A system for providing a hand guard and accessory mounting device for a firearm can include at least one barrel nut, at least one bolt up plate, at least one hand guard, and at least one mounting device. The at least one barrel nut can be adapted to mount to a portion of a barrel associated with a firearm. The at least one bolt up plate can be adapted to mount between the at least one barrel nut and a portion of the firearm. The at least one hand guard can be adapted to mount to a portion of the bolt up plate, substantially concentric with a portion of the barrel. The at least one mounting device can be adapted to mount to the at least one hand guard, the mounting device being further adapted to receive at least one firearm accessory.

Conventional hand guards for firearms are relatively simple and may adversely affect a user's accuracy when aiming or using the firearm. Conventional hand guards for firearms can protect the user from injuries related to firing the firearm, such as burn or scald injuries caused by relatively high temperatures generated, particularly along the firearm barrel, when using the firearm. Some hand guards can provide a user with an improved grip on the firearm. Although conventional hand guards can protect a user's hands from injury and may provide a gripping surface for a user of the firearm, the torque on the firearm caused by a user's grip on a conventional hand guard can adversely affect the aim and accuracy of the firearm.
One conventional hand guard for a firearm uses a special U-shaped yoke to engage an upper hand guard piece mounted adjacent to a barrel of a firearm. Multiple hand guard pieces can then be supported from the upper hand guard piece to provide protection for a user. Since the special U-shaped yoke can only engage a portion of the barrel nut, because of the U-shape design of the yoke itself, this design and configuration of components may not provide suitable support for the hand guard pieces which will be supported from the yoke and barrel nut combination. In these instances, this conventional hand guard may not suitably protect or aid a user of the firearm.
Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for providing a hand guard and accessory attachment device for a firearm, for example, a rifle.
A further need exists for systems and methods for providing a firearm hand guard capable of mounting an accessory to the firearm.
Additionally, a further need exists for systems and methods for providing a firearm hand guard capable of storing spare parts to aid a user.

Systems and methods for providing a hand guard and accessory mounting device for a firearm


An apparatus for deterring flies by reversing their flight path has a transparent container that includes a plurality of outwardly facing planar surfaces. A liquid, preferably water, is disposed in the container. A penny or similar planar object formed of copper is preferably secured at each outwardly facing planar surface. Planar objects formed of a material other than copper or having a different color, shape, or varying degree of reflectivity can be used instead of or along with the penny. A hook or other means for hanging the container is provided. An optional battery or AC powered motor may be included to rotate the device around a center vertical axis. A less expensive version that is formed of a flexible transparent plastic container is also shown and described. The containers are either filled with liquid and sealed or are fillable by the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to insect repellants and, more particularly, to a means for repelling flies.
Flies have long been a problem in many ways. They land frequently and spread diseases. They are also a nuisance and an annoyance. This is especially true in restaurants where their mere presence can cause angst to patrons.
They are also an annoyance in businesses of all types and homes. Their buzzing and landing can be a distraction to communication. While they have their purpose in nature, they are also an annoyance and a vector of disease and so it has long been desirable to keep them away from humans at certain times.
To this end many solutions have been tried, some effective, some not, and some with negative side effects. Attractant pest strips have attracted flies and other insects and an adhesive coating has retained them to the strips. While effective, unsightly strips covered with flies and other insects has not been pleasant.
Also, some people feel bad about killing flies and wish there was a more humane approach.
Citronella candles intended to repel mosquitos have proven largely ineffective at repelling flies.
Insecticide sprays produce harmful vapors that people may then inhale. Also, these sprays have a short period of efficacy. It is necessary to keep spraying to keep the flies away.
Thus far, no effective solutions have been found for keeping flies away from people and their food during barbecues when the air is filled with, apparently, highly attractive odors to flies. Yet, people have a generally strong aversion to flies landing on their barbecued burgers, hot dogs, or other foods when eating out of doors.
Additionally there is a need to keep flies away at farms and dairies. Flies are drawn to a variety of farm animals, particularly cows and horses. To promote sterile and/or sanitary conditions it is desirable to reduce the presence of flies on or near the cows and especially those cows that are being milked. Flies are also disturbing to people at farms and dairies.
Ideally, a way to repel or deter flies from entering or staying in certain areas, or wherever the presence of flies is deemed to be a problem, is desired. For example, a way to keep flies from entering buildings through windows or doorways is especially desired. Similarly, a way to repel flies from outdoor areas is also especially desired.
While many solutions have been tried no solution has been truly effective at repelling flies during these varied situations.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a fly deterrent that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the "OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION" or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art to a person of ordinary skill and creativity.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Fly deterrents are, in general, known. For example, the following patent documents describe various types of these devices, some of which may have some degree of relevance to the invention. Other patent documents listed below may not have any significant relevance to the invention. The inclusion of these patent documents is not an admission that their teachings anticipate any aspect of the invention. Rather, their inclusion is intended to present a broad and diversified understanding regarding the current state of the art appertaining to either the field of the invention or possibly to other related or even distal fields of invention.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,180 to Pace, that issued on Apr. 8, 2003;    U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,349 to Muramatsu, that issued on Feb. 13, 1996; and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,485 to Schneidmiller, that issued on Feb. 13, 1990.
And including U.S. patent application Publications:    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0219664 to Casteel, et al., that was published on Sep. 15, 2011; and    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0031612 to Hubbard, et al., that was published on Feb. 5, 2009.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.


A communication mode which should be set to a mobile communication terminal having a function of switching between an autonomous mode and a scheduling mode is determined based on an amount of interference in each of the communication modes in the cell of a base station, and/or communication characteristics of each of the communication modes, and a signal indicating an amount of communication data notified from the mobile communication terminal. The base station then notifies the determined communication mode to the mobile communication terminal.

Related art wireless multi-mode data communication methods include a method (for example, refer to JP,2002-369261,A) of switching between an autonomous mode in which data are transmitted and received autonomously, and a so-called scheduling mode in which data are transmitted and received according to requirements (i.e., scheduling) set for data transmission and reception, such as a communication timing permitted by a base station, according to a data rate and so on.
According to this communication method, when packet data is transmitted at a low data rate of about 9.6 kbps between a base station and a wireless device, for example, the transmission of the packet data is carried out with the transmission mode being switched to the autonomous mode. On the contrary, when packet data is transmitted at a high data rate between a base station and a wireless device, the transmission of the packet data is carried out with the transmission mode being switched to the scheduling mode.
In the scheduling mode, the base station transmits a signaling for notifying scheduling frequently to the wireless device. For this reason, if there is not a certain or more amount of data for each transmission, the efficiency of data transmission is reduced with respect to the number of times that the signaling is performed.
In the above-mentioned related art data communication method, the above-mentioned malfunction is removed by switching to the scheduling mode in the case of a high data rate at which the amount of data per unit time is large.
However, although the above-mentioned related art reference discloses application of a switching to either the autonomous mode or the scheduling mode based on the amount of data to the above-mentioned related art data communication method, it does not disclose any process of switching between the autonomous mode and the scheduling mode under other communication conditions.
As the communication conditions which should be used as the reference for switching between the communication modes, an amount of interference (referred to as a noise rise from here on), a delay time, or the like in the base station can be provided, for example, by taking into consideration a process of demodulating an encoded signal, and a process of handling data of which real-time nature is required.
According to the invention disclosed by the above-mentioned related art reference, no due consideration is given to flexible communication mode switching operations according to communication conditions, such as a communication mode switching operation of making a wireless device which carries out data communications in which any delay time cannot be permitted operate in the autonomous mode if possible, and making a device which carries out communications in which a delay time can be permitted operate in the schedule mode.
In uplink packet communications using a CDMA method, when interference caused by a transmission signal from a wireless device exceeds the limit of a noise rise in a base station, the base station cannot demodulate the transmission signal.
This noise rise varies dependently upon interference by other cells, transmission from other wireless devices in the same cell, etc. For this reason, it is necessary to sufficiently pay attention to the management of the noise rise in the packet communications using a CDMA method.
When a margin for the noise rise is sufficiently secured as noise rise management, it is possible to use the autonomous mode even if the amount of data to be transmitted is large. In this case, the number of times that the signaling is performed can be reduced compared with the case of the schedule mode, and there is an advantage of being able to reduce the delay time.
Thus, by appropriately dividing the margin for the noise rise resulting from various factors which vary according to the conditions of the communications traffic with respect to the noise rise margin of the base station, efficient communications dependent upon changes in the noise rise can be carried out.
The present invention is made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a communication mode controlling method of making it possible to carry out efficient data communications dependent upon changes in a noise rise caused by changes in the load of communications between a base station and a mobile communication terminal by switching between communication modes appropriately in consideration of factors other than the amount of data.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a communication mode controlling method of being able to divide a noise rise margin between an autonomous mode and a schedule mode according to QoS (Quality of Service) by independently setting a threshold for switching between transmission modes to each terminal in consideration of QoS parameters, such as a delay time.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication system, an RNC, a base station, and a mobile communication terminal, which carry out efficient data communications dependent upon changes in a noise rise caused by a change in the load on communications using the above-mentioned method.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Communication mode control method, mobile communication system, base station control apparatus, base station, and mobile communication terminal


