A method for treating a liver disease such as hepatitis, comprising administering to a patient having the liver disease, an effective amount of a diarylsulfide or diarylether derivative having 2-amino-1,3-propanediol structure, and represented by the following formula (1):

A liver disorder, hepatitis can be caused by viruses, alcohol and drugs. Of hepatitis of different etiology, viral hepatitis is most common. Viral hepatitis is caused by hepatitis viruses that infect the liver. In particular, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are known to lead not only to acute hepatic failure, but also to hepatic cirrhosis and liver cancer at a significantly high rate (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). Of the more than 40,000 deaths each year resulting from liver cancer and hepatic cirrhosis in Japan, approximately 70% are infected with hepatitis C virus and approximately 20% with hepatitis B virus (Non-Patent Document 3).
The therapeutic agents for hepatitis B and C have been intensively developed in recent years. However, even lamivudine, one of the most promising therapeutic agents for hepatitis B, is not effective to an extent that eliminates hepatitis B virus (HVB) from all of the patients (Non-Patent Document 4). Although the introduction of interferons (IFN) has brought about the recent advances in the treatment of hepatitis C, the combination therapy of IFN preparations and ribavirin is not effective enough (Non-Patent Document 5). Despite the progress of conventional therapeutic agents, many people persistently infected with the viruses are still in need of treatments since persistent hepatitis can lead to hepatic cirrhosis and, ultimately, to hepatic cell carcinoma.
Recently, viral hepatitis has been realized as a incomplete immunological interaction between the host and the viruses without viral elimination (Non-Patent Document 6). It is now believed that the viruses harm the liver cells not by directly damaging the liver cells, but as a result of immune responses in which host's immune cells such as cytotoxic T cells eliminate and destroy the infected liver cells. The ideal treatment for the viral hepatitis is of course the elimination of virus. As in hepatitis C, the viral load is not necessarily a function of the severity of inflammation in hepatitis B.
Asymptomatic HBV carriers do not have liver inflammation despite a high viral load. When elimination of the virus is impossible, another option is to keep patients in a state of asymptomatic HBV carrier in which the virus survives but does not cause inflammation. The present invention provides compounds that prevent the onset of liver inflammation by suppressing T-cell activation.
2-amino-1,3-propanediol derivatives described in the present application are already described compounds (Patent Documents 1 and 2) and are known to be useful as immunosuppressors. Nonetheless, there is no previous studies or reports that demonstrate their use against liver diseases or suggest their efficacy to suppress liver inflammation.    Non-Patent Document 1 Annu. Rev. Biochem. 56: 651 (1987)    Non-Patent Document 2 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 87: 6547 (1990)    Non-Patent Document 3 Sogo Rinsyo, 54: 449 (2005)    Non-Patent Document 4 N. Engl. J. Med., 348: 848 (2003)    Non-Patent Document 5 N. Engl. J. Med., 347: 975 (2002)    Non-Patent Document 6 J. Clin. Invest., 99: 1472 (1997)    Patent Document 1 WO 2003/029184 pamphlet    Patent Document 2 WO 2003/029205 pamphlet

Therapeutic agent for treating liver disease containing 2-amino-1,3-propanediol derivative as active ingredient, and method for treating liver disease

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.


In various embodiments the present invention is directed to a complex for use in detecting nitrite, a method for making the complex, and a method for detecting nitrite with the complex. The complex comprises a structure of Formula (I)

Nitrite ion (NO2−) is recognized as both a surface water and a groundwater contaminant from agricultural activities, improper wastewater discharge and atmospheric precipitation, and the exposure to NO2− is of great concern to public health [1-3]. Unintended long-term and/or high-level intake of NO2− is known to create health problems including infantile methemoglobinemia (also known as blue baby syndrome), increased incidence of cancer, or even death [1, 2, 4, 5]. Therefore, nitrite is one of the water quality parameters for various water bodies. Currently, World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recommend the guideline value and maximum contaminant level (MCL) of NO2 for drinking water to be 3 mg L−1 as nitrite and 1 mg L−1 as nitrite-nitrogen, respectively [6, 7]. Moreover, quantitative analysis of NO2− is also important in physiological studies because NO2− and nitrate (NO3−) are surrogate markers for nitric oxide (NO) which plays important roles in many metabolic functions (e.g. neurotransmitter, thrombosis) and immune systems; measurements of NO2 and NO3− would provide valuable information regarding in vivo NO production [4, 8-10].
Several strategies have been developed for NO2− analysis in water or biological samples, including spectroscopic, electrochemical, and chromatographic methods [2]. Among these methods, colorimetric detection has attracted much interest due to its sensitivity, simplicity and more importantly, ability to observe the results by naked eye [11-14]. The Griess assay, developed in 1858, is still the most commonly used colorimetric NO2− detection method to date [15]. Despite its popularity, the Griess assay or its modified versions are known to suffer from (1) long incubation time for color development: at least 15 min is needed for the completion of coupling reaction between sulfanilamide and N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine even at elevated temperature [16, 17], and (2) serious interferences from many common ions [3]. Long incubation time (>10 min) is also required for the 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) assay [18], a popular fluorometric alternative to the Griess assay. So far, development of fast and convenient spectrophotometric assay which allows on-site visual detection of NO2− remains a challenge.
An aim of the invention therefore is to provide a complex for use in detecting nitrite ions which overcomes the above issues.

Ruthenium complex for use in nitrite detection

Abstract: where R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 straight or branched alkyl group, a C1-C4 straight or branched alkoxyl group, a phenyl group or a heterocyclic group, or any two of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 together form a phenyl group and the others are independently selected from hydrogen, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 straight or branched alkyl group, a C1-C4 straight or branched alkoxyl group, or a hydroxyl group, where said phenyl group is optionally substituted with a C1-C4 alkyl group or a halogen atom; and        wherein n is an integer selected from 0, 1 or 2.


The present invention relates to a composition for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome, containing tanshinone derivatives as an effective ingredient. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome, containing tanshinone derivatives that exhibit superior activity in enhancing metabolic activity, as an effective ingredient.

