A nonmodular tibial prosthesis having a retainer for a modular bearing on the superior surface of a tibial base, a nonmodular primary bearing directly molded to the base, and a mechanical release member mounted on the tibial base in contact with the nonmodular primary bearing. The release member includes a wedge portion with a superiorly posteriorly inclined face, and is designed to be driven anteriorly upon actuation so as to force the primary bearing off of the tibial base, after which the primary bearing and release member are removed and replaced with a modular bearing.

This invention relates to surgically implantable joint prostheses and, more particularly, to a joint prosthesis that combines advantages of modular and nonmodular prostheses.
Artificial joints of the human body, including in particular knee and hip joints, have been available for 50 years or more and have been the subject of intense development for at least the last 20 years. The earliest designs provided metal-to-bone or metal-to-metal contact between the articulating surfaces of a joint. Friction and wear were significantly reduced in subsequent designs by the introduction of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) as a load-bearing surface. For example, a typical knee joint prosthesis has a tibial component with a polyethylene load-bearing surface in contact with a metal femoral component. Early designs of this type had polyethylene cemented to the tibia, but it is conventional today to secure a polyethylene bearing to a metal base or tray which is anchored in the tibia, typically with the aid of a stem or peg extending into the medullary canal of the tibia.
Numerous methods of securing a polyethylene bearing to a metal base have been developed over the years, as exemplified by the following patents:
There are two general types of tibial components: modular and nonmodular. A nonmodular prosthesis has a bearing secured to the base during fabrication in the factory, typically by direct compression molding. A modular prosthesis has a prefabricated bearing designed to be attached to the base during surgery.
A modular prosthesis has several advantages over nonmodular prostheses, one of which is that an assortment of different prostheses, i.e., different base/bearing combinations, can be created in the operating room from a small inventory of separate bases and bearings of various sizes, shapes and other characteristics. With a modular prosthesis, an orthopedic surgeon can implant an appropriate base for the patient and then fit the patient with several trial bearings in the process of selecting an appropriate primary bearing to attach to the implanted base. Modular bearings are often readily removable, and in such cases they have the further advantage of facilitating revision surgery, which may become necessary in cases of traumatic injury or bearing surface wear, by enabling replacement of the bearing without removing the base.
There are also advantages to a nonmodular prosthesis construction, such as design simplicity due to the absence of a need for a retaining mechanism for a removable bearing, and relatively low cost. An even more significant advantage is that a nonmodular tibial component is virtually immune to micromotion at the interface between the bearing and the base.
Micromotion is very difficult to avoid with modular components due to the need for clearances between bearing and base to ensure that they fit together during assembly in the operating room. A very secure locking method may avoid the problem, but nonmodular fabrication of the prosthesis, e.g., direct compression molding of a bearing onto a base, avoids the issue. Unfortunately, a nonmodular prosthesis has heretofore made revision surgery more difficult in that the entire prosthetic component must be removed and replaced. In addition to the extra operating time involved and extraction tools required, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,985 to McKay, removal and replacement of the base requires sacrificing the existing fixation to the bone and has associated complications, including possible bone loss or fracture and the difficulty of reestablishing solid fixation. Nevertheless, it is conventional wisdom regarding a nonmodular prosthesis, as stated in the above-referenced Smith patent, that xe2x80x9cthe bearing component cannot be changed without changing the base component.xe2x80x9d
The present invention combines advantages of modular and nonmodular designs with a nonmodular tibial prosthesis that is convertible in vivo to a modular device. The prosthesis includes a tibial base having a retainer for a modular tibial bearing, and has a nonmodular primary bearing secured to the tibial base. According to one aspect of the invention the retainer includes a raised portion with a cavity in an inwardly facing surface thereof, and according to another aspect of the invention the retainer is adapted to cooperate with an auxiliary mechanical locking element to securely retain a modular bearing on the base.
A retainer as that term is used herein is a part of the tibial base that is capable, alone or in conjunction with an auxiliary element or elements, of retaining a modular bearing in place on the base. It may be formed on the base as a one-piece or multi-piece retainer.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a mechanical release member is mounted on the tibial base in contact with the primary bearing as a part of the nonmodular tibial prosthesis designed to be actuated during revision surgery. Upon actuation, the release member forces the primary bearing off of the tibial base, after which the primary bearing and release member are removed and replaced by a modular bearing. In some cases, conversion to a modular device would be a desirable option even during the primary surgery. It is routine for surgeons to check the patent""s range of motion before and after selecting the appropriate size of tibial component and cementing the base to the tibial plateau. With a nonmodular prosthesis the surgeon has little recourse but to dislodge the cemented base and remove it and all the cement from the tibia if the final range-of-motion check is unsatisfactory. The present invention provides a desirable alternative.
A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved surgically implantable joint prosthesis.
Another object of the present invention is to provide advantages of a nonmodular joint prosthesis, including the virtual absence of micromotion, and yet allow a surgeon performing revision surgery to change to a modular bearing without disturbing the base member and thereby jeopardizing fixation.
Another object of the invention is to extend the lifetime of an artificial joint.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Nonmodular joint prosthesis convertible in vivo to a modular prosthesis


Apparatus for lubricating pistons having a pressure metered lubrication reservoir in fluid flow attachment with the piston through a lantern port in the wall of the stuffing box surrounding the piston. A check valve in fluid flow alignment between the stuffing box and the lubrication reservoir prevents the flow of spent hydraulic fluid from the stuffing box into the lubrication reservoir in the event of a seal leak or failure. A safety valve having a higher trigger pressure than the pressure of the lubricant flowing from the reservoir to the stuffing box and being in fluid flow alignment with the stuffing box and lubrication reservoir prevents the escape of lubricant flowing from the reservoir to the stuffing box, but allows the escape of spent hydraulic fluid in the event of a seal leak or failure.

Hydraulic elevators employ the use of a long piston or plunger rod which supports the car of the elevator for movement through the elevator shaft. The piston or plunger is hydraulically actuated to move the car to the desired elevation. As the piston moves through an associated supporting cylinder, it passes through a sealed stuffing box at the mouth of the cylinder. To facilitate the movement of the piston or plunger rod through the stuffing box, a lubricant, such as grease, is placed in the stuffing box. As the elevator is used, the movement of the piston through the stuffing box causes the grease to get hot and the surface area of rubber seals in the stuffing box to peel off. Once the surface of the seal has peeled, the hot grease penetrates the rubber of the seal causing the seal to stick and grab the piston as it moves through the stuffing box. This phenomenon is experienced by the elevator passenger as unsettling moaning and squealing noises and jerky movement of the elevator as it travels between floors.
Noise and rough, jerky rides may also be the result of a properly functioning seal in the stuffing box. Where the stuffing box utilizes dual seals, the top seal will dry out when the lower seal is properly preventing hydraulic fluid in the cylinder from entering the stuffing box, keeping the piston dry above the lower seal. Thus, the piston does not carry spent oil or other hydraulic fluid to the upper seal, thereby allowing the upper seal to dry out. As the dry piston moves against the surface of the dry seal, the friction generates the vibration and noises experienced by the passengers. In either event, if the seals and piston are not properly lubricated, the seals deteriorate rapidly and must be frequently replaced.
Historically oil or grease has been manually applied to the exterior of the piston by an elevator workman to reduce the noise, ensure smoother movement of the piston through the stuffing box, and increase the life of the seals. The process is extremely burdensome, requiring that the elevator be taken out of service while the piston is lubricated, and is often ineffective. Additionally, the manual process must be repeated often increasing time and costs associated with maintenance of the elevator.
To overcome these problems, there have been attempts in the hydraulic elevator industry to recirculate spent oil to a reservoir surrounding and in contact with the piston surface for reapplying the oil to the piston. Such attempts have proven ineffective, inefficient, not to mention messy, and still require frequent maintenance to insure sufficient and even lubrication of the piston.


