A sensor adapter for a device for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium in a container with a measuring probe, comprising: at least one adapter measuring probe with at least one adapter electrode, an adapter housing with structure for detachably fastening the sensor adapter on the device, and a contacting unit for the electrical contact of at least one electrode of the device with at least one adapter electrode of the sensor adapter.

A given fill-level may be monitored, for example, by means of the conductive measuring method. The underlying measurement principle is known from numerous publications. The fill-level is monitored by detecting whether an electrical contact exists between a probe electrode and the wall of a conductive container or a second electrode via the conductive medium. Corresponding field devices are, for example, marketed by Endress+Hauser under the name LIQUIPOINT.
The fill-level detection by a conductive measuring procedure reaches its limits, if the medium to be monitored has almost no electrical conductivity (<1 μS/cm) or very low electrical conductivity. Media that are difficult to monitor using a conductive measuring method include, for instance, distilled water, molasses, or alcohols. Media with an electrical conductivity of less than 1 μS/cm and a dielectric constant of less than 20 are also problematic. In particular, oils and gases fall into this area. Any changes in the conductivity of the medium compared to the conductivity of air is then too small to be reliably captured by the respective electronics.
The capacitive measuring method is suitable for this case, the method being also known from the state of the art. In this method, the fill-level of the medium is determined from the capacitance of the capacitor formed by a probe electrode and the wall of the container or a second electrode. Depending upon the conductivity of the medium, either the medium itself or an insulation of the probe forms the dielectric of the capacitor. Field devices based upon the capacitive measuring principle are also marketed by Endress+Hauser in many different configurations, e.g., under the name LIQUICAP or SOLICAP.
Although the fill-level detection by means of a capacitive measuring method is possible in principle for conductive and non-conductive media, an insulation of the measuring probe is preferably necessary for media with increasing electrical conductivity, since otherwise the medium might cause the measuring circuit to short-circuit. The impedance of this insulation, especially that of the guard electrode described below, is, however, detrimental for adhesive media since it is an additional impedance connected in series to the medium.
In order to avoid any build-up, German patent, DE 32 12 434 C2 made known the use of a guard electrode that coaxially surrounds the sensor electrode and is at the same electrical potential as the latter. Depending on the build-up, this embodiment poses the problem of generating a suitable guard signal. German patent, DE 10 2006 047 780 A1 expands to describe a measuring probe with a reinforcing device and a limit device that are insensitive to build-up over a large measuring range. Furthermore, German patent, DE 10 2008 043 412 A1 relates to a fill-level measuring device with a memory unit that serves to store threshold values for different media. If such a threshold level is exceeded or not reached, a switch signal is created in such a way that any build-up does not affect reliable switching.
In order to capture a process variable, especially a given fill-level, of a medium with a single measuring device, independent of the electrical characteristics of the medium, German patent, DE102011004807A1 discusses a probe unit with at least partly coaxial design for a device for the capacitive or conductive determination of at least one process variable of a medium in a container. This probe unit may generally be installed front-flush in a container, which is an advantage in particular with regard to hygienic standards that have to be maintained for certain applications.
Such a multi-sensor is also the object of German patent, DE102013102055A1 which describes a method and a device that can be used to determine a given fill-level alternately in a conductive and a capacitive operating mode. Similarly, German patent, DE102013104781A1 discloses a method and a device that allows monitoring at least one media-specific feature of a medium in capacitive and conductive operating mode.
Especially in the capacitive operating mode, the measuring resolution is very dependent on the geometric design of the measuring probe by means of which the range of the respective measurable capacities is determined. If, for example, the measuring probe is designed in a front-flush manner, so that it essentially lines up with the wall of the container after installation, as in the case of the variant marketed by the Applicant under the name FTW33, the measured capacitances can lie in the Femtofarad range. This might cause problems with regard to the measuring resolution for media with dielectric constants of DK≤2. This especially concerns solids such as, for example coffee powder, milk powder or cocoa, since they only have a low conductivity and are present in form of a mix of the respective powder and air.


A ruggedized edge computing assembly is provided, which includes an edge computing device having a processor configured to control a controlled device. The ruggedized edge computing assembly includes a field connector configured to connect to the edge computing device via a plurality of pins and to the controlled device via a coupling. The ruggedized edge computing assembly further includes a housing overmolded around each of the field connector and the edge computing device. The housing includes two portions which are a field connector portion configured to accommodate the field connector and an edge computing device portion configured to accommodate the edge computing device. The two portions are configured to interlockingly engage together at an interface.

Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices have recently come to be used in a wide variety of settings, such as manufacturing, transportation, resource extraction, climate control for buildings, and biometrics. These IoT connected devices may include sensors with which the IoT connected devices collect data related to the physical environments in which they are located. In addition, IoT connected devices may include controllable devices that are configured to perform physical actions in response to receiving control signals. The IoT connected device may be configured to communicate with a programmable logic controller (PLC), which may be configured to communicate with an edge computing device. The edge computing device may be configured to communicate with a remotely located server computing device, which may provide cloud computing resources to the edge computing device.


A process for recovering a solution of Co and Mn acetates and other valuable components of a waste residue of used catalyst discharged from a plant for the liquid-phase, homogeneously catalyzed oxidation of alkylaromatic compounds, to produce polycarboxylic aromatic acids. The residue is pyrolized in a reaction zone provided forming molten metal in an electric arc or molten metal furnace under conditions which convert essentially all carbon in the residue mainly to CO, hydrogen and compounds vaporized in an effluent from the reaction zone. The effluent is passed through a liquid-gas-contacting means to yield a quench or scrubber stream. The residue may also be sludge from a pond in which the residue is stored. The alloy recovered is atomized to form a powder metal which is then digested in acetic acid, and/or aqueous hydrogen bromide, and/or mixtures thereof with the quench or scrubber stream, to form the corresponding salts. In addition to Mn and bromine (Br) values from the effluent, these values may also be recovered from the slag, if desired. Substantially pure Co may be recovered and exported, particularly if earthy residue from a sludge pond is processed to benefit the environment.

