The present invention relates to a method of renovating a cabinet for electronic card drawers, the method comprising steps consisting in:. creating an unpluggable electronic drawer having connectors on its back face; PA1 mounting an adapter intermediate mechanical support in the cabinet to be renovated, which support supports a set of floating backplane connectors for the unpluggable electronic drawer; PA1 creating a free zone Z between said back supports for the backplane connectors of the cabinet, and said intermediate supports; and PA1 fitting adapter wiring between said back supports and said intermediate supports.

Because electronic components are changing fast, and because purchasing an entire new item of equipment represents a considerable investment, more and more equipment operators are renovating existing equipment.
This applies in particular since, generally, the mechanical portions and the power electronics not only age well but also represent the largest proportion of the cost of the overall equipment.
Conversely, the control electronics are often obsolete after only a few years.
The consequences of the above are that components can no longer be found on the market, or they can be found only at prices that are prohibitive for repair purposes, and that maintenance costs are high, compared with the possible new solutions.
Beyond a certain cost, renovation of the control electronics is envisaged.
Several prior art solutions for performing such renovation are described below.
Prior art cabinets for electronic card drawers and prior art equipment to be renovated are constructed to old standards, such as the DIN 297 standard, the CF 61002 standard, and the XNF 61005 standard.
New standards must be complied with, such as the EN 50 155 standard, or the CLC/TCYX (sec) 95 standard appended to EN 50 155.
A first prior art solution consists in upgrading the prior art drawers such that they remain identical to the old drawers so that the cabinet retains identical interfaces.
A major drawback with the first prior art solution is that the drawer is not adapted to suit new techniques and new standards, in particular as regards reductions in volume, the bus technique, and new connector solutions.
A second prior art solution consists in reconstructing new cabinets by integrating drawers having the most recent technologies and taking into account new standards.
A major drawback with the second prior art solution is that it involves large costs as regards designing the integration of the cabinet because it is necessary to adapt the construction of the cabinet and because all the wiring needs to be revised, e.g. the wiring of the vehicle when applied to the transport field, by adapting the old wiring by means of additional intermediate connection points.
Another drawback with the second prior art solution is that it takes a long time to perform the renovation, in particular to design the adaptation and to implement it, because the old cabinets must be removed, the wiring must be modified in situ, and the new cabinet must be fitted.
Another drawback with the second prior art solution is that it gives rise to risks of malfunction: the second solution involves reworking wiring that is already old by adding intermediate wiring.
Another drawback with the second prior art solution is that, once completed, the renovation is irreversible.
The prior art equipment to be renovated mounted on board a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, is disposed in a fitted cabinet in which electronics drawers are mounted disposed one above another.
At the back, a cabinet backplane provides the support for floating connectors which, with appropriate wiring, implement the functional links between the drawers and the wiring of the vehicle. Drawers are slotted in via the front of the cabinet.
At the back of the drawer, connectors plug into the cabinet connectors.

Method of renovating a cabinet for electronic card drawers and a cabinet renovated thereby


The invention relates to a method that detects the target substance by measuring a decrease in the optical signal generated by applying a first magnetic field to move the conjugate in the direction parallel to or away from the surface, etc. The invention also relates to an optical detection device wherein a liquid holding part has a sensing plate that can form a near field on a surface with light irradiated from a side of a rear face under a condition of total reflection, the liquid holding part being capable of holding a liquid sample that has a target substance and a magnetic particle that forms a conjugate with the target substance on the surface of the sensing plate, a light irradiation unit, a light detection unit, and a magnetic field application unit configured to apply a magnetic field to move the conjugate in the direction parallel to or away from the surface, etc.

Recently methods have been developed to detect and determine the amount of a micro substance in liquid solution, particularly of biologically relevant substances, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, viruses, and bacterium. As such methods, for example, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunoassay, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), and surface plasmon-field enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) are cited.
The SPR immunoassay is a method that combines specific selectivity of antigen-antibody reactions with a surface plasmon resonance sensor that is a high-sensitivity refractometer. This method enables real-time and precise detection and quantitative determination of an antigen-antibody binding in enhanced electric field that is generated on the surface of a gold thin film as the total-reflection surface (see Non-Patent Document 1).
The total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy causes total reflection of the incident light at the interface between a specimen and the cover glass or the slide glass to generate an evanescent field, and observes fluorescence using the evanescent field as excitation light while suppressing the background light as noise (see Patent Document 1). This technique can realize super-resolution, and so enables monomolecular observation.
The SPFS causes total reflection of the incident light at the interface between a gold thin layer on the surface of glass in contact with a prism and a liquid sample by means of an optical setup called Kretschmann configuration. This can excite a surface plasmon resonance on the gold thin film, and can form an enhanced electric field on the surface of the gold thin film. This technique obtains excitation light that is the light enhanced near the surface of the gold thin film due to the surface plasmon resonance, and excites fluorescent molecules in the enhanced electric field using the excitation light to generate intense fluorescence, and observes the fluorescence while having less background light (see Patent Document 2).
Non Patent Documents 2 to 8, for example, describe well-known methods of generating enhanced electric field from the total reflection of light to obtain enhanced electric field. The present inventors have reported such a method in Non-Patent Document 2. The method prepares a sensing plate stacking a silicon layer and a SiO2 layer from the below on a silica glass substrate and disposing the sensing plate on a trapezoidal prism made of silica glass, and applies light through the prism under the condition of total reflection on the surface of the sensing plate to obtain enhanced electric field.
Non Patent Document 3 discloses a method of generating surface plasmon resonance using Kretschmann configuration to obtain an enhanced electric field. Non Patent Document 4 discloses a method of using a dove prism as the prism in the Kretschmann configuration and applying light to the prism to generate a surface plasmon resonance and obtain an enhanced electric field. Non Patent Documents 5 and 6 disclose a method of obtaining an enhanced electric field using a resonant mirror. Non Patent Document 7 discloses a method of forming a structure called a leaky mode sensor by stacking a metal layer and a transparent dielectric layer in this order on a prism and applying light through the prism to obtain an enhanced electric field on the surface of the dielectric layer. Non Patent Document 8 discloses a method of forming a metal layer on a prism and stacking two types of transparent dielectric layers having different indexes of refraction one by one on the metal layer to obtain a more enhanced electric field than that of the leaky mode sensor.
Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose a method of forming the shape of a prism in a channel to generate surface plasmon resonance and obtaining enhanced electric field by generating a surface plasmon resonance on the bottom or the lateral face of the channel.
Searching of prior-art documents relating to the present invention shows a known method of using magnetic particles as labels to promote the adsorption or access of a target substance to a detector plane for measurement in a shorter time (Patent Documents 5 and 6). The techniques described in Patent Documents 5 and 6 apply a magnetic field to a conjugate of a magnetic label, a photoresponsive label and a target substance to attract it to a localized region and irradiate a predetermined region including this localized region with excitation light so as to remove a signal from a photoresponsive label that does not form a conjugate with the target substance and the magnetic label for detection.

Optical detection method and optical detection device

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A support device includes a support arm and a support plate in which the support arm has two opposite clamps each having an arrangement for laterally moving a height adjustment mechanism so that after performing both vertical and horizontal adjustments of the clamps pressing pivotably connected arm members will secure a visual display (e.g., computer LCD display) onto the support plate.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to computer display holding devices and more particularly to a support device comprising a support arm and a support plate in which the support arm has two opposite clamps each having an arrangement for laterally moving a height adjustment mechanism so that after performing both vertical and horizontal adjustments of the clamps pressing pivotal arm members will secure a visual display (e.g., LCD (liquid crystal display) display) onto the support plate.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a holder is provided for supporting a computer display (e.g., LCD display) on the desk. However, most conventional LCD display holders are not structural strong and are not reliable. Thus, an LCD display being clamped by the conventional LCD display holder is subject to fall if sufficient care is not taken.
There have been numerous suggestions in prior patents for computer display holding devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,238 discloses a support arm for visual display unit.
Hence, a need remains for an improved computer display holding device in order to contribute significantly to the advancement of the art.

Support arm with clamps for adjustably fastening a visual display


A catalytic combustion heater having, in a fuel gas flow passage in which an inflammable gas- and combustion support gas-containing fuel gas flows, tubes in which an object fluid to be heater flows, and an oxidation catalyst provided on outer surfaces of the tubes and contacting the fuel gas to generate an oxidation reaction, comprising a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger adapted to heat the object fluid with the oxidation reaction heat of the fuel gas, a detecting member adapted to detect the temperature of a combustion exhaust gas in the fuel gas flow passage to check whether the temperature is at the level of a dew point thereof or not, and a control unit adapted to control at least one of a feed rate of the combustion support gas, which is supplied to the fuel gas flow passage, and a feed rate of the inflammable gas.