Metabolic syndrome refers to syndrome involving health risk factors such as hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, glycometabolism disorder, blood coagulation disorder and obesity. Metabolic syndrome itself is not fatal, but indicates a predisposition to severe diseases such as diabetes and ischemic cardiovascular diseases, and has emerged as the most threatening diseases among modern people. Metabolic syndrome was once known by various other names including Syndrome X, due to lack of knowledge about causes of such syndrome, but was officially designated as Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin Resistance Syndrome through Adult Treatment Program III (ATP III) enacted by the WHO and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the NIH.
The criteria proposed by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III), published in 2001, are the most current and widely used for diagnosing the metabolic syndrome. According to the ATP III criteria, individuals are diagnosed with the metabolic syndrome by the presence of three or more of these components: 1) A waistline of 40 inches (102 cm) or more for men and 35 inches (88 cm) or more for women (central obesity as measured by waist circumference), 2) A triglyceride level above 150 mg/dl, 3) A high density lipoprotein level (HDL) less than 40 mg/dl (men) or under 50 mg/dl (women), 4) A blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg or higher and 5) A fasting blood glucose (sugar) level greater than 110 mg/dl. For eastern people, the criteria for central obesity was slightly adjusted to a waistline of 90 cm or more for men and 80 cm or more for women. Recent research has reported that under such criteria, around 25% of Korean people suffer from metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance refers to a phenomenon wherein, even though insulin is normally secreted in vivo, insulin does not induce sufficient supply of glucose to cells. Therefore, glucose in the blood cannot enter cells, thus causing hyperglycemia, and thereby cells cannot perform normal functions due to a shortage of glucose, leading to the manifestation of metabolic syndrome.
At present, there are no drugs available for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Attempts have been made to treat metabolic syndrome using therapeutic agents for diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, but these drugs have limited effectiveness in treating metabolic syndrome as the drug. As currently available drugs, metformin, drugs belonging to the TZD (thiazolidinediones) family, glucosidase inhibitors, dual PPARγ/α agonists and DDP (Dipeptidyl peptidase) IV inhibitors, which are used for the treatment of diabetes, have received a great deal of attention as promising drugs for treating metabolic syndrome. In addition, a great deal of interest has been directed to isoforms of apo A-I and related peptides thereof, which are targets of anti-blood pressure drugs and anti-hyperlipidemic drugs, and CETP (Cholesterol ester transport protein) inhibitors.
Known factors that are directly or indirectly associated with causes and treatment of metabolic syndrome include physical exercise, dietary habit and type, body weight, blood glucose, triglyceride levels, cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, adiponectin, leptin, AMPK activity, sex hormones such as estrogen, genetic factors and in vivo malonyl-CoA concentration.
At present, the most effective way to fight the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome is known to be getting more exercise and losing weight, and dietary control. All of the current ways of fighting metabolic syndrome share in common the fact that they facilitate energy metabolism, thus resulting in maximized consumption of surplus energy in the body leading to prevention of energy accumulation. Due to high calorie intake from processed foods and fast foods, compared to insufficient exercise, surplus energy is accumulated in the form of fat and thereby becomes an underlying cause of various diseases including metabolic disorders. Effectively eliminating such surplus energy is considered a method for treating metabolic disorders. Increasing metabolic activity is essential to effectively eliminate surplus energy. For this purpose, it is believed that there is an essential need for inhibition of fat synthesis, inhibition of gluconeogenesis, facilitation of glucose consumption, facilitation of fat oxidation, facilitation of biogenesis of mitochondria which is a central apparatus of energy metabolism and activation of factors involved in metabolism activation. Activation factors linked to promotion of metabolism include, for example, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), glucose transporter 1 and 4 (GLUT 1 and 4), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT 1), uncoupling protein 1, 2 and 3 (UCP-1, 2 and 3), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase I and II (ACC I and II), which play an important role in energy metabolism.
Such factors perform the following main functions in energy metabolism, in relation to metabolic disorders.
1. Glycometabolism
In muscle tissues and myocardial tissues, AMPK promotes muscle contraction and thereby facilitates uptake of glucose, which in turn activates GLUT 1, or induces migration of GLUT 4 to a plasma membrane, regardless of insulin action, resulting in increased transport of glucose into cells (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 380, 347-352, 2000, J. Appl. Physiol. 91, 1073-1083, 2001). After increase of glucose uptake, AMPK activates hexokinase, thereby increasing flux of glycometabolism processes and simultaneously inhibiting glycogen synthesis. It is known that in myocardial tissues during ischemia, AMPK activates 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK-2) via a phosphorylation process, thus resulting in activation of a metabolic cascade leading to increased flux of glycometabolism (Curr. Biol. 10, 1247-1255, 2000). In addition, activation of AMPK in the liver inhibits release of glucose from hepatocytes. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase, which are enzymes of gluconeogenesis, was arrested by AMPK (Diabetes 49, 896-903, 2000), indicating that AMPK independently inhibits release of glucose from the liver, regardless of insulin, thus being involved in modulation of blood glucose level.
2. Mitochondrial Biogenesis
One important function of mitochondria is to carry out oxidative phosphorylation, which converts energy produced from fuel metabolites such as glucose and fatty acids into ATP. Functional mitochondrial alterations may effect pathogenesis of degenerative diseases associated with senescence, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's disease and senile dementia (Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 15, 706-716, 2003). Peterson, et al (Science 300, 1140-1142, 2003) has reported that oxidative phosphorylation functions of mitochondria were weakened by about 40% in the elderly, suggesting the possibility that deteriorated mitochondrial function is a probable pathogenic cause of insulin resistance syndrome. Lee et al (Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract. 42, 161-167, 1998) have confirmed that decreased mitochondrial DNA content in peripheral blood precedes the development of diabetes mellitus. Biogenesis of mitochondria in muscles is known to be promoted by an adaptive reaction in which metabolic activity of oxidative phosphorylation of muscle cells is increased by continuous energy depletion and exercise.
Meanwhile, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is known to be a co-activator promoting transcription of nuclear DNA and is known to play important roles in glucose metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, muscle fiber specialization and adaptive thermogenesis as main functions. It was confirmed that increased expression of PGC-1α facilitates an increase in the copy number of mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial proliferation (Cell, 98, 115-124, 1999).
It was suggested that overexpression of UCP-2 and UCP-3 in the mouse model results in a decreased number of adipocytes, increased metabolic rate and increased oxygen consumption, and thus UCP-2 and UCP-3 play an important role in energy metabolism and obesity control (Nutrition, 20, 139-144, 2004).
3. Control of Fat Metabolism
Referring to a mechanism in which AMPK participates in fat metabolism, AMPK is known to induce phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase which in turn inhibits fatty acid synthesis, thus resulting in decreased intracellular concentrations of malonyl-CoA that is an intermediate in a fatty acid synthesis process and is an inhibitor of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I), leading to promotion of fatty acid oxidation. CPT I is an enzyme essential for a process wherein fatty acids enter mitochondria and are oxidized, and is known to be modulated by intracellular concentration of malonyl-CoA. In addition, AMPK is known to inhibit activity of HMG-CoA reductase and glycerol phosphate acyl transferase (GPAT), involved in cholesterol and triacylglycerol synthesis, through phosphorylation (J. Biol. Chem. 277, 32571-32577, 2002, Appl. Physiol. 92, 2475-2482, 2002). Meanwhile, it was found that activation of AMPK in the liver inhibits the activity of pyruvate kinase, fatty acid synthase and ACC through phosphorylation of carbohydrate-response-element-binding protein (ChREBP) (J. Biol. Chem. 277, 3829-3835, 2002).
As described above, activators related to metabolism are known to play central roles in energy metabolism of glucose, protein, and fat in vitro and in vivo. Neil et al (Nature drug discovery, 3(April), 340, 2004) asserted that AMPK and Malonyl-CoA are targets for therapeutic treatment of metabolic syndrome, and patients suffering from metabolic syndrome are characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells, type I diabetes mellitus and manifestation of arteriosclerosis. It was hypothesized that a common feature linking these multiple abnormalities is dysregulation of AMPK/Malonyl-CoA fuel-sensing and signaling network. It was proposed that such dysregulation leads to alterations in cellular fatty-acid metabolism that in turn cause abnormal lipid accumulation, cellular dysfunction and ultimately disease. Evidence is also presented that factors that activate AMPK and/or reduce malonyl-CoA levels might reverse these abnormalities and syndromes or prevent them from occurring.
Genevieve et al (J. Biol. Chem. 279, 20767-74, 2004) have reported that activation of AMPK inhibits activity of an iNOS enzyme that is a inflammation mediator in chronic inflammatory conditions or endotoxin shock, including obesity-related diabetes and thus will be effective for developing new medicines having a mechanism capable of enhancing insulin sensitivity. In addition, they have reported that inhibition of iNOS activity is effected by activation of AMPK, and thus this finding is clinically applicable to diseases such as septicemia, multiple sclerosis, myocardial infarction, inflammatory bowel diseases and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction. Zing-ping et al (FEBS Letters 443, 285-289, 1999) have reported that AMPK activates endothelial NO synthase through phosphorylation, in the presence of Ca-calmodulin in muscle cells and myocardial cells of rats. This represents that AMPK is implicated in cardiac diseases including angina pectoris. Alan D et al (Nature genetics, 34(3), 244, 2003) have confirmed that muscle mitochondrial respiratory metabolism was reduced by ageing or diabetes, thus resulting in coordinated changes in expression of genes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation process, and they have reported that PGC-1α is in charge of this change in gene expression. Mary et al (PNAS 100, 8466, 2003) have reported that decreased expression of PGC-1α is a main cause of insulin resistance and dysmetabolism in diabetic patients. Isabella et al (Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 284, c1669, 2003) have reported that PGC-1α is a key factor stimulating adaptation of mitochondria to changes in environment due to a thyroid hormone, T3, and muscle contraction. Kim et al (The Korean Journal of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 11, 16, 2004) have reported that through the causal relation between glucose/fatty acid metabolism, abnormalities in the amount and quality of mitochondria induces insulin resistance and furthermore, is a main cause of metabolic syndrome.
The present inventors carried out an extensive search for metabolism-activating drugs, based on the assumption that materials activating metabolism will be effective for treatment of metabolic syndrome diseases, and as a result, have confirmed that tanshinone derivatives are effective ingredients for therapeutic agents.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome treatment with tanshinone derivatives which increase metabolic activity