An alkylaromatic polycarboxylic acid, e.g. isophthalic acid (IPA), terephthalic acid (TA), trimellitic acid (TMLA), 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (2,6-NDA), and the like is produced and recovered from the product stream of a large-scale facility for the liquid-phase, homogeneously catalyzed oxidation of the appropriate precursor alkylaromatic compounds under pressure (referred to in the art as the "Amoco.RTM. Mid-Century.RTM. process", or "Mid-Century" process, for brevity). The catalytic reaction is carried out with air in the presence of an acetic acid/water mixture which functions as a solvent for the reactants. The process produces a stream of undesired materials as a residue which entrains components of the catalyst. This residue comprises a mixture of oxygen-containing derivatives of the reactants and reaction products including partially oxidized and dealkylated oxidized mixtures of aromatic compounds, tars, and ring-brominated aromatic compounds, much of which residue is complexed with components of the catalyst used, namely Co--Mn--Br, or, Co--Mn--Br--Ce (cerium), or, Co--Mn--Br--Zr (zirconium). The compounds include acetates, bromides and bromoacetates of Co and Mn; a wide array of aromatic and polynuclear carboxylic acids, aromatic and polynuclear aldehydes; aromatic and polynuclear mixed carboxylic acid aldehydes, including ring-brominated aromatic compounds; and, unidentified Co and/or Mn complexes and salts of the anions of acetic acid, hydrobromic acid and any of the afore-mentioned aromatic carboxylic acids.
Though the amount of this residue is relatively small, typically in the range from 0.1 to 25 weight percent of the polycarboxylic acid produced, though usually less than about 10%, the net amount of such residue produced annually in a commercial plant is so large that it is desirable to recover the metal components, specifically the Co and Mn, and the halogen component, namely Br and compounds of Br. Hereafter, for ease and convenience, the term "Br value" refers to either molecular Br, or bromine compounds such as HBr and MnBr.sub.2, or the bromine content or value of the stream.
To date, this residue has been treated in the following main ways: (i) incineration to provide flyash for further processing, namely, to recover its metal content; or, (ii) discharging to a residue pond notwithstanding the loss of the value of the Co, Mn and Br content in the resulting earthy residue, or the adverse environmental impact of doing so; or, (iii) precipitating the metal values as carbonates, treating the remaining organic components and halides by dilution followed by anaerobic digestion and reconstituting catalyst by dissolving metal carbonates in acetic acid; or, (iv) calcining the residue to oxides and utilizing the oxides for other applications.
The term "residue" is used hereinbelow to refer to both plant residue as well as earthy residue, one or the other being referred to specifically when both are not included.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is schematically illustrated the main steps of a currently used commercial process for recovering catalyst from the residue. As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,386 and 4,786,621 to Holzhauer et al, the organic matter in the residue is destroyed by incineration while the catalyst components are converted to an ash. This ash is difficult and/or expensive to convert to reusable forms of catalyst for the oxidation of methyl-substituted benzenes.
In greater detail, the residue stream is incinerated in step 2 to produce a mixed metal oxide flyash which is collected in step 3. Since not all the Co and Mn from the residue is transferred into the flyash collected, the remainder is lost in the incinerator's residue discharged to step 6. Collected flyash (from the incinerator in step 2) is washed with water in step 4 to remove the soluble salts and sodium bromide which are discarded (step 5). In the next step 7, the washed ash containing a major proportion (>50%) by weight of Co and Mn is converted to acetates and bromides of Co and Mn by digestion and extraction before being returned to catalyst inventory (step 9). Material not extracted from the washed ash is discarded (step 6). Catalyst is fed from storage (9) to the process (step 10). A portion of the catalyst from step 10 is recycled internally in step 11, being returned to storage of catalyst in step 9 for re-use in the liquid-phase oxidation reactor in step 10 or directly returned to the process, while the desired products of the reaction are separated and sent elsewhere for further processing. A purge stream from step 11 generates the residue stream 1. This residue is then incinerated to start the recovery and re-use process anew. As is evident, some portion of the metal content of the catalyst, typically from 30% to 40%, and depending upon the quality of the flyash and conditions for processing it, as much as 90% of the residue's metal content, is lost from this system, and inevitably all the Br.
In the process just described, the Co and Mn components not lost in step 3 are extracted from the flyash with aqueous acetic acid and by reducing them with hydrazine. This is done by refluxing with a 10% hydrazine solution in aqueous acetic acid. This recovery process results in the loss of a substantial portion of the Co and Mn. Despite the economic incentive (a) to recover substantially both main metals (Co and Mn) and also bromine from the residue, and (b) destroy the waste organic content of the residue, there is no suggestion in the prior art to do so, much less how to do so.
The alternative to incineration and treating flyash, namely discharging to a sludge pond, results over time, in an earthy residue which represents a large recoverable accumulation of main metals Co and Mn, and the halogen Br in the form of bromine compounds. This accumulation, though arguably a non-hazardous waste, concurrently represents a valuable resource and, if recovered, would lead to restoration of a safe environment. Discharging these wastes to a pond often leads to contamination with earthy components, such as silica, alumina, clay and the like. I know of no prior art technology which can process both organic residues, namely, this earthy residue, and the organic residue which is the source of the earthy residue.
Treatment of residues with sodium carbonate to recover the metals as carbonates, followed by dilution and anaerobic digestion is said to be inefficient, (with metal recoveries in practice being approximately 50%) and expensive, with costs approximating those of incineration. Further, halides are not recovered in this process. The anaerobic digestion of the organic compounds is also inefficient, requiring careful control of conditions to maintain an active biological culture and in the end still producing a sludge requiring disposal. Treatment of residues by calcination and using the oxide products of calcination in other applications requires a large central facility for efficient operation, fails to recover halides; and, by not returning catalyst to the manufacturer, forces the manufacturer to cope with a widely fluctuating market supply of Co and Mn, which in turn causes their prices to be highly unstable.
The process of my invention accomplishes the recovery from both residues. Destruction of organic residues and segregation of their components is effected by charging either of these streams to an appropriate pyrometallurgical treatment system, in combination with the required amount of an oxygen containing gas. By "an appropriate pyrometallurgical treatment system", I refer to a pyrometallurgical system in which the metal components are rendered into a reduced molten state. Such systems include those in which: (i) organic residue is directly introduced into a molten metal bath as described in detail in the parent application; or, (ii) an electric or plasma arc or torch, either directly or indirectly heats the organic residue, resulting in a pool of molten metal; or, (iii) an induction heating means heats the organic residue, resulting in a pool of molten metal; or, (iv) the organic residue is charged to a pool of molten salt or molten glass and the molten metal separated and collected from the bottom of the system.
Relevant prior art, teaching pyrometallurgical treatment systems which may be used for the destruction of hazardous wastes generally, is summarized as follows:
Processes for the destruction of organic waste in a bath of molten metal in the presence of oxygen, require maintaining a temperature high enough to convert the residue to oxides of carbon and to convert the metal component to a form which will dissolve in the melt. Such a melt having a viscosity no greater than 10 centipoise has been used to destroy toxic chemicals by injecting a greater than stoichiometric amount of oxygen into organic waste fed to the bath, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,714. Additional references teaching molten baths for the purpose of destroying toxic chemicals are discussed in the '194 application, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference thereto as if fully set forth herein.
The parent '194 application specifically teaches how a molten metal bath may be used to treat the residue from a Mid-Century plant and capture the Co and Mn metal values in a molten bath of essentially the same metals. Similar results may be acheived by the use of electric and plasma arc systems, of which numerous examples are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,612 to Bell et al describes the use of a high current DC electric arc, which includes a sump containing a molten bath, which can be a molten metal, and the accumulation of metallic elements from mixed chlorinated wastes (PCB's and PCB contaminated materials) charged to the system in the molten metal bath.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,659 to Springer et al describes the use of a plasma arc for treating organic and inorganic wastes and isolating molten metal and slag therefrom, and adding steam to the system to ensure the conversion of all carbon containing components to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Environmental Technologies: Plasma systems and Applications, Oct. 8-11, 1995, Atlanta, Ga., pp 251, Retech, Inc. describes an apparatus for the treatment of wastes using a plasma torch in a centrifugal chamber, with the discharge of molten metal through a center hole, and subsequent use of atomization to render the metal in powder form.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,779 to Perry describes the recovery of metal values in scrap materials by heating sufficiently to destructively distill organic compounds and recover melted metal in the absence of oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,419 to Brown describes a pyrolysis system which produces molten metal from refuse containing metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,043 to Deardorff describes a system of destroying polybrominated biphenyls by exposure at 3000.degree. F. to iron by-product from steel making, a mineral acid and a pulverized reducing metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,738 to Harris describes the destruction of organic wastes by thermal conversion in a pool of molten lead in the absence of oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,908 to von Klenck et al describes pyrolytic destruction of waste by passage through a bath of molten metal or glass in the absence of air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,255 to Grantham et al describes the disposal of PCBs by feed PCB's and a source of oxygen into a molten salt bath.
The field of pyrolytic destruction of wastes is one of active research and this list is intended merely to represent key variations in the technologies which might be applied as a pyrometallurgical step. None of the foregoing teaches or suggests why or how a powder of an alloy of Co, Mn and C would provide an effective medium for the reconstitution of a catalyst comprising a mixture of Co and Mn acetates.
Providing a feed stream of the organic residue under appropriate process conditions to one of the aforementioned pyrometallurgical processes, will result in two product streams and a slag: (i) a gas phase comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and bromine values; (ii) molten metal containing cobalt, manganese and carbon; and, depending on the composition of the feed, the slag composition consisting essentially of metal oxides other than those of Co and Mn, although a substantial amount of Mn may be directed to the slag, as specifically described in the parent '194 application. Granted that the molten metal generated is in the form of a Co/Mn or Co/Mn/C alloy, there is no motivation to generate a powder, then pursue digestion of the powder in acetic acid, or, a quench tower or scrubber recycle stream (hereafter "quench stream") obtained by absorbing evolved gases in aqueous acetic acid, or mixtures of acetic acid and the quench stream, unless one's goal is to re-manufacture the Mid-Century catalyst. Even so, the prior art does not teach how such digestion may be satisfactorily accomplished.
The preparation of catalyst feed solutions for the Mid-Century process is currently performed by any of several methods. Co and Mn metals are separately digested in glacial acetic acid, or concentrated aqueous acetic acid, and added to the reactor separately to allow precise control of the ratio of the Co and Mn acetates. Alternatively, cobalt or manganese acetate can be prepared by digestion of the respective metal hydroxides. These hydroxides are often prepared by digesting the metal in a strong acid such as nitric acid, precipitating by treatment with caustic, washing, and collecting the insoluble hydroxide (see U.S. Pat. No. 1,637,281 to Schatz).
Preparation of cobalt acetate directly from metal is problematic, requiring the use of large excess of metal. The prior art favors the use of promoters such as bromide salts of compatible metals or elevated pressures and the use of oxygen to obtain effective digestion. When Co is in the form of powder, introduction of oxygen into the vessel to obtain a practical rate of digestion in 50% acetic acid, still allows only 86% of the cobalt to be digested after 2 hr. To get substantially complete conversion it is necessary to add an activator (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,942 to Hahl, Examples 4 et seq). One would therefore not expect that cobalt would be substantially completely digested in the absence of added oxygen. In order to process cobalt in the form of electrolytic chip (pieces about 1/8" by 11/4"), U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,986 to Fox teaches the use of elevated pressures to increase the oxygen concentration in solution.
The alloy obtained in the pyrometallurgical system of this invention has as its main components: cobalt, manganese and carbon, the amount of carbon remaining depending upon treatment of molten alloy. In an effective process for reconstituting a Co/Mn/C catalyst in a reasonable period of time, less than 24 hrs, it is critical that substantially complete digestion of the metals in this alloy be obtained. By "substantially complete digestion" I refer to the digestion of at least 90% of the Co/Mn metals. Partial digestion, unless proportional, is unsuited for the reconstitution of this catalyst because changing the Co/Mn ratio from that received in the waste, would require readjusting the ratio. The problem of disposing of, or otherwise treating or re-processing the undigested material would remain. The prior art does not teach the digestion of a Co/Mn/C alloy in acetic acid. There is no suggestion in the prior art that an alloy of Co/Mn/C be deliberately converted to a powder for the purpose of digestion in non-alcoholic glacial acetic acid, non-alcoholic solutions of acetic acid, or a mixture of non-alcoholic acetic acid and the quench stream; and, no suggestion that the powder be in a size range smaller than 5000 .mu.m, preferably in the range from about 5 .mu.m to 1000 .mu.m, most preferably in the range from 45 .mu.m to 500 .mu.m, so that it will lend itself to substantially complete digestion of the metals in the aforesaid digesting liquids even at ambient pressure, making superatmospheric digestion in the aforesaid solutions unnecessary.
It is well-known that Mn powder is readily digested in hot acetic acid; and powdered Co is partially digested in 80% acetic acid (20% water) but leaves a heel even at reflux at ambient pressure. Typically, the alloy herein contains carbon present in an amount smaller than either the Co or Mn but greater than 0.5%. The amount of carbon held in the alloy is limited by the saturation limit. This limit may be as much as 7% based on the total weight of the alloy, and depends on the composition of the alloy (see CR Acatt Sc. Paris, vol 264 pg 281-284, Jan. 16, 1967). One would expect the difficulty of digesting an alloy with the carbon to be increased greatly, since it is well known that as little as 0.03% carbon in stainless steel helps resist intergranular corrosion (see Corrosion Resistance Tables, by Schweitzer, Philip A., pg vii, Marcel Dekker Inc.). It is accepted that corrosion is digestion occurring at a slow rate. Further, knowing that it is not possible to predict the rate of corrosion of an alloy from data relating to the rates of corrosion of the alloy's individual components, one cannot predict how easily an alloy of Co and Mn will be substantially completely digested in the aforesaid digesting liquids, if the alloy is digested at all. Whatever the rate of corrosion of the alloy of Co/Mn, the presence of carbon in the alloy would simply complicate the task of predicting the rate.
G. Arrivaut (Proces-Verbaux, 1905 pp 107-114), describes the prepartion and digestion of several Co/Mn alloys. The alloys containing from 60-85% Mn digest completely in ammonium chloride, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid. In alcoholic solutions of acetic acid, only partial digestion occurs, and the unreacted metal is greatly enriched in cobalt. Arrivaut does not teach the digestion of Co/Mn alloy in acetic acid solutions other than the dilute alcohol system. Arrivaut also notes that the residual material is a pyrophoric powder. (see Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic & Theoretical Chemistry, by Mellor, J. W. Vol. XIV, pg 544, Longmans, Green & Co., New York).
With particular respect to the quench stream obtained by absorbing evolved gases from the reaction zone of the Mid-Century process in which the catalyst is used, the absorbent stream may be aqueous acetic acid, or a mixture of acetic acid and HBr, and/or MnBr.sub.2, and such other products of reaction which are absorbed during recirculation of the stream through the absorption zone. Since the composition of the stream varies in both acetic acid and HBr, as well as other components, it's effect on the alloy in powder form, is not predictable.
The process of this invention is uniquely well suited to recover essentially all of the Co, Mn and Br values in both of these residue streams. By "essentially all" is meant that in excess of 90%, typically in excess of 95%, and preferably in excess of 99% of the components may be recovered. The process is operated to re-manufacture a catalyst at the same ratio as the incoming residue. By "incoming residue" is meant a single stream from a given Mid-Century plant, or the combination of multiple streams from plants producing the same or different product, or streams of earthy residues, or streams of earthy residues and plant residue streams.
A further advantage of this invention is that much equipment already existing in a facility for the recovery of Co and Mn values from flyash may be used to remanufacture catalyst from the recovered Co/Mn/C alloy thus decreasing costs.

