Certain N-acyl 2-aryl cyclopropylmethylamine derivatives are useful as melatonergic agents.

The invention pertains to novel N-acyl 2-arylcyclopropylmethylamine derivatives having drug and bio-affecting properties, to their preparation, to pharmaceutical formulations containing them and to methods of using them. These compounds possess melatonergic properties that should make them useful in treating certain medical disorders.
Melatonin (i; N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a hormone which is synthesized and secreted primarily by the pineal gland. In mammals, melatonin levels show a cyclical, circadian pattern, with highest levels occurring during the dark period of a circadian lightdark cycle. Melatonin is involved in the transduction of photoperiodic information and appears to modulate a variety of neural and endocrine functions in vertebrates, including the regulation of reproduction, body weight and metabolism in photoperiodic mammals, the control of circadian rhythms and the modulation of retinal physiology. ##STR1##
Recent evidence demonstrates that melatonin exerts its biological effects through specific receptors. Use of the biologically active, radiolabelled agonist .sup.125 I!-2-iodomelatonin has led to the identification of high affinity melatonin receptors in the central nervous systems (CNS) of a variety of species. The sequence of one such high affinity melatonin receptor, cloned from frog melanocytes, has been reported. In mammalian brain, autoradiographic studies have localized the distribution of melatonin receptors to a few specific structures.
Although there are significant differences in melatonin receptor distribution even between closely related species, in general the highest binding site density occurs in discrete nuclei of the hypothalamus. In humans, specific .sup.125 I!-2-iodomelatonin binding within the hypothalamus is completely localized to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, strongly suggesting that melatonin receptors are located within the human biological clock.
Exogenous melatonin administration has been found to synchronize circadian rhythms in rats (Cassone, et al., J. Biol. Rhythms, 1:219-229, 1986). In humans, administration of melatonin has been used to treat jet-lag related sleep disturbances, considered to be caused by desynchronization of circadian rhythms (Arendt, et al., Br. Med. J. 292:1170, 1986). Further, the use of a single dose of melatonin to induce sleep in humans has been claimed by Wurtman in International Patent Application WO 94/07487.
Melatonin binding sites have been found in diverse tissues of the body--i.e., in the retina, superchiasmatic nucleus, spleen, etc. This means that melatonin exerts multiple physiological effects and is not highly selective. The potential for side effects with melatonin use is large. Melatonin agonists should be more selective than melatonin and have fewer side effects. Suitable melatonin agonists could overcome melatonin's drawbacks, resulting in products having more predictable and, possibly, sustained activity.
Melatonin agonists should be particularly useful for the treatment of chronobiological disorders. They would also be useful for the further study of melatonin receptor interactions as well as in the treatment of conditions affected by melatonin activity, such as depression, work-shift syndrome, sleep disorders, glaucoma, reproduction, cancer, immune disorders, neuroendorine disorders, and a variety of sleep disorders.
Aside from simple indole derivatives of melatonin itself, various amide structures have been prepared and their use as melatonin ligands disclosed. In general these amide structures can be represented as: ##STR2## wherein Z is an aryl or heteroaryl system attached by a two carbon chain to the amide group. Some specific examples follow.
Yous, et al. in European Patent Application EPA 527 687A disclose, as melatonin ligands, ethylamines having cyclic substituents, 1, ##STR3## wherein Ar' is, inter alias, a substituted or unsubstituted benzob!thiophen-3-yl, benzimidazol-1-yl, benzob!furan-3-yl, 1,2-benzisoxazol-3-yl, 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl, or indazol-3-yl radical; R.sub.1 is, inter alia, an alkyl or cycloalkyl group; and R.sub.2 is hydrogen or lower alkyl.
Langlois, et al., in Australian Patent Application AU-A48729/93 disclose arylalkyl(thio)amides 2 as melatonergic ligands, ##STR4## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R.sub.2 is hydrogen, halogen, or lower alkyl; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are identical or different groups including, inter alia, hydrogen, halogen, or lower alkyl; R.sub.5 is hydrogen or lower alkyl; X is sulfur or oxygen and R.sub.7 is, inter alia, lower alkyl or alkenyl.
However, these references do not teach or suggest the novel melatonergic aryl cyclopropylmethylamine derivatives of the present invention.
A number of compounds containing structural elements common to the compounds of the present invention have been disclosed, although melatonergic properties have not been claimed for any the compounds within these disclosures.
Matsuda, et al., in international patent application W095/22521 disclose 1-phenyl-2-(1-aminoalkyl)-N,N-diethylcyclopropanecarboxamides 3 as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, wherein R.sub.1 represents, inter alia, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 linear saturated aliphatic, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 linear unsaturated aliphatic, a branched aliphatic, or a phenyl group which may be substituted with one to three substituents selected independently from the group consisting of halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, nitro, amino, hydroxy, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy. ##STR5##
The 1,2-diarylcyclopropane derivatives of type 4 are disclosed in NE 6701256 as having CNS stimulant properties, ##STR6## Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2 are independently and optionally substituted phenyl; R.sub.1 is inter alia hydrogen, lower alkyl or acyl; R.sub.2 is inter alia alkyl, cycloalkyl or aralkyl.

N-acyl-2-aryl cyclopropylmethylamine derivatives as melatonergics


This invention is directed to a solid electrolyte containing an alkane multifunctional acrylate polymeric matrix, a salt, a solvent, and preferably a viscosifier, as well as, electrolytic cells prepared from such solid electrolytes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to alkane multifunctional acrylates based solid polymer electrolytes, in particular, to solid electrolytes containing a solid matrix formed from alkane multifunctional acrylates, a salt, a solvent, and a viscosifier. This invention is further directed to solid electrolytic cells (batteries) containing an anode, a cathode and a solid electrolyte formed from an alkane multifunctional acrylate.
2. State of the Art
Electrolytic cells containing an anode, a cathode and a solid, solvent-containing electrolyte incorporating a salt are known in the art and are usually referred to as "solid batteries". These cells offer a number of advantages over electrolytic cells containing a liquid electrolyte (i.e., "liquid batteries") including improved safety features. Notwithstanding their advantages, the manufacture of these solid batteries requires careful process controls to maximize the adherence of the various layers during formation of the electrolytic cells. Poorly adhered laminates inhibit battery performance and significantly reduce charge and discharge capacity.
Specifically, solid batteries employ a solid electrolyte interposed between a cathode and an anode. The solid electrolyte contains either an inorganic or an organic matrix and a suitable salt, such as an inorganic ion salt, as a separate component. The inorganic matrix may be non-polymeric, e.g, .beta.-alumina, silver oxide, lithium iodide, and the like, or polymeric, e.g., inorganic (polyphosphazene) polymers, whereas the organic matrix is typically polymeric. Suitable organic polymeric matrices are well known in the art and are typically organic polymers obtained by polymerization of a suitable organic monomer as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,283. Suitable organic monomers include, by way of example, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, ethyleneimine, epichlorohydrin, ethylene succinate, and an acryloyl-derivatized alkylene oxide containing an acryloyl group of the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR'C(O)O-- where R' is hydrogen or a lower alkyl of from 1-6 carbon atoms.
The solid electrolytes also contain a solvent (plasticizer) which is typically added to the matrix primarily to the conductivity of the electrolytic cell. In this regard, the solvent requirements of the solvent used in the solid electrolyte have been art recognized to be different from the solvent requirements in liquid electrolytes. For example, solid electrolytes require a lower solvent volatility as compared to the solvent volatilities permitted in liquid electrolytes. Suitable solvents well known in the art for use in such solid electrolytes include, by way of example, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, .gamma.-butyrolactone, tetrahydrofuran, glyme (dimethoxyethane), diglyme, triglyme, tetraglyme, dimethylsulfoxide, dioxolane, sulfolane and the like.
Because of their expense and difficulty in forming into a variety of shapes, inorganic non-polymeric matrices are generally not preferred and the art typically employs a solid electrolyte containing a polymeric matrix. Nevertheless, electrolytic cells containing a solid electrolyte containing a polymeric matrix suffer from low ion conductivity and, accordingly, in order to maximize the conductivity of these materials, the matrix is generally constructed into a very thin film, i.e., on the order of about 25 to about 250 .mu.m. As is apparent, the reduced thickness of the film reduces the total amount of internal resistance within the electrolyte thereby minimizing losses in conductivity due to internal resistance.
In view of this, the art is searching for methods to improve solid electrolyte manufacture and increase electrolyte conductivity as well as to improve the battery capacity and charge transference of solid batteries employing such electrolytes.