The present invention relates to a catalytic combustion heater that heats fluid to be heated, which is a liquid or gas.
A so-called catalytic combustion heater, which causes an oxidation reaction of an flammable gas (fuel gas) with a catalyst and heats a fluid to be heated with the generated heat, is known, and various applications of the heater, such as home use and vehicular use, have been studied (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. Hei 5-223201).
A catalytic combustion heater has a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger having, in a flow passage of an flammable gas, tubes where an object fluid to be heated, which is a liquid or gas, flows, and multiple catalyst-carrying fins are integrally joined to the outer surfaces of the tubes. An oxidation catalyst, such as platinum or palladium is used for the multiple fins.
When the catalyst-carrying fins are heated to or above an activation temperature and contact the flammable gas, an oxidation reaction occurs on the surfaces of the fins. The oxidation reaction heat generated at that time is transferred from the fins into the tubes, thereby heating the object fluid that flows in the tubes.
The flammable gas is mixed with a combustion support gas (normally, air) for oxidizing the flammable gas, and the mixed gas is supplied as a fuel gas into the catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The catalyst-oriented oxidation reaction occurs in widely varying range of the flammable gas concentration. Therefore, unburned gas that has not reacted upstream can be burned with a catalyst on the downstream side, and combustion can be carried out in the entire heat exchanger. This provides a compact and high-performance heater as compared with burner type heaters, which have been typical so far.
There is a type in which the direction of the flow of the flammable gas in a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger is opposite to the direction of the flow of the object fluid. In this case, as the slope of the concentration of the flammable gas coincides with the slope of the temperature of the object fluid, the heat exchanging efficiency can be improved. That is, since an inlet port for the object fluid is provided near the outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage, the heat of the exhaust gas can heat the object fluid efficiently by making the combustion exhaust gas, immediately before being discharged, contact the tubes where the cooler object fluid flows.
The feed rate of the combustion support gas is normally set in a range of about 1 to 5 times the amount necessary for oxidation. To improve the heat exchanging efficiency, it is preferred to reduce the flow rate of exhaust gas by making the feed rate as small as possible to thereby limit the dumping of the generated heat, unused, with the exhaust gas.
However, the combustion exhaust gas contains a considerable amount of vapor produced by the oxidation reaction, so that when the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas drops, the vapor may condense into droplets.
In the construction in which the direction of the flow of the flammable gas in a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger is opposite to the direction of the flow of the object fluid, particularly, the cooler object fluid is supplied. near the outlet for the combustion exhaust gas as mentioned above. Therefore, vapor may condense on the surfaces of the low-temperature tubes and the surfaces of the fins that are integral to the tubes and wet the surface of the oxidation catalyst. In this case, there is a problem in that the oxidation catalyst becomes inactive, thus interfering with the oxidation reaction and causing unburned gas to be discharged.
If the feed rate of the combustion support gas is low, it becomes easier for the temperature of the catalyst to rise and the non-uniform distribution of the fuel gas may cause the catalyst temperature to exceed the combustion point (570xc2x0 C. for hydrogen fuel) at the location where high-concentration flammable gas is supplied or the location where the object fluid does not flow smoothly, thus generating a flame. When a flame is produced, the catalyst may have heat deterioration (normally, the deterioration occurs at or above 700xc2x0 C.), which lowers the catalytic performance. Because the catalyst reaction is caused in the entire heat exchanger as mentioned above, however, it is difficult to specify where a flame will be produced and it is hard to detect the flame.
According to the above conventional catalytic combustion heater, however, if the catalyst on the upstream side of the fuel-gas flow passage is not sufficiently active at the time the heater is activated, unreacted fuel gas (unburned fuel gas) may be discharged or keep flowing downstream and become a high-concentration fuel gas, which may contact the oxidation catalyst in the vicinity of the outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage and may spontaneously react with it and cause a fire. One way to prevent this is to gradually raise the temperature of the tubes and fins at the individual portions of the fuel-gas flow passage while monitoring those temperatures. This method complicates the structure and extends the activation time longer.
Further, there are expected applications of a catalytic combustion heater, which burns a flammable fuel gas using an oxidation catalyst and heats an object fluid using the generated heat, such as home use and vehicular use. In such a catalytic combustion heater, a combustion support gas is supplied from one of the open ends of a cylindrical housing having openings at both ends and a fuel-gas feeding section injects the fuel gas from an injection port formed inside the housing, thereby producing a flow of the mixture of the fuel gas and the combustion support gas in the housing. Tubes in which an object fluid to be heated, such as water, flows are located in the housing, and a catalyst section, such as fins carrying an oxidation catalyst, is formed on the outer surfaces of the tubes, thus constituting a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The fuel gas that contacts the catalyst section causes an oxidation reaction there, thus causing catalyst combustion. The combustion heat caused by the catalytic combustion is received by the object fluid through the walls of the tubes and is used for heating.
Further, when the combustion output becomes high, a flame is produced, resulting in vapor phase combustion. Since the vapor phase combustion has a higher combustion temperature than the catalytic combustion, it deteriorates the heater, which causes problems such as reducing heat exchanging efficiency and lowering the heating performance. There is a model that has a temperature sensor provided in the catalyst section to detect a temperature rise in the catalyst section from which vapor phase combustion is detected. Even when vapor phase combustion occurs, the detected temperature does not necessarily rise to a level that is considered abnormal unless the temperature sensor is exposed to a flame. When a very small part of the catalyst becomes abnormally hot and a flame is locally produced, therefore, occurrence of vapor phase combustion cannot be detected. In addition, since a threshold value for the detected temperature for determining if vapor phase combustion has occurred is naturally set higher than the temperature of the catalyst section at the time of normal catalytic combustion, it is not possible to detect the occurrence of vapor phase combustion with sufficient precision.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a catalytic combustion heater that prevents the activation of an oxidation catalyst from being lowered by condensation of vapor, prevents the catalyst from being deteriorated by the occurrence of a flame, demonstrates sufficient catalytic performance, has excellent heat exchanging efficiency and is safe and highly reliable.
In view of the above problems, it is another object of the present invention to provide a safe and quick-activating catalytic combustion heater that can activate the whole catalyst-carrying heat exchanger quickly with a simple structure while preventing discharge of unburned gas and a fire.
In view of the above problems, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a catalytic combustion heater that can detect the occurrence of vapor phase combustion with high precision.
A catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention includes a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a fuel-gas flow passage, in which a fuel gas flows. The fuel gas includes a flammable gas and a combustion support gas. Tubes, in which an object fluid to be heated flows, are located within the fuel-gas flow passage. An oxidation catalyst, which is provided on outer surfaces of the tubes, causes an oxidation reaction when the fuel gas contacts the outer surfaces. The catalyst-carrying heat exchanger heats the object fluid with the oxidation reaction heat of the fuel gas. Further included is a detecting section for detecting whether or not the temperature of a combustion exhaust gas in the fuel-gas flow passage has reached its dew-point temperature. Further included is a control section for controlling at least one of the feed rate of the combustion support gas and that of the flammable gas supplied to the fuel-gas flow passage, based on a result of detection by the detecting section.
The detecting section is one of a temperature detecting section for detecting the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas and a temperature detecting section for detecting temperatures of the outer surfaces of the tubes.
The detecting section is provided in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage.
The oxidation catalyst is carried by fins joined to the outer surface of the tubes and the temperature detecting section for detecting the temperatures of the outer surfaces of the tubes is a surface temperature detecting section for detecting surface temperatures of the fins in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage.
When the detecting section outputs a detection result such that the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas in the fuel-gas flow passage is equal to or lower than a dew-point temperature, which is determined by the composition of the fuel gas to be supplied, the control section performs control to increase the feed rate of the combustion support gas to raise the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas to or above the dew-point temperature.
When the detecting section outputs a detection result indicating that the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas in the fuel-gas flow passage is equal to or lower than a dew-point temperature, which is determined by the composition of the supplied fuel gas, the control section increases the feed rate of the flammable gas to a downstream part of the fuel-gas flow passage to raise the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas to or above the dew-point temperature.
The catalytic combustion heater further includes an flammable-gas feeding section having a plurality of flammable-gas feed ports, for distributing the flammable gas to an upstream part and a downstream part of the fuel-gas flow passage, and a valve member, which is located in the flammable-gas feeding section, for regulating the flow rate of the flammable gas supplied to the downstream side of the fuel-gas flow passage, and the control section adjusts the position of the valve member.
The flow direction of the fuel gas is opposite to the flow direction of the object fluid.
The combustion support gas is air.
Another catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention includes a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a fuel-gas flow passage, in which a fuel gas flows. The fuel gas includes a flammable gas and a combustion support gas. Tubes, in which an object fluid to be heated flows, are located within the fuel-gas flow passage. An oxidation catalyst, which is provided on outer surfaces of the tubes, causes an oxidation reaction when the fuel gas contacts the outer surfaces. The catalyst-carrying heat exchanger heats the object fluid with the oxidation reaction heat of the fuel gas. Further included is a detecting section for detecting the concentration of nitrogen oxide contained in the combustion exhaust gas in the fuel-gas flow passage and a control section for controlling at least one of the feed rate of the combustion support gas and that of the flammable gas supplied to the fuel-gas flow passage, based on a result of detection by the detecting section.
In this catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention, the detecting section is provided in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage.
In the another catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention, when the detecting section detects that the concentration of the nitrogen oxide is equal to or higher than a given value, the control section decreases the feed rate of the flammable gas or increases the feed rate of the combustion support gas.
A further catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention includes a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a fuel-gas flow passage, in which a fuel gas flows. The fuel gas includes a flammable gas and a combustion support gas. Tubes, in which an object fluid to be heated flows, are located within the fuel-gas flow passage. An oxidation catalyst, which is provided on outer surfaces of the tubes, causes an oxidation reaction when the fuel gas contacts the outer surfaces. The catalyst-carrying heat exchanger heats the object fluid with the oxidation reaction heat of the fuel gas. Further included is a plurality of flammable-gas feeding passages with different passage resistances for distributing the flammable gas to an upstream part and downstream part of the fuel-gas flow passage, whereby the passage resistances of the plurality of flammable-gas feeding passages are such that when an amount of heat generated in a downstream part of the fuel-gas flow passage is a minimum output of the catalytic combustion heater, the temperature of combustion exhaust gas in the fuel-gas flow passage becomes equal to or higher than a dew-point temperature that is determined by the composition of the fuel gas.
A different catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention includes a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a fuel-gas flow passage, in which a fuel gas flows. The fuel gas includes a flammable gas and a combustion support gas. Tubes, in which an object fluid to be heated flows, are located within the fuel-gas flow passage. An oxidation catalyst, which is provided on outer surfaces of the tubes, causes an oxidation reaction when the fuel gas contacts the outer surfaces. The catalyst-carrying heat exchanger heats the object fluid with the oxidation reaction heat of the fuel gas. Further included is a detecting section for detecting the temperature of combustion exhaust gas or the concentration of the flammable gas in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuel-gas flow passage and a flow-rate control section for controlling the flow rate of the flammable gas based on the result of a detection of the detecting section.
In this catalytic combustion heater, according to the present invention, the flow-rate control section makes the flow rate of the flammable gas less than that of the combustion support gas until the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas detected by the detecting section exceeds a predetermined temperature or until the concentration of the flammable gas becomes lower than a predetermined concentration. The flow-rate control section increases the flow rate of the flammable gas to a predetermined level when the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas exceeds the predetermined temperature or when the concentration of the flammable gas becomes lower than the predetermined concentration.
In this catalytic combustion heater, according to the present invention, the catalyst-carrying heat exchanger has a fuel distributing section for distributing the flammable gas, the amount of which corresponds to a state of the object fluid flowing in the tubes to individual parts of the tubes.
A still different catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention includes a cylindrical housing having openings at both ends, and a combustion support gas is supplied from one of the open ends. Also included is a fuel-gas feeding section for feeding fuel gas into the housing from an injection port, which is formed toward inside the housing. Included is a catalyst-carrying heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes. The heat exchanger is provided downstream of the injection port in the housing. An object fluid, which is to be heated flows in the tubes. A catalyst section, which is formed on outer surfaces of the tubes, causes an oxidation reaction when contacting the fuel gas. A temperature detecting section provided in the housing in the vicinity of the injection port and closer to the above-mentioned open end than the tubes.
In this catalytic combustion heater according to the present invention, the temperature detecting section is provided on a projection of the fuel-gas feeding section protruding into the housing.