Method for re-manufacturing a cobalt/manganese/bromine catalyst from residue containing used catalyst


The described embodiments provide devices and methods for securing a lens member in a mobile electronic device. The lens member is positionable between a front housing and a rear housing of the device such that inner surfaces of the housings both exert a biasing force on the lens member such that the lens member is substantially immovable relative to the inner surfaces. As such, the lens member is securely fixed within the housings and cannot be removed or separated from one or both housings without evidence of tampering.

The described embodiments relate to mobile electronic devices, and in particular, to lens members associated with display units and their assembly methods.
Mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones, pagers, handheld computers, laptop computers, etc., are becoming increasingly popular for both business and personal use. One reason for this popularity relates to the inherent portability of such devices. A user may have the device with them at all times by simply carrying the device in their pocket, bag or attached to a belt or pocket such as through a clip-on carrier. This portability, however, also requires these devices to be relatively rugged as they are often subjected to rough treatment, including dropping and scratching. Certain components of the device, such as the display unit, is very sensitive to such rugged treatment. An impact on the surface of a display unit may cause it to malfunction, or not to function at all. Similarly, a scratch on the surface of a display unit interferes with a user's ability to see what is being displayed. Being a key component relating to customer satisfaction, manufacturers try to avoid these non-desirable conditions by protecting the display unit. In order to protect the display unit, such mobile electronic devices typically employ a protective, transparent lens positioned between the surface of the display unit and the outside of the device.
Typically, a lens is one of the last components assembled onto a mobile electronic device. One reason for placing the lens in position late in the assembly process is to reduce handling, and hence the potential for nicking and scratching, of the lens during the assembly process. Another reason is that a lens may be made from different colors of transparent materials, or may include various printed designs or word/names, each of which may be utilized to meet consumer desire or manufacturer branding needs. For these reasons, among others, a lens is typically secured to the outside surface of a mobile electronic device once the entire device is assembled together. For example, an adhesive, such as an acrylic glue, or a mechanical fastener, such as a screw, may be utilized to hold the lens in place.
The placement of the lens onto the exterior of the mobile device, however, presents a number of problems. In many cases there is only an adhesive that secures the lens to the exterior of the device. The strength of such adhesives may change depending on the temperature, thereby allowing the lens to shift relative to the display unit or to fall off. Similarly, mechanical fasteners may be sheared off with the impact of dropping the device, thereby allowing the lens to loosen or fall off. Further, in some applications, such as when a mobile electronic device is desired to be secure from tampering, such as with devices carrying a warranty or with devices used in confidential applications, the exterior mounted lens allows access to the interior of the device. Typical lens mounting techniques allow a person to tamper with the device through the lens without leaving any evidence of the tampering. For example, externally secured mechanical fasteners may be removed and re-installed, or an adhesive seal may be broken by elevating or lowering the temperature and then re-sealed by bringing the device back to a room temperature. As such, typical lenses and their associated assembly methods allow a lens to become loose, to fall off, or to be tampered with without providing evidence of the tampering.
Thus, a lens for protecting a display unit of a mobile electronic device is desired to be tamper-resistant and/or tamper-evident, and which does not rely on external fixation of the lens.

Devices and methods for retaining a lens in a mobile electronic device


Methods and systems are provided for investigating an image set of geophysical data distributed over a first N-dimensional volume where N≧2. A subvolume that encloses a known feature of interest within a target set of geophysical data distributed over a second N-dimensional volume is selected. A cross-correlation is calculated between the data distributed within the subvolume and corresponding data distributed in the first N-dimensional volume about multiple positions.

This application relates generally to analysis of geophysical data. More specifically, this application relates to methods and systems that use cross-correlation techniques in the analysis of geophysical data.
There are a number of applications in which it is desirable to identify geological structures. For example, in many instances, the presence of subsurface geological structures such as faults or other stratigraphic features may be used in identifying locations of hydrocarbon reservoirs so that drilling sites may be specified. Typically, the identification of geological structures begins with the collection of geophysical data, which may be in the form of seismic or other types of geophysical data. For example, seismic data may be collected by distributing acoustic sources at an area and using the sources to synthesize physical shock waves that reflect off rock strata at variable velocities and return to the surface. Geophones at the surface measure and record ground motion to define a seismic response in the form of a data set.
The collected data are subsequently analyzed, with the reliability of interpretations made from the data being very much tied to the manner of analysis. There have accordingly been a significant number of attempts to develop reliable analytical techniques for geophysical data that have good predictive power. Many of these approaches are based on pattern-recognition techniques and may incorporate various artificial-intelligence techniques such as neural nets, experts systems, genetic algorithms, and the like. A common feature of these techniques is that they attempt to identify some attribute that may be extracted from the data and to which the pattern-recognition approaches may be applied. These techniques accordingly require a relatively high level of user input in their execution and, in practice, their reliability has tended to be disappointing. A basic deficiency of all such techniques is their dependence on identifying an attribute that may be extracted from the data that provides a parameter set having suitably predictive power; the ability to do so has been constrained by the variation and complexity of data that arise from diverse real-world applications.
There is accordingly a general need in the art for improved methods and systems for analyzing geophysical data.

Methods and systems for interactive investigation of geophysical data


Damper mechanisms are provided in conjunction with housings of various different appliances and are disposed at first positions at which the dampers effectively close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances within which various heated, refrigerated, or frozen environments have been established. Such damper mechanisms can be moved to second positions so as to permit food items to be inserted into, or extracted from, the various housings of the appliances, but will automatically return to their first positions so as to again close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances. In this manner, thermal energy is preserved whereby the appliances are enabled to operate at peak energy efficiency.