Curable alkane multifunctional acrylates based solid electrolytes and electrolytic cells produced therefrom


A communication system is arranged to efficiently control communications as being conscious of location information of a mobile body. The communication system includes an address list managing unit, a data supplying unit, a call connecting unit, a display unit, and a user interface. The address list managing unit stores and manages an address list about the location of each registered member. The data supplying unit generates data based on the address list so that the data can be disclosed on a Web site. The call connecting unit gives a call to a destination member specified by a user side for controlling a call connection. The display unit displays a screen image of the data to be referenced on the Web site. The user interface is used for specifying a destination member and a communication service type on the screen.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, and more particularly to a communication system which is arranged to control communications in a network.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As a cellular phone and a personal handyphone system (called the PHS) are prevailing, more variable services for mobile terminals are being supplied. As one example, a location reporting system may be referred which operates to report a location of a mobile terminal to a center station. This system is arranged to receive the electric waves from the PHS, collect the location information contained in the electric waves, and report the location of the PHS to the center station.
The foregoing location reporting system, however, needs a troublesome operation of obtaining the location information from the center station through a terminal that has inquired its location. Moreover, what is executed by the center station is only to obtain the location of the mobile terminal and to passively report the obtained location in response to an access to be given by the location-inquired terminal. Hence, this location reporting system has been less practical.
On the other hand, the recent abrupt expansion of the Internet users results in increasing the traffics of IP packets. Further, the mobile terminals such as the cellular phones are prevailing more. These circumstances make the development of the fast IP communication in the mobile environment progressing quite rapidly.
Under these circumstances, a request is on the rise for easily utilizing a networking communication about the location information from a business or personal point of view.

System for controlling communications in a network based on a previous place name and relocated place name displayed on terminals of current conversation participants


A motion analysis device has a determination unit which uses an output from an inertial sensor mounted on at least one of a subject and a tool operated by the subject, to determine a dominant hand of the subject in a swing. The determination unit can determine the dominant hand on the basis of the sign of angular velocity or acceleration from the inertial sensor. A calculation unit which calculates motion analysis information in a swing, using an output from the inertial sensor can add dominant hand information from the determination unit to the motion analysis information. The motion analysis device can include a coincidence determination unit which determines that a first subject and a second subject have different dominant hands, and an inverted image generation unit which inverts first motion analysis information in the case of no coincidence.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a motion analysis method, a motion analysis display method, and a motion analysis device or the like.
2. Related Art
A motion analysis device is used to analyze a motion such as a swing action. As a sporting gear is swung in a swing, the posture of the sporting gear changes along time axis. An inertial sensor is installed on the sporting gear. A swing action is visually reproduced on the basis of an output from the inertial sensor. A specific example of such a motion analysis device may be, for example, a golf swing analysis device as disclosed in JP-A-2008-73210. JP-A-2008-73210 discloses mounting an inertial sensor at two positions on a golf club formed as a rigid body, such as the shaft and the head of the golf club.
Subjects have their dominant hands. For example, in a golf swing, the rotating direction of the swing action is reversed if the dominant hand is different. Therefore, in the case where motion analysis data taken with subjects with different dominant hands are compared, the rotating directions of swing trajectories are displayed as opposite directions and cannot be superimposed and compared with each other. Thus, these data are rarely used with each other in motion analysis. In the case where motion analysis data taken with subjects with different dominant hands are used with each other, dominant hand information must be provided in advance and processing to invert images or the like must be carried out.

Motion analysis method, motion analysis display method, and motion analysis device


A process for converting 1,4- and 1,5-dicarbonyl sugars to pyrrolidine and piperidine amino sugars. Novel compounds resulting from this process are also described.

Many polyhydroxylated piperidines and pyrrolidines are powerful inhibitors of glycohydrolases, enzymes responsible for glycoprotein processing and the gastrointestinal breakdown of dietary carbohydrates. See, for example, Fleet, G. W. J. Chem. Brit., 1989, 287; Fellows, L. E. Chem. Brit., 1987, 842. These azasugars have potential therapeutic utility in the treatment of various diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and viral infections. Particular attention has focused on anti-HIV activity in the AIDS area. Therefore, the syntheses of polyhydroxylated piperidines and pyrrolidines such as 1-deoxynojirimycin, an antiviral agent, has been the subject of considerable recent research. Bayer, for example, is developing miglitol, a polyhydroxylated piperidine, which is useful as an anti-diabetic agent, Drugs Fut. 1986, 11, 1039.
Synthetic routes to azasugars have commonly entailed processes such as azide displacement/reduction and N-alkylative cyclization with extensive protecting-group manipulation. See, for example, (a) Paulsen, H,; Sangster, I.; Heyns, K. Chem. Ber, 1967, 100, 802. (b) Inouye, S. et al. Tetrahedron 1968, 23, 2125. (c) Saeki, H.; Ohki, E. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1968, 11, 2477. (d) Kinast, G.; Schedel, M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1981, 20, 805. U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,025; May 1981. (e) Vasella, A.; Voeffray, R. Helv. Chim. Acta 1982, 65, 1134 (f) Koebernick, W.; E. P. 55-431; U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,058; Sep. 9, 1986; assigned to Bayer AG. (g) Bernotas, R.; Ganem, B. Tetrahedron Lett. 1985, 26, 1123. (h) Setoi, H.; Takeno, H.; Hashimoto, M. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1986, 34, 2642. (i) Broxterman, H. J. G. et al. Rec. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas 1987, 106, 571. (j) Fleet, G. W. J.; Fellows, L. E.; Smith, P. W. Tetrahedron 1987, 43, 979. (k) Iida, H.; Yamazaki, N.; Kibayashi, C. J. Org. Chem. 1987, 52, 3337. (1) Ziegler, T.; Straub, A.; Effenberger, F. Angew; Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1988, 27, 716. (m) Schmidt, R. R.; Michel, J.; Rucker, E. Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1989, 423. (n) Chida, N.; Furuno, Y.; Ogawa, S. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1989, 1230. (o) Beaupere, D.; Stasik, B. et al. Carbohydr. Res. 1989, 191, 163. (p) von der Osten, C. H. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 3924. (q) Ikota, N. Heterocycles 1989, 22, 1469. (r) Tsuda, Y.; Okuno, Y.; Iwaki, M.; Kanemitsu, K. Chem. Pharm Bull 1989, 37, 2673. (s) Fleet, G. W. J. et al. Tetrahedron Lett. 1990, 31, 490. (t) Anzeveno, P. B., Creemer, L. J. Tetrahedron Lett. 1990, 31, 2085 (u) Dax, K. et al. J. Carbohydr. Chem. 1990, 9 479. Certain of the semi-synthetic methods employing a key enzymatic transformation have proved to be useful.
U. S. Patent No. 4,611,058 describes high stereo-selectivity in the intramolecular reductive amination of 6-amino-6-deoxy-L-sorbose when using a borohydride reducing agent. U. S. Pat. Nos. 4,806,650 and 4,266,025 describe additional Bayer processes involving the production of 1-deoxynojirimycin. The first patent describes the microbial oxidation portion of the process together with the intramolecular reductive amination. The second patent describes the overall process containing the catalytic reduction of the imine with a palladium on carbon catalyst. The processes for the production of 1-deoxynojirimycin are expensive to run because of the number of chemical steps involved and/or the need for purification of the intermediates or targets. Many of the known processes involve a cyclization step that is not stereoselective resulting in the need for tedious separations.
Piperidines and pyrrolidines have been prepared by double reductive amination of dicarbonyl compounds with an amine and NACNBH.sub.3 (Borch, R. F. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1971, 22, 2897), but this reaction has not been applied to the preparation of aminosugars from dicarbonyl sugar starting materials.
The present invention involves a synthesis process for amino sugars that is efficient and economic. In particular, the process described is more concise and stereospecific in comparison with the processes for some of the preparations of amino sugars known in the prior art.

Process for producing polyhydroxylated piperidines and pyrrolidines and compounds thereof


Manually operated apparatus for splitting wood includes at least one axe-shaped blade vertically arranged on a support base. The at least one axe-shaped blade has an upward facing cutting edge. The axe-shaped blade is structured and arranged to receive thereon a lower end of a piece of wood so that the piece of wood can be split by a hammer blow directed to an upper end of the piece of wood. A saddle member is coupled to the support base. The saddle member is structured and arranged to allow the piece of wood to lean against the saddle member and to hold the piece of wood upright at the moment when the piece of wood receives the hammer blow. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a manually operated apparatus for splitting wood.
2. Discussion of Background Information
The operation of manually splitting wood, i.e., without the help of expensive machines that are difficult to transport, and that is unsuitable in daily use, is effected todays as always in all regions of the world, out of necessity or as healthy sport training. The operation as a rule consists of placing a piece of wood to be split into two or more pieces onto a base, often a block of wood, and hitting the piece of wood with an axe from above. This operation is not free of dangers, however, as demonstrated in the statistics concerning the accidents it provokes. Handling a sharp axe is a very dangerous action as such. In many cases, due to mistaken aim, or because the piece of wood to be split has moved, etc., the trajectory of the axe does not obey the intentions of the operator. As a result, the operator, in many cases, injures himself, especially in his legs, with sometimes severe consequences. Furthermore, it happens frequently that with the first axe blow, the piece of wood is not totally split but instead remains clamped on the axe. The woodcutter (this term being used to designate the person handling the axe) must therefore re-lift the axe with the piece of wood clinging to it, but not yet split, and to bang them onto the block again. This is a very difficult and dangerous operation as during the blow against the block, the piece of wood may liberate itself and fly away in any direction.
In order to avoid these disadvantages and dangers inherent in the operation of splitting wood using the traditional axe, various methods of operation have become known, which essentially are based on the idea of inverting the position of the cutting blade of the axe. Thus no longer does the axe hit the piece of wood from above but instead the piece of wood is banged from above against the blade with the help of a heavy hammer or sledgehammer. This procedure certainly aims to provide greater safety for the woodcutter with regard to all dangers inherent in the all around swing of the sharp axe in the air.
A proposal in this direction is e.g., described in the DE 35 14 800 C2, according to which the apparatus for splitting wood or similar material presents a separating element, i.e., a blade in the form of rays-extending from one point. The device has cutting edges which form a support surface for the piece of wood to be split. The cutting edges of the blade element extend inclined upwards from the central point.
This solution was aimed at improving a much older idea shown in the DE-PS-28149, which shows a star-shaped splitting element whose rays however, extend downward from the central point of intersection of the blades arranged in star shape. This type of known apparatus, and above all the first one cited, which certainly represents a clear progress over the old idea of the star-shaped blade according to the DE-PS-28149, still presents at least two important disadvantages in practical use, namely that:                a) it is not possible to split the piece of wood into less than three pieces. For a star-shaped blade used as a support at least three blades are required as shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3 of the DE 35 14 800 C2. Thus the piece of wood cannot be split simply in two pieces.        b) The support base of the piece of wood to be split, consisting of three or more blades arranged in star-form, does not ensure absolutely stable emplacement of the piece of wood. The piece of wood is arranged so as to be "balancing" on the support surface. As a result, the insecurity of the emplacement is all the greater the longer the piece of wood is and the smaller its diameter is. Thus, the danger persists that the piece of wood could escape at the moment of vibration during the first hammer blow and thus the blow could miss it and possibly could damage the apparatus or even injure the operator. It is to be noted that this danger disappears after the first blow, because, if the piece of wood is not split completely by the first blow, it remains clamped between the blades and no longer can fall from its "artificial block" (of which the apparatus, described in the two documents establishing the state of the art, and also the present invention, also could be characterized).