An air conditioning system includes: a compressor, an outside air heat exchanger, an outside air heat exchanger fan, an expansion valve, an interior heat exchanger, an interior heat exchanger fan, and a four-way switching valve further comprises an outside air induction/venting device provided outside the outside air heat exchanger. A device for switching or opening/closing the air intakes and/or outlet of the outside air heat exchanger are provided in the outside air induction/venting device and are operated to enable the efficient use of waste heat from the drive shaft motor or inside the passenger compartment, and to provide a defrost cycle in the heat pump heating mode.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for air conditioning the interior of an electrically-powered motor vehicle.
2. Prior art
An air conditioning system for a conventional internal combustion engine-driven motor vehicle is constructed as shown in FIG. 1 (a). A compressor 1 for compressing the coolant is driven by the engine; heat is discharged by the outside air heat exchanger 2 and the fan 3 for the outside air heat exchanger, and the coolant is condensed to a liquid. The condensed coolant is then transferred through an expansion valve 4 to the interior air heat exchanger 5 by which the air inside the passenger compartment is cooled, dehumidified, and the coolant vaporized by the interior air heat exchanger fan to cool the inside of the vehicle.
The passenger compartment is heated using the heat of the engine passing through a hot water heating coil.
An air conditioning apparatus for an electrically-powered motor vehicle cooling can be provided by an essentially similar system, but the engine heat is not present and therefore cannot be used for heating. It is therefore necessary to modify the section indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1 (a) as shown in FIG. 1 (b) to form a heat pump heating system. A four-way switching valve 7 downstream from the compressor 1 reverses the coolant flow so that the heat from the interior air heat exchanger 5 is discharged into the passenger compartment and the coolant is condensed. The condensed coolant is then passed through the expansion valve 4 to the outside air heat exchanger 2, which then cools and dehumidifies the air outside the vehicle so that the coolant absorbs heat and is again vaporized.
It should be noted that a heat pump heat system using engine waste heat in an air conditioning system for an internal combustion engine-driven vehicle has also been described in Japanese patent Application Publication (unexamined) H3-90430.
Because the coolant in the outside air heat exchanger reaches a low temperature when this system is operating in the heat pump heating mode, the moisture absorbed from the air tends to condense as frost or ice on the outside air heat exchanger, thus preventing the outside air heat exchanger from exchanging heat with the air. It is therefore necessary to provide a defrost cycle for the outside air heat exchanger.
In a residential room air conditioner this defrost cycle is accomplished by switching the four-way switching valve to the cooling mode position, effectively raising the temperature of and defrosting the outside air heat exchanger. The outside air heat exchanger fan is also stopped during the defrost cycle because defrosting is not possible if the outside air heat exchanger is exchanging heat with the air. This same cycle is applied for outside air heat exchanger defrosting in a motor vehicle with a heat pump heating mode.
In an electrically-powered motor vehicle, however, a supplemental heat source must be provided because waste heat from the engine is not available. The natural air flow of vehicle movement causes air to pass through the outside air heat exchanger even when the outside air heat exchanger fan is stopped. The outside air heat exchanger therefore continues to exchange heat with the air, and defrosting in the heat pump heating mode becomes impossible.

Air conditioning apparatus for an electrically-powered motor vehicle

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An image forming apparatus includes: a developer collection container for collecting a waste developer; a developer amount detector for detecting an amount of the waste developer in the developer collection container; a first cumulative print counter for counting a total number of prints produced during a period between a release of a filled state detection and a subsequent filled state detection, detected by the developer amount detector; and a judging device for judging whether or not the developer collection container is emptied according to the total number of prints counted by the first cumulative print counter.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
Conventionally, there has been an apparatus in which a developer amount detecting sensor is provided which detects the developer amount in a collection container which collects a waste developer in the development device section, etc. in an image forming apparatus, and upon detecting the developer amount in the above-mentioned collection container employing the above-mentioned sensor, when the collection container is nearly filled, a warning is given; and when the predetermined number of prints are produced after the warning, print production is prohibited.
However, in conventional apparatus, judgment is made in such a manner that in consideration of fluctuation in production of image forming apparatuses and in piles, etc. of the developer in the collection container (in a weight detecting apparatus, for example, fluctuation in humidity), the collection container has been filled before completely filled. Thereafter, by permitting print production until the predetermined number of prints so as to maximize the print production, apparatus troubles, etc. due to developer clogging, etc. in the conveyance path to the collection container when the collection container is filled, are prevented while maximizing the print production.
Accordingly, in the conventional apparatus, at detection of a filled collection container, for example, when the operator, etc. temporarily detaches the collection container, shakes the filled collection container, and remounts it without replacing the container with a new one, the apparatus is set at the initial state (the detection of a filled state is released) to permit the print production. Thus even though a filled container would be detected, there is the fear that the apparatus is in a state to permit the print production until the predetermined number of prints.
Namely, in such a case, the conventional apparatus, though it is filled, permits continued print production. Thus there has been a great concern that the apparatus is not properly operated due to developer clogging, etc. in the conveyance path to the collection container.

Image forming apparatus having developer collection container


A matrix of discs each having a first end wall spaced from a second end wall, having a cavity therebetween, including a weighted portion to provide for the discs to sink within a body of water, such as a swimming pool. The first and second end walls include contrasting digital enumerations, wherein individuals are addressed math problems and the solutions to the problems are indicated by a numerical sum to be retrieved from within a swimming pool and the like by participating individuals.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to math game structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved math facts game apparatus wherein the same is arranged for the projection of discs within a swimming pool to permit retrieval of certain of the discs as solutions to posed math problems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mathematical type game apparatus is available in the prior art and indicated by such apparatus as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,588 wherein a plurality of dice members having numerals thereon are employed in a mathematical game organization.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,033,754; 4,334,869; and 3,708,169 are further examples of mathematical type game structure, wherein U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,888 to Greene sets forth a game for use in swimming pools having target structure mounted overlying the swimming pool.
The instant invention addresses deficiencies of the prior art by employing game structure for use and retrieval relative to a swimming pool bottom surface as solutions relative to posed math problems and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method for packet bypass in a communications network includes receiving a plurality of packets, determining whether each packet is a bypass packet or a non-bypass packet, and communicating the non-bypass packets toward a communication link. The method also includes communicating a plurality of the bypass packets toward the communication link between communication of two of the non-bypass packets.

Computers often communicate over a network using asymmetrical communications protocols. For example, in the Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) protocol, the downstream bandwidth is typically larger than the upstream bandwidth. As a result, the downstream transmission rate, or the rate at which information is communicated from another network element to the subscriber, is typically higher than the upstream transmission rate, or the rate at which information is transferred from the subscriber to another network element.
Network elements may communicate with one another by transferring packets of information over the network. A source network element packetizes information into one or more packets and then communicates the packets over the network toward a destination network element. Depending on the transmission protocol used, the destination network element may send acknowledgment messages to the source network element indicating that the destination network element successfully received the information packets. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one example of a protocol that supports the transfer of acknowledgment messages.
Subscribers to network services typically execute multiple applications at the customer premises, and each of those applications may use a transmission protocol that supports acknowledgment messages. Applications downloading information from other network elements may need to send acknowledgment messages to the sending network element to confirm the proper receipt of information. The sending network element may delay communicating additional information to the subscriber until it receives the acknowledgment messages. At the same time, the same application or another application executed at the subscriber's premises may seek to upload other information to a network element. Transmission of this information can temporarily delay communication of the acknowledgment messages, resulting in a delay in the receipt of information downloaded from the network element awaiting those acknowledgment messages. For example, in both the upstream and the downstream directions, the information packets and the acknowledgment messages may become interleaved. In the upstream direction, the subscriber typically transmits one information packet, one acknowledgment message, one information packet, one acknowledgment message, and so on. In the downstream direction, the subscriber typically receives one information packet, one acknowledgment message, one information packet, one acknowledgment message, and so on. The interleaving of the information packets and the acknowledgment messages can delay the transmission of the acknowledgment messages where the upstream bandwidth is saturated with information packets. The subscriber's delay in sending the acknowledgment messages can result in the network element receiving those acknowledgment messages at a slower rate, which causes that network element to transmit information to the subscriber at a slower rate. As a result, the transmission rates in the upstream and downstream directions typically equalize. The actual downstream transmission rate achieved by the subscriber is usually at or near the slower upstream transmission rate. The subscriber is unable to take advantage of the higher transmission rate in the downstream direction.

System and method for packet bypass in a communication system


An exterior rear view mirror for a motor vehicle of the breakaway design is disclosed which a mirror support member having a one piece integrally formed clamp mechanism for securing the mirror housing to the pivot post and in which the clamping pressure may be easily and conveniently adjusted without requiring removal of the mirror or its outer housing.

The present invention relates generally to exterior rear view mirror assemblies and more specifically to such mirror assemblies of the so called breakaway design.
In recent years, motor vehicle manufacturers have incorporated exterior mirror assemblies in which the mirror is movably supported within a housing and the housing is pivotably supported on an upstanding post forming a part of a supporting base which base is in turn secured to the motor vehicle. Such designs offer significant advantages over prior exterior mirrors in that the housing protects the mirror from being bumped and moved out of adjustment by passerbys and the pivotable mounting allows the housing to fold backwardly or forwardly in the event it encounters an obstacle thus preventing damage to the mirror assembly. Typically, a spring loaded detent assembly is incorporated between the mirror housing and supporting base to retain the mirror in an operative position.
In order to inhibit any vibrational movement of the mirror assembly, it is important that the pivotable connection between the mirror housing (to which the mirror is secured) and the upstanding post of the supporting base be subjected to a predetermined desired claiming force. A typical manner of providing this clamping force has been to provide a semicircular seat on the mirror housing and a separate strap which is then secured to the mirror housing in overlying relationship to the upstanding post. Suitable threaded fasteners are normally used at opposite ends of the strap to secure it to the housing. While this arrangement provides a satisfactory clamping force when new, there is a tendency for the fasteners to loosen over time due to vibration, temperature cycling and the like. Because the fasteners securing the strap to the housing are generally concealed by an outer case and/or the mirror itself, tightening of the fasteners becomes a difficult and time consuming process requiring removal of the outer case and/or mirror itself. Additionally, the prior clamping arrangement is relatively costly in terms of assembling in that it requires separate fabrication, handling and installation of the strap and plurality of fasteners.
The present invention, however, overcomes the disadvantages of the prior clamping arrangement while still providing a strong, reliable, easily adjusted breakaway-type mounting arrangement for the mirror assembly. In the present invention, the fasteners utilized to provide the required clamping force are positioned within the outer case such that they are easily and conveniently accessible by merely tilting the mirror to an extreme inboard position. Once the fasteners have been adjusted, the mirror may be easily tilted back to its normal operative position in which the fasteners are substantially concealed thereby maintaining the aesthetically pleasing clean lines of the mirror assembly. Additionally, the clamping structure of the present invention is integrally formed with the mirror support frame thus eliminating the need to separately fabricate and assemble a strap member. Rather, only a suitable number of fasteners need be assembled to the support frame and tightened to the desired degree to secure the mirror housing to the upstanding post of the bracket frame. Thus, the mirror assembly of the present invention provides a breakaway mounting arrangement which offers the advantage of grater ease of serviceability while also incorporating a more efficient, less costly clamping arrangement while preserving the smooth aesthetically pleasing appearance and durability of the mirror assembly.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Britax Vision Systems (North America) Inc.