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a shale oil in-situ lightening development method, apparatus and system, wherein the method comprises: determining an effective shale interval according to an interval with a total organic carbon greater than a first lower limit value in a target stratum; determining a favorable region for shale oil in-situ lightening development according to a thickness of the effective shale interval and an effective layer thickness ratio, wherein the effective layer thickness ratio includes a ratio of the thickness of the effective shale interval to a thickness of a shale section, and the shale section includes the effective shale intervals and interlayers therebetween. By utilizing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the benefit of the shale oil in-situ lightening development can be improved.

The shale oil has become an important field in the global oil exploration and development. However, the practices of exploration and development have proved that when the shale vitrinite reflectance (Ro) is less than 0.95%, the existing horizontal well volume pressure technology cannot realize a scaled economic development. The shale oil can be developed by adopting the in-situ lightening technology, which converts the unconverted organic matters and the generated hydrocarbons in the shales with medium and low maturities into light oil and natural gas through an in-situ electric heating method.
Many companies and universities at home and abroad have developed a large number of methods and technologies, such as radiation heating, convection heating and thermal conduction heating. A small amount of oil and gas can be obtained when an in-situ development is carried out by utilizing any of the prior arts. However, the existing methods have the defects such as low energy replacement ratio, poor benefit, complex downhole process equipment, less oil and gas output, output of thick oil, difficult temperature control and the like, which is not conducive to the cost control and the environmental protection, and cannot carry out a large-scale economic development. Moreover, the existing methods are basically aimed at the in-situ developments of shallow oil shale and are not suitable for the in-situ development of shale oil buried deeper.
Therefore, there is an urgent need in the industry for a method that can effectively develop the shale oil rich in organic matters with medium and low maturities.

Shale oil in-situ lightening development method, apparatus and system


A bearing plate is formed of an electrically conductive material so as to act as an electrical grounding apparatus when mounted on the lower end of a utility pole. The bearing plate includes a generally circular base plate with a depending conical flange which will engage the ground. A pair of tabs are punched downwardly from the base plate so as to engage the ground and provide additional surface area for electrical grounding purposes. The bearing plate may be welded directly to the lower end of a hollow steel pole, or bolted to the bottom of a wood pole, or pole of other composition.

Conventional wood utility poles frequently require a grounding electrode to ground the neutral conductor of overhead power lines. The minimum code requirements for a wood pole grounding is four grounds per mile, and a ground at every equipment location. If the poles are constructed of steel, a ground rod is typically utilized for every pole.
The use of a ground rod to ground a utility pole suffers a number of drawbacks. First, when soil freezes, electrical resistance of the ground rod increases dramatically. In addition, ground rods are difficult to install and remove, and are virtually impossible to install in some soil conditions (such as rocky soil or hardpan).
Connection of the ground rod to the power line requires a clamp connecting a grounding wire from the pole to the rod, the clamp normally being installed one to two feet deep in the ground, in a high corrosion zone of the ground. The ground rod wire is typically attached to the pole above the ground line, where they can be easily cut or damaged.
Conventional steel poles are formed of galvanized steel in an elongated tubular configuration, the steel conventionally less than one-quarter inch thick. Because the National Electric Safety Code (NESC) requires any grounding device to be formed of material one-quarter inch thick or greater, the lower end of the pole itself cannot be used to electrically ground the pole. Thus, an additional grounding apparatus is necessary to electrically ground power lines supported by a steel utility pole.
Bearing plates for tubular steel utility poles are typically necessary to support the pole in the ground. The open tubular end of the pole does not provide a sufficient bearing surface to support the pole. Conventional bearing plates are rectangular in configuration, and attached to the bottom of the pole to provide the required bearing surface for the pole. However, because the conventional rectangular bearing plate projects beyond the diameter of the pole, the pole is not easily turned once positioned in a hole, nor is the pole easy to remove from the ground, once installed.

Combination bearing plate and electrical grounding apparatus


A training device for use in teaching techniques for snow boarding, skiing, and the like, includes a carriage including two spaced vertical posts. A tubular arcuate track extends between the posts and forms a segment of a circle lying in an inclined plane. An elongated support member formed, for example, in the shape of a snow board or skis, is secured adjacent a first, lower end to the carriage by a ball and socket mechanism. A guide roller assembly mounted for pivotal movement on the bottom surface of the support member allows a user to move the support member along the arcuate track and to incline the support member from side to side, simulating the edging techniques used in the actual turning of skis or a snow board. A plurality of rollers mount the carriage for translational movement along a linear guide path. An electric or hydraulic system connected to a cable and pulley drive mechanism translationally moves the carriage along the guide path in response to detection of edging or inclination of the support member by a sensor, simulating the actual movement of skis or a snow board across a slope in response to left or right edging.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to training devices, and more particularly pertains to a training device for use in teaching techniques for snow boarding, skiing, and other similar sports such as in line skating, skate boarding, surfing, water skiing, wind surfing, bicycling, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an individual snow boards or skis down a slope, the individual inclines or edges the skis or snow board in order to traverse the slope from side to side while descending in elevation. The energy necessary to produce inertia and other forces, chiefly centripetal force, generated while traversing a slope when skiing or snow boarding is furnished by gravity, or more specifically the reduction of potential gravitational energy resulting from the individual moving from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. Accordingly, a significant portion of the energy required by an individual to effect a turn is provided from an external source, gravity, rather than from the muscles of the user. In the case of water skiing, a large part of the forces are generated by the tow boat.
A variety of training devices intended for use in teaching techniques for skiing and other sports exist in the prior art. Such prior art devices typically require a user to generate all forces required for operation and movement of the components of the training device from the muscles of the user, and thus do not accurately simulate the turning techniques associated with actual sporting activities such as snow boarding, skiing, etc. Representative examples of such prior art training devices include Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,258, and the references cited therein.
Certain types of prior art training devices exist which do provide an external energy source. One type of device in this category provides an inclined endless loop belt upon which an individual wearing skis stands, and moves from side to side on the belt by edging the skis.
Another type of known training device mounts a pair of simulated skis on a wheeled carriage for side-to-side movement along a track, propelled by forces generated by the user's muscles. Some such devices include a spring or elastic member for storing energy produced by the user's muscles to provide a centering or restorative force to the carriage after the carriage reaches a laterally outer position at either side of the track.
Applicant recalls seeing another prior art ski training device many years ago, invented by Ray Hall, which device included roller skate-type wheels mounted on bottom surfaces of a pair of skis supported on a transverse rotating cylinder, such that edging of the skis by a user effected limited side-to-side translational movement of the skis along the length of the rotating cylinder. Applicant believes that Mr. Hall's device used an electric motor to drive the rotating cylinder. Applicant has heard that Mr. Hall obtained a U.S. patent for the device many years ago, but has been unable to locate or specifically identify the patent.
However, Applicant is not aware of any training devices for snow boarding, skiing, or the like, which employ an external energy source in conjunction with a sensor to detect inclination or edging of a support member to automatically translationally move the support member in response to edging by a user.