The present invention controls copying of an information signal, comprises the steps of prior to recording and/or transmission, applying to the information signal a substantially imperceptible modification representing copy control data including a password securely encoded according to a predetermined algorithm; upon reproduction for copying by a user, deriving (S1, S3) the copy control data from the modified information signal; comparing (S8, S9, S11, S13, S15) the derived securely encoded password with a reference password securely encoded according to a predetermined algorithm; and enabling (S5) copying of the information signal if the securely encoded password derived from the information signal and the securely encoded reference password have a predetermined relationship, otherwise disabling copying (S7). The reference password is sent to the user via a channel, which is separate from a channel used to send the information signal to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to embedding data in an information signal. Examples of the invention relate to: a method of and system for controlling copying of an information signal; an information signal; a data carrier on which an information signal is recorded; apparatus for modifying an information signal; a reproducing apparatus; and a computer program.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,210 (US Philips Corporation) discloses a system for inhibiting copying of audio signals. An audio signal is divided into frequency sub-bands and sub-band samples are quantized. The quantized samples are combined with samples of an auxiliary signal. The combined audio signal is recorded on a record carrier or transmitted. The auxiliary signal is inaudible in the combined audio signal. An audio signal reproducer having a recording unit also has a unit for detecting the auxiliary signal and generating a record control signal. The recording unit is constructed so that if a record control signal appears on its record control input the recording unit does not record the audio signal.
WO 00/51348 (Macrovision) discloses a method and apparatus for inhibiting copying of audio or video signals transmitted over a cable television or direct satellite broadcast or the Internet. The signal is protected from unwanted copying by the combination of a watermark embedded in the signal at the head end together with additional copy protection data inserted in the signal. The additional data is a ticket. If the consumer pays a fee, the signal is transmitted to the consumer. The consumer can record only if the watermark and a mathematical function of the ticket match. The function is for example a hash function.


An Active Structural Control (ASC) system (10) and method which includes a plurality of Active Vibration Absorbers (AVAs) (40) attached to a yoke (32) included within a pylon structure (28) preferably comprising a spar (38) and a yoke (32) which is located intermediate between an aircraft fuselage (20) and an aircraft engine (18) for controlling acoustic noise and/or vibration generated within the aircraft's cabin (44) due to unbalances in the aircraft engine (18). The ASC system (10) includes a plurality of error sensors (42) for providing error signals, and at least one reference sensor (49 or 50) for providing reference signals indicative of the N1 and/or N2 engine rotations and/or vibrations, and a preferably digital electronic controller (46) for processing the error and reference signal information to provide output signals to drive the plurality of AVAs (40) attached to the yoke (32). The AVAs (40) preferably act in a radial, tangential, or fore and aft directions and may be preferably located at the terminal end and/or at the base portion of the yoke (32). Further, the AVAs (40) may be Single Degree Of Freedom (SDOF) or Multiple Degree Of Freedom (MDOF) and may be tuned to have a passive resonance which substantially coincides with the N1 and/or N2 engine rotation and/or vibrations. In another aspect, reference signal processing is described which includes a modulo counter, a lookup table, and a digital IO.

Irritating and annoying acoustic noise and dynamic vibration can be created within an aircraft's cabin due to rotational unbalances and the like of the aircraft's engine(s). For example, on fuselage-mounted aircraft engines, the rotational unbalance(s) cause vibration to be transmitted into the yoke structure, through the intermediate spar structure, and into the aircraft's fuselage. If the vibration of the fuselage is well coupled to the acoustic space within the aircraft's cabin, then annoying, predominantly tonal sound (generally characterized as a low frequency irritating drone) can be generated therewithin. In particular, this drone generally corresponds with the most dominant engine tones, for example, the tones created via the N1 and N2 engine rotations. In aircraft with aft-fuselage-mounted engines, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, any rotational unbalance of the engines may result in unwanted and annoying low frequency noise being generated within the aircraft's cabin, and specifically in the aft portion thereof. In general, passengers in the aft portion of the cabin experience this low-frequency tonal noise (drone) related to the N1 and N2 tones of the engine. The N1 and N2 tones are generated by rotational unbalances of the turbine (fan) and compressor stages (compressor) of attached multistage jet engines. Elimination of the N1 and N2 tones can dramatically reduce the discomfort experienced by the passengers, particularly in the aft-most portion of the aircraft's cabin.
Within the prior art, various means have been employed to counter aircraft cabin acoustic noise. These include passive blankets, passive Tuned Vibration Absorbers (TVAs), adaptive TVAs, Active Noise Control (ANC), Active Structural Control (ASC), and Active Isolation Control (AIC). Passive blankets are generally effective in attenuating higher-frequency noise, but are generally ineffective at attenuating low-frequency noise of the type described herein, i.e., low-frequency drone. Furthermore, passive blankets must be massive to reduce low-frequency noise transmission into the cabin. Passive Tuned Vibration Absorbers (TVAs) may be effective at attenuating low-frequency noise, but are generally limited in range and effectiveness. Passive TVAs include a suspended mass which is tuned (along with a stiffness) such that the device exhibits a resonant natural frequency (fn) which generally cancels or absorbs vibration of the vibrating member at the point of attachment thereto. The afore-mentioned disadvantage of passive TVAs is that they are only effective at a particular frequency (fn) or within a very narrow frequency range thereabouts. Therefore, TVAs may be ineffective if the engine frequency is changed and the TVA is not operating at its resonant frequency. Furthermore, passive devices may be unable to generate the proper magnitude and phasing of forces needed for effective vibration suppression and/or control. Passive TVAs are generally attached to the interior stiffening rings or stringers of the fuselage or to the yoke. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,556 to Bennett, Jr. et al. entitled: "Aircraft Noise Reduction System With Tuned Vibration Absorbers" describes a passive vibration dampening device for use on the pylon of an aircraft for absorbing vibration at the N1 and N2 rotational frequencies.
When a wider range of vibration cancellation is required, various adaptive TVAs may be employed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,888 to Adams et al. entitled "Cabin Engine Sound Suppresser" teaches an adaptive TVA where the resonant frequency (fn) can be adaptively adjusted by changing the length of the beam or the rigidity of a resilient cushioning material. Although, the range of vibration attenuation may be increased with adaptive TVAs, they still may be ineffective for certain applications, in that their range of adjustment may not be large enough or they may not be able to generate enough dynamic forces to adequately reduce acoustic noise or vibration experienced within the aircraft's cabin.
In some applications where a higher level of noise attenuation is desired, Active Isolation Control (AIC) systems provide another means for controlling noise within an aircraft's cabin. In Prior Art FIG. 1, an aircraft with multiple aft-fuselage-mounted turbofan engines is shown. AIC systems include active mountings, such as 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, which include an actively driven element contained therein, to provide the active control forces for isolating vibration and preventing its transmission from the engines 18L and 18R into the pylon structures 28L and 28R. The resultant effect is preferably a reduction of annoying interior acoustic noise in the aircraft's cabin 44. Known AIC systems include the feedforward type, in that reference signals, such as from reference accelerometers 49L and 49R, are used to provide a reference signal indicative of the N1 and N2 vibrations of engines, 18L and 18R. Error sensors, such as a plurality of microphones 42, provide error signals indicative of the residual noise at various locations in the aircraft cabin 44. Specifically, in known AIC systems, active mountings, such as 12a-d are attached between an aircraft yoke 32L and 32R and the aircraft's engine 18L and 18R. The reference signals and error microphones 42 are processed by a digital controller 46 to generate drive signals of the appropriate phase and magnitude (anti-vibration) to reduce vibration transmission from the engine to the yoke, and resultantly controlling and/or reducing the interior acoustic noise.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/260,945 entitled "Active Mounts For Aircraft Engines" describes several AIC systems. Furthermore, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,552 to Hodgson et al. entitled "Fluid Mount With Active Vibration Control" describes the details of one type of active fluid mounting. It should be understood, that in some applications, there may be insufficient space envelope to incorporate the active element within the active mounting. Furthermore, there may be alternate vibration paths into the structure or the appropriate actuation directions required for vibration attenuation may be difficult to accomplish within the environment of an active mounting. Furthermore, modification to the mounting system, to incorporate active elements may reduce the amount of load bearing surface, possibly reducing the drift-life expectancy of the mounting system.
Active Noise Control (ANC) systems are also well known. As described with reference to Prior Art FIG. 2, ANC systems may be used on turboprop aircraft or the like, and include a plurality of acoustic output transducers, such as loudspeakers 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d, strategically located within the aircraft's cabin 44 and attached to the aircraft's trim. These loudspeakers are driven responsive to input signals from input sensors and error signals from error sensors 42 disbursed within the aircraft's cabin 44. Input signals may be derived from engine tachometers, accelerometers, or the like, which are placed on the engines 18L and 18R, or reference sensors 14L and 14R located on the fuselage in the area of the aerodynamic propeller wash generated by the propellers 17L and 17R driven by engines 18L and 18R mounted on wings 15L and 15R. The output signals to the loudspeakers 16a-16d, in ANC systems are generally adaptively controlled via a digital controller 46 according to a known feedforward type adaptive control algorithm, such as the Filtered-x Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm, or the like. Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/553,227 to Billoud entitled "Active Noise Control System For Closed Spaces Such As Aircraft Cabins" describes one such ANC system. ANC systems have the disadvantage that they do not generally address any mechanical vibration problems and may be difficult to retrofit to existing aircraft. Furthermore, as the frequency of noise increases, large numbers of error sensors and speakers are required to achieve sufficient global noise attenuation.
Certain ASC systems, known in the prior art, may solve this problem of needing a large number of error sensors by attacking the vibrational modes of the aircraft's fuselage directly. For example, by attaching "a vibrating device such as an actuator or a shaker which is directly connected to the interior surface of the fuselage in order to introduce a vibration directly into the fuselage surface", as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,559 to Fuller, global attenuation can be achieved with a minimal number of error sensors. However, the modifications necessary to retrofit AVAs in this manner may be prohibitive, as the interior trim may have to be removed and structural modifications made have to be made to the stringers or stiffening-ring frames. Furthermore, for control of N2 tones, an exceedingly large number of AVAs may be needed. Therefore, prior art ASC systems are necessarily difficult to retrofit and may require the use of many shaker/actuators to effectuate control of higher-order tones. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,137 to Yoerkie, Jr. et al. describes the use of AVAs to cancel high-frequency vibrations of a helicopter transmission. Notably, Yoerkie, Jr. et al. is a feedback-type system.
Further descriptions of AVAs and active mounts can be found in Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/322,123 entitled "Active Tuned Vibration Absorber" and copending PCT application PCT/US95/13610 entitled "Active Systems and Devices Including Active Vibration Absorbers (AVAs)."
Therefore, there is a recognized need for an ASC system which provides active attenuation to effectively minimize vibration within the structure attached between the engine and the fuselage of an aircraft with the result of reducing annoying acoustic noise and mechanical vibration within the aircraft's cabin throughout its entire frequency range, and without the need for major modification of the fuselage or the aircraft engine mountings, thus allowing ease of retrofit of the system.

