blood through a patient's body. This is often done by connecting a patient to an extra-corporeal system that adds oxygen to and removes carbon dioxide from the blood, heats or cools the blood and provides impetus to the blood to cause the blood to circulate through the patient's vascular system.
Devices, typically called oxygenators such as that shown in FIG. 1 generally labeled 2, serve the function of adding oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide from the blood. Most oxygenators operate by imparting oxygen to and removing carbon dioxide from blood passing through the extra-corporeal circuit through transfer of carbon dioxide to and oxygen from a gas.
Many current oxygenators use a group of porous fibers arranged in a fiber bundle 4 as conduits for the gas used to transfer the oxygen to and carbon dioxide from the blood in the extra-corporeal circuit. In a typical design for oxygenator 2, individual fibers in fiber bundle 4 are surrounded by blood taken from a patient. The blood is removed from the venous side of a patient and is pumped through the oxygenator 2 over the fibers and is then infused into the patient's arterial side.
The venous blood from the patient has a relatively low amount of oxygen and a relatively high amount of carbon dioxide. As the blood passes through the oxygenator 2, the blood acquires oxygen from and gives up carbon dioxide to the oxygenator 2.
The typical oxygenator 2 operates by diffusing oxygen from gas in the interior passages of fibers in fiber bundle 4 through the walls of the fibers into the blood and by diffusing carbon dioxide from the blood through the walls of the fibers in the fiber bundle 4 into the interior passages of fibers in fiber bundle 4. The fibers of fiber bundle 4 are relatively porous to diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the walls of the individual fibers.
Because the partial pressure of oxygen in the gas in the fibers is higher than the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood, oxygen diffuses through the walls of the fibers from the gas in the interior of the fibers to the blood. Conversely, because the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood is higher than the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the gas in the fibers, carbon dioxide diffuses through the walls of the fibers from the blood to the gas in the interior of the fibers.
In most current oxygenators 2, the fiber bundle 4 is typically cylindrical with the individual fibers open at each end of the fiber bundle 4. Manifolds at each end of the fiber bundle 4 direct gas into and out of the fiber bundle 4 from a source of gas and to a line to vent the exhaust gas, respectively. An inlet manifold 6 at one end of the fiber bundle 4 directs gas from a source of oxygen rich gas to the open ends of the fibers in fiber bundle 4. Inlet manifold 6 has an inlet connector 8 for connecting the inlet manifold 6 to the source of oxygen rich gas.
An outlet manifold 10 is located at the end of the fiber bundle 4 opposite inlet manifold 6. Gas that has passed through the fiber bundle 4 when the oxygenator 2 is operating will have relatively higher levels of carbon dioxide and relatively lower levels of oxygen than the gas entering the fiber bundle 4. Outlet manifold 10 collects this gas that has passed through the fiber bundle 4 and directs it to a line to vent the exhaust gas.
Outlet manifold 10 has an outlet connector 12 for connecting the outlet manifold 10, through tubing, to the waste gas receptacle. Outlet connector 12 is typically hollow, substantially cylindrical and in fluid communication with outlet manifold 10. This allows a piece of tubing 14 to be connected over the outer surface 16 of outlet connector 12 so that gas can flow out of outlet manifold 10 through the hollow outlet connector 12 and through the interior of the tubing 14 to the waste gas receptacle.
Gas rich in oxygen and low in carbon dioxide enters the inlet manifold 6 through inlet connector 8, passes through the fiber bundle 4 and exits the oxygenator 2 through outlet manifold 10 and ultimately through outlet connector 12.
There are two main problems with the known outlet connectors 12. First, in order to ensure that waste gas is moved out of the oxygenator 2, the outlet connector 12 is typically connected to a source of vacuum pressure (not shown) through tubing 14 to collect and dispose of the gas. But, because the vacuum source is a negative pressure, it is possible to transfer the negative pressure to the gas in the oxygenator 2 and in particular to the gas in the fibers of the fiber bundle 4.
When the gas in the oxygenator 2 has a negative pressure, the partial pressure of oxygen in the fibers of fiber bundle 4 is reduced. Because the partial pressure of oxygen is reduced, the partial pressure differential between the oxygen in the gas in the fibers and the oxygen in the blood is reduced. As a result, less oxygen will pass from the gas to the blood thereby making the oxygenator 2 less efficient and effective as an artificial lung.
An additional problem with a negative gas pressure in the fibers of the fiber bundle 4 is that blood plasma will be pulled from the blood into the fibers thereby clogging the fibers. Clogged fibers prevent the transmission of oxygen or carbon dioxide through the clogged fibers thus making the oxygenator 2 less efficient. Further, blood plasma that is pulled into the fibers becomes damaged. These two problems with negative gas pressure are to be avoided.
A second major problem with the outlet connector 12 is that the outlet connector 12 may be mistaken for one of the other connectors on the oxygenator 2 such as are typically found. If the outlet connector 12 is mistaken for one of the other connectors, one of the operating room personnel may close the outlet connector 12 by capping it.
This problem of misidentification of outlet connector 12 is acerbated where, as commonly occurs, a heat exchanger for heating and cooling the blood passing through the oxygenator 2 is attached to or is formed in the same housing as the oxygenator 2. Heat exchangers that operate by using water to cool or heat the blood will also have at least an inlet and an outlet connector that can also be confused with outlet connector 12.
Where outlet connector 12 has been misidentified and mistakenly capped, oxygen rich gas may be applied under pressure to the oxygenator 2 through the inlet connector 8. However, because outlet connector 12 is capped, the gas will not be able to leave the oxygenator 2 through the outlet connector 12. In this case, the gas pressure in the inside the fibers in the fiber bundle 4 say rise to the input pressure of the gas at inlet connector 8. This may cause the gas under pressure in the interior of the fibers in fiber bundle 4 to be diffused across the fiber walls into the blood which is at a lower pressure. Once in the blood, this pressurized gas will expand and possibly cause embolistic problems.
Both problems of having a gas in the interior of the fibers in fiber bundle 4 that has excessively high or low pressure are to be avoided. FIG. 2 shows one way that these problems have been dealt with in the past. FIG. 2 shows an outlet connector 12 connected to an oxygenator 2. At least one small hole 18 is formed from the outer surface 16 of outlet connector 12 to the interior hollow passage (not shown). Hole 18 vents the interior hollow passage of the outlet connector 12, and consequently the interior of the oxygenator 2, to ambient pressure.
Another solution to the problem of excessively high or low gas pressure in the interior of the fibers of the fiber bundle 4 has been to place small holes in the outlet manifold 10 to vent gas pressure in the outlet manifold 10 to ambient pressure.
Although either of these approaches to solving the problem of excessively high or low gas pressure in the interior of the fibers of the fiber bundle 4 helps to prevent excessively high or low pressure in the interior of the fibers of the fiber bundle 4, neither approach helps to solve the problem of misidentifying the outlet connector 12 mentioned above.