An aerodynamic device for a vehicle has, within a wheel house in which a front wheel is disposed, a movable liner portion which can, along a vehicle longitudinal direction, approach and move away from a vehicle longitudinal direction front side portion of the front wheel. When a traveling speed of a vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, a lower portion of the movable liner portion approaches the front side portion of the front wheel. An aerodynamic device for a vehicle is obtained which can suppress flowing-in of air into a wheel house accompanying traveling of a vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aerodynamic device for a vehicle for adjusting the flow of air of a wheel house.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that, as an automobile travels, the air which flows into the wheel house is blown-out to the side of the front wheel, and disturbs the flow of air at the side of the front wheel. Specifically, at an automobile S2 shown in FIG. 10, the distance, along the vehicle longitudinal direction, between the front portion (a fender liner 20) of a wheel arch 12A and a front surface side of a front wheel 15 is substantially constant regardless of the vehicle speed. The air which hits the front surface of the front wheel 15 is sucked-into the front portion of a wheel house 16 by the negative pressure which arises accompanying the traveling, and flows-in to the interior of the wheel house 16. Due to the flow path, within the wheel house 16, of the air which flows-in (the space between the front wheel 15 and the fender liner 20) being narrow, the flow speed downstream of this negative pressure portion suddenly drops, and a relatively high-pressure region H shown in FIG. 10 is generated. In this way, the air which reaches region H overflows, and is blown-out from the opening portion of the wheel house 16 which is directed toward the outer side in the vehicle transverse direction, i.e., from between the wheel arch 12A and the front wheel 15. In this way, the air flow at the side of the front wheel 15 is disturbed, and the air resistance increases. Note that reference numeral 12 in the drawing denotes a front fender panel, reference numeral 18 denotes a front bumper, and reference numeral 18A denotes a bumper cover.
A technique is known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 8-318876) which provides a movable wheel arch fairing for enabling expansion and contraction of the interval between the wheel and the wheel arch. When the vehicle travels at high speed, the wheel arch fairing is in a state of usage in which it protrudes-out beneath the wheel arch, and suppresses the drawing-in of air into the wheel arch. When the vehicle is traveling off-road, the wheel arch fairing is in a housed state in which it is housed in the wheel arch, and permits a large stroke of the wheel.
However, in the conventional technique such as described above, the wheel arch fairing is merely a structure which opens and closes the opening end at the side of the wheel house, i.e., the entrance/exit of air. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress the inflow of air into the wheel house from between the fender liner and the front wheel which accompanies traveling of the vehicle, and there is room for improving on the increase in air resistance caused by air being blown-out to the side of the front wheel.


A turbine engine annular combustion chamber, including longitudinal walls connected by a transverse chamber bottom and a single-piece cowling, the chamber bottom and the cowling each including an inner flange and an outer flange each with a plurality of holes made in it for the passage of fixing systems for fixing the cowling on the chamber bottom. Each fixing system has associated with it at least one tangential slot formed on the corresponding flange of the chamber bottom and/or on the corresponding flange of the cowling, each slot being formed in the immediate vicinity of the corresponding fixing system.

The present invention relates to the general field of annular combustion chambers for turbine engines equipped with a single-piece protective cowling for the fuel injection systems
A turbine engine annular combustion chamber is generally made up of two longitudinal walls generated by revolution (an outer wall and an inner wall) which are connected upstream by a transverse wall forming the chamber bottom.
The present invention relates more particularly to combustion chambers that also comprise a single-piece cowling mounted upstream of the chamber bottom. The cowling is used in particular to protect the fuel injection systems which are mounted on the chamber bottom.
Assembling these different elements of the combustion chamber is carried out by means of bolt connections mounted at the inner and outer walls. More precisely, the chamber bottom and the cowling each comprise an inner flange and an outer flange on which respectively the inner wall and the outer wall of the combustion chamber are fixed by bolt connections, these longitudinal walls being inserted between the cowling and the chamber bottom. Thus, the same bolt connection passes through all the following: one of the longitudinal walls, the chamber bottom and the cowling of the combustion chamber.
In practice, this type of combustion chamber architecture poses many problems. In particular, the different elements of the combustion chamber have large manufacturing tolerances, which leads to stacking up of the tolerances resulting in poor closing up between these elements when the combustion chamber is being assembled, which creates a loss as regards the clamping transiting between the flanges. This is because the part of the clamping which is used for deforming the chamber is subtracted from the force of reactions between its components. When this reaction force decreases, the force necessary for making the parts slide among one another is therefore less. An additional clamping torque is therefore necessary for taking up the play due to the manufacturing tolerances of the components and thus keeping the correct clamping force for passage of the sliding forces transiting in the connection. Therefore, during operation, the vibrations caused by the combustion of gases inside the combustion chamber often lead to the formation of cracks in the region of the bolt connections on the cowling and/or the chamber bottom. Such cracks are particularly prejudicial to the service life of the combustion chamber

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Turbine engine combustion chamber with tangential slots


The invention relates to a control device and a control method for a vehicular electric oil pump that supplies oil to a power transmission device transmitting power to an axle. When a vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined value in a non-drive state of the power transmission device, the control device calculates a target rotational speed of the electric oil pump based on an oil temperature and drives the electric oil pump. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce insufficient lubrication and an increase in temperature of the power transmission device when the vehicle is towed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a mechanical oil pump driven by an engine and an electric oil pump driven by a motor are provided as pumps that supply oil to a power transmission device connected to the engine, and the electric oil pump is driven when the engine is automatically stopped, and accordingly, the mechanical oil pump is stopped.
Furthermore, the power transmission device is, for example, a transmission mechanism or a start friction element.

