Method and system for information association based on an absolute position coding pattern comprising dots or markings which codes coordinates for a position on an imaginary surface. The imaginary surface comprises several regions which are divided in areas, each defined by said coordinates. Handwritten information is digitized by a handheld device which is moved over a surface provided with said pattern and acts like a pen to make notes on the surface. At the same time, the pattern is sensed and coordinates for the pen is calculated regularly. By passing the handheld device over the borderline between areas having different coordinates, a hyperline is generated having a discontinuity. Such a hyperline is easily recognized by the computer system and is used for connecting information at different areas, giving information some properties, like color, or performing an action on the information, such as encryption, or transferring the information to a recipient.

Information has been noted for hand by pen on paper since several hundreds of years. However, paperbased information has drawbacks, such as being permanent and difficult to change and distribute.
Recently, in personal computers, information may be entered by keybords and displayed by display devices, like CRT or LCD screens. However, computerbased information has drawbacks, such as being difficult to enter by keyboards and difficult to read on a computer screen.
Several suggestions exists for digitizing handwritten information for transferring such handwritten information to digital devices, such as computers.
As soon as the information has been entered in the computer, it may be communicated to others, such as by e-mail or SMS or via an Internet connection or as a fax via a fax modem.
In a computer context, a mouse is often used for selecting information and acting upon such selected information. A typical situation involves draging a mouse pointer over characters of information displayed on the screen to select said information. Then, the mouse pointer is pointed at a certain position on the screen, such as in a menue system or pallette, in order to initiate certain actions to be performed upon the selected text, such as changing the font type or size.
The same type of selection may be performed in the pen and paper situation, such as encircling a piece of information or yellow-mark information. However, since the information is fixed, no action can normally be taken upon the selected information, which however, may be highlighted to the reader.
Patent Application No. PCT/SE00/01895, filed by applicant, the technical disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a system in which a handheld device and a paper is used for jotting down information in a traditional way, whereby at the same time is generated a digital graph comprising one or several traces of lines of the movement of the pen over the paper, which graph may be transferred to a computer. In such a system, the advantages of using a pen and paper, which many users prefer, is combined with the flexibility of the computer to communicate and store the information to obtain the best of the two worlds. In this patent application, the paper is provided with an absolute position coding pattern, comprising dots or markings. The handheld device includes an optical sensor which registers the pattern. A mathematical algorithm calculates the absolute position in the form of coordinates for the position of the handheld device by means of the absolute positon coding pattern.
The traditional pen is in this way tranformed into an input means for the computer and the computer may be used for storing the information instead of or in combination with arranging the paper in a binder. Moreover, the information may be communicated by means of the computer. However, the information inserted by this input method is graphical and not in character coded format, which the computer is more apt to.
The information included in the graphical input comprises information which may be used for different purposes:
1) The information comprises a picture, like drawings or lines with a mutual relationship, which may be interpreted by the human being, such as characters, symbols, or a drawing. This is the very information which is put down on the paper and which the user wants to be treated in one or the other way, such as being archived or being sent to a recepient. This information is below called message information and is stored in a graphical format such as a vector format or as a collection of pixels.
2) The portion of the message information which comprises handwritten characters, can be exposed to further treatment, such as character recognition (OCR, optical character recognition or ICR, intelligent character recognition) for converting the information to a character format, such as ASCII, which may be used by the computer, e.g. for searching purposes or for cataloging. Also symbols, such as shorthand symbols or icons, may be recognized which by the user has been predefined to have a certain meaning. This information is below called character information.
3) The information may further comprise an indentification of the handheld device which is used for writing the information. The identification of the handheld device is below called pen-ID.
4) Furthermore, there is information on where at the surface the information was jotted down, so called absolute position information.
5) There may be further information, such as time information obtained from an internal clock, pressure information from a pressure sensor about the pressure of the handheld device towards the paper, and angle information about the angle between the handheld device and the paper. From the time information, speed and acceleration of the handheld device may be calculated.
The present invention is mainly focused on the information of type 4) and 5) above, such as absolute position information.
There are further known systems for obtaining absolute position information in a pen and paper system, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,434 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,736. Such previously known systems describe use of such information for digitizing message information, i.e. group 1) indicated above.
The information may be used in different places in the system so far described. The handheld device may comprise a picture sensor and a processor with associated memory and an energy source such as a battery. Moreover, there may be a communication device, such as a wire or a connection to a computer or an IR link or a shortrange radio connection. There is also a pressure sensor which senses if the handheld device is applied to the paper and the pressure between the handheld device and paper.
It is possible to transfer the information from the handheld device to an external computer in the nature of a video signal from the sensor and all computing taking place in the external computer. Alternatively, the handheld device may be provided with means for image processing. Thus, the handheld device may be provided with a processor and/or logic arrays, which processes the video signal obtained from the sensor and calculates the absolute position from the dots or markings imaged from the surface of the paper. This image processing comprises adjustments for perspective effects from rotation and inclination of the handheld device in relation to the paper and compensation for different light conditions. The handheld device may further comprise computer programs which calculates the x-y-coordinates of the handheld device on an imaginary surface.
Information may be stored in the memory of the handheld device in the nature of a coordinate train, which may be converted to a vector format. This message information may be transferred to a computer, which draws a graph on the screen of the computer by means of a computer program. The message information may be sent to a local or distant printer for direct printout or to a dumb display device which only has the ability to draw the graph at the screen, such as a TV screen.
Interpretation of the message information to a character format may take place in the handheld device or in a computer system.
In addition to coordinate information there is also time information, such as time information for each coordinate, which is recorded each hundredth of a second when the pressure sensor is activated. Moreover, there may be information about the pressure towards the support and inclination and rotation information for the position of the handheld device in relation to the support.
Message information may be communicated to a recepient in the nature of a fax or an e-mail. In this situation, the handheld device may cooperate with a mobile telephone via a wire, IR or radio link. The mobile telephone may operate as a "modem" for transferring the message information to a telefax apparatus at a telefax number, or to Internet via calling a modem pool of an Internet operator. In this case, it may be required that certain portions of the message information is character recognized, which may take place in the handheld device. Such recognized information may be used as a telefax number or an IP address for communication via Internet. Address information in the mobile telephone may alternatively be used.
The computer may perform the same functions as described above as performed in the handheld device.
The information may be transferred to a server via Internet at a preprogrammed IP address and the character recognition may take place in said server.
In the above situations, it may be desired to use the input device, i.e. the handheld device for selecting certain text and indicate some actions to be performed on such information. Actions may be qualifying actions, such as qualifiying certain properties of the selected information, such as color or line thickness etc. Actions may also be operations to be performed on the selected information, such as character recognition or encryption. Other types of actions may be to expose the information for a program for encapsulating the information to a e-mail standard format to be transmitted as an e-mail. Further types of actions may be to compile the selected information in a binder or folder in a computer file system, as further described below.
Thus, there is a need for a method and a system for associating information with other information, actions or qualifications.


The present invention is directed to an optical apparatus that provides for relatively aligning a first object with respect to a second reference object. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a generally rectangular substrate member with a reflective surface. At least one indicia is disposed in the reflective surface. The indicia can be one of the edges or can be lines that are ruled or etched in the reflective surface. In use, one of the edges can be positioned against some feature of the object to be aligned, often an edge of this object. The optical apparatus is then adjusted and/or the user moves his head so that a relevant portion of a second object is visualized. The optical apparatus and the first object are moved together until the image of the reference object is aligned appropriately with the edge. In another embodiment, the optical apparatus has a plurality of lines ruled, etched or positioned on the reflective surface. These lines can also be used to relatively align with the second object.

