A garment hanger includes a crossbar member, a hook member coupled to the crossbar member, and three clamp members coupled to the crossbar member. One of the three clamp members is disposed in a central region of the crossbar member. Two of the three clamp members are substantially disposed on opposite ends of the crossbar member. The clamp members are used to engage and support a garment, such as a pair of pants. Together, these elements can be used to reduce the vertical dimension of the garment held by the garment hanger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clamp-type garment hangers.
2. State of the Art
Clamp-type garment hangers having two clamps are well-known for the suspension or hanging of garments such as pants, skirts, etc. The "pinch-type" clamp is a variety of clamp that has a pair of opposed jaw members between which a portion of the garment is secured. Provision is made for biasing the jaw members towards each other to create the clamping force necessary to retain a garment between inner surfaces of the jaw members. The jaw members are manipulated (typically by squeezing or pinching handles of the jaw members toward one another) to cause the jaw members to open to receive or release a garment. To further retain the garment between the inner surfaces of the members, the clamp or jaw members typically also include inner surface gripping elements or friction increasing surfaces.
While the known clamp-type hangers are useful in holding a variety of garments, long garments (such as pants) typically extend far below the garment hanger. This requires that a display rack that showcases such garments provide a large vertical dimension. The large vertical dimension limits the number of articles that can be made readily visible and presented to the customer for a given amount of wall space/display space. In addition, the large vertical dimension limits the suitability of the clamp-type hanger in space-limited environments such as shipping containers, cartons, and warehouses.
Thus, there remains a need in the art to provide an improved clamp-type garment hanger that enables a reduction in the vertical dimension of a garment held by the garment hanger.


A method of cleaning a computer mouse of the type having a ball that spins within a chamber in contact with two horizontal rollers in mutually perpendicular planes. The method includes removing the ball from the chamber, inserting the cylindrical end of a cleaning tool having a pile material thereon axially into the chamber, and moving the end of the tool axially to turn the rollers, and rotating the end the tool about its axis to rub the rollers. The tool of the present invention, which is adapted for use with the method of this invention, includes a cylindrical end having a diameter adapted to be inserted inside the chamber, and a pile covering on the cylindrical end projecting sufficiently from the surface of the end to frictionally engage the rollers so that axial movement of the tool end causes the rollers to turn and rotation of the tool end rubs the rollers.

A mouse is a widely used computer input device which comprises a ball that spins within a chamber in contact with two horizontal rollers in mutually perpendicular planes. The mouse is moved across the top of the desk, spinning the ball, which in turn causes the rollers to move, moving the cursor on the computer screen. With use the ball and the rollers get dirty, which results in slippage between the ball and rollers, so that the user cannot reliably position the cursor on the computer screen. This is extremely frustrating for the computer user, and can significantly impair productivity. The vast majority of users will eventually simply replace the mouse. A small number of more sophisticated users may attempt to clean the mouse, but this can be difficult and time consuming.
Some attempts have been made to provide a tool for cleaning a computer mouse, for example, Cox, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,310. However, the problems with existing methods and tools for cleaning a computer mouse are that they are not completely effective at cleaning the entire surface of the roller, and thus there is still slippage after cleaning. Moreover, the presently available methods and tools simply knock the lint, dust and debris from the rollers, leaving it in the chamber where it can reaccumulate on the roller and ball, or interfere with the sensors that measure and transmit the movement of the rollers to the computer. Moreover, the presently available methods and tools often rely upon volatile solvents, which is environmentally undesirable.
The method of the present invention provides a way of quickly and easily cleaning the rollers of a computer mouse of the type having a ball that spins within a chamber in contact with two horizontal rollers in mutually perpendicular planes. The method allows the entire surface of the rollers to be cleaned, and actually cleans both rollers simultaneously. Generally, the method of this invention comprises removing the ball from the chamber, inserting the cylindrical end of a cleaning tool having a pile material thereon axially into the chamber, and moving the end of the tool axially to turn the rollers, and rotating the end of the tool about its axis to rub the rollers. The pile material is preferably the hook portion of a hook and loop type fastening material. The cylindrical tip preferably has a diameter approximating the diameter of the ball, so that the surface of the tip firmly contacts the rollers.
The tool of the present invention is specifically adapted for cleaning a computer mouse in accordance with the method of this invention. Generally, the tool comprises a cylindrical end having a diameter adapted to be inserted inside the chamber, and a pile covering on the cylindrical end projecting sufficiently from the surface of the end to frictionally engage the rollers so that axial movement of the tool end causes the rollers to turn and rotation of the tool end rubs the rollers. The pile material is preferably the hook portion of a hook-and-loop type fastening material. The diameter of the end preferably has a diameter approximating the diameter of the ball so that the surface of end firmly contacts the rollers.
The method of this invention thus provides a quick, simple, and effective way of cleaning the rollers in a computer mouse. Thereby restoring reliable operation. The method removes accumulated lint, dust and debris from the rollers, increasing the time between cleanings, and reducing the chance that these particles will interfere with the operating of the mouse. The method employs a cleaning tool of simple and inexpensive construction. These and other features and advantages will be in part apparent, and in part pointed out hereinafter.

Cleaning tool for cleaning a computer mouse


A pin-less socket apparatus and manufacturing system for assembling a frozen confection using such socket apparatus including a socket for accepting a conical food product therein, the socket having a hook with one or more teeth located at an outer periphery of the socket, a hinge located on an outside of the socket, the hook movably attached to the socket via the hinge, a force mechanism for holding the hook in place against the socket. The force mechanism takes the form of either an annular spring or O-ring located around the socket and hook or a linear spring attached to the hook in a lever-type manner. The manufacturing system includes a coating area for coating a wafer cone with a moisture-resistant layer, a filling area having a filler for inserting a semi-frozen confection into the wafer cone, a cooling area for accepting the wafer cone with the semi-frozen confection and including a hardening tunnel for freezing the wafer cone and the semi-frozen confection, and a dipping area including more than one pin-less socket apparatus for accepting the wafer cone and moving the wafer cone through a dipping bin. Within the system, the coating, filling, cooling, and dipping areas may be on the same or separate assembly loops including the socket apparatus within one or more of such assembly loops.

In the art of manufacturing frozen confections such as ice cream cones, a moving assembly line is used to continuously process the confections. In the instance of ball-top ice cream cones, a wafer cone is provided by some means and manner into a fixed position on the assembly line. Often, hand placement of the wafer cones occurs by a human operator. Alternatively, the human operator may place stacked wafer cones within a de-stacking mechanism that assists in automating the initial phase of frozen confection manufacture. The wafer cones are commonly held within an upright position via some tray mechanism or truncated cone holder. The wafer cones are normally-coated on their interiors with a liquid chocolate in order to provide a moisture barrier from subsequent filling with a semi-frozen product—e.g., ice cream. The chocolate coating is typically sprayed from above into the upright wafer cones. Extrusion nozzles are used to fill each wafer cone with the semi-frozen product as the wafer cones move into selected placement along the assembly line. The wafer cone filled with dry-coated, semi-frozen product is then moved along the assembly line into a hardening chamber. Further downstream, a dry coating apparatus is placed above the assembly line for covering the semi-frozen product with ground nuts or similar edible material. Subsequently, the frozen confections are packaged into wrappers and boxed for shipment and sale to the ultimate end-user in a manner well known in the art.
While such manufacturing of frozen confections has existed for a long time in the art, there has been room for improvement. Such needs are clear when wastage is considered. Specifically, spraying of a vertically oriented wafer cone from above often leads to overspray and wastage of the chocolate liquid. Moreover, the chocolate liquid tends to pool at the bottom of the wafer cone, thus often requiring an excessive amount of spray to evenly coat the wafer cone's interior. As well, dry coating from above via sprinkling of nuts or other edible material often results in uneven coating and related wastage of such dry coating that does not readily stick to the semi-solid product. Due to food safety concerns, it is often not possible to reuse the chocolate liquid overspray or unapplied dry coating materials. Some efforts in the art have been made to alleviate the need to maintain the wafer cone within an upright position to thereby reduce such wastage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,223 shows one such example of an upright gripper.
There exist known efforts in the manufacture of ball-top cones to provide an assembly line with mechanisms that pivotably present the wafer cone in a movable position. Such mechanisms that hold the wafer cone in a moveable position are commonly referred to as grippers. In such movable position, the wafer cone may be presented along the assembly line in an inverted position and coated with a liquid chocolate spray from below. In order to overcome the undesirable effects of moisture migrating from a relatively moist ice cream material into a relatively dry cone, the frozen confection industry has provided a coating layer between the cone and ice cream to prevent migration of such moisture. The standard coating layer that has been used by the industry is a chocolate product that is vegetable oil based and thus provides a relatively water-impermeable moisture barrier. In manufacture of the ice cream product, the cone is coated by some form of spray applied to the interior of the cone prior to introduction of the ice cream in order to maintain the crispiness of the cone.
Spraying the liquid chocolate from below allows the spray to be forced well into the cone whereby gravity provides for a secondary movement of the spray down the interior of the cone towards the rim. The movable cone may then swivel into an upright position to be filled from above with the semi-frozen product. Thereafter, the movable cone may then again swivel to place the ball-top in a downward position such that the movable cone may be dipped into a bin or tray holding the dry coating of choice. The moveable cone would then continue along the assembly line to the hardening chamber and be packaged in a known manner as discussed above. There are commonly three different types of gripper mechanisms for pivotably presenting a wafer cone.
One such known example is a pin gripper that utilizes a skewer-type of arrangement including a pin used to puncture and hold the movable cone rotatably about the pin. While pin grippers positively hold the wafer cone, they suffer from drawbacks that include both increased cone breakage and creating two holes through the wafer. The holes in the wafer are also through the chocolate layer and underlying ice cream product. This often reduces product shelf life as the holes provide a path for moisture to migrate from the ice cream to the wafer and thereby soften or otherwise reduce the wafer crispness.
Another such example is a pin-less gripper with a positive opening that utilizes a relatively complex clamp and spring arrangement to hold the movable cone. The mechanical complexity involved in such an arrangement reduces access for cleaning surfaces and as such represents a food safety concern.
Another such example is a pin-less gripper with a passive opening shown by EP 0925721 which utilizes a pressure-fit arrangement to hold the movable cone. Such a passive manner of gripping does not provide a secure holding of the wafer or needs a strong pressure on the wafer that increases the level of breakage. This leads to premature release of the wafer cone and significant wastage problems.
None of such gripping arrangements provides the necessary holding power in contemporary high-speed assembly lines. Further, many such holding arrangements often lead to damaging effects on the cones and can lead to total wastage of a broken or otherwise unusable product. Still further, the known mechanisms are relatively complex and therefore tend to be mechanically unreliable and require much maintenance.