Training device especially adapted for use in teaching techniques for snow boarding, skiing and the like


The present invention is directed toward a new zeolite membrane which exhibits a columnar cross-sectional morphology and preferred crystallographic orientation comprising a porous substrate having coated thereon a mesoporous growth enhancing layer and a layer of columnar zeolite crystals on said mesoporous growth enhancing layer, and wherein said mesoporous growth enhancing layer comprises nanocrystalline or colloidal sized zeolites, nanocrystalline or colloidal zeolite and metal oxide, or nanocrystalline or colloidal zeolite and colloidal metal, or nanocrystalline or colloidal zeolite, colloidal metal and metal oxide, and wherein said mesoporous growth enhancing layer has interstices of about 20 to about 2000 .ANG., and wherein said columnar zeolite layer is a polycrystalline layer wherein 99.9% of said columnar zeolite crystals have at least one point between adjacent crystals that is .ltoreq.20 .ANG.. The invention is further directed to a process of producing a zeolite membrane exhibiting a columnar crystallographic orientation.

Zeolite membranes have long been a goal of separation science. For a zeolite membrane to be practical, it must have a high flux as well as selectivity. Obtaining such a membrane has been difficult in the past because of defects in the zeolite film. This has been especially true for membranes grown from low alkaline synthesis routes described in the literature. These membranes have a heterogeneous crystal structure in the membrane and require an enormous (>50 micron) layer thickness to seal pinholes and void structures. What is needed in the art is a thin zeolite membrane with very few defects.
A patent describing the direct synthesis of zeolite membranes has been issued to W. Haag and J. G. Tsikoyiannis of Mobil (U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,478, issued May 5, 1992). A paper describing scientific results obtained with this type of membrane was published in an article titled "Synthesis and Characterization of a Pure Zeolitic Membrane" by J. G. Tsikoyiannis and W. Haag in Zeolites (Vol. 12, p. 126, 1992). The membrane described in the above article and patent is used as a freestanding membrane and is not affixed or attached as a layer to a microporous support making it mechanically fragile and leading to ready breakage during use. The physical structure of the membrane is such that there is a gradient of crystal sizes across the thickness of the membrane. This gradient of crystal sizes throughout the layer thickness precludes growth of a thin membrane with a minimum number of non-selective permeation paths.
Zeolites have also been grown on supports. See, for example, "High temperature stainless steel supported zeolite (MFI) membranes: preparation, module construction and permeation experiments," E. R. Geus, H. van Bekkum, W. Bakker and J. Moulijin, Microporous Materials, Vol. 1, p. 137, 1993; Netherlands patent application 9011048; European patent application 91309239.1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,692.
All of the above prepared membranes are formed with several zones (larger crystals grown on top of smaller crystals) across the membrane thickness. In several zones, the crystals are not grown into a dense mat that is free of intercrystalline voids. To obtain a permselective zeolite membrane, the above zeolite layers (comprised of zones) must be grown to an excessive thickness (>50 microns) to seal off voids and defects within the membrane. This creates a great mass transfer resistance causing reduced flux. Obtaining functional zeolite membranes from high alkaline synthesis routes is difficult because the heterogenous crystals in the membrane require an enormous membrane thickness to seal pinholes and void structures which lowers the membrane selectivity. The presence of such pinholes and voids is the cause of optical scattering in as synthesized high alkaline membranes.

Supported zeolite membranes with controlled crystal width and preferred orientation grown on a growth enhancing layer


A drilling assembly for drilling a borehole into geological formations. The assembly comprises a drilling shaft and a pump device, both placable in the borehole. The drilling shaft comprises a drilling head, and the pump device comprises a sealing device for sealing a first borehole part below the sealing device from a second borehole part above the sealing device. The pump device is enabled to pump a fluid from the first borehole part to the second borehole part.

Holes are drilled onshore and off-shore for getting access to oil fields and gas fields. These fields are located underground in one of the geological layers.
When drilling a borehole a drilling fluid is used to transport cuttings out of the borehole. With borehole depths of some hundreds of meters up to some kilometers the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the borehole could be some hundreds of bars.
Because of these high hydrostatic pressures, the drilling fluid has the tendency to penetrate the geological formations. When entering the formation layer, in which the energy source, such as oil or gas, is located, the drilling fluid could penetrate this layer through which this layer gets clogged and the production of gas or oil is affected. This problem arises especially with low pressure fields.
It is known to adjust the density of the drilling fluid in order to adjust the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the borehole. However this hydrostatic pressure variation generally does not correspond to the pressure variation in the specific formation layer. Especially when drilling a borehole in a low pressure field, the maximum pressure of this field could be substantially lower than the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid.

Drilling assembly and method for drilling a barehole into geological formations


A hot stand-by switching unit for a receiving apparatus including regular and a protection receiver comprises a branch circuit and a control circuit. The branch circuit consists of a coupler and a high-frequency switching unit. The high-frequency switching unit is controlled by the control circuit and supplies a low loss output of the coupler to the regular receiver and a high loss output of the coupler to the protection receiver. When the regular receiver breaks down, the high-frequency switching unit supplies the low loss output of the coupler to the protection receiver and the high loss output of the coupler to the regular receiver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hot stand-by switching unit for a receiving apparatus composed of a regular and a protection receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a switching unit of this kind, a hybrid type branch method has hitherto been adopted. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a hybrid unit 12 is provided on the input side of a regular receiver 3 and a protection receiver 4, and a switching circuit 6 is provided on the output side thereof. Input signals are branched by hybrid unit 12 and are supplied to regular receiver 3 and protection receiver 4. Switching circuit 6 on the output side is switched by control circuit 13 which operates according to monitor signals of regular receiver 3 and protection receiver 4, and secures the reception of signals by selecting the protection receiver when the regular receiver breaks down.
As shown in FIG. 2, there is another conventional technique, in which a branch circuit 11 composed of PIN diode 8, 9 is disposed as a branch circuit and by controlling a bias current, it varies a degree of coupling with regular and protection receivers 3, 4 (Japanese Patent Laid-open. 268024/90). Specifically, when regular receiver 3 is normal and switching circuit 6 selects the regular receiver, the high-frequency resistance of PIN diode 8 is maintained at a high level without the bias current flowing through PIN diode 8 in order to keep the signal loss to be given to regular receiver 3 to a minimum. At the same time, a fixed amount of the bias current is passed through PIN diode 9 to maintain a leak of a certain amount, for example, about 10 dB to secure self monitoring of its own operation in protection receiver 4.
When regular receiver 3 breaks down, control circuit 10 switches switching circuit 6 according to the monitor signal of regular receiver 3 to select protection receiver 4. At this time, by flowing the bias current of a reverse condition against the above in PIN diodes 8, 9 in branch circuit 11, it becomes possible to suppress the insertion loss of protection receiver 4 to a minimum.
With the above conventional hot stand-by switching unit shown in FIG. 1, since hybrid unit 12 is used to branch received signals and the hybrid unit produces at least 3 dB branch loss, it causes a large degree of deterioration with reference to the performance of the system. Therefore, in the case of a receiving circuit having a protection receiver, compared with a receiving circuit having no protection receiver, signal input to the receiver is reduced by the loss due to the hybrid unit, here, by 3 dB or more.
In the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, PIN diodes 8, 9 are used in the branch circuit to vary the degree of coupling with regular receiver 3 and protection receiver 4 in order to suppress the signal loss. However, a PIN diode is an active element and hence has a generally high failure rate. In particular, since the branch circuit constitutes a common part at a preceding stage of the regular receiver and the protection receiver, if a failure occurs here, the failure can not be prevented by either the regular receiver or the protection receiver, resulting in serious signal discontinuation trouble. Therefore, using parts having a high failure rate such as a PIN diode in the branch circuit causes the degradation of reliability of the entire system.