The present invention is directed to an optical device and more particularly to a device that can be freely applied to an object to relatively align that object with respect to another object.
There are known devices that can be used to level an object with respect to the horizontal or vertical plane. Such devices include bubble levelers which consist of a glass or plastic ampule containing a fluid that does not completely fill the volume of the ampule. As a result there is a bubble of air that moves within the ampule to provide an indication of the level of the surface of the object. However such devices are generally used to provide a vertical or horizontal leveling.
Other known alignment devices are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,982,839; 4,480,390; and 4,730,926. U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,839 describes a device which is pulled into a vertical orientation by the action of gravity. This patent describes an apparatus that casts a laterally reflected reference light beam. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,390 a reflected image is used in aligning an object with respect to the top-dead center of a wheel. This patent describes a mirror-holding assembly that is aligned on a cylindrical object. The assembly employs a built-in level to position it at the top of the cylindrical object. U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,926 describes a system of triangulation wherein a mark on a mirror is lined up with a reference point on a vehicle body thus aiding in mirror adjustment.
However, none of the above-mentioned devices provides an optical apparatus that can be freely employed for relatively aligning any first object with respect to a second or reference object in any location.
The present invention is directed to an optical apparatus providing relative alignment of a first object with respect to a second object, comprising substrate member having a surface and at least one edge adapted for being disposed adjacent a corresponding edge portion of the first object; reflective medium disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate; and indicia supported by the reflective medium. The indicia in one preferred embodiment comprises at least one line segment disposed in the reflective medium. The indicia can comprise a plurality of lines which need not be generally parallel. However, preferably they are generally parallel and evenly spaced apart. Moreover, they can be of equal length which is equal to the length of the substrate. The optical apparatus can further comprise at least one marking notch.
In another preferred embodiment, the optical apparatus further comprises a base member and at least one mounting post, the substrate member being pivotally supported on the mounting post.
In an alternative embodiment, the optical apparatus comprises a transparent template adapted for being coupled to the substrate member and having at least one line segment disposed supported by the template. Preferably the transparent template is movably coupled to the substrate member.
The present invention is also directed to an optical apparatus providing relative alignment of a first object with respect to a second object, comprising, substrate member having a surface and at least one edge adapted for being disposed against a corresponding edge portion of the first object; reflective medium disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate; and at least one indicia disposed in the reflective medium.
Furthermore, the present invention is directed to a method of relatively aligning a first object with respect to a second object comprising providing an optical apparatus comprising substrate member having a surface and at least one edge adapted for being disposed adjacent a corresponding edge portion of the first object; reflective medium disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate; and indicia supported by the reflective medium; disposing the at least one edge against an edge of the first object; and adjusting the optical apparatus such that at least a portion of an edge of the second object is lined up with the at least one edge.

Optical device providing relative alignment


A first document image is scanned from a document in a first orientation, and a second document image is scanned from the document in a second orientation different from the first orientation. A wrinkle area candidate detecting unit rotates the first document image by a rotation angle between the first and second orientations, and detects as a wrinkle area candidate an object in a predetermined density range in the rotated first document image and the second document image. A similarity degree determining unit determines a similarity degree between the wrinkle area candidate of the rotated first document image and the corresponding wrinkle area candidate of the second document image. A wrinkle area removing unit removes the wrinkle area candidate as a wrinkle area if the similarity degree falls into a predetermined range.

1. Field of the Present Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to remove an irregular crease in a document image of a document, an image processing apparatus (a) generates a luminance histogram of the document image, (b) detects the luminance value at the mode in the luminance histogram as a luminance value of a background pixel, (c) detects a predetermined range of the luminance values including the luminance value of a background pixel as a luminance distribution range of a shadow, and (d) replaces luminance values in the luminance distribution range of a shadow to the luminance value of a background pixel.
However, in the aforementioned technique, when a difference between a luminance value of a background and a luminance value of a crease (wrinkle) in a document image is large, the crease is not removed, and among objects other than the crease, an object having a luminance near the luminance value of a background is improperly removed.

Image processing apparatus for detecting and removing a document wrinkle area in a scanned image


A securing clip for securing the first panel member with the second panel member. The securing clip, being shaped like an S-character in cross section, includes a first fitting portion for fitting a holed end portion of the first panel member, and a second fitting portion for fitting a holed end portion of the second panel member. Each of the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion is formed with an engaging pawl engaging a hole at the end portion of the corresponding panel member on an inner wall face of its own, and the second fitting portion is formed with an engagement wall engaging a regulation wall provided on the second panel member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a securing clip for fastening and securing two panel members having a holed end portion, such as when a fender protector of the vehicle is secured to a fender panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Though being not specifically illustrated, the conventional securing clip of this kind is an integral molding of synthetic resin, with the S-character cross section as a whole. If an end portion of the fender panel having a through hole is inserted from one opening, an engaging pawl corresponding to the through hole at the end portion engages therein. If an end portion of the fender protector having the same through hole is inserted from the other opening, an engaging pawl corresponding to the through hole at the end portion engages therein. Thereby, the fender protector is secured to the fender panel (e.g., refer to JP-A-2002-195223).
Accordingly, the conventional securing clip has an advantage that the fender protector is simply fixed to the fender panel, using the S-character shape of its own. However, when the fender protector molded of a flexible resin material undergoes a wind resistance while the vehicle is running fast, or a water resistance while running across a sump, the fender protector may be flexed, possibly giving rise to a phenomenon that the opening on the fitting portion for fitting the fender protector is opened, or the fender protector and the securing clip are distorted around the through hole at the end portion. Thereby, there was a fear that the fender protector might easily fall off the fender panel.


A metering system for an agricultural vehicle includes meter rollers, each including protrusions driving flow of flowable particulate material in response to rotation of the meter roller. The metering system also includes a drive shaft driven in rotation and includes transmission assemblies that each correspond to a respective meter roller. Each transmission assembly includes a respective moveable gear actuatable to engage each of a plurality of gears to establish a respective gear ratio corresponding to one of a plurality of different speeds of the respective meter roller relative to the drive shaft.

The disclosure relates generally to a metering system for an agricultural system.
Generally, seeding implements (e.g., seeders) are towed behind a tractor or other work vehicle via a mounting bracket secured to a rigid frame of the implement. Seeding implements typically include multiple row units distributed across a width of the implement. Each row unit is configured to deposit seeds at a target depth beneath the soil surface of a field, thereby establishing rows of planted seeds. For example, each row unit typically includes a ground engaging tool or opener that forms a seeding path (e.g., trench) for seed deposition into the soil. A seed tube (e.g., coupled to the opener) is configured to deposit seeds and/or other agricultural flowable particulate materials (e.g., fertilizer) into the trench. The opener/seed tube may be followed by closing disc(s) that move displaced soil back into the trench and/or a packer wheel that packs the soil on top of the deposited seeds.
In certain configurations, an air cart is used to meter and deliver agricultural flowable particulate material (e.g., seeds, fertilizer, etc.) to the row units of the seeding implement. The air cart generally includes a storage tank (e.g., a pressurized tank), an air source (e.g., a blower), and a metering system. The flowable particulate material is typically gravity fed from the storage tank to the metering system which distributes a target volume of flowable particulate material into an air flow generated by the air source. The air flow carries the flowable particulate material to the row units via conduits extending between the air cart and the seeding implement. The metering system typically includes meter rollers that control the flow of flowable particulate material based on meter roller geometry and rotation rate.
The meter rollers are typically driven by a drive assembly, which may be configured to control the rotation rate of the meter rollers. However, certain drive assemblies may be expensive to manufacture and/or to install on the air cart (e.g., due to the complexity of the drive assembly), thereby increasing the cost of the air cart. In addition, due to spatial constraints of the air cart, it may be difficult and/or time consuming to mount certain drive assemblies to the air cart and/or to couple the drive assembly to the meter rollers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Metering system for an agricultural system


A vehicle tonneau system having a flexible fabric cover and a rail system having flanges attached to a vehicle for mounting the flexible fabric cover in which elongated fasteners for attaching the flexible cover to the rail flanges are provided with a hinging portion. A portion of the fastener is pivoted about the hinging portion which eases the initial removal of the fastener. Once a distal end of the fastener is moved past a terminal edge of the rail flange, the remainder of the fastener easily peels from the frame, by lifting the flexible fabric cover.

The present invention relates generally to flexible tonneau covers for vehicles and in particular to an improved release for removing a tonneau cover that uses an extruded j-strip or hook fastener along the edge of the flexible tonneau cover to attach the cover fabric to the vehicle.
Tonneau covers are generally defined as any device which can be used to cover a portion of a vehicle. While tonneau covers are generally used to cover convertible cars, boats and trailers, tonneau covers are most commonly associated with pick-up trucks. Both rigid and flexible tonneau covers are available for covering the cargo box of pick-up trucks. The present invention relates to flexible tonneau covers.
Flexible tonneau covers for pick-up trucks typically include a rectangular frame made of extruded aluminum rails which are attached to the pick-up truck at the top of the cargo box. A flexible fabric cover is then attached to the rails to cover the cargo box. The fabric is generally a woven material with a vinyl coating. The term xe2x80x9cfabricxe2x80x9d is used throughout this specification in the broad sense to mean a flexible sheet material and is not limited to a woven material.
One mechanism used to attach the flexible fabric to the frame is a j-strip or elongated hook shaped fastener attached along the edge of the flexible fabric. The j-strip or fastener is wrapped around a flange formed in the frame for the purpose of mounting the fabric. The cover is removed from the frame by lifting the fabric off of the frame, beginning at one corner and peeling the fastener from the flange formed in the frame along each edge of the fabric. In some situations, particularly in cold weather, it can be difficult to begin the initial removal of the fastener from the frame at the corner of the cover. This difficulty in removing the fastener in cold temperatures is caused by fabric shrinkage and increasing stiffness in the j-strip or hook shaped fastener. Once an initial portion of the j-strip or hook shaped fastener is removed from the frame, the fastener will easily peel along the entire length of the cover.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for easing the removal of the fastener and fabric from the frame, while at the same time maintaining a tight fit of the fabric on the frame.
Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for easing the mounting of the fastener and fabric to the frame.
The present invention eases the mounting and removal of the j-strip or fastener from the frame by providing a j-strip or hook shaped fastener with a hinge, notch, score, groove or crease formed therein. The hinge, notch, score, groove or crease formed in the j-strip or fastener allows the base of the fastener to be bent, pivoting the hook of the fastener away from the base of the fastener and thus away from the flange of the rail to aid in the release of the fastener. This bending of the hook relative to the base operates to widen or open the throat of the hook. In addition to widening or opening the throat of the hook, the enhanced bending action of the hook reduces the distance from the bottom or curve of the hook to the tip of the hook. This reduces the distance by which the fastener must be moved, relative to the flange formed in the frame, to achieve the initial fastener removal. Once an initial edge of the fastener is moved past the terminal edge of the flange formed in the frame, the remainder of the fastener will easily peel from the frame by lifting the fabric from the rail. By providing a hinge, notch, score, groove or crease in the fastener, less force is required to achieve removal of the fastener.
The hinge is positioned in the base of the fastener on the opposing side from which the hook extends. Preferably, the hinge is located either substantially opposite a merger point of the hook and the base or above the merger point in the direction of the hook""s distal end. The latter positioning being the more preferred positioning.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