Systems and methods for managing bi-directional communication between an external device (ED) and an implantable medical device (IMD) are provided. The method comprises receiving an active ED configuration and a request for communications parameters to be used with the active ED configuration. The method further comprises identifying a pre-existing configuration, from a collection of pre-existing configurations that match the active ED configuration, the collection of pre-existing configurations having an associated collection of predefined parameter sets. The method further determines a resultant parameter set from the collection of predefined parameter sets based on the pre-existing configuration identified and returns the resultant parameter set in connection with the request, the resultant parameter set to be utilized by the ED for bi-directional communication with the IMD.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for bi-directional communication with an implantable medical device (IMD), and more particularly between an external device and an IMD.
An IMD is a medical device that is configured to be implanted within a patient anatomy and includes one or more electrodes that either receive or deliver voltage, current or other electromagnetic pulses (generally "energy") from or to an organ or tissue for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. In general, IMDs include a battery, a pulse generator and/or a microprocessor that is configured to perform diagnostic monitoring, manage communication with an external device, control patient therapy and the like. The components of the IMD are hermetically sealed within a metal housing (generally referred to as the "can").
IMDs are programmed by and transmit data to external devices controlled by physicians and/or the patient. The external devices communicate by forming wireless bi-directional communication links with the IMDs. Recently, it has been proposed to communicate with IMDs using commercial protocols, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which are compatible with commercial wireless devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, and the like. It has been proposed to enable numerous types of mobile devices to communicate wirelessly with IMDs through software applications loaded on the mobile devices. For example, an application may be offered online for download to a smart-phone, tablet device or other portable device, where the application enables the mobile device to communicate with one or more types of IMDs. Once the application is downloaded, the communications protocol (e.g., BLE) requires fine tuning with different parameter values for each type of mobile device. However, a challenge that remains for recent proposals is to accommodate a large number of mobile device configurations and find preferred BLE parameters for a large number of mobile device configurations.

Method and system for managing communication between external and implantable devices


A self-adjusting hold-off trigger circuit and method detects a threshold crossing between consecutive samples of a digitized input signal as edge events, identifies the crossing as a qualified trigger event if the crossing is in a desired direction based upon trigger criteria, and provides a trigger output when the qualified trigger event occurs greater than an approximate average or peak time after a preceding edge event.

The present invention relates to acquisition of an input signal, and more particularly to a self-adjusting hold-off trigger for an acquisition system which is based on approximate time between trigger level crossings by the input signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,804, issued to Dennis J. Weller on Jul. 4, 2006, discloses a digital trigger circuit having an input filter for producing low and high frequency rejection trigger signals, as well as AC and DC trigger signals, derived from a digitized input signal. One of the four trigger signals is selected by a multiplexer and input to a trigger comparator having an upper trigger level and a lower trigger level to provide a desired amount of hysteresis, one trigger level being a desired trigger level and the other being a hysteresis level.
The hysteresis in the trigger comparator provides a noise rejection function. Low levels of noise are ignored. For rising edge trigger events, without hysteresis the noise may cause the falling edge of the digitized input signal to be detected as a rising edge. As shown in FIG. 1 a rising edge is detected on the transition from point A to point B. Without hysteresis other rising edges are detected on the transitions from point C to point D and again from point K to point L. A measurement instrument operator, attempting to trigger on rising edges, gets annoyed when the measurement instrument triggers on the transition from point K to point L, since this is clearly part of an overall falling edge. When the horizontal display scale is such that points J, K, L and M all occur within the same display column, the presence of a rising edge is not visible, and it appears that the acquisition system trigger circuit is malfunctioning. By adding hysteresis in the trigger comparator, as shown, the trigger circuit no longer triggers on the transition from point K to point L. A rising trigger edge only happens after the signal has passed below the hysteresis level and then passes above the desired trigger level.
Unfortunately a trigger comparator with hysteresis waits until the input trigger signal has passed above or below both levels (depending upon whether triggering is on the rising or falling edge of a signal) so that it doesn't mistakenly trigger on noise. When a state machine, which generates a trigger from the output of the trigger comparator, is set up for pulse width triggering, this may result in an error since the measured width from above the high level to below the low level may not accurately reflect the pulse width at the desired trigger level. Also rising edge trigger events stop occurring when the trigger level is near the minimum peak value for the digitized input signal, and falling edge trigger events stop occurring when the trigger level is near the maximum peak value for the digitized input signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,193, issued to Genichiro Ohta on Sep. 13, 1988 shows an analog circuit for triggering on a maximum length pulse within an input signal. As shown in FIG. 2 of the '193 patent, an input digital signal (a) produces a ramp signal (b) for each pulse, the height of the ramp being a function of the width of the pulse. A capacitor is charged, as shown by signal (c), and enables a sweep (I) that starts at the conclusion of the longest pulse. In this way the measuring instrument triggers on a non-signal interval indicated by the longest pulse width. This trigger circuit operates on a peak detection basis, i.e., triggering on the highest peak of the ramp signal (b).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,784, issued to Theodore G. Nelson, et al on Jun. 29, 1993, shows a circuit for triggering an acquisition system only once during a period of an input signal. A first trigger comparator detects qualifying trigger events in an input signal using a first reference trigger level, which qualifying trigger events charge a capacitor. A second trigger comparator compares the voltage on the capacitor with a second reference trigger level, and produces a pulse if the capacitor voltage has a predetermined relationship to the second reference trigger level. Subsequent trigger events which occur before a predetermined period of time, determined by an RC time constant, are unable to produce another trigger event.
The above-discussed patents are analog trigger circuit implementations. With the current digital storage oscilloscopes digital trigger circuit implementations are generally desired. Also these patents do not consider measuring an average duration between threshold crossings and then triggering only when a potential trigger event is preceded by a time related to the average duration.
What is desired is a self-adjusting hold-off trigger that uses an approximate time based upon average or peak time or duration between a qualified trigger event and a preceding edge event.


