The invention relates to an optical device and to a headlighting assembly including an optical device. An optical device includes a body of a transparent material arranged to receive light at at least one light input portion. At least a portion of the light is reflected at an outer surface of the body due to total internal reflection. A non-transparent housing is provided to at least partially cover the body. The body is held within the housing by protrusions arranged to abut against the outer surface.

Different types of optical devices are known which may receive light emitted from a light source and optically modify the light to emit an output beam of desired properties. Such optical devices may e. g. comprise an optical element such as a lens, reflector or collimator.
One known type of optical element is a TIR (total internal reflection) element, e. g. lens, reflector and/or collimator. A TIR element may be a body of an optically transparent material including a light input portion, at which light may enter the body, and a light output portion, at which light may be emitted from the interior of the body. The light is guided in the interior of the body. At outer surfaces of the body, light may be reflected based on the principle of total internal reflection due to the difference of the refractive index of the body as compared to surrounding space, e. g. air.
EP 2 327 927 B1 describes a lens element for a light source, in particular an LED. The lens element comprises a body of light conducting material with boundary surfaces. The body conducts light originating from the light source. Portions of the light are reflected as a consequence of total reflection at the boundary surfaces.


The invention relates to a transmitter loop configuration used for ground and downhole electromagnetic geophysical surveys. The loop wire is spread out on the ground surface in such a way as to form several subset loops in series. Each subset loop can be juxtaposed to each other or separated by a fixed distance. The contribution of each subset to the primary electromagnetic field is improved in intensity and vector orientation so as to energize more efficiently buried geological conductors. This design generates a strong sub-horizontal primary field in an in-loop zone of the global loop. Any sub-vertical conductor buried under this in-loop zone will be maximum-coupled and will generate a secondary electromagnetic field detectable by a receiver device. This invention includes the possibility of using a combination a several pairs of loops.

In electromagnetic prospecting, a coil or a loop carrying a pulsed or alternating current causes induced currents (I in FIG. 1A) to flow in conducting ore bodies, and the time-varying magnetic field (also called secondary magnetic field) associated to these currents is detected by means of a second coil (or receiver loop) placed some distance away from the first one. A mapping of this secondary magnetic field may thus give information on the distribution of conductors in the ground under exploration.
Such time domain electromagnetic surveys can be performed either using a moving transmitter (moving loop surveys) or a fixed transmitter loop (fixed loop surveys). In the case of moving loop surveys, the transmitter loop and receiver loop setup is moved along survey lines for every reading in order to produce a map of buried conductors under the investigated area. In the case of fixed loop surveys, a fixed transmitter single-loop 6, deployed on the ground as illustrated in FIG. 1A, produced a time-varying primary magnetic field and a roving receiver sensor measures, along survey lines 13, the secondary magnetic field produced by the conductors in the ground.
When the survey lines are located outside the transmitter loop, the configuration is called an out-of-loop survey. When the survey lines are located inside the transmitter loop, the configuration is called an in-loop survey. A given survey may naturally combine the out-of-loop and in-loop surveys.
In the search of steep-dipping geological conductors, the main advantages of the out-of-loop survey are the uniformity and the sub-horizontality of the primary electromagnetic field under the survey area. This is illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B where the direction of the magnetic field 33′ in the ground under the transmitter loop 6 of FIG. 1A has been drawn (FIG. 2A) as well as its intensity 34′ (FIG. 2B). It can be seen from FIG. 2A that the primary electromagnetic field under the out-of-loop area is quite horizontal. This optimizes the coupling between the primary electromagnetic field and any buried steeply-dipping conductor. However, the main disadvantage of the out-of-loop configuration is the exponential decrease of the intensity of this primary electromagnetic field from the loop side, as illustrated in FIG. 2B. The sensitivity and the effectiveness of the configuration decrease with distance from the loop side.
For the same type of geological conductor, the main advantage of the in-loop survey is the strong intensity of the primary electromagnetic field under the loop, as can be noted on FIG. 2B. This intensity permits better sensitivities and greater depths of investigation. The main disadvantage of the in-loop mode is the sub-vertical orientation of the primary electromagnetic field under the loop, as illustrated in FIG. 2A. This orientation of the primary magnetic field causes a poor coupling between the primary electromagnetic field and any sub-vertical conductors.
A dual-loop configuration, with two subset loops 7, 8 connected in parallel, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, has been proposed for mobile loop surveys to create a sub-horizontal primary magnetic field under an in-loop zone. However, the primary magnetic field produced by this loop configuration lacks uniformity. Another drawback of this dual-loop configuration is that since the two subset loops are connected in parallel, the current in each subset loop (currents I1, and I2) may be slightly different and this can create some parasitical effects. Also note that moving the mobile loop is complicated and unproductive.
Thus, there is a need for a transmitter loop configuration that would provide at the same time an intense, substantially uniform and substantially horizontal primary electromagnetic field without the foregoing disadvantages.

Transmitter loops in series for electromagnetic geophysical surveys


An active bias circuit 30 connected to a power amplifier PA maintains a power amplifier DC quiescent current at a fixed value over a wide temperature range. The active bias circuit 30 includes first and second current mirror circuits 32, 34. The power amplifier PA is an element of the second current mirror circuit 34. A temperature compensation circuit 42 is connected to the first current mirror circuit 32 for providing temperature compensation therewith. A first reference voltage source is connected to the first current mirror circuit 32 by way of the temperature compensation circuit 42 for providing a first reference voltage Vref to the first current mirror circuit 32. A current sink 36 is connected to a transistor of the first current mirror circuit 32 and a voltage source adjustment circuit 38 is connected to the first current mirror circuit 32 for setting a voltage provided to the first current mirror circuit 32.

The present invention relates to radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers and more particularly to a temperature compensating and load regulating active bias circuit for RF power amplifiers.
RF devices and circuits, such as used in cellular telephones and cellular telephone base stations, include power amplifiers. An amplifier provides a linear response if it""s output is the same as it""s input except that it has a different magnitude. In RF systems, one reason a linear response is required is because when two or more signals are input to a non-linear device, intermodulation noise is created, which can interfere with a desired signal. Intermodulation noise, as well as other performance factors of a power amplifier, which include gain, power added efficiency (PAE), output power, and adjacent channel powers (ACP) are functions of bias current. Thus, the bias current is a critical design factor.
Bias current is affected by temperature and process variations, as well as RF power variations. As is well known, cell phones and base stations are often exposed to a broad temperature range and varying RF power. Thus, there is a need to compensate for changes of bias current over temperature and power. Further, in order to improve the gain flatness and the linearity of power amplifiers for linear applications such as TDMA and CDMA power amplifiers, an active bias circuit should maintain the power amplifier""s quiescent current at a fixed value over a wide range of temperatures. For saturated applications, such as GSM and analog power amplifiers, an active bias circuit should compensate for a bias voltage drop across the RF blocking resistor caused by the self-bias effect of nonconducting classes of power amplifiers (e.g., Class AB, B, C) and supply a significant amount of current to a power amplifier stage under a high RF driving power.
FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional power amplifier circuit 10. The power amplifier circuit 10 includes a RF power amplifier PA and a current mirror circuit having a single transistor Q1 for bias voltage adjustment. The transistor Q1 is used to track variations of threshold voltage over temperature and process. First and second resistors R1, R2 are provided to set the bias voltage of the RF PA stage. The first resistor R1 is connected between the drain of the transistor Q1 and a reference voltage source Vref. The second resistor R2 has a first terminal connected to a node N1 between the first resistor R1 and the drain of the transistor Q1 and a second terminal connected ground.
A RF blocking resistor RB has a first terminal connected to the gate of the power amplifier PA and a second terminal connected to one side of a set resistor RS and to the node N1. The other side of the set resistor RS is connected to the gate of the transistor Q1. A RF decoupling capacitor C1 is connected between the node N1 and ground. The RF blocking resistor RB and the decoupling capacitor C1 prevent RF signals from entering the bias circuit. The set resistor RS is used to set any voltage difference caused by current leaking between the RF PA stage and the transistor Q1. Although the power amplifier circuit 10 can provide bias voltage adjustment, it is not capable of current sourcing or load regulation.
FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a second conventional power amplifier circuit 20. The power amplifier circuit 20 includes a power amplifier PA and a current mirror circuit including a first transistor Q1 and a second transistor Q2. The first transistor Q1 is used to track variations of threshold voltage over temperature and process. A first resistor R1 connected between the first transistor Q1 and a reference voltage Vref is used to set the bias current of the first transistor Q1. A second resistor R2, which is connected to a node N1 between the power amplifier PA and the first and second transistors Q1, Q2, and ground, is used to improve breakdown. The circuit 20 also has a RF blocking resistor Rb and a RF decoupling capacitor C1. The blocking resistor Rb and the decoupling capacitor C1 are used to prevent RF signals entering the bias circuit. First and second set resistors RS1 and RS2 are used to set any voltage difference caused by current leaking between the RF PA stage and the current mirror circuit. Although the second conventional power amplifier circuit 20 provides some measure of compensation for temperature and process variation, the circuit 20 does not have adequate capabilities to compensate for current variations over temperature and overcome the de-biasing effect at high RF drive. Further, the second resistor R2 consumes very large amounts of current for all operations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an active bias circuit for a power amplifier that provides good compensation for variations in temperature and power.
In order to provide an active bias circuit for a power amplifier, the present invention provides an active bias circuit connected to a power amplifier. The active bias circuit includes first and second current mirror circuits connected to the power amplifier for maintaining a DC quiescent current to the amplifier at a generally fixed value over a wide temperature range. The power amplifier is an element of the second current mirror circuit. A temperature compensation circuit is connected to the first current mirror circuit for providing temperature compensation therewith. A first reference voltage source is connected to the first current mirror circuit by way of the temperature compensation circuit for providing a first reference voltage Vref to the first current mirror circuit. A current sink is connected to a transistor of the first current mirror circuit and a voltage source adjustment circuit is connected to the first current mirror circuit for setting a voltage provided to the first current mirror circuit.
In another embodiment, the invention provides an active bias circuit for maintaining a power amplifier DC quiescent current at a fixed value over a wide temperature range. The active bias circuit has first and second current mirror circuits. The first current mirror circuit includes a first transistor Q1, a second transistor Q2 having a gate connected to a drain of the first transistor Q1 and a drain connected to a first reference voltage source for receiving a first reference voltage Vref, and a fourth transistor Q4 having a drain connected to a second reference voltage source for receiving a second reference voltage Vabc, and a gate connected to a source of the second transistor Q2 and to a gate of the first transistor Q1. The second current mirror circuit includes the fourth transistor Q4, a third transistor Q3 having a drain connected to the source of the second transistor Q2 at a first node N1, and a source connected to ground, and a power amplifier having a drain connected to a third reference voltage source for receiving a third reference voltage Vdd, a source connected to ground, and a gate connected to a gate of the third transistor Q3 at a second node N2. A temperature compensation circuit includes a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2. The first resistor R1 has a first terminal connected to the first reference voltage source and a second terminal connected to the drain of the second transistor Q2. The second resistor R2 has a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first resistor R1 and a second terminal connected to the drain of the first transistor Q1. A voltage source adjustment circuit includes a set resistor Rset connected between a source of the first transistor Q1 and ground.