Various restaurant establishments employ various different types of food preparation equipment for use in connection with the preparation of various different food items in accordance with, for example, particular types of food items that the particular restaurant may serve to its patrons. Examples of such food preparation equipment may be, for example, radiant toasters, contact toasters, steamers, heated display cases, and the like. In addition, various food restaurants or retail food suppliers utilize various different types of food equipment for storing various different types of food items in preparation for sale to patrons. Examples of such equipment may comprise, for example, heated display cases for use within a commercial bakery for displaying various different food items intended to be sold to interested patrons, such as, for example, muffins, bread, pastries, and the like. Alternatively, some establishments may have various different types of refrigerated or frozen food storage containers for holding and storing various different types of cold or frozen foods until the food items are sold. Such equipment can comprise, for example, refrigerated or frozen-food containers having glass panels through which patrons can view the refrigerated or frozen items that they are interested in purchasing. Regardless of which type of food equipment is being utilized, the heated, refrigerated, or frozen environment characteristic of the particular food equipment needs to be preserved as best as possible so as to properly preserve the food items, but in addition, to prevent any significant amount of relatively cool air to enter or invade the heated environment, or to prevent the heated air within the heated environment from escaping the heated environment into a relatively cooler ambient environment, or in a similar manner, to prevent any significant amount of warm air to enter or invade the refrigerated or frozen environment, or to prevent the cold air within the refrigerated or frozen environment from escaping the refrigerated or frozen environment into the relatively warmer ambient environment. Still further, it is noted that when relatively warm air enters or invades the refrigerated or frozen environment, or when the refrigerated or frozen environment disposed within the refrigerated or frozen-food storage containers is permitted to escape into the relatively warmer ambient environment, or conversely, when relatively cool air enters or invades the heated environment, or when the heated environment disposed within the heated display cases is permitted to escape into the relatively cooler ambient environment, the food equipment must effectively work that much harder to preserve the particularly desired heated or refrigerated or frozen environment, whereby the equipment is not particularly energy efficient. It has been noted that one area or region of such food preparation or food storage containers that can effectively be improved, from an energy efficient viewpoint, are openings provided within such equipment through which food items are conventionally inserted or extracted.
A need therefore exists in the art for new and improved food preparation or food storage equipment. Another need exists in the art for new and improved food preparation or food storage equipment for use in connection with the preparation of various different food items in accordance with, for example, particular types of food items that a particular restaurant may serve to its patrons, or in connection with the storage of various different types of food items in preparation for sale to patrons. Still another need exists in the art for new and improved food preparation equipment, such as, for example, radiant toasters, contact toasters, steamers, and the like. Yet another need exists in the art for new and improved food storage equipment, such as, for example, heated display cases for use within a commercial bakery for displaying various different food items intended to be sold to interested patrons, such as, for example, muffins, bread, pastries, and the like, or various different types of refrigerated or frozen food storage containers for holding and storing various different types of cold or frozen foods until the food items are sold, such as, for example, refrigerated or frozen-food containers having glass panels through which patrons can view the refrigerated or frozen items that they may be interested in purchasing. A further need exists in the art for new and improved food equipment wherein, regardless of which type of food equipment is being utilized, the heated, refrigerated, or frozen environment characteristic of the particular food equipment needs to be preserved as best as possible so as to properly preserve the food items. A still further need exists in the art for new and improved food equipment wherein, regardless of which type of food equipment is being utilized, the heated, refrigerated, or frozen environment characteristic of the particular food equipment needs to be preserved as best as possible so as to properly preserve the food items, and in particular, wherein, to prevent any significant amount of, relatively cool air to enter or invade the heated environment, or to prevent the heated air within the heated environment from escaping the heated environment into a relatively cooler ambient environment. A yet further need exists in the art for new and improved food equipment wherein, regardless of which type of food equipment is being utilized, the heated, refrigerated, or frozen environment characteristic of the particular food equipment needs to be preserved as best as possible so as to properly preserve the food items, and in particular, wherein, to prevent any significant amount of warm air to enter or invade the refrigerated or frozen environment, or to prevent the cold air within the refrigerated or frozen environment from escaping the refrigerated or frozen environment into the relatively warmer ambient environment. An additional need exists in the art for new and improved food equipment wherein the amount of work that the food equipment must do to preserve the particularly desired heated or refrigerated or frozen environment, will be significantly reduced. A still additional need exists in the art for new and improved food equipment wherein the amount of work that the food equipment must do to preserve the particularly desired heated or refrigerated or frozen environment, will be significantly reduced whereby the equipment will exhibit enhanced energy efficiency.

Energy conservation damper mechanisms for use in conjunction with food preparation or food storage equipment


The method and facilities for movement of vehicles over long distances are presented. The Method is comprised of the following steps:

Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention proposes new methods and facilities for moving payloads and people from one place to other. The author proposes using the aerodynamics and a new concept of cable motion and propulsion systems for this purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, cars, trucks, trains, ships, and aircraft are used to deliver payloads from one place to other. This method is expensive and requires good highway systems and expensive vehicles which limits the feasibility of delivering many types of freight. Aircraft use expensive fuel and have high capital costs. The author offers a new, revolutionary method and installations for cheaper delivery of payloads and people (1) from one place to another, (2) across streams, rivers, canyons, etc., (3) accelerating vehicles to desired velocity, (4) changing the trajectory of connected vehicles, and (5) cheaper vehicles which do not require their own engine. The method uses a closed-loop cable path with the propulsion system located on the ground; the concept can include airlines. The proposed system is unique with no references found for similar systems in the literature or other patents.
The current proposal describes a unique transportation system (with a transfer system) for delivering loads and energy from one place to another. The main problem is delivery of energy to a moving transportation vehicle. Weight of an electric wire often is more than the weight of a load bearing cable. The other problem is the engine, which with the onboard fuel requirements, significantly decreases the payload capabilities of the vehicle. These problems are minimized in the proposed Transportation System by locating a motor on the ground and using a conventional energy source (heat, electricity, mechanical energy, wind energy, and water power, etc. and any fuel: gasoline, oil, coal, or waste material) to provide the power for moving the transport vehicles to their destination. Moreover the suggested transportation system can transfer large amounts of energy from one place to another on Earth (about of 3 to 10 Millions watt).
This invention would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of Mr. Glenn Gilyard, retired NASA scientist. The author wishes to acknowledge Mr. Gilyard""s help in editing and correcting my English and for his advice.
The method and facilities for movement of vehicles long distances are presented. The Method comprising the steps:
(a) connecting at least two main rollers: one in the port of departure and one in the port of arrival, by a series of closed-loop, light, strong cables (each referred to as a loop) located at least in one of following places: in the air, on the ground surface, on the water surface;
(b) supporting said cable with at least one of the following devices: wings, air balloons, columns, rollers;
(c) connecting at least one of said main rollers to an engine;
(d) running said engine;
(e) connecting at last one load vehicle to a point of said cable;
(f) delivering said vehicle in required point;
(g) accelerating said vehicle;
(h) disconnecting said vehicles from said cable;
(i) braking said vehicles.
An Installation using Method for movement of vehicles comprising: A set of rollers placed in the ports of departure, arrival, at points of direction change, and middle points; a light, strong, closed-loop cable (loops) connecting the ports of departure and arrival; engines placed near rollers and connected at least to one of said rollers; vehicles for transportation of people and loads; devices for connection and disconnection of the vehicles to the cable and placed on the vehicle.
The author also proposes 5 projects: an air bridge over the Straits of Gibraltar, Airline travel between city pairs of New York to Washington and New York to Paris, gas line for delivery of a natural gas, and a typical auto highway or city passenger delivery system.
Computations for these project show that the cable of some of them (for example, the Gibraltar Air Bridge and other Air Bridges, and ground vehicles) may be made from current industrial fibers. The long Airline pairs such as New York to Paris require stronger cable from whiskers, nanotubes or special cable design. The strong artificial material (fibers, filaments, whiskers, nanotubes) exists and has the ratio of tensile strength to density (specific gravity) up 2 million meters. For example, a whisker, with a ratio of 2.3 million meters, was created in early 1989 (the whisker, CD, has a tensile strength of H=8000 kg/mm2 and a density (specific gravity) of D=3.5 g/cm3). The theoretical limit of tensile strength is 10 times more. The modern nanotube (for example, carbon nanotube CNT) has a tensile strength of 200 Giga Pascals (20000 kg/sq.mm) and specific density of 1.8-2.2 g/cc.
The estimations and computations show the possibility of making these projects a reality in a short period of time (see attached projects) and are affordable.

Bolonkin""s method movement of vehicles and installation for it

Abstract: (a) connecting at least two main rollers displaced over a long distance: one in a port of departure and one in a port of arrival, by a series of closed-loop, light, strong cable (consisting of one or more loops) located at least in one of the following places: in the air, on the ground surface, on the water surface;

Abstract: (b) supporting said cable by at least one of the following devices: wings, air balloons, columns, rollers;

Abstract: (d) running said engine;

Abstract: (e) connecting at least one load vehicle to said cable at departure port;

Abstract: (f) accelerating said vehicle;

Abstract: (g) disconnecting said vehicles from said cable at arrival port;

Abstract: (h) braking said vehicles.