A multiple element printer including a printhead arranged with N of printing elements for printing dots on a surface of a receiving medium at intervals of k dots where k and N are positive integers mutually prime with each other, in a direction of feeding the receiving medium, first driving device for driving the receiving medium in the direction of feeding the receiving medium, second driving device for scanning the printhead in a direction of print lines orthogonal to the direction of feeding the receiving medium, data forming device for outputting previously stored information data for printing the information data onto a surface of the receiving medium, printing element drive signal forming device for outputting to the printhead printing element drive signals for driving the respective printing elements based on the information data such that a 1.sup.st one of the printing elements and an Nth one of the printing elements alternately printing the dots at odd ordinal numbers and the dots at even ordinal numbers on substantially the same print lines and controlling device for controlling the first driving device such that the receiving medium is moved by a distance of P dots where N=P+1 at every printing and scanning of the printhead in the direction of the print lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple element printer which prints by moving a printhead having a plurality of printing elements, a receiving medium in a main scan direction and moving in a sub scan direction, and a method of adjusting a multiple element printer.
Further, the present invention relates to a multiple element printer realizing high print density by controlling an image printing operation of a plurality of printheads which each include a plurality of printing elements.
2. Discussion of Background
According to a print device which operates by relatively moving a printhead and a receiving medium, feed accuracy of the receiving medium and positional accuracy of a plurality of printing elements arranged at the printhead are significant factors affecting quality.
According to such a printhead, although excellent image quality can be obtained by densely arranging the printing elements, the high density formation of the printing elements is actually limited. Hence, the high density formation is realized by arranging a plurality of printing elements at intervals of a printing resolution multiplied by an integer in a direction of feeding a receiving medium (referred to as sub scan direction) and scanning multiple times in a direction of moving the printhead (referred to as main scan direction) and feeding the receiving medium in the sub scan direction by a unit of a minimum resolution. FIG. 19 is an explanatory view illustrating the arrangement of printing elements and the printing operation of a conventional printhead with an example of an interval between the printing elements being k=4 (dots) and a number of the printing elements being n=5. The receiving medium is fed by 1 dot in the sub scan direction at every scanning of the printhead in the main scan direction. In the case of this example, printed dots are formed at an interval of a unit of a minimum resolution, that is, at an interval of 1 dot by 4 times of the main scanning (t=4). When the 4-th main scanning (t=4) has been finished, the receiving medium is fed by {(n-1)k+1} dots in the sub scan direction (t=5) and feeding operation of the printhead in the sub scan direction by 1 dot, that is, the operation of the t=1 through t=4 is repeated thereby achieving high density printing.
However, there actually is a very small dispersion in print positions of the respective printing elements in the sub scan direction. The dispersion is caused by a deviation in arrangement of the printing elements per se or is caused by a deviation in forming dots on the receiving medium. The deviation in the print position is significantly manifested at portions of continuous print regions by one printing element coupled with portions of continuous print regions by other printing element whereby the image quality may be deteriorated. Further, in respect of the amount of feed in the sub scan direction, the amount of feed by 1 dot and the amount of feed by {(n-1)k+1} dots are mixed. The feed accuracy of the receiving medium is dispersed depending on the amount of feed in the sub scan direction and therefore, when the amounts of feed in the sub scan direction of two kinds or more are mixed, the difference in the accuracy may deteriorate the image quality.
Hence, there has been proposed an interlace printing method to reduce such a dispersion of printing elements and the difference in the feed accuracy. An interlace printing method is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,642. The interlace printing method is a method where a relationship between an interval k of printing elements and a number thereof is specified and a receiving medium is fed in the sub scan direction by a constant pitch. As conditions of this case, k and n are mutually prime with each other and the feed pitch is set to n by which the interlace printing can be realized. FIG. 20 is an explanatory view for explaining the interlace printing method where the interval between printing elements is set as k=4, the number thereof is set as n=5 and the feed pitch of paper in the sub scan direction is set as n=5. In FIG. 20, notation L designates a print line and the effective interlace printing is conducted at a 4-th main scanning (t=4), that is, a 13-th print line and thereafter.
By adopting the above-described printing method, the printing elements printing contiguous lines are made to differ from each other whereby a disturbance in image quality derived from the positional dispersion of the printing elements is diminished and the deviation in the feed accuracy of a total of a print region is made uniform. However, it is quite difficult to ensure the feed accuracy of the receiving medium and even if the interlace printing is carried out, the image quality may be deteriorated depending on the moving accuracy. FIG. 21 is an explanatory view for explaining problems in the conventional interlace printing method. FIG. 21 shows a case where the interlace printing is carried out using a printhead conducting the operation illustrated by FIG. 20 and is an example where a resolution of a drive source such as a motor or the like is poor; and therefore, the feed accuracy of the receiving medium is low. When an error of (-.alpha.) is caused with respect to n dots of the feed amount of a receiving medium, the amount of feed at one time is shortened. Although firstly interlaced print lines of 8 lines are completed at a 4-th main scan (t=4), a gap is actually caused between a 16-th line and a 17-th line which constitutes a streak and deteriorates the image quality. Thereafter, the streaks emerge at every 5 lines. Although the error of the feed amount in the negative direction has been described in the above example, the streaks are also manifested in the case where the error is caused in the positive direction.
The same phenomenon is caused also with respect to the accuracy of attaching the printhead. When the printhead is attached with a certain inclination with respect to the sub scan direction, the actual interval between printing elements in the sub scan direction is contracted in respect of the feed amount of receiving medium. Accordingly, as a result, the phenomenon similar to that where the error of the positive direction is caused in the feed accuracy of the receiving medium, which also appears in images as streaks.
The conventional multiple element printers are constructed as described above and therefore, even if the interlace printing is carried out, when the resolution of the drive source such as a motor or the like is poor and therefore, the feed accuracy of the receiving medium is low, or the attachment accuracy of the printhead is poor, streaks occur in printed images to diminish image quality.
According to the above-described conventional multiple element printers, the high density printing system or the interlace printing system is conducted by adopting the plural time scanning and the feed by a unit of a minimum resolution. Therefore, a very fine deviation in the print position in the sub scan direction of the printing element (that is caused by a dispersion in the characteristic of the printing elements, a deviation in arrangement of the printing elements, a deviation in printing dots on the receiving medium, or the like) or a deviation in feed accuracy of the receiving medium (that is caused by the mixed feed amounts of two kinds or more in the sub scan direction) which is significantly manifested at coupled portions of continuous print regions of the printing elements, deteriorates the image quality. Further, even with the interlace printing system as a measure for such drawbacks, an increase in the number of the printing elements determining the printing speed, which is derived from the high density of the printing elements or an increase in the length of the printhead, increases the dispersion of the characteristic of the printing elements, deteriorates the yield of the printhead per se and increases the cost of the device.

Multiple element printer and method of adjusting thereof


In measuring, cutting, and marking tool incorporating a tape measure having a case with a holder for a marking or cutting device integrally formed thereon. The tool provides reduced friction for marking and cutting tasks involving sliding of the tool. Friction reducing elements are provided on the case, e.g. slide pads or rollers. An end clip on the tape has friction reducing means involving beveled edges, angled wings, or rollers for reduced friction. An intermediary sliding handle between the end of the tape and the case and having reduced friction means and a gripping element is provided. A sharpening device for the marking or cutting tool is integrated in the case.

Many measuring, marking, and cutting tasks in the building trades and related fields are characterized by somewhat incompatible goals. The tradesman would like to do his measuring and cutting accurately but he is also concerned with the efficiency of his work including speed, simplicity, and comfort. This is especially true when the tradesman needs to carry out a series of repetitive tasks involving measuring, such as: preparing pickets for a fence, setting up slots for a porch rail, installing studs, and marking and cutting floor and sealing joists and rafters. Such tasks also include marking off sections of plaster board, panel, other wall board, and cardboard, and cutting these materials. Such tasks might also involve marking off metal sections for cutting.
Various complex jigs have been created to mark and cut under such circumstances. Furthermore a number of built-in or retro-fit constructions have been developed for association with tape measuring devices to carry out the simultaneous measuring and marking of a workpiece. These devices are used to make a mark on a workpiece at a given length by attaching the marking device to the case of the tape measure and creating the mark by moving the case back and forth.
There are a number of disadvantages to this later approach. Under some circumstances the friction of the tape measure body or the tape itself on the workpiece causes a jerky movement during the marking which can result in inaccuracies. If the device is being used for cutting soft materials such as plaster board or cardboard, one or more measured marks must be made and then the mark must be extended by the use of a square or the like. Only then can the cut be made. Similarly, if a long mark or cut must be made, then numerous marks must first be made and then joined by the edge of a long straightedge. If a cut must be made, this involves a separate step. In all of the above cases, several tools must be used, or several steps carried out, or both.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art have been obviated in a novel and unobvious manner by the present invention. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide for accurate measuring, marking, and cutting of workpieces using a single assembly.
It is another object of the invention to provide a measuring tool adapted to make long marks or cuts parallel to an edge.
A further object of the invention is to provide a measuring tool adapted to mark or cut circles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a measuring tool with which accurate marks and accurate cuts may be made using the same device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a measuring, marking, and cutting tool which has an aesthetically pleasing visual effect, both as a whole and in each of its main component parts.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a tool as described above which is inexpensive to make and simple to use and which will provide a long useful life with minimum maintenance.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification, illustrated in the drawings, and covered by the claims appended to this specification.


The present invention provides a humanized anti-HMGB1 antibody which specifically binds to a sequence consisting of the C-terminal 8 amino acid residues (EEEDDDDE) of HMGB1 protein and is effective for treatment or prevention of various inflammatory diseases related to this protein, as well as an antigen-binding fragment thereof. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising such an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.

HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1) is a protein which has recently been rediscovered as an early or late inflammatory mediator distinct from the previously identified inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor and various interleukins) in diseases such as cerebral infarction, cerebral vasospasm, brain trauma, atherosclerosis, traumatic brain damage, sepsis, neuropathic pain and various types of arthritis, for which no therapeutic method has yet been sufficiently established; and HMGB1 is now receiving great attention because it can serve as a target of therapeutic and/or prophylactic methods for these diseases (Non-patent Document 1).
HMGB1 was discovered about 40 years ago as a protein showing high mobility during electrophoresis, which is among the non-histone proteins ubiquitously present in the cell nuclei of eukaryotic organisms and bound to chromatin. At first, this protein was referred to as HMG1 (high mobility group 1) as a member belonging to the high mobility group (HMG) protein family and was considered to play important roles in chromatin structure maintenance, transcriptional activity regulation and DNA repair, etc. Thereafter, it was rediscovered as a membrane binding protein (amphoterin) and further rediscovered again as an inflammatory mediator involved in various inflammatory diseases. In 2001, HMG1 was renamed HMGB1 as a result of reconsidering the nomenclature of the high mobility protein family.
HMGB1 protein is a 25 kDa protein composed of 215 amino acids rich in lysine residues and has an amino acid sequence which is very highly conserved among mammals. Its structure is composed of three domains, i.e., two DNA-binding domains called A-box (or box-A) and B-box (or box-B), and a carboxyl-terminal domain consisting only of aspartic acid and glutamic acid residues (also referred to as the C-terminal domain or acidic tail). The A-box and B-box are each composed of about 80 highly conserved amino acid residues, and are strongly positively charged. The B-box has a TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4)-binding domain and a RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products)-binding domain. Upon binding to TLR4, HMGB1 induces the secretion of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages/monocytes. Upon binding to RAGE, HMGB1 induces the growth, differentiation and migration of endothelial cells and other somatic cells (including tumor cells) and the expression of their cell surface proteins. The third domain, i.e., the carboxyl-terminal end has a structure consisting of a 30 amino acid sequence composed only of aspartic acid and glutamic acid residues and is excessively negatively charged. The amino acid sequence of this C-terminal segment is also known to be highly conserved among mammals, only with a few differences.
The HMGB1 protein was considered at first to have the functions of chromatin structure maintenance, transcriptional activity regulation, DNA repair and so on. However, particularly after 1999 when the HMGB1 protein was rediscovered as a late inflammatory mediator in sepsis by the research group of Tracey et al., discoveries have been made one after another, showing that the HMGB1 protein plays important roles in inflammatory cytokine cascades in various diseases. HMGB1 is not only localized in the nuclei of cells, but also migrates from the nuclei to the cytoplasm upon activation of macrophages and/or various cells of the immune system and is thereby secreted into the extracellular environment (active secretion). Alternatively, it has been elucidated that HMGB1 localized in the nuclei is rapidly released upon ischemia- or damage-induced cell necrosis or apoptosis (passive release). In recent years, HMGB1 or heat shock protein (HSP) or the like has been regarded as one of the endogenous damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which are released from damaged cells resulting from non-microbial causes (e.g., ischemia, trauma and the like). On the other hand, bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) and the like are referred to as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which include various products of microbial origin. Receptors that recognize and respond to the latter patterns both on the cell surface and in the cytoplasm are referred to as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), and their representative families include Toll-like receptors (TLRs). However, some members of the TLR family, particularly TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 recognize and activate the above DAMPs. In particular, HMGB1 is known to activate TLR4 signaling and other events to induce inflammatory response, thereby resulting in enhanced TNFα secretion, etc. Moreover, as to RAGE, which is one of the HMGB1 receptors, it has been shown that RAGE-mediated transmission of inflammatory information plays an important role in amplification of this HMGB1-induced inflammatory response in diseases such as ischemia-induced brain disorder (Non-patent Document 2) and sepsis associated with bacterial infection (Non-patent Document 3), as a result of studies using RAGE knockout animals and/or studies using inhibitory peptides or specific antibodies against binding between RAGE and HMGB1. Namely, HMGB1 released into the extracellular environment acts as a strong inflammatory mediator via TLR4 or RAGE, etc., to further stimulate previously known inflammatory immune responses, so that HMGB1 may also be responsible for causing various serious diseases.
These diseases in which HMGB1 is involved (HMGB1-related diseases) are divided into two major groups, i.e., a group of diseases (e.g., septic shock) showing the extracellular secretion of HMGB1 resulting from microbial infection-induced immune responses, and a group of diseases (e.g., cerebral infarction) showing the extracellular release of HMGB1 caused by cell injury due to non-microbial causes. In the former group, TLR4 activation is induced, for example, by the action of bacterial components (e.g., bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs)) produced upon infection. In response to this activation, monocytes, macrophages and other cells cause active secretion of HMGB1, which in turn acts as a late inflammatory mediator. HMGB1-related diseases in this context include sepsis, arthritis, atherosclerosis, various infections, and various immune diseases, etc. The latter group corresponds to cases where upon ischemia- or trauma-induced cell necrosis, HMGB1 having been localized in the nuclei is rapidly released into the extracellular environment within several hours (passive release) and thereby acts as an early inflammatory mediator to induce production of various inflammatory cytokines. Relevant diseases include cerebral infarction, traumatic brain injury, diseases due to ischemia during organ transplantation, myocardial infarction and so on.
In recent years, as to therapeutic or prophylactic methods for HMGB1-related diseases, reports have been made on studies searching for methods using an antibody against HMGB1 (Patent Documents 1, 2, 4 and 5), methods using a partial fragment of HMGB1 protein as an antagonist (Patent Documents 2 and 3), methods using an inhibitory compound against HMGB1 secretion (Non-patent Document 4) and so on. In particular, therapeutic methods using an antibody against HMGB1 in an animal model have been reported for the possibility of their application to sepsis (Patent Documents 1, 4 and 5), acute lung injury (Non-patent Document 5), connective tissue injury due to heat burn (Patent Document 2), arthritis (Patent Documents 4 and 5 and Non-patent Document 6), cerebral ischemia (Non-patent Document 7), amyloidosis (Patent Document 6), hepatopathy during intraportal islet transplantation (Non-patent Document 8) and neuropathic pain (Non-patent Document 9), etc. However, all of these studies have just been started as studies of therapeutic and prophylactic agents.
Under these circumstances, we have shown that rat-derived anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody is effective in animal models of cerebral infarction (Patent Document 8, Non-patent Documents 10 and 11), cerebral vasospasm (Patent Document 9), atherosclerosis (Patent Document 10 and Non-patent Document 12), traumatic brain damage (Patent Document 11 and Non-patent Document 13) and neuropathic pain (Non-patent Document 9). However, such a rat-derived antibody has a problem of immunogenicity and is difficult to use in humans.

Humanized anti-HMGB1 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY


The invention provides an allergy prevention method or treatment method, diets and oral drugs enabling prevention/treatment of allergic symptoms without trouble such as systemic adverse reaction, immune deficiency and the like caused by transdermal/intravenous administration of TGF-β. The allergy prevention method or treatment method is to orally administer 100 μg/kg or more of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) relative to a weight of an administration target body and thereby selectively suppress Th2 immune response, while with respect to the diets and oral drugs, the content is set to contain an effective amount of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an allergy prevention method or treatment method, diet and oral drug, and more particularly, to an allergy prevention method or treatment method, diet and oral drug that modify immune response different from that of transdermal/intravenous administration by oral administration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is one of bioactive cytokines, identified during the 1980s, contained abundantly in human milk, and a multifunctional cytokine that regulates cell growth, survival and differentiation, which is disclosed in "Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in human milk", Clin Exp Immunol Vol. 94 (1): 220-224, 1993 Oct.
TGF-β is considered an essential molecule in survival of living being, because the gene arrangement is conserved with excellence in fly, frog, mouse, human and the like, a TGF-β receptor exits in almost all the cells in the body, and mice with artificially lacked TGF-β (gene knockout mice) die during a fetal period.
From previous epidemiological studies, it is reported that an amount of TGF-β taken from human milk is inversely proportional to a rate of crisis of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis during infancy (see "TGF-β in human milk is associated with wheeze in infancy", J Allergy Clin Immunol Vol. 112 (4): 723-728, 2003 Oct.), and that the rate of crisis of allergic diseases of infants decreases when mothers take probiotics during pregnant and lactation, where the result is associated with the amount of TGF-β in human milk.
Further, for the purpose of prevention and treatment of diseases, studies of TGF-β transdermal/intravenous administration have been performed on various zoonoses mice. There are also examples that clinical tests are actually performed for the purpose of prevention and treatment of human diseases.
However, disease prevention/treatment effects of TGF-β transdermal/intravenous administration have not been determined, and there remain many issues to overcome by practical use as a drug, such as weakness of the action to diseases, systemic adverse reaction provoked by administration of TGF-β and the like.
Allergic diseases such as pollinosis, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and the like grow year after year, and are becoming a social issue.
In recent years, the food allergy has also surged mainly among infants. They develop eczema and/or hives by intake of an allergy causal substance contained in a diet, and in the serious case, may die by anaphylactic shock. Causal substances of the food allergy depend on individuals, but are usually familiar foods such as milk, egg, wheat, rice, buckwheat noodle, seafood and the like. It is difficult to manage to live while completely keeping away from the allergy causal substances in modern society.
The inventor of the present invention noted the report (see "TGF-β in human milk is associated with wheeze in infancy", J Allergy Clin Immunol Vol. 112 (4): 723-728, 2003 Oct.) that the intake of TGF-β from human milk is inversely proportional to the number of crises of asthma of infants, and proceeded with empirical researches to prevent and/or treat food allergic diseases by oral administration of TGF-β.
It has conventionally been considered that orally taken protein molecules are decomposed in gastrointestine and do not exert the action systemically, and sufficient verification has not been performed also on TGF-β. The inventor of the invention found that as a result of verification of effects of TGF-β oral administration on the immune system using model animals, when high-dose TGF-β is orally administered, TGF-β is not decomposed, and modifies immune response in a manner specific to oral administration different from that in conventional transdermal/intravenous administration.
In the case of conventional transdermal/intravenous administration, while Th2 immune response (production of IgE antibody and the like) involved in the allergy reaction is suppressed, Th1 immune response to the cancer and infection (cell immunity such as the defense reaction to cancer cells and pathogens) is also suppressed. The immune response is thus totally suppressed by administration of TGF-β, and there is the risk of immune deficiency.
The inventor verified the effects exerted on the systemic immune system by orally administering TGF-β to food allergy model mice. In the stage prior to verification, it was expected that TGF-β, protein molecule, is decomposed in gastrointestine, and does not exhibit the immune suppression effect as in transdermal/intravenous administration. However, actually, orally administered TGF-β selectively suppressed only Th2 immune response involved in the allergic reaction, while enhancing Th1 immune response to the cancer and infection, and thus exhibited the immune suppression effect different from that in transdermal/intravenous administration. Therefore, the inventor found that TGF-β is a protein molecule, but when orally administered, is not decomposed in gastrointestine, and that orally administered TGF-β modifies specific immune response, and reached completion of the invention.

