An electric switching device for an implantable hearing aid is disclosed. The device automatically, directly or indirectly activates the power consumption for an implantable hearing aid when an outer sound processor is installed on the patient and turns off/reduces the power consumption when the sound processor is removed.

Implantable hearing aids are used in many applications to rehabilitate hearing impairments of different kinds where conventional air conduction hearing aids will give a less successful treatment result, or are not feasible. One type of implantable hearing aid is the bone conduction hearing aid where a vibrator that directly stimulates the skull bone is fully implanted beneath the skin. This kind of hearing aid is prescribed to patients who are suffering from one or two sided chronic ear infections or a congenital/acquired malformation of the outer and/or middle ear or single-sided deafness. This type of implantable bone conduction hearing aid is often called Bone Conduction Implant (BCI) see Håkansson et al. 2010 and FIG. 1.
Another type of implantable hearing aid which is also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a Cochlear Implant (CI). Cochlear Implants are used for patients suffering from considerably reduced neurogenic function with a substantial reduction of hair cells in the inner ear. The Cochlear implant stimulates the basal cells of the basilar membrane (BM) electrically inside the inner ear by means of an array of electrodes which are introduced inside the cavity of the inner ear along the basilar membrane where these cells are located (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,048). A similar kind of implantable hearing aid is a so called Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) which is also illustrated in FIG. 1. Auditory Brainstem Implants are used when the auditory nerve (HN) which conducts sound information from the inner ear to the brain is damaged and then the electrodes are applied to the brainstem (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,797,029).
Finally, there is a type of implantable hearing aid which has a mechanical loudspeaker (T) connected to one of the ossicles of the middle ear or to the round window (RW) membrane which is also illustrated in FIG. 1. This kind of hearing aid is often called Middle Ear Implant (MEI) and is prescribed to patients for whom the ordinary air conduction hearing aid is insufficient (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,376).
Also belonging to the group of MEI are other implants which directly or indirectly stimulate the fluids of the inner ear mechanically e.g. DACS (Direct Acoustical Cochlear Stimulator from Cochlear Corp. Australia) and MET (Middle Ear Transducer from former Otologics, USA) provided they are operated via an inductive link through intact skin (DACS and MET are not shown In FIG. 1).
These types of implantable hearing aids all have in common that they have an external unit (EU) which is sometimes denoted "sound processor" or "audio processor" as well as an implanted unit (IU), and the sound energy is transmitted from the external unit to the implanted unit via an inductive link which allows the skin and soft tissues covering over the implant to remain intact. The inductive link consists of a circular transmitter coil (TC) located in the external unit and a similar circular receiver coil (RC) which is located in the implanted unit. In order for the external unit in implantable hearing aids to remain firmly fixed in the correct location when they are used by the patient two retention magnets are typically used. Typically one external retention magnet (EM) is seated in the centre of the transmitting coil (TC) in the external unit and one implanted retention magnet (IM) is seated in the centre of the receiving coil (RC) in the implanted unit such that the coils are thereby axially centred with respect to each other. In some cases several magnets may be used on each side of the skin respectively, and in some topologies they may have different axes of magnetic polarity, but the principle function is to provide retention of the external unit to the implanted unit and to centre the coils above each other to provide the best possible inductive transmission of sound energy. FIG. 1 also illustrates that the signal, which is received by the receiving coil, is processed in an electronic unit (E) before the signal is finally driving the actuating units, respectively. In the BCI, the electronic unit (E) may advantageously be integrated in the actuating unit, together with the vibration transducer unit, encapsulated in a titanium casing.
The external unit contains, besides the transmitter coil and retention magnet, also active components such as microphone (M), signal processor (SP), driving circuits for the inductive link (D) as well as a battery (B) for the power supply. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery may easily be dismantled/replaced (see double headed arrow) and when the battery is removed the power supply is also interrupted, which otherwise directs the power to the active electronic circuits via a bipolar battery contact (BC). In order not to consume power when the hearing aid is not in use, there is also a mechanical switch (S) by means of which the patient may turn off the power, or the patient will have to remove the battery from the battery contacts.
One drawback with implantable hearing aids is that they have high electric power consumption as there are inevitable losses related to the inductive link during transmission of energy through the intact skin. As the carrier wave of the inductive link must remain full-on the whole time disregarding sound levels the useful lifetime of the battery may to appear short as compared to battery life time in a conventional hearing aid. The battery present in the external unit lasts 5-7 days for BCI and MEI (depending on how many hours a day the device is used) while for the CI and ABI the useful lifetime of the battery is even shorter as these also have implanted electrical circuits which have a substantial power consumption. It is therefore of utmost importance that the devices are turned off when they are not in use, e.g. at night, or temporarily when it is not necessary to listen via the implant not to consume battery capacity unnecessarily.
It is also important to stress that implantable hearing aids, which make use of a tuned inductive link for transmitting the signal and energy, consume considerably more power if they are not positioned above the implanted unit. This occurs as the tuned circuit for the carrier wave generated in the external unit is no longer tuned to the actual load impedance when it is removed from the head of the patient. Due to changes in the impedance conditions of the induction link the output stage will therefore require even more power than if it is attached to the head of the patient. It can be mentioned that the external unit may be split into two parts where only the transmitting coil (TC) and the external retention magnet (EM) are located in situ on top of the implanted unit (see the parallel dotted line which divides the external unit in two parts in FIG. 1). The remaining part of the external unit is advantageously located in a different housing worn on the pinnae of the outer ear (typically like a behind-the-ear device). This solution is typically used in CI and ABI as they have more than one battery and are therefore heavier than would be suitable to be carried by the retention magnets (would require stronger magnets which may give rise to circulation problems in the soft tissue which will be exposed to a higher pressure).
Implanted hearing aids often use a manual mechanical switch (S) to turn on/turn off the power consumption as shown in FIG. 1 (prior art). As manually activated switches require a relatively large amount of space and may be difficult to handle, some implantable hearing aids have instead made use of the fact that the battery can be removed or moved enough to cut off the power supply through the battery contacts (BC), see double headed arrow in FIG. 1. Both methods require an effort from the patient to turn on/off the power consumption. Compared to conventional air conduction hearing aids and bone anchored hearing aids the patient will not get an indication that the external device is turned off (conventional hearing aids will emit a squeaking sound if they are not turned off and not fitted to the patient). Many elderly have impaired dexterity and may have motoric difficulties to use a small manually activated power switch or to visually inspect whether a mechanical switch is turned "on" or "off".
One way to accomplish an automatic turning on/off of the power supply is to make use of the changes in the static magnetic flux density which occurs when the external unit is attached. In such a solution a magnetically actuated "reed relay" can be placed at a location so that the relay will be activated when the external unit is fixed in its position and is deactivated when the external unit is removed, see for example U.S. 2005/0033383. With "reed relay" is meant a relay that is activated by a static magnetic field that will exceed/fall below a certain level. When the external unit is fixed in its location the magnetic flux density will increase locally in certain areas and the "reed relay" is therefore advantageously placed in such an area so that the relay will detect this change in magnetic flux density and thereby turn on the power consumption. As an alternative to a reed relay the changes in the static magnetic flux density can be detected by using a Hall sensor. This sensor is thus sensing the static flux and produces a proportional electric voltage. A control circuit can then amplify this quite small electric voltage and at an appropriate selected voltage level from the Hall sensor, the control circuit can activate a relay that switches the power on and off, see for example U.S. 2011/0112607 A1 or U.S. 2005/0105752 A1. All these methods of controlling the power consumption has been considered to be relatively sensitive, especially as the external unit has a permanent magnet in place although the unit has been removed from the patient. This means that the relay only can make use of a change in the static magnetic flow at engagement of the external unit to the implanted unit in order to activate the power supply. Also, a solution using a Hall sensor requires additional electronic components to activate a relay that switches on/off the power from the battery. Such solutions may therefore be both bulky and costly.
Therefore, there is a need for a more inexpensive and reliable alternative device that automatically, directly or indirectly, activates the power supply in the outer unit when it is fitted to the patient and which inactivates or turns off/reduces the power consumption when the external unit is removed from the patient.


An original image is divided into a plurality of image parts in the forms of image signals which are then given to liquid crystal light valves, respectively so that liquid crystal light valves display the plurality of image parts therein. These liquid crystal light valves allow light from light sources to pass through so as to form image light beams which are intensity-modulated in accordance with the divided image parts. A plurality of mirrors reflect the image light beams and introduce them onto a projecting lens system. In this arrangement, the plurality of mirrors are located in such a way that their reflecting surfaces do not cross the optical axis of the projecting lens system, and the image light beams are synthesized on the screen so as to reproduce an original image. Accordingly, the pixel density of the original image can be multiplied by a multiplier which equal to the number of used liquid crystal light valves.