A backlight unit includes excellent heat radiation characteristics. The backlight unit of an embodiment of the present invention includes a chassis and a light source attached to the chassis. As the light source, an LED is preferably used. The chassis includes an aluminum base or aluminum layer, and a porous alumina layer or pore-sealed porous alumina layer provided on the surface of the aluminum base or aluminum layer.

Liquid crystal display devices have various advantages, such as light weight, slim body, small power consumption, etc., and have been used not only as a small-size display device in a display section of mobile phones but also as a large-size television display. Liquid crystal panels themselves do not emit light, in comparison to self-emitting panels, such as cathode ray tubes (CRT) and plasma display panels (PDP). Thus, in common liquid crystal display devices which provide high luminance, light from a backlight unit which is provided at the rear surface of a liquid crystal panel is utilized for display.
In the backlight unit, a light source is attached to a chassis. Therefore, the chassis needs to have strength to some extent. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a backlight unit which includes a chassis that is formed of a cold rolled steel sheet. Note that, in the backlight unit of Patent Document 1, there is a hole for securing the light source to the chassis.

Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device


A chip compression-bonding apparatus includes a vertically-movable block which is vertically moved by a descending device, and has a load measurement device and a load applying device mounted thereon. A compression-bonding tool for holding a chip is provided beneath the vertically-movable block. The weight of the compression-bonding tool is supported by the load measurement device, and the compression-bonding tool is pressed against the load measurement device by the load applying device. A control portion detects a compression-bonding force of the compression-bonding tool by an amount of reduction of the value of the load measured by the load measurement device, and controls the descending device in accordance with the detected compression-bonding force.

This invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of mounting a chip on a circuit board by compression-bonding.
In one conventional method of mounting a chip with bumps, such as a flip chip, on a substrate or circuit board, the bumps are pressed against electrodes of a circuit pattern, formed on a surface of the board, and are connected thereto. In this method, it is necessary to strictly control the value of a load, applied to each bump, as well as a load distribution for each bump, and there is known a method in which when compression-bonding the chip to the board, a compression-bonding load value is measured, and the load is applied while comparing this load value with a target load value. Load measurement means, such as a load cell, is used for this load measurement, and is incorporated in a mechanism of the chip compression-bonding apparatus for transmitting the compression-bonding load.
In the above conventional method, however, the load measurement means is arranged serially in the load transmission mechanism, and a compression-bonding tool, which is pressed through the load measurement means, is held by a spring or the like, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that it is difficult to accurately measure a very small load.
A load sensor, such as a load cell, for measuring a load value requires a certain degree of response time, and also a signal transmission delay is involved in a control system. Therefore, during the time period from inputting of the measured value into a control portion to outputting of a new instruction from the control portion, a downward movement of the compression-bonding tool is obliged to be stopped, and the downward movement and the stop for measurement are alternately repeated little by little. As a result, the downward movement at high speed can not be realized, and the tact time can not be reduced, which leads to a problem that the efficiency of mounting of chips can not be enhanced.

Chip compression-bonding apparatus and method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method of making chewing gum includes the steps of a) preparing a gum base concentrate having a composition useful for preparing a variety of finished gum bases and chewing gums, and b) combining the gum base concentrate with remaining gum base ingredients, and other chewing gum ingredients, in a single efficient continuous mixer.

Conventionally, chewing gum base and chewing gum product have been manufactured using separate mixers, different mixing technologies and, often, different factories. One reason for this is that the optimum conditions for manufacturing gum base, and for manufacturing chewing gum from gum base and other ingredients such as sweeteners and flavors, are so different that it has been difficult to integrate both tasks. Gum base manufacture, on the one hand, involves dispersive (often high shear) mixing of difficult-to-blend ingredients such as elastomer, filler, elastomer plasticizer, base softeners/emulsifiers, and sometimes wax, and typically requires long mixing times. Chewing gum product manufacture, on the other hand, involves combining the gum base with more delicate ingredients such as product softeners, bulk sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, and flavoring agents, using distributive (generally lower shear) mixing for shorter time periods.
As the number of chewing gum varieties has increased over time, the number of gum base varieties tailored for the various chewing gums has also increased. For instance, chewing gum products now vary in terms of sugar versus sugarless gum, standard tack versus non-tack or reduced tack gum, bubble gum versus regular (non-bubble) chewing gum, stick gum versus tab or pellet gum, and a wide variety of flavors and flavor combinations for each class of gum. The tailoring of gum bases, and the matching of gum bases to particular chewing gums, has become complex because different gum base formulations are preferred for different classes and flavors of chewing gum. The manufacturing of gum bases has also become complicated due to the large number of gum bases that must now be made.
In order to simplify gum base manufacture, gum base concentrates have been developed which contain less than all of the ingredients for a particular gum base, but which contain ingredients which may be common to a large number of gum bases. Statutory Inventory Registration H1241, issued to Synosky et al., discloses a gum base concentrate which contains about 15-25% synthetic elastomer, about 40-70% synthetic elastomer plasticizer including a terpene resin, about 10-25% wax, about 1-12% softener, and about 0-3% filler. French Patent Application 2,635,441 discloses a gum base concentrate containing up to 85% polymer in addition to mineral fillers and plasticizers. The polymer is a high molecular weight elastomer having a "numerical" molecular weight of at least 220,000 and a molecular weight "by weight" of at least 450,000.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,962, issued to Del Angel, discloses an elastomer/resin masterbatch formed by mixing a finely ground ester gum resin with a latex elastomer to form an emulsion, coagulating the emulsion using sodium chloride and sulfuric acid, separating the coagulated solid crumbs from the liquid phase, washing the solid crumbs, and removing the excess water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,320, issued to Koch et al., discloses a two stage process for preparing a chewing gum base. In the first stage, a solid elastomer, an elastomer solvent, and an oleaginous plasticizer are combined and mixed together under high shear. In the second stage, a hydrophobic plasticizer, a non-toxic vinyl polymer, and an emulsifier are added to the mixture and mixed using high shear.
European Publication 0,273,809 discloses a gum base premix which includes at least one elastomer and at least one filler. The premix, which is made in a mill, is then divided into fragments, and combined with other gum base and/or chewing gum ingredients.