Active structural control system and method including active vibration absorbers (AVAS)


Disclosed autonomous mobile robot systems can be used to safely and efficiently navigate through a facility while avoiding objects in the path of the autonomous mobile robot during completion of a task. Specifically, a first bounded area based on first sensor data may be generated around an autonomous mobile robot where the first sensor data is used to identify objects in a travel path for the autonomous mobile robot and determine a speed for navigating the facility. A second bounded area of a size less than the first bounded area may be generated around the autonomous mobile robot based on speed information from propulsion components of the autonomous mobile robot. A new travel path and new speed information may be generated based on identifying an object in the travel path, dimensional measurements of a space around the object, and a current size of the second bounded area.

Modern inventory systems, such as those in mail order warehouses, supply chain distribution centers, airport luggage systems, and custom-order manufacturing facilities, face significant challenges in responding to requests for inventory items. As inventory systems grow, the challenges of simultaneously completing a large number of packing, storing, and other inventory-related tasks become non-trivial. In inventory systems tasked with responding to large numbers of diverse inventory requests, inefficient utilization of system resources, including space, equipment, and manpower, can result in lower throughput, unacceptably long response times, an ever-increasing backlog of unfinished tasks, and, in general, poor system performance. Particular safety issues may rise when dealing with an automated or semi-automated inventory system that utilizes unmanned vehicles to perform tasks that create further inefficiencies. For example, unmanned vehicles performing tasks in an automated inventory system may cease moving or stop performing their assigned task upon detecting an object or coming across an obstacle in their path. Other solutions to increase efficiency of the unmanned vehicles may pose safety concerns that are unacceptable for persons working in a facility alongside the unmanned vehicles.

Dynamic navigation of autonomous vehicle with safety infrastructure


The invention relates to a disk brake, in particular for utility vehicles, comprising a brake caliper, which extends over a brake disk, an application device located in the brake caliper for applying brake pads on both sides of the brake disk in the direction of the latter, in addition to at least one adjusting system located in the brake caliper for compensating wear and tear on the brake pad and or disk, by adjusting the distance between the brake pad and the brake disk. The adjusting system has an adjusting rotative device. The disk brake is characterized in that at least one of the adjusting rotative devices is provided on each side of the brake disk for adjusting the axial distances between the two brake pads and the brake disk.

The invention relates to a disk brake.
The invention particularly relates to novel constructions of disk brakes, particularly for commercial vehicles, which are actuated pneumatically and/or electromechanically.
According to the principle selected for introducing power, disk brakes can be divided into two basic designs:
1. The generation of power and the wear adjustment on both sides of the brake disk; for example, a hydraulic fixed caliper disk brake with a fixed brake disk relative to the axle, and the generation of power on both sides of the brake disk, and
2. the generation of power and the wear adjustment on one side of the brake disk and the transmission of the actuating power to the side which faces away, according to the reaction power principle; for example, a sliding caliper disk brake, a hinged caliper disk brake, or a fixed caliper disk brake with a slidable brake disk.
Pneumatically actuated disk brakes for heavy commercial vehicles with rim diameters of 15 inches or more normally use the reaction power principle because, as a result of the narrow installation conditions at the vehicle wheel, the arrangement of a pneumatic operating cylinder is only possible on the vehicle interior side of the wheel open toward the vehicle interior. Constructions of these types are shown, for example, in German Patent Document DE 36 10 569 A1, German Patent Document DE 37 16 202 A1, European Patent Document EP 0 531 321 A1 (see particularly the construction of the adjusters along the lines of rotary drives) and European Patent Document EP 0 688 404 A1.
Sliding caliper or hinged caliper disk brakes require a component which is fixed with respect to the axle—generally called a brake anchor plate (carrier)—which holds or guides the brake shoes/brake pads and, when the brake is actuated, absorbs their peripheral forces and carries the caliper which is slidably disposed coaxially to the vehicle axle.
The relative motion carried out by the caliper with respect to the component fixed relative to the axle can be divided into the working stroke and the wearing stroke. The invention makes surprising use of this effect.
The working stroke is carried out with each actuation of the brake in order to overcome the release play of the brake and to compensate for the elasticities of the brake pads and the caliper that result from the application of power. Depending on the extent of the actuating power and the amount of the release play, it is normally <4 mm.
In contrast, the wearing stroke is the wear adjusting travel which the caliper carries out over a large number of brake actuations in order to compensate for the wear on the reaction side of the brake. The wearing stroke is composed of the wear of the outside brake pad and the wear of the brake disk friction surfaces situated on the outside, and normally amounts to up to 25 mm.
In comparison, in the case of the brake design with a fixed caliper and a slidable brake disk, the working stroke and the wearing stroke are generated by sliding the brake disk.
The designs with the sliding caliper or hinged caliper have the disadvantage that the brake anchor plate, fixed relative to the axle, is required for absorbing the peripheral force of the brake pads and the holding and guiding of the caliper. This component results in additional cost and additional weight. Furthermore, the required sliding guidance or hinge system is susceptible to problems.
In the design with the slidable brake disk, in contrast, the problem is in maintaining easy slideability of the brake disk on the guiding area of the hub throughout the entire service life. An effective sealing-off can hardly be implemented because of the narrow installation conditions and the harsh environmental exposure.
Based on this background, the invention starts with the idea of combining the advantages of the above-described caliper concepts and thereby achieves, among other things, the objective of simplifying the construction of the disk brake and reducing its overall weight relative to sliding caliper brakes.
The invention achieves this task by means of the objects of the invention. Accordingly, in each case, at least one adjusting device is provided on each side of the brake disk for adjusting the axial distances between the two brake pads and the brake disk.
Furthermore, according to the invention, the generation of the reaction power takes place on the side of the brake disk facing away from the application side by                the sliding of the caliper and/or        the swivelling of the caliper and/or        the sliding of the brake disk.
In each case, as the result of the sliding and/or swivelling motion, essentially only the length of the entire power stroke can be bridged.
The invention combines the advantages of the fixed-caliper principle —such as compact construction and implementation of the wearing stroke by the actuating system—with the advantages of the reaction power principle.
As an alternative or in addition, it is also contemplated that the generation of the reaction power takes place on the side of the brake facing away from the application side by an elastic deformation of the caliper and/or of the brake disk and/or of another element, by means of the deformation essentially only the path of half the entire power stroke being bridgeable. In this case, bearings of the brake disk or of the caliper can advantageously be further reduced or even completely eliminated. Elastic brake disks are known per se, for example, from German Patent Document DE 198 10 685 A1.
As a result of the additional adjusting device(s) on both sides of the disk brake, it is permitted to further develop the brake such that only a mobility, preferably a slidability and/or a swivellability of the caliper and/or the brake disk have to be ensured, which is dimensioned such that the working stroke during brakings can be bridged in order to apply the brake. In this manner, the sliding and/or rotary bearings and guides can be dimensioned to be correspondingly smaller and less expensive. Additionally, it is ensured that a smooth running takes place along the complete sliding or swivelling path since the latter is bridged during virtually every braking.
The brake disk is preferably constructed as a sliding disk which is slidably guided on a brake disk hub such that, as a result of the sliding, a sliding path can be implemented which is maximally limited to the power stroke.
As an alternative or in addition, the caliper can be constructed as a sliding caliper, which has a sliding caliper bearing which can be fastened directly to the axle flange and which is dimensioned such that a sliding path can be bridged which is limited to the power stroke.
As an alternative or in addition, the caliper may be constructed as a hinged caliper which has a hinged caliper bearing, which preferably can be fastened directly to the axle flange and can be bridged by means of the swivelling angle which displaces the caliper relative to the brake disk essentially by the amount of the power stroke.
In particular, the disk brake according to the invention makes it possible to continue to arrange the power generating device—such as a pneumatically actuated and/or electric-motor-actuated brake cylinder or an electric drive—only on one side on the brake.
Additional objects, which can also be considered independently, can also be achieved within the scope of the invention.
A variant, which can also be considered independently, of the invention solves the problem of the joint adjustment of the adjustable rotary drives on both sides of the disk brake. Here, the adjustable rotary drives on both sides of the brake disk are mutually coupled by means of a synchronizing device. The synchronizing device is preferably constructed as a coupling mechanism or as an electronic coupling system.
According to another variant, which can also be considered independently, of the invention, the adjusting system itself is constructively further improved. This variant, in the case of which a space-saving adjusting module is created, which can be produced particularly economically, is suitable for brakes of a conventional construction as well as for brakes of the type claimed.
According to the invention, the adjusting system on one or both sides of the brake disk is constructed as an adjuster module, which can be preassembled and which has at least                an electric motor as the drive,        a reduction gear connected behind the electric motor,        which can be mounted preferably jointly on a mounting preform, particularly a mounting plate or preferably between two mutually spaced mounting preforms, and        wherein the rotary drive(s) are inserted on/in the at least one mounting preform(s).
Finally, according to another variant of the invention, which can also be considered independently, the construction of the application device itself is simplified. In this case, the application device arranged in the caliper has a rotary lever, which can be operated by a rod, preferably a piston rod. The rotary lever has a recess for receiving the piston rod end on one of its ends, and on its end area facing away from the recess, has recesses on two of its exterior sides. In these recesses, essentially spherical-cap-shaped bearing shells and/or essentially ball-shaped bearing elements or bearing balls can be inserted for bearing the rotary lever. By these means, the rotary lever is disposed directly or by way of additional intermediate elements, on the caliper-lever bearings—and directly or via additional intermediate elements on at least one thrust piece used for displacing the brake pad in the direction of the brake disk-eccentric bearing.

Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


A homeostatic organ preservation system includes structure for defining a chamber for holding a donor organ, and a pump for providing a perfusion solution to the organ. A first conduit is coupled to the pump and is adapted to be coupled to the organ. The first conduit provides perfusion solution from the pump to the organ. A second conduit is coupled to the pump and to the organ chamber. The second conduit returns perfusion solution from the organ chamber to the pump. A pressure sensor is coupled to the first conduit to sense the pressure of the perfusion solution in the first conduit. The pressure sensor provides an output signal which is indicative of the vascular resistance of the organ. A pump control circuit is also included. The pump control circuit is responsive to the output signal of the pressure sensor to raise and lower the pump pulse rate respectively in response to a decrease and increase in the organ vascular resistance. A method of perfusing the donor organ, in which the organ is placed in the chamber and connected to a conduit which, in turn, is connected to a pump, includes the steps of monitoring the pressure of the perfusion solution in the conduit, and adjusting the pump pulse rate in accordance with the pressure of the perfusion solution. The pulse rate of the pump is decreased if the resistance of the perfused organ increases, and will be increased if the resistance of the perfused organ decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a homeostatic organ preservation system, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for perfusing an organ or the whole body of a non-heart beating cadaver. Even more specifically, the invention relates to a pump for use in an organ preservation system.
The science of organ preservation has been rapidly increasing in importance over recent years because of the increase in organ transplantation as a medical procedure. Basically, in organ preservation, an organ, such as a kidney, pancreas, liver, lung or heart, is removed from a donor and maintained in a viable condition by artificial means. This is done to maintain the organ until the recipient is selected and prepared to receive it.
Current procurement technology allows the removal of organs from brain-dead trauma victims, that is, heart-beating donors who are otherwise in good physiological state. Another source of transplantable organs is victims of motor vehicle accidents who succumb to their injuries in the emergency room or in the intensive care unit, in other words, non-heart beating donors. However, utilization of organs removed from these donor sources is limited, basically because of the time required to obtain consent from the families of the potential donors prior to retrieval of such organs and the need to secure an operating room. Accordingly, in situ flush and cooling of organs would be advantageous in such situations.
Irrespective of the source from which the donor organs are retrieved, it is important to cool the targeted organ rapidly to minimize the deleterious effects of warm ischemia to the organ's microvasculature. Usually, a rapid flush of the organ's microvasculature, which results in the rapid cooling of the organ, for example, to less than 15.degree. C. in the case of a kidney, and removal of red blood cells from the microcirculation should be performed as soon as possible, for example, within about one half-hour in the case of a kidney, following cessation of blood flow through the organ. This rapid cooling of the organ should be followed by the maintenance of cold temperature for a given period of time while the recipient is selected and prepared to receive the organ.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, current organ preservation systems incorporate a pump which is designed to deliver cold perfusate at a constant flow. During perfusion, as the organ's vascular resistance increases, the perfusion pressure increases to maintain flow. Accordingly, one of the problems with current organ preservation pumps is that they tend to damage the delicate microvasculature of the organ which, in turn, causes the microvasculature resistance to further increase. In response to this further increase in resistance, the conventional pump further increases pressure, resulting in greater tissue injury.
A typical organ preservation pump is Model No. MOX-100TMA, manufactured by Waters Instruments, Inc. of Rochester, Minn. The Waters Instruments pump, in many ways, simulates the action of the heart in providing a cold perfusion solution to a donor organ previously removed and being maintained in a viable state prior to transplantation. The pump incorporates a lever arm which compresses an elongated resilient tube. The tube is coupled to the donor organ. The frequency of compression of the lever arm is manually adjustable, but usually is set at a relatively high pulse rate, that is, about 60 beats per minute. This action causes perfusate to flow into the donor organ. In the above described Waters Instruments Company device, the donor organ is maintained in a container connected to the machine. It is the perfusion solution which cools the organ. Thus, if perfusion ceases, the organ will warm up and damage to the organ may occur.
There are also non-pulsating types of organ perfusion apparatuses. Such apparatuses provide a preset "trickle" flow of perfusate to the isolated organ. Generally, these devices do not have any feedback control of the perfusate flow rate or pressure. Without such feedback control, there is no way of determining whether the organ is being sufficiently perfused. A hypothermic isolated organ does not have the neurological connection to protect itself by constricting its vasculature under high pressure conditions, or by dilating to open its capillaries to allow more flow. Thus, without feedback control, these apparatuses may be providing perfusate to the organ at inadequate or undesirably high volumes and pressures.
Besides the problem of forcing a given volume of perfusion solution into the organ under excessive pressure, which may result in damage to the organ's microvasculature, conventional organ preservation systems generally do not allow for the low pulse rates required during hypothermic organ perfusion. Furthermore, current machines are limited to a few hours of battery power and need frequent replacement of the ice container.
In addition, currently available organ preservation machines can weigh more than 25 kilograms and are relatively large. Such machines also may cost upwardly of $15,000 or more and $500 per disposable cassette, if such is provided.

Research Foundation of State University of New York


A Fuel Fractionation System (FFS) and associated methods to generate and store a fuel for internal combustion engines is provided. FFS provides a distillation column assembly to distill liquid fuel to form a volatile light fraction secondary fuel. The distillation column assembly includes a vaporization module to vaporize a feed fuel in the distillation column and includes a condensation module to condense heavy fraction components of the vaporized feed fuel. FFS also provides a controller positioned to control the vaporization of feed fuel in the distillation column to thereby control the separation of the feed fuel into light fraction fuel and heavy fraction fuel components, and positioned to control the condensation of the heavy fraction components so that fuel exiting a light fraction output port in the distillation column is substantially light fraction fuel components by volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the engine industry, particularly engine fuel systems to fuel powered engines, and more specifically to a fuel system and method for reducing vehicle hydrocarbon emissions.
2. Description of Related Art
Since as early as 1942, particularly in urban areas having a high concentration of motor vehicles, air pollution from internal combustion engines has been recognized as an undesirable consequence of a mobile society. Emissions from the internal combustion engines arise from several sources and can vary considerably in both amount and composition depending on the engine type, operating point, condition, design, and fuel volatility. For engines without some form of emissions controls, it has been estimated that twenty to twenty-five percent of the emissions arise from crankcase ventilation, sixty percent from exhaust, and the rest from evaporative losses, primarily associated with the fuel tank. The exhaust gas of the internal combustion engines contains various amounts of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen.
During recent years, researchers have investigated extensively various means of reducing exhaust emissions. This research has been quite fruitful. As a result, present-day automobiles emit only a fraction of undesirable materials compared to those of less than a decade ago. Despite such tremendous advances that have been made, further improvements are desirable. Federal standards continue to require further reduction of emissions. A major obstacle in achieving further reduction in exhaust emissions is the fact that in modern vehicles, 60-95% of hydrocarbon emissions occur during the first 30-90 seconds of operation of a vehicle engine following a cold start.
Applicants recognized that there are several factors that contribute to excess hydrocarbon emissions at low engine temperatures. One of the primary factors is poor vaporization of a sufficient fraction of the fuel at start-up temperature (i.e., below 30° C.) to achieve stable combustion necessitates a generous over-fueling during the cranking and warm-up periods. The over-fueling leads to high engine-out hydrocarbon emissions. This problem is exacerbated as a result of significant over-fueling because the emission system catalyst (i.e., catalytic converter) does not achieve its optimum operating temperature until 1-2 minutes after a cold start, and thus, it is incapable of oxidizing all of the unburned fuel including that resulting from the generous over-fueling during start-up.
In the past, attempts have been made to eliminate the need for a warm-up period by operating the engine on liquid petroleum gas, or other gaseous secondary fuels, during the warm-up period and then switching to gasoline after a normal operating temperature is obtained. The concept was used, for example, on tractors and other machinery. These devices had a separate fuel tank that was filled with a second type of fuel different from the fuel in the main tank. The fuel supply was then selected with a manually operated petcock valve. These systems were shown to be somewhat impractical, however, because the customer is required to fill two tanks, and the distribution network for dispensing gaseous fuels into vehicles is relatively sparse. Plus, customers would have to learn new behaviors and become comfortable with new safety procedures. Both are actions that consumers generally find unacceptable.
Due to the difficulties and impracticalities of using two separate fuels and two fuel source systems, other systems were developed which separated a single fuel into two components, one being more volatile than the other one. The systems, however, still had limitations, including the initial use of the primary fuel remaining in the fuel line at start-up, undesirable delays in starting the engine, the need for additional or complex pressurization and heating systems, efficient production of the volatile fuel, undesirable fuel tank heating resulting in increased evaporative emissions, and/or the use of complicated and expensive components.
The On-Board Distillation System (OBDS) described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,637, titled "On-Board Gasoline Distillation for Reduced Hydrocarbon Admission at Start-Up" by Matthews et al. and assigned to the assignee, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, was developed to address the cold-start emissions issue by utilizing a vapor separator to extract, from gasoline or a gasoline/alcohol blend, etc., a highly-volatile secondary fuel for exclusive use during starting and warm-up, and purging the fuel lines with such secondary fuel prior to engine restart. OBDS was credited with increasing the amount of desired components by volume in the secondary fuel from 20-25% delivered by prior systems to up to approximately 50% or so. The special secondary start-up fuel helped eliminate the need for start-up over-fueling. The system, however, was primarily developed for fuel systems having an engine to fuel tank return line. Further, the system was generally configured to recycle primary fuel to further extract additional secondary fuel not extracted on a first pass through the vapor separator.
Therefore, recognized by the Applicants is a need for an even less complicated and less expensive system that more efficiently separates fuel into it various components to produce a secondary fuel having a composition by volume of between 80-100% desired components, provides an improved air-fuel mixture at engine start-up, provides for enhanced catalyst heating, reduces operating energy requirements, reduces any inherent increase in evaporative emissions, and, as a result, reduces total hydrocarbon emissions over that of prior systems.

On-board fuel fractionation system and methods to generate an engine starting fuel

The Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


An exemplary printed circuit board includes a power plane, and a ground plane. The power plane includes two power modules, and an insulating medium for insulating the two power modules from each other. The ground plane is insulated from the power plane, a plurality of slots is defined in the ground plane and located close to facing edges of the two power modules, and the slots are arranged in rows along the facing edges of the two power modules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printed circuit boards, and particularly to suppression of simultaneous switching noise (SSN) in a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of Related Art
As the density of integrated circuits on PCBs increases, the problems associated with signal switching noise become greater. Many integrated circuits have a large number of input/output (I/O) drivers. Several hundred drivers may be present in integrated circuits, and this number will undoubtedly become greater as packaging density increases in the future. Noise that occurs in the PCB when a large number of drivers simultaneously switch from one state to another is known as SSN. The problem may be even more acute when the drivers all switch in the same direction (e.g. high to low). When a large number of drivers switch simultaneously, various signal integrity problems may occur. For example, a conventional PCB as shown in FIG. 4 includes a ground plane 100, a power plane 200 insulated from the ground plane 100 by a fiberglass material, and two integrated circuits A, B positioned on a surface plane (not shown) of the PCB. The power plane 200 includes two power modules 210, 220 insulated from each other by an insulating medium 230 made up of fiberglass material to respectively provide power supply for the integrated circuits A, B. When drivers in the integrated circuit A simultaneously switch from one state to another, SSN from the integrated circuit A can be transmitted to the power module 220 via the power module 210 and an equivalent coupling capacitance formed by the power modules 210, 220 and the insulating medium 230. Then the integrated circuit B may receive the SSN and cause incorrect actions.
What is needed, therefore, is a PCB with suppressed SSN therein.

Printed circuit board able to suppress simultaneous switching noise


The described implementations relate to recursive streaming queries. One technique processes a recursive streaming query through a query graph. The technique also detects when output produced by executing the query graph advances to a specific point.

Computers are very effective at storing large amounts of data, such as in a database. Over the last half century or so, techniques have been refined for establishing computational options, such as accessing or querying the stored data, viewing the data, modifying the data, etc. In these scenarios, the data can be thought of as relatively static and so the techniques, such as database querying techniques tend not to be very applicable to time sensitive scenarios, such as those involving real-time or near real-time. For instance, a database query technique designed to retrieve a definition of a word from a dictionary database need not be time sensitive since the data is statically stored in the database.
In contrast, other scenarios tend to involve streaming data in real-time or near real-time. For instance, a temperature sensor may be configured to periodically output a time-stamped signal corresponding to a sensed temperature. When viewed collectively this output can be thought of as a stream of data or a data stream. The above mentioned database querying techniques are not generally applicable in the data stream scenarios. Instead, stream processing techniques have been developed for use with data streams.
Stream processing techniques offer much more limited computational options than those available in traditional database scenarios. Stated another way, a very small set of computations can presently be performed with stream processing. The present concepts introduce new stream processing techniques that greatly increase the set of computations that can be accomplished with stream processing.

Recursive processing in streaming queries


The present invention provides antagonizing antibodies that bind to complement factor D (CFD), conjugates thereof, and methods of using same. The anti-CFD antibodies can be used therapeutically alone or in combination with other therapeutics to treat age related macular degeneration and other diseases.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the elderly. About ten million Americans are afflicted with AMD. The prevalence of AMD in the population increases steadily with age: at 40 years of age only about 2% of the population is affected by AMD but by the age of 80 it is about 25%. Friedman D S et al. 2004. Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in the United States. Arch Ophthalmol. 122:564-572.
AMD is a progressive disease that evolves over time through various stages eventually resulting in severe central vision loss. One of the hallmarks of AMD are extracellular deposits called drusen. Drusen are subretinal deposits of oxidized lipids and proteins that appear beneath the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Also often seen in early AMD are visible clumps of pigment in the macula. As AMD progresses, drusen become larger and pigment changes in the macula become more pronounced. Subsequently, some 10 to 15% of patients will develop subretinal choroidal neovascularization (CNV), typically called wet AMD. CNV is characterized by the presence of new immature blood vessels which grow towards the outer retina from the choroid. These immature blood vessels leak fluid below and in the retina, causing vision loss and blindness. Other patients will develop non-neovascular or dry AMD.
Advanced cases of dry AMD are characterized by sharply demarcated uni- or multi-focal regions of dysfunctional macula, termed geographic atrophy (GA). Over time, GA patches enlarge and involve the RPE and corresponding neurosensory retina and the choriocapillary layer of the choroid. These changes to the eye are progressive and irreversible, resulting in permanent loss visual function. GA occurs bilaterally in over 50% of patients. Binder S, Stanzel B V, Krebs I, Glittenberg C. 2007. Transplantation of the RPE in AMD. Prog Retn Eye Res. 26:516-554. GA accounts for some 20-25% of patients with severe visual loss secondary to AMD (i.e. legal blindness related to AMD). Klein R, Klein B E, Jensen S C, Meuer S M. 1997. The five-year incidence and progression of age-related maculopathy: The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthal. 104:7-21. Forms of dry AMD less severe than GA are responsible for a much larger percentage of moderate visual function loss.

Complement factor D antagonist antibodies and conjugates thereof


A vertical junction field effect transistor (JFET) is supported by a semiconductor substrate that includes a source region within the semiconductor substrate doped with a first conductivity-type dopant. A fin of semiconductor material doped with the first conductivity-type dopant has a first end in contact with the source region and further includes a second end and sidewalls between the first and second ends. A drain region is formed of first epitaxial material grown from the second end of the fin and doped with the first conductivity-type dopant. A gate structure is formed of second epitaxial material grown from the sidewalls of the fin and doped with a second conductivity-type dopant.

The prior art teaches the formation of integrated circuits which utilize one or more junction field effect transistor (JFET) devices. The JFET device includes a junction formed under a gate conductor. Rather than use an insulated gate, as is conventional MOSFET-type devices, a field is applied by the junction acting as a gate. Current flows between the source and drain regions in a doped semiconductor region located under the gate. Through application of a voltage to the gate conductor, a region of depleted charge forms in the doped semiconductor region so as to pinch off the conducting path and restrict the flow of current. Because of the lack of available mobile charge, the depletion region behaves as an insulating structure.
The conventional JFET device is an attractive circuit for use in analog designs. The device is simple to form and operate. However, such JFET devices suffer from a noted drawback in that short channel effects are difficult to control. Additionally, the typical manufacture of JFET devices is incompatible with mainstream CMOS fabrication techniques. There is accordingly a need in the art to address the foregoing and other issues to provide a JFET device of improved configuration and operation, wherein manufacture of the device is compatible with CMOS techniques.

Vertical junction FinFET device and method for manufacture


The present invention provides a fast, high yield method for preparing salicylamide intermediates. The method comprises reacting a C4 or higher alkyl ester of salicylic acid or derivative thereof with at least one amine selected from the group consisting of monoalkylamines, dialkylamines, ammonia, and any combination of any of the foregoing in alcohol to yield the salicylamide. The C4 or higher alkyl ester of salicylic acid or a derivative thereof is preferably prepared by reacting salicylic acid or a derivative thereof with a C4 or higher alcohol in presence of at least one of sulfuric acid, a sulfonic acid, and a mineral acid. This process for preparing salicylamide intermediates from salicylic acid or derivative thereof generally has a cycle time of about 2 days, and yields about 95% of a 99% pure material. In comparison, when a C3 or lower alkyl ester is used in lieu of the C4 or higher alkyl ester, the process generally has a cycle time of 7–9 days and yields about 60% of a 95% pure material. Methods of preparing an alkylated salicylamide are also provided.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,773,647 and 5,866,536 disclose compositions for the oral delivery of active agents, such as heparin and calcitonin, with modified amino acids, such as N-(5-chlorosalicyloyl)-8-aminocaprylic acid (5-CNAC), sodium N-(10-[2-hydroxybenzoyl]amino)decanoic acid (SNAD), and sodium N-(8-[2-hydroxybenzoyl]amino)caprylic acid (SNAC).
There is a need for a fast and efficient method for preparing salicylamides and alkylated salicylamides from salicylic acid and derivatives thereof.


A hydraulic cylinder, preferably for use as a master or slave brake cylinder or in a hydraulic clutch system, maintains in a simple and inexpensive manner through the use of eccentric bushings the stroke length of the piston rod. The distance between the attachment lug and the attachment point determines the stroke length and is varied by adjusting the narrow tolerance of each bushing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic cylinder having eccentric bushings. The hydraulic cylinder has an attachment lug and attachment points for connection with a motor vehicle, for example. The eccentric bushings are disposed in the attachment lug and the attachment points. More particularly, the eccentric bushings can be adjusted to vary the distance between the attachment lug and attachment points for a given position of the piston rod relative to the cylinder, so as to adjust the stroke of the piston rod.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydraulic cylinders having adjustable piston rods are known, for example, as disclosed in the German Unexamined Patent Application OS 31 49 628. In practice, however, a problem arises because the distance between the attachment lug and the point of attachment on the cylinder must be precisely maintained, since excessively long or short strokes resulting upon actuation can damage the unit, for instance, a clutch which is actuated by the piston rod. In order to avoid this, the piston rod lug is made adjustable by using a link rod head provided with a thread and fixed in position by a lock nut after adjustment. The adjustment process, however, has to be effected by hand which is cumbersome, time-consuming and expensive.
Another embodiment, in which the attachment lug is arranged directly on the piston rod, has the disadvantage that the distance between the attachment lug and the attachment point includes only very narrow tolerances and once again the adjustment process is very expensive.


Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate the management of access point transmissions based upon priority of traffic. An access point may periodically cycle between aggressive phases, during which the access point contends for downstream transmission opportunities aggressively, and background phases, during which the access point contends for downstream transmission opportunities passively. The access point may alternate between aggressive and background phases based upon a priority level of received packets, services, and/or clients. The access point may also alternate between aggressive and background phases based upon the congestion level and/or health of an associated network.

Use of wireless home networking has greatly increased in importance recently. The wireless world is more complex than the dependable wired connections that most networking is based upon. Wireless access point subsystems allow gateways and other similar devices to connect stations to a broadband backbone. Stations may include wireless clients such as mobile devices, laptops and other wireless devices. Wireless transmissions are typically uncontrolled (e.g., there is not a scheduling MAC native to Wi-Fi).
Each time a station or access point has data waiting for transmission, a Ready to Send, Clear to Send (CTS/RTS) sequence using carrier sense for collision detection can be used. The winner of a CTS/RTS sequence announces parameters of its transmission, including the length, and begins transmitting packets. The receiving station is allowed brief windows during the transmission to acknowledge each packet's transmission. By adjusting how aggressively a station or access point acts during the contention window, the station or access point can increase the probability of successfully seizing the air.
Currently, once a station receives a packet from an access point, the station enters a back-off period, within which the station is unable to initiate a new packet transmission. At the end of a back-off period, the station may then be able to initiate a new packet transmission to the access point. Currently, the back-off periods for an access point and stations are randomly set within certain windows.
It is desirable to improve upon control of downstream and upstream transmission opportunities in wireless home networking. Current forms of transmission opportunity control can preclude a system from being able to guarantee that the transmissions will be fairly distributed among competing stations, and there is a possibility that upstream transmissions could starve out downstream transmissions.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Wireless access point transmission control


A light guide includes an incidence surface configured to allow light from a light emitting unit to enter the light guide, a light guide portion configured to propagate the light entering via the incidence surface, a reflection portion configured to reflect the propagated light, an exit surface configured to allow light reflected on the reflection portion to exit, and a protrusion portion configured to position the light guide, wherein the protrusion portion is provided downstream of the reflection portion.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light guide including a protrusion portion for alignment and an image reading apparatus including the light guide.
Description of the Related Art
An image reading apparatus which uses an illumination unit including a light-emitting diode (LED) light source and a light guide element is known. Conventionally, as the illumination unit, configurations illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B and 9 have been known.
A plurality of LED elements 10 is disposed on an LED substrate 11 in a line. A light guide element 12 is fixed to the LED substrate 11 on which the plurality of LED elements 10 is mounted. Further, the light guide element 12 is aligned by positioning bosses 18a, 18b, and 18c, which are provided on a bottom surface of the light guide element, and fixed to a housing member 21 which is formed above an optical unit 20.
Light emitted from the LED element 10 is propagated through the light guide element 12 and irradiates a document 22 on a document positioning glass 23. Reflected light from the document 22 is guided to an imaging unit 25 by folding mirrors 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d which are held in the optical unit 20. Further, an image of the document is formed on a solid-state image sensor 26 by the imaging unit 25. The solid-state image sensor 26 photoelectrically converts incident light reflected from the document and outputs image data which indicates the image of the document. The optical unit 20 moves in a reader unit to read an image of the entire document.
As discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0232834, the alignment of the light guide element is performed by fitting a plurality of positioning bosses provided on the bottom surface of the light guide element into fitting holes provided in the housing member.
In a device including a configuration illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B and 9, most of light flux incident from the LED element 10 to the light guide element 12 is propagated through a light guide portion 14, is deflected by a reflection portion 15, and then exits toward the document 22. However, in the positioning bosses 18a, 18b, and 18c provided on the bottom surface of the light guide element, the propagated light flux is not totally reflected and a part of the light flux is leaked from the positioning bosses. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the distribution of the light amount in a reading width direction is not uniform.
In a light guide element discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0232834, the positioning bosses are disposed between an LED element and an LED element in a longitudinal direction of the light guide element 12. In other words, the positioning bosses of the light guide element are provided in a portion where the light flux is sparse in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the leakage of the light from the positioning bosses is reduced. However, it is required to further reduce the leakage of the light from the positioning bosses. Further, since the positions of the positioning bosses depend on the positions of the LED elements, each time the number or the arrangement of LED elements is changed, the light guide element needs to be newly created, which increases the cost.
Further, as a measure for preventing the non-uniform distribution of the light amount due to the leakage of the light flux from the positioning bosses, as illustrated in FIG. 11, a measure for providing the positioning bosses outside effective ranges 108d and 108e of the light guide element is considered. However, when the above-mentioned method is used, the entire length of the light guide element is increased, which is an obstacle to reduction in the size of the device.


In a wet sheet, hydrophobic outer layer sheets are disposed on both sides of the hydrophilic inner layer sheet impregnated with cleaning solution. Each of intermediate layer sheets is folded over so as to form a space having an opening. End portions of the inner layer sheet are inserted into the spaces of the intermediate layer sheets. The inner layer sheet can come in contact with the outer layer sheet via a space between the intermediate layer sheets. With such a construction, sufficiently high frictional force acts between the inner layer sheet and the outer layer sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cleaning tool and a cleaning sheet, and more particularly to a cleaning tool and a cleaning sheet which can be suitably used for wiping an object to be cleaned, such as floor.
2. Description of the related Art
Japanese non-examined laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-198066 discloses a cleaning sheet having an inner layer sheet and outer layer sheets disposed on both sides of the inner layer sheet. The inner layer sheet and the outer layer sheets have substantially the same surface area and are integrated with each other by bonded portions formed by embossing. Further, the inner layer sheet is impregnated with cleaning solution. In use, the cleaning sheet is attached, for example, to a cleaning sheet mounting member. In order to attach the cleaning sheet to the cleaning sheet mounting member, typically, a central portion of the cleaning sheet is placed on a cleaning side of the cleaning sheet mounting member and both ends of the central portion are removably held by holding members of the cleaning sheet mounting member. By using such a cleaning sheet, an object to be cleaned can be cleaned in a wetted state.


The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for generating post-machining three-dimensional shape data for a workpiece on the basis of an NC program. The three-dimensional shape data generating apparatus comprises: a stock blank lattice point generating section (11) which represents the shape of a stock blank for the workpiece by three-dimensional lattice point data (L) comprising a multiplicity of lattice points on the basis of stock blank shape data; a tool path processing section (12) which generates data indicative of a tool traveling region in which the tool is to move with respect to the workpiece on the basis of the NC program, tool shape data and the stock blank shape data, then removes lattice points located in the tool traveling region; and a shape data generating section (15) which generates the post-machining three-dimensional shape data for the workpiece on the basis of the remaining lattice points.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating three-dimensional shape data indicative of a shape of a workpiece to be obtained after machining on the basis of an NC program for an NC machine tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
NC machine tools are generally adapted to machine a workpiece by moving a tool under numerical control according to an NC program including tool traveling path and the like. The NC program is generated manually by a programmer and, at present, automatically by means of an automatic programming apparatus. The automatic programming apparatus sequentially performs an automatic determining process of tool to be used, an automatic determining process of cutting condition and an automatic determining process of machining sequence on the basis of design data (hereinafter referred to as "CAD data") generated by a CAD (computer aided design), tool shape data, cutting condition data and the like for generation of programming base data, and then generates the NC program on the basis of the programming base data thus generated. The CAD data is three-dimensional shape data indicative of a final shape and dimensions of the workpiece to be obtained after the machining.
In some case, a machining factory receives only an NC program generated by a CAD and an automatic programming apparatus from a customer to perform a workpiece machining operation. Where the workpiece machining operation performed on the basis of the NC program by means of an NC machine tool fails to provide an expected workpiece shape, the machining factory cannot review CAD data (three-dimensional shape data) on the basis of the NC program and, hence, cannot change the workpiece shape. Therefore, the machining factory has to request the customer to modify the NC program. For the modification of the NC program, it is necessary to modify the CAD data by means of the CAD and perform various processes by means of the automatic programming apparatus. This requires much time before the machining factory receives the modified NC program, resulting in downtime of the NC machine tool and, hence, reduction in productivity.
Further, tool traveling paths cannot be changed for modification of the NC program because the three-dimensional shape data cannot be reexamined on the basis of the NC program, even if a trouble occurs such that a tool is brought into thorough contact with the workpiece in a pocket corner thereof during the machining to leave chattering marks on the workpiece.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for generating three-dimensional shape data indicative of a shape of a workpiece to be obtained after machining on the basis of an NC program for an NC machine tool.