Control device and control method for vehicular electric oil pump


Circuits and methods for switching between an internal clock and an external clock without causing an interruption or an artifact in the switched clock signal are disclosed. To achieve this, the internal clock signal is synchronized with the external clock signal prior to switching. The synchronization may be accomplished using two possible clock-synchronization methods: a first method that passively waits for the clocks to synchronize over time and a second that adjusts a period of the internal clock signal to actively synchronize the clocks. The method selected for use requires the fewest clock cycles to reach synchronization, which is determined by a frequency difference between the two clock frequencies. After clock-synchronization, the output clock signal spectrum will be substantially the same before and after switching between the clock signals, and therefore is suitable for use with spread spectrum clocks.

Synchronous electronic applications (i.e., devices) require a clock signal for operation. A clock signal may be obtained from a clock that is integrated with a device (i.e., an internal clock), but in some cases, a clock signal may be obtained from a clock that is separate from the device (i.e., an external clock). When an external clock is coupled to the device, a clock switch that normally routes an internal clock signal to an output of the clock switch may be changed to route an external clock signal to the output of the clock switch. The switching may produce artifacts (e.g., glitches or dropped clock cycles) in the clock signal at the output of the switch. Clock switching circuits and methods are needed to reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by switching.

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


The present invention relates to an intensified 5-bed and 6-bed PSA process cycles features, as well as fast rate adsorbents that enable the intensified PSA system to meet cost and performance target are identified. The proposed capital efficient H2PSA system offers opportunity to reduce PSA capital expenditure by ten percent (10%).

The need for high purity gasses, such as hydrogen, processed from effluents in the chemical process industries remain. These effluents are hydrogen containing feed mixtures gases (i.e., synthesis gases), from the likes of steam methane reforming of natural gas or naptha, catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons, isomerization processes, etc, which are routed to a PSA for further processing. This growing demand requires the need to develop highly efficient separation processes (e.g., PSA) for hydrogen (H2) production from various feed mixtures. In order to obtain highly efficient PSA separation processes, both the capital and operating costs of the PSA system must be reduced. H2PSA system design needs to consider process cycle, adsorbent rate, capacity, and cycle time to maximize performance, reduce system size, and achieve the lowest overall system cost. As we strive to shrink the H2PSA size and run faster cycles, desorption rates of stronger adsorbing contaminants often become limiting factors which result in significant process performance drop off. In addition, short cycle time and high flow velocity pose fluidization risk on the adsorbent beds. Small to medium size PSA systems tend to have lower number of adsorbent vessels compared to the larger PSA, therefore, process cycle optimization is limited and it is often challenging to achieve the desired recovery performance when the system desires smaller adsorbent amount and shorter cycles.
Conventional PSA systems are well known for separating feed mixture gases which contain components with different adsorption characteristics. For example, in a typical PSA system, a multicomponent gas mixture is passed to at least one of multiple adsorption beds at an elevated pressure to adsorb at least one strongly sorbed component while at least one component passes through. In the case of hydrogen PSA, hydrogen is the weakest adsorbed component which passes through the bed. At a defined time, the feed step is discontinued and the adsorption bed is co-currently depressurized in one or more steps, counter-currently blown down in one or more steps, counter-currently purged in one or more steps and counter- or co-currently repressurized in one or more steps. Cycle steps and times must be appropriately executed to permit essentially pure hydrogen product to exit the bed with a high recovery. The sequence of steps is not limited to the one stated above and a combination of two or more steps can be employed as a single step as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,466 to Whysall et al disclosed a PSA process for very large gas processing units (>100 MMSCFD capacity) in a single train of equipment to overcome physical limitations of vessel size and adsorbent crush strength without giving up overall performance. It teaches utilizing one bed to provide purge to multiple beds. Therefore, total purge can be extended to more than adsorption time to ensure the sufficient time for desorption. This document covers large PSA system of 10-20 beds to process >100 MMSCFD feed rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,431 to Xu et al presented a PSA process to increase production and/or recovery per bed in a multiple bed system without increasing the number of beds. A variety of process cycles for up to 10 beds system with four (4) pressure equalization steps and ≥2 beds on purge are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,838 to Xu et al disclosed two variety of 6-1-4 process cycles having four (4) pressure equalization steps. The proposed process allows continuous waste flow to tail gas drum by introducing overlapping EQ/PPG, EQ/BD, idle steps and an external gas storage tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,628 to Xu et al disclosed a PSA process with less than 25 sec. pressure equalization time to reduce cycle time and system size. The PSA process covers large system, 12-16 beds. Xu et al. discloses that pressure equalization time is <25 sec and ≥2 beds on purge to address high purge flow in short cycle time, final DP in EQn is greater than final DP in EQn-1 to address fluidization risk, optional EQ/PPG and PPG/BD overlapping steps, one PPG bed exclusively supplies to another PG bed, manifolded into group of 4 beds to allow exclusive 1 PPG-1 PG within a group.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,390,350 to Weist Jr et al disclosed a design and operation method for PSA systems characterized by reduced bed depth in feet times a dimensionless ratio of empty bed residence time to feed time, using <1.3 mm adsorbent particle size.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,551,217 to Baksh et al disclosed advanced 6-1-4, 6-2-3, 5-1-3 process cycles and adsorbent layering for enhanced PSA recovery. Adsorbent layering includes alumina, carbon and zeolite, subdivide carbon to two layers (0.5-1.5 mm and 2-3 mm) to remove CO2 and then CH4, subdivide zeolite to two layers (0.5-2 mm and 2-3 mm) to remove CO and then N2.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,435,328 to Baksh et al disclosed advanced 10-bed PSA cycle and adsorbent layering capable of achieving the same recovery as conventional 12-bed PSA for 100 MMSCFD feed. Various turn down and bed drop cycles with enhanced recovery were also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,381,460 by Weist Jr. et al disclosed PSA process cycles for 12-bed system having five (5) pressure equalization steps and a variety of combination such as F/EQ1, EQ1′/PP, EQ′/PP, EQ′/FP, EQ5/PPG, idle step between EQ5 and PPG or PPG/BD for enhanced PSA performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,669,348 to Renou et al discloses a PSA process that only has one active step per phase time to provide operational reliability and performance. It requires using ≥7 adsorber for at least 7 distinct elementary steps, with each adsorber n follows the pressure cycle with an offset of one phase time with respect to the pressure cycle of the adsorber n−1.
Based on the related art, significant amount of PSA process and cycle development have focused on large PSA systems with up to 16 parallel adsorption vessels. These large systems tend to employ as many as pressure equalization steps to maximize recovery performance, since the conventional wisdom in PSA design is that more pressure equalization steps equal to higher recovery. However, the increase pressure equalization steps come with the increase capital cost due to additional beds, equalization headers as well as valves. Thus, the newly proposed small PSA systems and processes (5 or 6 beds) are capital efficient through a thirty percent (30%) bed size factor reduction without losing hydrogen recovery performance.

Intensified pressure swing adsorption system and process cycles


A light shielding structure of a lens barrel including an inner ring and an outer ring, wherein the inner ring includes a through cutout portion, the light shielding structure including an inner flange wall provided with the inner ring; a first annular groove formed on an inner surface of the inner flange wall; a second annular groove formed on an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring; and a light shield ring, wherein the light shield ring includes a cylindrical portion centered about the optical axis, and an outer flange portion which extends radially outwards from a rear end of the cylindrical portion so that the cylindrical portion and the outer flange portion and inserted into the first and second annular grooves, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light shielding structure of a lens barrel including an inner ring and an outer ring, at least one of which rotates relative to the other, and the inner ring has at least one through cutout portion which radially extends through the inner ring to allow the entry of harmful light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lens barrels used for optical devices such as cameras are often provided with an inner ring and an outer ring, at least one of which being rotatable relative to the other. In such conventional lens barrels, it is often the case that a light shielding structure such as a labyrinth structure is formed on the inner ring and the outer ring therebetween in the vicinity of their respective front ends. However, if such a labyrinth structure is formed between the inner ring and the outer ring, at least one of which being rotatable relative to the other, it is necessary to provide a large clearance between the inner ring and the outer ring in order to accommodate eccentricity of the inner ring or the outer ring relative to the other. This increases the diameter of the lens barrel or the resistance to relative rotation between the inner ring and the outer ring.