In recent years, with increased diversification of the image application field, several kinds of displays technology of a large size image plane have been developed.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view illustrating one example of the arrangement of a projector in this kind of technology. Referring to this figure, a liquid crystal light valve 2 in which several pixels are two-dimensionally arrayed is shown. An image signal is inputted to this liquid crystal light valve 2, as is similar to the well-known liquid crystal televisions, and accordingly, the pixels are driven so as to form an image. In this arrangement, the pixels are constituted by, for example, a well-known active-matrix system. A light source 5 for emitting white light to the liquid crystal light valve 2 is located in the rear of the latter. A projection lens 3 focuses light which has passed through the liquid crystal light valve 2 onto a screen 6 for forming an image (this light will hereafter be denoted as "image light").
With the above-mentioned arrangement, when an image signal is supplied to the liquid crystal light valve 2, the pixels are driven in accordance with the image signal so as to form an image in the liquid crystal light valve 2. Further, light passes through this liquid crystal light valve 2 so as to create an intensity-modulated image light. This image light is focused onto the screen 6 by the projection lens 3. As a result, the image formed in the liquid crystal light valve 2 is magnified and projected onto the screen 6, thereby making it possible to display a large size image plane.
The image projected by the projector has a resolution which is determined by the number of pixels that constitute the liquid crystal light valve 2. At present, the number of pixels in the liquid crystal light valve 2 is substantially equal to that of the well-known liquid crystal televisions. Accordingly, the number of pixels per unit area is large in a liquid crystal television having a small size screen, and therefore, it is considered that the liquid crystal light valve 2 can provide an image with a relatively high definition. However, when this image is magnified and projected for displaying a large size image plane, the number of pixels per unit area decreases, and accordingly, the pixel density is lowered, resulting in an image having a low resolution.
Accordingly, at present, the objective is to increase the pixel density or the size of a liquid crystal panel itself. Thus, a liquid crystal light valve 2 displaying on a high definition television (HDTV) have been being developed. However, in the case where increasing the density of pixels in the liquid crystal light valve 2, the production yield is greatly reduced in the present manufacturing process, resulting in a high manufacturing cost. Further, there is a technical limitation in that the length of one side of one pixel cannot be less than the thickness of a liquid crystal panel even though the size of one pixel is reduced in order to increase the pixel density. Further, in the case where increasing the size of the liquid crystal panel itself so as to increase the number of pixels, the production yield decreases, similar to the situation resulting when of increasing the pixel density is increased, causing a high cost. That is, an increase, exceeding the present available number, in the number of pixels in the liquid crystal light valve 2 is very difficult to achieve, and accordingly, it has been difficult to increase the definition of a magnified image.
Accordingly, in order to avoid incurring the abovementioned problems caused by an increase in the number or the density of pixels in the liquid crystal light valve 2, a projector which can effectively increase the definition of the projected image has been proposed, without increasing the number of pixels in the liquid crystal light valve 2. FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating one example of this arrangement. In this figure, like reference numerals are attached to like parts to those shown in FIG. 14, and an explanation thereto is omitted.
In the projector shown in this figure, a prism mirror PM having two reflecting surfaces is located in the rear of the projecting lens 3. This prism mirror PM bisplits the optical axis m so as to form two image planes. Further, two liquid crystal light valves 21, 22 and two light sources 51, 52 for emitting light to the former are arranged corresponding to these two image planes. With this arrangement, images displayed on these two liquid crystal light valves 21, 22 are projected by means of the lens 3 onto the right and left halves of the screen 6, respectively, so that a continuous projected image can be obtained on the screen 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, the image given by the liquid crystal light valve 22 is displayed over the area indicated by A on the screen 6 while the image given by the liquid crystal light valve 21 is displayed over the area indicated by B on the screen. Accordingly, an image signal to be fed to these two liquid crystal light valves 21, 22 is divided into two for the respective areas, and are then inputted to the liquid crystal light valves 21, 22 so as to display the original image on the screen. In this arrangement, in which the display images in the two liquid crystal light valves are synthesized so as to display the original image, it is possible to obtain a pixel density which is two times as great as that conventionally obtained.
However, with this type of projector, the following disadvantages have been inevitably arisen. That is, if the characteristics of the liquid crystal light valves 21, 22 for forming left and right projected images are different, a joint seam becomes visible on the screen, being caused by a difference between the characteristics thereof, and accordingly, the quality of the projected image deteriorates. Further, in the above-mentioned projector, since the effective display areas of the liquid crystal light valves are increased, the size of the projection lens has to be increased.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A method is described for a dissolving crystals formed in a side reaction to an oxidation-reduction reaction. A low frequency substantially square wave signal less than 10 kilohertz is applied across the battery terminals to dissolve unwanted crystals.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for dissolving crystals that form as a result of an unwanted side reaction in conjunction with oxidation-reduction chemical reactions, and more particularly to a method and apparatus of minimizing buildup of chemical deposits on battery plates and terminals by applying a low frequency square wave across the terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
Oxidation-reduction is a very common and an important type of chemical reaction. Oxidation-reduction reaction includes by definition any chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred. Oxidation-reduction reactions have many far reaching and useful applications, for example combustion, photosynthesis, metabolism, bleaching agents, electrochemistry, batteries, etc. In many instances however, oxidation-reduction reaction also produce a buildup of undesirable chemical deposits in the form of crystals, as in the case of a lead acid battery, where lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4) and lead(IV) sulfate (Pb(SO4)2 crystals are produced. A battery, such as used in the automotive field, is illustrative of one type of oxidation-reduction reaction. A characteristic of such electrolyte type batteries, particularly lead acid batteries, is that chemical compound deposits slowly build-up on plates to partially or entirely cover and displace the normal plate surfaces. Low current charging does not remove the deposits effectively. With the passage of time, the deposits crystallize and choke the battery by blocking electrolyte movement. During the process of charging a battery, the lead on one of the plates is converted to lead(IV) oxide (PbO2) and lead oxide on the other plate is reduced to lead. Under certain conditions, lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4) and lead(IV) sulfate (Pb(SO4)2) crystals are formed as an undesirable byproduct. The lead sulfate crystals coat the electrodes and prevent contact between the lead of the electrode and the sulfuric acid of the electrolyte, thus reducing the surface area available for the chemical reaction to take place. This, in turn, reduces the total power output capacity of the battery. Although some of the lead(II) sulfate is dissolved during charging, lead(II) and lead(IV) sulfate can build up to a point where the battery is considered totally unusable. Fast charging has been suggested, but fast charging frequently overheats the battery and warps the lead plates in a lead acid battery effectively shorting the plates so that the battery does not hold a charge.
Batteries using other electrolytes also suffer from maintenance and charging problems that need to be addressed. A nickel cadmium battery serves as an example. A nickel cadmium battery uses an oxidation-reduction chemical reaction to create the desired electrical current. One of the plates of a nickel cadmium battery uses a material called nickel sponge, a form of almost pure nickel in a very open structure, which gives it a large surface area. The large surface area is necessary to generate the maximum amount of current. As this battery is used, undesirable crystals form in the lattice of the nickel sponge and block the electrolyte from contacting the surface of the electrode. These undesirable crystals can build up to a point where the battery becomes unusable.
Oxidation-reduction is also referred to as redox. Redox chemical reaction involves the use of electron donor salts and electron hungry salts, usually in a resin matrix or bed with large surface areas. There are other redox processes that use electrolysis to aid the reaction. These would be classed as electrochemical. In these processes, complex, multiple step oxidation-reduction reactions take place such as in the leaching of gold and other precious metal ores, and when side reactions forming unwanted crystals take place, these crystals can be dissolved using my invention. Another example of an electrochemical redox process is the electrolysis of water to form hydrogen and oxygen. Fouling of the electrodes can occur by the build up of calcium carbonate.
It is therefore an object of my invention to prevent or minimize the buildup of undesirable and unwanted chemical deposits occurring from oxidation-reduction chemical reactions.
Others have recognized that for specific applications such as lead acid batteries a resonant excitation of the sulfate crystals in the battery may reduce crystal formations.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,590 of King discloses a system employing a signal generator coupled by a transformer to deliver an alternating current signal of selected frequency at the output of the transformer secondary winding. The signal is rectified to deliver a train of direct current pulses through an output circuit at a high frequency range of 10,000 to 52,000 hertz to cover the crystals to crack and soften and eventually dissolve in the battery solution. The system of King is used with lead acid batteries and, accordingly, is not adaptable to all oxidation reduction process. It also requires high and variable frequency on the range of 20 Khz to 32 Khz.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,166 of Taricco discloses a battery charger employing an external AC power source for recharging lead-acid batteries. Like King, it operates at frequencies above 10,000 hertz. Noise created by the resonant excitation is fed back to the modulator to create and or enhance the noise on the rail voltage to recharge the battery.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of such known arrangements which fail to effectively act on crystals having a resonant frequency below 10 Khz. Crystals formed as a result of oxidation-reduction are of varying sizes and these single frequency operation systems of the prior art only effects crystals resonant at that frequency.
The subject invention is more versatile in that it will work in all oxidation-reduction reactions, is more effective and advantageous because it will stimulate a larger variety of crystal sizes and will work with or without an external power sources. Another advantage of the present invention is that it is capable of delivering more power to stimulate a larger surface area of crystal formation known arrangement and is simpler and more economical, requiring only one integrated circuit and one transistor.
Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method for dissolving unwanted crystals that form as a by product of an oxidation-reduction chemical reaction.
Still another object of my invention is to provide a system for stimulating the natural frequency of the crystals of varying sizes formed as a result of an oxidation-reduction reaction, thus causing them to break up and dissolve.
Yet another object of my invention is to provide an improved system for stimulating unwanted crystals formed on battery plates causing them to break up and dissolve.