Methods of treating allergies using TGF-β1 and allergens


A hard coating film to be applied to the surface of a tool, said hard coating film having a composition represented by the formula Al1-a-b-cSiaMgbMc(BxCyNz), where M denotes at least one species of elements selected from Nb, V, Zr, Cr, Ti, Cu, and Y, and a, b, c, x, y, and z represent atomic ratios such that 0≦a≦0.35, 0≦b≦0.2, 0.03≦a+b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.1, 0.9≦Al+Si+Mg, 0≦x≦0.2, 0≦y≦0.4, 0.5≦z≦1, and x+y+z=1. A tool coated with the hard coating film defined above. The hard coating film has excellent wear resistance owing to its improved hardness, oxidation resistance, and toughness. It is used for coating on a tool to improve wear resistance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hard film which covers the surface of a tool and a hard film-coated tool having said hard film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coating with a hard film of TiN, TiC, TiCN, TiAlN, or the like has been a common practice of improving the wear resistance of cutting tools, such as chips, drills, and end mills, and jigs, such as presses, forging dies, and punches, which are made of cemented carbide, cermet, high-speed cutting steel, or the like. Typical of such hard film is composite nitride film (TiAlN) composed of Ti and Al. Because of its excellent wear resistance, it is superseding conventional hard films of titanium carbide, nitride, or carbonitride mentioned above, and it is finding application to high-speed cutting tools and cutting tools for hard materials such as quenched steel.
Notable among the above-mentioned TiAlN coating films characterized by high hardness and excellent wear resistance is the one which has the crystalline structure of NaCl type and hence excels in oxidation resistance at high temperatures. (See Patent Document 1 below.)
There has also been proposed a new coating film with improved wear resistance which is composed of TiAlN and additional Cr, the latter contributing to the increased Al content and the increased hardness and oxidation resistance while retaining the rock salt crystalline structure (cubic crystal) for high hardness. (See Patent Document 2 below.) Other coating films proposed so far include the one composed of TiCrAlN and additional Si and B for improved oxidation resistance (see Patent Document 3 below) and the one composed of CrAlN and additional Nb, Si, and B for improved oxidation resistance (See Patent Document 4 below).
Patent Document 1:
                Japanese Patent No. 2644710 (Paragraphs 0011-0018)Patent Document 2:        Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-71610 (Paragraphs 0018-0023)Patent Document 3:        Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-71611 (Paragraphs 0023-0029)Patent Document 4:        International Publication No. 06/005217 (page 3, line 30, to page 9, line 31).


The present invention relates to compositions useful in the stimulation of hair growth. These compositions comprise a conditioned medium obtained from a cell culture of human mononuclear cells or a conditioned or extracted medium obtained from a cell culture of mammalian normal or transformed cells or cancer cells.

Physiology of Hair Growth. From early fetal development, and through the entire life of animals including humans, hair follicles (HFs) undergo many cycles of degeneration and regrowth. In human hair growth, during the neonatal period and throughout adolescence, HF on scalp progressively thicken because the follicles gradually enlarge with each new cycle (DeVillez R L: In: Current Concept, A Scope Publication, by the Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., 1986; pp. 4-27; Takashima I, Kawagihi I: In: Toda K, et al (eds): Biology and Disease of Hair. Baltimore, Univ. Park Press, 1976; pp. 457-471).
The HP is composed of many cell types, such as epidermal and mesenchymal cells. The mesenchymal cells are known to play a role as "inductive organizers" of both fetal and postnatal follicles (Chase H B. Physiol Rev. 1954; 34:113-126).
The follicular germ cells, which are the bulbar matrix cells, are responsible for the great mitotic proliferation in the HF. During development, the cells in the matrix proliferate with an upward migration and differentiation into hair matrix, inner sheath and outer sheath cells. The hair matrix group, located in the central axis of the HF, further differentiates into the cells forming the medulla, hair cortex, and hair cuticle. These cells show a continuous upward migration with keratinization of the cortical and cuticle cells which are essential for the manufacturing process of hair in a growing follicle (Chase H B. Physiol Rev. 1954; 34:113-126; Hashimoto K. Br J Dermatol 1970; 83:167-176).
Hair cycles are divided into three stages: 1) Anagen, which is the active growing phase of the HF cycle, 2) Catagen, a regressive stage, 3) Telogen, resting stage. (DeVillez R L: In: Current Concept, a Scope Publication by the Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., 1986; pp. 4-27.; Takashima I, Kawagishi I: In: Toda K, et al (eds): Biology and Desease of Hair. Baltimore, Univ. Park Press, 1976; pp. 457-471; Chase H B. Physiol Rev. 1954; 34:113-126; Kligman A M. J Invest Dermatol 1959; 33:307-316.) The relative duration of these stages varies with the individuals' age, hormonal factors, nutritional and health status, as well as genetics. Growth factors responsible for the stimulation of hair growth have not yet been elucidated.
Of the 100,000 to 150,000 scalp hairs on a human adult, approximately 90% are in anagen, with the remaining 10% in the telogen phase. Approximately 50 to 100 clubbed hairs are shed each day. The growth rates of human hairs vary slightly depending on the body region, with 0.44 mm/day at the vertex of the scalp then 0.27 mm/day for beard or body hair. (Moretti G, Rampini E, Rebora A: Int J Dermatol 15:277-285, 1976; Orentreich N, Durr N P: Clin Plast Surg 9:197-205, 1982; Katz M, Wheeler K E, Radowsky M. et al. Med biol Eng Comput 17:333-336, 1979.
In animal species such as rats and mice, all hairs are apparently in the same state of activity, where all cyclic changes are synchronized (DeVillez R L: In: Current Concept, A Scope Publication, by the Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., 1986; pp. 4-27; Takashima I, Kawagihi I: In: Toda K, et al (eds): Biology and Disease of Hair. Baltimore, Univ. Park Press, 1976; pp. 457-471). The first cycle of hair growth in rats starts early after birth and continues through to approximately the 21st day of life. The second cycle starts approximately after day 35.
The young (8-12days) rat has been previously utilized as a model for chemotherapy-induced alopecia and a number of novel observations have been made (Hussein, A. M., Jimenez, J. J., McCall, C. A., and Yunis, A. A.: Science 249:1564, 1990; Jimenez, J. J., Wong, G. H. W., Yunis. A. A.: FASEB J. 5:2456, 1991; and Jimenez, J. J., Huang, H. S., and Yunis, A. A. Cancer Invest. 10(4):269, 1992; Jimenez, J. J. and Yunis, A. A.: Cancer Res. 52:413, 1992; Jimenez, J. J., Sawaya, M. E. and Yunis, A. A.: FASEB J. 6:911, 1992; Jimenez, J. J. and Yunis A. A.: Cancer Res. 52:5123, 1992; and Jimenez, J. J., Alvarez, E., Bustamante, C. D., and Yunis, A. A. Am. J. of the Med. Sci 310(2):43, 1995. Rats treated with chemotherapy during the first cycle of hair growth become totally alopecic within 10 days. These rats remain with total alopecia until the second cycle of hair growth. Thus it takes 20 to 30 days for rats to recover from the alopecia.
More recently, applicants have used a commercial hair remover, Neet.RTM., on rats during their first cycle of hair growth. This approach makes the rats immediately alopecic, and hair does not regrow until the second cycle. Applicants believe that this long latent period could be used effectively to test various substances for their potential ability to stimulate hair growth and thus shorten the time to recovery.
It is an object of the present invention to determine the possible existence of hair growth-stimulating activity or of hair growth-stimulating factors.