Light shielding structure of a lens barrel


A reporting system includes a mobile computing device that wirelessly communicates with one or more sensors to track the use of a protective product. Reports are provided on the mobile computing device to remind and motivate a user of the protective product to use it at times most beneficial for receiving the intended protection from it.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, primarily caused by sun radiation, causes cancer. In Australia alone, during a one year period over 400,000 people were diagnosed with a new cancer including 1800 fatalities caused by sun exposure. The personal suffering and loss of income through related sickness as well as cost of medical care are a significant concern for Australia and many other countries. Presently, one in five North Americans and one in two Australians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Ultraviolet (hereafter referred to as UV) radiation is divided into three main ranges: UV-A (315 to 400 nm); UV-B (280 to 315 nm); and UV-C (100 to 280 nm). Naturally occurring UV radiation consists of UVA and UVB components. UVB is believed to be the main cause of skin cancer while UVA is known to cause premature skin aging and may also contribute to skin cancer


A meter center includes three feeder bus bars, three supply bus bars, each supply bus bar being electrically connected to a corresponding feeder bus bar, and a number of meter socket assemblies. Each meter socket assembly includes two bus jumpers, each bus jumper including a first end and a second end, the second end of a first bus jumper being selectively electrically connected to a first supply bus bar, the second end of a different second bus jumper being selectively electrically connected to a different second supply bus bar, two load bus bars, insulative support members coupled to a number of the supply bus bars, the insulative support members including a first end coupled to the bus jumpers and an opposite second end supporting the load bus bars, and a meter socket including terminals electrically connected to the first ends of the bus jumpers and to the load bus bars.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to meter centers for electrical power distribution systems and, more particularly, to meter centers including a number of meter socket assemblies structured to provide a number of selected phase combinations among a number of meters. The invention also relates to meter socket assemblies for a meter center. The invention further relates to insulative support members for a meter socket assembly.
2. Background Information
Meter centers including a plurality of watt-hour meters are commonly used to measure electric power consumed by, for example, the various tenants of a multi-unit residential site (e.g., without limitation, an apartment building) or commercial site (e.g., without limitation, an office complex).
It is known to provide the same phase combination (e.g., phasings AB, BC or AC) for meter socket assemblies within multiple meter panel boards or load centers. This provides the same phase combination of meter sockets within meter centers having multiple meters. Each of the meter sockets plugs onto a corresponding meter socket assembly structure that accommodates two tenant buses and only two phase buses.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional meter center assembly 1, which generally consists of a cabinet 3 having an internal longitudinal wall 5 that divides the cabinet 3 into side-by-side meter and disconnect switch compartments 7,9. A plurality of plug-in, socket type watt-hour meters 11 are mounted within the meter compartment 7, one meter 11 for each tenant circuit which is to be metered. Thus, in the example of FIG. 1, the meter center 1 accommodates four tenant circuits each served by its own meter 11. Each tenant circuit is also provided with a disconnect switch 13 such as, for example, a circuit breaker, which is mounted within the disconnect switch compartment 9.
Electric power is provided to the meter center 1 by feeder buses 17 which are electrically connected to the utility lines (not shown) that supply power. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, three phase buses 17A,17B,17C and a neutral bus 17N extend horizontally through the cabinet 3 for electrical connection to the utility lines (not shown). A set of supply buses 27 extends vertically within the meter compartment 7 and electrically connects to the feeder buses 17. More specifically, the supply buses 27 generally comprise a pair of spaced apart bus bars 29R,29L, which are each electrically connected to one of the feeder buses 17A,17B,17C by one of the phase balancers 47A,47B. For example, the left supply bus 29L in the example of FIG. 2 is electrically connected to the phase A feeder bus 17A by phase balancer 47A, and the right supply bus 29R is electrically connected to the phase B feeder bus 17B by phase balancer 47B. Phase balancer 47A generally consists of a cylindrical sleeve 49 (shown in hidden line drawing) and bolt 51. Phase balancer 47B generally consists of a Z-shaped member 53 and bolts 55. Thus, the entire meter center 1 is configured in the same manner, in this case phase AB, although it will be appreciated that it could also be entirely phased AC (for feeder buses 17A and 17C) or BC (for feeder buses 17B and 17C).
It is also known to provide a meter center wherein different meters within the same cabinet are phased differently on two different phase combinations (e.g., on two of phase combinations AB, AC, and BC, such as AC and BC). One of the supply buses is divided in order to include a first section being in electrical communication with a first feeder bus (e.g., phase A) and a second section being in electrical communication with a second feeder bus (e.g., phase B) in order to provide a first number of the meter sockets with a first phase configuration (e.g., phasing AC) and a second number of the meter sockets with a different second phase configuration (e.g., phasing BC). A first phase connector (e.g., phase A) electrically interconnects the first section of the first supply bus with a corresponding feeder bus (e.g., phase A), a second phase connector (e.g., phase B) electrically interconnects the second section of the first supply bus with a corresponding feeder bus (e.g., phase B), and a third phase connector (e.g., phase C) electrically interconnects the second supply bus with a corresponding feeder bus (e.g., phase C).
Among other disadvantages, this makes phase balancing (i.e., distributing the electrical load) impossible among all three phase combinations in the same meter center.
There is, therefore, room for improvement in meter centers and in meter socket assemblies therefor.

Meter socket assembly employing phase balancing bus jumpers and meter center employing the same


A method for resuscitating a patient from cardiac arrest, comprising: (a) administering CPR, and (b) administering: i) an amount of one or more vasopressor agents, or one or more vasopressinergic agonists, or a combination thereof, sufficient to increase the patient""s arterial blood pressure; and ii) an amount of L-arginine, nitric oxide, a direct nitric oxide donor, or another nitric oxide donor, or a combination thereof, sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to the patient""s brain and heart, as well as kits and pharmaceutical compositions useful for practicing the method are described.

In the United States each year, more than 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest prior to arriving in the hospital. Even when patients are resuscitated initially, more than half die in the hospital within the first 24 hours. Eisenberg et al., NEJM 306, 1340 (1982). Despite more than three decades of the practice of manual external chest compression or standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation xe2x80x9cstandard CPRxe2x80x9d, together with epinephrine administration, less than 5% of patients who suffer a cardiac arrest survive. Niemann, NEJM, 327, 1075 (1992). Though time to initiation of standard CPR is a critical factor in determining outcome, the inherent limitations of manual external chest compression are perhaps an even greater reason for the poor survival statistics. In light of the tremendous amount of time, money and energy involved in basic CPR performance and training, these statistics become even more disheartening. Although pharmacologic therapy, specifically intravenous epinephrine and antiarrhythmic therapies, have served to improve outcomes in some patients, the role of vasopressor agents during CPR remains controversial. Stiell et al., NEJM, 327, 1045 (1992).
Over the past 35 years since standard manual external chest compression was described, there have been a number of advances in the mechanical means available to improve overall cardiopulmonary resuscitation (xe2x80x9cCPRxe2x80x9d) efficacy. Based on the assumption that increases in intrathoracic pressures will increase cardiac output during ventricular fibrillation, techniques such as the circumferential vest and active compression and decompression (ACD CPR) have been developed. Lurie, Resuscitation, 28, 115 (1994). In an effort to enhance filling of the coronary arteries and enhance venous return during the diastolic or decompression phase of CPR, techniques such as interposed abdominal counterpulsion CPR and use of a rapidly inflating and deflating intra-aortic balloon pump, as well as ACD CPR have been used. Sack et al., JAMA, 267, 379 (1992).
In addition to the research conducted on mechanical means to improve the efficacy of CPR, there has been a renewed interest in developing pharmacological therapies to improve the vital organ blood flow and overall survival of patients who have suffered a cardiac arrest. Such therapies typically include the intravenous administration of epinephrine during the performance of CPR. Epinephrine is an arterial constrictor, and its use is intended to enhance patient blood pressure during the resuscitation process. Even with epinephrine, however, survival after cardiac arrest is poor. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated no added benefit from doses of epinephrine higher than the traditional dose. Stiell et al., cited supra. Other recent studies also show no benefit of high or low dose epinephrine with placebo. (Woodhouse et al., Resuscitation, 30, 243 (1995).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,422, issued Dec. 31, 1996, discloses a method for resuscitating a patient from cardiac arrest, comprising actively inducing venous blood transport into the heart and arterial blood transport from the heart; ventilating the patient""s lungs; administering to the patient concurrently with said inducing and ventilating steps an arterial constrictor (epinephrine) sufficient to increase the patient""s arterial blood pressure, and an amount of a venodilator (nitroglycerin) sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to the patient""s brain and heart.
However, a continuing need exists for improved methods and pharmaceutical compositions for use during CPR, which result in enhanced long term survival among at least certain populations of cardiac arrest patients. Such methods and compositions would preferably enhance blood circulation and delivery of oxygenated blood to patient tissue, particularly heart and/or brain tissue, without significantly lessening patient blood pressure.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the administration of L-arginine (which is known to be a substrate for nitric oxide synthase) in combination with the vasopressor epinephrine leads to superior vital organ blood flow during CPR when compared with conventional epinephrine therapy, or with the administration of epinephrine or epinephrine and vasopressin, in combination with nitroglycerin. An increase in both the total myocardial blood flow and the endocardial to epicardial perfusion ratio result. Thus, the present invention provides a method for resuscitating a patient from cardiac arrest, comprising: (a) administering CPR, and (b) administering: i) an amount of one or more vasopressor agents, or one or more vasopressinergic agonists, or a combination thereof, sufficient to increase the patient""s arterial blood pressure; and ii) an amount of L-arginine, nitric oxide, or a direct nitric oxide donor, or a combination thereof, sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to the patient""s brain and heart.
The invention also provides a kit for the treatment of cardiac arrest comprising packaging material containing: a) an amount of one or more vasopressor agents, or one or more vasopressinergic agonists, or a combination thereof, sufficient to increase a patient""s arterial blood pressure; b) an amount of L-arginine, nitric oxide, or a direct nitric oxide donor, or a combination thereof, sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to a patient""s brain and heart; and c) instruction means indicating that the compounds described in a) and b) are to be administered to a patient undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising: a) an amount of one or more vasopressor agents, or one or more vasopressinergic agonists, or a combination thereof, sufficient to increase arterial blood pressure; b) an amount of L-arginine, nitric oxide, or a nitric oxide donor, or a combination thereof, sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to the brain and heart; and c) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The invention also provides the use of a combination of: a) an amount of one or more vasopressor agents, or one or more vasopressinergic agonists, or a combination thereof, sufficient to increase a patient""s arterial blood pressure; and b) an amount of L-arginine, nitric oxide or a direct nitric oxide donor, or a combination thereof, sufficient to enhance arterial blood flow to a patient""s brain and heart; to prepare a medicament useful for enhansing the survival of a cardiac arrest patient.