A platform device for material excision or removal from vascular structures for either handheld or stereotactic table or robotics platform use may comprise a work element or elements configured to selectively open and close at least one articulable beak or scoopula configured to penetrate and remove intra-vascular materials or obstructions, or follow a central lumen of another device or over a wire in a longitudinal direction. Flush and vacuum tissue transport mechanisms may be incorporated as well as single or multiple arrays of image guidance elements, directional elements, ablation elements and other interventional assistance elements. A single tube or an inner sheath and an outer sheath which may be co-axially disposed relative to a work element may be configured to actuate a beak or beaks or scoopulas and provisions for simultaneous or differential beak or scoopula closing under their differential rotation may be incorporated.

Embodiments relate to medical devices and methods. More particularly, embodiments relate to hand-held or mounted, manually or robotically guided, single or multiple insertion, single or multiple excisional and interventional devices and corresponding methods for vascular imaging, evaluation, clearing, restoration and regenerative applications. Embodiments further relate to improvements over currently used acute and chronic total and subtotal vessel occlusion removal or interventional systems, specifically in providing minimally invasive and more widely capable, reliable cardio-vascular excisional and interventional devices and methods.


A telescoping hydraulic hoist formed from a non-corrosive material provides bearings and hydraulic seals about the bottom portion of each intermediate moving stage. The bearings and hydraulic seals are thus always maintained within the hoist and are not exposed to dust or particulate matter from outside the hoist. Air flows into and out of the air spaces between adjacent stages through air breathers. The hoist may also include variable length stroke limiters, and a cushion member which partially closes off the hydraulic inlet as the innermost stage is fully retracted to slow the hoist motion in the final stages of retraction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telescopic hydraulic hoist mechanisms, and in particular to such mechanisms that are made from rolled aluminum stock, are fast-acting; have greater bearing life and air breathers for the space between hydraulic stages, thereby preventing dirt from being sucked into the hydraulic mechanism.
2. Related Art
The Commercial Intertech Distribution Services Hydraulic Cylinder Division catalogue, (Date ?) pages 24-34 illustrates a number of "Dump Cylinder Identification Drawings" each representing a particular telescopic hydraulic mechanism respectively identified as: "ANTHONY"; "COMMERCIAL"; CUSTOM HOIST"; "FONTAINE"; "PEABODY GALION"; "GLENCO/FARMHAND"; "HEIL "OLD STYLE""HPT SERIES"; "HEIL "NEW STYLE" HPT SERIES"; "HYCO 900-2000 SERIES"; "HYCO 10,000 SERIES"; "HYCO 30,000 SERIES"; "HYCO 70,000 SERIES"; JOHNSON"; "LESSARD";"MAILHOT/"C" MODEL"; "MAILHOT/"M" MODEL COVER TUBE DESIGN"; "MARION MFCG."; NORDIC/NORD-SEN METAL INDUSTRIES"; "PERFECTION"; "PERFECTION FARM HOISTS"; "PRINCE"; and "WARD CO". These telescopic hydraulic dump cylinders collectively disclose various state-of-the-art features of such mechanisms, for example an oil port in the base trunnion and various seal mechanisms.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,376 to Campbell and entitled: "Extendible Tower Structure" discloses a plurality of nesting tower sections that can be telescopically raised into an extended position for supporting a load thereat. Hydraulic cylinders within the tower sections extend the tower sections.
U.S. Pat. No, 4,928,488 to Hunger and entitled: "Hydraulically-Operated Support Device for Semitrailers" discloses an extending cylinder in the bottom of which is formed a load-raising cylinder for a load-raising piston. A pump subassembly includes three independently operable pumps for generating and controlling the hydraulic operating pressure.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,944 to Leray et al. and entitled: "Telescopic Jack" discloses a plurality of coaxial tubular telescopic elements mounted within a cylinder and each pair of adjacent tubular telescoping elements has two pairs of cooperating annular recesses on their inner and outer surfaces which cooperate with an elastic ring to limit the outward movement of an inner tubular element relative to its adjacent outer element.
The prior art telescopic hydraulic mechanisms are prone to abnormal wear of their bearings, operate slowly, have inadequate sealing which admits dirt into the hydraulic cylinders and are heavy.


The purpose of the invention is to provide a novel aqueous dispersion that allows high solidification and that has good adherence and gasohol resistance to polyolefin substrates even on low-temperature baking.

From the reasons of high chemical stability, low price, excellent balance of physical properties, possible recycling, etc., the amount of using polyolefinic resins such as polypropylene is increasing centering around automotive parts, household electrical appliances and moldings for general goods.
However, polyolefinic resin is nonpolar and has a drawback of difficult painting and adhesion. Hence, it is a general trend to use chlorinated polypropylene or acid-modified chlorinated polypropylene as a constituting element of primer, paint, ink and adhesive.
Traditionally, these chlorinated resins were used after dissolving into aromatic organic solvent such as toluene or xylene, but, from the viewpoints of environmental problems and safety and hygiene, attempts on aqueous conversion are being made widely (Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-6009, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. Hei 5-209006 and Hei 6-80738, Japanese Patent No. 2769958, WO90/12656, etc.).
However, these aqueous converted resins have such a problem that they require a great deal of energy and time in the processes of drying and baking after coated onto substrate over the solvent-based resins.
For solving this problem, correspondences to high solidification and low-temperature baking of aqueous dispersion of chlorinated resins have become to be sought. On the other hand, high modularization of polyolefin substrates is advancing and, in particular, under the low-temperature baking condition sat around 80 to 90° C., sufficient adherent strength cannot be achieved with the aqueous dispersions that originate from conventional chlorinated resins, resulting in difficult correspondence. Furthermore, in the uses for automotive parts, it has become to be sought to combine also with gasohol resistance etc., creating a situation of more difficult correspondence.
One of the means for corresponding to the low-temperature baking, a method of lowering the softening temperature of raw material polypropylene is effective, but, in order to lower the softening temperature in the polymerization process that uses conventional Ziegler·Natta catalyst, it is required to increase the composition ratio of ethylene or other α-olefin, resulting in decreased physical properties such as adherence and gasohol resistance. If increasing the molecular weight of chlorinated resin to suppress the decreased physical properties, then poor dispersion results due to increased melt viscosity in the aqueous converting process, or the viscosity of final product obtained increases, thus becoming unsuitable for the high solidification.
Moreover, conventional polypropylene and copolymer of propylene with ethylene or other α-olefin have a wide molecular weight distribution, hence the molecular weight distribution after acid modification or chlorination also becomes wide, and the adherence and solvent resistance decrease due to the existence of relatively low-molecular components. In particular, decrease in the gasohol resistance is remarkable, and, in order to improve this, a process for removing the low-molecular components is required by performing extraction with solvent, etc., which is uneconomical.
Whereas, syndiotactic polypropylene (hereinafter SPP), produced by using metallocene catalyst has features of low softening temperature and also narrow molecular weight distribution, and technologies of primer comprising chlorinated resin that utilizes this SPP are disclosed (Japanese Patent No. 3045498 etc.). However, since most of the substrates have isotactic polypropylene (IPP) produced by using Ziegler·Natta catalyst as a major component, sufficient adherent strength cannot be achieved.
As described above, with the aqueous dispersions that use conventional chlorinated resins, it was impossible to achieve good adherent strength and gasohol resistance, while corresponding to the high solidification and low-temperature baking.
The purpose of the invention is to provide a novel aqueous dispersion that allows the high solidification and that has good adherence and gasohol resistance to polypropylene and various hard-adherent resin substrates even on low-temperature baking.
As a result of diligent investigations to solve the subjects, the inventors have found that an aqueous dispersion of carboxyl group-containing chlorinated propylenic random copolymer originating from propylenic random copolymer polymerized in the presence of metallocene catalyst solves the subjects. In addition, it has been found that the aqueous dispersion of the invention not only exhibits good adherence on to polypropylene substrates, but also exhibits good adherence similarly onto PET and other hard-adherent substrates.