Low signal loss type hot stand-by switching unit


An inductive displacement sensor comprises a magnetically conductive housing, a coil located within the conductive housing, and a solenoid plunger movable within the coil. A ring-shaped air gap is formed between the solenoid plunger and the conductive housing. A short-circuit ring surrounds the solenoid plunger and is located on the outside of the conductive housing and in front of the ring-shaped air gap. An electronic unit is connected to the coil that measures the displacement-dependent inductance of the coil.

Displacement sensors of this type are used to detect displacement distances in machines or motor vehicles. A sensor using a solenoid plunger is a commonly used device for making these kind of measurements. With this kind of device, a magnetically conductive part, such as the solenoid plunger, is pushed into a coil. The solenoid plunger is connected to the part of a machine or motor vehicle whose displacement distance is to be measured. The inductance of the coil changes as a function of the displacement of the inserted solenoid plunger. Preferably, the inserted plunger is made of iron. This inductance change is evaluated by a suitable electronic system and is converted into a corresponding displacement distance. In order to increase the inductance and to insulate the sensor from outside interference, the coil is generally enclosed in a magnetically conductive housing. The magnetically conductive housing may be in the shape of a pot. In order to maintain the magnetic conductivity of the circuit at a high level, the air gap between the solenoid plunger and the housing is kept as small as possible.
The above-mentioned electronic system can use various techniques to evaluate the displacement-dependent inductance of the coil. For example, it is customary to subject the inductance of the coil to a voltage surge and then evaluate the resulting increasing current over time. The resulting increasing current is evaluated up to a set limit.
A displacement sensor which operates as described above is known in the art. For example, DE-A1 38 07 015 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,942) discloses a displacement sensor of this kind. An electronic evaluation circuit is also known from this patent document, which uses the variable inductivity of the coil to determine a displacement value.
A basic problem with all the known solenoid plunger displacement sensors is their sensitivity to outside interferences. This may cause the sensor to respond differently when it is installed in a machine or a motor vehicle, than when it is not installed.
Three different types of interferences may occur. First, static or changing magnetic interference fields may occur at the installation site. Second, iron parts may be installed at the installation site in the vicinity of the sensor which may influence the leakage field of the sensor and thereby may lower its measuring precision. Third, electrically conductive parts constructed of a metal other than iron that are located in the vicinity of the sensor may influence the measuring process due to their eddy current effects. In addition, this will also lower the precision of the displacement measurement.

Inductive displacement sensor with short-circuit ring of non-ferrous material


An electrohydraulic control device (1) of an 8-speed transmission having several electrically controllable pressure control valves (6-12) for hydraulically actuating five switching elements (A-E) and an electric gear control unit via which different operating states of the transmission may be adjusted. Three of the switching elements are connected in the force flow of the transmission for representing a gear ratio (“1” to “R”) of the transmission. When the gear control unit is de-activated and the power supply to the solenoid valve and pressure control valves is interrupted, and when the transmission is in the operating state, in which a gear ratio (“1”; “2”; “3”; “4”; “5”; “6”; “7”; “8”; “R”) is engaged, a predefined emergency transmission (“6”; “R”) is represented by three simultaneously hydraulically connected switching elements (C, D, E, A, B, D).

An electrohydraulic gear control device has been known from DE 10 2005 012 586 A1. The electrohydraulic gear control device is designed with an electric gear control unit and several pressure control valves, which are electrically controllable thereby, as well as several pressure regulating valves and switching valves, acted on by a hydraulic pilot pressure supplied by pressure control valves, such that gear switching elements may be controlled by way of the control pressure required for representing the respective operating state. Moreover, an emergency gear shifting valve is provided, which is located in the first shift position, when the gear control unit is activated, in which the respective switching elements connectable to the force flow for representing the required operating state of the transmission may be correspondingly connected and is located in the second shift position, when the gear control unit is de-activated, in which the respective switching elements connectable for representing an emergency transmission associated with the transmission area, are controllable by way of the control pressure required for this purpose. In addition, a selective switching valve is provided which interacts with the emergency gear shifting valve such that the emergency transmission associated with the transmission area is engaged.
The above-described electrohydraulic gear control unit is provided to operate 6-gear transmissions in which the different forward drive and reverse drive gear ratios are respectively represented by exposing two switching elements to pressure each time. Furthermore, by simultaneously connecting two switching elements, an emergency transmission is also provided, which may be engaged via an entirely hydraulic connection in case of a failure of the electric gear control unit, during which the corresponding valve devices are not energized.
It is the object of the present invention to further develop an electrohydraulic control device known from prior art, such that vehicle availability is guaranteed in case of a failure of an electric gear control unit in a simple and cost-effective manner even with an 8-speed transmission.
According to the present invention, this object is attained by way of an electrohydraulic control device of an 8-speed transmission

Electroyhydraulic control device of a gear unit


A method for controlling inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system includes receiving information about an interference control period from a central controller, performing carrier sensing based activation competition in the interference control period, and scheduling user equipments served by the BS if the BS wins the carrier sensing based activation competition. The carrier sensing based activation competition may be based on a BS-specific back-off value related to a BS-specific weight. The BS-specific weight may be determined as the sum of products of an instantaneous throughput and a differential value of an average throughput based utility function, for all UEs served by the BS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for controlling inter-cell interference.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Binary Power Control (BPC)
Methods for mitigating inter-cell interference in a cellular network include a method of controlling transmit power, a method of dividing a frequency used between cells, a method of dividing a sector, etc. The method of controlling transmit power reduces transmit power when a cell applies severe interference to a neighboring cell to mitigate the interference and increases the transmit power when the cell applies insignificant interference to the neighboring cell to enable high-throughput transmission to a UE of the cell.
Recent researches has determined that a method of setting one of minimum power and maximum power as transmit power or determining transmit power as an on/off state is the best control method to maximize capacity of multi-cell network (maximize a utility function as necessary). This method is called binary power control (BPC). A method of defining an on/off state of each base station as a pattern on the basis of BPC and a resource allocation method for scheduling UEs at a base station that is on in the defined pattern have been proposed.
Almost Blank Subframe (ABS)
In LTE-A, a slot of 0.5 ms includes 6 or 7 symbols and 12 subcarriers (180 KHz) and a 1 ms subframe consisting of 2 slots is a minimum resource allocation unit. 10 subframes form a frame.
In LTE-A, a base station does not transmit data to a UE during one subframe, which is called an almost blank subframe (ABS), in order to eliminate inter-cell interference in the time domain. For example, the ABS is used in such a manner that ABSs are provided during aggressor cell transmission that causes inter-cell interference such that a victim cell has high throughput at a low interference level.

Apparatus and method for controlling inter-cell interference in wireless communication system