Abstract: An Installation using Method for Movement of vehicles comprising: A set of rollers disposed in the ports of departure, arrival, at points of direction change, and at middle points; a set of light, strong, closed-loop cables (loops) connect the ports of departure and arrival located over a long distance; engines placed near rollers and connected at least to one of said rollers; vehicles for transportation of people and loads; devices for connection and disconnection of the vehicles to the cable and placed on the vehicles.

Abstract: The author also proposes 5 projects: an air bridge over the Straits of Gibraltar, airlines connecting New York to Washington D.C., and New York to Paris, airline for delivery of fuel gas, and typical Auto Highways or city passenger transit systems.


To provide a machine tool in which positioning accuracy of a ram is ensured, realizing improved machining accuracy. A cylindrical ram 14 supporting a spindle 6 is inserted in a ram guide hole 13a formed in a cross slide 13, the ram 14 has supported surfaces 14d, 14d in a V-shape formed on a lower side of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the supported surfaces 14d are placed on supporting surfaces 22a, 22a in a V-shape formed on an inner circumferential surface of the ram guide hole 13a of the cross slide 13, so that a Z-axis direction position of the ram 14 is automatically aligned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool including a spindle supporting mechanism movably supporting a spindle disposed on a bed, and more particularly, to improvement in a supporting structure of a ram supporting the spindle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a machine tool of this type is structured such that a saddle is supported by a column disposed on a bed to be movable in an up/down direction, and a ram (spindle head) is supported by the saddle to be movable in a front/back direction. In this machine tool, the ram is movably supported by a pair of left and right guide rails disposed on a flat surface extending in the front/back direction of the saddle (see, for example Patent document 1).
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-24853
Incidentally, if the structure in which the ram is supported by the left and right guide rails disposed on the flat surface as in the above-described conventional machine is adopted, it may possibly become difficult to ensure positioning accuracy of the ram in a left/right direction perpendicular to the left and right guide rails, which gives rise to a concern about the influence to machining accuracy.


A wheel component force detecting apparatus for detecting a component force on a wheel includes a cylindrical axle flange, an electric motor, and a wheel unit. The electric motor includes a stator and an armature. The wheel component force detecting apparatus includes a pair of sensing units each including a cylinder and a bridge circuit. The cylinder is mounted outside the circumferential surface of the axle flange and has a first end fixed to the axle flange and a second end fixed to the stator. The bridge circuit includes a plurality of strain gages disposed on the cylinder. The pair of sensing units is symmetrical in the axial direction of the axle flange with respect to the stator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a wheel component force detecting apparatus for detecting a component force of a load on a wheel rotated by an electric motor and, in particular, to a wheel component force detecting apparatus for use in a wheel including an electric motor incorporated into a wheel unit.
2. Related Art
An in-wheel motor, in which an electric motor is incorporated into the housing of a wheel, is a focus of attention as a source of driving a vehicle, such as an electric car. When the in-wheel motor is used in each of driving wheels of an electric car, because each driving wheel is individually rotatable, it is not necessary to have a large-scale power transmitting mechanism, such as a propeller shaft or a differential, and this can contribute to weight reduction and miniaturization of the vehicle.
To achieve practical utilization of the in-wheel motor, it is of course required to measure a rotation speed of each wheel to control a running speed or other element, and it may be necessary to measure a load on each wheel while the vehicle is running and to control an attitude of the vehicle using that measurement in order to ensure vehicle driving safety. Typically, the wheels take unequal loads. For example, a heavy load is placed on the wheels on the outer side in cornering, placed on the wheels on one side in running on a leftward or rightward inclined surface, and placed on the front wheels in braking. In addition, for example, when a load placed on the vehicle is uneven, the wheels also take unequal loads. If the loads on the wheels can be detected at any time, controlling a suspension or other element while the vehicle is running on the basis of that detection enables attitude control (e.g., prevention of rolling in cornering, prevention of sinking of the front wheels in braking, prevention of sinking caused by unevenness of loads placed). Similarly, measurement of component forces around wheel sensors with high precision enables calculation of contact forces of tires, appropriate driving torque distribution and braking torque distribution.
As illustrated in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-74136, a wheel component force detecting apparatus is proposed that includes a strain sensor disposed on an outer ring (race in JP-A No. 2008-74136) on a static side of a bearing that supports a hub of a wheel of a vehicle, the hub being connected to an output shaft of an in-wheel motor (electric motor in JP-A No. 2008-74136) with a speed reducer disposed therebetween.
That known wheel component force detecting apparatus is disposed on the hub, and the in-wheel motor is disposed outside the hub. The in-wheel motor protrudes from the wheel, and miniaturization of the vehicle is difficult.
Disposing the in-wheel motor inside the wheel can contribute to miniaturization of the vehicle. However, if the in-wheel motor is disposed inside the wheel, the hub would be disposed inside the wheel, the strain sensor on the hub would be affected by a magnetic field of the in-wheel motor, and it may be difficult to accurately detect a load on the wheel.

Wheel component force detecting apparatus


Provided is a method for identifying human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a sample. The invention involves use of a plurality of fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes and flow cytometry to detect the presence or absence of HIV in macrophages that are obtained from a mucosal surface. The invention is particularly useful for detecting HIV infection prior to seroconversion.

Acute HIV (AHI) infection is the stage of infection prior to seroconversion and proper diagnosis of HIV infection at this stage has remained unresolved with serious implications to public health—AHI is associated with the highest rates of secondary HIV transmission over the course of infection.
Seroconversion has historically been believed to begin around 21 days after infection and to be complete in the majority of cases within 3 to 8 weeks of infection and represents the period during which a person with AHI would test negative by conventional means such as ELISA or Western Blot. And while AHI may be clinically diagnosed, the symptoms are nondescript and present in only half of infected individuals.
Elevated risk of HIV transmission during AHI results from the fact that AHI is characterized by the highest levels of viremia in an infected person prior to the onset of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), reaching their peak around 21 days post infection. This is then followed by a sharp decline due to the mounting immune response and seroconversion. In fact, there exists a strong positive correlation between viral load and rate of HIV transmission—each log increase in viral load is associated with an increase by a factor of 2.45 in the risk of transmission. Behavioral factors also contribute heavily to the elevated rate of HIV transmission during AHI-infected individuals during AHI are seldom aware of their infected status and are likely to sustain the activities that led to their infection, which puts the uninfected population at risk. Therefore, there exists a great need to be able to properly diagnose AHI. The present invention meets this need.

Methods for diagnosing human immunodeficiency virus infections


A method of trapping a field in a block of superconductor material, includes providing (i) a block of material defining a bore, (ii) a high permeability core within the bore that defines a low reluctance path through the bore, (iii) a high permeability external structure on the exterior of the block of material that defines a low reluctance path between opposite ends of the core, and (iv) an electromagnet configured to apply a magnetic field around the high permeability core. The method proceeds by energizing the electromagnet to produce an applied magnetic field around the high permeability core, cooling the block of material sufficiently to render the block of material superconducting, de-energizing the electromagnet to result in a trapped magnetic field, and at least partially removing the low reluctance path defined by the core and the external structure in order to increase the magnetic flux density of the trapped magnetic field.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to cryogenics, and more particularly to a superconducting magnet made from materials such as the copper-oxide superconducting materials that become superconductive at relatively high temperatures.
2. Background Information
Some known materials exhibit superconductivity when cooled with liquid helium to four degrees above absolute zero (four kelvins). Others, called high temperature superconductor (HTS) materials, become superconducting at higher temperatures and so they can be cooled with liquid nitrogen. Since liquid nitrogen is relatively abundant and inexpensive, such HTS materials promise substantial savings in cooling costs. Just as important, they can sustain the large current density needed for many superconductor-magnet applications currently proposed.
Consider, for example, the ceramic HTS material yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7), sometimes referred to as a "1-2-3" superconductor. It has an anisotropic crystalline structure characterized by sheets formed of copper and oxygen in parallel a-b planes such that electric current flows best when channeled along the a-b planes and less easily in a perpendicular direction (i.e., the c-axis). Along the a-b planes, 1-2-3 can sustain a current density over 10,000 amperes per square centimeter (10.sup.4 A/cm.sup.2) at 77 kelvins in a one-tesla magnetic flux density. Such high current capability makes it a good candidate for various superconducting magnet applications.
Some efforts at adapting 1-2-3 to the task focus on forming it into wire (or tape). Doing so seems worthwhile because existing superconducting magnets cooled with liquid helium use wire. But ceramic HTS wire is brittle, and brittleness severely complicates the process of making a coil from fine HTS strands that can withstand the forces encountered. Moreover, making a ceramic HTS material sufficiently ductile and malleable to be formed into and used as wire can impair its current-carrying ability.
Trapping a magnetic field in a shell or cylinder of superconducting material would avoid wire and tape fabrication, but that approach involves certain other problems. To see why, recall that existing fabrication methods for trapping a magnetic field in a block of superconductive material proceed by using an electromagnet to apply a magnetic field to the material while the material is at a temperature above its critical temperature, T.sub.c, (i.e., that at which it becomes superconducting). Next, the temperature of the material is lowered to less than T.sub.c. Then, the electromagnet is de-energized and that results in currents flowing within the superconductor which at least partially maintain the applied magnetic field.
Those steps trap the magnetic field, but for HTS materials they can require an applied magnetic field having a magnetic flux density about three times as large as the desired flux density of the magnetic field to be trapped. So the process involves some difficulty and expense, especially to trap a magnetic flux density as large as one or two tesla.