Aqueous dispersion, process for producing the same, and use

Abstract: An aqueous dispersion characterized by dispersedly containing carboxyl group-containing chlorinated propylenic random copolymer with chlorine content of 5 to 40% by weight, grafting level of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or its anhydride of 0.1 to 20% by weight and weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 300,000, and stabilizer, a method for the production and the uses thereof.


An adjustable bumper system for use at a loading dock which has a dock leveler having a deck pivotally mounted to a portion of the dock. The dock leveler has a lip pivotally attached to one end of said deck. The bumper system has a pair of support members each mounted to a portion of the dock. The support members may be pivotally mounted and extend along sides of the deck of said dock leveler. The support members may also be mounted to the dock face and move vertically. Dock bumpers are mounted to each support member and are positionable between two different vertical positions as the support member is moved. The dock bumpers project outward from the dock beyond the pendent lip and are adjustable to engage the rear of vehicles having different heights.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to loading dock equipment and in particular to a dock structure having bumpers that are vertically adjustable to accommodate vehicles of different sizes.
2. Prior Art
Most loading docks are designed for standard truck trailers which typically have a bed height of 48 to 52 inches. Many new "high-cube" trailers have a bed height of 32 to 36 inches. The difficulty is that dock bumpers placed high enough for a standard trailer will impede access to low trailers. Conversely, bumpers placed for the low trailers will allow standard trailers to pass over and impact the building. There are several conventional solutions to accommodate both low and standard height trailers but all involve compromises that impede effective dock operations.
The simple solution is to have separate docks, each having the proper height for the trailer, but this increases cost of a dock installation and reduces the flexibility of a single dock to handle various trailers. As a consequence the dock may be unoccupied for periods of time because the trailers do not match the configuration.
Another solution is to use wheel riser ramps or hydraulic truck levelers mounted on the driveway. However, this solution interferes with the ability of vehicle restraints to engage the ICC bar of the low trailer when it is raised to dock height, and also interferes with snow removal in northern climates. Some low trailer applications can be serviced by using long dock levelers with extended below dock range. However, most dock levelers are limited to 7 feet width as a wider leveler would not allow sufficient space at each side to mount the bumpers to engage the trailer and if the cargo to be loaded is the full width of the trailer, it will not pass between the sides of the leveler pit when the leveler is below the dock floor. It is also expensive to install.


The invention relates to an image processing method for processing an image representing a tubular structure having walls, comprising steps for determining a flight path (EP) inside this tubular structure between a first and a second predetermined end points, said flight path being both the shortest path between said end points and the farthest from the structure walls (NB1). Said steps may comprise locating the structure wall points, determining a surface at a predetermined constant distance from said wall points, inside the structure, for forming a central region (CR), and determining, in said central region, the shortest path (EP) between the first and second end points.

The invention relates to an image processing method for processing an image representing a tubular structure and for constructing a path related to said structure. The invention also relates to an image processing system to perform said method. The invention further relates to medical CT or MR apparatus having processing means for constructing 3D-images and processing means for performing virtual endoscopy based on said method.
The invention finds its application in the industry of medical apparatus.
An image processing method for computation of a flight path in medical images for virtual endoscopy is already known from the publication xe2x80x9cAutomated Flight Path Planning for Virtual Endoscopyxe2x80x9d by David S. PAIK, Christopher F. BEAULIEU et alii, in Med. Phys. 25 (5), May 1998, pp.629-637. This publication discloses an automatic computation of a flight path for guiding virtual endoscopic exploration of three-dimensional medical images. This flight path finding method, for positioning a virtual camera flying through images, includes a medial axis transform which provides a first path and an iterative correction of said first path toward the medial axis. More specifically, this method comprises steps of: segmentation of the volume by an operation of region growing and xe2x80x9cbubblexe2x80x9d removal; computation of a first path by connecting a starting voxel to an end voxel; iterative bringing towards the 3-D medial axis, referred to as improvement of the first path; smoothing the path to determine positions along the medial axis to form said flight path; determination of the virtual camera orientation (direction and twist) along the flight path.
This method first defines a structure of interest by a region growing algorithm which segments the 3-D image starting from seed voxels and which grows regions of interest by connecting to each seed voxel 26 voxels meeting a threshold criterion and by removing inhomogeneities called bubbles; then this method computes an Euclidean distance map in a region of interest and a first Euclidean path that is the shallowest descent in this map; this first Euclidean path is further centralized by an iterative step which removes all surface voxels from the region of interest, determining a new distance map and a new path through this new distance map until the region of interest is thinned away and only the centralized path remains.
This known method provides means for constructing a flight path which is centered at best in said tubular structure. For the application to virtual endoscopy, a centered path is not actually most appropriate to fly the virtual camera through the tubular object because the anatomical tubular object is generally very contorted so that a centered path would be unnecessarily very long and complicated. Besides, certain location found on said centered path would not even be correct to position the virtual camera because for instance said location may be situated just in front of an important protuberance obstructing the view. Moreover, using the computing means known at the present time, the known method needs several minutes to be performed because it necessitates the computation of several distance maps in the iterative step which is proportionally time consuming.
The visualization of volumetric medical image data plays a crucial part in diagnosis operation and therapy planning. The better anatomy and pathology are understood, the more efficient operations can be performed at low risk. Basically, virtual endoscopy gives views of regions of the body dangerous or impossible to reach physically with a camera, such as brain vessels for example, the only requirement being to inject a contrast product in the anatomical objects for better detection. Virtual endoscopy supplies perspective views of human anatomy simulated from the inside of tubular structures. This allows the user to view complex anatomical structures in a comfortable way after data acquisition and almost instantly. A virtual endoscopic system may comport two parts:
Means for an endoscopic path construction providing a continuous location of a flight through the tubular structure of interest;
Three-dimensional interior viewing along the endoscopic path; those views are adjoined creating an animation which simulates a virtual flight through them; the views may be created using 3-D rendering or ray tracing known techniques.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for acquiring data of a 3-D image representing a contorted tubular structure and for constructing automatically the most appropriate path to fly inside said structure for application to virtual endoscopy in 3-D medical images. It is an other object of the invention to provide said method to be carried out in less time than the known method when using the same kind of computing means.
According to the invention, these objects are achieved by a method in which a first end point and a second end point for a flight path inside the tubular structure are determined and the flight path is determined which is the shortest path between the first and second end points at a maximum, constant distance from the walls of the tubular structure irrespective of the shape of the tubular structure.
An advantage of the method of the invention is that the constructed path in a contorted tubular object shows two important properties. First, this path is maintained at a predetermined distance from the internal walls of the contorted tubular object which may be different from the distance of the exact center line but is more appropriate for obtaining a good visualization of the interior of the object, thereby ensuring that the visualization is not obstructed by a nearby protuberance. Second, this path is also the smallest possible path remaining at the predetermined distance from the internal walls. Another advantage is that this method is completely automated, apart from the need to set only two end conditions, and that only a small part of the 3-D image is visited for finding the path. Another advantage is that only one first computation of a distance map is needed, the first distance map providing the data necessary to perform the further steps of the method. So, the method is not time consuming: only 10 to 30 seconds are necessary to carry out the steps of providing the path with the same kind of computing means as the method of the cited prior art. Another advantage of this method is that it further permits building of a 3-D interior view of the structure along this path without user interactivity other than setting the two end conditions. It also permits visualizing of the inside of the structure without colliding with the internal walls, without crossing the walls and without being obstructed by parts of the contorted tubular object. In particular, this method permits visualizing of the inside of anatomical objects in 3-D CT or MR images in a virtual way and in an automated manner. Thus, this method may be applied to virtual endoscopy.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a system for carrying out this method and to provide a medical apparatus having means for acquiring 3-D images and having a system to process the images according to this method for virtual endoscopy.
This problem is solved respectively by a system as claimed in claim 9, and by an apparatus as claimed in claim 10.

Image processing method, system and apparatus for processing an image representing tubular structure and for constructing a path related to said structure


For the detection of undissolved gas in the brake system; hydraulic pressure is built up and at least one characteristic value for the pressure buildup such as the master cylinder pressure, the brake pedal distance, the drop in storage chamber pressure, etc., is checked to see if it exceeds a predetermined limit value. If this limit value is exceeded, it is assumed that there is an unacceptable amount of undissolved gas in the hydraulic component of the brake system.

The invention pertains to a method and to an apparatus for testing the brake system of a vehicle having electrically actuated valves.
A brake system for a vehicle in which the brake pressure in the wheel brakes of the vehicle is adjusted by the actuation of a valve assembly as a function of the braking command derived from the driver's actuation of the brake pedal is known from DE-A 41 12 137. In an electrical brake system such as this, it is also provided that, if the electrical control fails, a conventional hydraulic control of the wheel brakes depending on the actuation of the brake pedal can be activated. When the electrical control fails, the driver can therefore decelerate the vehicle and bring it to a stop by actuating the brake pedal. To do this, he must apply the required brake pressure to the wheel brakes by way of the pedal and the brake cylinder of the hydraulic brake system. To ensure the operational reliability of this electrohydraulic brake system, it is necessary for this emergency system to be tested even during normal operating conditions, because a failure of the emergency system after the breakdown of the electrical control can lead to the failure of the entire brake system. A particular problem in this context is the presence of an unacceptable amount of undissolved gas in the brake fluid of the closed emergency brake circuit.