In an expansion valve for controlling the flow rate of a refrigerant supplied to an evaporator of a refrigerating system, a temperature-sensing chamber is provided to sense the temperature of the refrigerant returning from said evaporator and to actuate a valve mechanism in order to regulate the flow of refrigerant supplied to said evaporator. An adsorption means provided inside the temperature-sensing chamber to adsorb a liquefied part of a gas charge within said chamber in order to hold said liquefied part away from warm wall parts inside said chamber. In addition, or as an alternative, said temperature-sensing chamber is separated from a return passage of said refrigerant by thermal-transfer-delay means for delaying the thermal transfer of a temperature change from the refrigerant to a sealed charge within said temperature-sensing chamber. Said thermal-transfer-delay means can be made as a flow restrictor for supressing an excessive flow between said chamber and said return passage of the refrigerant.

Expansion valves as known from U.S. Pat. No. Re. 23,706; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,819,443 and 4,979,372 control the flow rate of a refrigerant supplied to an evaporator by means of a valve mechanism which is driven by the displaceable diaphragm wall forming one wall of a temperature-sensing chamber. The valve mechanism opens or closes a supply passage for the refrigerant. The temperature-sensing chamber contains at least a saturated vapor gas responding by pressure changes to temperature changes in the refrigerant returning from the evaporator. The temperature-sensing chamber is either provided in the return passage or at an exterior side of the expansion valve housing. Within the temperature-sensing chamber, the diaphragm surface has a lower temperature than the other confining walls so that the saturated vapor gas at least partially condenses and liquefies on the diaphragm wall surface. Depending on the position of the expansion valve, the liquefied part of the saturated vapor gas can contact other and warmer wall portions of the temperature-sensing chamber, and starts to evaporate and gasify again, resulting in a rapid rise of the pressure in the temperature-sensing chamber. Since the pressure of the saturated vapor gas attributable to the diaphragm surface temperature is lower than the pressure of the saturated vapor gas, the gas again condenses on said diaphragm wall surface. As a result, the pressure in the temperature-sensing chamber periodically fluctuates which leads to an actuation of the valve mechanism. Accordingly, the refrigerant flow rate towards the evaporator fluctuates uninterruptedly. This leads to an unstable refrigeration cycle in the refrigerating system. Furthermore, if the position of the expansion valve is changed in an uncontrolled manner, for example, in a moving vehicle the refrigeration cycle may be varied constantly even if cooling demand remains unchanged.
Moreover, the valve opening curve of an expansion valve depends entirely upon the properties of the sealed charge in the temperature-sensing chamber. It is difficult to set a desired ideal valve-opening curve in cases where the sealed charge is only a saturated valve gas identical or similar in nature to the refrigerant being controlled.
Furthermore, when minute changes of the temperature of the refrigerant returning from the evaporator are transferred to the sealed charge in the temperature-sensing chamber too rapidly, minute pulsations result in the refrigerant flow. Such minute changes in the superheat of the refrigerant directly cause the valve mechanism to open and to close and lead to an unstable expansion valve operation. Such temporary changes in the refrigerant temperature at the return side of the evaporator unavoidably occur even during normal operation of the refrigerating system. However, these minute and transient temperature changes should not be considerably affect the operation of the expansion valve.


A flap simulator for an aircraft has a support with a handle. A first couple is on the support and is selectively engageable to a flap track for guiding an aircraft flap. A second couple is also on the support and is selectively engageable to a flap actuator for moving the aircraft flap along the flap track. The support may have an adjustment feature that allows a size of the second couple to be changed to accommodate the flap actuator. The support is apart from the aircraft flap.

This invention relates to a flap simulator for an aircraft.
An aircraft generally has a flap associated with each wing of the aircraft. The flap controls the braking as well as the ascent and descent of the aircraft by moving along a track on the wing. A motorized drive moves the flap along this track to orient the flap up or down relative to the wing.
In the service of the aircraft, it may be necessary to remove the flap from the wing of the aircraft. The flap is disengaged from the motorized drive and then removed from the track that supports the flap on the wing. Typically, the motorized drive has a long threaded rod that is rotated by a motor to move the flap along the track. The motorized drive follows, to some degree, the path of the flap and is accordingly free to move relative to the wing of the aircraft. Because of this design, the threaded rod will flop downward when the flap is removed from the wing.
To test the motorized drive of the flap, a technician is required to hold the threaded rod of the drive as if the flap were installed. Each flap may have multiple tracks and accordingly multiple technicians are required to support each of the threaded rods as the motorized drives are run. Each of these technicians must be attentive during this testing process to avoid causing damage to the motorized drive.
It is therefore desirable to produce an assembly or device that permits the motorized drive of the aircraft to be tested and supported without the additional labor associated with current maintenance techniques.


An apparatus, method, and system are provided for providing content to a user. In some embodiments the content may be transmitted using a first transmission technique. In some embodiments, when the user “catches up to” the content as it is being received via the first transmission technique, a switch may be made to obtain the content via a second transmission technique, allowing reception of the content via the first transmission technique to be terminated. In some embodiments, a user equipment device may include a buffer that may be used to store the content received via the second transmission technique, which may support earlier termination with respect to receiving content via the first transmission technique. In some embodiments, the buffer may support a rewind operation.

The transmission and distribution of content over networks has evolved over the years. Users expect a service provider to be able to deliver content in various formats and at various times. No longer are users restricted to a passive viewing experience, as users want control over content.
Given a particular system configuration and associated bandwidth, dedicating resources to particular users may be expensive and burdensome. For example, establishing a unicast session with a user equipment device (UED) consumes bandwidth that might otherwise be available for alternate uses.


An information processing device is provided, for example, in a vehicle. A control unit of the information processing device executes flight control of an unmanned flying object such that the unmanned flying object moves to a destination and acquires a captured image from the unmanned flying object. The control unit performs adjustment of an arrival time at the destination, for example, depending on a congestion situation or movement guidance of the vehicle to an empty space at the destination on the basis of the captured image of the destination or a surrounding area of the destination. Further, retrieval of a movement route in the destination is performed on the basis of the captured image obtained by causing the unmanned flying object to move inside the destination and imaging the inside of the destination, and the detected movement route is set in a moving object which is used for movement in the destination.

Conventionally, a navigation system that displays a route from a current location to a destination on a screen and visually provides a user with information has been widely used. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that advance confirmation or contact is enabled by automatically calling a facility of a destination and necessary information can be acquired before arriving at the destination.

Information processing device and information processing method


A constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier includes a first amplifier outputting a first amplified output, and a second amplifier outputting a second amplified output. The constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier also includes a first constant-amplitude wave generating circuit for combining an input wave and the second amplified output from the second amplifier and for generating a first constant-amplitude wave which is input to the first amplifier, and a second constant-amplitude wave generating circuit for combining the input wave and the first amplified output from the first amplifier and for generating a second constant-amplitude wave. Further, the constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier includes a wave combining circuit for combining the first and second constant-amplitude waves and for generating an output wave.

The present invention generally relates to a constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier, and more particularly to a constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier based on an LINC (linear amplification with non-linear components) process.
Recently, constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifiers have been widely used in various communication devices, such as radio devices for use in mobile communications, multiple radio devices, satellite communication radio devices, and broadcasting devices. There is a need to realize such constant-amplitude wave combination amplifiers which consume a small amount of power and which are configured of a small number of structural elements.
Constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifiers based on the LINC process are known as amplifiers which meet the above-mentioned need, and are disclosed in, for example, D. C. Cox, "Linear Amplification with Non-linear Components", IEEE Transactions on Communications, December 1974, pp. 1942-1945. An application of constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifiers based on the LINC process is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-284106.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifier. As shown, the amplifier has a constant-amplitude wave operation circuit 61, two amplifiers 62 and 63, and a wave combining circuit 64. The constant-amplitude wave operation circuit 61 is formed of a digital signal processing circuit, and calculates an orthogonal wave Y orthogonal to an input wave X so that each combined wave obtained by combining the waves X and Y with each other has a constant amplitude. Then, the constant-amplitude wave operation circuit 61 outputs constant-amplitude waves A and B which have constant envelopes having equal amplitudes by the above-mentioned combination of the waves X and Y. Capital letters X, Y, A and B are vector amounts which include phases.
The amplifiers 62 and 63, which are formed of non-linear amplifiers such as C-class amplifiers, amplify the constant-amplitude waves A and B, respectively. The wave combining circuit 64 combines constant amplitude waves kA and kB respectively output by the amplifiers 62 and 63, and generates an output wave kX which is an amplified version of the input wave X.
The conventional configuration shown in FIG. 1 has an advantage in that the amplifiers 62 and 63 are not required to be formed of linear amplifiers, since it is sufficient to amplify the constant-amplitude waves A and B of the constant envelopes. In addition, since the original signal can be reproduced by the wave combining circuit 64, it is possible to linearly amplify the input wave X having little distortion irrespective of the use of the non-linear amplifiers.
As has been described previously, the constant-amplitude wave operation circuit 61 is formed of a digital signal processing circuit. However, the digital signal processing circuit consumes a large amount of power and is not suitable for high-speed signal processing. Further, the use of the digital signal processing circuit causes an increase in the size of the amplifier. For the above reasons, the use of conventional constant-amplitude wave combination type amplifiers is limited to special applications in which the amount of power consumed in the digital signal processing circuit or the size of the amplifier are negligible, or applications in which data is transferred at a low speed.


A circuit includes a tracking bit line, a tracking unit connected to the tracking bit line and a detection unit. The tracking unit is configured to receive a first control signal and configured to selectively charge or discharge a voltage on the tracking bit line in response to the first control signal. The detection unit is coupled to the tracking bit line and configured to generate a sense amplifier enable (SAE) signal in response to the voltage level on the tracking bit line.

As Integrated Circuits (IC) have become smaller and more complex, transistors can become more sensitive to gate delays due to perimeter variations and reduced supply voltages. The yield of low voltage digital circuits is sensitive to local gate delay variations due to uncorrelated intra-die parameter deviations. Parameter deviations can be caused by statistical deviations of the doping concentration within the semiconductor device that lead to more pronounced delay variations for minimum transistor sizes. The path delay variations increase for smaller device dimensions and reduced supply voltages affecting IC performance.

Circuit to generate a sense amplifier enable signal

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


A flange 52b is provided on a plate by bending the plate, the flange being substantially orthogonal to the plate, and a recessed portion, where the flange is missing, is provided between two flanges. A flange 62c is provided by bending another plate, and a raised portion is provided which protrudes from a parallel side 62b to flange 62c at an end portion of flange 62c. An end portion of flange 52c and end portion of flange 62c are abutted, and end portion of plate 60 is abutted to an outer side of the circular arc portion of flange 52b from the plate. The raised portion is abutted to the recessed portion, and respective abutted portions are welded. Where two plates in which a flange is provided by bending the plate are intended to be welded, the occurrence of a space in a welding portion can be prevented.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a unitary structural body, without a gap, from plural body members having a flange by joining an end portion of one plate to an end portion of another plate; and, in particular, the invention relates to a method of manufacture suitable for production of an end structure constituting an end portion of a railway vehicle.
As shown in Japanese patent No. 2,692,459 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,770), a car body of a railway vehicle typically has a hexahedron-shaped body. An end portion of the railway vehicle is referred to as an end structure. In the end structure, there is provided a passage or door for allowing passengers to come and go to an adjacent car.
For this reason, the end structure requires two plates constituting a panel on the right side of the passage and a panel on the left side of the passage and a plate for constituting a panel above the passage. Since the three plates join a roof structural body member and a side structural body member, the outer side edges of the three plates each have a flange. Further, the end portions of the three plates have reinforcement flanges.
In the prior art, a product in the form of a plate having a flange along a side of the plate is manufactured by press forming, in which the plate is placed between a female die and a male die. Since a female die and a male die are required for such processing, the cost of manufacture becomes high.
For the above reason, respective L-shaped plates are welded using spot welding and one side of the L-shaped plate forms the above-stated flange.
As a means for avoiding the need for a male metal die, a forming method using only a female die has been proposed, as shown in FIG. 18 to FIG. 20 of Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 11-310,371. In this method, on the female die, an outer peripheral portion of a plate of raw material is fixed and the raw material is pushed in using a rod shape tool moving along an inner peripheral face of the female die. The tool is moved and the plate is subjected incrementally to a buckling processing.
On the other hand, in Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 10-76,321, a method is disclosed in which a squeezing processing is carried out incrementally.
The construction shown in FIG. 13 will be explained by way of example. On three plates 1, 2, 3, after flanges 1b, 1c, 1d, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 3c, 3d have been provided. The flanges 1b, 2b of the right and the left plates 1, 2 are overlapped, and these flanges 1b, 2b are subjected to spot welding and are formed as one body. The flanges are provided as an integral part of the body by bending the plates 1, 2, 3. Further, the flanges 1c, 3c, 2c are overlapped by a roof structural body 30 and welded.
The reference numeral 45 denotes a passageway for passengers. The respective three plates 1, 2, 3 are continued to the adjacent flange and the connection portion has a circular arc shape. In this case, to a joining portion between the right and the left plates 1, 3, the central plate 2 and the roof structural body 30, a space exists. This space must be closed with another plate to prevent rain and other elements for entering the space. The closing work requires a high cost. Further, the outer appearance becomes unattractive.
Further, the flanges are formed by bending the plate, so that a cross-section thereof has the circular arc shape. For this reason, a groove is provided between the right and left plates, with the result that the outer appearance becomes unattractive.
In the incremental forming method, since the metal die is in the form of a single die, the manufacture can be carried out with a low cost. However, in the incremental forming method, as described in the above-stated Japanese application patent laid-open publication Hei 11-310,371, the flange is formed to the end portion, but the plate is left on the outer peripheral portion of the flange. Thus, in a case where the plate is unnecessary, it is necessary to cut off and remove the outer peripheral portion of the flange.
Further, according to this incremental forming method, when the flange is formed, the angle between the flange and the bottom plate is not a right angle, however it works. For example, when a cylinder is joined by overlapping the flange, and the flange has a right angle, it is difficult to carry out overlapping joining.
Further, it is difficult to form a flange having a substantial height. For this reason, it is difficult to overlap the flange of one member and a flange of another member.
On the other hand, according to the processing method described in the above-stated Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 10-76,321, when the flange is processed, a wrinkle can occur easily in the joining portion between the one flange and the other flange.

Method of manufacture of structural body and structural body


A vehicle body rear structure of an electric vehicle may include: a high-voltage device arranged in a rear portion of the electric vehicle, wherein the high-voltage device is included in an electric powertrain of the electric vehicle or is electrically connected to the electric powertrain, and the high-voltage device is operable on a voltage over AC 30 or DC 60 volts; a low-voltage device arranged rearward of the high-voltage device at a same height level as the high-voltage device, wherein the low-voltage device is operable at a voltage lower than AC 30 or DC 60 volts; and a crossmember passing between the high-voltage device and the low-voltage device.

A variety of electric devices are mounted in a modern electric vehicle. A plurality of electric devices may also be mounted in a rear portion of the electric vehicle. For example, a vehicle of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-006050 includes a charger mounted in a rear portion of the vehicle. A vehicle of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-009588 includes a battery, an inverter, and an electric fan mounted in a rear portion of the vehicle.

Vehicle body rear structure of electric vehicle


A method for fabricating single-mode and multi-mode attenuators characterized by a high level of wavelength insensitivity. A light source is connected to one end of a fiber and the other end is connected to an optical power meter. The optical power meter is set to a 0 dB reference. The fiber is then cut and the cut ends cleaved to define first and second segments. The ends of the segments are offset and overlapped by an axial distance that is large relative to the fiber diameter. The overlapping ends are heated so that they assume a fused state, and the relative axial positioning of the fiber ends while they are in the plastic state is adjusted to achieve the desired degree of attenuation, as indicated on the meter.

The present relates generally to fiber optics, and more specifically to a method for making an attenuator.
Although a primary virtue of optical fibers as a communication medium is the low loss of the fibers, there are instances where it is necessary to provide attenuation in the path. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,557,556 and 4,557,557 disclose methods of fabricating attenuator for optical fibers by fusion splicing. In the '556 patent, a fiber is cleaved, and the axes of the cleaved ends are offset and butted one another. The abutted offset ends of the fibers are melted and the axes of the cores of the melted abutted fiber ends are aligned by way of surface tension. This realigns the cores, except that the cleaved ends of the cores bend off the axis in opposite directions. The technique is said to be applicable to single-mode optical fibers, which are characterized by a core diameter of 8-10 microns and a cladding diameter of 125 microns.
In the '557 patent, the cleaved fiber ends are aligned and melted, and while the ends are in a plastic state, they are moved towards each other to distort the fiber ends. The cores bend slightly near their abutted ends and are partially or wholly misaligned to provide the attenuation. During fabrication, light is injected into one of the fibers and a receiver is coupled to the other fiber. Initial axial alignment prior to fusing is performed by maximizing the transmission through the abutting fibers. When the fibers are fused, the power level is monitored and movement is stopped when a desired level of optical loss is observed.

Fused fiber optic attenuator having axially overlapping fiber end portions


Aspects of the invention provide a method and system for securely managing the storage and retrieval of data. Securely managing the storage and retrieval of data may include receiving a first disaster recovery code and acquiring a first password corresponding to the first disaster recovery code. A first disaster recovery key may be generated based on the first disaster recovery code and the first password. Another aspect of the invention may also include generating the received first disaster recovery code based on said first password and the first disaster recovery key. The generated disaster recovery code may be securely stored on at least a portion of a storage device or a removable media. Data stored on the storage device may be encrypted using the first generated disaster recovery key. Additionally, data read from the storage device may be decrypted using the generated first disaster recovery key.

In some conventional storage systems and/or applications, it is necessary to store data on storage devices such as hard disks or removable storage drives in an encrypted format. Upon retrieving the stored encrypted data from the storage device, the data has to be decrypted before it may be utilized. Accordingly, encryption and decryption keys are provided to encrypt and decrypt the data. For example, in personal computers (PCs,) data may be encrypted prior to being stored on a hard disk and decrypted after being read from the hard disk. However, the encryption/decryption keys which are utilized are often stored on paper or in a person's memory.
Particularly in PCs, separate devices called adapters may be utilized to provide connectivity between a storage device and a host system. For example, an ATA host adapter which may be integrated within the PC may be provided in order to connect a hard disk to the PC. The adapter may be referred to as a hard disk controller or a peripheral controller. ATA stands for AT Attachment, a standardized interface used by storage devices such as hard disk drives, CD drives and DVD drives. ATA compatible drives or storage devices may also be referred to as integrated drive electronics (IDE) drives. Notwithstanding, these adapters are primarily utilized to provide connectivity for storage devices or peripheral devices.
Accordingly, one drawback with conventional storage devices or systems is that the data stored on a storage device is not securely stored and therefore, data integrity may easily be compromised. Furthermore, although some storage devices and systems may provide various methods for encrypting stored information, the encryption keys that are utilized may be easily accessible and compromised. Additionally, existing data storage methodologies are mostly platform specific and therefore, not readily ported to other platforms and/or systems. This can be problematic in network attached remote storage systems, for example, where data integrity must be maintained as data traverses from one system component to another system component. Furthermore, certain disastrous events may either totally destroy stored data integrity and/or totally compromise the security of the data when recreating or restoring the data.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for disaster recovery of data from a storage device


A technology is described for determining a placement of a computing instance within a virtualized computing service. An example method may include receiving a computing group state for a server that provides a virtualized computing service. The server may include a computing slot which may be used to execute a computing instance. Weighting values for placement factors may be identified for the computing group state. A placement score may be calculated for the computing slot based at least in part on the weighting value for the placement factor.

The advent of virtualization technologies for computing resources has provided benefits with respect to managing large-scale computing resources for many customers with diverse needs and has allowed various computing resources or computing services to be efficiently and securely shared by multiple customers. For example, virtualization technologies may allow a single physical computing machine to be shared among multiple customers by providing each customer with one or more computing instances hosted by the single physical computing machine using a hypervisor. Each computing instance may be a guest machine acting as a distinct logical computing system that provides a customer with the perception that the customer is the sole operator and administrator of a given virtualized hardware computing resource.
A request to launch a computing instance may entail identifying available computing resources (e.g., a computing slot in a hypervisor) on which the computing instance may be executed. For example, one or more physical computing machines (e.g., server computers) may be queried to determine whether sufficient computing resources exist on a physical computing machine to launch and execute a computing instance. In a case where a physical computing machine is identified as having computing resources available to execute the computing instance, the computing instance may be launched on the physical computing machine, and a customer may be notified that the computing instance has been launched.


A system and method for the intra corporal, telemetric measuring of blood pressure, particularly within the heart or a great vessel, includes a substantially rigid sensor chip mounted in a holder and an antenna. The holder is anchored within an appropriate location in the cardiovascular system, such as in the cardiac septum, via a catheter or other minimally-invasive procedure to position at least one capacitive pressure sensor on the chip in the blood flow to be sensed. Measured values are transmitted telemetrically from the chip to an extra corporal monitoring device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus and for sensing a characteristic of a patient, such as blood pressure and/or temperature, and more particularly to methods and devices particularly adapted for telemetric measurement of blood pressure by a device implanted via a catheter within the cardiovascular system and particularly within the heart.
2. Related Art
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has concluded that heart failure constitutes "a new epidemic" in the USA. Heart failure, a chronic, progressive and incurable disease, affects over 20 million people worldwide. In the US alone, some 5 million people have been diagnosed with heart failure. Heart failure is estimated to cost the US economy today more than $40 billion annually.
Intracardiac pressure management is an important aspect of heart failure treatment. For example, a rise of the intracardiac pressure, such as in the left atrium is an important early indication of disease progression and the first opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Current blood pressure-measuring methods only can be applied in the coronary care unit (CCU) or the intensive care unit (ICU) and provide no more than an occasional snapshot of intracardiac pressure when the patient is already in a very critical situation. The limitations on current intracardiac pressure measurement methods are a serious impediment to early and optimal treatment. Current treatment methods require hospitalization and may be extremely costly (on average, over $16,000 per patient admittance). The ability to monitor patients and intervene outside of the hospital setting would greatly reduce the number of hospitalizations and extend the lives of those affected by the diagnosis.
Various sensors and devices have been used or proposed for the measurement and analysis of the blood pressure and/or temperature of a patient with mixed success. The currently contemplated sensors have certain disadvantages. For example, the telemetric sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,855,115 can be implanted in the heart by a catheter. Moreover, the sensor, which is rolled up during the implantation procedure, must be made of a flexible material of a specific configuration so that any change of the blood pressure inside the heart effectuates a change in the distance of the sensor height, i.e., the distance between the two capacitor plates used in the sensor. This flexible sensor is folded for delivery via a catheter and then unfolded at the place of implantation. However, a disadvantage of such a configuration is its required flexibility as constant and precise acquisition of measurement data may not be possible when the sensor is placed on or close to the cardiac muscle, and therefore is exposed to the cardiac motions, which may influence correct pressure readings. In addition, the flexible material of a sensor made in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 6,855,115 may deform due to exposure to constantly streaming liquids, especially a turbulent blood stream likely encountered inside the heart. As a consequence, the capacitance of the capacitor may be changed and measurement values may deteriorate and/or deviate from the true value. Another disadvantage of this type of sensor is due to its use of a pressure-dependent LC-oscillator. The resonant frequency of this oscillator can be analyzed telemetrically. In principle, this kind of device can be applied to measure the pressure that affects the measurement capacitor. Thus, any damage to the material can affect the pressure measurements obtained. Further, as the sensor is influenced by the surrounding media of the sensor, a corruption of measurement values may occur. In addition, there is no circuitry in this type of sensor to digitize the pressure measurement values acquired. Using analog signals may result in external interference during the acquisition and transmission of data, which causes inaccuracies in readings.
Another exemplary implantable device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,674, uses a catheter filled with a pressure transmitting fluid or gel-like material. The catheter transmits pressure to a pressure transducer within a housing. The sensed pressure is then telemetrically transmitted to an external reader. However, such a device requires a housing for the electronic signal processing circuitry, which results in a larger and heavier sensor structure that can cause strain on the heart when implanted into a heart wall. Moreover, the catheter and housing configuration creates a more complicated, mechanical structure that may be at increased risk for mechanical failure, and therefore is not suitable for long term implantation.
Another device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,742, has a pressure sensor placed within the heart. A signal from the pressure sensor is transmitted to a housing outside the heart which contains the electronic processing circuits. The signal is processed by the electronic processing circuits, such as converting the signals from analog to digital, and then telemetrically transmitted to an external reader. However, housing the electronic processing circuitry requires additional components and a relatively larger implanted device. Moreover, because digitization of the signal does not occur until outside of the heart, there is a risk of interference in the wire connecting the sensor and the electronic processing circuitry, as analog interference may result from external sources.
Small pressure sensor chips including the electronic processing circuits have been used in other applications. For example, integrated chips having pressure sensors have been used for pressure measurement in optical and cranial applications. These sensors are compact and have fewer mechanical components. Examples of such pressure sensor chips are described in EP 1 312 302 A2 and German patent application DE 10 2004 055 220.7, of which the inventors of the present invention were involved. However, these integrated chips are used in a relatively stable environment, with little movement in the fluids of the eye or brain. Nor are these pressure sensors subject to the cyclical, dynamic movements found in the heart. Such movement may harm connections, such as connections between wires and the pressure sensing chip. Thus, the use of such pressure sensor chips is not suited for the environment of the heart, where there is cyclical and dynamic movement, and where there is continuous and turbulent fluid movement around the pressure sensor.
Conventional techniques to provide stability and support to such known pressure sensing chips to enable their use as a cardiovascular pressure sensors would not likely succeed. Directly attaching a wire to a pressure sensing chip may have a negative impact on the functionality of the chip. For example, when soldering is used for the connection, the heat may damage the chip. One known method of avoiding that problem is to adhere a substrate to the back of the pressure sensing chip, solder the wire to a bond tack on that substrate, and then connect the wire to the chip. However, such substrates have different coefficients of thermal expansion than the chip. Thus, as the temperature changes, the substrate expands and contracts at a different rate then the pressure sensor chip, thereby causing stress and strain on the pressure sensing chip and increasing the risk of damage and/or inoperability.
Other known pressure sensors require a cable connection between the pressure sensor inside the heart and the external body monitoring device. However, such a cable clearly requires an entry into the body. An entry may be inconvenient and require the implantation of both the device and the entry, as well as increase the risk of infection for the patient.
Thus, there is a need for intra-cardiac pressure sensors that are more reliable and accurate, and which cause less irritation when implanted in the heart and are more compatible with the dynamic conditions encountered in a moving heart. Also, a need exists for such a sensor to be used at other locations within the cardiovascular system with little or no modifications.
Further, there is a need for a delivery mechanism for the sensor that can deliver and securely anchor a substantially rigid, sensor chip of invention in any part of the heart or other parts of cardiovascular system, such as the great vessels.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


When washing objects, such as turbine compressors, which operate with large quantities of air and are therefore internally soiled by and coated with contaminants carried by the air, finely-divided liquid is sprayed onto and through the object. The liquid is finely-divided to a degree at which the particles of the liquid will follow the same routes to and through the object as those previously taken by the air-borne contaminants. The quantities of finely-divided liquid are sprayed through at least one nozzle toward and through the object at an overpressure within the range of 50-80 bars at a liquid particle size in the range 250-120 .mu.m and with a total volumetric flow through the nozzle or nozzles within the range of 0.5-60 l/min., and with a liquid particle velocity of 100-126 m/sec.

The soiling and coating of such objects by air-borne contaminants, e.g. as occurs in the operation of gas turbine compressors, results in diverse impairments and losses which, however, can be reduced at least partially by cleaning the compressor internally, ie by carrying out a so-called compressor wash. A large number of different types of washing systems are available to this end, a common factor of these systems being the consumption of large quantities of liquid, many of which liquids present a health hazard and are detrimental to the environment.
A conventional method of washing an aircraft engine for instance is to spray cold water into the engine through a hose having a diameter of about 2.5". This means that very large quantities of water are injected (300-400 l per engine) and has the following further drawbacks:
The fan and compressor blades of the engine are placed under great strain. PA1 The engine start-up system is placed under great strain. PA1 The liquid is separated out by the centrifugal effect, resulting in a poor wash. PA1 Large quantities of liquid spill are occasioned around the aircraft. PA1 The method cannot be employed during cold year periods; and the wash gives a poor result, since the ability of water to wash away grease coatings is very limited (because of the large quantities of liquid required, the use of special washing liquids or detergents is uneconomical).
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid and other drawbacks and to provide conditions for the lean use of resources and for obtaining an effective compressor wash, and to reduce the use of liquids that present a hazard to health and to the environment, and to enable turbine motors to be cleaned effectively with far less quantities of liquid while using an environmental-friendly liquid to this end.

Method of washing objects, such as turbine compressors


A multiple-step reset process and circuit for resetting a voltage stored on a photodiode of an imaging device. A first stage of the reset occurs while a source and a drain of a pixel source-follower transistor are held at ground potential and the photodiode and a gate of the pixel source-follower transistor are charged to an initial reset voltage having potential less that of a supply voltage. A second stage of the reset occurs after the initial reset voltage is stored on the photodiode and the gate of the pixel source-follower transistor and the source and drain voltages of the pixel source-follower transistor are released from ground potential thereby allowing the source and drain voltages of the pixel source-follower transistor to assume ordinary values above ground potential and resulting in a capacitive feed-through effect that increases the voltage on the photodiode to a value greater than the initial reset voltage.

CMOS imagers are electronic camera or imaging chips implemented in CMOS (complementary metal/oxide/silicon) technology, the technology presently used to make a large fraction of analog electronic circuits, as well as virtually all digital electronics. The CMOS process uses n-channel and p-channel field-effect transistors, as well as typically diodes, resistors and capacitors.
A CMOS imager contains a light-sensitive area where an optical image is focused. The image is converted into an electrical signal at the light-sensitive area. The CMOS imager also typically includes surrounding support electronics that readout the electrical signal, producing an analog or digital video output signal.
The light sensitive area is divided into a two-dimensional array of picture elements, or pixels. Each pixel in the array converts the light that falls on that pixel over an integration time period into a single signal voltage that can be read out by the support electronics.
A schematic of a commonly used prior art photodiode pixel 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Of course, those skilled in the art recognize that a conventional imager may well have millions of pixels 10 in a given imager arranged in a two dimensional array of pixels 10 and that only a single pixel is represented by FIG. 1. The pixels 10 become sensitive to light impinging them during an integration time period when electrons are bled off a capacitor inherently associated with a photosensitive diode 12.
Immediately prior to the beginning of the integration time period the photo diode 12 is reset. When ΦReset goes high the reset transistor MReset is turned on draining away any accumulated charge in the photodiode 12 thereby reverse biasing the photodiode 12 with the voltage VDD. The reset transistor MReset is then turned off again when ΦReset goes low, isolating the photodiode 12 and initially leaving a voltage equal to VDD initially stored on the photodiode's internal capacitance. The integration time-period then begins and light incident on the pixel 10 generates an internal current in the photodiode 12, tending to discharge the capacitively stored voltage towards ground. The amount of discharge in a fixed amount of time (the integration time period) is proportional to the intensity of light incident on the pixel 10.
Then when ΦSelect goes high the pixel voltage is read out by turning on the select transistor MSelect. This allows the column current source to draw current through the source-follower transistor MSF, biasing it, while simultaneously allowing source-follower transistor MSF to drive the column bus or line 14. The source-follower transistor MSF acts like a single-transistor buffer amplifier and it causes the column bus 14 voltage to follow the photodiode 12 voltage (minus a fixed offset drop) allowing a signal representative of the photodiode voltage to be sampled on line 14.
A key figure of merit of a CMOS imager is its dynamic range, which is the range of signals which the imager can faithfully read out. It is usually expressed as a ratio of the largest readable signal to the smallest readable signal. The smallest readable signal is determined by the noise floor of the imager. This invention does not address the noise directly, so the noise floor need not be discussed further in any particular detail. However, noise reduction is discussed in passing in connection with a second embodiment which has certain noise reduction features and one purpose of the second embodiment is to demonstrate that the techniques disclosed herein are compatible with noise reduction techniques.
The largest readable signal is determined by the maximum signal swing that can be read out. The dynamic range is maximized by making the high end voltage as high as possible and the low end voltage as low as possible.
In a photodiode imager, the low end of this range is determined by the offset of the source-follower and its relation to other downstream electronics. Again the low end of the swing is not addressed by this disclosure and so again will not be discussed further.
The high end of the voltage swing is determined by how high one can set the photodiodes' initial reset voltage. This innovation is intended to increase the dynamic range by increasing the magnitude of this reset voltage.
The complementary nature of CMOS means that both n-channel and p-channel transistors are ordinarily available to the designer, and both types are used in some parts of the imager, such as in associated logic circuits. However, in most practical designs the pixel size is quite limited, usually being on the order of 10 μm for a typical imager. There is a minimum separation normally required between n-channel and p-channel transistors, and the amount of required separation normally means that one cannot mix transistor types within a pixel and keep the size of the imager small. Therefore all of the transistors in the pixel are typically of the same conductivity type, usually n-type (which is also called n-channel).
The three transistors shown in FIG. 1 are all therefore typically all of the same conductivity type and in modern circuits this means that they are preferably all n-channel transistors. The reset drive voltage is the positive supply voltage, VDD. A problem comes about because using an n-channel transistor (or generically a reset switch or transistor having the same conductivity type as the other transistors in the imager) as the reset switch limits the maximum diode reset voltage. In order for an n-channel transistor to be on, the gate voltage must be at least one threshold voltage (called VT) more positive than the source voltage of the transistor. Alternatively, one can say that the source must be more negative than the gate by at least VT. The same issue would arise for a p-channel imager, but in that case the polarities would be reverse.
While it is possible to overdrive the gate voltage of the reset transistor by certain means, this can damage the reset transistor, resulting in greatly reduced reliability. Therefore, in a standard configuration, the maximum gate voltage is the positive supply voltage VDD (usually either 5 volts or 3.3 volts, depending on the CMOS process used).
If the gate is held at VDD and source must be must be more negative than the gate by at least VT, then the maximum source voltage is VDD−VT for the transistor to remain on. If the source rises above this voltage then the transistor will tend to turn off. This effect limits the maximum reset voltage of the photodiode to VDD−VT. If the photodiode voltage is initially at ground and ΦReset goes high, then MReset will turn on and current will flow through it pulling the photodiode voltage up toward VDD. However, as the photodiode voltage approaches. VDD−VT, the gate-source voltage of the reset transistor MReset approaches the threshold and turns itself off, preventing its source voltage (which is the photodiode reset voltage on the cathode of photodiode 12) from increasing any further.
To be more precise, the transistor MReset does not abruptly shut off, but instead goes into subthreshold operation where the current decreases exponentially with increasing source voltage. This will allow the photodiode voltage to continue to increase slightly, but it does so logarithmically with time. For a practical reset time of tens of microseconds, the diode voltage can only climb a few millivolts above the cutoff VDD−VT. Even if the reset were continued for hours the diode voltage will only be raised by tens of millivolts above this limit.
For example, in a 3.3 V CMOS process, the threshold voltage VT is normally about one volt, but it is increased even further by the so-called body effect when its source is raised above ground. Let us therefore use a figure of 1.3 volts for the threshold voltage VT. The maximum photodiode reset voltage is then only 3.3 V−1.3 V=2.0 V.
The lowest value of the photodiode voltage that can be read out is limited by the other electronics, and may typically be about one volt. Therefore the maximum photodiode signal swing is perhaps only from 2 volts to 1 volt, or only a range of 1 volt of the 3.3 volt supply voltage VDD. The situation is only slightly better for 5V CMOS processes, and the trend in CMOS development is, if anything, towards lower supply voltages.
The presently disclosed technology is intended to circumvent the problem described above and allow the photodiode 12 to be reset to an initial reset voltage greater than VDD−VT, without having to resort to either overdriving the reset transistor gate or replacing the n-channel reset transistor with a p-channel one.

Increasing the dynamic range of CMOS photodiode imagers


[PROBLEM] To provide an industrially advantageous method and system that are simple and have superior energy efficiency for obtaining high-purity propane from low-purity propane.

Propane used in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), thermal power generation fuel, etc. is commonly purified industrially by fractional distillation of the petroleum as raw material. Consequently, propane currently in common use contains at least one of ethane and propylene, at least one of isobutane and normal butane, water, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide as impurities, and the purity thereof is low and varies at a level on the order of 98.5% by volume.
However, the need for high-purity propane having a low concentration of impurities has increased in recent years. For example, there is a growing demand for propane as a raw material of high-withstand voltage silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. In order to realize this high level of withstand voltage performance of silicon carbide, the concentration of each impurity present in propane is required to be less than 1 ppm by volume, and in particular the concentration of nitrogen is required to be less than 0.1 ppm by volume.
Therefore, it is considered to distill high-purity propane from low-purity propane that is currently in common use having a purity of about 98.5% by volume. However, in the case of distilling high-purity propane from low-purity propane, the scale of the equipment becomes large and a large amount of energy is required. In the case of containing propylene in particular as an impurity, since the difference in boiling points between propane and propylene is small, the purification by distillation becomes difficult. Furthermore, a method of selectively absorbing propylene by an aqueous solution containing silver nitrate is known in order to separate propylene that is a member of olefins from propane that is a member of paraffins (see Patent Document 1). In this method, however, since propane, ethane, isobutane, and normal butane that are members of paraffins cannot be separated from each other, purification to high-purity propane cannot be achieved even if this method is employed.

Purification method and purification system for propane

Abstract: [SOLUTION] Water, carbon dioxide, at least one of ethane and propylene, and at least one of isobutane and normal butane present in low-purity propane in a gaseous phase are adsorbed by means of a zeolite molecular sieve that preferentially adsorbs water and carbon dioxide over propane, an activated carbon molecular sieve that preferentially adsorbs ethane and propylene over propane, and activated carbon that preferentially adsorbs isobutane and normal butane over propane. Propane is condensed in a state in which nitrogen and oxygen are maintained in a gaseous state by introducing the low-purity propane in a gaseous phase into a partial condenser. Nitrogen and oxygen in the gaseous phase are extracted from the partial condenser.


A broadband optical via provides a low loss interconnection between waveguides in two vertically adjacent planar waveguiding layers. Two waveguides, one in each planar layer, evanescently interact over an interaction length, and substantially all of the power on one waveguide is transferred to the second waveguide. The relative detuning between waveguides is varied along the interaction region by tapering the width of one or both guides along the direction of propagation. The interaction strength is also varied by varying the physical separation between the two waveguides such that the interaction approaches zero near the two ends of the interaction length. The performance of the broadband optical via is fabrication tolerant, polarization tolerant, wavelength tolerant, and dimensionally tolerant.

This invention relates to a method and structure for interconnecting two integrated optical waveguides that lie in different vertical planes within a multilayer optical circuit. More specifically it relates to an optical via that transfers optical power from one waveguide to a vertically adjacent waveguide, the power transfer being fabrication tolerant, polarization tolerant, wavelength tolerant, and dimensionally tolerant.


Assembly (1) adapted to contain a fluid, in particular a cosmetic fluid, including a bottle (2) extending in an elongate direction (6) and including a neck (30), a substantially tubular base (4) substantially covering the bottle and retaining part adapted to hold the bottle in the base. The retaining part including a collar (16) bearing on the bottle about its neck, a tubular member (8) and hooking part (18, 20). The tubular member (8) includes elastic part (10) disposed between a first portion (12) and a second portion (14) of the tubular member in order to be able to vary the distance between the first portion (12) and the second portion (14) of the tubular member, the tubular member (8) being connected to the base (4) by its second portion (14). The hooking part is adapted to secure the collar (16) to the first portion (12) of the tubular member.

The invention relates to an assembly adapted to contain a fluid, in particular a cosmetic fluid.
Assemblies are conventionally known which comprise:
a bottle extending in an elongate direction and comprising a neck via which the fluid is adapted to flow;
a substantially tubular base extending in said elongate direction, substantially covering the bottle and having a base on which the bottle rests in contact;
retaining means adapted to hold the bottle in the base.
The base therefore makes it possible to embellish the bottle. In order to reduce production costs, however, bottles (or even bases) having dimensional tolerances of some 5% are currently used. It is then very difficult to retain the bottle in the base in a satisfactory manner (and in particular to prevent any unexpected relative displacement) while ensuring precise mounting of the visible components of the assembly in order to obtain excellent aesthetic qualities.

Play recovery assembly adapted to contain a fluid


An improved bottled water station is provided of the type having a removable reservoir for drop-in installation into and lift-out removal from a station housing. The reservoir is constructed from a lightweight molded plastic or the like to have an open upper end for receiving and supporting an inverted water bottle. A bottom wall on the reservoir includes an upwardly recessed portion defining an inverted receiver cup for slide-fit reception of an upstanding chiller probe provided as part of a refrigeration system on the station housing. A vent path is provided to vent the space between the chiller probe and the receiver cup during drop-in installation or lift-out removal of the reservoir. However, when the reservoir is seated in a fully installed position, the vent path is closed and a vapor seal prevents air circulation into the space between the chiller probe and the receiver cup, to correspondingly prevent undesired formation of condensation and/or frost. One or more faucet valves are provided to extend through openings in a front wall of the station housing for dispensing water from the reservoir.

This invention relates generally to improvements in bottled water stations of the type adapted to receive and support a water bottle in an inverted position, and to selectively dispense water therefrom. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved bottled water station of the type having a removable water-containing reservoir adapted for simple drop-in installation into a station housing. The reservoir and station housing include means for substantially eliminating or preventing formation of undesired condensation and/or frost on the exterior of the water reservoir while facilitating sliding drop-in installation and lift-out removal of the reservoir.
Bottled water dispenser stations are well-known in the art for containing a supply of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. Such bottled water stations commonly include an upwardly open reservoir mounted on a station housing and adapted to receive and support an inverted water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. Water within the inverted bottle flows downwardly into the station reservoir for selective dispensing therefrom through one or more faucet valves on the front of the station housing. Such bottled water stations are widely used to provide a clean and safe source of water for drinking and cooking, especially in areas where the local water supply is suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In bottled water stations of the above-described type, the water bottles are normally provided by a vendor in a clean and preferably sterile condition with an appropriate sealed cap to prevent contamination of the water contained therein. When an inverted bottle on a station housing reaches an empty condition, the empty bottle can be lifted quickly and easily from the station housing and replaced by a filled bottle having the sealing cap removed therefrom or otherwise opened. The empty bottle can then be returned to the bottled water vendor for cleaning and refilling.
Although bottled water stations of this type utilize a sequence of water bottles which have been individually sanitized, the water reservoir within the station housing has not been subjected to periodic cleaning or replacement. In this regard, the housing reservoir typically comprises a metal or ceramic tank mounted within the station housing in association with a refrigeration system having a chiller coil for maintaining water within the reservoir in a chilled condition. In some station housing designs, the reservoir is subdivided into distinct chambers, one of which is associated with a refrigeration system, to provide separately dispensed supplies of chilled water and room temperature water. Still further, in other designs, an auxiliary reservoir is provided in association with suitable heated elements to produce a heated water supply. Unfortunately, the integration of the station housing reservoir with associated chilling and/or heating systems has generally precluded easy access to or removal of the reservoir from the station housing for cleaning purposes. Instead, the water-containing reservoir has typically been used for prolonged time periods without cleaning, thus creating the potential for undesired growth of harmful bacteria and other organisms. Reservoir cleaning has generally been accomplished in the past by taking the station out of service and returning the station to a centralized facility for cleaning purposes.
In one proposed construction for a bottled water station, a removable reservoir container has been suggested for drop-in placement and lift-out removal with respect to a supporting chiller plate mounted within a station housing. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,096. While this configuration beneficially facilitates removal of the reservoir container for cleaning purposes, significant problems have been encountered with respect to formation of condensation and/or frost in the space between the removable reservoir container and the refrigerated chiller plate. As a result, such bottled water stations have encountered significant drip problems requiring inclusion of a drip tray, and often resulting in undesirable water puddling on the floor beneath the station housing. Condensate dripping onto carpeted or tiled floor areas in a typical in-home or office environment is, of course, extremely undesirable.
In an alternative and improved bottled water station construction having a drop-in, lift-out reservoir, an upstanding chiller probe within the bottled water station is adapted for slide-fit sealed reception through an opening formed in a bottom wall of the reservoir. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,004. In this construction, the chiller probe is positioned within the interior volume of the removable reservoir, in direct contact with water contained therein, whereby problems relating to condensation and/or frost are entirely avoided. However, an adequate and reliable slide-fit seal arrangement must be provided between the reservoir bottom wall and the chiller probe to prevent undesired water leakage.
In another alternative bottled water station design, a chiller probe within the bottled water station is positioned for slide-fit reception into an inverted receiver cup formed in the bottom wall of the removable reservoir. See, for example, copending U.S. Ser. No. 064,923, filed May 24, 1993, entitled BOTTLED WATER STATION WITH REMOVABLE RESERVOIR. In this configuration, slide-fit seal arrangements were not required since the chiller probe does not protrude through the reservoir bottom wall. A vapor seal is provided to prevent air circulation into the small space between the chiller probe and the receiver cup to control and/or prevent frost and condensation. However, during drop-in installation of the reservoir, residual air within this space is compressed to resist reservoir movement to a fully installed position. Similarly, upon lift-out removal of the reservoir, a vacuum is drawn in this space to resist reservoir removal.
The present invention relates to further improvements in a bottled water station of the type having a drop-in and lift-out reservoir with an inverted receiver cup for slide-fit reception of a chiller probe, in combination with a vapor seal to reduce or eliminate condensation and frost. The bottled water station of the present invention further includes means for venting the space between the probe and the receiver cup during reservoir installation and removal to facilitate sliding reservoir movement.

Bottled water station with removable reservoir


A motor stator includes a plurality of stator cores constituted of divided cores and cassette coils which are conductive coils. One of the divided core and the cassette coil is integrally formed with an insulator of a thermosetting resin by insert molding. A stator assembly including the plurality of cassette coils is covered with a thermosetting resin by molding to produce the state.

A conventional motor stator includes a plurality of stator coils each of which is comprised of a conductive coil wound around a stator core. A resin insulator is interposed between the stator core and the conductive coil to ensure insulation therebetween. After the conductive coil is inserted on the stator core through the insulator, they are entirely covered with a molding material by molding to form a stator. The molding is performed to allow the heat generated in the conductive coil to radiate to the outside and also to prevent water or the like from entering the stator.
A manufacturing method of the stator is conducted by mounting the conductive coil fitted on the insulator onto the stator core, attaching a bus bar and others, and molding them entirely.
Here, a clearance between the insulator and the conductive coil is set to be small in order to enhance heat conduction. Therefore, during the molding for the conductive coil fitted on the insulator, the molding material could not sufficiently enter the clearance, thus leaving an air layer between the insulator and the conductive coil. Such air layer is likely to decrease the heat conduction due to poor heat conductivity of the air layer, resulting in insufficient heat radiation of the motor.
To avoid the above problems, one measure is to cover the insulator and the conductive coil by molding prior to the entirely molding.
For example, JP3659874 discloses a technique of covering a flat wire with no insulation inserted in a slot insulator with an epoxy thermosetting resin by molding and, after assembling components forming a stator, entirely covering the assembly again with an epoxy thermosetting resin by molding. More specifically, the flat wire corresponding to the conductive coil is inserted in the slot insulator corresponding to the insulator, and the combined unit is installed in a slot and then covered once with the epoxy thermosetting resin. After the components forming the stator are assembled together, the epoxy thermosetting resin is molded around the assembly to complete the stator.
As the molding material, on the other hand, a thermosetting resin containing a large amount of filler is used in order to enhance crack resistance and heat conduction.
As a material of the insulator, a thermoplastic resin is used in order to enhance productivity. In the case of using the thermoplastic resin containing a large amount of filler to reduce linear expansion coefficient to the level of a coil or a stator core and enhance heat conduction, it is likely that its fluidity decreases and also tenacity decreases, leading to occurrence of cracks in the insulator itself.

Motor stator and stator manufacturing method


The present invention relates to a method for obtaining analgesia by administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enetiomer or pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof to a mammal intraspinally, 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof can be administered intraspinally to a mammal obtaining analgesia without side-effects, such as sedation. The present invention also relates to a method for using the drug as an adjunct to anaesthesia by administering it intraspinally.

This application is a national stage filing of PCT International Application No. PCT/F199/00793, filed on Sep. 27, 1999, which published in the English language.
The present invention relates to a new method of administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof. Accordingly, the present invention relates to an intraspinal administration of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof to obtain analgesia. The intraspinal administration is intented to include epidural, intrathecal and intrarrhachidian administration. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method for obtaining analgesia in a mammal by administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof intraspinally. Particularly, the present invention relates to an intraspinal administration of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof for obtaining analgesia without sedation. Further, the present invention relates to a method of using 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof as an adjunct to anaesthesia by administering the drug intraspinally. The present invention also relates to a method for treating a mammal by administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof intraspinally. Further, the present invention relates to the use of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt in the manufacture of a medicament for intraspinal administration.
3-(1H-Imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol has the following formula:
3-(1H-Imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol is described in WO 97/12874 as an xcex12-receptor agonist useful in the treatment of hypertension, glaucoma, migraine, diarrhea, ischemia, addiction to chemical substances, anxiety, especially preoperative anxiety, and different neurological, musculosketal, psychiatric and cognition disorders as well as a sedative and an analgesic agent, nasal decongestant, and as an adjunct to anaesthesia. Enteral, topical, and parenteral routes of administration and a method for producing the compound are discussed in WO 97/12874.
Opioids, especially morphine, are routinely used for intraspinal and epidural administration to give analgesia. However, according to Eisenach J. E. (Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs 3(10), 1994, 1005-1010) the major concern limiting the use of intraspinal morphine is the 0.1 to 0.2% incidence of severe respiratory depression, occurring six to twelve hours after injection.
xcex12-Receptor agonists are being evaluated for obtaining analgesia by administering them intrathecally or epidurally. At the moment, the only xcex12-receptor agonist approved by the FDA for obtaining analgesia by epidural administration is clonidine (DURACLONO(copyright)). According to Laitin S. and Wallac M. (xe2x80x9cxcex12-agonists for analgesiaxe2x80x9d, Emerging Drugs 1996, Chapter Eighteen, 377-399, Ashley Publications Ltd.) the lipid solubility of clonidine results in significant systemic absorption when administered epidurally. This results in significant systemic side-effects, such as, sedation and hypotension. It is suggested that agents with lower lipid solubility may be advantageous. Also, Eisenach J. C. in Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs 3(10), 1994, 1005-1010, states that injectable xcex12-agonist drug development would logically focus on compounds of low lipophilicity. Increasing lipophilicity is associated with more rapid and extensive absorption into the vasculature and redistribution in the body, which for xcex12-agonists could lead to a greater likelihood or intensity of sedative and haemodynamic side-effects.
Further, Staats P. S. and Mitchell V. D. (Progr. Anesthesiol. 11(19), 1997, 367-382) state that, although clonidine has been demonstrated to be a powerful analgesic agent, the clinical use of intrathecal clonidine has been limited by side-effects, primarily hypotension and bradycardia.
Applicants have discovered that 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof is an ideal agent to be administered to a mammal intraspinally for obtaining analgesia. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method for obtaining analgesia by administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof to a mammal intraspinally in an amount sufficient to give the desired therapeutic effect. Applicants surprisingly discovered that 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof can be administered intraspinally to a mammal obtaining analgesia without side-effects, such as sedation. This is surprising because 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol has a considerable higher lipophilicity when compared to clonidine at physiological pH. Because of the higher lipophilicity it would have been expected that 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol would cause also the systemic adverse effects when administered intraspinally as clonidine does.
It should be noted that the method for obtaining analgesia in a mammal encompasses all of the potential conditions that require the treatment of pain, e.g., intraoperative pain; postoperative pain; obstetric pain; chronic pain, such as cancer-related pain and neuropathic pain; and spastic paraplegia. Further, it should be noted that intraspinal administration is intented to include epidural, intrathecal (i.e., within the spinal subarachnoid or subdural space), and intrarrhachidian administration.
An object of the invention is also to provide a method for treating a mammal by administering 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharnmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof intraspinally for a time sufficient to give the therapeutic effect.
An aspect of the invention is also to provide a method of using 3-(1H-imidazol-4--ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof intraspinally as an adjunct to anaesthesia.
A further aspect of the invention relates to a use of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof in the manufacture of a medicament for intraspinal administration.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a use of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol, its enantiomer or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt thereof in an intraspinal administration to a mammal to obtain analgesia.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

Use of 3-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-indan-5-ol in the manufacture of a medicament for intraspinal, intrathecal or epidural administration


A connection assembly permits a make first and break last connection for primary power. The assembly includes a first pair of connectors, a second pair of connectors, and a compliance element associated with one of the first pair of connectors. The compliance element enables the first pair of connectors to mate prior to the mating of the second pair of connectors and to enable the first pair of connectors to disengage after the disengagement of the second pair of connectors.

In electronic systems, such as computer systems, it is often necessary to provide a computer with a redundant power source. In some computer systems, such as those used in the telephone industry, when power supplies are connected to their associated computers, they receive, through a primary connection, a fixed DC voltage such as −48 V DC and control signals through a secondary connection. The power supplies also provide various rail voltages to the computers through the secondary connection. The connections are facilitated by primary and secondary connectors carried by the computer system chassis and the power supplies.
Generally, to connect and disconnect redundant power sources, two conditions must be met. First, one side of the primary connection and one side of the secondary connection must float in a plane perpendicular to the connection axis, in either the power supply or computer system chassis, to enable the corresponding connectors to pick up and engage with their mating connectors without positional in-fighting or snubbing. Secondly, the primary connection must electrically make first and break last.
This second condition, contemplates that in these applications, it is essential that the primary connection be made prior to the secondary connection. This enables the power supply to connect to the primary DC voltage source provided by the computer before it is turned on and begins generation of secondary rail voltages. Likewise, when the power supply is disconnected from the computer, it is essential that the control signals turn off the secondary rail voltages by breaking the secondary connection before the primary source power is lost by disconnection of the primary connections. This sequence requires a make first break last connection assembly.
The foregoing sequence must be held under all tolerance conditions for the proper operation of the system. The combined tolerances of both their primary and secondary connectors can result in considerable wiping action requirements of the primary power connector to ensure the make first break last requirement. The present invention provides a make first break last connection assembly which meets the wipe requirements and reliability tolerances required in such applications.

Make first break last connection assembly

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A spark-ignition direct injection engine is provided. The engine includes an engine body, a fuel injection valve, a fuel pressure setting mechanism, an ignition plug, and a controller. The controller operates the engine to perform compression-ignition combustion within a first operating range, and controls the ignition plug to operate the engine to perform spark-ignition combustion within a second operating range. Within a specific part of the first range, the controller sets the fuel pressure to 30 MPa or above, and retards the compression ignition to after a compression top dead center by controlling the injection valve to inject fuel into a cylinder in a period from a late stage of compression stroke to an early stage of expansion stroke. Below the specific part, the controller controls the fuel injection valve to inject the fuel into the cylinder in a period from intake stroke to a mid-stage of the compression stroke.

The present invention relates to a spark-ignition direct injection engine.
Techniques for improving both an exhaust emission performance and a thermal efficiency have been known. For example, JP2007-154859A discloses such a technique using a combustion mode of compression to ignite mixture gas inside the cylinder. With engines where such compression-ignition combustion is performed, the compression-ignition combustion becomes combustion with a significant increase in pressure as the engine load increases, causing an increase of combustion noises. Thus, as disclosed in JP2007-154859A, even for the engines which perform compression-ignition combustion, within an operating range on a high engine load side, instead of the compression-ignition combustion, spark-ignition combustion by the operation of the ignition plug has generally been performed.
JP2009-197740A discloses an engine which performs compression-ignition combustion within a low engine load operating range with low engine speed similar to the engine disclosed in JP2007-154859A, in which the open timing of an intake valve is advanced within a part of the compression-ignition combustion performing range where the engine load is relatively high and the engine speed is relatively high so that burned gas inside the cylinder is blown back to the intake port side once and then the burned gas is introduced into the cylinder again along with fresh air. In this manner, the temperature of the burned gas decreases because of the fresh air. Thus, the temperature inside the cylinder deceases and the significant pressure increase due to the compression-ignition combustion can be suppressed. The art disclosed in JP2009-197740A is advantageous in expanding the range where the compression-ignition combustion is performed to the higher engine load side.
With engines which perform compression-ignition combustion, it has been desired to expand the range where the compression-ignition combustion is performed, the compression-ignition combustion being advantageous regarding the exhaust emission performance and thermal efficiency. However, as described above, the compression-ignition combustion becomes combustion with a significant increase in pressure (dP/dt) as the engine load increases, and because of the restriction of NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness), it is difficult to expand the compression-ignition combustion performing range to the higher engine load side.


A device for cooling food and beverages includes an outer cylindrical body having an open bottom end and an open top end and at least one detent positioned a predetermined distance from both the open bottom side and open top side. An inner cylindrical shell having an inner side, an outer side, an open top end, an open bottom end, a first thread extending around the inner side of the top end and a second thread extending around the inner side of the bottom end. The inner cylindrical shell is connected at its open top end to the open top end of the outer cylindrical body to form a sleeve therebetween. A cooling producing element positioned within the sleeve formed between the outer cylindrical body and the inner cylindrical shell. A bottom cap having a protrusion extending from a central portion thereof and at least one clip extending from a periphery thereof. The protrusion has a thickness and a third thread extending around a periphery thereof for mating with the first thread, wherein the clip is received within the detent on the bottom end of the outer cylindrical body when the first and third threads are completely mated sealing the cooling producing element between the outer cylindrical body and the inner cylindrical shell. A top cap having a protrusion extending from a central portion thereof and at least one clip extending from a periphery thereof. The protrusion has a thickness and a fourth thread extending around a periphery thereof for mating with the second thread, wherein the clip is received within the detent on the bottom end of the outer cylindrical body when the second and fourth threads are completely mated.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to coolers and, more specifically, to a device for cooling food and beverages especially for an infant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices for cooling food and drinks have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,292,817; 4,311,022; 4,324,111; 4,441,336; 4,470,264 and 4,877,128 all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

Device for cooling food and beverages especially for an infant