Superconducting magnet and fabrication method


A charger/dispenser for orthodontic O-ring ligator structure including a body, friction retaining structure formed in the body for retaining, frictionally and releasably such a ligator structure in a condition with each ligator in the ligator structure having a substantially fully exposed annular face, and hemostat-jaw guide structure formed in the body effective to guide the gripping beaks in the jaw of a hemostat into a limit-defined removing position relative to such a ligator wherein a jaw can fully grip the ligator without occluding the open center therein.

This invention relates to the field of orthodontics, and in particular to what I refer to as a charger/dispenser for facilitating the handling of small, unitary collections of sprue-bome, orthodontic, elastomeric O-ring ligators.
Orthodontic O-ring-like elastomeric ligators have been around now for roughly twenty years, and during that time period this field has seen many advances which relate to the ways in which such ligators are carried and/or presented for handling. For example, various dispensing and handling techniques, apparatuses and arrangements are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,903,601 to Anderson et al. (ligators formed in an elongate chain), 4,038,753 to Klein (ligators carried on the sides of an elongate sprue-like member), 4,330,271 to Anderson (disclosure similar to that found in the '753 patent), 5,016,756 to Klein et al. (ligators formed on the sides of an elongate wand), 5,221,033 to Klein et al. (ligators formed in an elongate chain), and 5,326,260 to Klein et al. (small grouping of ligators formed as a "six-pack" carried on opposite sides of a T-shaped, central, sprue-like wand).
The present invention, as illustrated herein, pertains, generally, to the handling of six-pack-like groupings of sprue-bome ligators very much like what is shown in the above-mentioned '260 patent. While the handling of six-pack-like ligator groupings is chosen for illustration in this disclosure, the invention is not confined, of course, and as will become apparent, to the handling only of such groupings. Nevertheless, orthodontists have found that a very convenient grouping of ligators is one that contains about six to a group, and thus it is in relation to handling this convenience-recognized grouping that the features of the present invention are described and illustrated herein.
Regarding the handling of such ligators, a recent fad-like phenomenon which principally focuses on aesthetics rather than on performance is that elastomeric O-rings are being requested, and accordingly manufactured, in a wide variety of brilliant, almost luminescent colors which cause them to be highly visible when in place on a patient. Oddly enough, while, in early years, patients wearing orthodontic apparatus were somewhat embarrassed by how these things looked, it is today quite the rage, particularly among very young patients, to put on, so-to-speak, a rainbow display of colors. Thus, it would be typical for a patient to ask an orthodontist to install not just ligators of a single color, but ligators of many many colors.
Accordingly, multiple color choices in elastomeric ligators have injected a tremendous boost to orthodontics, in that an element of visual fun has been introduced. The concept has arisen that these appliances are or can be viewed not as unsightly things, but rather as something more in the category of custom jewelry.
However, keeping track of such small groups of multi-colored ligators is a bit of a problem, and although it is certainly amusing for the patient to be able to specify and be able to display multiple colors of ligators, for the orthodontist, keeping track of these and handling and manipulating them is quite time consuming, and can be confusing. Additionally, it takes a fairly high degree of visual and tactile coordination, for example, to grasp just the "tire portion" of tiny O-ring ligators with a hemostat, and this can present the issues (1) that if you get too much, you tend to block the open portion of a ligator, and (2) if you get too little, it might tear or come loose from a hemostat's grip.
The present invention deals with all of these matters in a highly satisfying and simple manner.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, what is provided thereby is a rigid, elongate, bar-like body which has been formed in such a fashion that it can frictionally and releasably receive and grip a collection (four in the preferred embodiment illustrated and described herein) of T-bar-like, sprue-bome six-packs of ligators, each of which may be a different color. As will become apparent from the description which follows below, gripping occurs frictionally between surface structure which forms part of the bar-like body and surface structure in the central sprue which holds ligators. This device, which preferably is formed of a suitable molded plastic material that can be conventionally sterilized for repeated use, is formed with specially sized, spaced and shaped void spaces, or recesses, which act to guide the jaw of a hemostat so that the beaks in that jaw properly and fully grip the tire of each ligator without occluding the central open space therein. The device proposed by the invention thus conveniently organizes a collection of ligators in a manner that promotes easy handling, manipulation and dispensing by an orthodontist.
At one end of the device, as proposed in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, there is provided a double-tined, fork-like protrusion (plucking element) which can be used to pick up, for example, a loose sprue-borne ligator six-pack from a work surface or from a box containing a plurality of such things.
The device of the invention further includes a handle through which extends an opening that allows multiple like devices to be hung, for example, on a supporting rail. The sides of the outer ends of these handles are formed, as can be seen when viewed from the ends, with a very slight, laterally outwardly converging taper that just about exactly matches the angle formed in the open jaw of a hemostat when such is opened the amount that would be required to use the hemostat to grip the device. Thus, an orthodontist, without having physically to touch such a device in the process of freeing one for use from a hanging collection of multiple ones of these devices, can do so with a sterilized hemostat which leaves intact the sterility of neighboring devices in a hanging collection.
Various other features and advantages that are offered by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A semiconductor pressure sensor (720) includes a thin film piezoelectric element (701) which applies strain to a portion of a semiconductor substrate that corresponds to a thin region (402). The thin film piezoelectric element (701) is formed at a distance away from diffusion resistors (406, 408, 410, and 412) functioning as strain gauges and is extended to the proximity of a bonding pad (716A) connected to an upper electrode layer of the thin film piezoelectric element and a bonding pad (716F) connected to a lower electrode thereof. The diffusion resistors (406, 408, 410, and 412) constitute a bridge circuit by metal wiring (722) and diffusion wiring (724). During self-diagnosis, a prescribed voltage is applied to a thin film piezoelectric element (701). If the output difference of the bridge circuit between before and after the voltage application falls outside a prescribed range, it is determined that a breakage occurs in the semiconductor pressure sensor (720).

Semiconductor pressure sensors have conventionally been used as compact devices for converting a pressure into an electrical signal in a wide variety of fields including internal combustion engines of automobiles, consumer equipment, measuring equipment, and medical equipment. In the field of consumer equipment, semiconductor pressure sensors are used, for example, in hard disk drives, water heaters, air conditioners, washing machines, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners. In the field of measuring equipment, semiconductor pressure sensors are used, for example, in air pressure indicators, water pressure indicators, and oil pressure indicators. In the field of medical equipment, semiconductor pressure sensors are used, for example, in sphygmomanometers.
Semiconductor pressure sensors are produced using microfabrication technique for use in manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits. A semiconductor pressure sensor generally includes a diaphragm formed by processing part of a silicon substrate in the form of a thin film.
Pressure applied to the diaphragm causes strain in the diaphragm. In order to detect strain in the diaphragm, a resistor element (for example, piezoelectric element) whose resistance value changes according to a pressure is arranged on a surface of a silicon substrate. The semiconductor pressure sensor detects the pressure based on the changing resistance values of the resistor element.
For example, Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-49026) discloses a semiconductor pressure sensor including four Schottky barrier diodes each functioning as a resistor element. The four Schottky barrier diodes constitute a Wheatstone bridge. The internal resistance of the Shottky barrier diode changes according to strain produced in a Schottky junction portion.
FIG. 47 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional semiconductor pressure sensor. Referring to FIG. 47, a semiconductor pressure sensor 100 has a diaphragm structure formed of a thin portion 102 and a thick portion 104. In FIG. 47, thin portion 102 is shown as a region surrounded by the broken line. Thick portion 104 is located around thin portion 102. Strain gauge resistors 106, 108, 110, and 112 are formed on one main surface of thin portion 102.
FIG. 48 is a XLVIII-XLVIII cross-sectional view of semiconductor pressure sensor 100 shown in FIG. 47. Referring to FIG. 48, a glass substrate 116 is provided on a bottom surface of thick portion 104.
In the structure above, a reference pressure chamber 114 surrounded by thick portion 104 at the outer circumference thereof is formed between thin portion 102 and glass substrate 116. When semiconductor pressure sensor 100 is used for measuring atm absolute, reference pressure chamber 114 is usually in a vacuum state.
Strain is produced in thin portion 102 in accordance with the atmospheric pressure surrounding semiconductor pressure sensor 100. In accordance with the strain, the resistance values of strain gauge resistors 106, 108, 110, and 112 change. Strain gauge resistors 106, 108, 110, and 112 constitute a bridge circuit with not-shown wiring.
FIG. 49 is a diagram showing a bridge circuit 150 configured with strain gauge resistors 106, 108, 110, and 112 shown in FIG. 47. Referring to FIG. 49, a prescribed voltage is applied between input terminals 122A and 122B. A voltage is produced between output terminals 120A and 120B in accordance with the strain of thin portion 102.
It is necessary to reduce the thickness of the thin portion in order to improve the sensitivity of the semiconductor pressure sensor having the structure as shown in FIG. 47 to FIG. 49. However, during production of a semiconductor pressure sensor or during use of a semiconductor pressure sensor, breakage sometimes occurs in the thin portion.
In general, it is difficult to visually confirm breakage of the thin portion. Therefore, in conventional reliability tests, for example, output of a semiconductor pressure sensor is checked while changing the atmospheric pressure in the sealed chamber including the pressure sensor.
However, the method above requires a large-scale device and a long test time for reliability tests. In addition, once a semiconductor pressure sensor is installed in the inside of electronic equipment, it is difficult to test the sensor.
Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open No. 60-29627 (Examined Patent Publication No. 4-26051) discloses a semiconductor pressure sensor capable of detecting breakage of a diaphragm. FIG. 50 is a diagram for explaining a semiconductor pressure sensor shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2. Referring to FIG. 50, a semiconductor pressure sensor 200 includes strain gauge resistors 202, 204, wiring 206, and a transistor 208. Strain gauge resistors 202, 204, wiring 206, and transistor 208 are arranged on one main surface of a diaphragm 201.
Wiring 206 is formed in the direction crossing both of cleavage directions A and B of diaphragm 201. When wiring 206 is disconnected due to breakage of diaphragm 201, the breakage of diaphragm 201 is sensed by transistor 208.
Patent Literature 3 (Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open No. 2001-349797) discloses a pressure sensor capable of detecting abnormality of a diaphragm. FIG. 51 is a diagram for explaining a semiconductor pressure sensor shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 3. Referring to FIG. 51, a semiconductor pressure sensor 300 includes a diaphragm 302 including a thin portion 302A, detection portions 304A, 304B, and 304C, a strain applying member 306, a support member 308, and a base 310. Detection portions 304A, 304B, and 304C output electrical signals based on strain of thin portion 302A. Strain applying member 306 forcedly produces strain in thin portion 304A. Support member 308 supports strain applying member 306.
Strain applying member 306 is formed of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) or other piezoelectric element. With a voltage applied to strain applying member 306, strain applying member 306 expands. The expansion of strain applying member 306 pushes thin portion 302A downward. Pushing thin portion 302A downward forcedly produces strain in thin portion 302A.