Method and apparatus for testing the brake system of a vehicle


A hand held wireless device, such as hand-held data device or cellular telephone, has a simple internal or partly internal antenna system. The antenna system consists of an essentially internal or partly internal asymmetrical dipole with quarter-wave resonator section and radiating planar section, in conjunction with a planar parasitic element closely spaced to the asymmetrical dipole. The radiating planar section may be the ground traces of the HHWCDs printed wiring board PWB.

The invention relates to hand-held wireless communication devices (HHWCDs), such as hand-held data devices, cellular telephones, and the like, having an antenna. In particular, the invention relates to such devices having an antenna system, the antenna system including a parasitic element. The antenna system can be internal or partially internal to the device. The HHWCDs having antennas according to the present invention may be used for transmitting, receiving or for transmitting and receiving.
Dipoles, both symmetric and asymmetric, monopoles, and slot antennas provide linear polarization and a doughnut antenna pattern in free space.
Crossed dipoles or slots, referred to as a turnstile antenna, produce circular polarization and near-hemispherical antenna pattern.
Helices provide circular polarization and directivity. Quadrifilar helices provide circular polarization, and near-hemispherical antenna pattern.
Patch antennas provide hemispherical antenna pattern and circular polarization.
Arrays of monopole, dipole, or loop elements provide directivity and linear polarization.
A principal object of the invention is to control the antenna radiation pattern of a HHWCD antenna.
A related object of the invention is to control the antenna radiation pattern of a HHWCD antenna without increasing the size of the HHWCD.
Another object, applicable only to some of the described embodiments, is to provide a simple low-cost internal antenna system for HHWCDs, suitable for high volume manufacturing and eliminating the susceptibility to damage of external antennas.
Another objective of the invention is to use the existing printed wiring board (PWB) or printed circuit board (PCB) of a HHWCD as part of an internal or partly internal antenna system.
According to the teachings of the present invention, HHWCDs have an antenna system comprising an asymmetrical dipole driven element with a planar resonator element or section and a planar radiating element or section, in conjunction with a thin planar parasitic element closely spaced to the driven element, particularly the planar radiating section thereof The radiating planar section may be the ground traces of the HHWCD""s printed wiring board (PWB). The resonator element may be planar and configured as a meandering or serpentine conductor in order to save space and allow the antenna to be totally internal within the device. Such a resonator has negligible radiation because of its configuration. Alternatively, the resonator need not be planar and need not be internal. The resonator may be, for example, an essentially quarter-wavelength straight or coiled wire, mounted externally or an essentially quarter-wavelength planar inverted-F. In the case of an internal planar meandering or serpentine conductor, the resonator""s conductor may be the conductive printed wiring trace on a PWB dielectric, a metal stamping, or the like.
In accordance with the present invention, a hand held wireless communications device comprises an enclosure for the device and an antenna, at least partly within the enclosure. The antenna operates within a frequency band and includes a driven element and a thin planar parasitic element. The parasitic element has a generally square configuration wherein the major dimensions of the parasitic element are about a half wavelength within the frequency band. The parasitic element is spaced from the driven element by 0.01 to 0.1 wavelength within the frequency band.
The antenna has dual polarization in some directions and three polarizations in some directions.
The peak gain of a classic dipole antenna or array of dipoles is in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the dipole. The peak gain of the antenna of the HHWCD of the present invention is nearly normal to the fed dipole axis in one plane and is in one direction, at approximately 195 degrees, as shown in FIG. 5 (described further below). In another plane, the peak gain occurs at angles of approximately 45 and 70 degrees away from the direction perpendicular to the dipole""s major axis as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (described further below). As will be understood more fully in connection with the antenna patterns described below, this antenna exhibits maximum forward gain on the order of +3 dBi and maximum front-to-back ratio on the order of 7 dB. The antenna demonstrates the characteristic of having two orthogonal polarizations that may combine to result in circular polarization.
The pattern of the antenna is thought to be a result of the placement, size, and design of the asymmetric dipole and the parasitic plate conductor. The front-to-back directivity can be utilized to reduce energy in the direction of a user of the HHWCD, while increasing energy in the opposite direction. The polarization diversity minimizes fading caused by multipath, a common problem with HHWCDs.

Handheld wireless communication device having antenna with parasitic element exhibiting multiple polarization


A test probe for microcircuits includes a unitary elongated electrically conductive arm. A rear end portion is for connecting to a test circuit; a front end portion is for contacting a circuit to be tested and has an upwardly extending tip. A rear central portion is positioned adjacent the rear end portion, and a front central portion between the rear central portion and the front end portion, which has a slot extending between the side surfaces. Typically the test probe is sandwiched in spaced relation between two ground probes having rear portions for connecting to ground, which are movably affixed to a retaining block having slots for holding the probes. The configuration of the signal probe, the probe slot, and the ground probe is dependent upon the spacing between the probes, the retainer block material, the frequency of the signal, and the impedance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circuit testing devices and methods and, more particularly, to such devices and methods for radio-frequency circuits.
2. Description of Related Art
Test probes for use in testing electronic circuitry are known in the art to comprise one or more elongated arms having a downwardly depending, typically pointed, electrically conductive distal tip for contacting a portion of the circuit. One of the inventors of the present application has disclosed test probes and assemblies in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,151,465; 4,177,425; and 4,618,821, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
It is known to be preferable for the probe arm to have a certain amount of flexibility for permitting reproducible and nondamaging contact with the circuit. Exemplary flexure means are disclosed in the ""465 and ""821 patents. Other such probes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,973,903; 4,965,865; 5,720,098; and 5,883,519.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a probe for testing circuits having improved flexibility.
It is a further object to provide such a probe having a longer lifespan and durability.
It is another object to provide such a probe having a tunable bandpass.
It is an additional object to provide such a probe having a controllable impedance.
It is also an object to provide such a probe that functions in the gigahertz rf range.
It is yet a further object to provide a method of making such a probe.
It is yet another object to provide a method of using such a probe.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention a test probe for testing microcircuits. The test probe comprises a unitary elongated electrically conductive arm member that is movably affixable to a retaining block. The test probe has a pair of generally planar and parallel side surfaces extending along a longitudinal axis. A rear end portion is for connecting to a test circuit, and a front end portion is for contacting a circuit to be tested and comprises an upwardly extending tip.
A rear central portion is positioned adjacent the rear end portion, with the front central portion between the rear central portion and the front end portion. The front central portion has a slot extending through the arm between the side surfaces.
Typically the test probe is sandwiched in spaced relation between two similarly constructed ground probes, these having rear portions for connecting to ground. These three probes are movably affixed to a retaining block having slots therein for holding the probes.
It should be emphasized that the present invention has great adaptability for different situations. For example, the assembly may have one or more contact points depending upon the application. The assembly may also be configured as a probe where it is moved from contact point to contact point, such as for use as a semiconductor wafer probe. It may additionally be configured as a socket where multiple contact points are arranged in a pattern and a device is inserted or placed onto the contact points.
A particular benefit of the present invention lies in its multiplicity of degrees of freedom, including selectable impedance, selectable contact spacing, selectable overtravel, selectable contact pressure, and selectable frequency response.
Most probes that are currently available are designed for a characteristic impedance of 50xcexa9, with 75-xcexa9 probes also available. With the present invention, a range of impedances is achievable as a function of geometry, by adjusting the shape of the contact and the proximity of the adjacent ground contact or reflecting structure in concert with the dielectric between them controlling the impedance.
In addition, the contact spacing is adjustable for each application.
Overtravel is the ability for the contact(s) to be moved beyond an initial point of contact with a device. The type, thickness, and shape of material used for the contact controls overtravel. It is believed desirable to have an abundance of overtravel and strict control of it because: (1) Overtravel provides the ability to planarize an array of contact and eliminates the need for ultraprecise orthogonal relationships between each contact and between the contact array and the device to be tested; and (2) the shape of the contact and overtravel creates a torsion component that controls the contact pressure applied to the device being tested.
The probe assembly of the present invention is designed for very wide frequency response, from dc to hundreds of gigahertz (1010 Hz). The response can also be tailored to fit the requirements of a given application by limiting the high-, low-, or mid-frequency response by changing the shape, dielectric material, and contact-to-contact proximity.
The spacing, impedance, overtravel, and frequency requirements of the application dictate the materials used and the final shape of the contact or contact array. The contact is designed iteratively, with an initial shape selected to fit the physical spacing, overtravel, and pressure constraints. A dielectric is chosen based on the shape selected to obtain an impedance close to the design requirements. Multiple dielectrics may be required to maintain the desired impedance from end to end of the contact. Mathematical simulations are performed and the results evaluated. Adjustments may be made as needed to optimize the response, and simulations run again if necessary until a desired simulation is achieved. The resulting design is manufactured and tested and redesigned if the simulated and actual results are not comparable to a desired degree.
The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. These and other objects attained, and advantages offered, by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

High-frequency test probe assembly for microcircuits and associated methods


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implemented for creating and manipulating groups of color swatches that represent the results obtained by mixing multiple inks, such as multiple spot inks or spot inks and process inks. A mixed color group is defined based on data representing two or more colors, representing inks, and color parameters for each of the colors. The mixed color group includes mixed color swatches that each represent a mixture of amounts of two or more colors. The amounts of colors for each of the mixed color swatches are defined according to a function of the color parameters of the colors. The invention allows a user to create and modify swatches representing a spectrum of mixed colors from a combination of spot colors and/or process colors.