Mechanical and pharmacologic therapies to treat cardiac arrest


The present disclosure shows a security lock arrangement for a covered access opening. It shows a cable seal lock body housed in the cavity of a housing that is welded to a structure defining a covered access. The cable of the cable seal lock passes through a latch for the access opening cover and through the lock body from which it cannot be removed without destruction of the cable. A new cable is usable with the lock body permanently mounted to the covered access opening structure.

This invention relates to cable seal locks. More particularly, it relates to cable seal locks having a body suitable for reuse.
Bulk and other storage and transportation compartments frequently require security mechanisms to preserve the integrity of the contents of the compartments. Often it is desirable to be aware of instances of unauthorized opening of or entry into such compartments. This is particularly true in those situations where theft or contamination of the contents of the compartments is otherwise difficult to ascertain. Such situations exist, for example, where the contents of the compartment is in bulk or infrequently inventoried, or where even small amounts of certain contaminants are unacceptable. Comprehensive testing for contaminants is usually impractical or prohibitively expensive.
Certain security devices, such as the ordinary padlock, usually do not provide an indicia of tampering. A successful thief or saboteur that defeats such a device can easily reaffix it or install a similar or duplicate device if the original was destroyed without leaving behind any indication of access.
Cable seal locks are security devices that can provide the sort of indication of unauthorized access that is often desirable. Cable seal locks are single use mechanisms. Each lock includes a body and a cable. Examples of such locks are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,222,776; 5,353,003 and 5,582,447. Often, one end of the cable is attached to the body.
Typically, the free end of the cable is inserted into a passage of the lock body mechanism that allows entry of the cable into the body in one direction but does not allow removal of the cable in the other direction without extreme force. In the case where one end of the cable is attached to the body of the lock, inserting the cable into the passage results in a loop of cable, which can be formed through a hasp or similar device near the access closure of the compartment to be secured, such that to gain access to the compartment through the access closure, the cable must be cut.
Another form of cable lock involves a cable that is not attached to the body but that includes an abutment or head opposite the free end of the cable that prevents the cable from passing through the lock body. In this situation the cable acts as a latch pin or deadbolt that can be threaded through the hasp or similar device on the closure member and through the lock body passage. The cables of this type of cable seal lock also must be destroyed by cutting to gain access to the compartment.
The lock body of a cable seal lock can be labeled, painted or serially numbered for additional security.
When creating a seal with the cable seal lock, the cable is advantageously passed through the lock body passage so that a maximum amount of cable is passed through the passage and therefore, once the cable is cut to remove the seal from the protected closure a minimum amount of cable remains attached to the lock body or head. This prevents the seal from being remade with the same cable, which would defeat the purpose of the cable seal lock, and also ensures a tight closure involving minimal slack of the cable and therefore minimal freedom of movement of the components of the closure mechanism. Because the seal cannot be remade with the same cable, broken cable or missing or mis-numbered security devices provide evidence of opening of the access closure and possible entry into the compartment.
Where authorized entry is required, the cable must be cut. Once cut, the cable seal lock and the severed cable, which now can be removed from the lock, are discarded. Thus, while security protocols involving cable seal locks advantageously provide indicia of possible unauthorized access or entry into storage or transportation compartments, they disadvantageously involve significant cost owing to the disposable nature of the cable seal lock security devices.


A quick connector formed of a housing having an internal bore receiving one end of a male connector with a radially enlarged annular flange. A retainer carried on the housing has a cylindrical sleeve disposed in the stepped bore in the housing. Pivotal tabs extend from the sleeve to fingers extending angularly inward into the bore to engage the annular flange and prevent axial disengagement of the male connector from the housing. Release members extend from each tab and are adapted for pivotal, radially outward movement causing like radially outward movement of the fingers to disengage the fingers from the annular flange and to allow separation of the male connector from the housing. Lock surfaces carried on the housing engage the release members during radially inward movement of the release members caused by an axial load on the male connector to resist axial separation of the housing and male connectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snap-fit or quick connectors and, more particularly, to quick connectors which are employed in fluid conduit systems to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the fluid conduits.
2. Description of the Art
Snap-fit or quick connectors have been found to be useful in a wide range of applications. In particular, they are frequently employed for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial applications. Such connectors have found general acceptance as they are typically capable of being closed in a single uniaxial movement which facilitates automated assembly, and entail simple designs which are relatively inexpensive to produce.
A further advantage of quick connect fittings is that they provide an effective seal for handling volatile or hazardous fluids, such as gasoline, while permitting ease of disassembly and reassembly during repair of a host system. Although tools are often required to effect release of quick connect fittings, squeeze-to-release designs provide for manual release of the fitting without the necessity of separate tools. Although representing an advancement in the art, such "squeeze-to-release" designs often have certain shortcomings.
In applications where hazardous material is to flow through a fitting, prevention of inadvertent release is of primary concern. Accordingly, relatively high axial pull-apart strength specifications are mandated. In order to comply with such specifications, manufacture's of prior art designs typically employed material with a relatively high characteristic flex modulus (such as glass filled Nylon 12) to prevent warping or deformation of abutting locking surfaces within the connector under axial loading conditions. Unfortunately, materials with increased flex modulus are inherently stiffer and can require substantially higher release forces. A related problem is found in that the stiffer material tolerates only relatively short radial displacement of the female connector abutment surface to effect release. This provides relatively little "purchase" (or degree of radial overlap) of the mating abutment surfaces in the engaged condition, thereby exacerbating potential pull apart problems.
Lastly, known prior art designs were prone to fatigue leading to failure after a relatively small number of engagement-disengagement cycles.
The squeeze-to-release quick connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,376, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, was designed to overcome these shortcomings. This connector has a pair of parallel arranged beam members, each affixed at one end to a retaining ring and at the other end to a mount located on the outside surface of the body portion of a female connector member. Two or more spaced detents extend inwardly from the retaining ring to capture an abutment surface of a male connector member to effect positive axial engagement between the female and male members. The beam members preferably extend axially a distance approximately equal to the characteristic inner diameter of the body portion of the female member.
The squeeze-to-release quick connector shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,946 is similar to the last described quick connector, but further includes a pair of axially extending fingers projecting from each detent toward the bore in the female connector part. The figures are engageable with the abutment on the male connector.
While such squeeze-to-release quick connectors exhibit high pull off forces, certain applications required even higher pull off forces. This led to the development of the squeeze-to-release quick connector with snap-in retainer shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,946. In this connector, a pair of receivers are formed on the female connector housing and receive deflectable latch arms formed on a retainer to releasibly couple the retainer to the housing. Thin tabs extend from a sleeve formed on the retainer to pressure receiving pads which are spaced apart and interconnected by arcuate shaped ring members. A finger extends angularly inward from each pad to engage the abutment on the male connector and to prevent axial disengagement of the male connector from the housing until the fingers are clear of abutment on the male connector displaced radially outward by inward pressure on the pads.
In certain applications, the open end of the quick connector housing is located in a relatively inaccessible position and is closely surrounded or immediately adjacent to other components which make the use of a separate tool to separate the fitting from the female connector or to simply grasp and squeeze the pressure pads on a squeeze-to-release type quick connector relatively difficult if not impossible due to the limited available space. Such limited space factors also make quick connecters with a push-to-release member on one of the connector components difficult to remove from the fitting.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a quick connector having easily operable means for effecting release of the retainer from the abutment on the male connector part for disengagement of the female and male connector parts. It would be desirable to provide such a quick connector which also has increased end form pull out force.


A polymer polyol composition comprising a continuous phase, a disperse phase within the continuous phase, and a dispersant to enhance the stability of the polymer polyol is disclosed. The dispersant is a grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersant comprised of a isocyanate vinyl monomer/ethylenically unsaturated monomer random copolymer and a polyoxyalkylene polyether, wherein the random copolymer and the polyoxyalkylene polyether are connected through at least one urethane graft site.. Methods of preparing the polymer polyol composition and the grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersant are provided. The polymer polyol compositions have low viscosities as well as high stability and may be prepared with high levels of dispersed vinyl polymer and high styrene:acrylonitrile ratios in the dispersed vinyl polymer. The polymer polyol compositions are useful for the preparation of polyurethanes, particularly polyurethane foams.