Continuous chewing gum manufacture from base concentrate


An outboard thrust bearing assembly includes: a drawbolt, an inner end cap, an outer end cap, and at least one race of thrust bearings; the drawbolt for clamping the inner end cap to the outer end cap and about a pinion gear of a planetary gear, wherein the at least one race of outboard thrust bearings is retained in place by the outer end cap, the pinion gear, a planetary gear carrier and a hub cap. A wheel motor and a vehicle are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates to land vehicles and, in particular, to limiting axial thrust in wheel motors deployed in heavy equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large trucks, such as those used for mining operations, are usually propelled using electric motorized wheel motors. The wheel motors are incorporated into a rear axle of the truck, with a wheel motor driving each dual wheel assembly. In typical wheel motor units, an electric motor is connected to a reduction gearcase, which, in turn, is fastened to a wheel assembly which includes tire and rim assemblies. Tractive power is initiated in the wheel motor while the gearcase functions as torque increaser/speed reducer. As one might imagine, the wheel motors used in large trucks (such as in mining operations) are subject to enormous amounts of wear and stress. Aside from rotational wear and stress, unintended axial thrust can present significant problems.
As an example, in some instances, the gearcase includes a two-stage planetary type gear assembly, with input provided by a floating pinion shaft/gear which is powered by the electric motor. Generally, each planetary stage includes a pinion gear, three planet gears and an outer ring gear.
Under severe torque loading, the planetary gear train can exhibit axial deflections in the meshing gears. These deflections tend to generate axial loading for individual gears and for the planetary stages as a whole. Forces, such as those that may be encountered during normal operation (as well as lateral shock loading), can cause the gearing to run out-of-position and suffer abnormal wear. This can lead to premature gearcase failure and unplanned maintenance events. Clearly, such events come at great expense both in terms of time and money for operators of the heavy equipment.
For the above-mentioned reasons, the gear train must have provisions designed into it to control axial forces and the harmful effects of premature wear. Typically, ball or roller bearings are fitted into the gearcase to control the axial forces in either direction.
In prior art, the bearings are distributed throughout the gearcase and are positioned to control thrust without interfering with the radial meshing of the gearing. Interference with the radial float could adversely load the bearing radially and lead to premature failure. Unfortunately, distribution of bearing assemblies throughout the gearcase results in additional manufacturing complexity and tolerance accumulations. Parts count would be higher and the gearcase would require a load bearing bulkhead.
Further, distribution of bearing assemblies in the gearcase also makes the manufacture of each wheel motor more involved, as the bearings must be fitted properly and in specific sequence. During normal maintenance, the bearings cannot be effectively monitored by simple inspection routines, as the bearings are obscured from view. Accordingly, evaluation of bearing wear requires significant disassembly and downtime.
Therefore, what is needed is improved method and apparatus for limiting axial thrust or deflection in the gearcase of a wheel motor. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide users and operators with simplified maintenance and support quick visual inspection with comparatively minimal effort.


A lighting system with expanded coverage voice operation includes a lighting fixture that includes a wireless transceiver. The lighting system further includes a remote microphone device configured to receive a voice and to transmit wirelessly an audio stream generated from the voice. The lighting fixture is configured to receive the audio stream from the remote microphone device via the wireless transceiver and to transmit the audio stream to a cloud server.

Some lighting fixtures and other devices may include built-in microphones that can receive sounds including voices (e.g., commands, questions, etc.). For example, a lighting fixture may turn on or off its light based on a voice command received by a built-in microphone. In some cases, voice commands received by a built-in microphone of a lighting fixture may be used to control other devices, such as other lighting fixtures. In general, a person giving a voice command has to be within a certain range of a lighting fixture with a built-in microphone for a voice command to be successfully received by the built-in microphone. In some applications, a solution that expands the coverage area of lighting fixtures with built-in microphones may be desirable.


Investigation on the frequency of FLT3/ITD found in various blood cancers has revealed that the frequency is high in acute myeloblastic leukemia in particular. Studies on the effects of FLT3/ITD in the blood cell lines revealed that the tyrosine residues in FLT3/ITD is constitutively phosphorylated in these cell lines and that blood cells into which FLT3/ITD is introduced show IL-3 independent proliferation. Moreover, the blood cells into which FLT3/ITD is introduced are found to be capable of forming tumors and inhibit cell differentiation. The inventors have found that it is possible to screen for pharmaceutical compounds against tumors by using inhibition of these FLT3/ITD functions as an index.

FTL3, as well as KIT, FMS and PDGFR, is a protein of a class III receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), and is presumed to be involved in the hematopoietic system (Rosnet, O. et al., 1991, Genomics 9:380–385; Rosnet, O. et al., 1991, Oncogene, 6:1641–1650; Matthews, W. et al., 1991, Cell, 65: 1143–1152; Rosnet, O. et al., 1993, Blood, 82: 1110–1119). Structurally, RTK has an extracellular region containing five immunoglobulin-like domains, one juxtamembrane region (JM domain), two tyrosine domains (TK1 and TK2) intervened by a kinase insert domain (KI domain), and the C-terminal domain. FLT3 is strongly expressed in the hematopoietic stem cells as well as the brain, placenta and liver (Rosnet, O. et al., 1991, Oncogene 6:1641–1650; Matthews, W. et al., 1991, Cell, 65: 1143–1152; Rosnet, O. et al., 1993, Blood, 82: 1110–1119; Rusten, L. S., 1996, 87: 1317–1325). A ligand for FLT3 (FL) is expressed from stromal cells in the bone marrow, and present in a membrane-bound or soluble form. This ligand stimulates stem cells independently or together with other cytokines (Hannum, C. et al., 1994, Nature, 368: 643–648; McKenna, H. J. et al., 1995, Blood, 86: 3413–3420; Hirayama, F., 1995, Blood, 85: 1762–1768; Lisovsky, M. et al., 1996, Leukemia, 10: 1012–1018). Therefore, the ligand-receptor interaction between FL and FLT3 is thought to play an important role in the hematopoietic system.
On the other hand, high levels of FLT3 expression are observed in most of the specimens from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute chronic lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). High levels of FLT3 expression are also found in the patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). FL is known to stimulate the proliferation of AML cells more prominently than AML cells (Piacibello, W. et al., 1995, Blood, 86: 4105–4114; Stacchini, A. et al., 1996, Leukemia, 10: 1584–1591; Lisovsky, M. et al., 1996, Blood, 88: 3987–3997; Birg, F. et al., 1992, Blood, 80: 2584–2593, Dehmel, U. et al., 1996, Leukemia, 10: 261–270). This indicates that FLT3 has a function specific to myeloid cells. In several leukemia-lymphoma cell lines, FLT3 and FL are co-expressed (DaSilva, N. et al., 1994, Leukemia, 8: 885–888; Meierhoff, G. 1995, Leukemia, 9: 1368–1372), suggesting their autocrine or paracrine mechanism.
Mutations in cytokine receptors that occur in the process of tumorigenesis have received attention in recent years. To date, mutations in c-fms and c-kit in human leukemia have been reported (Lowenverg, B. and Touw, I. P., 1993, Blood, 81: 281–292). Murine NIH3T3-cells transfected with a mutant c-fms undergo ligand-independent transformation (Roussel, M. et al., 1988, Cell, 55: 979–988). M-CSF, a ligand for fms, increases cell proliferation only slightly in the most of leukemic patients. Thus, the significance of FMS mutation is still unknown (Lowenberg, B. and Touw, I. P., 1993, Blood, 81: 281–292). KIT and its ligand SCF stimulate proliferation of leukemia and stemcells (Lowenberg, B. and Touw, I. P., 1993, Blood, 81: 281–292; Witte, O., 1990, Cell, 63: 5–6). However, mutations in c-kit gene have been found in the mast cell leukemic cell lines, which mutations have not been fully identified in clinical samples (Tsujimura, T. et al., 1994, Blood, 83:2619–2626; Kitayama, H., 1996, Blood, 88: 995–1004; Tsujimura, Y. et al., 1996, Blood, 87: 273–283).
Recently, somatic mutations in FLT3 were found in AML patients (Nakao, M. et al., 1996, Leukemia, 10: 1911–1918). In these mutants, internal tandem duplication (ITD) was found in the region coding for the JM domain of the FLT3 gene. The duplicated sequences predominantly contain exon 11/12 and intron 11, though varying in length in each sample, and they commonly have an extended JM domain which is translatable in a protein due to an extended in-frame open reading frame.
FLT3 mutations are found in about 20% of AML patients and about 3% of patients with myelodysplasia syndrome (MDS), but not in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or lymphocytic blood cancer (Yokota, S. et al., 1997, Leukemia 11: 1605–1609). To the inventors' knowledge, mutant FLT3 genes containing ITD (hereinafter referred to as "FLT3/ITD") are found in some AML patients when the tumor recurs, even though they are not found by the early diagnosis, suggesting that FLT3/ITD is responsible for progression of leukemia. However, the role of FLT3/ITD in the progression of leukemia has not been reported so far.

Method and screening candidate compounds for drug against tumor


A digital video recorder (DVR) for use with a monitor and a set top box (STB) is disclosed. The STB demodulates program data by tuning to at least one of a plurality of channels and comprises a DVR interface. The DVR comprises a local memory for storing the program data received from the STB, and a STB interface for communicating with the DVR interface. The DVR further comprises a DVR controller for communicating control data to direct the STB to tune to a selected channel, and for receiving a channel-change event from the STB in connection with the STB changing the tuned channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital video recorders. More particularly, the present invention relates to communicating a channel-change event from a set top box to a digital video recorder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1A shows a prior art digital video recorder or DVR 2 installed between a set top box 46 or STB 4 (e.g., a tuner for digital cable) and a monitor 6. The STB 4 demodulates a selected channel from a program signal 5 and provides an audio and video (A/V) signal 7 to the DVR 2. The DVR 2 may record the A/V signal 7 for playback at a later time, or pass the A/V signal 7 through to the monitor 6 as A/V signal 9. The DVR 2 further comprises a modem for receiving Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data over a telephone line 8. The user operates a remote control 10 to direct the DVR 2 to display the EPG data on the monitor 6 in a DVR graphical user interface (GUI). The user can peruse the EPG data in the DVR GUI to select various programs to view and/or record.
The remote control 10 is also used to control the operation of the STB 4; that is, the remote control 10 of the DVR 2 is intended to replace the remote control of the STB 4. Commands are sent from the DVR 2 to the STB 4 over a control line 12. For example, if the user selects a new channel with the remote control 10, the DVR 2 commands the STB 4 to tune to the selected channel. In another example, if a program the user previously selected for recording begins to air, the DVR 2 directs the STB 4 to tune to the appropriate channel.
Although the remote control 10 of the DVR 2 is intended to replace that of the STB 4, the user can still control the operation of the STB 4 using its remote control. In addition, the user may operate the STB 4 (e.g., change the channel) by pressing buttons on the faceplate of the STB 4. Prior art DVRs have no way of knowing if the user has changed the channel by controlling the STB 4 directly which can disrupt the proper operation of the DVR 2.
There is, therefore, a need for a DVR capable of detecting when a user has changed a channel tuned by a STB.