Method and apparatus for dissolving crystals


An indirect daylighting device for a building with an interior space may include a suspension system configured for securing to a building structure and a pan secured to the suspension system and having an incident surface and a cross-sectional profile forming a plurality of waves, wherein the incident surface is arranged to receive natural light entering a building and reflect the natural light to provide indirect lighting to the interior space of the building.

Operation of buildings is a significant contributor to emissions into our atmosphere. Building operations account for a large percentage of our energy use and of our carbon-based emissions. In response to these concerns as well as rising energy costs, building designers continue to look for more energy efficient systems to facilitate building operation. Moreover, certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) have enticed designers and building owners to entertain alternatives to conventional building operations.
Daylighting is one aspect of this movement and involves efforts to rely on natural light to illuminate the interior of a building. Daylighting efforts may include strategically placing windows, doors, and other openings. In addition, light shelves may also be used to reflect natural light into an interior space. In most instances, light shelves may be positioned on the interior of a building at a window location. When the light shelf is positioned properly, natural sunlight is directed toward the top surface of the light shelf and reflected upward illuminating the ceiling in the interior building space. Less electrical lighting may thus be used in the spaces where light shelves are utilized and therefore the electrical lighting may be dimmed or turned off to conserve energy.
Current light shelves, however, suffer from several drawbacks. For example, current light shelves may be limited to sizes and arrangements quite closely related to glazing layouts and interior obstruction locations. In addition, known shelves often cause glare and reflect harsh light off interior hard surfaces. This does not create a very aesthetically pleasing appearance. Improvements are needed to further the use of light shelves in the building industry; such as making the design and layout more flexible, creating a more aesthetically pleasing appearance, making the use of natural light more appealing for building occupants, improving the quality of the reflected light, and facilitating ease of fabrication and installation. Improved designs can distribute light more uniformly in a room as well as distribute light greater distances.


A method executed in a computing device for dividing by the integer number 48, the method includes receiving a number, and using the number in a combination of four additions and four bit-level shifts to produce a quotient representing the number divided by the integer number 48.

Some systems (e.g., communication systems, data processing systems, etc.) distribute data in packets for transmitting the data throughout a network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or other similar networking scheme. In some networking schemes various amounts of data are included in each of the transmitted data packets. Typically, data packet length increases as more data is included in the data packet, although, the length of the data packet may also depend on the transmission capability (i.e., transmission rate, bus width, etc.) of the network. Alternatively, some networks, such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, transfer fixed-length data packets known as cells. Each fixed-length cell has a length of 53 bytes and includes a header that is 5 bytes in length and a data payload that is 48 bytes in length. To transfer a data packet transmitted on a network, which allows various data packet lengths, to an ATM network, which only transmits fixed-length cells, the data packet is converted into one or more fixed-length cells. To convert the data packet, the number of fixed-length cells needed to store the data included in the data packet is determined by dividing the length of the data packet by the fixed-length cell payload length (i.e., 48 bytes) during a time period budgeted for processing each data packet.

Method and process for determining a quotient


A method for performing queries on a distributed time series data storage system is presented. The time series data storage system has a time series database that stores data blocks containing time stamped data across a plurality of computing devices. The system also includes an index database that stores an index associated with the time stamped data in each data block. The method includes the steps of sending a query, requesting indices, returning the indices, preparing a sub-query, forwarding the sub-query to an evaluator, evaluating the sub-query, performing a logical operation on each sub-query's result, receiving the sub-results at an output handler, and combining the sub-results.

As the ability to connect devices together via electronic networks has increased, it has become more desirable to collect, transmit and store operational data for various systems so that such data can be used for analysis and optimization. For instance, industrial equipment often contains a variety of sensors that can monitor multiple parameters related to the operation and performance of the equipment many times per second. Such sensors rapidly produce a large volume of time series historical data points associated with the equipment.
Although such data can be very useful for determining how to better use the equipment, the volume of data produced often requires storage that is not located on, or even near, the equipment itself. When data from multiple related sources is stored (for instance, data related to each windmill in a wind farm), the volume of data produced over time grows even more quickly.
Although raw storage of such data merely requires a fast enough connection to a large enough storage array, raw storage of such time series data does not provide a structure that is amenable to easy retrieval of specific data. Furthermore, when the entire body of data needs to be searched in order to find data meeting specific criteria, brute force search methods will be too slow and resource intensive to provide effective results.
Therefore, in order to allow for effective storage and retrieval of such time series data, it may be desirable to provide a technique that allows for rapid storage as well as efficient search and retrieval of specified data from such systems. It may also be desirable to provide techniques for effective analytic capabilities of such large bodies of time series data stored in such systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for storage, querying, and analysis of time series data


This invention relates to a thin reinforced nonwoven fabric comprising a liquid impervious polymeric layer, a compressed web of crimped fiber, a binder, and a reinforcing scrim. The fabric bulks when exposed to heat or flame and is useful as a component for fire blocking mattresses, upholstery, and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a thin reinforced nonwoven fabric comprising a liquid impervious polymeric layer, a compressed web of crimped fiber, a binder, and a reinforcing scrim. The fabric bulks when exposed to heat or flame and is useful as a component for fire blocking mattresses, upholstery, and the like. This invention further relates to a fire-blocked article incorporating this fabric. This invention also relates to processes for making this reinforced nonwoven fabric and incorporating the fabric into an article.
2. Description of Related Art
The State of California has led the drive to regulate and reduce the flammability of mattresses and mattress sets in an attempt to reduce the number of lives lost in household, hotel, and institutional fires. In particular, the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation of the Department of Consumer Affairs of the State of California issued Technical Bulletin 603 "Requirements and Test Procedure for Resistance of a Residential Mattress/Box Spring Set to a Large Open-Flame" to quantify the flammability performance of mattress sets. In many cases, mattress makers want to include a layer of fire blocking, however, they do not want that additional layer to detract from the existing aesthetics of their mattresses.
Strong thin fabrics, such as a combination of staple fibers and a thin reinforcing scrim fabric, could be desired in many instances because they are durable and also are not likely to be objectionable. Various methods are known in the art for combining staple fibers and scrim fabrics that lock the staple fibers in place. One such process is hydro-entangling, also known in various publications as hydrolacing, spunlacing, and water-jet treatments, where high pressure water jets impact the staple fibers and drive them into the scrim, consolidating the fiber and scrim together. Another process known in the art for combining staple fibers and scrim fabrics is by needlepunching. In this process, barbed needles grab the staple fibers and drive them into the scrim, or into the internal fiber batting, locking together the structure. Nonwoven sheets made by these processes mechanically and strongly entangle the staple fibers either with themselves or with the scrim or both, limiting the ability of the fabric to bulk when heated or exposed to flame.
Still another process known in the art for combining staple fibers and scrim fabric is by adhesive lamination or the addition of binders. In this process, a binder or adhesive is used to either adhere or bind layers or individual fibers together. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,579,396 and 6,383,623 to Erb and European Patent EP 622 332 to Yamaguchi et al. both disclose the use of a binder to maintain the loft or thickness of these thick fabrics; that is, the nonwoven remains in a lofted or bulked form so that it will have resiliency.
In addition to the desire for strong thin fabrics as fire blockers, in many instances, there is a desire to protect the internals of a mattress or other upholstered article from bodily fluids or other aqueous liquids. What is needed therefore, is a thin reinforced fabric that can function as both a fire blocker and as a liquid barrier.

Liquid water impermeable reinforced nonwoven fire blocking fabric, method for making such fabric, and articles fire blocked therewith


A clock generation device measures a frequency ratio between a clock signal CK1 (32.768 kHz+α) and a reference frequency value based on a clock signal CK3 (25 MHz), generates a clock signal CK2 obtained by masking at least one clock pulse of the clock signal CK1 based on the measurement result of the frequency ratio, and controls the measurement interval of the frequency ratio based on the difference between the measurement result of the frequency ratio and an average value of N (N is a natural number) measurement results of the frequency ratio.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a clock generation device, an electronic apparatus, a moving object, and a clock generation method.
2. Related Art
In JP-A-2006-309479 (Document 1), there is proposed a clock correction circuit, which counts the number of pulses of a main clock included in one cycle of a sub-clock, and then masks a part of the main clock so that the number of pulses of the main clock included in one cycle of the sub-clock is equal to a predetermined reference pulse number using the number of the pulses and the reference pulse number, and then outputs the main clock.
However, in the clock correction circuit proposed in Document 1, since an updating cycle of a clock correction value is kept constant, there is a problem that in an environment with severe temperature changes, there are some cases in which the updating cycle of the clock correction value is too long to sufficiently correct the frequency variation of the main clock due to the temperature variation, and thus the frequency stability of the output clock is deteriorated, while in an environment with gentle temperature changes, on the contrary, there are some cases in which the updating cycle of the clock correction value is too short, and thus the current due to an operation of counting the number of pulses of the main clock is consumed in vain.