This invention relates to polymer polyol compositions useful as intermediates in the preparation of polyurethanes. More specifically, this invention pertains to polymer polyol compositions containing grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersants. The grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersants may be obtained by copolymerizing isocyanate vinyl monomers and acrylate monomers and then reacting the resulting copolymers with polyoxyalkylene polyols.
In one of its more specific aspects, this invention relates to the incorporation of grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersants into polymer polyol compositions for the purpose of improving the stability of the dispersed vinyl polymer particles contained in the polymer polyol compositions. The stabilized polymer polyol compositions have relatively low viscosity and small average particle size.
Polymer polyols containing vinyl polymer particles dispersed in a continuous polyoxyalkylene polyol phase are well known. Also well known is the tendency of polymer polyols to undergo phase separation if they are not stabilized. Hence, polymer polyols are commonly stabilized against phase separation by the addition of a polymeric dispersant during preparation of the dispersion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,153 teaches a dispersant formed by copolymerizing a vinyl-terminated polyol adduct with an ethylenically unsaturated monomer. A polymer polyol is then prepared by reacting an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, the dispersant, and a base polyol under free radical polymerization conditions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,390,645 and 4,460,715 teach the use of a preformed dispersant prepared by reacting an ethylenically unsaturated isocyanate with a polyoxyalkylene polyol using a very low NCO: active hydrogen molar ratio, and then copolymerizing the monovinyl adduct thus obtained with a styrene/acrylonitrile mixture.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,148,840 and 4,242,249 teach the use of certain preformed polymer polyols as suitable dispersant stabilizers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,327,005 and 4,334,049 teach that alkylene oxide adducts of styrene/allyl alcohol copolymers can be used as polymer polyol dispersants.
Although polymer polyols prepared by prior art methods have enjoyed widespread commercial use in the polyurethane industry due to the beneficial properties which they impart to polyurethane foams, the need for further improvement in certain properties of the available polymer polyols has been recognized. Improved stability is desirable since the time period during which a polymer polyol can be stored before significant settling of the dispersed vinyl polymer particles occurs would thereby be increased. In addition, lowering the viscosity of a polymer polyol composition would reduce the handling problems encountered during processing and use of the composition. Small particle size is also desirable since plugging and fouling of processing equipment would be minimized.
Polymer polyols are commonly prepared using a mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile to form the dispersed vinyl polymer particles. It is widely recognized that increasing the ratio of styrene to acrylonitrile is beneficial since the substitution of styrene for acrylonitrile helps prevent discoloration when the polyurethane is cured and also improves the flame retardant properties of polyurethane products. However, this substitution is typically difficult to accomplish since the stability of the polymer polyols decreases with increasing styrene to acrylonitrile ratios. Viscosity and particle size are also often adversely affected by high styrene content.
Increasing the concentration of vinyl polymer dispersed in a polymer polyol is acknowledged to result in certain improvements in polyurethane properties, most notably the load bearing properties. Furthermore, the production of a polymer polyol having a high vinyl polymer level is economically attractive since the resulting product can be readily diluted after preparation to a lower solids level with additional base polyol. Thus, a larger volume of polymer polyol containing a conventional amount of dispersed vinyl polymer can be produced using existing equipment. However, increasing the vinyl polymer content of a polymer polyol generally leads to increased viscosity and lower dispersion stability using prior art methods.
Clearly, there is a need for improved dispersants capable of providing stable, low viscosity polymer-polyol compositions especially when such compositions have high concentrations of dispersed solids or high styrene/acrylonitrile ratios.

Polymer polyol composition containing a grafted polyol-polyacrylate dispersant


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming two filters in a two-up configuration. The apparatus includes a feed wheel 18, an assembly wheel 20, a take-off wheel 22, and a flipping wheel 24. According to the method of the invention, tubes 10 are loaded from the feed wheel 18 to the assembly wheel 20 where one hollow end of the tubes is filled. The half-filled tubes 10′ are then transferred to take-off wheel 22 and then to a flipping wheel 24 where the tubes are flipped. The half-filled and flipped tubes 10″ are returned to vacant positions on the feed wheel and transferred back to the assembly wheel so that the remaining hollow ends can be filled. The filled tube 10′″ is transferred to a take-off wheel 22, where it is then removed from the take off wheel 22 using a stripper and/or additional wheels for further processing.

Cigarette filter rods have been processed in pairs in the so-called "two-up" filter rod configuration. According to this configuration, one solid filter plug is in the middle of a tube so that an empty space is created on either end of the filter tube. Each end is filled with a sequence of granular material, such as carbon and the like, and solid material, such as cellulose acetate fibers or fibers with flavorant. Upon completion a tobacco rod may be joined to each end of the filter tube, and the central solid filter may then be cut in half to form two cigarettes.
A separate assembly wheel may be arranged to fill each side of the tube. One end of the tube is filled on one assembly wheel by vertically depositing and/or inserting filter materials into the upwardly facing opening. The product is then transferred through a drum system or similar device to flip the tube along its longitudinal axis. The flipped tube, which has the filled end facing downward and the open end facing upward, is then placed on a second assembly wheel so that filter materials could be inserted or deposited into the open end.
U.S. application Ser. No. 11/268,291, which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches a method of filling the open ends of the filter tube, including filling one end of the tube, inverting the tube and filling the other end. The application describes a method which utilizes a rotating tube flute plate, a rotating bin of granular material, a plurality of vertically orientated fill tubes and second fill tubes, a rotating filter segment plate and second filter segment plate, and a plurality of rotating plungers, all of which collectively comprise an upper wheel assembly rotating about a central vertical axis. A substantially identical lower wheel assembly also rotates about the same central vertical axis. A first end of each filter tube is filled with solid and/or granular material on the upper wheel assembly. A conveyor system removes half-filled filter tubes from the upper wheel assembly, inverts the tubes and places them on the rotating tube flute plate of the lower wheel assembly. The other ends of the filter tubes are then filled with solid and/or granular material on the lower wheel assembly. It would be advantageous, however, if both sides of the fill tube could be filled using only one wheel assembly.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to develop a method that uses a single wheel assembly, as described herein below, to assemble components into both ends of a hollow tube having a solid center.

Double action filter assembly wheel with flipping wheel


A tool for targeting a message response. The tool monitors reactions of a user to message subject lines, message content, and social networks. The tool analyzes user interest data and calculates a user interest rating per keyword. Rated keywords are stored in association with the user. When a user drafts a message addressed to a recipient, the tool compares rated keywords within the recipient's log with the subject line and message content. The tool suggests an alternative subject line likely to elicit a faster and more detailed response from the recipient.

The present invention relates generally to electronic communications, and more particularly to monitoring user interest to suggest an alternative subject line.
The Internet is a global network of computers and networks joined together by gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from a protocol of a sending network to a protocol used by a receiving network. On the Internet, computers may communicate with other computers. Information travels between computers over the Internet through a variety of languages, commonly referred to as protocols. A set of protocols used on the Internet is called the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). When a user sends a message or retrieves information from another computer, the TCP/IP protocols make the transmission possible. At their most basic level, these protocols establish the rules for how information passes through the Internet.
The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. Consisting of millions of private and public networks of local to global scope, the Internet has enabled and accelerated new forms of human interactions through electronic messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. As the most rapidly adopted form of communication to date, electronic messaging is utilized in both personal and business environments. One example of electronic messaging is electronic mail (e-mail). E-mail is an extremely popular communication tool that allows people around the world send billions of messages every day. Users are able to share experiences, cultivate knowledge, and stay connected with family and friends. In the business environment, e-mail may be used to develop ideas, foster work relationships, collaborate globally, and keep employees at all levels of business informed.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention provides methods for the production of full-color, subpixellated organic electroluminescent (EL) devices. Substrates used in the methods of the invention for production of EL devices comprise wells wherein the walls of the wells do not require surface treatment prior to deposition of electroluminescent material. Also provided are EL devices produced by the methods described herein.

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising for display applications due to their high power-conversion efficiency and low processing costs. Such displays are especially promising for battery-powered, portable electronic devices, including cell-phones, personal digital assistants, handheld personal computers, and DVD players. These applications call for displays with high information content, full color, and fast video rate response time in addition to low power consumption.
Current research in the production of full-color OLEDs is directed toward the development of cost effective, high throughput processes for producing color pixels. For the manufacture of monochromatic displays, spin-coating processes have been widely adopted (see, e.g., David Braun and Alan J. Heeger, Appl. Phys. Letters 58, 1982 (1991)). However, manufacture of full-color displays requires certain modifications to procedures used in manufacture of monochromatic displays. For example, to make a display with full-color images, each display pixel is divided into three subpixels, each emitting one of the three primary display colors, red, green, and blue. This division of full-color pixels into three subpixels has resulted in a need to modify current processes for depositing different organic polymeric materials onto a single substrate during the manufacture of OLED displays.
One such process for depositing polymer layers on a substrate is ink-jetting (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0001050). In order to form an emitting layer with a uniform thickness, proper formulation of the ink and proper design and treatment of the substrate is generally required. However, it has proven quite challenging to properly design and treat substrates to form full-color displays while maintaining suitable device performance (such as efficiency and lifetime). For example, structures used for retaining polymer inks in the subpixels tend to reduce the aperture ratio of a display. In addition, methods used for surface treatment of subpixellated substrates prior to addition of polymer inks can damage the underlying active matrix substrate. Accordingly, there is a need for alternative methods for the cost effective production of full-color EL devices that do not deleteriously effect device performance.