Communicating a channel-change event from a set top box to a digital video recorder


A subsea flowline or pipeline with passive insulation having improved transient heat-loss characteristics. The flowline or pipeline has a phase change material insulating the flowline pipe joints and/or pipe sections to greatly extend the cooldown time of produced or processed hydrocarbon fluid mixtures being transported therethrough during shut-in conditions. The phase change material surrounds a carrier pipe of the flowline or pipeline. The phase change material may be either dispersed or encapsulated within standard insulation. Additional insulation and/or a jacket pipe surrounds the phase change material and holds it against the carrier pipe. The phase change material can be of a micro-encapsulated or bulk-encapsulated type.

Subsea flowlines are used to transport fluids produced at offshore gas/oil wells to a production platform located some distance (offset) away from the wells. The flowlines typically contain a mixture of oil, natural gas, and water. The mixture is at a relatively warm temperature when it is first extracted from the subterranean reservoir, but it cools as it moves through the flowline from the wells to the production platform. Indeed, the cooling rate becomes quite rapid if the production flow stops, and this occurrence is termed in the industry as "shut-in."
If the mixture cools too much, two transformations can occur. Hydrates can begin to form at sufficiently low temperatures when natural gas and water combine into an ice-like structure. Wax deposition on the flowline walls begins when the flowline pipe walls cool below the cloud point of the oil.
To combat these problems, some subsea flowlines have been insulated to minimize steady-state heat loss through the pipe walls while fossil fuel mixtures are flowing through them as well as when the flow has been stopped (i.e., the shut-in condition). There are several commercially available insulation materials for application to subsea flowlines used to transport such fluid mixtures from offshore gas/oil wells. These available insulation schemes include both non-jacketed and pipe-in-pipe designs.
Non-jacketed insulations are coated directly on the exterior of a pipe. Pipe-in-pipe insulation systems have an insulating medium contained within an annular region between an inner pipe (the fluid carrier) and an outer pipe (the jacket). Conventional insulation used as the insulating medium prolongs the cooling time for the pipe contents during a shut-in condition by both reducing the heat loss rate to the ambient seawater and by providing some additional sensible thermal storage capacity. However, the sensible heat storage capacity of conventional insulation is not very large.
The joints between pipe-in-pipe flowline sections are particularly susceptible to releasing heat from the flowline contents during shut-in conditions. During flowing conditions, the joints represent a small fraction of the total surface that the flowline contents contact. However, during shut-in conditions, the fluid mixture of components adjacent the joint cool much faster than those in the rest of the flowline pipe.
Several methods and apparatus have been applied to pipelines to reduce the problems associated with cooling of the flowline mixture. These include passive insulation schemes, as discussed above, active heating approaches which use electrical or other heating mechanisms, and the use of chemical inhibitors to lower the melting points of the mixture components or otherwise prevent them from forming blockages. Active heating and chemical inhibitors have been successfully used to prevent wax and hydrate formation in both flowing and shut-in conditions. Passive insulators, however, do not adequately extend the time before waxes and hydrates form in cases where ambient conditions are very cold or normal operating temperatures are not far above critical temperatures.
Phase change materials have been studied for many years, with research reaching a peak in the 1970's and 1980's. It is well known that all materials exhibit phase changes in their physical form as they pass from solid to liquid, and from liquid to gas, as heat energy is added. At their phase change temperatures, all materials absorb (or release) energy while remaining at a relatively constant temperature. The heat energy absorbed or released during phase changes is called the latent heat of the material. The latent heat can be used as a thermal energy storage for maintaining a warm or cool temperature in the region adjacent the phase change material.

Phase change insulation for subsea flowlines


A non-inclusive multi-level cache memory system is optimized by removing a first cache content from a first cache, so as to provide cache space in the first cache. In response to a cache miss in the first and second caches, the removed first cache content is stored in a second cache. All cache contents that are stored in the second cache are limited to have read-only attributes so that if any copies of the cache contents in the second cache exist in the cache memory system, a processor or equivalent device must seek permission to access the location in which that copy exists, ensuring cache coherency. If the first cache content is required by a processor (e.g., when a cache hit occurs in the second cache for the first cache content), room is again made available, if required, in the first cache by selecting a second cache content from the first cache and moving it to the second cache. The first cache content is then moved from the second cache to the first cache, rendering the first cache available for write access. Limiting the second cache to read-only access reduces the number of status bits per tag that are required to maintain cache coherency. In a cache memory system using a MOESI protocol, the number of status bits per tag is reduced to a single bit for the second cache, reducing tag overhead and minimizing silicon real estate used when placed on-chip to improve cache bandwidth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cache memory systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to non-inclusive hierarchical cache memory systems.
2. Background
Processors have achieved large gains in instruction processing bandwidth while the bandwidths of memory systems have not kept pace, resulting in a bandwidth mismatch between memories and processors. Memory bandwidth is the speed with which a memory device or system can transfer data from memory. Providing adequate memory bandwidth for a processor depends on the system architecture and the application requirements. One common solution for providing large memory bandwidths includes using a cache memory system that minimizes store or fetch latency ("memory latency") of instructions and/or data ("data") to or from main memory, respectively.
However, processors have continually increased in processing speed, increasing the need to provide even faster and more efficient cache memory systems so that such processors do not starve for want of data to process. Such a need for sufficient memory bandwidth is further exacerbated with computer systems having superscalar pipelined processors and/or processors that employ out-of-order processing which are commonly employed today. Superscalar processors have the ability to perform multiple instructions in parallel or in a single clock cycle, while out-of-order processors have the ability to execute instructions when their data is ready rather than in sequential order.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method that optimizes a hierarchical cache memory system so that the amount of main memory fetches due to a cache miss are minimized.

Reducing cache misses by snarfing writebacks in non-inclusive memory systems


An operation key 3 is fitted in a guide hole 4 of an operation section cover 2 while making contact with support pieces 12 of a film member 10a. Thus, the support pieces 12 are pressed, widened, and then bent by an operation section 3b, thus sandwiching the support pieces 12 between the operation section 3b and the guide hole 4. Here, the film member 10a has an elastic force; thus, the operation key 3 is positioned at a substantially vertical center of the guide hole 4 by restoring forces of the support pieces 12.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an operation panel arranged outside an electronic device and used for various input operations and also to provide an electronic device provided with such an operation panel.
2. Description of Related Arts
An electronic device in an image forming apparatus or the like is typically loaded with an operation panel including operation keys for input operations and a display section for displaying a working state of the apparatus. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a conventional operation panel. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional operation panel as viewed from the rear side thereof. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of an operation key portion of the conventional operation panel. The operation panel 1 has a control board, not shown, arranged inside an operation section cover 2, on the front surface of which a plurality of operation keys 3 for inputting various commands to the control board and a display section 5 for displaying a working state of the apparatus are provided.
The operation key 3 has a flange section 3a formed larger than a guide hole 4 and an operation section 3b projecting toward the front side of the operation section cover 2 via the guide hole 4. On the rear surface of the flange section 3a, a connecting terminal 6 is provided. The user can press the operation section 3b to thereby bring it into contact with a contact on the control board or separate therefrom. In each of the flange section 3a, two boss holes 8 are formed which respectively fit with bosses 7 formed on the rear surface of the operation section cover 2.
In such an operation panel 1, a small difference between the inner dimension of the guide hole 4 and the outer dimension of the operation key 3 has created, for example, a problem that pressing an edge of the operation key 3 or pressing the operation key 3 diagonally by the user causes interference between the operation key 3 and the edge of the guide hole 4, bringing the operation key 3 into a nonoperational state (locked state). Thus, a method of providing a relatively large difference between the inner dimension of the guide hole 4 and the outer dimension of the operation key 3 to avoid the locking of the operation key 3 has been adopted. However, this method encounters a problem that shift of the operation key 3 from the center of the guide hole 4 leaves an outstanding clearance between the operation key 3 and the guide hole 4, thus deteriorating the appearance of the device.
In recent years, especially adoption of universal design that can be used regardless of age and sex, presence or absence of disability, and individual capabilities has increased the number of electronic devices whose operability is enhanced by tilting an entire operation panel. In the operation panel 1 loaded in such an electronic device, the operation key 3 moves to the lower end of the guide hole 4 by its own weight, and as shown in FIG. 8, a clearance 9a between the operation key 3 and the upper end of the guide hole 4 is wider than a clearance 9b between the operation key 3 and the lower end of the guide hole 4.
As a method of fitting an operation key to an operation section cover, Patent document 1 discloses, for example, an operation panel in which a clearance between an operation button and a frame holding the operation button is provided and the operation button is positioned by a hole formed in an external cover fixed on the frame. Patent document 2 discloses an operation button holding mechanism including an elastic member biasing a flange section of a first operation button and an elastic sheet formed into a thin plate extending from the elastic member, in which mechanism supporting can be achieved by biasing second operation buttons having flange sections of different thicknesses.
However, the method of patent document 1 performs positioning of the operation button with the external cover hole. Thus, this method requires a small difference between the inner dimension of the external cover hole and the outer dimension of the operation button, thus causing a risk of interference and thus locking between the external cover and the operation button. Moreover, the method of patent document 2 makes it easy to perform positioning in the operation direction of the operation button, that is, the direction vertical to the operation surface. However, the method of patent document 2 does not consider positioning in the direction horizontal to the operation surface, thus resulting in failure to prevent locking of the operation button and deterioration in design caused by displacement of the operation button.    [Patent Document 1] JP-A-H11-306903    [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2000-276963