This invention relates to representing inks in electronic document systems. Computer programs such as page layout programs, graphical illustration programs and image processing programs provide users with the ability to create, edit and display electronic documents that can include color. Typically, such programs also provide users with the ability to print their documents, and many programs attempt to represent documents on the computer monitor in colors that bear some relation to the colors that will be output by a printer.
Printers typically use inks to print documents, which can be differentiated by the appearance or color one perceives when viewing the ink. Traditional printing systems can use inks of two types, process inks and spot inks. Process inks, which typically include the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black (also referred to as C, M, Y and K, respectively), are used in so-called process printing to produce full-color photographs and designs. When combinations of these inks are printed as a series of halftone dot patterns, they can create the appearance of a wide variety of colors.
Spot inks, on the other hand, are inks other than the process inks, such as specially mixed inks, that are applied individually to the printed page. Spot inks are typically used to match a particular color in a document, or when only a small number of colors will be printed on the page. Typically, spot inks are specified by spot color printing systems, such as the PANTONE®, DIC, TOYO or ANPA systems. If a specific color is desired in a printed document, a spot ink can often provide the desired color more accurately than a mixture of process inks. However, spot inks tend to be more expensive than process inks, so that using more than a few spot inks in a printing process increases the cost. Accordingly, using process inks to achieve a range of desired colors is typically more economical for printing a broad spectrum of colors.


The invention concerns a printed circuit board terminal with a housing with two frontal sides and at least one insertion opening arranged in one of the frontal sides, through which an electrical conductor can be inserted into the housing in one insertion direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board terminal.
2. Background of the Invention
DE 10 2010 014 143 A1 and DE 10 2010 014 144 A1 reveal an electrical terminal for a clamping connection of at least one electrical conductor with an operating device which is formed as a pusher integral with the housing of the terminal. Due to the integral design of the operating element on the housing, this can break at the bending point after just a few operations. Furthermore, such an operating element is not easy to operate, especially not with one finger.
The problem underlying this invention is to build a genus specific printed circuit board connecting terminal, particularly of the kind that is easily to operate.
The problem of this invention is solved by a printed circuit board terminal with the characteristics described herein below.


A fleet of lift trucks includes a lift truck for walk-behind operation without a stand-on platform and a lift truck for stand-on operation with a stand-on platform. Each lift truck of the fleet of lift trucks has a vehicle frame, to which a traction unit, a lifting device, and, optionally, a stand-on platform can be fastened. At least one lift truck of the fleet of lift trucks without a stand-on platform and at least one lift truck of the fleet of lift trucks with a stand-on platform (6, 8) have the identical vehicle frame. Each vehicle frame also has fastening elements for the optional fastening of a housing wall (5), a folding stand-on platform (6), and/or a fixed stand-on platform (8).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fleet of lift trucks having lift trucks for walk-behind operation without a stand-on platform and lift trucks for stand-on operation with a stand-on platform, wherein each lift truck of the fleet of lift trucks has a vehicle frame to which a traction drive unit, a steering device, a lifting device, and, optionally, a stand-on platform can be fastened.
2. Technical Considerations
Lift trucks of the types described above, with and without a driver's stand-on platform, are in the product lines of major manufacturers of industrial trucks and are frequently used by the manufacturers in their own production operations. As used herein, the various lift trucks built by a manufacturer with and without a stand-on platform are identified by the general term "fleet of lift trucks."
In walk-behind operation, the operator walks behind or next to the lift truck and controls the lift truck by means of a steering bar. Lift trucks that are designed exclusively for walk-behind operation are equipped with a steering bar and do not have a stand-on platform for the operator.
Stand-on operation means that during operation of the lift truck, the operator is on the lift truck, for example in a standing position on a stand-on platform. A steering bar or other suitable operating element can be provided to control a lift truck that has a stand-on platform.
Lift trucks that can be used optionally in stand-on operation or walk-behind operation generally have a stand-on platform that folds up and are generally equipped with a steering bar.
The various possible models of the above-mentioned lift trucks of a fleet of lift trucks place different requirements on the vehicle frame of the lift truck. On lift trucks with a stand-on platform for the driver, the weight that is exerted on the stand-on platform must be absorbed by the vehicle frame. Lift trucks that are designed for stand-on operation generally also have a higher maximum speed than walk-behind lift trucks, in which the maximum speed of travel may not exceed walking speed. Consequently, the dynamic load that is exerted on the vehicle frame during travel on stand-on lift trucks is greater than on walk-behind lift trucks. The higher speed of travel of the stand-on lift trucks also requires a more complex design of the drive system and of the chassis of the lift truck.
To meet these different requirements, it has long been conventional to manufacture the different lift trucks in a fleet of lift trucks with different vehicle frames. With regard to manufacturing, however, this approach requires the maintenance of an inventory of a large number and variety of components for the different lift trucks of the fleet of lift trucks.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a fleet of lift trucks that can be manufactured with a smaller number of different components than conventional lift trucks.


A sealing structure has: a plate portion that is formed with a harder material than a bendable substrate and interposes an electronic device via the substrate from a top surface and a back surface of the substrate on which the electronic device is mounted; and an elastic body that is provided on an outer periphery of the plate portion to cover a part of the plate portion and integrally molded so as to press the plate portion against the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a sealing structure that seals an electronic device mounted on a substrate of an antenna apparatus that receives a wireless signal transmitted from a capsule endoscope inserted into a subject; and the antenna apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in the field of endoscopes, a capsule endoscope, which has an imaging function, a radio communication function, and the like accommodated in a capsule-shaped housing formed in a size capable of being introduced into the digestive tract of a subject such as a patient, has been known. After being swallowed from the mouth of the subject, the capsule endoscope generates image data by sequentially capturing images of inside of the subject, while moving inside the subject, such as in the digestive tract, by the peristaltic movement or the like, and sequentially transmits the image data wirelessly.
The image data wirelessly thus transmitted by the capsule endoscope is received by a receiving device via a receiving antenna apparatus provided outside the subject. The receiving device has a memory that stores therein the received image data, and is portable by the subject.
As the antenna apparatus described above, an apparatus in which a plurality of receiving antennas are distributively arranged on a flexible sheet has been known. In the antenna apparatus, one receiving antenna having the greatest receiving strength of the wireless signal is selected, and the wireless signal is received by the selected receiving antenna (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-330508).