A stopper structure including: a rigid abutting member extending in its longitudinal direction with a rectangular cross sectional shape; and a rubber stopper having a base portion of tubular cross sectional shape and secured press-fit onto the rigid abutting member without being adhesive thereto, two peripheral projections formed on laterally opposite sides of a first abutting plane of the base portion and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a central projection formed on an intermediate area interposed between the peripheral projections of the first abutting plane of the base portion. The peripheral projections are situated above laterally opposite edges of a first abutting plane of the rigid abutting member, and have a width dimension extending inside and outside the laterally opposite edges. The central projection projects outward from the first abutting plane of the base portion with the same height as the peripheral projections.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stopper structures for engine mounts, more particularly to such a stopper structure in which a rubber stopper formed independently and secured press-fit onto an abutting member connected to one of two mounting members of an engine mount, without being adhesive to a superficial surface of the abutting member.
2. Description of the Related Art
An engine mount has been widely used for elastically mounting or hanging a power unit of an automotive vehicle on or from a body of the vehicle in a vibration damping fashion. Generally, such an engine mount includes a rubber elastic body elastically connecting a first mounting member fixable to the power unit, a second mounting member fixable to the body of the vehicle, and an elastic body elastically connecting the first and second mounting members. In the engine mount, a stopper structure is incorporated to limit excess displacement between the first and second mounting members in a direction of vibration input, by bringing an abutting portion connected to the first mounting member into abutting contact with the other abutting portion connected to the second mounting member, or vice versa. The stopper structure includes a rubber stopper for cushioning an impact and/or noise upon abutment of the abutting portions against each other.
FIG. 13 shows an example of conventional engine mount 200 of fluid-filled type. The engine mount 200 includes a mount body 201 that is mounted to a vehicle body (not shown) via a mounting bracket 203.
The mounting bracket 203 includes a holding portion 209 of cup shape having a bottom 205, and a fixing portion 215 having a pair of legs 211, 211 and a sheet 213 by which the legs 211, 211 are connected together, and on which the bottom 205 of the holding portion 209 is received. The holding portion 209 holds the mount body 201 in a press-fit manner, and the fixing portion 215 is fastened at distal ends of the legs 211, 211 to the body of the vehicle, by means of suitable fastening members.
As shown in FIG. 13, a connector arm 217, which is disposed on the side of the power unit, is inserted into a space 219 defined between the pair of legs 211, 211 and situated below the holding portion 209, and is connected to a mounting shaft 216 of a first mounting member 208 of the mount body 201.
A rubber stopper 221 has an overall rectangular tubular shape corresponding to a transverse cross sectional view of the connector arm 217, and is secured press fit onto an outer surface of the connector arm 217 in a non-adhesion manner, such that the connector arm 217 is elastically inserted into the rubber stopper 221.
An upper portion 221A of the rubber stopper 221 is brought into abutting contact with an abutting portion 223 of the mounting bracket 203, and an lower portion 221B of the rubber stopper 221 is brought into abutting contact with an abutting portion 227 of a sub-frame 229 of the body. With this arrangement, a relative displacement between the first and second mounting members 208 and 209 in the vertical direction is suitably limited. In the rubber stopper 221, the upper portion 221A as well as the lower portion 221B are formed with a flat plate configuration having a substantially constant wall thickness over an entire widthwise direction.
Keeping pace with a recent tendency of upgrading quietness in vehicles, there is an increasing demand for rubber stoppers of stopper structures, like the rubber stopper 221, to enhance its shock absorbing performance while maintaining its durability.
The desired durability of the rubber stopper 221 may be obtained by forming it with the flat-plate shape having a thin and substantially constant wall thickness as shown in FIG. 13. Namely, this arrangement permits that a surface pressure acting on the rubber stopper 221 during its abutting contact against the abutting portions 213, 227, evenly distributes over a wide area of the rubber stopper 221. Therefore, the rubber stopper 221 is free from a local considerable deformation or a local stress concentration, leading to an enhanced durability of the rubber stopper 221.
However, this arrangement gives the rubber stopper 221 undesirable load-deformation characteristics (i.e. spring characteristics recognized in a two dimensional graph) which is skyrocketed at the initial stage of the abutting contact of the rubber stopper 221 against the abutting portions 213, 227.
Alternatively, it may be proposed for ensuring the desired durability of the rubber stopper 221 to provide local abutting portions on the abutting surface of the rubber stopper 221. This makes a feeling of touch of the rubber stopper 221 against each of the abutting portions 213, 227 soft, permitting the rubber stopper 221 to provide a soft stopper performance. However, the local abutting portions are likely to suffer from a relatively large deformation and stress, leading to earlier damages and deteriorations of the local abutting portions, resulting in a low durability and a short lifetime of the rubber stopper 221. JP-A-9-166175 and JP-A-2001-349368 disclose examples of conventional rubber stoppers used in stopper structures in engine mounts of hanging type.
The conventional stopper structure as disclosed in the aforesaid documents may suffer from stress concentration at laterally opposite edge portions of upper and lower portions 221A and 221B, which portions are pressed onto corresponding corners of the connector arm 217. Namely, when the upper and lower portions 221A and 221B of the rubber stopper 221 are brought into abutting contact with the abutting portions 213, 227, respectively, the laterally opposite edge portions of the upper and lower portions 221A and 221B is very likely to undergo outward elastic deformation along the superficial profile of the connector arm 217. With this state, the corners provide resistance to the outward elastic deformation of the laterally opposite edge portions, thus generating stress concentration at the laterally opposite edge portions. This results in cracks or other damages of the rubber stopper 221 at the edge portions, thus deteriorating durability of the rubber stopper 221 and the stopper structure.
As is understood from the foregoing description, the durability and the soft stopper performance of the rubber stopper 221 are contradictory to each other, and it has not yet developed a rubber stopper capable of exhibiting both of a desired durability and soft stopper performance.


An adhesive tape brush for cleaning fabric includes a handle and a brush head. Multiple cleaning sheets are removably supported on a lower and upper surfaces of the brush head in a separable roll, non-movably fixed on the brush head. When the outermost sheet becomes soiled, the sheet may be peeled away to expose an underlying non-soiled sheet. The brush head is fixed relative to the handle so that the web of sheets is not movable to create a high amount of friction when the outermost sheet is engaged and moved along with a surface. An elongated tape roll refill has perforations in at least one location to allow the roll to be separated into smaller width portions for individual use. Another tape roll refill has a generally nominal circular cross-section, but is deformable to an oblate shape to be mountable on either circular or oblate shaped brush heads.

Surfaces such as clothing, pets, furniture and fabrics are most aesthetically pleasing and safe when they are clean, dry, and free of dirt, debris, shed hair and dander. Unfortunately, such surfaces typically become soiled rapidly due to environmental contaminants such as dust and due to the deposit of dirt and debris by people, machines, and pets and by the shedding of hair.
To address these problems, an adhesive tape brush apparatus has been devised which includes a gripping handle. The previously known adhesive tape brush apparatuses known as lint rollers have used a number of different means to rotatably mount the lint roller support to the handle. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,923, the lint roller support/handle are separately constructed and then secured together. A disadvantage of this type of lint roller assembly, however, is that the rotatable connection between the handle and lint roller support is subjected to mechanical wear and tear and ultimately mechanical failure. Another disadvantage is that the two pieces require assembly. A still further disadvantage of this type of previously known lint roller assembly is that the lint roller support assembly rotates making it impossible to lock in place for use with directional lint remover fabric or adhesive tape lint removal rolls, which requires a fixed support section to facilitate a brushing motion. Still other types of previously known lint remover assemblies, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,695, have the handle injection molded in two halves which, however, requires expensive and complex molds and assembly, which is slow and expensive and facilitates a rotatably used adhesive tape roll.
While such lint brushes have found widespread effective use in removing hair and debris laying loosely on various surfaces, such lint brushes have proven somewhat deficient at removing hairs, such as animal hairs which are embedded in the fabric. Animal hairs, including cat hairs, frequently become embedded end first in the clothing, upholstery, or drapery fabric. Moving a rollable lint brush across the exposed end of the embedded animal hair does not have sufficient friction to pull the embedded portion of the hair from the fabric. In this case, the lint brush merely rolls over the animal hair and does not remove it from the fabric.
Unidirectional brushes have been provided using a fabric mounted on one end of a handle. Such brushes are drawn in one direction across a fabric or other surface to be cleaned. Since the fabric is placed in a single, non-movable layer about one end of the brush assembly, it typically is capable of developing sufficient friction to remove embedded animal hairs from furniture or other fabrics.
However, cleaning of such unidirectional fabric is difficult since the fabric is tightly and fixedly mounted on the brush and cannot be removed for more convenient cleaning or disposal. Typically, the unidirectional fabric brush is cleaned by brushing it against another fabric or against the user's fingers.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a lint brush which utilizes a roll of separable outwardly facing adhesive tape sheets which are removable from the roll when the outermost sheet becomes soiled and yet are stationarily affixed relative to the handle so as to develop sufficient friction when moved across a surface being cleaned to remove embedded animal hair from fabric, furniture directly from an animal's coat or other surfaces. It would also be desirable to provide such a lint brush which is capable of employing both a unidirectional fabric and a roll of separable adhesive sheets, either individually or in combination for more widespread application depending upon the cleaning needs of a particular application.
Lint and pet hair tape rollers have refills that are typically sized to fit the roller tool and are sold singularly or in multiple packs or combination packages made of cardboard or shrink wrap film. The problem with these refills is that they are provided in single rolls which require extra handling for packaging.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a lint and/or pet hair tape roller refill which can be more conveniently packaged for a reduced manufacturing cost.


An electric heating stove including an electric hot plate made to slide in and out of a horizontal compartment in an electromagnetic induction cooker, and a positive temperature coefficient heater fastened to the electric hot plate and controlled by the control switches on the face panel of the electromagnetic induction cooker to release heat through a heat conductive plate on the electric hot plate for toasting food.