Method and apparatus for generating three-dimensional shape data

Intelligent Manufacturing Systems International


An unfixed toner image on a transferring and fixing belt is passed through a pair of toner integrating rollers. A surface side of the toner integrated that is in contact with a paper, is heated by a halogen heater to impart a tackiness required for fixing. As a result of this, a temperature of a surface side of the toner that is in contact with the transferring and fixing belt is not as high as a temperature of the surface side of the toner that is in contact with the paper. Therefore, even if the toner is pressurized, and transferred and fixed at a fixing nip, a difference in an area of the toner is small. This enables to achieve a good image quality.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for uniformly fixing toner on a recording medium.
2) Description of the Related Art
A conventional image forming apparatus including an image transferring and fixing device, which transfers to and fixes on a recording medium an unfixed image on an image carrier, has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H9-114282 (page 5, FIG. 1). This image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an intermediate transfer belt, a heating roller, and a pressurizing roller. The image carrier is in the form of a belt. The intermediate transfer belt is an endless belt that performs an orbital motion, and is disposed such that it is in contact with the image carrier. The heating roller melts a toner image that is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, by heating the toner image to a temperature not lower than a melting temperature of a toner. The pressurizing roller comes in contact, through the intermediate transfer belt, with a supporting roller that is disposed on a downstream side of the heating roller and supports the intermediate transfer belt. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to and fixed on a transferring material (recording medium) that is fed in between the pressurizing roller and the intermediate transfer belt.
Another conventional image forming apparatus including an image transferring and fixing device has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H9-230646 (page 7, FIG. 2). This color image forming apparatus includes a rotating developing unit that has four developing units. Each of the four developing units contains toner of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black colors respectively. The rotating developing unit develops an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum. A developed image, i.e. a toner image, is transferred to the intermediate transfer member in the form of a belt. The toner image is transferred to and fixed on a recording medium via the intermediate transfer member between a heating roller and a facing roller.
Still another conventional image forming apparatus including an image transferring and fixing device has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Application No. 2001-13798 (pages 3 and 4, FIG. 1). According to this image forming apparatus, a toner image on an image carrier is transferred to an intermediate transfer member in the form of a belt. Before the toner image reaches a fixing nip that is formed by a pressed contact of the heating roller and the pressurizing roller with the intermediate transfer member sandwiched between the two, the toner image is heated through the belt by a sheet heater that is provided on an inner surface side of the intermediate transfer member and functions as an image forming substance integrating unit. Thus the toner image is combined by softening or melting, thereby integrating by binding at least a part of it. An integrated toner image is transferred to and fixed on the recording medium at the fixing nip.
However, in the image transferring and fixing device disclosed in Japanese. Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H9-114282, the whole toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is heated by the heating roller to a temperature not lower than a melting temperature of the toner. Therefore, although at least a part of toner particles are integrated by binding, the toner image tends to get deformed easily. When the toner image is pressurized by the pressurizing roller at the fixing nip, the toner tend to be spread along a surface of the recording medium and be deformed along irregularities (ups and downs) of paper fibers on the surface of the recording medium. As a result, there is a big difference in an area of each toner after pressurizing and fixing, resulting in unevenness of graininess and gloss, thereby deteriorating an image quality.
In the image transferring and fixing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H9-230646, no unit has been provided to integrate the toner on the upstream side of the fixing nip that is formed by the pressed contact between the heating roller and the facing roller with the intermediate transfer member sandwiched between the two. Therefore, an image becomes faded if toner particles that form the toner image fall in recesses in the paper fibers on the surface of the recording medium. Further, since heat cannot be transmitted easily to the toner in the recesses, that portion tends to have defective fixing.
Moreover, in the image transferring and fixing device disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H9-230646, all the toner that forms the toner image and the recording medium are heated simultaneously to fix the toner image on the recording medium, which reduces the viscosity of each toner. As a result, at a time of fixing, height of toner is changed by 40% to 80% and the area of each toner does not become even due to irregularities on the surface of the recording medium, leading to the deterioration of the image quality.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 10A, even if each toner particle Tn on an intermediate transfer member 61 is deformed roughly in a similar manner (compression deformation), at the time of transferring to and fixing on a paper (transfer paper) P, the toner particles Tn cannot be pressurized evenly due to irregularities (ups and downs) on a surface of the paper P. As shown in FIG. 10B, in a portion in contact with the recesses, an amount of deformation of each toner particle Tn is small and the spreading of the area is small (width W1) because pressure cannot be transmitted easily. Whereas, in a portion in contact with bulges, an amount of pressure exerted being more, there is a big deformation in a direction of width and the area is spread (width W2).
The difference in the area of each toner due to the irregularities on the surface of the paper, as shown by the widths W1 and W2, leads to a deterioration of the graininess of a half-tone image, particularly in a case of a color image. Moreover, that causes a difference in glossiness of the toner image in an area of the recesses and the bulges, resulting in unevenness in gloss, thereby deteriorating the image quality.
Moreover, since the whole toner image is heated, a portion of the toner in contact with the intermediate transfer member is melted and is adhered firmly to the intermediate transfer member. Therefore, in a portion such as a low density portion where an amount of integrated toner is less, sometimes the toner could not be transferred completely to the recording medium.
In the image transferring and fixing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2001-13798, since there is a unit for integrating the toner image on the intermediate transfer member, the toner cannot be allowed to fall in the recesses on the surface of the recording medium. However, a toner image on an outer surface of the intermediate transfer member in the form of a belt is heated through the belt (intermediate transfer member) both before reaching the fixing nip as well as at the fixing nip. Therefore, when a surface of the toner image that comes in contact with the recording medium is heated up to a required temperature, a portion of the toner that is in contact with the belt is heated to a temperature higher than the required temperature.
The image transferring and fixing devices disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication Nos. 2001-13798 and H9-230646 are similar in heating the whole toner image and reducing the viscosity of all the toner. Therefore, at the time of fixing, the height of the toner is changed by about 40% to 80% and there is a difference in the area of each toner due to the irregularities on the surface of the recording medium. As a result of this, the image quality is deteriorated.

Method of uniformly fixing toner to recording medium in image forming apparatus


An operator seat for a work vehicle is provided that is pivotable between at least two operating stations.

Tractors and other work vehicles typically operate in a forward-facing mode, with one steering wheel located immediately in front of the operator. The steering wheel is used in conjunction with accelerator pedal, brake pedal and other transmission controls to drive the vehicle over the work terrain. Occasionally, it is necessary to drive the vehicle in a reverse direction, and the vehicle operator will turn his head and look behind to do this.
For some tasks, it is necessary to operate the vehicle in a reverse direction for prolonged periods of time. It has been common practice to have a second steering location for this purpose, whereby the operator moves to the second (rear-facing) steering location to operate the vehicle in reverse. Having multiple operating stations or steering wheels on a vehicle to allow prolonged reverse operation is not uncommon.
One problem in designing tractors with multiple workstations is determining how to move the seat to alternately face forward and backward.
The simplest arrangement would be to mount the seat on a single center pivot that will permit the entire seat to rotate about fixed point from a forward-facing position to a rear-facing position. In this arrangement, the seat has a pivot point located as closely as possible to the fore and aft center of the seat. The operator can release the seat and rotate it about this center pivot point.
Since the space in the cab of an agricultural tractor is limited, a simple single pivot arrangement does not provide the operator's legs with sufficient room. When the operator rotates such a seat, the operator's knees bang up against the side of the operator compartment.
Furthermore, the operating stations may be spaced so closely together that the seat must not only rotate but must also slide backward or forwards to position the operator in substantially the same position with respect to the controls of the second operating station as the operator was to the first operating station. Mere rotation of the seat around its center point may not position the operator in the proper front-to-rear position within the cab necessary to allow easy operation of controls at both workstations.
For this reason, a more complex movement of the operator seat is required. The seat should simultaneously rotate and translate with respect to the operator compartment. The prior art teaches a variety of seat arrangements that permit simultaneous seat translation and rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,872, for example, shows a piece of furniture with a seat portion that can be pivoted with respect to an adjacent seat portion and to fixed back arrests to convert from a chaise lounge (plus adjacent chair) to a sofa by pivoting 90°. The back portions are fixed, and the pivoting seat portion is supported on two parallel plates that translate and rotate with respect to each other. The plates are coupled together using a cam slot that defines a linear path of translation for the center of the seat and a control link that controls the angle of rotation of the seat. Only one seat portion is moved. The other seat portion stays stationary.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,800 shows a seat support for simultaneously reversing two seats for seating two people side-by-side while laterally shifting the seat. The seat support is coupled directly to a pitch seat and has two cam slots, each with a follower. One slot is a straight line and the other is a large radius curve. Both of the two seats can be simultaneously rotated 180°.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,200,904 shows a pair of seats for seating to people side-by-side in a bus or train, both of which are supported on a common seat support having two parallel plates, one having a U-shaped cam slot that engages a pin in the other plate and a control link pivotally coupled to both plates. Both seats can be simultaneously rotated 180°.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,803,063 similarly shows a pair of seats adjacent one another for a railroad coach, both of which are fixed to a common central seat support, the seat support that has two cam slots, one straight, and one curved, each cam slot having a corresponding follower. Both seats can be simultaneously rotated 180°.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,187 shows two seats adjacent to one another for a railway coach or bus. The seats are fixed to a common support, which is in turn pivotally coupled to the vehicle by two pivoting mechanical links with cam followers at the end that are guided through a "Y"-shaped slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,715 shows two seats adjacent to one another and facing the same direction that are coupled to a common base for use in intercity buses. Both seats are coupled to a common seat support that includes a "Y"-shaped cam slot in which move two cam followers fixed with respect to both seats. To insure the cam followers never both go into the same branch of the "Y", a spring loaded switch lever is provided that in blocks one cam follower.
All of the seating systems illustrated in the foregoing patents are configured to rotate two seats 180°, while at the same time causing each of the two seats to exchange places with the other of the two seats. Thus, each seat of the two seats in each pair of seats both (1) rotates 180° and (2) translates sideways one complete seat width.
There is not enough space in a tractor cab to have two seats side-by-side. Furthermore, even if one of the two seats in the prior art references was removed, the remaining seat would still be translated sideways one entire seat width. The amount of room required to rotate the seats is greater than the amount provided in the cab of an agricultural tractor.
Another drawback to these prior art mechanisms as their inability to rotate the seat 180° while keeping the seat oriented on the same longitudinal axis. When a seat in an agricultural tractor is rotated it must stay long the same central longitudinal centerline. It must rotate, generally, about a point right underneath the operator's posterior. Only in this manner can the operator the located along the centerline of the vehicle in both the front-facing and a rear-facing direction. The prior art embodiments not only rotate two seats 180°, they also move the seats sideways by one seat width.
What is needed, therefore is an operator seat for a work vehicle that rotates 180° to face forward and backwards.
What is also needed is a seat that is centered on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in both of its 180° opposed positions.
What is also needed is a single width operator seat for work vehicle that fits into the narrow confines an agricultural tractor compartment.
What is also needed is a seat that can be rotated in a confined space without the operator having to rise from his seated position.
What is also needed is a seat that rotates in place between two opposed vehicle operating stations and requiring minimal adjustment and room to be located in proper position next to the operator controls.
These and other objects of the invention are provided by the pivoting operator seat described below.