Disclosed is a method for detecting and quantifying gut flora derived from human faeces, comprising acquiring a solid support containing human faeces; optionally amplifying nucleic acid from the human faeces; and detecting and quantifying the presence of gut flora of interest. Also disclosed is a method for assessing whether a person has type-2 diabetes as well as a kit for detecting and quantifying gut flora from human faeces, comprising a solid support for collecting human faeces; and primer pairs for amplifying 16S rRNA sequence from bacteria of interest.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide. Type 2 diabetes results from the interaction between a genetic predisposition and behavioural and environmental risk factors. Although the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes has yet to be identified, there is strong evidence that modifiable risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity are the main non-genetic determinants of the disease.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus consists of an array of dysfunctions characterized by hyperglycemia and resulting from the combination of resistance to insulin action, inadequate insulin secretion, and excessive or inappropriate glucagon secretion. Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes is associated with an array of micro- and macro-vascular, and neuropathic complications. Micro-vascular complications of diabetes include serious retinal, renal, and possibly neuropathic disease. Macro-vascular complications include coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. Diabetic neuropathy affects autonomic and peripheral nerves. Thus control of type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and Type 1 (insulin dependent) disease has serious implications for patient morbidity and clinical management.
Diabetes mellitus (Type 1 & 2) is characterized by recurrent or persistent hyperglycemia, and is diagnosed by demonstrating any one of the following:
Fasting plasma glucose level≥7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl)
Plasma glucose≥11.1 mmol/l (200 mg/dL) two hours after a 75 g oral glucose load as in a glucose tolerance test
Symptoms of hyperglycemia and casual plasma glucose≥11.1 mmol/l (200 mg/dl)
Glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1C)≥6.5%
Impaired glucose tolerance is an intermediate category between normal glucose tolerance and overt diabetes, and it can be identified by an oral glucose tolerance test and is a good initial diagnostic tool for the onset of Type 2 diabetes. A glucose tolerance test is a medical investigation in which glucose is given and blood samples taken afterward to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. The test is usually used to test for diabetes and insulin resistance. This test, however, gives very little information on the progression of the disease. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease characterized by worsening of multiple abnormalities and loss of glycaemic control over time. An increasing need for glucose-lowering treatments is emphasised by the almost inevitable failure of monotherapy and occurrence of weight gain. Longer survival times and development of type 2 diabetes at a younger age also increase the risk of developing micro- and macro-vascular complications. A hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus is declining pancreatic β-cell function, which begins years before diagnosis and continues throughout the disease process. This deterioration continues despite initiation of numerous therapies, as these interventions lower glucose but do not directly slow β-cell decline and dysfunction. Defects in α-cell function are also important contributors to disease progression. Nonetheless, these subtle changes associated with disease progression of Type 2 diabetes are usually very difficult to monitor in a clinical setting.
Unlike patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 patients are not absolutely dependent on insulin for life. However, many patients with type 2 diabetes are ultimately treated with insulin. Because these patients retain the ability to secrete some endogenous insulin, Type 2 patients are considered to require insulin but are not depend on insulin. Nonetheless, following initial diagnosis and unlike type 1 diabetes monitoring disease progression is a complex process. Thus, there is a clear need for early indicators of disease progression for Type 2 diabetes, as reversion to normal glucose regulation slows disease progression, and this is associated with a better prognosis and clinical outlook.
The number of people with type 2 diabetes has risen in recent years, and scientists estimate that just as many people could be suffering from the illness without realizing it. Research now indicates that the presence of specific gut bacteria may act as an indicator of disease progression.
A recent study examined the intestinal bacteria of 345 people, of which 171 had type 2 diabetes and managed to identify clear micro-biological indicators that could in the future be used to act as a useful indicator of disease progression and suggest that clinical intervention is required. (A metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes. Junjie Qin et al., 2012 doi:10.1038/nature11450.) In this case life style changes may be designed along with diet modification to prevent or delay the further onset of type 2 diabetes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.
Even though the scientific question remains as to whether the changes in gut bacteria influence the development of type 2 diabetes or whether the changes simply reflect that the person has presented with type 2 diabetes, any potential change in the microbial gut content may be used as a basis of i) an indicator of and ii) the progression of type 2 diabetes. In the paper the authors described a controlled meta-genome-wide association study based on next-generation shotgun sequencing of DNA extracted from the stool samples from a total of 345 Chinese people (171 had type 2 diabetes and the remainder were non-diabetic controls). None of the individuals had received any antibiotic treatment within 2 months before sample collection. The faecal samples were frozen immediately after collection.
After storage DNA was extracted using standard methods and a paired-end adaptor library with insert size of ˜350 base pairs for every sample was generated and subjected to Next Generation Sequencing. Adaptor contamination and low-quality reads were discarded, and the remaining DNA sequences were electronically filtered to eliminate human DNA. From the remaining sequences derived from the non-diabetic controls an assessment of the type and number of bacteria present in a representative non-diabetic gut was generated and this was then compared to that generated from patients with type 2 diabetes. From these data a relationship was generated that correlated the presence of certain bacteria with the Type 2 diabetic gut.
The information generated from the non-diabetic controls actually provides a paradigm for future studies of the pathophysiological role of the gut bacterial meta-genome in other human disorders, and the potential usefulness for a gut-bacterial content approach for assessment of individuals at risk of such disorders.
Several scientific papers describe the use of a solid support paper sold under the trade name FTA® to collect, store and transport faecal samples for the molecular detection of certain microbial infections that are related to certain underlying disease states such as cancers (Fecal collection, ambient preservation, and DNA extraction for PCR amplification of bacterial and human markers from human faeces. Nechvatal J M, et al., J Microbiol Methods. 2008 February; 72(2):124-32). In addition the technology has been used to simply diagnose the presence of specific microorganism in the gut. Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in animal fecal isolates from Nepal using an FTA filter-base polymerase chain reaction method. Chu D M, et al., Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004 October; 71(4):373-9. Evaluation of DNA extraction and PCR methods for detection of Enterocytozoon bienuesi in stool specimens. Subrungruang I, et al., J Clin Microbiol. 2004 August; 42(8):3490-4. Thus, faecal DNA irrespective of the origin may be preserved on the FTA paper.

Screening and monitoring the progression of type 2 diabetes by the molecular identification of human gut flora using FTA as a faecal collection device

Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd


The present specification discloses systems and methods of patient monitoring in which multiple sensors are used to detect physiological parameters and the data from those sensors are correlated to determine if an alarm should, or should not, be issued, thereby resulting in more precise alarms and fewer false alarms. Electrocardiogram readings can be combined with invasive blood pressure, non-invasive blood pressure, and/or pulse oximetry measurements to provide a more accurate picture of pulse activity and patient respiration. In addition, the monitoring system can also use an accelerometer or heart valve auscultation to further improve accuracy.

Most patient monitoring is typically implemented by measuring and observing a plurality of physiological parameters such as: ECG (Electrocardiogram), Pulse Oximetry (involving measuring blood oxygen levels or SpO2), Respiration (derived from ECG signal or from other parameters), Invasive Blood Pressure (or IBP that involves direct measurement of blood pressure from an indwelling catheter), and Non-Invasive Blood Pressure (or NIBP that involves use of automated oscillometric methods).
Typically these physiological parameters have a set of vital signs and derived measurements which can be configured to alert a caregiver if the measured values move outside of configured ranges. Each parameter has a plurality of alarms that can be considered to be of different priorities. However, prior art methods and systems tend to treat each of these parameters independently for deciding/determining alarm situations or fail to provide a workable mechanism for effectively determining whether an alarm state, derived from the signal of a particular patient monitoring device, is false, likely to be false, or sufficiently indicative of the state of a patient to warrant alerting a caregiver. As a result, the clinical user may experience an unacceptable number of alarms within these patient monitoring systems. The caregiver will ultimately see a conglomeration of alarm states from various fluctuations for each of the parameters, leading to unnecessary distraction and caregiver apathy regarding alarms.
Accordingly there is need in the art for methods and systems that effectively suppress or demote the number of false alarms the user sees and to make sure that when the system alarms there is a significant probability that the patient requires immediate attention.

Methods and systems to determine multi-parameter managed alarm hierarchy during patient monitoring


A connector apparatus provides an interconnection between an IC pack and a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes a header connector for mounting on the printed circuit board and into which the IC pack is inserted and from which it is ejected. A plurality of terminals on the header connector are adapted for interconnection of the IC pack to electrical traces on the printed circuit board. An electrical switch is provided on the header connector and is actuated in response to movement of the IC pack therewithin. The switch is interconnected to electrical traces on the printed circuit board.

A conventional connector apparatus for an IC pack or memory card includes a generally U-shaped connector assembly having guide grooves inside a pair of side portions, with a connector section joining or extending between the side portions. A planar IC pack is inserted into the apparatus between the side portions. A transverse array of socket terminals at an edge of the IC pack electrically interconnect with an associated array of pin terminals on the connector section.
Such connector apparatus often are provided as header connectors used for interconnecting the semi-conductor circuit of the IC pack to an external circuit such as a main electronic unit. The header connector may be used with an IC pack or memory card for removably coupling the IC pack to a printed circuit board. The IC pack is inserted into the header connector and is extracted therefrom as needed. The extraction force of the IC pack, i.e. the force between the respective terminal pins on the header connector and the respective socket terminals of the IC pack, is relatively high due to the tight fit required to obtain a good electrical interconnection between the terminals. These terminals typically are disposed at a high density which further increases the extraction forces. Often, when an IC pack is to be extracted from a header connector, the card is grasped by a user and simply pulled out. Consequently, a variety of ejecting mechanisms have been incorporated in various connector apparatus, such as the header connectors, for facilitating ejecting an IC pack from a header connector.
One of the problems with IC pack connector apparatus of the character described above, particularly in header connectors employed with printed circuit boards, is that the insertion or extraction of the IC packs with respect to the connectors can interfere with ongoing processes or interrupt data transfer, for example, between the ic pack and the main electronic unit. This invention is directed to solving such problems by providing a switch means in the connector apparatus, the switch means being actuated in response to the movement, i.e. the insertion or extraction of an IC pack with respect to the apparatus. Therefore, the switch means can be used to shut down various processing through the apparatus during insertion or extraction of the IC pack into or from the header connector. The switch means may be incorporated in the ejecting mechanism so that major modifications to standard IC packs and the interfacing of the packs with the connector apparatus do not have to be made.

IC pack connector apparatus with switch means


When a printing process on a first apparatus is interrupted due to an error and the printing process is resumed by a second apparatus, it is determined whether a predetermined function (for example, stapling) is selected for the printing process according to the printing mode. If the predetermined function is selected for the printing process, the second printing apparatus prints the number of copies including the copy interrupted in the first machine according to the print setting. If the predetermined function is not selected for the printing process, the second printing apparatus prints the number of copies excluding the interrupted copy and the unprinted pages in the interrupted copy according to the print setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming systems capable of printing copies of image data read by a copier using a plurality of copiers on a job-sharing basis, and relates to methods for controlling image forming systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
A function of printing copies of image data read by one copier using a plurality of copiers by sharing the copies among the plurality of copiers is well known. Such a function is referred to as, for example, cascade copying. When cascade copying is used for printing, ten copies of an original, for example, images represented by image data read by a scanner of a copier A can be printed by each of the copier A and a copier B in two groups of five. Thus, printing can be finished in half the time of printing using only one copier.
When an error such as a paper jam, a run out of paper error, and a run out of toner error that prevents continuation of the printing process occurs in one of the copiers during cascade copying, the rest of the copies that were to be printed by the copier having the error can be printed by the other copier instead (substitution copying; see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-198781).
This function will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D. For example, a user has an original document of one hundred pages, and wants to make ten copies of the document (FIG. 1A). When the user uses the above-described cascade copying function, image data read by the copier A is sent to the copier B, and each of the copier A and the copier B prints five copies of the document (FIG. 1B). When an error such as a paper jam occurs in the copier B at the moment of finishing printing of the eightieth page of the third copy, substitution copying is performed (FIG. 1C). More specifically, when the copier A receives an error notification from the copier B, the copier A is set to print three extra copies that have not been printed by the copier B in addition to the five copies already allocated to the copier A (FIG. 1C). That is, the copier A prints the copies that have not been printed by the copier B instead of the copier B. In the above-described technology, eight copies of the document are printed by the copier A, and two copies and eighty pages that do not constitute a complete copy are printed by the copier B when the printing is finished. That is, eighty extra pages are unnecessarily printed by the copier B due to substitution copying carried out in response to the occurrence of an error (FIG. 1D) although ten copies of one hundred pages were originally intended to be printed.
As described above, when substitution copying is performed in units of copies upon the occurrence of an error during cascade copying, extra outputs that do not constitute a complete copy can be produced.