The present invention relates to electric heating stoves, and more specifically to an electric heating stove comprised of an induction cooker, and an electric hot plate made to slide in and out of a horizontal compartment in the induction cooker.
Various electromagnetic induction cookers are known and widely accepted for the advantage of easy and convenient of use. However, special containers should be used to contain food when cooked on these electromagnetic induction cookers.

Electric stove with electromagnetic induction cooker and hot plate

No. 26, Lane 197, Sec. 2, Cheng Tai Rd., Wuku Hsiang


Provided are a synchronization apparatus and method for improving timing estimation performance in an OFDM-FDMA/CDMA/TDMA system, which can correctly estimate symbol timing through a more correct timing metric using a guard interval of a preamble. The synchronization apparatus includes an auto-correlator for calculating an auto-correlation value of a received signal and a signal delayed by a predetermined time, a power detector for calculating power of the received signal, a timing metric/normalizer for normalizing the auto-correlation value by dividing the auto-correlation value by the calculated power to obtain a timing metric, and a peak detector for finding a peak value of the timing metric to estimate a frame starting position and an initial symbol timing. The auto-correlator calculates an auto-correlation length as long as a length of a guard interval, considering the preamble characteristic that the patterns are repeated in the time domain. The initial symbol timing is set to a position determined by adding the position where the timing metric has a peak value to the length of the guard interval and subtracting the maximum value of the expected channel delay spread from the result value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synchronization apparatus and method for an OFDM-FDMA/CDMA/TDMA system, and more particularly, to a synchronization apparatus and method for improving timing estimation performance in an OFDM-FDMA/CDMA/TDMA system, which can correctly estimate symbol timing through a more correct timing metric using a guard interval of a preamble.
2. Description of the Related Art
Research on the 4th Generation (4G) communication system (which is the next-generation communication system) has been conducted to provide users with services having various Qualities-of-Service (QoSs) at a data rate of about 100 Mbps.
The current 3rd Generation (3G) communication system generally supports a data rate of about 384 Kbps in an outdoor channel environment with a relatively poor channel environment, and supports a data rate of up to 2 Mbps even in an indoor channel environment with a relatively good channel environment.
Meanwhile, a wireless local area network (WLAN) system and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) system generally support a data rate of 20-50 Mbps.
Accordingly, research is being conducted on a new communication system that can support high-speed services, which the 4G communication system is intended to provide, by guaranteeing the mobility and QoS in the WLAN system and the WMAN system having a relatively high data rate.
As an approach to achieving these purposes, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) scheme are taken into consideration.
The OFDM is a kind of multicarrier modulation scheme and exhibits excellent performance in multi-path and mobile environments. Because of these advantages, the OFDM is regarded as a modulation scheme suitable for terrestrial digital TV and digital sound broadcasting.
An existing Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WLAN uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) to support a data rate of 2 Mbps at 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) bands.
This standard, however, could not meet the requirement of a highly increasing data rate. Therefore, IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b was approved as a new physical layer standard in 1999.
IEEE 802.11b supports a date rate of 11 Mbps at 2.4 GHz bands by using a complementary Code Keying (CCK) scheme, an extended version of DSSS. IEEE 802.11b is commercialized and is wide spread.
Meanwhile, IEEE 802.11a adopted OFDM modulation scheme at Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) band of 5 GHz in order to overcome the limitation of the DSSS scheme and obtain a higher data rate.
A convolutional encoder having a coding rate of 1/2, 2/3 and 3/4 is used for offset correction, and a 1/2 Viterbi decoder is used for decoding a convolutional code. Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), 16-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16-QAM), and 64-QAM are used for subcarrier modulation.
Such an OFDM system must consider frequency offset and symbol synchronization in order to correctly demodulate received signals. If a correct starting point of symbol is not found, inter-symbol interference (ISI) occurs. Consequently, the received signals cannot be correctly recovered.
Generally, the starting point of the symbol is found using correlation values between received signal sequences. The correlation values are obtained using a specific preamble sequence.
The preamble is a single used for synchronizing a transfer timing between two or more systems in a network communication. A proper timing makes it possible for all systems to correctly analyze the start of data transfer.
The preamble includes a short preamble for coarse frequency synchronization and a long preamble for fine frequency synchronization, which are connected each other.
FIG. 1 illustrates a preamble structure of an 802.16a/d/e system and WiBro system.
A downlink preamble of an OFDMA-based portable Internet system is used for initial time synchronization, frequency offset estimation, and cell search. After inverse Fourier transform (IFFT) processing, the downlink preamble has harmonics repeated three times in time domain.
A specific pseudorandom noise (PN) code is BPSK-modulated and then transmitted and subcarriers constructing the preamble are repeated by Np (Np=NFFT/3 where NFFT is an FFT size) in time domain.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a timing metric of a conventional symbol timing estimation algorithm. The timing metric has a flat period as much as a guard interval.
A frame starting point and an initial symbol timing are acquired at a position where the timing metric has a peak value. In the ideal case in which no influence of channel or interference signal exists, the frame starting point and the initial symbol timing are acquired within the guard interval. However, there is a great probability that a wrong frame timing is acquired out of the guard interval due to the uncertainty at a boundary portion of the timing metric.
FIG. 3 illustrates a constellation diagram of a traffic channel using the conventional symbol timing estimation algorithm.
Even though the symbol timing is acquired within the guard interval by using a conventional symbol timing estimation algorithm, the accuracy of the estimated timing is reduced.
The timing estimation error appears in a form of phase rotation. Because the timing estimation error is compensated through a channel estimator, it is negligible. However, when the timing estimation error is large, the channel estimator cannot correct the entire error. Thus, the result is given like the constellation diagram of FIG. 3 and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal is degraded.

Synchronization apparatus and method for improving timing estimation performance in OFDM-FDMA/CDMA/TDMA system


An apparatus for displaying on a display screen a first image sequence exclusively to a first viewer and a second image sequence exclusively to a second viewer, the first image sequence including a respective plurality of image frames and the second image sequence including a respective plurality of image frames. A controller alternately displays in an interlaced fashion each of the image frames of the first image sequence and each of the image frames of the second image sequence on the display screen. The controller also generates a second viewer image block signal when each of the image frames of the first image sequence are displayed and a first viewer image block signal when each of the image frames of the second image sequence are displayed. A first viewer image blocking element responsive to the first viewer image block signal generated by the controller is provided for blocking the first viewer's view of the display screen when the first viewer image block signal is received and a second viewer image blocking element responsive to the second viewer image block signal from the controller is provided for blocking the second viewer's view of the display screen when the second viewer image block signal is received.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing different images or sequences of images exclusively to respective ones of multiple viewers of a single monitor.
More particularly, the instant invention provides an apparatus and method to display one of a number of views of a computer simulation, video game, television program, or movie exclusively to a particular one of a number of viewers of a single monitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art computer simulations and video games fall into two categories by which multiple views are displayed to respective viewers.
The output of the first type of prior art system, which shall be referred to as a "split-screen" system, is shown in FIG. 1. In this split-screen system, a single monitor 1 is utilized to concurrently display a view seen by a first viewer and a view seen by a second viewer.
As seen in this Figure, in which a race game is shown, the screen of the monitor is divided in half and the first viewer's view (player 1's view) is shown in the top half, for example, and the second viewer's view (player 2's view) is shown in the bottom half, for example.
This prior art split-screen system suffers many disadvantages, however. To begin with, both viewers can see both halves of the screen. That is, the first viewer can see not only his view but also the second viewer's view. Likewise, the second viewer can see not only his view, but also the first viewer's view. This situation is clearly distracting to both viewers. Further, where the computer simulation or video game requires that the first viewer's view not be seen by the second viewer and that the second viewer's view not be seen by the first viewer, this type of system is clearly unacceptable.
Moreover, this split-screen system suffers from the disadvantage that the available display area for the first viewer's view is only half of the monitor screen area and the available display area for the second viewer's view is only half of the monitor screen area.
The output of the second type of prior art system, which shall be referred to as the "multiple monitor system", is shown in FIG. 2. As seen in this Fig., in which a tank combat simulation is shown, a first viewer is provided a monitor 21, on which a first view is shown and a second viewer is provided a monitor 23, on which a second view is shown. The monitors may be placed so that the first viewer can not see the second view on monitor 23 and so that the second viewer can not see the first view on monitor 21. For example, there may be a curtain 25 between the monitors 21 and 23 or the monitors may be in different rooms.
Since two monitors are required in this multiple monitor system, the system is relatively expensive and its use is generally limited to high-end systems, such as military training simulations. A derivation of this multiple monitor system (hereinafter "multiple head-mounted display system") employs individual head-mounted displays (usually in the form of LCD display screens) for each viewer. However, this derivation likewise suffers from the same disadvantages of the multiple monitor system described above, namely, since two head-mounted displays, each requiring the use of one or more active LCD display screens, are required, the system is relatively expensive. Moreover, conventional head-mounted display systems generally can not provide the resolution provided by stand-alone monitors.