Clock generation device, electronic apparatus, moving object, and clock generation method


A balance practicing machine that offers simplified control, reduced cost, and a compact drive assembly that reduces the space requirement for the machine. The machine includes an output shaft from one side of a power source to impart three movements to the seat in the form of a repetitive linear motion in the longitudinal direction, a repetitive pivoting motion around a longitudinal shaft, and a repetitive pivoting motion around transverse shafts. A seat base is connected to an active frame, through connector links, so as to provide swinging movement of the seat base around transverse shafts. The active frame is connected to a base member so as to allow the repetitive pivoting movement of the active frame around a longitudinal shaft.

1. Field of Application
The invention relates to a balance practicing machine that provides a swinging motion to a person sitting on the machine in order to provide balance practice and exercise.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art includes a type of conventional balance practicing machine which is constructed in the shape of a horse and equipped with six power sources that generate six different movements. An example of such a conventional balance practicing machine is described in Japanese Kokou Patent No. H6-65350. These six movements consist of repetitive linear motions in the fore-aft, right-left, and vertical directions, and repetitive pivoting motions around longitudinally, transversely, and vertically oriented shafts. These motions combine to form a compound swinging movement comprised of six separately controllable movements.
Another type of conventional balance practicing machine is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9. An example of this type of conventional balance practicing machine is described in Japanese Kokai (laid open) Patent 2001-286578. This machine is equipped with seat 2 on which a person sits, drive assembly 3 which imparts a swinging motion to seat 2, main shaft 30 of motor 10a that extends in the 'A' and 'B' directions, and output shafts 12a and 12b that provide power transmission to move seat 2 with a repetitive linear motion in the fore-aft X direction, a repetitive pivoting motion in a direction around transversely oriented shaft 7, and a repetitive pivoting motion in a direction around longitudinally oriented shaft 9. As FIG. 7 illustrates, torque supplied through output shaft 12a, which extends from one side of motor 10a, is transferred from gear 31 to gear 32, and rotates shaft 33 to which first crank 34 is attached to one end thereof. The rotation of first crank 34 is converted, through first rod 35, into concurrent forward and rearward pivoting motions of first link 36 and second link 38 around pivot pins 37 and 39, respectively, thus imparting forward and rearward motions to seat 2, through seat base 4, along with changes in the inclination of the upper surface of seat 2. The upper end of second link 38 is pivotably attached to seat base 4 through ball joint 71 so as to form a movable link there between, and the lower end is pivotably attached to base member 8 through support plate 70. The torque supplied by output shaft 12b, which extends from the other side of motor 10a, is transferred from gear 40 to gear 41 (FIG. 8) to rotate second crank 43 which is connected to one end of shaft 42 (FIG. 9). The rotation of second crank 43 imparts a repetitive pivoting motion to seat base 4 and seat 2, through second rod 44, in a direction around longitudinally oriented shaft 9.
Because the balance practicing machine described in Japanese Kokou Patent No. H6-65350 is equipped with six separately controlled power sources, the timing, speed, and operating range of each power source must be individually controlled, thus making for an extremely complex control system. Moreover, the use of six power sources increases both the cost and size of the balance practicing machine.
The balance practicing machine described in Japanese Kokai (laid open) Patent 2001-286578 incorporates output shaft 12 that extends in two opposing directions from motor 10a, thus requiring that motor 10a be installed horizontally. This structure creates a problem in that a large amount of space must be provided on the horizontal plane to accommodate the bi-direction extension of output shaft 12, and that drive assembly 3 be made to relatively large dimensions.


In medical imaging in which a plurality of images of an object under examination are formed, image distortions are corrected using a phantom body which is present in the examination zone of the imaging device when the images of the object are acquired. It is known that image distortions in computer tomography apparatus are caused, for example, by calibration errors, by deviations from the adjusted table displacement speed, or by bending of the table under the weight of the patient. These image distortions are detected in the image of the phantom body in an acquired image and a correction rule is derived for the correction of image distortions in the entire acquired image. The phantom body is in the form of a frame of three elements of X or N shape, two of which extend parallel to one another and perpendicular to the third.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates a method for the detention and correction of image distortions in medical imaging during which a plurality of images are formed. The invention also relates to a computer tomography apparatus (referred to hereinafter as CT apparatus) which includes and X-ray detector arrangement, and an arithmetic unit for processing measured signals and for calculating slice images from the measured signals in order to carry out such a method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method for the correction of image distortions in computer tomography is known, for example from EP-A2-479 618. Therein, so-called geometrical distortions (distortions due to the special construction geometry of the image intensifier) and magnetic distortions (distortions caused by the terrestrial magnetic field) are corrected by means of a calibration object. The calibration object is positioned on the surface of the image intensifier and irradiated by X-rays so that a slice image is formed of the calibration object. The calibration object consists of a grid of copper wires. A horizontal and a vertical correction table are formed from the slice image of the calibration object; these tables describe said distortions and are used for the correction of CT images at a later stage. CT images may be taken, for example perpendicularly or obliquely to the slice images and are acquired from measuring values in different slice images.
The known method, however, detects exclusively image distortions which occur before irradiation of a patient. Exclusively these image distortions can be corrected in the images at a later stage. Distortions occurring directly during the exposure are not taken into account. However, the occurrence of distortions in the images cannot be precluded, despite the careful mechanical calibration of the computer tomography apparatus or other imaging system. Particularly the use of computer tomography during interventional surgery, for example neurosurgery, imposes extreme requirements as regards the precision, for example, to enable determination of the exact location of a tumor in the brain. Therefore, distortions should absolutely be detected and corrected.
Hereinafter some types of distortions and their possible causes will be described. Because of inaccurate calibration, the adjustment of the angle between the irradiation plane and the plane of the patient table during the exposure may be incorrect. During CT usually slices extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the body of a patient are recorded; the irradiation plane should then extend perpendicularly to the plane of the patient table. An adjustment inaccuracy amounting to no less than+ or -2.degree. for a desired angle of 90.degree. is then typical. Such incorrect adjustment causes shear-like distortion of the image.
A further type of distortion is the scale distortion which may occur in the image due to lack of correspondence between the actual and the intended speed of displacement of the patient table. Distortions thus arising cause stretched or compressed images of the area to be imaged.
The weight of the patient may cause bending of the patient table, thus giving rise to an incorrect angle between the irradiation plane and the patient table as well as to a further distortion effect which can generally be described by a quadratic equation.
Moreover, any rotation and translatory shift occurring between the coordinate system in which the (real) phantom body is situated and the image coordinate system in which the image of the phantom body (the phantom image) is situated are to be taken into account and corrected.

Method for the detection and correction of image distortions in medical imaging


An air-bag arrangement includes an air-bag and a gas generator to supply gas to inflate the air-bag. The gas generator is hingedly connected to a support and is hingedly movable between a closed position in which the gas generator extends across and closes an aperture, and a second position in which the apertured is opened to permit the flow of gas from the air-bag. The gas generator is initially retained in position by a retainer the retainer being actuable, in response to a signal, to enable the gas generator to move hingedly to the open position.

The present invention relates to an air-bag arrangement, and more particularly relates to an air-bag arrangement adapted to be controllably vented.
It is known that it is desirable to vent an air-bag provided for use in a motor vehicle to protect an occupant of the vehicle in the event that an accident should occur, especially if the air-bag is of the type intended to provide protection in the event that a front impact should occur.
An air-bag that is intended to provide protection in the case that a front impact should occur is generally located so that, when inflated, the air-bag is positioned in front of the occupant to be protected. During the front impact the vehicle decelerates suddenly. Due to inertia, the occupant of the vehicle tends to continue moving, and thus the occupant of the vehicle is, in effect, moving forwardly relative to the rest of the vehicle. The function of the air-bag is to decelerate the occupant, preferably in such a way that the occupant suffers no injury. The air-bag must be inflated very swiftly and thus, typically contains relatively high-pressure gas. If the air-bag were not vented, then because of the high gas pressure within it, the air-bag would not decelerate the occupant in a desired manner. Thus many air-bags are provided with vent holes formed in them so that, when the air-bag is struck by the occupant, gas can escape from the air-bag through the vent hole or holes, so that the air-bag serves the function of decelerating the occupant more gently, to avoid such injury.
In many cases it is desirable to be able to control the degree of venting, or the time at which venting commences. For example, if an occupant of a seat is out of the ordinary seating position and is, for example leaning forwardly, then it is desirable to commence venting of the air-bag at a very early stage during its inflation. Varying degrees of venting may be desirable depending upon the weight and/or size of the occupant to be protected by the air-bag.
Various mechanisms have been proposed previously for the controllable venting of an air-bag.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved air-bag arrangement.