The present invention provides methods for catalyzing the conversion of an olefin to any compound containing one or more cyclopropane functional groups using heme enzymes. In certain aspects, the present invention provides a method for producing a cyclopropanation product comprising providing an olefinic substrate, a diazo reagent, and a heme enzyme; and admixing the components in a reaction for a time sufficient to produce a cyclopropanation product. In other aspects, the present invention provides heme enzymes including variants and fragments thereof that are capable of carrying out in vivo and in vitro olefin cyclopropanation reactions. Expression vectors and host cells expressing the heme enzymes are also provided by the present invention.

A considerable challenge in modem synthetic chemistry is the selective direct functionalization of unactivated carbon-hydrogen (C—H) bonds and carbon-carbon (C═C) double bonds (e.g., olefins) (R. G. Bergman, Nature 446, 391 (2007); H. Pellissier, Tetrahedron 64, 7041 (2008)). Adapting asymmetric catalytic processes to these reactions has important consequences in the stereoselective and regioselective elaboration of molecules for natural product and pharmaceutical synthesis. In recent years, much success has been achieved in the development of catalysts for the select addition of oxygen into molecules (M. S. Chen et al., Science 318, 783 (2007)). More challenging is the direct introduction of new carbon-carbon centers into complex structures. A contemporary catalytic approach uses metallocarbenoid intermediates that transfer a reactive carbene into select C—H and C═C bonds, creating new asymmetric highly substituted carbon centers and cyclopropanes, respectively (H. M. L. Davies et al., Chemical Reviews 103, 2861 (2003)). However, the most successful catalysts to date often utilize expensive and possibly toxic transition metal complexes, with dirhodium species marking representative examples. Notably, high yield, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity in these systems remains difficult to achieve and many of these catalysts are hampered by harsh reaction conditions including high temperature and organic solvents.
The asymmetric cyclopropanation of olefins with high-energy carbene precursors is a hallmark reaction that generates up to 3 stereogenic centers in a single step to make the important cyclopropane motif, featured in many natural products and therapeutic agents (H. Lebel et al., Chemical Reviews 103, 977 (2003)). Limited to using physiologically accessible reagents, Nature catalyzes intermolecular cyclopropane formation through wholly different strategies, typically involving olefin addition to the methyl cation of S-adenosyl methionine or through cyclization of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate-derived allylic carbenium ions (L. A. Wessjohann et al., Chemical Reviews 103, 1625 (2003)). As a result, the diverse cyclopropanation products that can be formed by metallocarbene chemistry cannot be readily accessed by engineering natural cyclopropanation enzymes. As such, there is a need in the art for novel reagents and catalytic schemes that are capable of creating the cyclopropane motif with high yield, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity, but without the toxicity and harsh reaction conditions associated with current approaches. The present invention satisfies this need by providing novel iron-heme-containing enzyme catalysts for producing cyclopropanation products in vitro and in vivo, and offers related advantages as well.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Cytochrome P450 BM3 enzyme variants for preparation of cyclopropanes


A dispenser system as in a foam-in-bag dispenser system with a smooth dispenser housing over which the film passes without interruption and which houses a mixing module with reciprocating rod and supports drive components of a drive transmission which is engaged with the rod for reciprocation within the mixing module. Also the drive transmission of a preferred embodiment includes a sliding crank mechanism covered by the dispenser housing and a motor is in driving engagement with the drive transmission with the motor being positioned external to the housing. The driver of the drive transmission for the rod also preferably functions to drive a physical outlet cleaning device and the housing also features a plurality of passages for receiving chemicals, a solvent and a heater unit.

Over the years a variety of material dispensers have been developed including those directed at dispensing foamable material such as polyurethane foam which involves mixing certain chemicals together to form a polymeric product while at the same time generating gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor. If those chemicals are selected so that they harden following the generation of the carbon dioxide and water vapor, they can be used to form "hardened" (e.g., a cushionable quality in a proper fully expanded state) polymer foams in which the mechanical foaming action is caused by the gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapor leaving the mixture.
In particular techniques, synthetic foams such as polyurethane foam are formed from liquid organic resins and polyisocyanates in a mixing chamber (e.g., a liquid form of isocyanate, which is often referenced in the industry as chemical "A", and a multi-component liquid blend called polyurethane resin, which is often referenced in the industry as chemical "B"). The mixture can be dispensed into a receptacle, such as a package or a foam-in-place bag (see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,268, 4,800,708 and 4,854,109), where it reacts to form a polyurethane foam.
A particular problem associated with certain foams is that, once mixed, the organic resin and polyisocyanate generally react relatively rapidly so that their foam product tends to accumulate in all openings through which the material passes. Furthermore, some of the more useful polymers that form foamable compositions are adhesive. As a result, the foamable composition, which is often dispensed as a somewhat viscous liquid, tends to adhere to objects that it strikes and then harden in place. Many of these adhesive foamable compositions tenaciously stick to the contact surface making removal particularly difficult. Solvents are often utilized in an effort to remove the hardened foamable composition from surfaces not intended for contact, but even with solvents (particularly when considering the limitations on the type of solvents suited for worker contact or exposure) this can prove to be a difficult task. The undesirable adhesion can take place in the general region where chemicals A and B first come in contact (e.g., a dispenser mixing chamber) or an upstream location, as in individual injection ports, in light of the expansive quality of the mix, or downstream as in the outlet tip of the dispenser or, in actuality, anywhere in the vicinity of the dispensing device upon, for instance, a misaiming, misapplication or leak (e.g., a foam bag with leaking end or edge seals). For example, a "foam-up" in a foam-in-bag dispenser, where the mixed material is not properly confined within a receiving bag, can lead to foam hardening in every nook and cranny of the dispensing system making complete removal not reasonably attainable, particularly when considering the configuration of the prior art systems.
Because of this adhesion characteristic, steps have been taken in the prior art to attempt to preclude contact of chemicals A and B at non-desired locations as well as precluding the passage of mixed chemicals A/B from traveling to undesired areas or from dwelling in areas such as the discharge passageway for aiming the A/B chemical mixture. Examples of injection systems for such foamable compositions and their operation are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,568,003 and 4,898,327, and incorporated herein by reference. As set forth in both of these patents, in a typical dispensing cartridge, the mixing chamber for the foam precursors is a cylindrical core having a bore that extends longitudinally there through. The core is typically formed from a fluorinated hydrocarbon polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE" or "TFE"), fluorinated ethylene propylene ("FEP") or perfluoroalkoxy ("PFA"). Polymers of this type are widely available from several companies, and one of the most familiar designations for such materials is "Teflon", the trademark used by DuPont for such materials. For the sake of convenience and familiarity, such materials will be referred to herein as "Teflon", although it will be understood that materials having the above and below described qualities are available from companies other than DuPont and can be used if otherwise appropriate.
While features of the present invention are applicable to single component dispensing systems, the present invention is particularly suited for systems that have a plurality of openings (usually two) arranged in the core in communication with the bore for supplying mixing material such as organic resin and polyisocyanate to the bore, which acts as a mixing chamber. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is utilized a combination valving and purge rod positioned to slide in a close tolerance, "interference", fit within the bore to control the flow of organic resin and polyisocyanate from the openings into the bore and the subsequent discharge of the foam from the cartridge.
Teflon material and many of the related polymers have the ability to "cold flow" or "creep". This cold flow distortion of the Teflon is both beneficial (e.g., allowing for the conformance of material about surfaces intended to be sealed off) and a cause of several problems, including the potential for the loss of the fit between the bore and the valving rod as well as the fit between the openings (e.g., ports) through which the separate precursors enter the bore for mixing and then dispensing. In many of the prior art systems utilizing Teflon, the Teflon core is fitted in the cartridge under a certain degree of compression in order to help prevent leaks in a manner in which a gasket is fitted under stress for the same purpose. This compression also encourages the Teflon to creep into any gaps or other openings that may be adjacent to it which can be either good or bad depending on the movement and what surface is being contacted or discontinued from contact in view of the cold flow.
Under these prior art systems, however, over time the sealing quality of the core is lost at least to some extent allowing for an initial build up of the hardenable material which can lead to a cycle of seal degradation and worsening build up of hardened material. This in turn can lead to a variety of problems including the partial blockage of chemical inlet ports so as to alter the desired flow mix and degrade the quality of foam produced. In other words, in typical injection cartridges the separate foam precursors enter the bore through separate entry ports. Polyurethane foam tends to build up at the area at which the precursor exits the port and enters the mixing chamber. Such buildups cause spraying in the output stream, and dispensing of the mixture in an improper ratio. The build up of hardened material can also lead to partial blockage of the dispenser's exit outlet causing a misaiming of the dispensed flow into contact with an undesirable surface (e.g., the operator or various nooks and crannies in the dispenser). Another source of improper foam output is found in a partially or completely blocked off dispenser outlet tip that, if occurs, can lead the foam spray in undesirable areas or system shutdown if the outlet becomes so blocked as to preclude output. A variety of prior art systems have been developed in an effort avoid tip blockage, particularly in automated systems, as in foam-in-bag systems, which impose additional requirements due to the typical high usage level and the less ready access to the tip as compared to a hand-held dispenser. The prior art systems include, for example, porous tips with solvent flush systems. However, over time these tips tend to load up with hardened foam and eventually become ineffective.
The build of hardened/adhesive material over time can lead to additional problems such as the valve rod and even a purge only rod, becoming so adhered within its region of reciprocal travel that either the driver mechanism is unable to move the rod (leading to an oft seen shut down signal generation in many common prior art systems) or a component along the drive train breaks off which is often the annular recessed valve rod engagement location relative to some prior art designs.
The above described dispensing device has utility in the packing industry such as hand held dispensers which can be used, for instance, to fill in cavities between an object being packed and a container (e.g., cardboard box) in which the object is positioned. Manufacturers who produce large quantities of a particular product also achieve efficiencies in utilizing automated dispensing devices which provide for automated packaging filling such as by controlled filling of a box conveyed past the dispenser (e.g., spraying into a box having a protective covering over the product), intermediate automated formation of molded foam bodies, or the automatic fabrication of foam filled bags, which can also either be preformed or placed in a desired location prior to full expansion of the foam whereupon the bag conforms in shape to the packed object as it expands out to its final shape.
With dispensing devices like the hand held and foam-in-bag dispensing apparatus described above, there is also a need to provide the chemical(s) (e.g., chemicals "A" and "B") from their respective sources (typically a large container such as a 55 gallon container for each respective chemical) in the desired state (e.g., the desired flow rate, volume, pressure, and temperature). Thus, even with a brand new dispenser, there are additional requirements involved in attempting to achieve a desired foam product. Under the present state of the art a variety of pumping techniques have arisen which feature individual pumps designed for insertion into the chemical source containers coupled with a controller provided in an effort to maintain the desired flow rate characteristics through monitoring pump characteristics. The individual in "barrel" pumps typically feature a tachometer used in association with a controller attempting to maintain the desired flow rate of chemical to the dispenser by adjustment in pump output. The tachometers used in the prior art are relatively sensitive equipment and prone to breakdowns.
In an effort to address the injection of chemicals into the mixing chamber at the desired temperature(s) there has been developed heater systems positioned in the chemical conduits extending between the chemical supply and the dispenser, these heaters include temperature sensors (thermisters) and can be adjusted in an effort to achieve the desired temperature in the chemical leaving the feed line or conduit. Reference is made to, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,890,836 and 3,976,230, which references are incorporated by reference. These chemical conduit heater wires suffer from a variety of drawbacks such as (a) poor sensor (e.g., thermistors) responsiveness due to non head-on flow positioning of the sensor or difficulty in manipulating the sensor without breakage to be in the proper orientation, (b) difficulty in positioning the tip of the heater wire close enough to the dispenser to avoid cold shot formation and associated material stretch limitations in the heater wire conduit needed to avoid stretching and separation of the dispenser from the tip of the heater wire when the other "fixed" end originates from the pump control region, (c) increased pump weight and an increase in the length and cost associated with the leads extending from the heater wire tip to heater wire control and power source locations at the pump end, (d) an associated increase in electromagnetic interference (EMI) due to the longer "umbilical" cords and thermister leads, (e) poor thermister reliability in its heavy flex location within the interior of the heater wire, (f) difficulty in feeding heater elements within the outer protective chemical conduit, and (g) cost and production limitations in the overall heater wire and conduit length requiring relatively close positioning of the chemical driven source to the dispenser location.
As noted above, in the packaging industry, a variety of devices have been developed to automatically fabricate foam filled bags for use as protective inserts in packages. Some examples of these foam-in-bag fabrication devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,376,219; 4,854,109; 4,983,007; 5,139,151; 5,575,435; 5,679,208; 5,727,370 and 6,311,740. In addition to the common occurrence of foam dispenser system lock up, cleaning downtime requirements, poor mix performance in prior art foam-in-bag systems, a dispenser system featuring an apparatus for automatically fabricating foam filled bags introduces some added complexity and operator problems. For example, an automated foam-in-bag system adds additional complexity relative to film supply, film tracking and tensioning, bag sealing/cutting, bag venting, film feed blockage. Thus, in addition to the variety of problems associated with the prior art attempts to provide chemicals to the dispenser in the proper rate, keeping the dispenser cartridge operational, and feeding film properly, the prior art foam-in-bag systems also represent a particular source of additional problems for the operators. These additional problems include, for example, attempting to understand and operate a highly complicated, multi-component assembly for feeding, sealing, tracking and/or supplying film to the bag formation area; high breakdown or misadjustment occurrence due to the number of components and complex arrangement of the components; high service requirements (also due in part to the number of components and high complexity of the arrangement in the components); poor quality bag formation, often associated with poor film tracking performance, difficulty in achieving proper bag seals and cuts, particularly when taking into consideration the degrading and contamination of heater wires due to, for example, foam build up and the inability to accurately monitor current heated wire temperature application, difficulty in formation and maintaining clear bag vent holes, as well as the inevitable foam contamination derivable from a number of sources such as the dispenser and/or bag leakage, and clean up requirements in general and when foam spillage occurs.
Another particularly problematic area associated with the prior art foam-in-bag system lies in the area of heated resistance wire replacement, both in regard to edge sealing and in regard to the cross-cutting sealing systems. In the prior art systems, there is often required delicate operator manipulation (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,219) with certain tools to achieve removal and reinsertion of broken, or worn, heated wires (which is a common occurrence in the thin heated resistance wires used in the industry to form the seals and cuts).
In addition, prior art systems suffer from other drawbacks, such as relatively slow bag formation and a slow throughput of completed bags which, in some systems, is partially due to a reverse feed requirement to break an upper, not-yet-completely formed bag from a completed bag adhered together by a bond formed by the earlier melted and presently cooled plastic material on the heated cross-cut wire.
The prior art mixing cartridge driven mechanisms for reciprocating valve rods has also shown in the field to be inadequate as they are subject to often breakdowns and often quickly become unable to achieve rod reciprocation after a minor build up of foam in the cartridge. An additional problem associated with the mixing chamber used on fixed dispenser embodiments such as a foam-in-bag dispenser is the difficulty in proper removal and mounting of a mixing module in the support housing. Prior art systems also suffer from hose and cable management (e.g., electronics, chemical supply and solvent supply) difficulties due to their becoming tangled and in a state of disarray so as to present obstacles to operators and potential equipment malfunctions due to cable or hose interference with moving components or the hoses/cables becoming disconnected and/or damaged.
The pump equipment of prior art systems are also prone to malfunction including the degrading of seals (e.g., isocyanate forms hardened crystals when exposed to air which can quickly degrade soft seals). The pumping systems currently used in the field are also subject to relatively rapid deterioration as they often operate at high rates during usage due to, for example, general inefficiency in driving the chemical from its source to the dispenser outlet. The common usage of in-barrel pump systems also introduces limitations in chemical source locations (e.g., typically a 20 foot range limitation for standard heater wire conduit and in barrel pump systems), which can make for difficulties in some operator facilities where it is required or preferred to have the chemical source located at a greater distance from the dispenser. The common usage of in-barrel pumps for prior-art dispenser systems also presents a requirement for multiple chemical sources to achieve the required one-to-one chemical source and pump combination, which in particularly problematic for operators running numerous dispenser systems.
Prior art foam-in-bag systems, in presumably an effort to accurately dispense foam into the bag, locate the dispenser within the bag being formed (e.g., all dispenser components placed between the film left and right side edges and above the end seal of the bag). These prior art arrangements present problems from the stand point of the placement of the dispenser and its various components such as filters, chemical valving lines, and other components required for accessing a mixing module, all in the bag formation region. This positioning places those components in an area highly prone to chemical contact even with a properly functioning dispenser. Efforts have been made in the prior art to protect the dispenser through the use of covers, but these covers have shown to be highly ineffective in protecting the components. Once foam hardens on the components they are often made even more difficult to access when servicing is desired. Also, the non-smooth, multi-protrusion and edge presentment design of prior art foam dispensers, in addition to making cleaning impractical, have a tendency to create film tracking problems and/or require added guidance members to avoid film/dispenser contact.
In addition to the difficulty in achieving proper wire temperature levels in the chemical conduit heater wires, there has also been experienced difficulty in achieving proper end and edge sealing/cutting, and venting wire temperatures in prior art foam-in-bag systems. There is also associated with prior art systems problems in achieving proper positioning and in gaining access for servicing heater wires. The two most common prior art systems take different approaches with a first utilizing a rolling heater wire which presents added complexity in power supply as well as difficulty in removing and re-inserting heater wires. The second approach uses a non-rolling drag technique (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,638) that, while being easy to remove and re-insert, has experienced difficulty in the field in maintaining a proper location of the exposed heater wire relative to the film being driven thereby, which is due in part to a tendency for the heated seal wires becoming more and more embedded in the underlying support.
Film replenishment in the prior art systems has also proven to be difficult. Accessing prior art systems to remove the emptied roll and to replace it with a new role, which can be relatively heavy as in 25 lbs. or so, is only achieved with great difficulty due to the insertion location being in the rear, intermediate region of a typical foam-in-bag system design. This location is highly straining on the operator.
Many prior art foam-in-bag systems and other automated dispending systems have shown in the field to have high service requirements due to, for example, breakdowns and rapid supply usage requirements (e.g., film, solvent, precursor chemicals, etc.). There is thus a great deal of servicing associated with prior art systems as in problem solving and in maintaining adequate supply levels. The prior art systems suffer from the problem of difficult and often non-adequate servicing which can be operator or service representative induced (e.g., failing to monitor own supply levels or anticipating level of usage or difficulty in responding timely to service requests which are often on an emergency or rush basis as any down time can be highly disruptive to an operator in timely meeting orders).
As can be seen there are numerous potential areas that can create problems in the field of dispensing.