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY


A rotary connector having a mutually rotatable inside case and outside case and having a flat cable with one end fixed to the inside case and the other end fixed to the outside case inserted in the space therebetween. A plurality of annular belts are inserted in the circumferential direction to bias the turnabout portion of the flat cable to prevent the flat cable from becoming loose and rattling in the space. Contact prevention members are inserted between the adjoining annular belts to prevent the adjoining annular belts from coming into direct contact with each other and to smooth the rotation of the rotary connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary connector accommodating a cable used for transmitting electric signals, optical signals, etc. between a rotary body and a fixed body.
2. Description of the Related Art
One method proposed for laying a cable which is used for supplying power or transmitting signals through a rotary portion such as the steering wheel of a car has been for example to connect one cable to an inside case of a rotary connector of a rotatable structure and connect another cable to the outside case. The inside case and the outside case are rotatable with respect to each other and a cable is provided between the inside case and outside case for intermediate connection.
In the past, the intermediate connection cable of a rotary connector would strike the inside of the rotary connector when vibration occurred. The noise caused by this was disturbing and prompted measures to be taken against it. Further, measures have been taken to prevent the intermediate connection cable from becoming loose between the inside case and outside case or from being subjected to excessive tension.
Such a rotary connector of the related art will be explained in more detail here with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a lateral sectional view of a rotary connector of the related art, while FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line D--D of the same. In this rotary connector, the inside case 1 and outside case 2 are arranged to be rotatable relative to each other. A flat cable 3 is accommodated in the space formed between the inside case 1 and the outside case 2 in a spiral fashion. One end of the flat cable 3 is fixed to the inside case 1, while the other end is fixed to the outside case 2. Note that in the space formed between the inside case 1 and the outside case 2, there is a U-shaped turnback portion 3A comprised of the flat cable turned back in a U-shape. In the space 4 formed by this turnback portion 3A, a plurality of annular belts 5 are arranged.
Explaining how this rotary connector is used, for example, the inside case 1 is turned so as to wind the part of the flat cable 3 wound against the outside case 2 on the inside case 1 or wind the part of the flat cable 3 wound on the inside case 1 at the outside case 2 (rewind from the inside case 1). The plurality of annular belts 5 arranged in the space 4 formed by the turnback portion 3A of the flat cable 3 bias the part of the flat cable 3 wound on the inside case 1 and the part of the flat cable 3 wound against the outside case 2 away from the belts so as to prevent the part of the flat cable 3 wound on the inside case 1 and the part of the flat cable 3 wound against the outside case 2 from becoming loose and to enable smooth winding and rewinding of the flat cable 3.
In the above-mentioned rotary connector, however, when the inside case 1 is turned in an X-direction (counterclockwise direction) as shown in FIG. 1, since the directions of rotation of the adjoining annular belts 5 biasing the part of the flat cable 3 wound on the inside case 1 and the part of the flat cable 3 wound against the outside case 2 away from the belts are the same, the directions of rotation of the annular belts 5 where they contact each other end up becoming opposite from each other. Therefore, since each of the annular belts 5 are moved to the direction of the rotation of the inside case 1, the rotational torque becomes large and smooth rotation is no longer possible. Note that a similar problem occurs also in a case where the inside case 1 is turned in the clockwise direction.


A disposable waste containment article includes a waste containment structure that has an absorbent composite which is positioned between the wearer and cover and a pair of containment flaps operatively joined to the waste containment structure. Methods are provided for making the waste containment article.

This invention pertains to disposable waste containment articles, and more particularly to articles providing containment and absorbency of waste matter while being useful as a swimsuit garment.
Currently, disposable waste containment articles find widespread use in the areas of adult care, infant care, and child care, and have generally replaced reusable cloth articles. Disposable diapers, for example, have met a particular need and have become very popular. Disposable training pants have also met a particular need and have become popular. However, once a child desires to travel to a swimming pool or beach, the child requires a waste containment garment for possible xe2x80x9caccidentsxe2x80x9d during such travel.
Although it is desired by the parent that the child not have an accident while wearing a swimsuit garment, accidents will occur and, during those times containment and limited absorbency is required. In addition, through the use of increased amounts of superabsorbents in disposable diapers and training pants, greatly enhanced absorbent capacities and leakage performance have been achieved under normal usage conditions. However, when infants and toddlers swim, the superabsorbent material (SAM) causes the diaper/pant to absorb water to its maximum capacity, therefore swelling to proportions typically not seen in normal use. The diaper/pant sags, becomes uncomfortable and heavy and does not fit under children""s swimsuits. In some cases, the diaper/pant actually bursts, leaving globules of superabsorbent to litter the poolside or beach, or become clogged in pool filters. This also releases fecal matter contained in the diaper/pant. It is not uncommon for public pools to ban superabsorbent-containing diapers. However, the urine containment needs of children before they enter the water and the BM containment required in the water suggest that a containment garment is needed.
Thus, there is a need to provide an improved child""s swimming apparel that minimizes the leakage of urine and fecal matter during travel to swimming while maintaining fecal containment during swimming. In response to this need, a new waste containment garment and method of making a waste containment garment have been discovered that contains a diaper-like waste containment structure to absorb urine when dry and contain BM when dry or wet. A waste containment garment according to the invention includes a waste containment structure having a longitudinal axis and opposite longitudinally spaced ends. The waste containment structure comprises an absorbent core, a backsheet and containment flaps. The structure contains little or no SAM so it does not swell up when wet. The absorbent is a mix of pulp and polymer coformed to give it durability when wet. The polymer-based fabric of the outer garment is lightweight, allowing for quick drying out of the water.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a disposable waste containment article having a waste containment structure including a backsheet and an absorbent core, the backsheet having a pair of leg elastics along the longitudinal edges of the backsheet. A pair of containment flaps are joined to the waste containment structure outside the leg elastics.
In still another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of making a disposable waste containment article comprising the steps of providing a waste containment structure, supplying a pair of containment flaps having distal edges, placing the containment flaps with the waste containment structure and joining the containment flaps to the waste containment structure.
Numerous features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. Such embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be made to the claims herein for interpreting the full scope of the invention.


A board game simulating a football season is played by two or more players according to the general rules of the game of “Fantasy Football.” The board game uses a game board with indicia thereon resembling a football field. A game path is formed on the game board, the game path being divided into spaces with instructions imprinted thereon directing a player to advance or retract when moving a game piece along the board according to chance means. The game uses several decks of cards, which are provided separately from the board with indicia thereon that represents actual players in actual teams that provide instructions to the game player of the manner of progression along the board, that keep weekly and seasonal scores for the teams.

This invention relates generally to board games that have its origins in sporting events, such as professional football games. More particularly, the present invention relates to a board game, which has a rolling dice, a plurality of playing pieces with indicia thereon, as well as score cards.
There are numerous sport board games, which correspond to sporting events, such as football, basketball and the like. Some board games are played by 2 persons, while others are more regularly played by three or more persons. Many board games employ a playing board in combination with playing cards, with a board defining a path along which a player moves upon rolling of the dice. The players are required to draw cards from a deck of randomly arranged cards and move a playing piece according to the instructions of the space wherein the player's playing piece has landed. It is noted that games give a player an opportunity to exhibit the player's knowledge of the game, while other games are purely games of chance, with little of no skill required to win the game.
The so-called "Fantasy Football" game has been developed for playing on the Internet between players who agree to follow a specific set of rules. Each league's members draft national football league players to be on their team and receive point based on their drafted players performance each week of the season.
The present invention contemplates provision of a board game that has its basis in and utilizes terminology of professional football and its rules and combines the features of a game of chance and some features of a skill game.


A blood pressure monitor system, including a pulse wave detecting device detecting a pulse wave produced from an artery of a living subject, a blood pressure measuring device including a pressing device, for measuring a blood pressure of the subject by pressing a body portion of the subject with the pressing device, a relationship determining device determining a relationship between blood pressure and pulse wave magnitude, based on a pulse wave magnitude detected by the pulse wave detecting device and a blood pressure value measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure monitor device continuously determining, according to the relationship, blood pressure values of the subject based on magnitudes of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, the relationship determining device updating the relationship at intervals of time, based on blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure variation determining device determining a variation of the blood pressure of the subject, based on at least two of the magnitudes of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, and an update-interval changing device changing the interval of updating based on the blood pressure variation determined by the blood pressure variation determining device.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a blood pressure monitor system and in particular to such a monitor system which continuously determines blood pressure values of a living subject, according to a predetermined relationship between blood pressure and pulse wave magnitude, based on detected magnitudes of a pulse wave.


A process is provided for separating alkyl carbonate from a feedstock comprising at least one alkyl carbonate and at least 0.01 percent by weight water comprising extracting the alkyl carbonate from the feedstock in a liquid-liquid extraction step comprising an extraction solvent selective for extracting alkyl carbonates relative to water in an amount sufficient to extract a substantial amount of the alkyl carbonates from the feedstock. The extraction solvent substantially comprises hydrocarbon boiling at a temperature ranging from about 50.degree. F. to about 700.degree. F. at atmospheric pressure and having a specific gravity ranging from about 0.50 to about 1.00.