Semiconductor pressure sensor, pressure sensor apparatus, electronic equipment, and method of manufacturing semiconductor pressure sensor


A clamp for use in installing crown molding which has a top front lip, a bottom rear lip and a bridging segment extending diagonally between them, comprising a clamp part for engaging the ceiling of a room and for engaging the top front lip of the crown molding from in front, and another clamp part for engaging the bottom rear lip of the crown molding from below and engaging the room wall behind the crown molding.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clamp to facilitate installing crown molding along the periphery of the ceiling of a room.
2. Prior Art
When crown molding is installed on the walls of a room at the ceiling, usually each piece of the molding is long and therefore somewhat flexible, preferably long enough to extend completely across the wall to which it is to be nailed, or substantially so. Because of its length the crown molding is difficult for one worker to handle without assistance as the nailing proceeds from one wall stud to the next across the wall.


A system and method for a moldable wallet. A moldable wallet has a clam shell shape with a top shell coupled to a bottom shell by a shell hinge. The wallet comprises a sealed side located at the shell hinge, and a clamped top side, right side, and bottom side. The top shell and the bottom shell have a moldable material, which can be a thermoplastic material or other bendable or moldable metal. The wallet can further include a money clip which can be integral with the wallet or a separate piece.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method for manufacturing a wallet.
Description of Related Art
Wallets are used for storing money, credit cards, etc. Typically, wallets are manufactured from leather or other similar material. Such material easily wears, stretches, and scoffs. Consequently, there is a need for an improved wallet.


An optical modulator having a protective film on a reflective layer is disclosed. One aspect of the invention provides an optical modulator having a protective film on a reflective layer, including a substrate; an insulation layer positioned on the substrate; a ribbon layer which has its center portion spaced apart from the insulation layer by a predetermined distance; an upper reflective layer, positioned on the center portion of the ribbon layer, which reflects or diffracts incident light; an upper-reflective-layer protective film, positioned on the upper reflective layer, which protects the upper reflective layer; and a piezoelectric element, positioned on the ribbon layer, which moves the center portion of the ribbon layer vertically. Certain embodiments of the invention prevent the deterioration and oxidation of the reflective layer surface due to heat or humidity, to maximize the light diffraction property and reliability of the optical modulator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a MEMS structure and a manufacturing method thereof, more particularly, to an optical modulator and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
MEMS refers to a microelectromechanical system or element, which is a technology that uses semiconductor manufacturing technology to form three-dimensional structures on silicon substrates. There are a variety of applications in which MEMS is used, an example of which is the field of optics. Using MEMS technology allows the manufacture of optical components smaller than 1 mm, by which micro-optical systems can be implemented. Micro-optical components such as optical modulators and micro-lenses, etc., corresponding to micro-optical a system, is selected for application in telecommunication devices, displays, and recording devices, due to such advantages as quick response time, low level of loss, and convenience in layering and digitalizing.
The optical modulator is a circuit or device which loads signals on a beam of light (optical modulation) when the transmission medium is optical fiber or free space in the optical frequency range. The optical modulator can be divided mainly into a direct type, which directly controls the on/off state of light, and an indirect type, which uses reflection and diffraction, where the indirect type may further be divided into an electrostatic type and a piezoelectric type according to how it is operated.
Regardless of its operation type, the indirect type optical modulator performs optical modulation by means of interference occurring due to the differences in paths between lights reflected or diffracted on different surfaces. Thus, the optical modulator necessarily requires a reflective layer for reflecting or diffracting light, and in order to improve the light diffraction efficiency of the optical modulator, the surface properties of the reflective layer must be maximized.
However, surface deterioration of the reflective layer is increased by heat generated during the process of forming the reflective layer or during subsequent manufacture processes, and stress changes in the reflective layer dependent on changes in temperature are also greatly increased.
Further, the ambient humidity generated during the process of forming the reflective layer or during subsequent manufacture processes causes the surface of the reflective layer to be oxidized.
Such deterioration in surface properties of the reflective layer has adverse effects on the light diffraction properties of the overall optical modulator, and lowers its reliability.


A junction box assembly includes a support board, a connector supported at one end by the support board, a separate tubular guide sleeve arranged concentrically about the connector, and a cover having an open bottom chamber receiving the connector, and a top wall containing an opening receiving the upper ends of the guide sleeve and the connector, thereby to afford electrical connection to the connector by an associated second connector. The guide sleeve is restrained against rotation relative to the cover, the upper end of the guide sleeve being internally threaded for connection with the externally threaded lock nut on the second connector. The guide sleeve and the cover are formed from different synthetic plastic materials.

1. Field of the Invention
A junction box assembly includes a support board, a connector supported at one end by the support board, a separate tubular guide sleeve arranged concentrically about the connector, and a cover having an open bottom chamber receiving the connector, and a top wall containing an opening receiving the upper ends of the guide sleeve and the connector, thereby to afford electrical connection to the connector by an associated second connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Junction boxes have been proposed in the prior art including a plastic housing containing a plurality of connectors that are received in the plastic housing for the connection of electrical conductors of preferably multi-wire cables, whereby each connector is surrounded by a guide sleeve. Examples of such junction boxes are presented by the Bechtold et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,599, and the German published application No. DE 103 31 441 A1.
There are designs where the synthetic plastic housing is made in one piece with the guide sleeves. There are also designs where the guide sleeves are made as separate parts from metal and are fixed within in the plastic housing.
The first-mentioned design possesses the disadvantage that relatively expensive tools are needed to be able to make the plastic housing with the integrally molded-on guide sleeves. Another disadvantage consists in that in the case of the individual design, the guide sleeves and the plastic housing, moreover, naturally consist of the same material so that there is no possibility here of selecting materials that would meet the requirements of the guide sleeves, on the one hand, and of the plastic housing, on the other hand, to any particular degree.
The second design possesses the disadvantage that the guide sleeves that are made of metal are comparatively expensive in cost.
The present invention was developed to provide a junction box or distributor that can be manufactured both easily and at reasonable cost, and that offers the possibility of using materials that meet different requirements for the plastic housing, on the one hand, and for the guide sleeves, on the other hand. This problem is solved according to the invention in that the guide sleeves in each case are made as individual parts from plastic and are fixed in the plastic housing. The guide sleeves are thus made of plastic, just as is the plastic housing, whereby one can use differing materials throughout for the mentioned parts.
The plastic housing can be made of a material that ideally meets the special requirements for the plastic housing. The same applies to the guide sleeves, whereby in this case, there may certainly be other requirements to be met so that other materials can be used correspondingly for the production of the guide sleeves. The guide sleeves are non-rotatably fixed by a press-fit within corresponding openings contained in the synthetic plastic housing.
Naturally, other possibilities of attachment are also conceivable, for example, the guide sleeves can also be fixed in a form-locking manner or in an adhesively bonded locking manner in the plastic housing. The guide sleeves are provided at their front end with at least one axially extending cutout in which engages a radially protruding extension arm of a contact insert in a form-locking manner. In this way, one can prevent any twisting or relative rotation between the particular connector and the particular associated guide sleeve. As is known, the guide sleeves can be provided with an interior thread, preferably a metric inside thread.