An integrated multi-user satellite receiver includes: a single-chip, and the single-chip includes: a first synthesizer for generating a first oscillating signal having a first frequency; a first frequency multiplier for generating a second oscillating signal having a second frequency according to the first oscillating signal; a second synthesizer for generating a third oscillating signal having a third frequency; and a second frequency multiplier for generating a fourth oscillating signal having a fourth frequency according to the third oscillating signal; wherein the single-chip generates a first down-converted signal according to a first satellite signal and the second oscillating signal, generates a second down-converted signal according to the first satellite signal and the fourth oscillating signal, generates a third down-converted signal according to a second satellite signal and the second oscillating signal, and generates a fourth down-converted signal according to the second satellite signal and the fourth oscillating signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-user satellite receiving system and a method for receiving satellite signals, and more particularly to a low cost LNB (low-noise block) and method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of satellite TV system, the signals received by a dish antenna are transferred to a frequency converter called LNB (Low Noise Block converter). The LNB converts the incoming signal to a lower frequency in the area between 950 and 2150 MHz, and then amplifies the signal before it is sent to a satellite tuner. However, one satellite tuner may no longer satisfy the requirement of a household because a variety of different TV appliances may need to receive different TV programs simultaneously in different rooms in one household. Therefore, the trend is to provide a LNB having the capability of providing multiple outputs to multiple tuners such that the reception of any channel from any path on the multiple tuners in different receive appliances simultaneously and independently. However, the cost of the conventional LNB is too high because of the costs of discrete components installed therein. Therefore, providing a low cost LNB is becoming an urgent problem in the field of satellite TV system.

Multi-user satellite receiving system and method thereof


A device comprising a first and a second housing body and a display. The display has a first and a second display portion which are hingably connected to each other. Each display portion has a front face. The first housing body is hingably connected to the first display portion and hingably connected to the second housing body and the second housing body is hingably connected to the second display portion. And the device is configured to assume an open position and a closed position. The front faces of the display portions are arranged adjacent and facing each other in the closed position.

More and more electronic devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and internet tablets are becoming smaller and smaller while having more and more information stored on and/or accessible through them. Users are relying on such devices and becoming all the more dependant on them and thus they should be designed to be small and easy to carry around. This requirement often conflicts with the requirement of having a large screen for providing a user with a good overview of the applications currently running on such a device. The trade-off of having a large screen and making the device small is a longstanding problem that designers are posed with when designing a new device.
Also, a larger display or screen is more prone to outer physical influences, simply because of its larger size and is thus more prone to being damaged like being scratched. To protect a display it has been known to arrange the display in a clam shell like apparatus where the device is folded together so that the display is protected. However, this separates the display from the main control means due to the hinge and other physical arrangement needed to provide the folding functionality.
A device that allows a large and easy to overview display while being small and easy to carry around and preferably protecting the display would be useful in modern day society.

Device and method for providing a contiguous display area


A valve, having a valve housing which has a fluid inlet chamber and a fluid outlet chamber, having a valve seat which is arranged between the fluid inlet chamber and the fluid outlet chamber, and having a closure body which is movable back and forth between a release position and a blocking position. The closure body abuts against the valve seat in a fluid-tight manner in the blocking position, and wherein the fluid inlet chamber and the fluid outlet chamber are connected to one another in a fluid-conducting manner in the release position. The valve seat and the closure body each have a sealing surface, which are opposite one another in the blocking state, and an elastically deformable sealing element which is arranged between the sealing surfaces in the blocking state and which completely stretches over one of the sealing surfaces.

Valves of the aforementioned type are used in all industrial sectors where the intention is for the fluid flow in flow lines to be interrupted, or released, in a controlled manner. A selected example for the use of the valves mentioned in the introduction is the use in fire-extinguishing systems. In fire-extinguishing systems, use is made inter alia of alarm valves, for example wet alarm or dry alarm valves, for holding back an extinguishing agent in the standby state and, after detection of a predetermined trigger event, for example a fire, releasing the fluid flow through the valve in order to combat the threat. According to the invention, other usage purposes are however also met.
A particular challenge in the construction of valves of the type mentioned in the introduction lies in reliable opening and closing behavior of the closure body on the valve seat. The closure body has to be reliably seated in a fluid-tight manner on the valve seat in the blocking position and must not become misaligned. The transition from the blocking state to the release state, and if appropriate back again, has to function reliably.
In practice, it is furthermore to be noted that the mounting of the closure body in the valve often requires special attention and thus an associated increase in mounting effort. There is particular emphasis here on the need for positioning the closure body exactly relative to the valve seat, in order that the fluid-tight abutment can be ensured.
In alarm valves for fire-extinguishing systems, for ensuring misalignment-free and sealed abutment of the closure body on the valve seat for example, a mechanism which arranges the closure body at the valve not in an exclusively pivotable manner but additionally allows a slight axial and/or radial movement of the closure body relative to the valve seat was selected in the prior art in order that a seating of the closure body on the valve seat that is optimized with regard to the respective mounting situation and any production tolerances could be set by the fitter. However, this had the effect that, after a single use, the position of the closure body had to be finely adjusted again with a great deal of manual effort in order that renewed fluid-tight closure became possible.
The invention was consequently based on the object of specifying, for valves in general and for alarm valves for fire-extinguishing systems in particular, a possibility which substantially overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages as far as possible. The invention was based in particular on the object of specifying a valve which is simple to mount and which allows fluid-tight blocking of the fluid flow in a reliable and repeatable manner.
The invention achieves the object on which it is based, in the case of a valve of the type mentioned in the introduction, in that the valve seat and the closure body each have a sealing surface, which are opposite one another in the blocking state, and an elastically deformable sealing element which is arranged between the sealing surfaces in the blocking state and which completely stretches over one of the sealing surfaces. According to the invention, "understretching" is to be understood as meaning that the sealing element stretches over the entire sealing surface and is preferably in close abutment therewith, for example is under elastic tension. The invention follows the realization that, in the prior art, the required movability of the closure body beyond pure pivotability was brought about by the type of the sealing means. In this regard, in the prior art, use has hitherto been made, for example in the area of alarm valves of fire-extinguishing systems, of axially acting or radially acting sealing elements, which accordingly have to be precisely positioned relative to the valve seat either in an axial or a radial direction in order to ensure sealing and prevent misalignment of the closure body during the opening. The fact that, according to the invention, a sealing element which stretches over the entire sealing surface is selected means that sealing material is also available on the entire sealing surface, which weakens the positional dependency of the two sealing surfaces with respect to one another. If the sealing element is biased against on the sealing surface, the elasticity of the sealing material itself promotes captive retention of the sealing material on the sealing surface. The invention also makes it possible for the sealing element to be selected for example from an annular sealing strip which has a hollow-cylindrical shape and which, when deformed elastically, can come to bear snugly against the geometry of the sealing surface.
The sealing element according to the invention is at any rate superior to conventional sealing rings (for example O-rings) or flat seals.
Preferably, at least one of the sealing surfaces is sectionally or completely of conically tapered form. Particularly preferably, both sealing surfaces are at least sectionally of conically tapered form.
The conical shape of the sealing surfaces results in radial centering of the closure body relative to the valve seat. In combination with the full-area attachment of the sealing element, sealing between the sealing surfaces is made possible even in the event of slight positional errors.
According to a preferred refinement of the invention, the sealing element is fastened to the closure body and the sealing surface provided on the closure body is that sealing surface which is completely stretched over.
In a further preferred embodiment, the closure body has a main body, which is mounted pivotably on the valve housing, and a valve disk, wherein the sealing element has a retaining section which is clamped between the main body and the valve disk. Preferably, the closure body is mounted on the valve housing so as to be exclusively pivotable and has no translational degrees of freedom. It is furthermore preferable if the retaining section of the sealing element is likewise formed to be elastically deformable, in particular elastically compressible, even when it is clamped between the main body and the valve disk. The valve disk is preferably reversibly detachably fastened to the closure body, this having an advantageous effect on the mounting. For the purpose of changing the sealing element, it is no longer necessary for the entire closure body to be removed. Rather, it is sufficient for the valve disk to be dismounted from the closure body, the sealing element to be pulled off from the valve disk and a new sealing element to be stretched on. Subsequently, renewed mounting and clamping can take place, and so maintenance intervals are able to be configured in a less cost-intensive and more time-effective manner.
The retaining section of the sealing element is preferably formed at a first face-side end of the sealing element, and the sealing element has a second face-side end which is opposite the first end and which abuts against the valve disk opposite the side of the retaining section. In other words, the sealing element wraps around the valve disk on both sides of the sealing surface, and in this way bears snugly against said valve disk such that the sealing element is secured against axial downward sliding from the valve disk and the full-area stretching over the sealing surface remains ensured.
In a further preferred embodiment, a preferably annularly encircling thickened part is formed on the retaining section of the sealing element. It is furthermore preferable if the closure body has a particularly preferably annularly encircling recess which more preferably corresponds to said thickened part and which interacts with the thickened part and into which the thickened part engages. In this way, the correct positioning of the sealing element relative to the valve disk is simplified, and a form-fitting captive connection is achieved. Moreover, in the clamped-in state, the thickened part can act as an additional seal.
In a preferred configuration, the recess is in the form of sub-recesses, which are formed both in the main body and in the valve disk.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the valve, the main body has a mounting surface which faces the valve disk, and the valve disk is coupled pivotably to the main body such that the valve disk can be deflected through an angle value relative to the mounting surface. Preferably, the valve disk is screwed into the main body and has a passage bore which permits, relative to the fastening screw, movement play in a radial direction. Said movement play, in particular in conjunction with the elasticity of the sealing element at the retaining section thereof, allows the valve disk, in the event of oblique abutment on the valve seat, to perform, by a pivoting movement through the predetermined angle value, a compensation movement which, despite the erroneous positioning, brings about sealed abutment against the valve seat. For this purpose, only at the position which first comes into abutment with the valve seat does slightly stronger compression occur at the opposite end of the retaining section, whereby the valve disk is able to bear snugly against the valve seat. The value of the compensation angle is dependent on how thick the retaining section is and how large the movement play between the fastening screw and the passage bore in the preferred configuration is selected to be.
In a further preferred embodiment of the valve, the sealing surface of the closure body is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the fluid inlet chamber by means of one or more flow channels. The flow channel(s) is/are consequently formed at the closure body so as to be open toward the fluid inlet chamber and extends/extend through the closure body to the sealing surface of the closure body. This has the following technical effect: A positive pressure prevailing in the fluid inlet chamber results in the transportation of fluid with a corresponding fluid pressure to the sealing surface via the flow channel(s). The fluid pushes against the sealing element from the side of the flow channel, and presses the sealing element against the corresponding sealing surface of the valve seat in a diaphragm- or balloon-like manner. If the closure body is moved out of the blocking position by a small amount, the sealing element expands as a result of the increasing gap between the opposite sealing surfaces and, owing to the fluid pressure communicated, is slightly lifted off from the sealing surface of the closure body. Thus, despite a starting movement of the closure body away from the valve seat, said sealing element continues to maintain at least a degree of the sealing action. This improves the sealing function of the valve significantly and also increases the positional tolerance of the closure body relative to the valve seat.
In a further preferred embodiment, formed on the sealing element in the region of the sealing surfaces, preferably on a side which faces the valve seat, are two or more encircling projections, which define a chamber which, in the blocking state, is sealed off in a fluid-free manner with respect to the fluid inlet chamber and the fluid outlet chamber.
It is furthermore preferable if the valve housing has an alarm channel, which is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the chamber via one or more flow channels, and an alarm channel outlet for the connection of a preferably pneumatically or hydraulically driven alarm device. This embodiment explicitly relates to an alarm valve according to one particular aspect of the invention. In this embodiment, if the closure body is moved from the blocking position into a release position, the alarm channel is flooded and a corresponding control pressure can be transmitted to an alarm device, with for example a warning bell (water motor gong, "WMG") or a macrophone counting as an alarm device.
The alarm channel is preferably defined both by a wall of the valve seat and by a wall of the valve housing.
In a further preferred embodiment, the valve seat is reversibly detachably coupled to the valve housing, preferably screwed into the valve housing.
While the invention, according to a first aspect, has been described above substantially in relation to a valve in general, in a second aspect, the invention also relates to a valve which is designed according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments and which is designed as a valve of a fire-extinguishing system, in particular alarm valve of a fire-extinguishing system, and particularly preferably as a wet alarm or dry alarm valve of the fire-extinguishing system.
The alarm valve has the same advantages and preferred embodiments according to the invention as the above-described general valve.
The invention thus furthermore also relates to a use of the valve according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments as an alarm valve for a fire-extinguishing system, wherein, with regard to the advantages of the preferred embodiments, the above-elucidated one applies here too.

Valve and use thereof in a fire-extinguishing system


An improved toner cartridge and contact which pertains to the recycling of the cartridge is disclosed by providing an alternate or additional way of completing the electrical bias connection to the magnetic feed roller by the addition of a simple contact, which is attached to a doctor blade, having a finger extending to ride onto the surface of the magnetic roller. This contact can be attached at either end, or both ends, of the doctor blade thereby connecting the doctor blade to the feed roller, the contact being held in place by the hold-down screws of the doctor blade.

Specifically speaking of some dry toner cartridge manufacturers, it is their intent that users of their toner cartridges replace them after initial use. In this regard, the number of cartridges purchased is far in excess of those that would be purchased if they could be maintained or recycled. In fact, a subindustry of toner cartridge recyclers has evolved because of the need to reduce the high costs involved in operating copy machines and digital printers. It is much less expensive to recycle a used cartridge than to replace it with a new one.
The toner cartridge, which contains the photo conductive drum and a toner bin body with a magnetic feed roller device and a corona wire to charge the drum, along with a wiper blade and dust bin to clean the drum and collect the waste, comprises an important part of the copier or printer. It is about seventy percent (70%) of the image-making portion of the machine. In addition, the cartridge has light shutters and a protective door flap for the drum and, in some cases, geared counters to indicated approximate toner level, all of which combine to make this an expensive product for the ultimate consumer.
In operation, toner particles (approximately 10 microns in size) are transferred from the toner bin onto the magnetic feed roller by magnetic attraction; the toner contains iron-like particles which are magnetically attractable. Here they are leveled onto the surface of the feed roller in a thin layer by a doctor blade. The toner becomes charged, by a rubbing action against the doctor blade, as it rotates onto the magnetic feed roller. The magnetic feed roller operates at a bias voltage of several hundred volts, mixed with an alternating ripple voltage providing the impetus for the statically charged toner particles to be transferred from the magnetic feed roller onto the charged photoconductive drum surface, thereby forming an image from the photo-electromagnetic radiation information having been received on the photoconductive drum surface. Toner particles seek the areas on the drum that are of a different intensity of charge, though not necessarily opposite charge. The final print image is produced by transference of toner particles from the photo conductive drum onto a medium of choice resulting in a finished printed product. This is accomplished by the printed medium, or paper, being charged by a corona wire (or other means) in an opposite polarity of the toner particles. The toner thusly lying in place on the print medium is then melted or pressed onto that medium, thereby achieving a permanent print.
Due to factory construction and design of certain dry ink processing cartridges used in copy machines and digital printers, toner dust enters into an area of critical electrical connection at the bias voltage rotating connection of the magnetic roller. This accumulated toner, mixed with oxidized metal particles from the contacts, disrupts continuity of electrical connection.
Subsequent to repeated use of the toner cartridge, the aforementioned toner particles and oxidized metal particles accumulate within the critical point of electrical connection thus inhibiting a smooth transference of toner from the feed roller onto the photoconductive drum. This problem is exacerbated by a factory produced, thin film of lubricant at the point of rotating electrical connection of the magnetic feed roller, thereby causing the particles to adhere to the lubricant and remain in the contact area.
When the foreign particles accumulate in this area of electrical connection, minute variations of bias voltage result which affects the transference of the toner onto the photoconductive drum. This is especially noticeable where graphics having large black images are used, or where half-toned dots are involved. If the cartridge is recycled at this point, it is typically disassembled and cleaned to remove the foreign particles from the electrical contact area. Additionally, the lubricant is usually wiped away to prevent further coagulation of new particles in that area. However, it is cumbersome and time consuming to disassemble the bias electrical connection and clean the contacts.

Electric contact for dry toner cartridge


A method and apparatus for designating a particular model vehicle for a command function without punching in the ID of the model vehicle. A remote control device is positioned near one of the model vehicles. A limited field transmission occurs between the model vehicle and the remote control device. The device may be a train engine transmitting its train ID periodically via an infrared (IR) transmission. The remote near the train automatically receives the IR transmission of the train ID, so that the next press of a command button will automatically go to that train ID without needing to punch in the ID number.