This invention relates to a process for separating alkyl carbonate from feedstocks containing alkyl carbonate and water. More particularly, this invention relates to a liquid-liquid extraction process for separating alkyl carbonate from feedstocks comprising alkyl carbonate, water, and impurities such as unconverted alkanol from an alkyl carbonate production process for uses such as the production of high oxygen-content gasoline blending components (Oxygenates).
Oxygenates have been part of the United States gasoline strategy since the late 1970s. With the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the demand for oxygenates is expected to increase even further. For example, starting in the winter months of 1992, gasoline containing 2.7 weight percent oxygen will have to be provided to approximately 40 metropolitan areas that have failed to meet carbon monoxide pollution standards. It is expected that in the near future, between 30 and 60 percent of the United States gasoline pool may be required to contain oxygenates.
The most commonly used oxygenates today are methanol, ethanol, and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Although methanol and ethanol have high blending octanes, problems with toxicity, water miscibility, high Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP), high nitrogen oxide emissions, lower fuel efficiency, and cost have dampened industry enthusiasm for these components. Partially as a result of the above, MTBE has become particularly attractive.
Homologues of MTBE such as ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) and methyl tertiary amyl ether (TAME) are also gaining industry acceptance. Moreover, commercial activity with respect to ETBE and TAME is expected to increase relative to MTBE, in view of the recent Environmental Protection Agency decision to reduce the RVP requirements for gasolines well below 9 psia, the blending RVP of MTBE.
Oxygenate production capacity, however, is limited by ether plant capacity and by feedstock availability. MTBE and ETBE both utilize isobutylene as a feedstock while TAME uses isoamylene as a feedstock. Isobutylene and isoamylene are generally supplied to an ether facility in a petroleum refinery from a fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCC), a fluidized or delayed coker, or from downstream paraffin isomerization and dehydrogenation facilities. The availability of hydrocarbons having 4 carbons is limited by constraints such as, but not limited to, crude properties, FCC catalyst properties, FCC operating conditions, coking conditions, as well as other refinery operating constraints. The chemical mix of C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 paraffins, olefins, and aromatics as well as the particular mix of iso-olefins to normal olefins are similarly constrained.
Thus, there exists a great need in the petroleum industry for a low-cost method of increasing oxygenate production capacity that overcomes or avoids the obstacles described above.
The use of carbonates, and particularly the dialkyl carbonates in fuels has been the subject of several patents and patent applications.
European Patent Application Numbers 0 082 688 to Bretherick and 0 098 691 to Spencer disclose the use of dialkyl carbonate and dimethyl carbonate in fuels for use with spark ignition engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,455 to Smith discloses the use of dialkyl carbonates for preventing the phase separation of hydrous ethanol from liquid hydrocarbon fuel mixtures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,049 to Dillon discloses the use of non-aromatic metals-free carbonates for reducing particulate emissions from distillate-based fuels such as diesel fuel and jet fuel.
Carbonates can be produced using any of several methods known in the art, each method having attendant advantages and penalties. Such methods include the carbonylation of alcohols, alkylene carbonate alcoholysis, urea alcoholysis, inorganic methods, and phosgene alcoholysis.
One of the oldest methods for manufacturing carbonates employs phosgene. The phosgene is generally contacted with methanol to form methyl chloroformate in accordance with the following reaction: EQU CH.sub.3 OH+COCl.sub.2 .fwdarw.CH.sub.3 OCOCl+HCl
The methyl chloroformate reacts with an additional mole of methanol to form dimethyl carbonate as follows: EQU CH.sub.3 OCOCl+CH.sub.3 OH.fwdarw.CH.sub.3 OCOOCH.sub.3 +HCl
One associated penalty with the process described hereabove is that the process requires the use of toxic phosgene. Moreover, the method also leads to the coproduction of other chloride-containing by-products such as alkyl chlorides, which can often be toxic themselves. Chlorine-containing by-products such as hydrogen chloride can also be particularly corrosive. Neutralization methods to balance the acidity of such chlorided components in order to mitigate such corrosive effects such as the addition of sodium hydroxide to drive the reaction by the production of sodium chloride and water, can be costly and can also compromise product quality.
Oxidative carbonylation is another method that has been used to produce carbonates. It is generally known that carbonates can be produced from alkanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of certain metal chlorides or metal alkoxy chlorides through an oxidation-reduction reaction. An example of such a reaction with methanol and carbon monoxide over a copper chloride catalyst is as follows:
Oxidation: EQU 2CH.sub.3 OH+1/2O.sub.2 +2CuCl.fwdarw.2Cu(OCH.sub.3)(Cl)+H.sub.2 O
Reduction: EQU 2Cu(OCH.sub.3)(Cl)+CO.fwdarw.2CuCl+CH.sub.3 O(CO)OCH.sub.3
Overall: ##STR1##
U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,391 to Romano et al. discloses such a process for the production of carbonates comprising reacting an alkanol with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst consisting of a copper metal salt of the group of cuprous and cupric salts having a single inorganic anion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,827 to Curnutt discloses a similar process for the production of carbonates comprising contacting an alkanol with carbon monoxide and oxygen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a metal halide such as cupric chloride with or without potassium chloride impregnated on an appropriate support such as activated carbon.
This reaction cannot generally be operated to high conversion because high concentrations of water in the reactor lead to low selectivity, i.e., high CO.sub.2 yields. Additionally, excess water can lead to the formation of a variety of copper hydroxy chloride phases of the formula Cu(Cl).sub.x (OH).sub.y.nH.sub.2 O. None of these phases are particularly effective for the production of carbonates.
For these, among other reasons, it is generally desirable that these reactions be conducted with a low conversion for each pass through the reactor with an effective strategy for feed/product separation and recycle of the unconverted feed.
Moreover, under typical oxidative carbonylation reaction conditions, the product stream generally comprises the alkyl carbonate, alkanol, and water, wherein the alkyl carbonate can form azeotropes with both the alkanol and water. For example, Table 1 illustrates the boiling point and composition of various binary azeotropes within a mixture comprising methanol, ethanol, dimethyl or diethyl carbonate, and water.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Azeotrope Comp.- Boil. Pt. Temp. .degree.C. Pure Comp. Wt % (@ 14.7 psia) ______________________________________ 62.7 70% MeOH + 30% DMC 65.0 MeOH 74.0 55% DMC + 45% EtOH 77.5 89% DMC + 11% H.sub.2 O 78.2 96% EtOH + 4% H.sub.2 O 78.3 EtOH 90.0 DMC 91.0 70% DEC + 30% H.sub.2 O 100.0 H.sub.2 O 126.0 DEC ______________________________________
The formation of these various azeotropes complicates downstream separation steps such that they cannot be easily or effectively performed by conventional distillation methods.
Several methods have been suggested to overcome these product separation problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,586 to Ginnasi et al. discloses a process for separating dimethyl carbonate from a mixture of dimethyl carbonate, methyl alcohol, and water. In the disclosed process, water is fed to the top of an extraction distillation column at a water solvent to feed ratio by weight of at least 10:1. A stream of methyl alcohol and water with minor amounts of dimethyl carbonate is withdrawn from the bottom of the column while an overhead stream containing dimethyl carbonate, water, and a minor amount of methyl alcohol is directed overhead. The overhead product stream is generally cooled and decanted into a bottom organic phase containing dimethyl carbonate (97%) and water (3%) with a minor amount of methyl alcohol and a top aqueous phase containing a substantial amount of water (87%) with dimethyl carbonate (12%) and methyl alcohol (1%).
Such processes require extensive retrofitting and modifications in order to produce fuel blending components. For example, the organic phase containing 97% dimethyl carbonate and 3% water still generally requires desiccation or reprocessing in a water fractionation step or through other means to reduce the water content of the fuel sufficiently for fuels blending. Similarly, the aqueous phase containing 12% dimethyl carbonate must be undesirably reprocessed to the extraction distillation column along with the water component, at the expense of energy and capacity penalties. Moreover, processes that operate at a solvent to feed ratio by weight in excess of 10:1 can require distillation extraction columns having excessively large and thereby costly vessel diameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,200 to Himmele et al. discloses a process for obtaining dimethyl carbonate from its solutions in methanol by extractive distillation with an aprotic extractant at a column temperature profile ranging from 60.degree. F. at the top of the column to 250.degree. F. at the bottom. The methanol is generally carried upwards to the overhead product stream, leaving a bottoms product containing the dimethyl carbonate and aprotic extractant. The aprotic extractant is further characterized as:
(a) being substantially inert towards dimethyl carbonate, PA1 (b) boiling at a temperature above 100.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure, PA1 (c) being miscible with dimethyl carbonate in all proportions, PA1 (d) having a dielectric constant, .epsilon., of from 4 to 90, and PA1 (e) having a dipole moment, .mu., of from 1.5 to 5 Debye.
The aprotic extractant is also added at the high extractant to dimethyl carbonate weight ratio of 0.5 to 50 kilograms of extractant per kilogram of dimethyl carbonate. The large volumes of aprotic extractants generally must be separated from the products and recovered at substantial expense to the refiner since these extractants can be costly and furthermore, can contaminate the finished product.
Moreover, processes requiring extractive distillation for alkyl carbonate separation such as those described above, generally require additional processing equipment such as reboilers, overhead condensers, overhead reflux drums, and phase separators in order to be effective. These systems are particularly costly to procure and erect. Extractive distillation towers for alkyl carbonate separation also require that an appropriate temperature profile be maintained across the column in order to obtain the desired distillation product cutpoints. These distillation temperature profiles generally conflict with maintaining optimum extraction process temperatures, resulting in cost penalties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,753 to Bezman discloses a process for separating a binary mixture of water and isopropanol. The process requires mixing the aqueous isopropanol feedstock with gasoline blending hydrocarbons and coalescing the mixture in a mechanical separation coalescer. Such aqueous isopropanol separation processes are particularly difficult to operate since the gasoline blending hydrocarbon/isopropanol mixture is prone to emulsion formation. Breaking the emulsion and effectively separating the gasoline blending hydrocarbon/isopropanol and water mixture cannot generally be achieved without exotic and costly separation devices such as separating membranes, electrical devices, and/or beds of granular particulate.
Methods for concentrating solutions containing an alcohol and oxygenates such as organic ethers, aldehydes, ketones, and esters using physical separation means are also known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,674 to Pasternak et al. discloses a process for concentrating mixtures containing dimethyl carbonate and methanol using a membrane-based pervaporation step.
"Opportunities For Membranes in the Production of Octane Enhancers," by Shah et al., AICHE Spring 1989 National Meeting, Symposium Series, Vol. 85, No. 272, pgs. 93-97, also discloses a process for separating dimethyl carbonate and methanol azeotropes across a membrane using pervaporation.
However, physical membrane separation systems such as those described have not been effectively used in binary systems wherein water and alkyl carbonate or water and alkanol have been the constituents. Moreover, membrane systems have not been particularly reliable in industrial environments and have been known to present operability problems.
It has now been found that feedstocks comprising alkyl carbonate and water can be separated using liquid-liquid extraction, into an extract stream comprising a substantial amount of the alkyl carbonate present in the feedstock and a raffinate stream comprising a substantial amount of the water present in the feedstock. The liquid-liquid process is conducted with a hydrocarbon extraction solvent selective for alkyl carbonate relative to water.
It has also been found that a hydrocarbon extraction solvent selective for extracting alkyl carbonate over alkanol having a specific gravity of greater than 0.60 and less than 1.0 provides enhanced liquid-liquid extraction performance through improved raffinate/extract disengaging.
It has also been found that a solvent selective for extracting alkyl carbonates having an aromatic hydrocarbon concentration by weight of greater than 1 percent and an olefinic hydrocarbon concentration by weight of below 80 percent, provides improved extraction of alkyl carbonate from a feedstock comprising alkyl carbonate and water.
It has also been found that several hydrocarbon streams generally available in conventional petroleum refineries are suitable hydrocarbon extraction solvents including, but not limited to catalytic reformate, catalytic cracking process naphtha, heavy virgin naphtha, isomerate, alkylate, and the aromatic derivatives of various refinery streams including benzene, toluene, xylene, and combinations thereof.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an extraction process for a feedstock comprising alkyl carbonate and water that recovers a substantial portion of the alkyl carbonate to an extract product stream and a substantial portion of the water product to a raffinate product stream.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process that does not require costly extractive distillation columns for alkyl carbonate separation or require distillation column temperature profiles that are inconsistent with optimum extraction temperatures.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process that does not require physical separation means, such as membrane systems, which can be unreliable in an industrial environment.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a process that does not require the use of large volumes of costly aprotic polar solvents, utilizes several hydrocarbon streams generally present in a petroleum refinery, and does not require complete recovery of the hydrocarbon extraction solvent where the alkyl carbonate is to be blended for fuels use.
Other objects appear herein.