Junction box including connectors and surrounding housings


An air bag device for a knee of an occupant includes an air bag adapted to be extended in front of a seat of a vehicle including a zone at a height of the seat, a casing which holds the air bag therein in a folded state, and a gas generator mounted on the casing, the casing being located in a position offset to one of the righthand and lefthand sides of the front of the center of the seat, and the air bag having such a volume as to be extended to the other side by the gas generator. An air bag device for a knee of an occupant includes an air bag adapted to be extended in front of a seat of a vehicle including a zone at a height of the seat, the air bag having a shape when it is extended fully, in which its two end sides in the widthwise direction of the seat have projections toward the seat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle and, more particularly, to an air bag device for a knee of an occupant as called a "knee bag device".
2. Description of the Related Art
An occupant protecting device having an air bag (or a knee bag) to be extended in front of a knee of the occupant of a vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 24110/1991 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 28050/1991. These knee bags can be extended to protect the lower half of the occupant by preventing the submarine motion of the occupant (i.e., the motion of the occupant's body moving into the front lower portion of the seat).
The occupant protecting devices, as known in the above-specified individual publications, have its air bag device arranged in front of the center of the seat. As a result, the air bag device is positioned near the knees of the occupant to raise a problem of deteriorating the comfortableness of the vehicle cabin. At a driver's seat, on the other hand, the steering column is located in the vicinity of the front of the seat center thereby to make it more difficult to arrange the air bag device.
In the knee bag device of the prior art, the air bag takes, when extended, a generally identical shape (i.e., the extended shape of the air bag) throughout the widthwise direction of the seat. With this extended shape, the occupant may have his or her legs opened, when his or her legs are advanced or pushed to the extended air bag. Namely, the right leg may slide rightwardly of the air bag whereas the left leg may slide leftwardly of the air bag so that the legs may be opened.

Air bag device for a knee of an occupant


The present invention provides a Data Entry Device for computers and other devices. An embodiment of the present invention provides a Data Entry Device combining a keyboard and pointing device for computers and other devices; The Data Entry Device of the present invention introduces a completely new ergonomic construction for all keys. In the Data Entry Device of the present invention the keyboard and pointing device can both be used without shifting the hands from its initial resting position and where the shift key has to be used only for capitals and a few rarely used punctuations and symbols. The vowels are all on one side thus making them easy to access and use. All the letters are arranged so that on maximum occasions the letters are alternating between hands. The character keys are separated into alphabets, numerals, mathematical operators, punctuations and symbols. The placement of the characters on the DED is based on their frequency of occurrence in the environment, the ideal workload that should be allotted to each finger, the order of ease of use of keys, their pattern of use and similarity of type. In the present invention the concept of Home Row for fingers has been replaced by Home Keys for each finger being the keys on which the fingers tend to rest naturally and is not in one row. All this together makes the DED easy to comprehend, easy to learn, easy to use, more difficult to forget, increase the speed of typing, reduce errors and makes the user less prone to medical problems.

At present, the International Business Machines Windows Keyboard (IBMW Keyboard) is the standard keyboard used with computers. The construction of this keyboard is followed by all manufacturers with minor variations depending on additional features included and the specific field of use of the keyboard.
The IBMW Keyboard being a product evolved over time, its design and keypad construction are not conceptualised in a holistic manner taking all aspects into consideration ab-initio. As a result, the construction of the IBMW Keyboard is neither systematic nor logical and does not take into account several ergonomic aspects. Therefore it has a large number of deficiencies, of which some major ones are as under:—                (a) The size of the IBMW Keyboard is so large that all the keys on the keyboard cannot be operated without moving the hands from their natural resting position, particularly the numeric keypad, the arrow keys and other keys located on the right side of the keyboard.        (b) Due to its large size, the keyboard does not fit into the field of view of the operator when he is looking at the display screen of the monitor.        (c) The standard shape of the IBMW Keyboard is rectangular with the keys in a straight line whereas the natural resting position of the hands is tilting inwards approximately 25 degrees to the vertical running away from the operator. This makes typing on the keyboard with the hands kept at right angles to the keyboard a stressful process.        (d) The construction of the keyboard is not symmetrical about the centre. This leads to asymmetrical tasking and movement of the hands.        (e) The alphabet keys in the three rows and the numerals on the top fourth row are not aligned in a vertical line one below the other. There is a stagger between the rows with the second, third and fourth rows slightly to the right of the one above. This stagger is neither uniform from row to row nor is it symmetric about the centre. The stagger was necessary in mechanical typewriters but have no relevance in electronic keyboards.        (f) The numeric keypad with mathematical operators is located to the right side of the main keyboard. To use these keys, the user has to move his right hand 18 cm to the right. Though there is also a second set of numerals and mathematical operators above the alphabets, the mathematical operators are not arranged in any logical order.        (g) The pointing device or mouse is not part of the desktop keyboard. To use the mouse, the right hand has to move 25 cm to the right or the left hand has to move 18 cm to the left from the alphabet keys depending on which side the mouse has been placed.        (h) The typing task performed by the hands especially the fingers are not based on their relative capacity to do work. This has resulted in a workload allotment that is not optimised, thereby overworking some and underutilising some fingers.        (i) The standard alphabet keypad of the existing IBMW Keyboard is the QWERTY Keypad ((Inventor Christopher Latham, Sholes U.S. Pat. No. 207,559 issued on 27 Aug. 1878, see FIG. 1). This QWERTY Keypad was adopted for the early mechanical typewriters in the 1870s. Its primary aim was to keep the most often used keys well apart, so that the hammers which imprinted the images on the paper, when struck in quick succession did not stick to adjacent hammers. It was intended to deliberately reduce the speed of typing; a limitation imposed by the technical requirements of the time. The major drawbacks of the QWERTY Keypad are:—                    i. The allotment of typing workload to the fingers is not according to their relative capacity to do work. Similarly, the distribution of work to both hands is also not according to their relative capacity to do work.            ii. The construction of the punctuation and symbol keys are not based on any logic. Further, to type the symbols the Shift Key has to be used, thus making even typing the frequently used symbols difficult.
Thus the conventional IBMW Keyboard is neither systematic nor logical. As a result, it does not lend itself to speed in typing, is not easy to use, is not easy to learn, is prone to errors and causes medical problems on prolonged use. Ergonomically too it is not a satisfactory device. It also does not have a standard dimension or construction between desktop computer and notebook computer keyboards. All these deficiencies together make it a very poorly constructed device.
However, billions of users of the IBMW Keyboard have no other option but to use this keyboard there being no ready alternative. Over the years many new keypads both in the overall construction and in the character key construction have been suggested but none of them have had universal appeal to be adopted as a new standard. Many of the improvements were only rearrangement of character keys on the existing construction of the IBMW Keyboard such as the DVORAK (U.S. Pat. No. 2,040,248), Wedding (U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,749), and COLEMAK Keypad (not patented: refer http://colemak.com/). There were others which aimed at changing the way the entire keyboard was laid out; such as the Harbaugh (U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,588) and Yan (U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,406: see FIG. 2) Computer Keyboards. However, these keyboards did not address all the issues concerned and some were far too radical to be appealing to the common man and compounded the existing problems rather than resolve them.
According to estimates, the World has over one billion PCs as of end 2009. This is expected to double by the year 2015. Of the existing PCs, about 180 million PCs would also soon become obsolete and would need replacement along with their keyboards. This implies that there will be at least 1.18 billion new PCs to be introduced into the environment in the next six or seven years along with keyboards. In addition, there will be users who would choose to replace their existing keyboards both on PCs and also other devices where keyboards are used, when a new keyboard is introduced.
However, all of the current and future keyboard users of whom a large proportion will be children and first time users have no choice but to use the existing keyboard for the rest of their lives; a keyboard that was neither developed logically nor following any, ergonomic principles and is mostly based on the QWERTY Keyboard designed for the early mechanical typewriter and patented in 1878 i.e. over 132 years ago.
Therefore, there exists a need for a new keyboard or data entry device which is systematic, logical, and ergonomic in design and consequently is easy to use, easy to learn, increases the speed and reduces the possibility of medical problems in prolonged usage and is independent of the technology available now or in the future.


An aqueous laundry detergent composition containing a hydroxy mixed ether.

This invention relates generally to liquid detergents and more particularly to preparations containing selected nonionic surfactants and to the use of the nonionic surfactants for the production of liquid detergents.
In recent years, liquid detergents have acquired a firm market share in the field of detergents because they are particularly easy to dose and have advantages over solid detergents, above all in the low-temperature washing of only lightly soiled laundry. By virtue of their inverse solubility behavior, i.e. a solubility which increases with decreasing temperature, nonionic surfactants, such as ethoxylated fatty alcohols for example, are particularly suitable for the production of liquid detergents. However, the disadvantage of nonionic surfactants is that their solubility behavior is not entirely satisfactory and that they tend to form unwanted gel phases; their wetting power is also inadequate. Efforts have been made to overcome this disadvantage by combining the nonionic surfactants with anionic surface-active compounds. Unfortunately, the effect of this is that, in many cases, washing performance at low temperatures—where anionic surfactants are weak—is no longer satisfactory.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention was primarily to provide new liquid detergents based on nonionic surfactants which would be distinguished by optimized dissolving behavior and improved wetting properties. Another problem addressed by the invention was to provide preparations which would impart a pleasant softness to the treated textiles, even in the absence of cationic surfactants, and—in combination with polymers—to improve the inhibition of dye transfer in the washing of colored fabrics.