Image forming system, an apparatus, and method for controlling the same


A combined business form/identification card includes a sheet of cellulosic stock material having a barrier coating on a first portion of the sheet with an overlay of laser-printable varnish on the barrier coat. Lines of weakness are provided in the sheet in the area of the barrier coat and varnish to produce an identification card detachable from the sheet. A second portion of the sheet has indicia imaged thereon.

Currently, there are a number of identification card (ID) products available in the marketplace. These constructions have included the blow on or tip on of a plastic card onto a sheet which is then passed through a dot matrix printer. When attempting to laser print these cards, the card may peel off the sheet and become jammed in the printer. With today's high speed printers, this type of construction, with the card superimposed on the surface of the sheet creates a stacking problem in the feed tray, in that if a large number of these sheets are stacked in a tray they have a tendency to fall over or create an uneven stack due to the uneven surface area of the cards. In order to avoid the stacking problems, fewer sheets are placed in the feed tray which then requires constant operator involvement to continue placing sheets in the feed tray.
Another solution which has been proposed and in an effort to eliminate the uneven surface area has been to create a multiple part construction in which a window is created in the substrate and the card is inserted into the window. While this does away with the problems associated with stacking, there are increased costs related to the construction due to multiple parts which must be assembled. In addition, due to the increased thickness of the product, the amount of products which can be stacked in a tray for a laser printer is limited, again requiring the operator to maintain a constant interaction with the printer.
A still further prior art embodiment which has been adapted to correct the foregoing problems has been the creation a single sheet which is then laminated with a plastic film to create a card area. In this construction, a sheet is provided, to which an adhesive is applied and then a plastic film is laid over the adhesive. In order to reduce the thickness of the sheet in the area of the lamination, the plastic film or area of the paper having the lamination is calendared or compressed to reduce the overall signature of the sheet. However, this construction also encounters difficulties, such as curling due to exposure of the plastic film to the heat of the laser printer, delamination of the film when the stock is stored too long, and generally conventional plastic films may not accept toner readily from a laser printer. In addition, the cost of such constructions are expensive in that they require not only the paper substrate but also plastic films and laminating equipment. Thus, there is still a need for a cost effective construction which eliminates the foregoing problems.

Identification card and method of making


A cell having a film outer casing with high volume energy density and preferably sealing performance is provided. The cell has a flat electrode assembly having a first electrode and a second electrode arranged to opposed to each other via a separator and wound into a flat shape having two flat side R portions. The flat electrode assembly is housed in an outer casing made of a film of a metal layer and a resin layer laminated atop one another. The first electrode is located the outermost layer of the flat electrode assembly. A portion of the first electrode corresponding to an upper end and/or a lower end of at least one of the flat side R portions is cut off. Thus, a separator-exposed portion is formed where a portion of the separator wound immediately inside the outermost layer of the flat electrode assembly is exposed.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cells using, as the cell cases, film outer casings (jackets) such as laminate films.
2) Description of the Related Art
Following a demand for a size reduction of mobile electronic appliances such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, cells and batteries serving as the driving power sources of such appliances are required to be even thinner and lighter in weight.
In order to meet this demand, patent document 1 suggests a light-weight thin cell that uses, as the cell case, a film outer casing formed of a laminate film in which a metal foil, such as aluminum, and resin are laminated, and that has a flat electrode assembly housed in the casing.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Application Publication No. 1999-224652.
This laminate film is of the structure that metal layers and resin layers are laminated, as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 9, a laminate film having an electrode-housing depressed portion and a plate laminate film are bonded by heat compression or the like at four side edges (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d).
With this technique, an electrode-housing depressed portion for housing the electrode assembly therein is formed in advance, and thus no unnecessary space exists between the electrode-housing depressed portion and the electrode assembly, thereby providing more compact cells.
In recent years, with a growing need for further miniaturization of the cell, an attempt is being made to make shorter the distance between the flat electrode assembly housed in the cell outer casing and the sealed portion, thereby reducing unnecessary space. With this method, however, in the event that the flat electrode assembly is inclined when inserting it into the outer casing, side sealed portions (4b, 4c) are pressed while catching the electrode assembly, as shown in FIG. 8. This causes short circuiting between the electrode plate, which is the outermost layer of the electrode assembly 1, and a metal layer 100 of the laminate film (at the portion circled in the figure), and the metal layer 100 is thus polarized. This leads to corrosion of the metal layer 100, resulting in degradation of sealing performance.


A push back pallet storage system has a plurality of side members and cross members arranged in several levels, a plurality of carriages for feeding pallets in depth and movable lengthways relative to longitudinal beams fixed to the members, the movable carriages being formed as a substantially reversed U-shaped section member provided with wings with inwardly located rotatable bearings, the section member being configured to surround the longitudinal beams outwardly so that the bearings run inwardly along a lower portion of a web of the beams.

The present invention relates generally to push back pallet storage systems.
More particularly, the invention refers to an improvement in depth pallet storage systems referred to as push back that allow a fast operation speed and high storage density. In these storage systems, pallets are stored placed on a slightly inclined plane so that the last one was introduced is the first one that is extracted. Several levels may be arranged in height with which a simple selectivity of the stock is obtained in contrast with block stacking conventional procedures.
In conventional push back systems, a forklift truck places the pallet loads in the system on a platform that may be moved lengthwise so that each platform is pushed back by the next loaded pallet. For unloading, each platform slips forward in the rack as the previous pallet is extracted with the help of the slightly inclined plane on which the platforms are arranged. Loading and unloading of the pallets is carried out through a central passageway wherein the forklift truck moves.
The movable platforms in the conventional push back system basically comprise a metallic frame provided with wheels or rollers. One of these structures is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,004 which refers to a slidable platform for a push back system. The platform comprises two rails acting as a guide for rollers fitted in frames running above the rails.
Although this structure is effective, it suffers from several disadvantages such as a great constructive complexity causing, among other things, that the necessary inclination for unloading the pallets by gravity must be high.


The inner wall of the ceiling of a steam-filled treatment chamber is made of plastic and has a relief structure with peaks that face the treatment chamber. The spacing between the peaks is smaller than the normal drop diameter, i.e., is smaller than 1 mm. On the side of the inner wall of the ceiling facing away from the treatment chamber, an air gap is provided and maintained by distance pieces. A heat-insulation layer is arranged outside of the air gap.

The invention relates to a steam-filled treatment chamber.
For quite some time, one has known of the problem posed by falling drops, that condense out of the steam atmosphere on the ceiling of a steam-filled treatment chamber. This problem occurs when solid-shade dyed textile webs are treated in a steam-filled treatment chamber. When a water droplet falls onto a web which has not yet undergone full fixation, the result is an excess of water at this spot, i.e., a variation in concentration. This causes the dye in the web to migrate into the more strongly diluted area. This migration is manifested in a variation in the depth of the color shade, i.e., in a spot which is clearly visible on the finished fabric and which makes this fabric unusable, or in any case causes it to deteriorate in quality. It is, therefore, customary to provide means to prevent the drops from falling.
The EP-A1 175 018 discloses a steam-filled treatment chamber of this type, in which the inner wall of the ceiling is made of metal, such as stainless steel or light metal. The means for preventing drops from falling from the ceiling consist of a heating system which employs heating tubes that are arranged outside of the inner wall. These heating tubes are charged, for example, with steam, hot air, or oil. The heating tubes are distributed in a gap situated between the inner walls and an outer insulation layer. The inner wall, which is made of sheet metal and which borders the treatment chamber is smooth. The heating system keeps the inner wall at the correct temperature, so that no liquid can condense from the steam and no drops will form. However, this entails a design of considerable complexity, because heating tubes are placed over the entire surface of the inner wall.
It is also known to prevent drops from forming without covering the ceiling area of the steam-filled treatment chamber with heating tubes, by providing saw tooth-shaped formations in a cross-section on the ceiling. The condensing liquid flows along the edges of the saw teeth down to their bottom peaks. In this case, additional measures must be provided to prevent dripping, whether in the form of collecting grooves or in the form of heating tubes that run along the peak as disclosed by the German Patent 20 33 527. Here, as well, the complexity of design required to prevent drops from forming is considerable; because of the saw-tooth-shaped formation of the ceiling of the treatment chamber, as well as the additional means required the bottom peaks of the saw teeth.
The object of the present invention is to develop a treatment chamber that prevents the formation of condensation drops which adversely affect the quality of the material being treated, without requiring an additional heating system and by using relatively simple means as described by the present invention.

Eduard Kusters Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG