Readout signals of a dithered ring laser inertial integrating rate sensor are processed by a signal combining circuit which forms part of a closed loop scheme for removing the dither signal other than the base motion component thereof. The output of the signal combining circuit has a computed base motion component removed therefrom by a second signal combining circuit. The output of the second signal combining circuit is used to control a correction signal that is subtracted from the gyro output signal by the first signal combining means. The correction signal is multiplied by a ratio of the rotational inertia of the sensor over the sum of the rotational inertia of the sensor and the rotational inertia of the base to obtain the computed base motion component of the dither signal.

This invention relates to laser inertial integrating rate sensors and, more specifically, to sensors in which a dither bias is used to obviate the effects of lock-in inherent in such sensors.
The behavior of ring laser inertial integrating rate sensors is well understood by those skilled in the art. Inherent in such sensors is the phenomenon known as "lock-in" in which counter propagating laser beams tend to lock together to a common frequency. Lock-in arises in ring laser inertial integrating rate sensors at low rates of rotation. At such low rates of rotation, the frequency differential between the two beams is relatively small and the beams tend to couple or resonate together so that the two beams oscillate at only one frequency. Because of this lock-in phenomenon, the frequency differential is no longer proportional to the rate of angular rotation, causing performance errors which have deleterious effects in navigation systems.
To avoid or reduce the effects of lock-in, the laser inertial integrating rate sensor may be biased by dither techniques such as those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,650 to J. E. Killpatrick, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The biasing technique usually referred to as dithering may be implemented, typically using mechanical schemes, in a variety of ways. Since these biasing techniques directly affect the behavior of the counter propagating laser beams, the sensor output signal contains not only rate information signals due to inertial motion but also contains a signal component related to the biasing of the sensor. This is true whether the output signal generator is mounted directly on the sensor (block mounted) or off the sensor (case mounted).
The sensor output signal dither contribution further includes a base motion component due to dithering, herein referred to as ".theta..sub.B," and a sensor or gyro motion component due to dithering, herein referred to as ".theta..sub.G." The sensor motor component of the dither signal represents the reaction of the sensor to the torque applied by a motive means attached to the base on which the sensor is mounted. The base motion component of the dither signal represents the motion of the base on which the sensor is mounted which results from a reaction torque from the motor means mounted to the base. This torque acting on the base is of equal magnitude but in a direction opposite the direction of a dither torque applied to produce the dither motion in the sensor. The torque acting on the base produces the base motion that is synchronous with the dither motion of the sensor and is opposite in direction.
Frequently, more than one inertial integrating rate sensor is mounted to an object for providing rotational information about the object. Sometimes only one or two inertial integrating rate sensors are mounted to the object as a means for providing angular rotation information to a system. For example, inertial integrating rate sensors may be used to provide rotational information for an optical telescope having one or more axes of rotation. This rotational information is provided to a control system that is capable of selectively activating servo motors to reposition the telescope thus insuring the telescope remains pointed at a selected target.
If dithered inertial integrating rate sensors are used, then the control system is provided rotational information from one or more sensors that are attached to a base which is in turn shock mounted to the telescope. Dithering the inertial integrating rate sensor causes the sensor to react against the base producing base motion. Because the base is moving relative to the telescope, due to dithering, the control system receives rotational information about the telescope that is in error by the amount of base motion due to dithering. Therefore, the control system is not able to maintain a pointing accuracy that is less than the angular rotation of the base due to dither.
If, however, the base motion due to dithering could be determined and supplied to the control system then the error due to base motion can be subtracted from the rotational information. The control system would then be capable of determining the actual angular movement of the telescope. Once the actual angular movement of the telescope are determined by the control system then it is possible for the control system to correct or adjust for angular movements of the telescope that are smaller than angular movements of the base due to dithering.
Thus, there is a need in these circumstances for a means for accurately determining the base motion due to dither. It is necessary that this base motion determining means maintain accuracy during aging and environmental effects such as temperature variation.
Inertial navigation systems usually make use of three or more integrating rate gyros or sensors attached to the same base. Typically, three such inertial integrating rate sensors are coupled to the base having an orientation such that the axes of sensitivity of the inertial integrating rate sensors are substantially mutually orthogonal to one another, as seen in FIG. 1. The sensor configuration shown in FIG. 1 includes a mounting base, 9, having three inertial integrating rate sensors, 10A, 10B, and 10C, attached thereto. Isolation mounts (not shown) tend to prevent the transfer of vibration between the mounting base 9 and the case (not shown) on which it is mounted. Each inertial integrating rate sensor 10A, 10B and 10C produces an output signal that is indicative of the sum total of all the instantaneous angular motion changes the sensor has undergone in its input axis, or axis of sensitivity. The inertial navigation system transforms the sum of all instantaneous angular motions produced by each inertial integrating rate sensor into navigation parameters.
The use of mechanically dithered inertial integrating rate sensors in these navigation systems results in base motion due to the base motion components, .theta..sub.B, of each individual inertial integrating rate sensor. As shown in FIG. 1, the base motion component, .theta..sub.B, of sensor 10A produces a resultant motion of sensor 10C in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axis of sensitivity of sensor 10C. In a similar manner, the base motion component, .theta..sub.B, of sensor 10B produces a resultant motion of sensor 10C in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axis of sensitivity of sensor 10C. Similarly, the base motion components of sensors 10A and 10C each produce a resultant motion of sensor 10B, and the base motion components of sensors 10B and 10C each produce a resultant motion of sensor 10A.
This resultant motion of each of the inertial integrating rate sensors due to the base motion components of each of the other two inertial integrating rate sensors is such that a point in a plane substantially orthogonal to its sensitive axis follows a Lissajous figure. The Lissajous figure produced for one sensor may be a straight line, ellipse or circle depending on the dither phases of each of the other two inertial integrating rate sensors, assuming each is dithered at the same rate. The axis of rotation, or input or sensitive axis, of this third inertial integrating rate sensor more or less follows a cone due to such motion of the base, and so such input motion is generally referred to as "coning." This axis cone motion represents a real input rate to the third gyro in addition to any inertial rotation about this axis and its dither reaction and, if not made insignificant or corrected for, is an error term in the inertial output signal.
The Lissajous figure for one sensor is the result of base motion components in each of two perpendicular axes due to the other sensors. These base motion components are represented by the angular displacement of sensor 10C due to sensor 10A and 10B dither motion, as seen in FIG. 1. The angular displacement of sensor 10C due to sensor 10A dithering can be represented by the following equation: EQU .theta..sub.C-A =A.sub.A sin .OMEGA.t (1)
In equation 1, A.sub.A represents the amplitude of the base motion or oscillations due to sensor 10A dithering. The term fi represents the frequency of the base motion due to sensor 10A dither. The angular displacement of sensor 10C due to sensor 10B dithering can be represented by the following equation: EQU .theta..sub.C-B =A.sub.B sin (.OMEGA.t+.xi.) (2)
In equation 2, A.sub.B represents the amplitude of the base motion due to sensor 10B dithering. The term .OMEGA. represents the frequency of the base motion due to sensor 10B dither. The term .xi. represents the phase shift between the dithering of sensor 10A and the dithering of sensor 10B.
If the motions represented by equations 1 and 2 are assumed, then through standard mathematical translation a known mathematical representation for the mean angular rate sensed by sensor 10C can be derived. The mean angular rate that sensor 10C senses in an axis of sensitivity orthogonal to the axis of sensitivity of both sensors 10A and 10B is represented by the following equation: ##EQU1##
In equation 3, the mean angular rate sensed by sensor 10C as a result of the dither motions of sensors 10A and 10B represents the coning error in the sensor 10C output signal. This coning error is constant with respect to time as long as both the phase shift and frequency of the base motion are constant. The larger of terms A.sub.A and A.sub.B represents the major axis and the smaller term represents the minor axis of an ellipsoid Lissajous figure. If the dither motions produced by sensor 10A and sensor 10B are in phase, the term .xi. is zero and the coning error rate is zero.
If, alternatively, two orthogonally oriented gyros have different dither frequencies, the Lissajous figure in the plane of a third gyro is not constant but goes through both positive and negative phase relations. The volume swept out by the input axis of this third gyro tends to be zero because the area swept out when the phase is positive is cancelled out by the area swept out when the phase is negative. An instantaneous coning or input error exists, but this error does not build up over time. Therefore by running the gyros at different frequencies this coning error is greatly reduced, but not eliminated.
Another technique for reducing coning error has been to make the mass of the base very large relative to the mass of the sensor mounted thereon. In this manner, the base motion due to dither is reduced. The base motion due to dither, however, is not eliminated.
The device base motion due to dither cannot readily be determined precisely from the dither pickoff signal provided by the piezoelectric output device because of the wide variation of the device output due to aging, temperature, and various environmental effects. Hence, here too, there is a need for a means for determining the motion of the base due to dithering. Once the motion of the base due to dithering is known, it can be provided to the remainder of the navigation system which can in turn correct for the error component in the sensor output signal that is due to this base motion.
In addition, the system can correct for any coning error that might be present in a sensor output signal if the actual base motion due to dithering is known. For sensors that are configured such that a coning error input is produced in one of the sensor outputs, the system can compute or determine this error from the base motion components due to dithering resulting from the two orthogonal sensors. Once the coning error that is produced by each sensor is computed, it can then be subtracted from the sensor output thereby eliminating coning errors from the inertial navigation system.


Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing expanded graphite products. The method comprises the steps of a) compressing expanded graphite to form a graphite thin film, b) milling the graphite thin film to form graphite flakes, and c) placing the graphite flakes in a mold and compressing the graphite flakes to form a predetermined shape, wherein during at least any one of the steps a), b) and c), a binder is mixed with the expanded graphite. There are provided advantageous effects that as the density of the expanded graphite product increases through respective manufacturing steps, not only are initial equipment costs reduced due to minimized equipment, but also an expanded graphite product having a uniform density and a closely packed structure is provided. Additionally, since the expanded graphite product is finally compressed in the mold, the expanded graphite product does not have directional preference and can be formed into various shapes.

In general, graphite is a raw material formed of overlapped layers of planar macromolecules, in which hexagonal rings consisting of carbon atoms are infinitely connected with each other while forming sheets. Including good electric conductivity, the graphite has lubricant properties and flexibility contributed to a lamella structure of the macromolecule (polycene). Further, although the graphite is easy to break, it has a low reactivity since it is a macromolecule.
Since the carbon sheets of the graphite having the polycene structure are joined to each other by van der Waals forces, the distance of 14.2 nm between the carbon sheets is larger than the distance of 35.5 nm between the carbon atoms. Thus, an intercalation compound can be formed by insertion of other atoms into a gap between the carbon sheets. Specifically, with a net plane of the graphite crystal maintained, a great quantity of atoms, molecules or ions are inserted into the gap between the sheets, thereby forming the intercalation compounds.
That is, when an intercalation compound or remnant compound with an acid, such as sulphuric acid, applied between the sheets of the graphite is rapidly heated to a temperature of about 1000° C., the acid between the sheets is vaporized to generate gas, and the interlayer of the graphite expands dozens or hundreds of times due to an expansion pressure of the gas, thereby forming the intercalation compound, what is so referred to as "expanded graphite."
A conventional method of manufacturing expanded graphite products will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
First, since the expanded graphite has a density 1/50˜ 1/200 times smaller than that of a general graphite, expanded graphite is laminated to a predetermined height, considering a thickness and a density of an expanded graphite sheet to be formed with expanded graphite (S2). For example, when forming a 5 mm thick expanded graphite sheet using expanded graphite of a density 1/200 times smaller than that of the general graphite, expanded graphite is laminated to a height 200 times or more of 5 mm.
Then, expanded graphite laminated to a predetermined thickness is compressed with a high capacity press (S4) and rolled with a roller, to form a high density, expanded graphite sheet (S6). The expanded graphite sheet is formed into a desired shape through additional mechanical processes, such as cutting or shaping, (S8), completing the manufacturing process for the expanded graphite product (S10).
However, the conventional method of manufacturing the expanded graphite products has problems in that as the expanded graphite products increase in thickness, expanded graphite should be laminated higher when manufacturing the expanded graphite product, thereby not only increasing the capacity of a press, but also making equipments huge due to requirement of continuous rolling equipment. Further, expanded graphite having a considerably low density is compressed, rolled and formed in a great quantity, so that it is very difficult to increase the density and to achieve a uniform density.
Further, according to the conventional method, expanded graphite of the considerably low density is compressed, rolled and formed in a great quantity, so that space in expanded graphite is not completely removed. Thus, not only does expanded graphite have a non-closely packed structure so that mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, compression strength, hardness or the like, are poor, but also does expanded graphite have a directional preference due to the compression process and may be formed only into the sheet shape, so that a final shape is restricted.

Manufacturing method of expanded graphite products


Use of sigma agonists as ophthlamic drugs for lowering intraocular pressure.

Glaucoma, which some estimate affects 2 million adults over 40, is an impairment of vision caused by too much fluid pressure within the eye.
Surgical treatment for glaucoma is effective; however, it is expensive and some surgeons will use surgery only as a last resort.
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, prescribed orally, work well to treat this disease, but they carry a host of side effects, from nausea to kidney stones.
Glaucoma stems from an excess of fluid behind the cornea, the three-layered tissue that acts as a window to let light enter. Fluid carrying nutrients such as potassium and glucose constantly wash the inside of the cornea to keep it healthy much as tears wash the outside of the cornea.
In some middle-aged adults, fluids build up faster than can be absorbed back into the blood, for one of two reasons; the ciliary body (a tiny tissue behind the iris) may excrete too much fluid, or the fluid may not drain off at the normal rate.
Either way, the excess fluid damages the optic nerve. At first a glaucoma victim usually experiences a subtle loss of peripheral vision--objects will seem to disappear from certain spots to the side. But glaucoma often leads to middle-age blindness.
Unfortunately, the two approaches to general drug usage in treating glaucoma--topical (dropped into the eye) and oral--each have a peculiar set of side effects.
To make the long journey, oral drugs must be dosed in very high concentration. One class of drugs, called carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, slow the formation of fluid by inhibiting a chemical reaction at the ciliary body. Along with their well-tested effectiveness comes nausea, tingling in fingers and toes, and other side effects. Oral drugs generally do not, however, cause side effects in the eye.
Certain topical drugs, while causing less systemic effects, on the other hand, can cause severe headaches and constrict the pupil, making the daytime appear dark.
Many of our prior inventions have related to the effective use of topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. There are, however, many different mechanisms of inhibiting intraocular pressure, and therefore, effectively treating glaucoma. It, of course, goes without saying that clinicians desire to have a variety of drugs available, many of which work by different mechanisms, so that patients not susceptible to one type of drug, for example, perhaps not susceptible to carbonic anhydrase inhibitors or beta 2 blockers, such as Timilol, can still be effectively treated. Besides, beta 2 blockers and topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, there has been some efforts at using .alpha..sub.2 -adrenergic agonists, .alpha..sub.1 -adrenergic antagonists, dopamine agonists, and antagonists, prostaglandin analogs, D-timolol, cannabinoids and forskolin derivatives. Little attention has been paid to the effects of serotonin antagonists on the intraocular pressure (IOP) even though numerous neurotransmission agonists and antagonists have been tried, including cholinergic, adrenergic and dopaminergic systems. For a detailed view of various classes of drugs that might be used as antiglaucoma agents (see Ocular Hypertensive Actions of Serotonin Antagonists-Ketanserin Analogs, Chiou et al, Journal of Ocular Pharmacology, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1992).
It can therefore be seen that there is a continuing need for effective drugs which are both topical and which work by mechanisms other than beta 2 blockers and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide effective drugs for lowing of intraocular pressure which will fill this need.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a method of topical treatment which is effective for lowering intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients, which involves drug mechanisms other than carbonic anhydrase inhibition, and other than beta 2 blockers.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide drugs which can be effectively used topically because they have a high degree of solubility in tears and can effectively penetrate the cornea and release the pharmacologically active agent, without the need for systemic administration.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives, as well as others, will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows hereinafter.

Antiglaucoma drug composition and method


An optical component includes a substrate and two optical lenses, and the substrate and the two optical lenses are an integrated and inseparable structure. A groove that can accommodate a required collimating optical element is provided on the substrate, or a collimating optical element and the substrate are integrated. Because fabrication of optical elements is completed during fabrication of the optical component, the number of elements to fabricate and time and cost of fabricating the elements can be reduced. Also, during assembly of an image capturing device, it is only required that the optical component is locked to a body of the image capturing device to complete arrangement of a front panel and the optical elements, which can greatly simplify an assembly procedure and shorten assembly time.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is an optical component, and in particular, is an optical component applicable in an image capturing device of a barcode reading apparatus.
2. Related Art
With the improvement of optical encoding technologies, a barcode system, which has already taken the place of a complicated manual input manner, is widely applied in various fields and has advantages such as convenient control and management of products and materials, document processing and filing, and quick determination of commodity prices. A barcode reader is required to read information included in barcodes. The barcode reader mainly uses an image capturing device to capture a barcode image, and then analyzes and obtains data in a barcode by using an image processing program for subsequent application. In both a one-dimensional reading apparatus and a two-dimensional barcode reading apparatus, an image capturing device is arranged to scan and read a barcode to obtain data in the barcode.
A light-emitting diode is usually arranged inside an image capturing device used for reading and compiling a barcode system to produce a light ray, and required optical elements such as a lens and a diffusion sheet are arranged outside the light-emitting diode. Under the guidance of an optical member located on a light ray casting path, a barcode symbol is scanned, and widths and spaces in a code area of the barcode symbol are reflected into a barcode reader, so as to identify the scanned barcode symbol.
In addition, to enable a user to place a barcode within a range readable by a barcode reader, a collimated light source and a corresponding optical element are further arranged in an image capturing device, so as to cast a scanning area to enable the user to place a barcode at the center of an angle of view of image capturing.
For an existing image capturing device, optical elements are separately fabricated and then separately secured in front of light sources or at other positions as required. To cast a large range for quick reading of barcode information within the range, or to obtain a light source with high brightness to facilitate outdoor use, multiple light-emitting elements are usually arranged. A corresponding optical element is further arranged in front of each light-emitting element, which increases the number of optical elements and makes an assembly procedure more complicated.
In addition, to miniaturize an image capturing device in a barcode reader as much as possible to adapt to various electronic apparatuses such as a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), an optical element also needs to be miniaturized. Therefore, the difficulty in arranging and positioning optical elements is also increased, and a yield may also be decreased.

Optical component and image capturing device using same


A method of recycling construction and demolition debris to produce an article suitable as a daily cover for a landfill is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of removing large pieces of metal from the debris, compacting the balance of the debris into small pieces, shredding the debris into smaller particles, separating the ferrous and optionally the non-ferrous metals from the debris utilizing the combination of magnetic, air and/or water separating systems, dewatering the shredded debris to produce a daily cover suitable for use as a daily cover for a landfill.

Federal and state environmental regulations require the operators of sanitary landfill operations to periodically cover disposed solid waste with six inches of earthen material to control disease, insects, fires, odors, blowing litter, and scavenging. For example, most jurisdictions require such covering of sanitary landfills at the end of each operating day, or at more frequent intervals if necessary. This covering requirement and the cover material is known as "daily cover" or "periodic cover" where the regulatory interval is more than one day, e.g., three days. As used herein, "daily cover" is intended to include daily and periodic cover for sanitary landfills, such as municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, rubble landfills and land clearing debris landfills, and industrial waste landfills.
Each day's garbage, trash or rubble layer is covered at the end of the day and further garbage, trash or rubble layers are then spread directly on top of the daily cover for the previous day. In many landfill sites the soil used for the daily cover must be mined at the landfill site or purchased from an outside source and, due to the high rate of soil consumption, comprises a substantial cost item. Moreover, it has been recognized that multiple earth fill layers used in this way consume a significant volume of the valuable landfill space which might otherwise be used for receiving garbage, trash or rubble. It is well known that many communities are rapidly exhausting their available landfill acreage and it is therefore desirable to reduce the consumption rate of the available landfill volume. Accordingly, federal and state regulations allow alternative, more compressible, daily cover materials in lieu of the six inches of earthen material so long as the alternative materials provide the requisite level of protection.
Several such alternative daily cover materials are known in the art. One alternative, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,338 to Kramer et al, comprises hardenable plastic foam cover which is applied to the waste material by spraying. Similarly, companies such as 3M Environmental Protection Products of St. Paul, Minn., Chubb Environmental Security of Exton, Pa., and Russmer of Westchester, Pa., have all developed synthetic foams which can be sprayed onto a landfill face each day to function as a daily cover.
One disadvantage of such foam spray daily covers is that the high pressure spray equipment utilized to apply the foam tends to blow away the waste material to which it is applied. Additionally, the foam spray solution is expensive, typically 12 to 15 cents per square foot, substantially more expensive than dirt. Furthermore, weather restrictions, such as heavy rain or extreme cold and wind, hampers both the installation and performance of foam covers.
Another disadvantage of the foam daily cover substitutes is that it cannot be easily formulated from recycled materials. The increasing sensitivity towards the environment by society at-large has greatly increased the demand for using recycled products. State and municipal environmental officials, who operate or regulate most landfills, have been especially active in encouraging use of recycled products. Among the advantages of recycling is the fact that the waste material is converted into useful products rather than taking up rapidly depleting landfill space. Hence, such officials are making great efforts to integrate recycled materials into operations under control of their governments, including landfill operations.
Another alternative to using earthen material as a daily cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,909,667 to DeMello and 4,927,317 to Acosta. DeMello and Acosta disclose a geotextile or sheet-like member, such as canvas and the like, which is laid over the working face of a landfill at the end of the operating day. Similar geotextile daily covers include the Fabrisoil.RTM. non-woven polypropylene geotextile manufactured by the Phillips Fiber Corp. of Greenville, S.C. as well as the Sani-Cover.TM. polypropylene geotextile manufactured by Amoco Fibers Corp. of Atlanta, Ga. A key disadvantage of geotextile covers is their expense which may be as high as $2.25 per square yard. In addition, geotextiles are subject to mechanical damage, such as tears, punctures and the like, require replacement or repair and are difficult to apply in inclement weather.

Method of recycling construction and demolition debris


The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for personalized product communication, conversion, and retargeting. In some embodiments, the disclosure is directed to systems and methods that allows users to capture product-specific purchase intent by sending a cellular message containing a picture of a product tag, receiving that product's internet URL in reply via cellular message, and receiving later promotions related to that product from a retailer via cellular messages. In some embodiments, the present inventions allows the unique capability to capture and convert in-store interest with product specific promotions and conversions in a way not previously utilized in the retail space.

Traditionally, shoppers may locate products, for example clothing, that they may want in a variety of ways. One way for shoppers to search and review products they may want to purchase is to look on a particular vendor's e-commerce or mobile commerce ("mcommerce") platform, i.e., the vendor's website. Many vendors include a number of different windows, search options, and categories for different types of inventory. For example, for a clothing vendor, the vendor's website may allow a user to search all dresses, all pants, or all items currently on sale. These products may be available for purchase over the internet using standard e-commerce platforms, or direct the user to store locations that may have the product in inventory. Unfortunately, many vendors may have hundreds of different types and styles, making it difficult to locate a particular type or style that appeals to the user. Often, users can get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options. As used herein, for simplicity, the term "clothing" is used to generally refer to items that may include traditional clothing, like shirts, pants, jackets, socks, etc., but also include other items like shoes, purses, jewelry, etc.
Additionally, shoppers might look in catalogs distributed by vendors, newspaper promotions, or other print media or electronic media. For many shoppers, seeing a particular product on a webpage, or in a print advertisement, is not sufficient to really determine if they like the particular product. Many shoppers want to see the product in person, and touch it, feel it, and potentially try it (for example, put it on, for clothing). This cannot readily be done via a website or through print media. As an example, since different clothing vendors size products differently, a shopper may not know whether a medium or a small would be appropriate for them. For these reasons, among others, shoppers might also visit brick and mortar establishments seeking to locate products that they might be interested in buying.
Visiting a brick and mortar location, however, has its own limitations and drawbacks. If a user locates a particular product they are interested in, but do not plan to purchase the product at the time, shoppers may forget what item they've looked at, what size they tried on, what color they liked, etc. Shoppers may keep written notes about the products, but those can easily be lost. Additionally, shoppers have no way of knowing whether that same item may be in the inventory at a particular vendor at some later point in time, if it goes on sale, or plans to be discontinued.
For various reasons, shoppers that locate a particular item that they like may not want to purchase the item. Shoppers may not have sufficient time or funds to buy the item, or they may just want to put the product on a saved, personal list for potential later purchase. It can be difficult, however, to track what products they have seen, where they located it, what they liked about it, etc. These prior art methods and systems are insufficient to provide users with the user-directed online shopping, tracking, and notifications they need, nor do they provide retailers with the necessary information to specifically and effectively retarget in-store shoppers.
Many retailers also try to target consumers that have expressed an interest in a particular product. For example, if a user goes to a retailer's website, and looks at a variety of shoes, the retailer's website is able to track that a user viewed certain shoes, and can use that information to target advertising to that specific user. However, unless a consumer actually puts certain products into their virtual shopping cart, the granularity of the data may not be particularly helpful for retargeting. For example, the retailer may not know the specific dress that the user was interested in, or the color, size, etc.
Additionally, the conversion rate, or buy rate, for most consumers viewing products online is relatively low, and is often around 5-10%. Most sales still happen "in store", and is closer to 90%. Unfortunately for retailers, to date, there is virtually no way for retailers to accurately capture, track, and/or retarget consumers that are shopping in store. If a retailer could be able to track and retarget consumers based on specific products that the consumer was interested in, and particularly if the retailer could track and retarget consumers at a granular level (e.g., down to the color and size), it would be very valuable to retailers.
Accordingly, there exists a need for user-directed shopping, tracking, and notification systems and methods that address the Internet-centric challenges. Additionally, there exists a need for systems and methods that allow retailers to capture product-specific purchase intent and shopper data for conversion and retargeting. Such novel and unique systems and methods are provided for herein. In some embodiments, the systems and methods provided herein provides a user-directed system and method that allows users to tag particular products they are interested in via the barcode, locate information about the product, allow the user to store specific information about the product (like colors or sizes), add pictures of the product, and save the product on a personal list. Additionally, the system and methods can automatically track inventory and sales status of products on a user "wish list", and provide users notifications about a particular product, for example if it goes on sale, and provide embedded links to purchase the desired products. These systems and methods can be implemented, at least in part, by a mobile application (or "mobile app") that is stored on a user's smart device, for example, a smart phone or other handheld computing device. In some embodiments, the systems and methods can be implemented by users by using built-in capabilities of the vast majority of mobile devices, namely a camera and texting capabilities, without the need for a specific user mobile app, and retailers can track and retarget customers, and provide real-time incentives to consumers.

System and method for personalized product communication, conversion, and retargeting


There is disclosed a surface acoustic wave device having at least a diamond film, a piezoelectric-material film, and an electrode on a base material wherein all or some part of the diamond film consists of an electroconductive diamond in which a dopant is doped. Thereby, there can be provided a surface acoustic wave device wherein breakage of the substrate due to generation of static electricity can be prevented in a device manufacturing process so that the device manufacture yield can be increased, and electrification can be prevented at the time of real use so that high performance can be maintained for a long time, even if it is a surface acoustic wave device using diamond.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device using diamond.
2. Description of the Related Art
A SAW device is a device for selecting a specific frequency by impressing a radio frequency signal (RF signal) to an interdigital transducer (IDT) formed on a piezo electric body (a piezoelectric-material film, a piezoelectric-material board) to excite a surface acoustic wave, and converting a propagated signal into RF signal again. It has been widely used as a band pass filter or a resonator, for optical communications, satellite communications, mobile communications or the like, and is a key device for communication. Piezoelectric materials such as crystal, zinc oxide, lithium niobate (LN), lithium tantalate (LT) and the like have been used for a usual SAW device depending on the use.
It is known that an adaptive center frequency f0 of a SAW device is represented as f0=V/λ using a propagation velocity V of a surface acoustic wave and an interdigital transducer period λ. Then, in order to correspond to a demand for communication with high-frequency, the interdigital transducer period λ has been made shorter, i.e., an interdigital transducer pattern has been made finer (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (KOKAI) No. 5-283970). However, there have been caused a problem that control of line width becomes difficult as a pattern gets finer and a problem that degradation progresses as a line width gets narrower.
Then, in order to meet a demand for a high-frequency which has rapidly arisen in a recent communication, it has becomes necessary not only to make an interdigital transducer pattern finer but to make a propagation velocity V of a surface acoustic wave higher. Specifically, a high-speed surface acoustic wave has been used with a substrate having a constitution wherein a film of a material with a high elasticity such as sapphire or diamond is formed on a base material, and a piezoelectric-material thin film is formed on the film (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (KOKAI) No. 2-20910). Especially, a diamond has the highest elastic constant among the materials, and is only one material which can achieve a propagation velocity (V) of 10,000 m/s or more even when a piezoelectric material is laminated thereon.
However, when a diamond is used for a SAW device, there has been caused a problem that static electricity is generated on a surface of a substrate to break the substrate, in a process of manufacturing the SAW device, resulting in lowering of a device manufacture yield. Moreover, there has been caused a problem also at the time of real use of the produced SAW device, that a surface of the SAW device is charged with a prolonged use. The surface charge may naturally cause short-circuit, may cause a significant defects in process and performance, in relation to a spark discharge, and furthermore may cause even cracks in a SAW device.


A ceiling fan includes an outer housing and a cap secured on top of the outer housing. A shaft is secured to the cap and a motor is disposed in the outer housing and secured to the shaft for driving a number of fan blades. An inner housing is rotatably disposed in the outer housing and includes a center sleeve rotatably engaged on the shaft for allowing the inner housing to be rotated about the shaft and includes a number of blade members. The fan blades may generate a circulating wind through the inner housing in order to actuate the blade members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceiling fan, and more particularly to a ceiling fan having a rotary inner housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical ceiling fan is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,877 to YU and comprises an inner housing solidly secured in the outer housing. The inner housing may not be rotated relative to the outer housing.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional ceiling fans.

No. 109-1, Avenue 6, Lane 164, Tzong Sa Road, Da Du Hsiang


Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow analysis of macromolecular structures using laserspray ionization at intermediate pressure or high vacuum using commercially available mass spectrometers with or without modification and with the application of heat. The systems and methods produce multiply-charged ions for improved analysis in mass spectrometry.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) has been an important analytical method for a variety of fields, especially related to analysis of synthetic and biopolymers. The method has been extended from a high vacuum (HV) technique in which time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzers provided nearly unlimited mass range to intermediate pressure (IP) and atmospheric pressure (AP) techniques interfaced to mass analyzers having limited mass-to-charge (m/z) range. Production of singly charged ions on these m/z limited instruments, however, eliminated the ability to mass analyze high-mass compounds. Small molecule analysis is also limited by the chemical background associated with the ionization of the desired analyte e.g., drugs and metabolites, at any of the pressure regimes used. Inducing fragmentation using collision induced dissociation (CID) of singly charged ions produces little sequence information; newer and more potent fragmentation methods such as electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) are not applicable to singly charged analyte ions. MALDI operates from the solid state and is a surface method enabling surface imaging approaches to determine the localization of certain analytes within a surface. Commercial MALDI ion source technology operates the laser in reflection geometry limiting the spatial resolution and speed of analysis. To increase the speed, expensive high repetition lasers can be employed more rapidly enabling the measurement of ˜100 shots of sub-spectra to be combined as to what is referred to in MALDI as a mass spectrum and in case of imaging of surfaces used to determine analytes location within a surface employing respective computing programs. Advantages of singly charged ions are the simplicity of data interpretation, especially of complex mixtures.
Electrospray ionization (ESI) is an ionization method whereby a voltage, usually several thousand volts, is placed between a capillary through which a solution is passed and a counter electrode which contains the entrance to the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. Highly charged liquid droplets are formed in the ESI process and desolvation of these droplets leads to formation of bare ions that are sampled by the mass spectrometer. While the MALDI method produces primarily singly charged ions, the ESI liquid introduction method produces ions of high charge states if multiple ionization sites exist on the analyte molecule. Small molecules such as drugs and small peptides and lipids produce singly charged ions. Improved characterization is achieved utilizing multiply charged ions using activation methods including but not limited to CID, ETD, and ECD for powerful fragmentation of the analytes at will in the mass analyzer for sequence or structural information including but not limited to posttranslational modifications of analytes including but not limited to peptides and proteins intact and enzymatically digested. The disadvantage is the complexity and data interpretation associated with multiply charged ions especially with increasing complexity of the analyte and that sprayable conditions need to be achieved limiting applications to systems that can be solubilized and "sprayed".
Inlet ionization methods include laserspray ionization (LSI), matrix assisted inlet ionization (MAII), and solvent assisted inlet ionization (SAII) producing abundant highly charged ions without the use of a voltage from the solid state (MAII, LSI) or solution (SAII). Laserspray ionization (LSI) MS is a surface method that has the potential to characterize macromolecular structures directly from their native and complex environment with high spatial resolution important in surface imaging such as tissue. LSI was introduced on high performance mass spectrometers (Orbitrap, SYNAPT G2, LTQ Velos with ETD capabilities) operating at AP without the application of any electrical field demonstrating its usefulness for tissue analysis and surface imaging of e.g., lipids, peptides, proteins, and synthetic polymers on mass range limited mass spectrometers. The production of highly charged ions directly from surfaces in high abundance allows sequencing of for example peptides and proteins using ETD. Chemical background associated with LSII is minute. While LSI at AP offers many advantages, there is still room for improvement, especially relative to sensitivity limitations associated with the transfer of ions from AP-to-vacuum, and additional systems and methods for use in the analysis of macromolecular structures.

Systems and methods extending the laserspray ionization mass spectrometry concept from atmospheric pressure to vacuum


A liquid crystal display panel, in which pixel units are provided on the liquid crystal display panel, each pixel unit includes sub-pixel units displaying different colors, at a position of the apposed substrate or the array substrate corresponding to the sub-pixel unit of at least one color in each pixel unit, a monochromatic quantum dot layer is disposed. This liquid crystal display panel has increased color gamut of the liquid crystal display panel, enhanced color saturation, increased display quality, and increased life of quantum dots. A display device and a process for patterning the monochromatic quantum dot layer are also provided.