The present invention relates to semipermeable mosaic polymer membranes of asymmetric structure and with a macroscopic distribution of the mosaic-forming anionic and cationic charges (sites). The membranes can be prepared by casting a polymer solution of an optionally charged matrix-forming polymer and at least one precursor polymer, incompatible with the matrix-forming polymer, in a selected solvent, into a film, forming a skin on one side of the film, precipitating the skinned film to form the asymmetric membrane and charging it by chemical reactions to introduce or complete their mosaic structure. These membranes have good permeability for electrolytes, such as salts of mono- or polyvalent inorganic acids, while retaining low molecular weight organic solutes.

The present invention relates to semipermeable mosaic polymer membranes of asymmetric structure and with a macroscopic distribution of the mosaic-forming anionic and cationic charges (sites). These membranes have good permeability for electrolytes, such as salts of mono- or polyvalent inorganic acids, while retaining low molecular weight organic solutes.
The separation of mono-, di- or polyvalent salts, such as sodium chloride, or sodium sulfate or sodium triphosphate, from low molecular weight (MW<1000) organic compounds in (aqueous) solutions, via membranes is an important industrial separation problem which has not been economically solved. Membranes have been shown to offer an economical solution to many separation problems because of their ability to concentrate without a phase change, and to separate different solutes. The traditional membrane process of reverse osmosis (RO) rejects all salts and organics. The relatively newer membranes of selective reverse osmosis cannot efficiently achieve the above separations even though they are designed to pass salt and retain the organic solutes. The mode of separation in selective RO is based on size and electrostatic discrimination, and the proper choice of materials has not been found to give e.g. a sulfate passage. However, membrane structures containing separated macroscopic domains (0.05 to 100 microns) of anionic and cationic ion exchange materials connecting the opposite faces of the rejecting layer (called a charged mosaic membrane) have a built-in salt transport mechanism. They have been postulated and shown to give separation between organic solutes and salts. Under a pressure gradient the membranes preferential transport salt across the mosaic while retaining the organic solute [H. Kowatoh et al., Macro-molecules 21, 625-628, 1988].
Mosaic membranes have also been shown to give high water flux, while, at the same time, giving a permeate enriched in salt (F.B. Leitz, J. Shore, Office of Saline Water, Res. Developm. Program Report No. 775 (1972)].
Mosaic membranes are membranes with a macroscopic distribution of cationic and anionic sites. Typically, though not exclusively, they are arranged as particles, such as cationic and/or anionic particles distributed in a neutral matrix, or particles of one charge distributed in a matrix of the other charge. In this case, particles may be defined as regular or irregular approaching such shapes as spheres, multisided, fibers, cones, and others.
The different approaches to achieve the structures of mosaic membranes comprise such methods as the introduction of preformed particles in a matrix via resin suspension in a casting solution of the matrix, block or random copolymerisations, or phase separation in a common solvent (material incompatibility).
Mosaic membranes have not yet become commercially important in separation processes because of the difficulty in upscaling a reproduceable process for making mosaics. Of all the above approaches, one of the simplest with a good upscaling and fabrication potential is the said material incompatibility, or phase separation in a common solvent. However, it is also the most difficult to make without imperfections which destroy membrane properties.
Further, the known mosaic membranes do not have high enough rejection to low (less than 400) molecular weight solutes, or if they have high enough rejection their water fluxes are too low.


Isolated polynucleotides encoding polypeptides active in the fructan, cellulose, starch and/or tannin biosynthetic pathways are provided, together with expression vectors and host cells comprising such isolated polynucleotides. Methods for the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides are also provided.

Over the past 50 years, there have been substantial improvements in the genetic production potential of ruminant animals (sheep, cattle and deer). Levels of meat, milk or fiber production that equal an animal's genetic potential may be attained within controlled feeding systems, where animals are fully fed with energy dense, conserved forages and grains. However, the majority of temperate farming systems worldwide rely on the in situ grazing of pastures. Nutritional constraints associated with temperate pastures can prevent the full expression of an animal's genetic potential. This is illustrated by a comparison between milk production by North American grain-fed dairy cows and New Zealand pasture-fed cattle. North American dairy cattle produce, on average, twice the milk volume of New Zealand cattle, yet the genetic base is similar within both systems (New Zealand Dairy Board and United States Department of Agriculture figures). Significant potential therefore exists to improve the efficiency of conversion of pasture nutrients to animal products through the correction of nutritional constraints associated with pastures.

Compositions isolated from forage grasses and methods for their use