An apparatus having a processor and an interface to a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of blocks is disclosed. The processor is configured to (i) monitor a number of reads since a respective erase in at least one of the blocks in the nonvolatile memory, (ii) move a page from a first block to a second block in response to the number of reads exceeding a first threshold where the first block is partially programmed and (iii) move the page from the first block to the second block in response to the number of reads exceeding a second threshold where the first block is fully programmed. The first threshold is less than the second threshold.

Where data is programmed in a NAND flash, a frequency of reading individual pieces of the data varies from each other. Some data is read frequently by the host, such as a popular video data server. Furthermore, map data between physical addresses used internal to the flash and logical addresses used external to the flash is read frequently by firmware in truly random read cases, such as an application in an enterprise data center. The frequently read host data and map data are referred to as hot read data.

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


The inventive vibration isolation platform is connected between a fixture which supports a device to be tested, and an automatic testing machine. The platform has two positions. In the first position, the fixture is ridgedly locked in a predetermined location for loading and unloading of the device. In the second position, the fixture is in a testing position, wherein the fixture is vibrationally isolated from the testing machine. Therefore, during loading and unloading, the location of the fixture is precisely known to the automatic testing machine. During testing, the fixture is isolated from the automatic testing machine, and hence receives substantially no vibrational energy from the automatic testing machine. Thus, the device can be tested without interference from unwanted vibrations or sounds.

An automatic testing machine (ATM) operates in a production environment to rapidly and accurately test the operation and performance of various types of devices under test (DUT), including computer devices and communication devices. The DUTs could be a finished product or a component of a larger system.
The ATM is programmed to perform various tests on the DUT automatically. For example, a microcomputer chip DUT may be fed power and known input signals, and the output signal of the DUT is compared with expected results. Another example is where RF signals are transmitted to a finished cellular telephone DUT to determine if the telephone properly operates. Other tests could include environmental tests, such as temperature tests.
Depending upon the nature and number of the tests being performed, the testing may last from a couple of milliseconds to several minutes. The information from the testing is compared with expected test results. If there is some defect such that the DUT falls below specifications, the ATM will designate the DUT as failed, either by marking the DUT, placing the DUT in a failure area, or indicating the failure to an operator.
The ATM is then loaded with the next DUT, either manually or automatically, and the testing procedure is repeated for this next DUT. This testing information can be used to evaluate the fabrication process for possible changes, as well as to perform failure analysis on individual failed devices.
Typically, each ATM is designed to perform a specific class of tests on the DUT, and are not able to perform other classes of tests. For example, a temperature ATM may not be able to perform electrical signal tests. However, different types of DUTs may require the same tests to be performed. For example, all types of microcomputer chips are tested for electronic performance characteristics, but different chips will have different locations for power, inputs and outputs. ATMs are made flexible by the use of test fixtures. The test fixture provides an interface between the device under test DUT and the ATM. Thus, a single ATM can perform tests on different types of devices when connected via different fixtures.
The automatic testing machines generate a great deal of vibration. The sources of the vibration include the operation of robots to load and unload the DUTs, operation of the testing machines, manipulation of the DUTs during testing, and the tests themselves, i.e. sound tests. These vibrations are passed on to the DUT and can adversely effect the testing of the DUT. Some types of testing, particularly acoustic testing, are very sensitive to vibration energy or sound energy, especially low frequency energy. The testing of the DUT may be corrupted by the vibrations, which will cause incorrect information about DUT to be collected. The incorrect information could lead to improperly passing a defective DUT or failing a passing DUT. The incorrect information may also result in incorrect or unnecessary changes being made to the DUT production process.
One solution to this problem is to isolate the fixture from the automatic testing machine. A vibrational isolation mechanism is used to separate the fixture from the machine. A variety of such mechanisms are available, for example a pneumatic air table, a spring mechanism, or a foam or rubber isolation pad. Thus, the fixture is not ridgedly attached to the machine. Therefore vibration and/or sound energy from the testing machine, other equipment, or the floor would not be transmitted to the fixture. However, because the fixture is not ridgedly attached to the testing machine, the robots used to load and unload the machine, as well as actuators in the machine which secure the DUT and couple to the DUT, do not know the precise location of the fixture, and hence the DUT. Consequently, the testing machine must use an adaptive mechanism to locate the fixture, and properly place, remove or otherwise manipulate the DUT. The adaptive mechanism could be touch sensors mounted on the robot, or a vision system with an optical object recognition program. Mechanical limits are sometimes used to confine the fixture to a predefined region, i.e. pins or stops. Thus, the fixture can more easily be located by the robot. However, if the fixture touches the limit, then vibration and sound energy will be conducted through the limit and into the fixture. Moreover, the time spent locating the fixture and the DUT adversely affects production time. In other words, it costs production time for the testing machine to have locate the fixture.
Alternatively, the fixture can be ridgily attached to the testing machine. Since the fixture does not move with respect to the testing machine, then the testing machine will always know precisely where the fixture and the DUT are located. Thus additional mechanism such as touch sensors and vision camera are not needed. Moreover, no production time is lost in having the testing machine locate the fixture or device. However, the fixture will receive vibrational and/or sound energy from the testing machine. Thus, vibrations from robot motion, testing structures moving around, conveyor belts, other equipment operating, the floor, etc. will be conducted to the fixture. Thus, the vibrations and other sounds reaching the fixture can corrupt the testing of the DUT, particularly acoustic testing.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a mechanism that will isolate the fixture from the automatic testing machine, while having the fixture be precisely located such that the testing machine does not require any adaptive mechanism to locate the fixture which would impact production time.


Disclosed is a technique for tamper detection in an electronic device by use of an internal power supply signal. The technique includes electrically coupling a conductive trace, in series via a resistor, to an internal power supply that supplies power to a security module within a processor of the device. The technique further includes electrically coupling the power supply to a detector for use in tamper detection on the trace. Upon occurrence of a short-circuit condition on the conductive trace, substantially all voltage of the local power supply is dropped across the resistor. As a result, the detector detects a drop in voltage below a predetermined threshold, and perceives such drop as a “collapse” of the internal power supply. The collapse of the power supply is indicative of a tampering event to the detector, which in response, outputs a signal to disable an operation of the security module.

For certain electronic devices, it is particularly important to protect against physical tampering after the device has been sold or distributed to an end-user. For example, tampering is of particular concern for devices that store or process sensitive data and for devices having functions or capabilities that incentivize unwanted, unauthorized intrusions into the devices.
A traditional tamper detection technique in an electronic device is to enshroud the sensitive components (e.g., circuit board) within the device with a wire mesh. The wire mesh is connected to an electrical power source and to a detector within the device. Any attempt to physically access the components will likely damage the mesh to the extent of causing an open circuit condition in the mesh. The detector detects this open circuit condition as tampering, and can trigger an appropriate countermeasure in response.
While such a mesh provides some degree of tampering protection, it is possible for a determined attacker to circumvent it. For example, given the time for careful inspection, an attacker could succeed in isolating a portion of the components from the mesh or opening the electronic device without necessarily damaging the mesh.

Tamper detection using internal power signal


A packaging system for diluting a concentrated material to a preselected volume with a solvent for the concentrate, which system includes:. a container for the diluted concentrate having an internal volume to at least the predetermined volume; PA1 an absorbent carrier disposed in the container; and PA1 a quantity of the concentrate absorbed onto the carrier; PA1 wherein the quantity of concentrate is pre-measured to provide a predetermined level of dilution of the concentrate in the preselected volume of solvent. Methods for diluting a concentrate to a preselected volume with a solvent for the concentrate using the packaging system are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to packaging systems for diluting concentrated materials to a preselected volume with a solvent for the concentrate in which a container for the diluted concentrate is packaged with a pre-measured quantity of the concentrate to be diluted, absorbed onto a carrier. The preselected volume of the solvent for the concentrate may then be added to the container with mixing to provide a predetermined level of dilution of the concentrate in the pre-selected volume of solvent. The present invention further relates to methods for diluting a concentrated material to a preselected volume with a solvent for the concentrate by disposing in a container for the diluted concentrate a pre-measured quantity of the concentrate absorbed on a carrier and then adding to the container the preselected volume of the solvent for the concentrate.
Many products are sold as liquid solutions consisting almost entirely of a solvent, such as water. A substantial reduction in shipping weight and consequential cost savings can be achieved by shipping the product in concentrated form essentially free of all, or nearly all, of the solvent.
Thus, a pre-measured quantity of a product concentrate may be added to a container for the final product to be diluted from the concentrate. The quantity of concentrated product and container size are selected so that a quantity of solvent for the concentrated product may be added to the container effective to dilute the concentrate to the desired strength of the final product. This is performed by the product consumer after shipment of the product and prior to use.
Products that are safe to use as dilute solutions may pose a chemical burn hazard to the skin and mucous membranes in concentrated form. This risk is posed, for example, by quaternary ammonium disinfectants. When a few milliliters of product concentrate are shipped in a container, there may or may not be a risk of chemical burns from concentrated product that may leak or spill out when opened or splash out of the container when water is added by the end-user to dilute the product to its final form. This hazard has prevented such products from being sold as concentrates in containers having sufficient internal volume to prepare the diluted final product by the addition of water. There remains a need for a safe means by which concentrated materials posing a hazard if splashed may be packaged in containers with a larger internal volume for dilution of the concentrate with solvent.

Packaging system for concentrated materials