Quantum dots (QDs) can also be called nanocrystals, and are nanoparticles consisting of II-VI family or III-V family elements. The particle sizes of quantum dots are generally between 1 nm˜20 nm. Because electrons and holes are confined by quantum, the structure of continuous energy bands is converted into the structure of discrete energy bands, and thus quantum dots may emit fluorescence after excitation.
The emission spectra of quantum dots can be controlled by altering the sizes of the quantum dots. By altering the sizes and chemical compositions of quantum dots, their emission spectra can be made to cover the whole visible region. Using CdTe quantum dots as an example, when the particle sizes grow from 2.5 nm to 4.0 nm, the emission wavelength can make a red shift from 510 nm to 660 nm.
Currently, the light emitting property of quantum dots can be utilized so as to employ quantum dots as molecular probes in fluorescent labeling. They can also be used in a display device. Where monochromatic quantum dots are used as the light source of the backlight module of a liquid crystal display panel, after excited by a blue light emitted by LED, the monochromatic quantum dots emit monochromatic light which mixes with the blue light to form white background light, which has large light gamut and can improve the graphic quality. However, in the prior art, there has been no design to apply the quantum dots within the liquid crystal display panel.

Liquid crystal display panel, display device and process for patterning quantum dot layer

BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for coordinating grid tracking and character composition. A grid defining a layout of one or more lines of grid boxes is received. Each grid box can accommodate one full-width character and has a global track amount specified in an absolute unit. One or more of the grid boxes is populated with characters and associated spaces. The characters and their associated spaces in the one or more lines of grid boxes are tracked by an amount determined as a function of the global track amount and a proportion of an em for the characters and their associated spaces.

The present invention relates to coordinating typesetting and layout in desktop publishing (DTP).
DTP documents typically include multiple lines of glyphs, which usually represent characters but can also represent symbols and blank spaces. In a document, the lines of glyphs are arranged vertically, horizontally, or in some combination thereof. This arrangement can be applied to the entire document or any portion of the document. To aid in layout and typesetting, glyphs are usually arranged in a series of virtual bodies, sometimes referred to as emboxes. An embox defines an outer frame around a glyph and has dimensions and size. Generally, the size of an embox is determined by the type size of the character represented by the glyph framed. For example, an embox framing a glyph representing a character of type size ten is smaller than one framing the same glyph representing the character of type size twelve.
In traditional Japanese typesetting, the layout of a document is created on paper with a grid of one-em square boxes in lines, either horizontally or vertically, with space in between the lines to specify a frame of a particular size. A grid of this type is also often referred to as a CJK grid (Chinese-Japanese-Korean grid). In CJK fonts (that is, fonts representing ideographic systems, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) some fonts' glyphs do not fill an embox completely. For example, some Japanese characters, such as punctuation characters, may be only half an em wide while others are a full em wide, and so on.
Tracking is sometimes applied to the CJK Grid, and is expressed in absolute measurement units (such as mm, points, and so on). When such tracking is applied, the escapement (that is, the distance between the glyph's leading edge and its trailing edge) is changed for one or more glyphs. The result of the tracking is a change of visual appearance, giving the impression that spacing has been inserted or deleted between characters in the line of text. In DTP software applications, tracking is typically applied equally to each glyph; this is often referred to as grid tracking. For non-full width glyphs, this means that too much tracking may be applied. Also, Japanese typesetting conventions dictate that tracking be applied only to non-Roman characters, but conventional grid tracking cannot distinguish between Roman and non-Roman characters, and thus Roman characters often appear to be tracked too much.
Furthermore, in Japanese, so-called mojikumi spacing is generally applied, which refers to the adjustment of the width of characters in the text based on their context in a line of characters. Mojikumi aki refers to spacing that is added between two characters in accordance with their type, or spacing that is added before or after the last character of a line. Mojikumi tsume, on the other hand, refers to spacing that is taken off the left or right sides of a character in order to correct for the difference between a standard for full-width punctuation (e.g., JISx4051-1995) and a font definition for full-width punctuation, and in order to prepare for mojikumi aki to be added. In grid tracking, the tracking is typically applied to the glyphs' trailing edges after mojikumi tsume has been subtracted from and mojikumi aki has been added to the glyph's width. Consequently, the glyphs appear to be lopsided and do not present an aesthetically pleasing view to a user.

Coordinating grid tracking and mojikumi spacing of Japanese text


An evaporator includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending vertically and arranged in rows spaced apart from each other in a front-rear direction. A drainage acceleration member extending vertically is disposed between the adjacent front and rear heat exchange tubes. A gap is present between each of the adjacent front and rear heat exchange tubes, and the drainage acceleration member disposed between the front and rear heat exchange tubes. The gaps serve as drain channels. The evaporator exhibits excellent drainage of condensed water.

Conventionally, a so-called laminated evaporator has been widely employed as an evaporator for use in a car air conditioner. In the laminated evaporator, a plurality of flat, hollow members, each of which includes a pair of depressed plates facing each other and brazed to each other at their peripheral edge portions, are arranged in parallel, and corrugate fins are each disposed between and brazed to the adjacent flat, hollow members.
In recent years, evaporators have been required to be further reduced in size and weight and to exhibit higher performance. A known evaporator which fulfills these requirements includes a heat exchange core section configured such that heat exchange tube groups are arranged in two rows in an air flow direction, each heat exchange tube group consisting of a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes arranged at predetermined intervals; a first header which is disposed on a first-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes of one heat exchange tube group are connected; a second header which is disposed on the first-end side of the heat exchange tubes and rearward of the first header and to which the heat exchange tubes of the other heat exchange tube group are connected; a third header which is disposed on a second-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes connected to the first header are connected; and a fourth header which is disposed on the second-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes connected to the second header are connected. A refrigerant inlet is formed at a first end of the first header, and a refrigerant outlet is formed at an end of the second header that corresponds to the first end of the first header. A partition wall divides the interiors of the first and second headers at longitudinally intermediate portions. A refrigerant which flows into the first header from the refrigerant inlet passes through all the heat exchange tubes and all the headers and then flows out from the refrigerant outlet (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2003-214794).
In contrast to the laminated evaporator, the evaporator described in the above-mentioned publication has implemented reduced size and weight and improved performance, so that the amount of condensed water generated on the surface of corrugate fins is increased. However, the evaporator described in the above-mentioned publication does not have a sufficient water drainage performance when the quantity of condensed water increases.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above problem and to provide an evaporator which exhibits excellent drainage of condensed water.


Example methods and apparatus to manage data uploading in a process control environment are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request to upload a parameter value associated with a process control system and retrieving an upload rule profile associated with the process control system. The example method also includes identifying an upload action from the upload rule profile based on the parameter value and a personnel classification, and determining whether to upload the parameter value based on the upload action.

Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more centralized process controllers communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, vessels, tanks, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform functions within the process such as opening or closing valves, raising/lowering temperatures and/or pressures, and measuring process parameters. The process controller receives signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices, uses this information to implement a control routine, and then generates control signals that are sent over the buses or other communication lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. Information from the field devices and the controllers may be made available to one or more applications executed by the operator workstation to enable an operator to perform desired functions with respect to the process, such as viewing the current state of the process, modifying the operation of the process, etc.
Process control system applications typically include process control routines that can be configured to perform various functions or operations in a process control system. For example, process control routines may be used to control valves, motors, boilers, heaters, and/or other devices that allow a product (e.g., petroleum, cosmetics, food, etc.) to be produced. The manufactured product may be dependent upon proper process control routine functionality, and/or may require tuning/alteration in an effort to bring product specifications within acceptable tolerances (e.g., chemical composition percentages, product viscosity, etc.).
Process control routines may also be used to monitor field devices, modules, plant areas, etc. and collect information associated with a process control system. Field devices used to implement the process control routines are typically coupled to one another and to a process controller via a data bus. In an effort to verify that the process control routines operate in a manner that maintains acceptable product tolerances, product batch parameters may be measured and saved during manufacture of the product. Control operators, plant managers, configuration personnel, maintenance personnel, engineers and/or other individuals responsible to maintain acceptable product quality may access one or more databases that store parameters associated with a product batch and/or any other manufacturing, measurement and/or research process. Accordingly, a relatively large number of personnel may have access to parameters used by the process control system, such as parameters related to temperature set points, alarm limits, time set points, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) set points, etc.
Process control systems typically include a runtime database to store parameter values. Upon a parameter value change by a user of the process control system, such as an alarm limit change, the runtime database stores the new parameter value. On a periodic, manual and/or scheduled basis, a configuration database is updated to reflect parameter values for the process control system and/or other process control systems that may also be connected to a larger networked manufacturing plant(s). Prior to the configuration database update, personnel having relatively high authority over the process control system typically verify that the data to be uploaded during the update is correct, authorized and/or within proper safety settings.

Methods and apparatus to manage data uploading in a process control environment


A device for collecting electrically charged particles comprising a first shell and a second shell disposed concentrically around the first shell is provided. Each of the shells is divided respectively into a first half-shell and a second half-shell. A first switch is disposed between the first half-shell of the first shell and the second half-shell of the first shell. A second switch is disposed between the second half-shell of the first shell and the first half-shell of the second shell. The first half-shell of the second shell has a through opening.

For applications such as the production of radioisotopes or neutrons, it is common practice to bombard a comparatively thick target with a beam of charged particles from a particle accelerator in order to cause desired nuclear reactions in said target. Here, the particle accelerator can be e.g. a radiofrequency linear accelerator. By way of example, the charged particles can be protons.
The generation of the accelerated particle beam is connected with a significant energy input. In the case where a thick target is used, the energy transferred to the charged particles as kinetic energy by the particle accelerator largely remains in the target after the particles impact on said target. Some of the energy is emitted as bothersome x-ray bremsstrahlung. The energy remaining in the target leads to heating of the target, which makes cooling of the target necessary. The maximum possible cooling power restricts the maximum employable flux of particles shot at the target.
The portion of the energy used for desired nuclear reactions is small when a thick target is used since the desired nuclear reactions are generally only possible in a tightly delimited energy interval of the energy of the impacting particles.

Device and method for collecting electrically charged particles


A portable radial projection light source arrangement includes a shelter housing and an illumination unit. The shelter housing includes a protection base having a light source cavity therein, and a supporting frame mounted on the protection base. The illumination unit includes a power source supported in the protection base, a light source disposed in the light source cavity and electrically connected to the power source, and a reflecting member supported at a position coaxially above the light source wherein the reflecting member has a light reflecting surface radially projected from the light source in such a manner that when the light source emits light, the light is radially reflected by the light reflecting surface of the reflecting member to outside.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light source arrangement, and more particularly to a portable radial projection light source arrangement, wherein the light is radially projected from a light source to outside and is visible from great distances so that the portable radial projection light source arrangement functions as a road flare for quick use in an emergency.
2. Description of Related Arts
At an incident, such as a traffic accident, an individual usually distributes a plurality of road flares on the road as a temporary divider on a roadway. In other words, the road flares alert other drivers that there is an accident in front so as to separate the accident from the roadway.
Accordingly, one of the most common road flares is the ignition type disposable flare wherein the flare is simply ignited and directly disposed on the roadway. However, such conventional flare has several drawbacks. Since the flare must be held by a user, such as a policeman, while burning and dropped on the roadway to form the temporary divider, there is a possibility of a burn to the user or even his or her clothes while the user holds the burning flare. In addition, the flare may damage the surface of the roadway when the flare is placed thereon since the heat produced by the flare may melt or scar the roadway and the residue of the flare will remain on the roadway when the flare is used.
Furthermore, when the flare is burning, the light is produced to radially project from an ignition head of the flare to outside. Since the driver is positioned on the roadway away from the flare, the driver can only see the light projecting sidewardly from the flare. Therefore, the light projecting upwardly from the flare cannot enhance the visibility of the flare. Thus, since the flare, it is a waste of energy since the flare produces not only light but also heat while burning. As a result, the heat and the upward projecting light will minimize the effective of the flare.
Moreover, the usable time of the flare depends on the burning rate of the flare. If the policemen finish their duty before the flare is used up, the flare must be left on the roadway until the flare is totally burnt. If the policemen require longer time to take care the accident, they must ignite another flare in order to keep the temporary divider wherein it is unreasonable that the flare still remains on the roadway when the accident is cleared. Therefore, the time usage of the flare is not controlled by the user.

Portable radial projection light source arrangement


An apparatus is provided for receiving a fiber optic connector along an optic axis. The apparatus includes a body having an open mating end and a mounting flange. The open mating end is adapted for receiving the fiber optic connector on the optic axis. The mounting flange includes a first mounting structure for facilitating mounting the apparatus to a support structure. A shield assembly is mounted on the body and includes a movable shield for closing and opening the open mating end of the body. A second mounting structure is operatively associated with the first mounting structure for facilitating mounting the shield assembly to the body.

Fiber optic connectors of a wide variety of designs have been employed to terminate optical fiber cables and to facilitate connection of the cables to other cables or other optical fiber transmission devices. A typical optical fiber connector includes a ferrule which mounts and centers the optical fiber within the connector. The ferrule is mounted in some form of ferrule holder which is assembled within another body member of the connector. The ferrule may be fabricated of such material as ceramic, and the ferrule holder typically is molded from plastic material. When the ferrule holder is assembled within the body member of the connector, it is biased by a spring such that the ferrule yieldably projects from the connector for engaging another fiber-mounting ferrule of a mating connecting device. A pair of connectors often are mated in an adapter which centers the fibers to provide low insertion losses. The adapter couples the connectors together so that their encapsulated fibers connect end-to-end.
Various problems are encountered when terminating optical fibers in fiber optic connectors versus terminating electrical conductors in electrical connectors, when situations arise wherein a fiber end of an "active" fiber optic connector is exposed. A typical situation might arise when one of the fiber optic connectors at one end of an adapter is removed, leaving the other "active" fiber optic connector in the adapter.
In particular, an exposed fiber end may be damaged by adverse environmental hazards, and the accumulation of dust and dirt may impair the optical transmission capabilities of the fiber. Another very important problem is to protect an operator's eyes from dangerous light beams from the exposed end of an active optical fiber. For instance, an operator's eyes may be damaged from dangerous light beams exiting an unprotected receptacle or adapter.
Heretofore, dust covers, end caps or spring-loaded shutters have been used to close an open end of an adapter to, thereby, cover the exposed fiber ends to protect the fiber ends from adverse environmental hazards and to prevent light energy from the fiber ends from exiting the adapter. Many of these apparatus are quite complicated and require that the adapter either be modified or custom designed with the dust cover, end cap or spring-loaded shutter.
On the other hand, there are many adapters presently in use which do not have such protective apparatus. It would be desirable to be able to use existing or conventional adapters with a protective shutter or shield without extensively modifying the adapter. For instance, one popular conventional or standard optical fiber connector for which adapters are provided is known as an SC connector. An SC connector is connected to another SC connector through an adapter by linear motion only. Another popular conventional or standard optical fiber connector for which adapters are provided is known as an FC connector. Two FC connectors may be placed in optical connection with each other through an adapter. Each FC connector is assembled to the adapter by turning threadably each FC connector onto an externally threaded portion of the adapter.
The present invention is directed to solving the various problems identified above by a protective shield or shutter which can be used with an adapter for a conventional or standard fiber optic connector, without modifying the adapter in any way. As disclosed herein, the invention is embodied in an adapter for coupling one or more FC connectors.

Fiber optic adapter with protective shield


The present invention relates to a process for protecting hair and skin from the deleterious effects of ultra violet radiation using topical applications of a novel dimethicone copolyol compounds bearing ultra violet absorbing substituents.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of novel dimethicone copolyol compounds bearing ultra violet absorbing substituents. The compounds of the present invention are especially well suited for the photoprotection of the skin and/or the hair against the deleterious effects of UV radiation, in particular solar radiation. The present invention describes a process for the protection of hair and skin from the deleterious effects of ultra violet radiation, which comprises contacting the skin or hair with an effective UV protecting concentration of a aromatic dimethicone copolyol. The related application relates to compositions of matter comprising the above novel compounds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to this art that light radiation of wavelengths of from 280 nm to 400 nm promotes tanning of the human epidermis, and that light radiation of wavelengths more particularly of from 280 to 320 nm, i.e., UV-B irradiation, causes skin burning and erythema which can impair the development of a natural tan. For these reasons, as well as for aesthetic reasons, there is an increasing demand for means of controlling this natural tanning in order to thereby control the color of the skin. This UV-B radiation must thus be screened from the skin.
It is also known to this art that UV-A radiation, of wavelengths of from 320 to 400 nm, which tan the skin, also adversely affects it, especially in the case of sensitive skin or skin which is continually exposed to solar radiation. UV-A rays especially cause a loss in the elasticity of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles, promoting premature skin aging. Such irradiation promotes triggering of the erythemal reaction or amplifies this reaction in certain individuals and may even be the source of phototoxic or photoallergic reactions. Thus, for aesthetic and cosmetic reasons, such as conservation of the natural elasticity of the skin, for example, an ever-increasing number of individuals wish to control the effect of UV-A rays on their skin, it is desirable to also screen out UV-A radiation
A wide variety of compounds suited for photoprotection (UV-A and/or UV-B) of the skin are known to this art.
Most of these are aromatic compounds exhibiting absorption of UV radiation in the region from 280 to 315 nm, or in the region from 315 to 400 nm, or in both of these regions. There is no good way known at present to modify the absorption properties of molecules to meet the specific needs, or to combine products to cover a wide range of UV wavelengths. Products heretofore known are typically formulated into antisun or sunscreen compositions which are in the form of an emulsion of oil-in-water type (namely, a cosmetically acceptable vehicle, diluent or carrier comprising a dispersing continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed discontinuous oily phase) and which thus contain, in various concentrations, one or more conventional lipophilic and/or hydrophilic organic screening agents. These are capable of selectively absorbing harmful UV radiation of specific wavelength, depending upon structure of such screening agents (and their amounts) being selected as a function of the desired sun protection factor SPF (the sun protection factor being expressed mathematically by the ratio of the irradiation time required to attain the erythema-forming threshold with the UV screening agent to the time required to attain the erythema-forming threshold in the absence of UV screening agent).
It is a long felt need to have a sunscreening agent that can absorb ultra violet radiation at specific desired wavelengths and be soluble in water or oil. In addition, these compounds exhibiting anti-UV activity must also have good cosmetic properties in compositions comprised thereof, good solubility in the usual solvents, and in particular fatty substances such as oils and greases, as well as good resistance to water and to perspiration (remanence).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,880 issued Jun. 27, 2000 teaches that grafting at least one cinnamamide, benzalialonamide or benzalmalonate group onto a short-chain silicone molecule, in particular onto a linear silicone chain comprising not more than six Si atoms, novel compounds are obtained which obviate the drawbacks of the screening agents of the prior art, these novel compounds having, other than very high-performance screening properties, very good solubility in the usual organic solvents and in particular fatty substances such as oils, as well as excellent cosmetic properties, which render them particularly suitable for use as sunscreens in, or for the formulation of, cosmetic compositions suited for protecting the skin and/or the hair against the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation. The teachings state xe2x80x9cand, taking account of their relatively small size, these novel compounds are easier to synthesizexe2x80x9d.
After reviewing the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,880 and specifically the findings that low molecular are desirable, we have surprisingly found that the making of the specific compounds of the present invention, higher molecular weight compounds can be made that have the added attributes of being able to control the UV spectra, solubility in a variety of solvents and because of their molecular weight stay on the skin surface, rather than penetrate it as is the case with low molecular weight species.
A major object of the present invention is a process for the protection of hair and skin from ultra violet radiation, which comprises contacting the skin and hair with an effective Ultra violet absorbing concentration of novel silicone compounds that contain a UV-absorber and a polar alkoxylated group. The presence of the polar alkoxylated group not only has a dramatic effect upon solubility of the sunscreen, but also shifts the UV absorption properties, making it possible to synthesize products that have a specified UV absorption property. Since UV-B is the major area that causes problems with sun tanning, the products can be customized to have the desired water or oil solubility as well as the desired UV spectra. These novel compounds can be prepared to have the desired spectra, in addition to very good solubility in fatty materials, or aqueous systems, improved cosmetic properties, and which otherwise avoid those disadvantages and drawbacks to date characterizing the state of this art. This allows for the ability to formulate products heretofore unavailable to the cosmetic chemist.
Thus, the compounds effective in the process of the current invention having the formula
wherein;
a is an integer ranging from 0 to 2000;
b is an integer ranging from 1 to 20;
c is an integer ranging from 1 to 20;
d is an integer ranging from 0 to 20;
n is an integer ranging from 10 to 20;
w is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
x is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
y is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
z is an integer ranging 0 to 20.
Objective of the Invention
It is the objective of the present invention to provide process for the protection of hair and skin from the deleterious effects of ultra violet radiation, which comprises contacting the hair skin with an effective ultra violet absorbing concentration of a series of novel silicone compounds that contain a UV absorber, derived from eugenol, and a polar hydroxyl-containing group referred to herein as a dimethicone copolyol group. The dimethicone copolyol group functions not only to alter the UV absorption properties of the compounds making them acceptable UV-B screens, but also modifies the solubility of the silicone compounds making them acceptable for formulation into water, silicone and oil phases.
The process for the protection of hair and skin from the deleterious effects of ultra violet radiation, which comprises contacting the hair or skin with an effective ultra violet absorbing concentration of a series of novel silicone compounds conforming to the formula;
wherein;
a is an integer ranging from 0 to 2000;
b is an integer ranging from 1 to 20;
c is an integer ranging from 1 to 20;
d is an integer ranging from 0 to 20;
n is an integer ranging from 10 to 20;
w is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
x is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
y is an integer ranging 0 to 20;
z is an integer ranging 0 to 20.
One of the inventive aspects of the present invention is not only the UV absorber of used as a raw material in the practice of the present invention is which is eugenol, but also the surprising finding that when polar grows are incorporated, in this case dimethicone copolyol groups (the group covered by subscript xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d) the UV absorption spectra shifts into the UV-B region. Or stated another way, when c is zero, the UV absorption is in the UV region. This wavelength of UV is of interest only in certain high-energy states like welding, or in high altitude applications like aerospace. Since the sunscreening wavelengths are UV-B the molecules wherein c is 0 are not effective. This incorporation of the xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d subunit also allows for the variation of solubility. If the value of xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d is high, the product will be water-soluble. If the value of xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d is high the product will be more oil soluble. If the value of xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is high the molecule will have increased solubility in silicone. If the xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d value is high the oil solubility and increases and the product will be a wax. In short, the proper selection of compounds within the scope of the present invention will allow for customized products that vary in physical form (liquid or solid), solubility (oil, water or silicone), water resistance (remain) and UV absorbing properties. This offers the formulator latitude to make products heretofore unimaginable.
In a preferred embodiment, the effective ultra violet protecting concentration ranges from 0.01 to 25% by weight.
In a preferred embodiment d is 0.
In a preferred embodiment x and y are each 0.
In a preferred embodiment x is an integer ranging from 4 to 10.
In a preferred embodiment y is an integer ranging from 0 to 10.
In a preferred embodiment wherein x is 8.
In a preferred embodiment b is an integer ranging from 2 to 10.
In a preferred embodiment b is an integer ranging from 4 to 6.
In a preferred embodiment x is 10.
In a preferred embodiment a is an integer ranging from 5 to 15.
In a preferred embodiment a is an integer ranging from 5 to 10.
In a preferred embodiment a is 9.
In a preferred embodiment d ranges from 1 to 20.

Aromatic dimethicone copolyol polymers as sunscreen agents in personal care applications


The present invention is concerned with a method for the extraction of magnesium from magnesium-containing materials such as magnesite, dolomite and silicates materials like serpentine residues, products from the amphibole or pyroxene group. The magnesium-containing material is first leached in at least one leaching reactor, and subsequently submitted to a series of neutralizing steps in separate reactors under controlled pH and oxydo-reduction potentials. The slurry produced is filtered to produce a substantially pure magnesium chloride solution containing less than 1 ppm of each contaminant present therein.

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust although not found in its elemental form. It is a lightweight material of choice because it is one third lighter than aluminum and it has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any of the commonly used metals. Magnesium is also approximately one-quarter the density of steel and zinc, and has a number of advantageous performance characteristics, including impact resistance and vibration damping capability compared with other competing materials. In addition, die casting of magnesium offers many design and process advantages which augment magnesium's economic attractiveness as a lightweight material.
Magnesium metal is conventionally obtained from electrolysis of anhydrous molten magnesium chloride in a sealed cell. One of the key challenges of producing magnesium metal is not so much the electrolysis process itself than the treatment and conditioning of the starting material containing the magnesium to produce magnesium chloride sufficiently pure to be subsequently electrolyzed.
Conventional methods of generating magnesium chloride solutions or brines include the evaporation of water from salt lake water or seawater. Such process is costly because of the huge amount of water required, magnesium being present therein only in low concentration, typically less than 0.2%, with the exception of the Dead Sea, which contains about 3.5% of magnesium.
Serpentine, commonly known as asbestos tailings, contains a significant amount of magnesium therein, generally from about 20 to 25% by weight. However, these tailings also contain silica and quartz derivatives as major components, and many processes for extracting magnesium from serpentine have been confronted with the generation of silica gel or other siliceous residues that are difficult to filter, thus significantly hindering the recovery of magnesium.
Several processes have been published for magnesium extraction from serpentine or other siliceous bearing materials, but they all require stringent and difficult experimental conditions, and the resulting magnesium chloride solution still contains significant amounts of impurities that must be removed before being considered as a feed material suitable for a magnesium electrolysis cell.
Recently, a new method for the production of a magnesium chloride solution from siliceous materials has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,161. The method involves leaching the siliceous material in a first reactor with a hydrochloric acid solution at a pH lower than 1.5 and a temperature higher than 50.degree. C. to prevent the formation of silica gel (leach step). The leaching can be carried out in a continuous manner when the siliceous material is fed continuously in the reactor. The leaching solution is continuously transferred in a second reactor wherein magnesia is added continuously to raise the pH to 4-7 and precipitate the bulk of the impurities from the solution, still without forming silica gel in the reactive medium (neutralization step), and a solid/liquid separation is performed thereafter. Subsequently, caustic soda is added to increase the pH to 6-7, (purification step), and a further solid/liquid separation is performed. Chlorine gas is sparged through the slurry prior the addition of caustic soda to oxidize any remaining iron to the ferric state and most of the manganese to solid magnesium dioxide. At this stage, minor elements such as manganese, nickel and boron still remain in solution. These impurities must all be removed since they are highly detrimental to the magnesium chloride electrolysis process. Therefore, a last purification step is required to obtain a sufficiently pure magnesium chloride solution. This is achieved by passing the solution in an ion-exchange column to remove these impurities.
Although the process of this patent is a significant step forward over those known previously for extracting magnesium from siliceous materials, there is still room for improvement. For example, ion-exchange columns are extremely costly to install and maintain, because of the necessity to either regenerate the resin regularly, or systematically replace it. Further, such columns are likely to represent a major bottleneck to the overall production of magnesium because of the limited throughput that it can accept.
There is therefore a great need to develop a method for the extraction of magnesium from magnesium-containing materials not suffering from the drawbacks mentioned above.

Method for the production of a magnesium chloride solution


A wall-mounted bicycle rack comprising a rod-like element with a wall fixing plate, inserted in a bicycle supporting arm, in the direction of the length of the latter, the bicycle supporting arm being orientable by rotation about the main axis of the rod-like element, means being further provided for the reversible locking of the angular configuration of the bicycle supporting arm with respect to the rod-like element.

Nowadays wall-mounted supports for bicycles are known, which have a frame that supports hooks on which bicycles are hung, by their wheels or crossbar.
Such structures are fixed and jut out from the wall to which they are fixed, with a beam from which hang the hooks.
Thus, even when no bicycles are hung, such supports take up the space that is given over to them when in use.
In order to meet the need for supports that are less and less cumbersome, nowadays supports are known which are defined by a frame made with a U-shaped metal tubing fixed to a wall, to the lower end of which a fork is pivoted so that it can rotate in order to pass from a configuration in which it is folded on the frame to a configuration that has the arms of the fork substantially perpendicular to the wall to which the support is fixed, to be able to hang the bicycle to be supported on the fork.
This type of support is nowadays provided in models that differ substantially in the shape of the fork, which can be made with a U-shaped metal tubing, so that its arms are integral, or can be made with two independent tubes that are pivoted to the frame.
Such wall-mounted bicycle rack structures, although widespread and appreciated, are however relatively complex in terms of components, and although they can be folded toward the wall, they still result in a certain extent of space occupation.
Therefore, the needs that are most felt nowadays in the field of wall-mounted supports for bicycles, and which are left unmet by the supports known today, are the possibility to have a support that can be adapted to the type of bicycle to be supported, since the wall-mounted bike-rack products currently on the market mainly hold the bike by the crossbar of the frame (top tube) or at the front/rear wheel, and to have a wall-mounted bike-rack that is extremely simple to install and use.
Therefore a bike with no horizontal crossbar cannot be supported by most conventional bike-racks, which are not those with a hook for hanging the bike by a wheel.


The apparatus described is intended for the treatment of small volumes of room air for the removal of odors. Since the ozone output of the apparatus is calibrated in terms of the readily measured corona current, this type of apparatus can be intelligently applied to odor control problems. If the volume to be treated is known, then the output in mg/hr necessary to produce ozone backgrounds of 0.04 ppm and below can be readily computed. Such concentrations are comparable to the natural background and generally acceptable for continuous human occupation.

This invention relates to ozone generators and in particular to ozone generators for producing small quantities of ozone from air. The ozone generators can be used to reduce or eliminate odours in, for example, public washrooms although other uses are contemplated such as in kitchens, coolers, etc. In the ozone generators disclosed herein the initiation of a corona discharge and the resulting ion wind from the corona are sufficient to displace air through the apparatus for the continuous production of both ions and ozone.
The production of ozone in a direct current corona has been investigated by numerous researchers. The basic mechanisms of the direct current corona have been documented by L. B. Loeb in two texts, viz. "Basic Processes of Gaseous Electronics", University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1955 (Second Edition 1961) and "Electrical Coronas--Their Basic Physical Mechanisms", University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1965. However, the quantitative evaluation of ozone production in coronas is not discussed in either of these references. The ozone production from pointed electrodes and wire electrodes have been reported in the literature (Goldman M., Lecuiller M. and Palierne M., Gaseous Discharges III, Pergamon Press, 1982 p 329; Peyrous R. and Lacase C, Ozone Science and Engineering 8, pp 107-128, 1986). In much of this work there is general disagreement about the efficiency of ozone production in positive or negative coronas, and the role of electrode materials in improving ozone production by catalytic processes. The production of ozone in large quantities by corona discharges using a primary and secondary corona process in confined tubulation with forced air flow, has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,748. This apparatus requires the forced circulation of air or oxygen through tubular arrays, to ozone outputs at the level of grams per hour. Canadian Patent No. 935,784 of Corbeil, issued Oct. 23, 1973 describes a gas treatment apparatus in which ozone is produced by a direct current corona between a sharp point and a section of spherical gauze as the counter electrode. The device is enclosed in a tube of insulating material and disperses ozone with the aid of the associated ion wind. No measurements or estimates of the amount of ozone produced are included in the patent.
From the work of Loeb, it is clear that in the silent DC corona there can be marked differences in the effective temperature of the corona, depending on the local current density in the discharge. As the corona degenerates to an arc, this temperature further increases. It is known that in this arc mode, the production of ozone is small, as ozone produced by dissociation of oxygen by ion impact, is quickly reverted to oxygen at the elevated temperature of the arc. Even in silent corona discharges it is important to control the local temperature in the discharge, so that ozone is not rapidly converted to oxygen after initial formation. As a result, the discharge from sharp points is to be avoided if the ozone is to be produced efficiently in low current corona discharges.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,266 of Satoh, et al, issued Mar. 26, 1985, discloses an electrode structure having a plurality of edges. Glow discharge is generated between edge portions 4a, 4b of the projected portions 4 on the surface of the cathode 2 and the anode 3.
Canadian patent No. 920,088 of Beitzel, issued Jan. 30, 1973, discloses a tubular electrode structure for an ozone generator including a dielectric tube 12 with an electrode 14 on the inner surface of the tube and an electrode 16 on the outer surface of the tube.
Many types of ozone generators are known in the art. For example, ozone generators having plate type electrodes are disclosed in Canadian patent No. 920,979 of Schaefer, issued Feb. 13, 1973 and in Canadian Patent No. 1,090,293 of Pavel, issued Nov. 25, 1980.


A vehicle comprising a structure, a plurality of heating sources, and a transport mechanism. The structure is comprised of multiple materials, a composite such that some of the material constituents can be extracted leaving behind others via application of energy (such as de-alloying). The extracted material or materials are configured to be re-purposed into a propellant. The plurality of heating elements surrounds or is embedded within the structure configured to convert the material into the propellant. The transport mechanism is configured to transport the propellant from the structure to a reservoir or to the propulsion system.

During a space mission, a space vehicle or spacecraft (hereinafter the "vehicle") carries propellant because it is the expulsion of the propellant material that enables a satellite to maneuver. When the propellant has been depleted, the vehicle loses the ability to maneuver (e.g. change linear or angular momentum), and in most cases, it is a mission ending affair. A key point being that all other functions of the vehicle could still be operative, but the utility of a propellant-less vehicle is limiting. To extend the mission, a servicing vehicle would have to dock with the handicapped vehicle and provide propulsion capabilities. Use of a servicing vehicle not only adds cost (i.e., an additional launch cost), but may also be impractical for an interplanetary vehicle.
The impracticality arises as a result of the large travel distances involved in interplanetary missions (i.e. for sending a service vehicle to rendezvous) or the added cost for "carrying along" a tender vehicle. In both instances, a large amount of propellant is expended for either the tender "ride-along" vehicle or the service vehicle. Moreover, there is the time lost factor for the service vehicle to rendezvous, as well as large amounts of propellant that must be spent to initiate docking maneuvers.
Thus, an improved system for providing and producing propellant is needed.

Onboard structure convertible into a propellant for electric propulsion


An electrical connector includes a terminal-mounting seat configured with receiving spaces. Each of conductive members has a connecting base connected to a contact block that is disposed in the respective receiving space. Each of conductive terminals has a lower clamping end portion abutting against and contacting electrically and movably the contact block of the respective conductive member, and an upper contact end portion extending outwardly of the terminal-mounting seat via a respective one of guiding grooves in a top surface of the terminal-mounting seat. Upon depression by an electronic device, the resilient conductive terminals deform to provide a restoring force to bias the upper contact end portion thereof upwardly to contact electrically a respective one of electrical contacts of the electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to an electrical connector having a plurality of resilient conductive terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electrical connector applied to a charger generally includes a plurality of conductive terminals mounted movably in a dielectric housing, a plurality of conductive members disposed in the dielectric housing and connected electrically to a circuit board, and a plurality of compression springs, each of which is mounted between a respective conductive terminal and a respective conductive member for biasing the respective conductive terminal from a depressed position, where the respective conductive terminal contacts electrically the respective conductive member, to a released position, where the respective conductive terminal does not contact electrically the respective conductive terminal.

Electrical connector having resilient conductive terminals