The present invention relates to controlling model vehicles, and in particular to methods for obtaining the ID of model trains.
A variety of control systems are used to control model trains. In one system, the power to the track is increased, or decreased, to control the speed and direction of the train. Multiple trains can be controlled by providing different power levels to the different sections of the track having different trains (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,522). In another system, a coded signal is sent along the track, and addressed to the desired train, giving it a speed and direction. The train itself controls its speed by converting the AC voltage on the track into the desired DC motor voltage for the train according to the received instructions. The instructions can also tell the train to turn on or off its lights, horns, etc. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,749,547 and 5,638,522 issued to Neil Young et al. show such a system. The instructions, or commands, have a particular format for a particular model train manufacturer. Trains already in customer's hands are designed to respond to only that format, limiting the options for future expansion.
The arrival of a train on a section of track can be detected in some systems, such as by detecting the load on the current applied to the track, and can be used to activate certain elements connected to the track, such as a switch or a stoplight (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,290).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,196 shows a system with a unique bar code on the bottom of each train car, with detectors mounted in the track below. This allows a determination of which car is over the sensor, and which cars have been assembled in a train. U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,789 shows a system with sensors in the track for detecting the position and velocity of a passing train. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,389 describes a bar-code indicia in the windshield of a car, invisible to humans, but readable by an IR laser. IR IDs readable by scanners are common for bar coding products, access cards, and other uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,766 contains a discussion of different systems, including satellite Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for determining the location of a particular full sized (not model) train. U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,411 shows a train which detects position indicators along the side of a track, and provides these to an onboard computer for determining the position, speed, etc. of the train.
Many model train systems include a remote control for controlling different train engines on the track, as well as for controlling accessories. The remote control normally sends commands either wirelessly or through a base device connected to the tracks. The command will include an address, which the user typically has to key in before or after hitting the command button. Each engine sees the transmissions, either wirelessly, or by picking up signals sent along the tracks. Each engine will only respond to commands with the address of that engine.


A deodorant dispensing device and related method comprising a housing having two open ends, two cartridges contained within said housing wherein the two cartridges contain a solid or semi-solid deodorant, two caps removably attached to the two open ends of the housing, and a dual extension mechanism that controls the extension and retraction of the solid or semi-solid deodorant out of the two open ends of the housing. A preferable embodiment of the device employs open ends of the housing that are configured in axial alignment so that the two open ends extend in opposite directions. Another preferable embodiment of the device employs cartridges that are removably attached to the housing, disposable, and replaceable with replacement cartridges.

1. Field of Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to deodorant dispensing devices and related methods.
2. Background
The human underarm is one of the most consistently warm areas on the surface of the human body and therefore becomes moist due to the heat responsive activity of human sweat glands in an attempt to cool the area. Such moisture, known as perspiration, is predominantly odorless until it is fermented by bacteria. Fermented perspiration in the human underarm is common because bacteria thrive therein the frequently warm and moist environments. During fermentation, bacteria release waste products from its feeding off the perspiration, which is the principle cause of body odor. To avoid smelling bad as a result of underarm fermentation, humans have created deodorants and anti-perspirants (herein referred collectively as "deodorants") to prevent, mask, or eliminate such odor.
The origins of deodorant are thought to trace back to the medieval Islamic period of the 9th century. Mum was an early (circa 1888) commercial cream deodorant that was initially packaged in a jar and applied by fingertips. Later, Mum was rebranded as Ban and applied using a roll-on applicator packaging that operated in a similar manner to a ball-point pen. Spray and aerosol dispensers have also been known for the packaging and application of deodorants. Now, "stick" deodorants are the most popular form of deodorant packaging and applicators used today.
Stick deodorants come in many shapes, sizes, and brands. Deodorant sticks range in strength from everyday use to sports-intensive, extra strength. Many times, consumers buy multiple sticks of deodorant to use for different purposes. For example, consumers often buy two sticks of deodorant, one for daily use and another for extra strength or "work out" use. Moreover, each brand of stick deodorant is available in numerous scents to appeal to the diverse preferences of different consumers. Consumers often buy multiple sticks of deodorant, each with a unique scent, in order to account for the consumer's daily preference, mood, or purpose. For instance, consumers often buy two or more sticks of deodorant, one tropical-themed scent for a summer themed event, one fruit-flavored scent for a user that enjoys fruit, and etcetera.
The simultaneous possession and use of multiple deodorant sticks for various application purposes and consumer preferences leads to inconvenience, waste, clutter, and expense. Multiple deodorant sticks take up valuable space in what may be very limited bathroom cabinet space. With every additional deodorant stick comes an additional plastic deodorant stick dispenser which leads to excess waste, unnecessary clutter, and increased expense. Furthermore, the excess waste has a negative impact on the environment. Finding the particular deodorant stick that the user is looking for can also become a time consuming task, leading to inconvenience.
There have been some notable attempts to address the problems of excess waste, unnecessary clutter, inconvenience, and expense associated with deodorant sticks. However, they have not taken the approach of the embodiments of the present application or are inadequate for a variety of reasons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,421 to Williams teaches a double-ended dispenser, but this device focuses on aerosol sprays, which are no longer the basis for the most popular types of deodorants used today. Moreover, the double-ended aerosol spray design is awkward to use and creates liquid-flow problems since one side is inevitably stored upside down. U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,482 to Ridner teaches a double-ended cosmetic device, but does not contemplate dispensing multiple types of cosmetic substances from either end. Rather, the Ridner device dispenses a cosmetic substance on one end and employs a tool on the other. U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,853 to Breidenbach teaches a double-ended cosmetic device, but only contemplates dispensing liquids, similar to Williams above. This creates a need for additional, complicated parts to keep the liquid from leaking out of the device and therefore leads to increased cost.
While each of these attempts is noteworthy, current technologies fail to adequately address the common problems associated with the use of multiple deodorant sticks including excess waste, unnecessary clutter, inconvenience and expense. Many of the previous technologies are unlikely to be embraced by users by reason of awkwardness of use, cumbersome design, overly complicated mechanisms, or expensive retail prices as a result of the overly complicated mechanisms. Accordingly, there remains a need for means to dispense two types of deodorant sticks out of a single, simple, and cost-effective dispensing device.

Deodorant dispensing device and related methods


A computing device and methods for restricting driver interactions with vehicle functions based on a challenging driving environment are disclosed. One example method for restricting driver interactions with vehicle functions based on a challenging driving environment includes identifying a challenging driving environment based at least in part on information regarding a driving condition; and preventing a driver from accessing one or more vehicle functions based on the challenging driving environment exists. Example implementations include identifying a challenging driving environment based on information received from on-vehicle sensors and/or external communication links; identifying a driver's skill level; and selectively blocking vehicle functionality, selectively presenting information to a driver, and selecting available driver interactions based on the driving environment.

Many non-driving-related vehicle systems, such as navigation systems, do not allow a driver to input information when the vehicle is moving or in gear. These controls tend to be over inclusive because they prevent all user input, or they prevent user input in all cases, even though the degree of attention and manual interaction required of the driver may vary widely depending on the circumstances and driving conditions. For example, some interactions by a driver may be of a limited nature, such as turning off the radio with a single button push, and thus involve minimal engagement, while other types of interactions may be more substantial, such as entering an address from scratch on a navigation system, and thus involve more significant driver engagement. In addition, some driving environments, such as those involving a winding road, traffic, or inclement weather, demand more driver attentiveness than other driving environments, such as driving on a straight road at a reasonable rate of speed on a clear day. Existing restrictions on a driver's interactions with vehicle functions do not reflect the driver attention requirements associated with the variety of environments in which a driver may be operating a vehicle. Moreover, the restrictions currently employed may be viewed as onerous by drivers, which could make drivers less likely to pay attention to and/or adhere to controls imposed by the vehicle interface systems.
In addition, if a driver suddenly encounters challenging driving conditions such as traffic or inclement weather, the driver may desire to activate functions that relate to the relevant driving environment. Because vehicles often are equipped with a single display that is needed for several vehicle functions (such as a multimedia system, a navigation system, and a climate control system), it is incumbent upon the driver to affirmatively switch the display's functionality to the functionality that is most applicable to the driver's current situation, such as rerouting functionalities on the navigation system or changing the channel to a weather-related station on the multimedia system. This generally requires a visual-manual interaction, which may entail significant driver engagement and attention. On the other hand, the systems described above that restrict the driver from interacting with these functionalities, if employed, may prevent the driver from obtaining critical information that relates to the driving environment.

Environment-based function lock system for a vehicle

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A motor-driven wheel includes a wheel disc, a wheel hub, a knuckle, a hub bearing, a constant-velocity joint, an in-wheel motor, and a spring. The center of swing of the constant-velocity joint is placed closer to the outside of the vehicle relative to the hub bearing. Since such components of the constant-velocity joint as an inner race, balls and a cage are placed differently in position from the hub bearing, the hub bearing can be reduced in diameter. An outer race of the constant-velocity joint is integrated with the wheel hub into a single part and has an opening facing the outside of the vehicle. Since the opening is large and shallow, the work of installing the cage, balls and inner race and securing them with a snap ring is facilitated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-driven wheel improving ride comfort of vehicles.
2. Description of the Background Art
An in-wheel motor drive unit that uses a motor as the mass of a damper and that supports the motor by a motor suspension is known (Document 1: International Patent Publication No. WO02/083446A1, Document 2: Go Nagaya et al., "Development of an In-Wheel Motor with Advanced Dynamic-Damper Mechanism (20025544)", Proceedings of 2002 JSAE Autumn Convention, No. 83-02, The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Nov. 26, 2002, pp. 9-12). The motor is coupled to a wheel of a wheel and tire unit (hereinafter referred to as wheel unit) to rotate the wheel unit. The motor suspension supports the motor to allow the motor to vibrate in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle's body and separates the motor from unsprung weights. The wheel is supported on the vehicle's body by a suspension arm. Regarding this in-wheel motor drive system, as the wheel unit vibrates, the vibrations are transmitted through the wheel to the motor to cause the motor to vibrate in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle's body. The vibrations of the motor cancel vibrations of unsprung components. Here, a flexible coupling is used for smoothly transmitting power generated by the motor to the wheel unit even if respective rotational axes of the motor and the wheel unit become eccentric from each other.
In the case where the motor is mounted to serve as the dynamic damper as mentioned above, the motor swings and moreover an axial force is exerted on the motor when the vehicle corners. Then, such an axial force has to be supported.
For supporting the motor in the axial direction, an outer race of a constant-velocity joint and a wheel hub may be integrated into a single part. In this case, however, it is necessary to avoid an increase in diameter of a hub bearing as well as deterioration in ease of installation of a snap ring serving to axially restrict an output shaft transmitting motor torque and an inner race of the constant-velocity joint. Accordingly, some considerations have to be taken regarding the axial support of the motor.