Mounting of an operation key within an operation panel


A conductive warmer for flexible plastic bags containing foam precursor chemicals includes a heat-conducting member of thermally conductive material having a plurality of fins which are parallel and spaced apart to define a plurality of spaced-apart bag-receiving compartments. The fins are connected to a back portion of the heat-conducting member, to which a heating element is attached in heat-exchanging relationship. Operation of the heating element conducts heat through the back portion and the fins of the heat-conducting member to the bags. The heat-conducting member is contained within a housing having an opening providing access to the open side of the compartments. The housing preferably is formed in two portions, a first portion containing the heat-conducting member and a second portion supporting the first portion, the first and second portions being pivotally interconnected to allow selective variation of the angular orientation of the first portion with respect to the second portion.

Foam-in-place packaging is a known technique for producing cushioning packaging for fragile articles which are to be shipped. Foam-in-place packaging comprises generating foam cushioning on an as-needed basis while the article to be protected is being packaged. In general, foam-in-place packaging employs foamable compositions which are produced by bringing together two or more precursor chemicals that react and form foam when mixed together. The chemicals are generally selected from among those chemicals which when mixed form polymeric foams that harden upon curing. For example, a liquid polyol-containing precursor and a liquid isocyanate-containing precursor may be mixed and reacted to form a polyurethane foam. The resulting foam occupies a volume which is many times the volume of the liquid precursors.
One technique for foam-in-place packaging is to place the article to be packaged in a container, and then to place one or more flexible plastic bags containing a foamable composition into the container. The foamable composition expands to cause the bag to fill the void space between the walls of the container and the article, and then hardens. The result is a foam cushion that conforms closely to the shape of the article and the container, and thereby cushions and protects the article. This technique is generally referred to as the foam-in-bag technique.
A number of automated devices have been developed for rapidly making a relatively large number of bags for foam-in-bag packaging, and are assigned to the assignee of the present application. Exemplary devices are described and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,268; 4,800,708; 4,854,109; and 5,376,219. Because these devices mix the precursors together as they are placed in the bags, the resulting bags must be placed in the containers with the articles immediately. Accordingly, these devices are particularly suitable for use in situations where it is desirable and feasible to make the bags containing the foam precursors at the location where articles are being packaged.
However, in certain applications, it may not be desirable to employ such automated devices to make foam-in-bag packaging directly at the packaging location. Accordingly, the assignee of the present application has developed a bag for foam-in-bag packaging use in which the precursor chemicals are contained in a bag and kept separated from one another until it is desired to form a foam cushion from the bag. At that time, the bag may be manipulated to cause breakage of a frangible membrane that separates the two precursors and to mix the precursors together. The bag is then placed into the packaging container adjacent the article to be protected. The precursors react to form foam, and the bag expands to fill the void space and cures to form a cushion. The bag is described and claimed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/042,444, entitled "Foam In Bag Packaging System nd Method for Producing the Same" and filed concurrently herewith now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,325, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It will be appreciated that the volume of foam produced in the bag is influenced by a number of parameters, including the masses of the two precursors, the ratio of the masses, and the temperature of the precursors. Additionally, the speed of the foam-forming reaction depends on the temperature of the precursors, generally increasing with increasing temperature. The masses of the precursors and their ratio can be accurately controlled in manufacturing the bag. However, the temperature of the precursors is influenced by the environment in which the bags are kept prior to use. It will be appreciated that without some means of controlling the temperature of the bags, variability in temperature will occur and result in inconsistent foam expansion from one application to another, with resultant inconsistency in packaging characteristics.

Conductive warmer for foam packaging bags


To provide a process for producing high-purity highly oxidized refractory particles easily with good productivity by treating a spent refractory containing ZrO2 and Al2O3 to reduce components other than ZrO2 and Al2O3 to levels unproblematic for practical use as raw material for electrofused refractories and to increase the content of the ZrO2 and/or Al2O3 component.

As a method for recycling a spent refractory, Patent Document 1 proposes a method wherein refractories used in an iron-making factory are subjected to e.g. sorting depending upon the respective sites of their use, then crushed and re-used as they are, as refractories. However, by such a proposal, the obtained raw material contained a large amount of impurities and could not be re-used as a raw material for electrofused refractories, which requires a level of the impurity content to be at least one digit lower than that of common bonded refractories, such that the required level of the impurity content is, for example, not higher than 0.1 mass % of Fe2O3 or not higher than 0.2 mass % of TiO2.
Further, by this proposal, the obtained raw material is simply crushed, and there has been a problem such that due to the crushing, the recycled raw material is likely to be re-contaminated, and such a recycled raw material is useful only as a low grade refractory. Among spent refractories, particularly, a spent electrofused refractory contains a large amount of a useful mineral source such as zirconia, and if it can be recycled again as an electrofused refractory, such will be an effective use of resource.
Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose methods wherein carbon is added to a spent refractory other than the electrofused refractory, followed by melt reduction treatment. Patent Document 2 proposes a method wherein a waste material of a chromium-containing refractory used in a steel-making process or a cement-manufacturing process, is subjected to electromelting treatment to obtain a solidified product having a spinel composition. However, with respect to a method for treatment of an electrofused refractory to be used for e.g. a glass melting furnace, no specific proposal is made. Further, the melt treated product is in the form of an ingot, and a post-process step of e.g. crushing is separately required to prepare refractory particles from the ingot, thus leading to not only an increase of the production cost but also a problem such that impurities are likely to be included in such a step of e.g. crushing thereby to lower the ZrO2 component and/or the Al2O3 component as useful refractory components.
Like Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3 proposes a method wherein carbon is added to a spent refractory generated in an iron-making factory, followed by melt reduction treatment. However, with respect to a treatment method for an electrofused refractory used for e.g. a glass melting furnace, no specific proposal is made, and further, since the melt-treated product is in the form of an ingot, a step of e.g. crushing is required to prepare refractory particles from the ingot, thus leading to a problem such that impurities are likely to be included during such a step. That is, by the methods proposed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, it was not possible to use a spent refractory as a raw material for an electrofused refractory, for which a high purity is required.
Further, as an important index required for an electrofused refractory, an oxidized degree of a constituting mineral may be mentioned. That is, if an electrofused refractory is constituted by a mineral in a state where oxygen of an oxide is partially missing, such a constituting mineral is likely to react with glass to generate bubbles thereby to contaminate the glass. In the methods proposed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the melt-treated product is recovered in the form of an ingot, whereby carbon will remain at a high level in the recycled raw material.
The remaining carbon particles will work also as a reducing agent, and the recycled material cannot be used as it is as a raw material for an electrofused refractory, and it has been required to carry out heat treatment in the atmosphere, separately, in order to eliminate an oxygen deficiency.
Patent Document 4 discloses that wastes such as municipal wastes, industrial wastes or sewage sludges (they are usually vitreous with a large content of SiO2, CaO and Na2O) are melted for the purpose of volume reduction or detoxifying, but discloses or suggests nothing about adding carbon to a spent refractory which is not vitreous or increasing the purity of a spent refractory by adding carbon, followed by melting. Further, in Patent Document 4, the main invention is an invention relating to a lining refractory for a melting furnace.
Further, as a method for directly forming particles from a melt, Patent Document 5 proposes a method of blowing high speed air to a melt for air granulation. Patent Document 5 discloses that a raw material to form mullite, is melted to obtain mullite, but discloses or suggests nothing about a method of adding carbon to a waste, followed by melting to increase the purity of useful components.
In any case, there has been no proposal for an industrial method for treating a spent refractory to remarkably reduce components other than useful components such as ZrO2, Al2O3, etc. thereby to highly purify it and regenerate it to such a level as useful as a raw material for an electrofused refractory thereby to obtain high purity refractory particles.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2003-212667    Patent Document 2: JP-A-5-96265    Patent Document 3: JP-A-2002-263606    Patent Document 4: JP-A-7-53258    Patent Document 5: JP-A-2003-251434

Process for producing refractory particles

Abstract: A process for producing refractory particles, which comprises introducing to and melting in a melting furnace both a spent refractory which contains, by mass % as chemical components, from 75 to 97% of ZrO2 and/or Al2O3, from 2 to 25% of SiO2, from 0.4 to 7% in total of Na2O, K2O and Li2O(Na2O+K2O+Li2O), at most 2% of CaO and at most 2% of MgO, and carbon particles in an amount of from 1 to 8% by outer mass percentage based on the spent refractory, and after the melting, tapping the melt while blowing compressed air against the melt to form refractory particles having the content of ZrO2 and/or Al2O3 increased.