Exterior configuration of a foam-in-bag dispenser assembly


Using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, various layers can be deposited on semiconductor substrates at low temperatures in the same reactor. When a titanium nitride film is required, a titanium film can be initially deposited using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition wherein the plasma is created within 25 mm of the substrate surface, supplying a uniform plasma across the surface. The deposited film can be subjected to an ammonia anneal, again using a plasma of ammonia created within 25 mm of the substrate surface, followed by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride by creating a plasma of titanium tetrachloride and ammonia within 25 mm of the substrate surface. This permits deposition film and annealing at relatively low temperatures--less than 800.degree. C. When titanium is so deposited over a silicon surface, titanium silicide will form at the juncture which then can be nitrided and coated with titanium or titanium nitride using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the present invention. Thus, the present method permits the formation of multiple layers of titanium, titanium nitride, titanium silicide over the surface of the substrate in the same reactor.

In the formation of integrated circuits (IC's), thin films containing metal elements are often deposited upon the surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. Thin films are deposited to provide conducting and ohmic contacts in the circuits and between the various devices of an IC. For example, a desired thin film might be applied to the exposed surface of a contact or via hole on a semiconductor wafer, with the film passing through the insulative layers on the wafer to provide plugs of conductive material for the purpose of making interconnections across the insulating layers.
One well known process for depositing thin metal films is chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in which a thin film is deposited using chemical reactions between various deposition or reactant gases at the surface of the substrate. In CVD, reactant gases are pumped into proximity with a substrate inside a reaction chamber, and the gases subsequently react at the substrate surface resulting in one or more reaction by-products which form a film on the substrate surface. Any by-products remaining after the deposition are removed from the chamber. While CVD is a useful technique for depositing films, many of the traditional CVD processes are basically thermal processes and require temperatures in excess of 1000.degree. C. in order to obtain the necessary reactions. Such a deposition temperature is often far too high to be practically useful in IC fabrication due to the effects that high temperatures have on various other aspects and layers of the electrical devices making up the IC.
Certain aspects of IC components are degraded by exposure to the high temperatures normally related to traditional thermal CVD processes. For example, at the device level of an IC, there are shallow diffusions of semiconductor dopants which form the junctions of the electrical devices within the IC. The dopants are often initially diffused using heat during a diffusion step, and therefore, the dopants will continue to diffuse when the IC is subjected to a high temperature during CVD. Such further diffusion is undesirable because it causes the junction of the device to shift, and thus alters the resulting electrical characteristics of the IC. Therefore, for certain IC devices, exposing the substrate to processing temperatures of greater than 800.degree. C. is avoided, and the upper temperature limit may be as low as 650.degree. C. for other more temperature sensitive devices.
Furthermore, such temperature limitations may become even more severe if thermal CVD is performed after metal interconnection or wiring has been applied to the IC. For example, many IC's utilize aluminum as an interconnection metal. However, various undesirable voids and extrusions occur in aluminum when it is subjected to high processing temperatures. Therefore, once interconnecting aluminum has been deposited onto an IC, the maximum temperature to which it can be exposed is approximately 500.degree. C., and the preferred upper temperature limit is 400.degree. C. Therefore, as may be appreciated, it is desirable during CVD processes to maintain low deposition temperatures whenever possible.
Consequently, the upper temperature limit to which a substrate must be exposed precludes the use of some traditional thermal CVD processes which might otherwise be very useful in fabricating IC's. Titanium and titanium nitride are used in a variety of IC applications. It is frequently desired to form a titanium silicide contact layer over a silicon surface. This can be formed using chemical vapor deposition of titanium onto the silicon surface. The titanium silicide forms as the titanium is deposited. Further, in many applications a titanium nitride barrier layer is required prior to deposition of certain metal conductors such as aluminum or tungsten. Titanium nitride can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The byproducts of the chemical vapor deposition--in particular, hydrogen chloride--act to etch the titanium contact layer. Therefore, the titanium must be nitrided prior to titanium nitride chemical vapor deposition.
Titanium nitride is frequently deposited onto aluminum as a contact layer. However, when titanium nitride is deposited onto aluminum, aluminum nitride is formed at the interface which acts as an insulator and impedes flow of current from one metalization layer to another. The titanium nitride is needed as an adhesion layer performing tungsten via plugs. To avoid this problem, a titanium layer is required to protect the aluminum and then permit sputter deposition of the titanium nitride adhesion layer.
To sputter deposit a film, the target is electrically biased and ions from the plasma are attracted to the target to bombard the target and dislodge target material particles. The particles then deposit themselves cumulatively as a film upon the substrate. Titanium may be sputtered, for example, over a silicon substrate after various contacts or via openings are cut into a level of the substrate. The substrate might then be heated to about 800.degree. C. to allow the silicon and titanium to alloy and form a layer of titanium silicide (TiSi.sub.2). After the deposition of the titanium layer, the excess titanium is etched away from the top surface of the substrate leaving TiSi.sub.2 at the bottom of each contact or via. A metal interconnection is then deposited directly over the TiSi.sub.2.
While physical sputtering provides deposition of a titanium film at a lower temperature, sputtering processes have various drawbacks. Sputtering normally yields very poor step coverage. Step coverage is defined as the ratio of film thickness on the bottom of a contact on a substrate wafer to the film thickness on the sides of the contact or the top surface of the substrate. Consequently, to sputter deposit a predetermined amount of titanium at the bottom of a contact or via, a larger amount of the sputtered titanium must be deposited on the top surface of the substrate or the sides of the contact. For example, in order to deposit a 200 .ANG. film at the bottom of a contact using sputtering, a 600 .ANG. to 1 .ANG. film layer may have to be deposited onto the top surface of the substrate or the sides of the contact. Since the excess titanium has to be etched away, sputtering is wasteful and costly when depositing layers containing titanium.
Furthermore, the step coverage of the contact with sputtering techniques decreases as the aspect ratio of the contact or via increases. The aspect ratio of a contact is defined as the ratio of contact depth to the width of the contact. Therefore, a thicker sputtered film must be deposited on the top or sides of a contact that is narrow and deep (high aspect ratio) in order to obtain a particular film thickness at the bottom of the contact than would be necessary with a shallow and wide contact (low aspect ratio). In other words, for smaller device dimensions in an IC, corresponding to high aspect ratio contacts and vias, sputtering is even more inefficient and wasteful. The decreased step coverage during sputter deposition over smaller devices results in an increased amount of titanium that must be deposited, thus increasing the amount of titanium applied and etched away, increasing the titanium deposition time, and increasing the etching time that is necessary to remove excess titanium. Accordingly, as IC device geometries continue to shrink and aspect ratios increase, deposition of titanium-containing layers by sputtering becomes very costly.
Further, sputter deposition requires the utilization of a separate reaction chamber. In applications where a first film is deposited by chemical vapor deposition, which is the preferred method, followed by sputter deposition of a second film, two different chambers are required. This could then be followed by a third chamber where, for example, a metal layer would be sputter deposited. It is certainly preferable to minimize the transport of the substrate from one reaction chamber to another and to conduct as many reactions as possible in a single chamber.
One approach which has been utilized in CVD processes to lower the reaction temperature is to ionize one or more of the reactant gases. Such a technique is generally referred to as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). However PECVD has not proven to be an efficient method for CVD.

Low temperature plasma-enhanced formation of integrated circuits


A method and system is provided to deploy electrical charge spots in stages according to demand. During a first stage a plurality of infrastructure adapters are installed. This may involve demolishing and rebuilding portions of the infrastructure and laying down power cables from the electrical power supply to the charge spot locations. The infrastructure adapters are then coupled to an electrical power supply. Many if not all of the infrastructure adapters are covered with a temporary housing protecting them from vandalism and weather. During a second stage, in response to a demand for charge stations, the charge stations are completed. During the second stage, at least one external unit is attached to an infrastructure adapter by making an infrastructure adapter quick connect interface with an external unit quick connect interface. As such, a charge spot is completed quickly in response to demand.

Vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, planes, boats, motorcycles, autonomous vehicles, robots, forklift trucks, etc.) are an integral part of the modern economy. Unfortunately, fossil fuels, like gasoline which is typically used to power such vehicles, have numerous drawbacks including: a dependence on limited sources of fossil fuels; foreign sources of fossil fuels are often in volatile geographic locations; and such fuels produce pollution and likely climate change. One way to address these problems is to increase the fuel economy of these vehicles. Recently, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have been introduced, which consume substantially less fuel than their traditional internal combustion counterparts, i.e., they have better fuel economy. However, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles do not eliminate the need for fossil fuels, as they still require an internal combustion engine in addition to the electric motor.
Another way to address this problem is to use renewable resource fuels such as bio-fuels. Bio-fuels, however, are currently expensive and years away from widespread commercial use.
Yet another way to address these problems is to use clean technologies, such as electric motors powered by fuel cells or batteries. These batteries need to be recharged relatively often. For example they might require re-charging in a parking garage of a store or office building. Therefore, many charge stations may be required. As more and more vehicles use rechargeable fuel cells or batteries, more and more charge spots will be necessary. However, connecting each charge spot to an electric power grid can be costly and time consuming. Furthermore, the deployment often requires an operator with specialized skills. Similarly, if the charge spot malfunctions or is vandalized, replacement of the charge spot is also costly, time consuming, and requires specialized operator skill.
It would be beneficial if there were a system that could quickly deploy more charge spots as demand grows. It would also be beneficial if the deployment did not require an operator with specialized skills. Furthermore, it would be beneficial if charge spots could be quickly and easily replaced when necessary.

Staged deployment for electrical charge spots


A non-biological asynchronous neural network system comprising multiple neurons to receive respective input signals representing an input stimulus for the network, supply an output signal representing a spatio-temporal sequence of rhythmic electric pulses to an external system, wherein respective ones of the multiple neurons are connected using multiple mutually inhibitory links.

Neural networks are formed from multiple neurons which communicate with each other via synapses in order to deliver or process information via chemical and electrical signaling. For a chemical synapse, a complex sequence of events causes the neuron to fire. However, regardless of the various physical mechanisms of the communication at chemical synapses, the effect of synaptic input can be classed as either excitatory (raising membrane potential) or inhibitory (lowering membrane potential). Neurons also communicate via a second type of synapse called gap junctions or electrical synapses which fulfil a role similar to chemical synapses. Gap junctions, unlike chemical synapses, introduce no time delay in electrical signalling from the pre-synaptic neuron to the post-synaptic neuron.
Central pattern generators (CPG) are neural networks that are responsible for coordinating motor activity in animals and humans and endogenously generating the rhythms that sustain life. Central pattern generators typically serve multiple functions ranging from roles which are central to movement, breathing, swimming, swallowing, rhythm generation and other oscillatory functions, transient or permanent. Central pattern generators are found in all animals from invertebrates such as leeches or gastropods to the brain stem of mammals.


A circuit breaker including a pyrotechnic element configured to ablate or cut a portion of the circuit so as to break the circuit, thereby breaking the circuit. The portion of the circuit to be broken may be specially formed to be readily ablated or cut, and/or may be a current load-based fuse.

The present invention is directed generally to the field of circuit breakers, and more particularly, to a circuit breaker including a pyrotechnic element for breaking the circuit.
The circuit breakers used in various electrical systems in motor vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, buses, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, marine vessels and the like, have conventionally employed fuse-type resistor elements that burn out when an excessive level of current passes through the element, causing a break in the circuit.
Various substitutes for such conventional fuses have also been devised, such as to permit breaking of a circuit in response to abnormal conditions (such as the collision of a vehicle) that would not necessarily create an immediate excessive current load in a fuse. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,988 to Yamaguchi et al. teaches the use of a sort of "hot plate" that is spring-biased against a relatively low melting point fuse section, with the hot plate being heated by an attached igniting device that contains a solid combustion agent; the igniting device is rapidly activated such as in the case of a collision, heating the hot plate which then melts the adjacent fuse section and (due to the spring bias) drives through the molten fuse section, cutting it out and thereby breaking the circuit. Devices such as that of the '988 patent based on melting that is induced by conducted heat, however, cannot exploit the rapidity of a pyrotechnic ignition because the process of heat conduction is quite slow in comparison to the speed of a pyrotechnic ignition. Such devices can also be relatively complex and costly.
There are also a number of recent battery cable clamp breaker devices that include a pyrotechnic device (configured to ignite in response to an abnormal condition such as a collision of the vehicle containing the device) that physically drives apart two parts of the clamp or terminal so that they are no longer electrically connected, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,399 to Albiez et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,818,121, 6,144,111, and 6,171,121 to Krappel et al. This type of device is generally capable of deploying quickly, e.g., in the case of a collision so as to reduce the chance of an electrical fire in the damaged vehicle irrespective of whether the conditions would rapidly cause a conventional fuse to blow. Yet such devices are in general a relatively complex, costly, and/or bulky way to provide the function of pyrotechnically-induced circuit breaking. Moreover, such devices do not intrinsically involve a conventional (i.e., current load-based) fuse, so if it were desired to also retain the conventional function of current load-based breaking in such a circuit breaker, a conventional fuse would need to be added as a distinct additional component, thus rendering the resulting device yet more complicated and costly.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,563 to Krappel et al. teaches various breaker devices in which a pyrotechnic device is used to propel a cutter(s) through a cable(s) or to unplug a connector(s). The '563 patent, however, does not teach either the direct pyrotechnic ablation of any portion of a circuit, the pyrotechnically-driven cutting of a portion of the circuit that is specially formed to be readily cut, or any kind of pyrotechnically-driven breaking of a current load-based fuse in a circuit. Thus the devices taught in the '563 patent are somewhat complicated, and none includes the function of a conventional current load-based fuse.


The invention describes a filter medium (10), in particular for an air filter, in particular an interior air filter or for a fuel cell, including at least three active layers:                a catalytic active layer (12) comprising catalytic activated carbon particles (12a),        a second active layer (14) comprising impregnated or catalytic activated carbon particles (14a),        a third active layer (16) comprising impregnated or catalytic activated carbon particles (16a), wherein at least one active layer comprises impregnated activated carbon particles and the three active layers (12, 14, 16) differ from one another.

Filter media, in particular for air filters, in particular for interior air filters, are used to provide a space, for example a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, but also e.g. fuel cell cathode compartments, with purified air. Filters of this kind are intended to remove not only coarse contaminants resulting from particles, for example pollen or fine dust, but also to remove odors, in particular resulting from gaseous odorants or harmful or reactive gaseous substances. In particular, the challenge in removing gases and odorants is that the different gases and odorants require different adsorption layers on account of their different specific, in particular chemical, properties. However, as the number of adsorption layers increases, the adsorption performance of the filter medium reduces. For example, there is a risk of inhomogeneity of the adsorption layers and, in general, the flow resistance of the filter medium, for example in an air filter, increases such that the energy consumption of an air-conditioning system containing the air filter increases, for example. Usually, filter media having a plurality of adsorption layers are used which are designed such that a compromise is reached between purification and energy consumption. An air filter allowing air to be purged both of particulate contaminants (solid and/or liquid) and of gaseous contaminants may also be referred to as a hybrid filter. Such hybrid filters are commonly specified by specifications that usually refer to the following gases: n-butane, toluene, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone. Such filters can also be specified according to ISO 11155 Part 2, for example. These standards, on account of their age, are not representative of the gas and odorant profiles which have since come to exist in towns and cities; in particular, odorants and hazardous or reactive gaseous substances, such as formaldehyde for example, are not considered or are considered in a manner that is now insufficient, meaning that the adsorption performance of conventional filters is often unsatisfactory for specific odor profiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,758,674 B2 discloses a filter means for filtering the air to be supplied to a fuel cell, wherein the filter means is intended to purify the air from both dirt particles and chemical contaminants. For this purpose, the filter means comprises a non-woven filter fabric by which the dirt particles are removed, as well as a chemical filter region including a layer of activated carbon, including a surface coating having acidic or basic material or activated carbon which is impregnated with said material, and which is used as an adsorption means for adsorbing gaseous components in the air.
DE 10 2013 011 511 A1 discloses a filter means, in particular for the air to be supplied to a fuel cell, comprising a support medium and activated carbon as an adsorption means, wherein the activated carbon is immobilized by adding adhesive.
EP 1 468 718 A1 and DE 203 06 250 U1 disclose an air filter unit comprising a plurality of filter elements containing activated-carbon-based adsorbents as adsorption material, wherein the filter unit contains at least a first filter element that includes granular, in particular spherical, activated carbon as adsorption material, and at least a second filter element that includes a combination of granular, in particular spherical, activated carbon and activated carbon fibers as adsorption material. The filter unit is suitable in particular for use in air supply systems, ventilation systems and air-conditioning systems.
WO 2004/033069 A2 discloses filter media, in particular for water filtration in activated-carbon-based settling tanks, including three superimposed layers comprising a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer, wherein the dry weight of the middle layer consists of 80 to 95% activated carbon, wherein 100% of the difference consists of organic and/or inorganic chemical fibers, the dry weight of the bottom layer includes 45 to 100% organic-chemical fibers having OH groups, optionally activated carbon and/or material having a density of less than 0.9, wherein all or some of the OH groups have reacted with a grafting agent RX, where R is a hydrophobic group that is liquid at at least 200° C. and atmospheric pressure, and wherein RX is suitable for forming a volatile leaving group HX during the reaction, and the dry weight of the top layer includes 5 to 25% activated carbon, and 100% of the difference consists of organic and/or inorganic chemical fibers.
DE10 2012 005 380 A1 discloses a filter medium having a biocidal effect for filtering air for an interior of a vehicle, consisting of at least one filter layer and at least one biocidal layer, wherein the biocidal layer includes microcapsules formed from at least one polymer, wherein at least one biocide is stored on and/or in the microcapsules and wherein the filter medium includes a first filter layer formed as a support layer, a second filter layer formed as an activated-carbon layer, a third filter layer formed as a fine dust filter, the biocidal layer, a fourth filter layer formed as an activated-carbon layer and a fifth filter layer formed as a non-woven support fabric.
WO 2012/100113 A1 discloses a filter medium having a first plurality of filter medium particles having a large substrate surface area and including at least one acidic impregnation agent, a second plurality of filter medium particles having a large substrate surface area and including at least one metal oxide, and a third plurality of filter medium particles having a large substrate surface area and including an amine-impregnation agent, and wherein activated carbon is disclosed for the adsorption bed of filter and, as the second plurality of filter medium particles, including a phosphoric-acid-impregnated activated carbon and MgO/CaO-based nanocrystalline material. Disclosed is a plurality of layers of impregnated activated carbon and nanocrystalline material embedded in an adsorption means bed. For optimum performance, a two-layer filter medium is disclosed which comprises a top layer including a homogenous mixture of an MgO/CaO-based nanocrystalline and phosphoric-acid-impregnated Kureha activated carbon, and a second, bottom layer consisting of a single layer of Calgon URC.
DE 44 13 606 A1 discloses a combination filter consisting of a particle filter and an adsorption filter, in particular based on activated carbon, which is produced and impregnated in an operation following a wet-laid non-woven process, wherein, successively, first the particle filter layer and then the adsorption filter layer are produced from a mixture of adsorbent particles and (melt) fibers by suction into a sieve mold having the dimensions corresponding to the final product, and wherein the aqueous dispersion of fibers and adsorbent particles also contains inorganic or organic substances for impregnating the adsorbers, in particular H3PO4.
WO 02/085426 A2 discloses a respiratory air filter comprising an air-permeable casing and at least one filter layer which is arranged in the casing and contains activated carbon.
US2002/0088346 A1 discloses a filter mass in sheet form for an air filter for an enclosed space, in particular a motor vehicle interior, including standard materials for producing filter masses and carbon elements that are activated for the adsorption of gaseous substances.
GB 2 296 666 A discloses a life-saving apparatus including a motor for driving a disc and a connecting rod of which the upper end is connected to the disc and the lower end is connected to the upper end of compressible bellows, wherein the compressible bellows are inflated by the connecting rod and compressed in order to suck outside air into a filter flask, wherein the filter flask comprises mesh filter layers and wherein a plurality of activated carbon layers are superimposed in the filter flask.
DE 7 110 985 U discloses a filter for gas streams, in particular for gas streams containing radioactive or chemical particles, e.g. air, comprising two or more layers of honeycombed material that are slightly offset with respect to one another in such a way that the cells in one layer are not flush with the cells of another, adjacent layer, that the cells contain activated-carbon granulate and that the edges of the layers are covered with layers of foamed plastics material that are sealingly connected to a surrounding frame.
DE 10 2012 007 503 A1 discloses an adsorptive filter medium, in particular for purifying gases and/or gas mixtures, preferably air, and/or in particular for removing chemical and/or biological toxins and/or noxious substances from gases and/or gas mixtures, preferably air, wherein the filter medium comprises a plurality of a first filter element having a first adsorption material, in particular in the form of adsorbent particles, and a plurality of a second filter element that is different from the first filter element and has a second adsorption material, in particular in the form of adsorbent particles, wherein the first filter element and the second filter element exhibit pressure losses that are different from one another and/or (through-)flow resistances that are different from one another, and wherein the first adsorption material and/or the second adsorption material can be selected, independently of one another, from the group of activated carbon, in particular granular activated carbon, preferably spherical activated carbon, and/or in particular shaped and/or extruded activated carbon and/or powdered activated carbon, and wherein the first adsorption material and/or the second adsorption material can be formed, independently of one another, in particular from particulate activated carbon, in particular from granular, preferably spherical, activated carbon.
WO 2010/127634 A1 discloses a multilayered filter, with a top layer and a bottom layer, including a plurality of layers of a substrate medium and a plurality of layers of nanofibers, wherein the top layer and the bottom layer each comprise a layer of the nanofibers, and at least one unit including two layers of nanofibers between two substrate medium layers is provided between the top and the bottom layer, and wherein a substrate medium layer can include activated carbon fibers.
DE 10 2015 205 551 A1 discloses a multilayered filter material for an interior space filter element of an air-conditioning system of a vehicle, for adsorbing in particular odorants, wherein the multilayered filter material includes an active layer comprising non-impregnated activated carbon particles, an impregnation layer comprising impregnated activated carbon particles and an ion exchange layer comprising ion exchange particles.
DE 10 2005 016 677 A1 discloses a filter element comprising a multilayered filter material, in which an active layer arranged on the inflow side is provided with activated carbon fibers which abut, on the outflow side, an adsorber layer comprising granular adsorbents. A further active layer comprising activated carbon fibers can abut said adsorber layer on the outflow side. The adsorbents used in this case can include activated carbon, zeolites, cyclodextrins, silicates, ion exchangers and aluminosilicates.
DE 10 2012 007 503 A1 discloses a further adsorptive filter medium in which a plurality of first filter layers having a first adsorption substance and a plurality of second filter layers that are different from the first layers and have a second adsorption substance are provided, which layers alternate and exhibit varying through-flow resistances or pressure losses.
DE 10 2009 021 020 A1 discloses a further adsorptive filter material containing an exchange resin loaded with metal cations.

Abstract: The invention further discloses a filter media body including the filter medium; a filter element including the filter media body or the filter medium; an air filter including the filter element or the filter media body or the filter medium, and a production method for producing the filter medium.