Motor-driven wheel small in size and improved in ride comfort and ease of assembly


An impact sensor is mounted to the front portion of a vehicle body so as to operate with a desired responsiveness. The impact sensor is located below a horizontal line passing through the upper end portion of a stiffener for a bumper of the vehicle and behind a vertical line passing through a front end portion of the stiffener. The stiffener is stiffer than a portion of the bumper which is located on a horizontal line passing through the stiffener. Crash energy is not transmitted to the impact sensor during a light crash and, as a result, the air bag is not inappropriately inflated during such a light crash.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an impact sensor mounting structure for an automotive vehicle and, more particularly, to a structure for mounting an impact sensor at a front portion of a vehicle body. The mounting structure is especially useful in a vehicle having a relatively short nose, and permits the impact sensor to sense a crash of the automotive vehicle with a desired degree of responsiveness.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, there has been a growing tendency to load an air bag system in an automotive vehicle as a security measure. Such an air bag system is arranged so as to absorb crash energy acting upon a driver or one or more passengers and prevent the driver, passenger or passengers from crashing into a steering wheel or front window. The air bag is expanded outward from a steering wheel or an instrument panel upon a crash of the automotive vehicle. The crash of the automotive vehicle is detected by a plurality of impact sensors mounted to the vehicle body. (See Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application (Kokai) No. 2(1990)-100,962).
In conventional air bag systems, it is common to use a disposable solid type of gas inflater, and to operate the gas inflater only when needed so as to decrease vehicle maintenance costs.
Typically, an impact sensor system includes a plurality of front sensors mounted to a front end portion of front frames and an approximately center portion of a shroud upper member, and in a vehicle compartment at, for example, a downward end portion of the instrument panel. This type of sensor system is generally arranged so that the compartment sensors are highly sensitive while the front sensors are less sensitive. Further, the air bag system is conventionally provided with an AND circuit arranged so as to accept two signals indicative of a car crash from at least one of the front sensors and at least one of the compartment sensors. If two such signals are accepted, a signal for expanding the air bag is generated. The sensitivity and the mounting structure of the impact sensors should be arranged so as to prevent the air bag from expanding upon a light crash which does not adversely affect the driver, the passenger or the passengers. Such a light crash, for example, may be a crash which occurs at a vehicle speed of less than 8 miles/hour. The sensitivity and mounting structure of the impact sensors, however, should also be arranged so as to expand the air bag upon a middle sized or heavy crash, since such a crash may possibly adversely affect the driver, the passenger or the passengers. Such a middle-sized or heavy crash may, for example, be a crash which occurs at a vehicle speed of more than 16 miles/hour. Conventionally, an air bag system is arranged so that those impact sensors which are mounted at approximately the center portion of the shroud upper member are located in front of or over the shroud upper member so as to prevent the crash energy from directly passing through the impact sensors. The crash energy is, for example, at least partly absorbed by a bumper. An impact sensor mounted at the shroud upper member then generates a signal indicative of the car crash only when the crash energy is higher than a predetermined level.
An impact sensor mounted to the center of a shroud upper member is arranged so that it generates a signal indicative of a crash earlier than the other front sensors when the automobile crashes into an object such as a pole or which has a portion higher than the front frames of the vehicle and projects toward the vehicle. The vehicle may, for example, collide with a utility pole at the center of its front f ace or with a rear end portion of a high-deck type vehicle. In this situation, it is possible that the crash will not cause the other front sensors to properly generate their respective signals, because these types of crashes tend not to transmit the crash energy into the front frame to which the other front sensors are mounted. As a result, it is clear that the sensor mounted to the center of the shroud upper member should be located above the front frames.
In recent years, to satisfy automobile design requirements, a relatively short nose type automobile has been widely adopted. The relatively short nose type automobile is designed so that a distance between a front edge of the automotive vehicle and a front edge of a front window, the length of an engine compartment in front of a passenger compartment in the longitudinal direction, and the distance between a bumper and a shroud upper member are all shortened.
An impact sensor mounted to the shroud upper member is either located in front of or over the shroud upper member. During a car crash, before the bumper absorbs crash energy sufficiently, it is possible that a part of the bumper will touch the impact sensor so that the impact sensor will generate a signal indicative of the car crash even though only a light crash has occurred.

Impact-sensor mounting structure for an automotive vehicle


Systems and methods for polishing microfeature workpieces. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a status of a characteristic of a microfeature workpiece and moving a carrier head and/or a polishing pad relative to the other to rub the microfeature workpiece against the polishing pad after determining the status of the characteristic of the microfeature workpiece. The carrier head also carries a plurality of piezoelectric members. The method further includes applying pressure against a back side of the microfeature workpiece in response to the determined status of the characteristic by energizing at least one of the plurality of piezoelectric members. In another embodiment, a system includes a workpiece carrier assembly, a plurality of piezoelectric members, a polishing pad, a metrology tool for determining a status of the characteristic, and a controller. The controller can have a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform the above-mentioned method.

Mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization processes (collectively, "CMP") remove material from the surface of microfeature workpieces in the production of microelectronic devices and other products. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a rotary CMP machine 10 with a platen 20, a carrier head 30, and a planarizing pad 40. The CMP machine 10 may also have an under-pad 25 between an upper surface 22 of the platen 20 and a lower surface of the planarizing pad 40. A drive assembly 26 rotates the platen 20 (indicated by arrow F) and/or reciprocates the platen 20 back and forth (indicated by arrow G). Since the planarizing pad 40 is attached to the under-pad 25, the planarizing pad 40 moves with the platen 20 during planarization.
The carrier head 30 has a lower surface 32 to which a microfeature workpiece 12 may be attached, or the workpiece 12 may be attached to a resilient pad 34 under the lower surface 32. The carrier head 30 may be a weighted, free-floating wafer carrier, or an actuator assembly 36 may be attached to the carrier head 30 to impart rotational motion to the microfeature workpiece 12 (indicated by arrow J) and/or reciprocate the workpiece 12 back and forth (indicated by arrow I).
The planarizing pad 40 and a planarizing solution 44 define a planarizing medium that mechanically and/or chemically-mechanically removes material from the surface of the microfeature workpiece 12. The planarizing solution 44 may be a conventional CMP slurry with abrasive particles and chemicals that etch and/or oxidize the surface of the microfeature workpiece 12, or the planarizing solution 44 may be a "clean" nonabrasive planarizing solution without abrasive particles. In most CMP applications, abrasive slurries with abrasive particles are used on nonabrasive polishing pads, and clean nonabrasive solutions without abrasive particles are used on fixed-abrasive polishing pads.
To planarize the microfeature workpiece 12 with the CMP machine 10, the carrier head 30 presses the workpiece 12 facedown against the planarizing pad 40. More specifically, the carrier head 30 generally presses the microfeature workpiece 12 against the planarizing solution 44 on a planarizing surface 42 of the planarizing pad 40, and the platen 20 and/or the carrier head 30 moves to rub the workpiece 12 against the planarizing surface 42. As the microfeature workpiece 12 rubs against the planarizing surface 42, the planarizing medium removes material from the face of the workpiece 12.
The CMP process must consistently and accurately produce a uniformly planar surface on the workpiece to enable precise fabrication of circuits and photo-patterns. A nonuniform surface can result, for example, when material from one area of the workpiece is removed more quickly than material from another area during CMP processing. To compensate for the nonuniform removal of material, carrier heads have been developed with expandable interior and exterior bladders that exert downward forces on selected areas of the workpiece. These carrier heads, however, have several drawbacks. For example, the typical bladder has a curved edge that makes it difficult to exert a uniform downward force at the perimeter. Moreover, conventional bladders cover a fairly broad area of the workpiece, thus limiting the ability to localize the downward force on the workpiece. Furthermore, conventional bladders are often filled with compressible air that inhibits precise control of the downward force. In addition, carrier heads with multiple bladders form a complex system that is subject to significant downtime for repair and/or maintenance, causing a concomitant reduction in throughput.

Systems and methods for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical polishing of microfeature workpieces