A high-safety humidifier to which water is supplied from the top is provided, comprising a pedestal, a water tank and a fan, wherein a trough is provided on the pedestal and an atomization device is provided in the trough; the fan is provided on the pedestal, and a wind outlet of the fan is connected to a mist discharge passage via a wind pipe. The wind outlet of the fan is higher than or the horizontal section of the wind pipe is at least partially higher than the level of the lowest connection point between the water tank and the pedestal; and, the water tank and the pedestal are detachably connected in a sealed manner.

With the improvement of living conditions, people propose higher requirements on the comfort of the living environment. Air humidity is one of important factors that influence the comfort. Especially in the north of China and in any places that require air-conditioning, the air is dry. Therefore, humidifiers are increasingly indispensable to many families.
At present, the commercially available humidifiers are almost humidifiers with a separate water tank having a water supply port formed on its bottom. For such humidifiers to which water is supplied from the bottom, the user is required to lift the water tank up by a handle, place the water tank upside down so that the bottom of the water tank faces upward, open the water supply port cover, which is used to seal the water supply port, on the bottom of the water tank, fill the water tank with water from the water supply port, and then seal the water supply port by the water supply port cover after the water tank is filled with water. The whole water supply process is complex and it is quite inconvenient for less strong users, for example, the elderly and women, since the water tank is very heavy after it is filled with water. The water supply port cover has a function of sealing the water supply port, and generally, it is necessary to tighten the water supply port cover to seal the water supply port when in use, in order to form negative pressure in the water tank to avoid leakage of water. Furthermore, since the water supply port cover is located in a small space between the water tank and the pedestal, it should not be very large and thus there is a small contact area that can generate a frictional rotary force when held by user. Moreover, since the cover has a small radius of rotation, screwing or unscrewing the water supply port cover is very laborious. It will be very difficult for weak persons, for example, the elderly, to open the water supply port cover. In addition, since a controllable air supplementation and water drainage device is often provided on the water supply port cover, by which air enters the water tank so that water in the water tank flows into the atomization trough in a controllable way after the water level in the atomization trough lowers, the air supplementation and water drainage device may be triggered by an uncoordinated action when screwing or unscrewing the water supply port cover with an excessive force, resulting in damage. Therefore, a structure integrating a water supply device and a water drainage device is easily damaged during the normal use. To solve the above problem, humidifiers to which water is supplied from the top have been developed. A water tank cover is provided on the top of the water tank, so that water can be directly supplied by opening the water tank cover. This is quite convenient for the user.
In such a humidifier to which water is supplied from the top, the water tank is erected over the pedestal, the water tank and the pedestal are often formed by one-step injection molding. However, since functional components or mounting structures, for example, a mist discharge passage, an air duct, a trough and a water drainage port, are to be formed on the water tank and the pedestal by injection molding, the mold and the injection molding process will often become very complex, and the manufacture cost will be increased greatly. In addition, the flowing of water in the water tank into the trough in a controllable way by opening or closing the water drainage device in the water tank is often realized by a water level control device. However, since there may be unexpected objects such as hair in water, the water level control device will fail to function once the unexpected objects are stuck in the water level control device. As a result, water in the water tank will flow to the trough continuously. However, the wind outlet of the fan in a traditional humidifier is arranged beside the trough and in a lower position. The wind outlet of the fan will be flooded when the water level in the trough rises to a certain height, and water will flow back to the fan to damage the fan and its accessory circuits.
Accordingly, how to design a humidifier to which water is supplied from the top, which can avoid the laborious overturn and movement of the water tank and the laborious opening of the water supply port cover, and also share the simple process and low cost of the mold due to the separated design of the water tank and the pedestal, has become the target of both consumers and the humidifier industry.
Based on years of experience in research, development and production of various household appliances and by repeated research and demonstration, the inventor of the present application eventually designs a humidifier to which water is supplied from the top.

Humidifier to which water is supplied from the top

Foshan Jinxinghui Electrical Appliance Co., LTD.


A device for fixing a flexible element to the tubular body of a roller for rolling shutters, guards or blinds, wherein the tubular body has a slot made in its lateral surface and accessible from the outside through a first and a second opening the first oriented at right angles to the axial direction, the second at right angles to the tangential direction, of the tubular body; the radial measurement of the first opening relative to the tubular body is larger than the corresponding measurement of the second opening; the flexible element has at one end of it an enlarged fixing head especially shaped to allow it to be inserted into the slot through the first opening and through the second opening, remaining trapped inside the slot when the flexible element moves through the second opening.

The present invention relates to a device for fixing a flexible element to a roller.
The invention applies in particular, but without thereby restricting the scope of the disclosure, to the field of industrial protections, to the manufacture of rolling screens or guards (for example, those used to isolate machine tools) or to protect and guard certain machine parts such as slideways. Protections of this kind have flexible elements which roll up onto rollers and which can be unrolled to prevent machine parts not only from knocking against extraneous objects or coming into contact with shavings or swarf but also from being dirtied by contact with acids or pollutants in general. Similar protection devices may also be used as movable covers, strong enough to be walked on, if necessary, placed over the installation pits of large machines or as rolling covers for tanks.
The abovementioned rollers have a tubular body which revolves about its axis so as to roll or unroll the flexible element connected with it by overcoming the force exerted by one or more helical springs located inside the roller itself.
Several methods have been used up to the present time to attach the flexible element to the tubular body. According to one of these methods, one end of the flexible element is glued to the tubular body by a layer of suitable adhesive.
Although this solution has the advantage of allowing plain tubing, freely available on the market, to be used to make the roller and of dispensing with the need for mechanical parts inside and outside the tubular body, it has numerous disadvantages, the most important of which may be ascribed to the following factors:
the unavailability of non-toxic adhesives suitable for applications such as those mentioned above; PA1 the hazards created by the solvents used; PA1 the difficulty of creating a strong adhesive bond between materials of a very different nature such as, for example, plastics and aluminium alloys or aluminium alloys and stainless steels; PA1 the poor resistance of ordinary adhesives to chemicals which may come into contact with them during use; PA1 the poor resistance of ordinary adhesives to high and low temperatures; PA1 the difficulty of procuring adhesives with specific properties for applications such as those mentioned above; PA1 the impossibility of gluing "non-stick" materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene; PA1 the difficulty of knowing exactly where a guard or protection will be installed so as to be able to choose beforehand the adhesive most suitable for the ambient conditions.
Alternatively, the flexible element may be attached to the tubular body using screws, rivets and similar means.
This solution, although it eliminates many of the drawbacks of adhesives listed above, has the disadvantage not only of increasing production costs but also of creating the need for parts inside and outside the tubular body, with sharp points or edges protruding from the inside surface of the tube that may damage the spring mechanisms inside.
In yet another method of attaching the flexible element to the tubular body, the end of the flexible element is wound round and fixed to a metal rod which fits into grooves made in the outer surface of the tube.
The main disadvantage of this solution is that it may be applied only to very thin, flexible panels which, as such, can satisfy the requirements of a very limited number of applications.
Moreover, in addition to requiring tubes that are especially shaped for each specific application, this solution has the further disadvantage that the parts inside the tubular body occupy an excessive amount of space.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of all the methods listed above with a device for fixing the flexible element to the tubular body of the roller that can satisfy the requirements of a wide range of applications, particularly as regards the possible combinations of shapes, sizes and materials of the flexible element and of the tubular body.

Device for fixing a flexible element to a roller

P.E.I. Protezioni Elaborazioni Industriali S.r.l.