In a vehicle driveability evaluation system, an engine is coupled to a dynamic dynamometer which is capable of changing a load torque and a speed in a very short time. A control unit controls the dynamic dynamometer so that the load torque and the speed of the dynamometer simulate the load and the speed of the engine when it is mounted on an actual vehicle. The driveability evaluation test is performed by operating the engine while simulating various running conditions of the vehicle by the dynamic dynamometer. Engine operating parameters such as an engine speed and an output torque are converted by a driveability data generating unit into driveability data such as an acceleration and vibration of the vehicle in accordance with the characteristic of the vehicle. These driveability data are converted by a sense-data generating unit into stimuli such as visual images, sounds and forces which can be directly perceived by the human senses. Therefore, an inspector can directly perceive the driveability of the actual vehicle from the stimuli generated by the sense-data generating unit without actually mounting the engine in the vehicle body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle driveability evaluation system which is capable of evaluating an influence of a characteristic of a performance of an engine on the driveability of a vehicle on which the engine is to be installed, by operating the engine on a test bed without installing it on the vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, an influence of a characteristic of an engine performance on a driveability of a vehicle (including the comfort of the vehicle as well as vehicle performance such as an acceleration, vibration, noise) was tested by actually driving a vehicle mounted with the actual engine on a test course or a public road. However, the test of the driveability on a test course or a public road requires considerable time and cost, and there has been a long-standing need for a vehicle driveability evaluating system which is capable of evaluating a driveability of a vehicle (i.e., a combination of a specific vehicle body and a specific engine) without actually driving the vehicle.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (Kokai) No. 61-125740 discloses one type of the vehicle driveability evaluation system of this kind. The system in the '740 publication uses a chassis dynamometer to evaluate the vehicle driveability. In the system of the '740 publication, a complete vehicle including an actual vehicle body and an actual engine is tested, i.e., the complete vehicle is placed on a rotating drum of a chassis dynamometer, and the vehicle is driven under various running resistance given by the chassis dynamometer. The system in the '740 publication detects the rotational speed of the rotating drum (i.e., a running speed of the vehicle), and extracts low frequency components from the rate of change in the rotational speed of the drum (i.e., the differential value of the running speed of the vehicle). Further, the system indicates the magnitude of the low frequency components on an analog gauge or an LED indicator.
It is known that the magnitude of the low frequency components of the rate of change in the running speed has a relationship with the magnitude of a surge, i.e., a low frequency vibration of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, and the surge of the vehicle largely affects the driveability of the vehicle. Therefore, the system in the '740 publication is capable of acquiring a driveability data (the low frequency component of the change in the running speed of the vehicle) which represents the driveability of the vehicle (in this case, the magnitude of the surge) without actually driving the vehicle on the test course or a public road.
Although the system in the '740 publication is advantageous in that it allows evaluation of the magnitude of the surge without actually driving the vehicle on a test course or a public road and shortens the time required for the vehicle driveability evaluation test, the system in the '740 publication has some problems.
For example, the system in the '740 publication requires a complete vehicle for testing the driveability. Therefore the complete vehicle body and the engine must be available when the test is carried out. However, in some cases, it is preferable to evaluate the influence of the engine performance characteristic on the driveability of the vehicle before the vehicle body is manufactured so that the engine can be modified to improve the driveability of the vehicle. In such a case, the system in the '740 publication cannot be used.
Further, since the test vehicle is driven on the rotating drum of the chassis dynamometer in the system of the '740 publication, it is difficult to simulate various running condition (such as running conditions on a rough road, slope or highway) of the vehicle and the driveability of the vehicle cannot be tested in the various running conditions.
Further, the magnitude of the low frequency components of the rate of change in the vehicle running speed is indicated as a numerical value, or the magnitude of the low frequency components is roughly divided into ranges in accordance with the magnitude of the influence thereof on the driveability and the ranges are indicated by the LED indicator in the '740 publication. However, since it is difficult for an inspector to comprehend the influence on the driveability from the numerical value or the indication of the LED indicator, the influence on the driveability is not evaluated correctly in some cases. Especially, since the magnitude of the influence of the factors such as acceleration and vibration on the driveability cannot be quantified, it is difficult to evaluate the magnitudes of influences of these factors on the driveability even if these factors are expressed in numerical values.


A capacity-analysis tool (CAT) provides a model framework for creating a model of a capacity-planning-target (CPT) system, e.g., a data center. The tool includes a model framework that, in turn, includes a closed-system template for creating CSMs, i.e., models of capacity-limited systems. A user uses the CAT to create CPT models using the CSMs as building blocks. A machine-learning engine is used to train the CPT model, converting parameter time-series data to functions of time. The trained CPT models are then used to make capacity-planning estimates, e.g., time remaining on a system before usage matches capacity. The CAT makes it easy to extend a model, e.g., by adding new dimensions (new factors of interest) in the form of new CSMs to which the new dimensions have been assigned.

"Capacity planning" involves scheduling the acquisition and management of resources to meet estimated future demands on a target system. For example, a data-center operator may need to estimate the space, computer hardware, software, network and other resources that will be needed over some future period of time. A typical capacity concern of many enterprises is whether resources will be in place to handle increased demand, e.g., as the number of users or interactions increase. Capacity may be added in time to meet the anticipated demand but not so early that resources go unused for a long period.
Although capacity planning finds particular applicability to data centers, that is, computer systems including large numbers of physical computers running a variety of workloads, capacity planning is generally applicable to a wide range of endeavors including, but not limited to, airline operations, traffic management, and facilities acquisition.
"Capacity analysis" involves characterizing a capacity-planning target (CPT) system as a basis for making capacity-planning decisions. A capacity-analysis tool (CAT) identifies to a user, typically a system administrator for the CPT system, the information needed for capacity analysis. The user provides the information, e.g., processing capacity of a server, or ensures that the requested information, e.g., time-varying usage data, is provided to the CAT. Based on this information, the CAT can estimate, for example, the efficiency with which resources are used or the degree to which resources are wasted, an amount of unused resource capacity, and how much time remains before (e.g., rising) demand reaches capacity. These estimates are then available to guide planning the management and inventory of resources for a CPT system.

Capacity analysis using closed-system modules


A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine and a method of additively manufacturing the same are provided. A combustor dome includes a combustor wall defining a hole and a circumferential groove defined within the combustor wall around the hole. A floating ferrule assembly is additively manufactured with the combustor dome and includes a ferrule positioned at least partially within the hole and defining a radial lip that is received within the circumferential groove to inseparably position the ferrule within the combustor wall. A build support arm is attached to the ferrule by a frangible connecting member, the frangible connecting member being breakable for separating and removing the build support arm from the ferrule.

A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. Additionally, the core of the gas turbine engine general includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to an inlet of the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gases through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
Conventional combustor assemblies include various components that are inserted into the combustor domes to facilitate the combustion process. For example, fuel injectors may be inserted through fuel injection ports and/or igniters may be inserted through igniter ports into the combustor dome. During operation, and particularly during transient operation such as start-up when large temperature differences may be experienced, thermal expansion causes the fuel injectors and/or igniters to move relative to the combustor dome. To reduce stress between the components and ensure proper operation, certain combustor assemblies may include floating collars for receiving the fuel injectors and floating ferrules for receiving the igniters. However, such features frequently require multiple components to be manufactured and assembled, resulting in increased costs and other operability issues.
Accordingly, a gas turbine engine with an improved combustor assembly would be useful. More specifically, a combustor assembly that includes floating collar assemblies for receiving fuel injectors and/or ferrule assemblies for receiving igniters within the combustor dome would be particularly beneficial.

Additively manufactured wall and floating ferrule having a frangible member between the floating ferrule and a build support arm


The present invention provides a multifunction and low-cost photoprint storage bag. When paper is die-cut along a pattern to produce development sheets, folds are created simultaneously, thereby achieving simple manufacturing. A multifunction photoprint storage bag can be realized by folding along folds on the die-cut development sheet, which is used as a photoprint storage bag and a photo stand, and further as a sealed letter by folding back in the opposite direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoprint storage bag that stores a photoprint.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a user goes to a photo developing shop (DPE shop: Development Printing and Enlargement shop) or the like to receive photographs, they are usually handed to the user in a storage bag for storing photoprints. Some techniques aim to provide multifunction photoprint storage bags. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-292086 provides a photoprint storage bag capable of storing an index print in order to help user readily order re-printing.
Incidentally, there is a demad for low-cost production in manufacturing such photoprint storage bags. In order to achieve low-cost production, the number of manufacturing processes should be minimized. At the same time it is desired to maximize the number of die-cut sheets obtained by die-cutting a material sheet along a paper pattern. In addition, multifunction type of a photoprint storage bag is desired like Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-292086.
However, in order to manufacture a photoprint storage bag, many processes are necessary, including: printing process to print patterns on a sheet, die-cutting process to die-cut the printed sheet along the pattern, crease pressing process to make creases on the die-cut sheet (hereafter referred to as a development sheet), and adhesive applying process. The more the number of processes increases, the more production cost rises. In addition, if a margin for applying adhesive is provided on a pattern, a development sheet becomes bigger thereby decreasing the number of development sheets taken from a sheet of material paper and therefore resulting in higher cost. Further, this type of a photoprint storage bag is unlikely to be used for another application other than storing a photoprint.


The present disclosure provides novel bacterial strains with altered expression or start codon modification of one or more RNA degradation/processing genes. The RNA degradation genes of the present disclosure are controlled by heterologous promoters. The present disclosure further describes methods for generating microbial strains comprising heterologous promoter sequences operably linked to RNA degradation/processing genes.

The regulation of bacterial gene expression occurs at many levels, including transcriptional control, or control of the synthesis of mRNA from a given gene; translational control, or the regulation of the efficiency by which the mRNA is translated into polypeptide sequence by the ribosome; and mRNA stability, or the efficiency at which a given mRNA population within the cell is processed and rendered inactive.
While methods for altering the transcription levels of mRNA have been widely studied, other techniques for optimizing the post-translational steady state of mRNA have remained more elusive.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure teaches methods for improving industrial strain efficiency, for example by modulating RNA stability through altering genetic sequences and reaction conditions.

Genetic perturbation of the RNA degradosome protein complex