Methods for producing full-color organic electroluminescent devices


A bottle for extemporaneous-preparation products includes: a tank for containing a first substantially liquid substance, which has at least a dispensing mouth; and a container for containing a second substantially powdery substance associable with the tank substantially in proximity of the dispensing mouth, the inner volume of the container being temporarily separated from the inner volume of the tank and arranged to communicate therewith for mixing the first and second substances to form a product. The container includes a blistered capsule having: a first foil substantially deformable and shaped to define a containment cavity of the second substance; and a second foil substantially breakable, which is associated with the first foil to close the containment cavity and is turned towards the dispensing mouth, wherein applying pressure on the first foil causes the breaking of the second foil for the outflow and mixing of the first and of second substances.

In the medicinal sector, in the pharmaceutical sector, in the cosmetic sector or in that of dietary supplements, extemporaneous-preparation products are known, i.e., products made up of the solution or of the mixing of at least two different substances, of which, e.g., one in the liquid state and the other in the powder state, which are kept separate the one from the other until the time of use.
For the packaging of extemporaneous-preparation products the use is known of bottles such as those described and illustrated in the patent document EP 0 963 325.
Such bottles are essentially made up of a tank which is closed on the bottom and which extends at the top in a neck, at the top of which is defined a dispensing mouth; inside the tank a first substance is contained, generally in the liquid state.
In the mouth of the tank is housed a container of a second substance which is made up of a hollow cylindrical body closed at the bottom by a breakable bottom and open at the top; the bottom of the container, as long as this remains intact, separates the second substance from the first.
Inside the container is inserted, sealed, a cutting member made up of a tubular body, the lower extremity of which is sectioned according to an oblique plane or which is bevel shaped and the upper extremity of which extends beyond the top opening of the container.
The cutting member is axially sliding with respect to the container between a non-interference configuration, wherein it is placed above the intact bottom of the container itself, and a cutting configuration, wherein, pushed towards the bottom of the container, it cuts this along the perimeter edge putting the container, thus opened, into communication with the tank.
The known bottles, furthermore, have a cover cap which is associated with the neck of the tank by means of a threaded coupling; the lower edge of the cap is temporarily secured, along a breakage line, to a seal ring secured to the neck of the tank and having a weakened axial line in correspondence to which it opens.
Finally, inside the cap, an annular relief is defined which, after the cap has been screwed onto the neck of the tank, couples with the upper edge of the container, which is elastically deformable in a centripetal direction, to form a single body piece with this.
At the time of using the product, the cap is screwed onto the neck of the tank to break the seal ring which detaches from this and opens. The screwing up of the cap causes the sliding of the cutting member inside the container until the bottom of the latter is cut; the second substance is then poured from the container into the tank, inside which it mixes with the first to form the product. To dispense the product thus formed, the cap has simply to be unscrewed to also remove, integral with this, the container and the cutting member opening the dispensing mouth of the tank.
These bottles of known type are not without drawbacks, among which should be recalled the fact that, though keeping the two substances separate until the preparation of the product, they do not permit completely isolating the one with respect to the other.
In particular, the vapours coming from the outside environment and/or those released by the liquid substance in the tank permeate, in part, inside the container where a powdery, often hygroscopic substance is generally present. Before the preparation of the product, when the two substances are still separated, the powdery substance absorbs the vapours released by the liquid substance impregnating itself with these and becoming dense in agglomerates. When, at the time of preparing the product, the container is opened and placed in communication with the tank, the agglomerates which have formed tend to remain inside the container and, even when they have been poured into the tank, they have difficulty in dissolving and dispersing themselves completely in the liquid substance.
The composition of the product thus formed does not correspond to that provided for it; in the event of the product being a drug or a medicinal, this causes an indeterminable alteration of the contents of its active ingredients and of the dosage established for it and, therefore, a disadvantageous modification of the therapy studied for a patient.
Such drawback is accentuated by the fact that the containers of known bottles are generally made of polymer materials which have a certain degree of permeability to vapours.
Permeability to vapours is further accentuated in correspondence to the bottom of the container which, being of a breakable type, generally has a reduced thickness and/or is fastened to the member of the container along weakened lines of even more reduced thickness.
To overcome such drawbacks at least in part, bottles are known like those illustrated in the documents EP 1 186 548 and EP 1 858 774, wherein the container containing the second substance defines an insulating interspace to hinder the transit of the vapours released by the liquid substance.
In any case, these bottles are not exempt from drawbacks either.
Recent studies have shown that the presence of an insulating interspace can only delay the diffusion of the vapours released by the liquid substance and, therefore, not prevent their absorption by the powdery substance and the formation of inconvenient agglomerates.

Bottle for extemporaneous preparation products, particularly medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic products


A filler pipe unit for the fuel tank of a motor vehicle includes a substantially rigid fuel inlet pipe having a first end connectable to the vehicle body and a second end for connection to the fuel tank. A vent pipe connected to the fuel inlet pipe between the said first and second ends and also intended to be connected to the fuel tank is formed integrally with the fuel inlet pipe. The unit includes a tank for collecting fuel vapors disposed close to the first end of the fuel inlet pipe and formed integrally therewith.

The present invention relates generally to fuel supply systems for motor vehicles.
More specifically, the invention concerns a filler pipe unit for the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, including a substantially rigid fuel inlet pipe having a first end attachable to the motor vehicle body and a second end for connection to the fuel tank, and a vent pipe integral with the fuel inlet pipe and joined thereto between the said first and second ends, and intended also to be connected to the fuel tank.
Known filler pipe units of the kind described above have the advantage that they facilitate the operations for installation in a motor vehicle as they are relatively rigid and require few fixing elements to hold them in position to define a predetermined path within the vehicle body. In accordance with regulations which limit maximum emissions of hydrocarbon gases into the environment, a chamber for collecting the fuel vapours is associated with these known units, which typically functions as an expansion vessel and an accumulator for the vapours. This chamber, which is manufactured separately from the filler pipe unit, must however be attached to the motor vehicle and this necessitates the definition of a zone within the motor vehicle for its anchorage together with associated connection elements, the presence of which means that installation of the fuel supply system takes longer and is generally more labourious.

Filler pipe unit for the fuel tank of a motor vehicle


A system including a tubing hanger running tool (THRT), including one or more stab connectors, and a planetary gear system, wherein the planetary gear system is configured to couple and uncouple the THRT from a first hydrocarbon extraction component.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In some drilling and production systems, hangers, such as a tubing hanger, may be used to suspend strings of tubing for various flows in and out of the well. Such hangers may be disposed within a wellhead that supports both the hanger and the string. For example, a tubing hanger may be lowered into a wellhead and supported there. To facilitate the running or lowering process, the tubing hanger may couple to a tubing hanger running tool (THRT). Once the tubing hanger has been lowered into a landed position within the wellhead by the THRT, the tubing hanger may then be mechanically locked into position. The THRT may then be disconnected from the tubing hanger and extracted from the wellhead.
Throughout the process of locking the hanger to the wellhead, down hole components may need to be activated and controlled to prevent any sudden pressure release from the well. This is achieved by controlling valves with hydraulic control lines that pass through the THRT and the tubing hanger. However, because the THRT rotatingly locks the hanger in place there is a break in the continuous control lines that prevents the control lines from rotating and breaking. Existing THRTs typically use a control line bushing that incorporates a series of seal galleries that maintain communication between control lines in the tubing hanger and control lines in the THRT, during rotation of the THRT. Unfortunately, as the THRT rotates the seals around the seal galleries may bunch and buckle.

Tubing hanger running tool system and method


The present invention generally relates to braking systems for all-terrain vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to hand and foot actuated braking control systems for all-terrain vehicles.

Generally, most all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) include front and rear braking assemblies positioned on the front and rear axles of the ATV to allow the rider to slow or stop the vehicle. Typical brake assemblies may include hydraulically actuated calipers, drums, or another suitable type of braking element. Most ATV's have a hand actuated lever positioned on the handlebar to control the front brake assembly. Similarly, most ATV's have a foot actuated lever positioned by a rider's foot to control the rear brake assembly. Typically, the front and rear brake assemblies operate independently, thereby requiring a rider to apply both the hand lever and the foot lever to actuate both front and rear brake assemblies simultaneously. Generally, weight transfer toward the front of the ATV during braking requires the rider to apply more pressure to the front brake assemblies and less to the rear brake assemblies to prevent rear wheel lock-up when stopping the ATV. Inexperienced riders may find this practice difficult.

Single apply hand and foot control braking system for an all-terrain vehicle