A device and system for promoting more recuperative sleep by regulating a user's body temperature. This may be done by using a series of devices that measure information about the user both while they are awake and while they are asleep, communicate that information to a processing unit, and create an ideal body temperature range profile based on that information. A temperature stimulus device may ensure that the core body temperature of the user stays substantially within the ideal body temperature range. By keeping the core body temperature of the user within the calculated range, the device and system will ensure deeper, and therefore more recuperative, sleep.

The amount of sleep a person gets is highly impactful on their overall physical and mental health. A study of 30,000 Virginian students found that of teens who often slept less than six hours a night, 30% suffered from depression, and roughly 10% attempted suicide. While the duration of sleep directly impacts a person's health, the quality of sleep is also important. Because deep sleep is the most efficient portion of the sleep cycle for recovery, when a larger percentage of a night's sleep is deep sleep—also known as slow-wave sleep—there is a greater positive impact on a person's recovery. The relationship between core body temperature and the amount of deep sleep is well known. If a person's body temperature can be properly regulated, it is possible to induce better, more effective sleep. While some devices may attempt this, these devices generally measure only the user's sleep data; and do not use data gathered while the user is awake to factor in the impact of the user's sleep.
There is, thus, a need in the art for a method of regulating a person's body temperature that uses natural sleep patterns as well as waking data to regulate body temperature in a manner that encourages more efficient sleep.

System and device for improving sleep quality


Techniques for transmitting graphical images in a network environment are described. According to the techniques, the amount of data of the graphical images that is transmitted is customized in accordance with client and/or server supplied information. The techniques enable graphical images to be transmitted more efficiently than previously possible, thus saving precious network bandwidth and reducing transmission time. The invention is particularly suitable for network (intranet or Internet) implementations wherein graphical images often need transferred.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to graphical images and, more particularly, to the transmission of graphical images.
2. Description of the Related Art
To meet the multimedia revolution, computers have become more powerful and have provided more multimedia support. In particular, graphic capabilities of personal computers have been greatly enhanced in recent years due to technological improvements in peripheral devices and software products. Input peripheral devices, such as scanners and CD-ROM players, enable personal computers to obtain graphical image files. Software products can also be used to create graphical images using paint or drawing programs. Output peripheral devices, such as printers and plotters, can be used to print the graphical images.
The Internet (also referred to as the World Wide Web) is also part of the multimedia revolution because it acts as a large depository of image files which can be downloaded for viewing, storing and/or printing. For example, web pages available at web sites on the Internet commonly including graphical images that are to be down-loaded to visitors to the web site. One major problem, however, with down-loading graphical image files from the Internet is bandwidth constraints. Due to the large file size of graphical image files, a high bandwidth is needed for transmission of graphical image files in acceptable amounts of time. The bandwidth constraints are primarily due to how user""s computers connect to the Internet. Computers are typically connected to the Internet using modems and standard telephone lines. Some users are fortunate enough to couple to the Internet with high speed connections (e.g., T1, T3 or ISDN lines). In any case, most users are connected to the Internet through 14.4 kbits/second or 28.8 second modems which are relatively slow and therefore a bandwidth constraint for downloading sizable graphical image files. Hence, the average time it takes to download a graphical image file to a user""s computer is unduly long. Thus, the communication links by which user""s computers connect to the Internet are the transmission bottleneck.
Compression techniques can be used to provide some relief to the transmission bottleneck. By compressing the graphical image files using known compression techniques (such as JPEG), the graphical image file can be reduced in size. However, the reduction in size provided by compression does lead to distortion. The amount (or rate) of compression an image can withstand before showing noticeable distortion depends of the image and the viewing medium, but a nominal amount would be 15-to-1 compression. Although a limited amount of compression is acceptable, there is a limit as to the compression rate that still produces acceptable quality. The amount of compression achieved by existing compression techniques does not provide both high quality and rapid transmission over modem connections. The author of an image who prepares a graphical image file for the image that is to be accessed through a network must choose a level of compression to achieve a tradeoff between image quality and transmission time. Consequently, compression helps with the bandwidth constraints or transmission bottleneck, but does not sufficiently solve the problem.
The transmission of graphical image files in networks within companies (intranet) face similar problems. While some users may have high speed connections to servers on the intranet, other users have much slower modem connections. However, both types of users need to obtain graphical image files with acceptable response times. Hence, in the intranet case, the communication links by which user""s computers connect to the intranet are also the transmission bottleneck.
Thus, there is a need for improved techniques for transmission of graphical image files in a network environment so that the available bandwidth is used more efficiently.
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to techniques for transmitting graphical images in a network environment wherein the amount of data of the graphical images that is transmitted for each of the graphical images is customized in accordance with client and/or server supplied information. The techniques thus enable graphical images to be transmitted more flexibly and efficiently. As a result, the amount of data transmitted is customized for the particular situation. Hence, excess data need not be transmitted when the requester does not need or desire it. Alternatively, a request for a very high quality image can be satisfied. Accordingly, the invention makes significantly better and more intelligent use of the available bandwidth of the network environment. The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, process, system, and a computer readable media.
As a computer-implemented method for transmitting a graphical image from a server machine to a client machine, an embodiment of the invention performs the operations of: receiving, at the server machine, a request for a graphical image from a client machine, the graphical image being stored on the server machine and having a predetermined total image size; obtaining image control information; determining an appropriate amount of data for the graphical image to be transmitted based on at least the image control information, the appropriate amount being less than or equal to the predetermined total image size; and transmitting the graphical image to the extent of the appropriate amount from the server machine to the client machine.
As a computer-implemented method for transmitting a graphical image from a server machine to a client machine, another embodiment of the invention performs the operations of: receiving, at the server machine, a request for a graphical image from a client machine; negotiating between the server machine and the client machine to determine a quality-size tradeoff for the graphical image; and transmitting the graphical image to the extent of the quality-size tradeoff from the server machine to the client machine.
As a computer-implemented identification process for a server machine connected to a client machine over a network, an embodiment of the invention performs the operations of: receiving, at a server machine, a capabilities query from a client machine; sending a response to the capabilities query from the server machine to the client machine; determining whether the client machine supports image customization based on the capabilities query; and identifying the client machine as a client machine that supports image customization when the determining operation determines that the client machine supports image customization. Preferably, the image customization operates to set a reduced total image size for a graphical image.
As a computer-implemented method for receiving at a client machine a graphical image from a server machine, an embodiment of the invention includes the operations of: sending a request for a graphical image to a server machine; sending image control information from the client machine to the server machine; and receiving from the server machine the graphical image of a determined amount, the determined amount being based on at least the image control information. Preferably, the determined amount is a reduced amount, and the graphical image file received also has a determined format based on at least the image control information. As examples, the determined format may be suitable for storing, displaying or printing an image associated with the graphical image file received.
As a system for transmitting graphical image files, an embodiment of the invention includes a client machine operating to store client image control information, request a graphical image file, and forward the client image control information; a server machine operating to store graphical image files, receive the request and the client image control information from the client machine, determine an appropriate amount of data for the graphical image file requested, and forward the graphical image file requested with the appropriate amount of data; and a network for coupling together the client machine and the server machine, wherein the request being forwarded, the client image control information, and the graphical image file being forwarded each traverse the network. Preferably, the graphical images stored in the server machine are stored using a progressive compression format. The network can be any network suitable for interconnecting computers.
As a computer readable media containing program instructions for transmitting a graphical image from a server machine to a client machine, an embodiment of the invention includes: first computer readable code devices for receiving, at the server machine, a request for a graphical image from a client machine; second computer readable code devices for negotiating between the server machine and the client machine to determine a quality-size tradeoff for the graphical image requested; and third computer readable code devices for transmitting the graphical image file to the extent of the quality-size tradeoff from the server machine to the client machine.
The advantages of the invention are numerous. One advantage of the invention is that graphical images can be transmitted over a network with a reduced amount so as to conserve precious network bandwidth, improve transmission time, and to reduce loads placed on server machines. Another advantage is that a user has a choice as to the amount of a graphical image file needed depending on an intended use for the image. For example, if images are simply being displayed in a small one inch by one inch arrangement, then only a small amount of the graphical image file need be transmitted. On the other hand, if the image is to be printed with high quality at a page-size, then a substantially larger amount of the graphical image file needs be transmitted (but this is typically still less than the complete graphical image file). In either case, less data is transmitted so less bandwidth is required and transmission time is improved. Further, in the case where the image is to be printed with picture quality on a large format, then a large amount (perhaps all) of data would be transmitted, which is very likely more data than would be conventionally available. The format of the data can also vary with the intended use (e.g., display format, printer formats, storage formats, etc.). Another advantage of the invention is that an author of an image need only store the associated graphical image file once in a high quality format; thereafter, the invention operates via a negotiation process between client and server, to meter down the amount of the graphical image file as is warranted. Yet another advantage of the invention is that it moves with technology in that as transmission bandwidth becomes greater or transmission rates become faster, the previously stored image files are automatically useable without changes.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Method and system for transmitting graphical images