A compact preheater for heating air before it is fed to the intake of an internal combustion engine that is adaptable to fit within existing space in an engine compartment, including a versatile mounting system. The preheater includes heating coils and a blower adapted to be powered by an engine battery, with a timer to automatically de-power the heater after a predetermined time. The preheater can be used as an add on part without any alteration or change in existing engine parts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to internal combustion engines and in particular to an apparatus for preheating air delivered to a cold engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problem of starting an internal combustion engine in cold weather conditions is well known. Various attempts to solve the problem have met with limited success. Most approaches to the problem have involved using some type of burner device to increase the air temperature within the cylinders to move that temperature into the range needed for combustion. The problem is particularly acute with diesel engines in which combustion in the cylinders is induced by the heat produced by compression of the air-fuel mixture.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,526,214 and 3,687,122 to Kamo disclose a combustion aid for compression ignition engines. These complicated combustion aids includes a fuel burner for burning engine fuel located in the air intake of the engine and a distributing means mounted within the air intake for distributing the hot gases that are generated from the products of combustion. Significant engine modification is needed to use the Kamo devices.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,183 to Hoffman shows a complex diesel engine manifold air preheater. The Hoffman device includes an elongated burner tube mounted in and running lengthwise along the manifold and a burner head assembly which includes a spark plug and fuel nozzle for preheating the air to the manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,389 to Henchel discloses yet another burner type heater apparatus with controlled air and fuel intake. This engine preheater apparatus comprises an air delivery system, burner apparatus, chimney heat exchanger apparatus, coolant jacket apparatus, and a fuel system. Another air intake preheater involving the burning of diesel fuel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,376 to Reed, et al. The Reed preheater includes a metering and control system for supplying fuel to a burner nozzle of a burner assembly which preheats intake air in a diesel engine. Another diesel burning preheater and control system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,488 and 4,192,274 to Damon. The Damon systems involves heating the engine coolant and using the heated coolant to heat the engine block. U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,644 to Nakai involves a two-stage heat exchanger, blower, coolant pump, and fuel pump that work in combination to heat the engine coolant in the heat exchanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,747 to Kawamura, et al., discloses a heater controller. The Kawamura device includes an atomizing glow plug for atomizing fuel and an ignition glow plug for igniting the atomized fuel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,941 to Jeoffrey, Jr., et al., discloses a gas fired system involving a heat exchange for heating engine coolant.
Implementing any one of these systems involves significant design changes to the engine which makes them unsuitable for a retrofit of an existing engine. It would therefore be desirable to have a simple device that would provide additional heat for combustion in cold weather conditions that can be used on virtually any internal combustion engine.


A radar sensor for motor vehicles has a transmitting antenna in the form of a planar array antenna having a plurality of juxtaposed antenna elements, and a supply network for supplying microwave power to the antenna elements, wherein the supply network is developed to supply the antenna elements with the microwave power having a phase shift increasing at constant increments from one end of the row to the other.

Antennas for radar sensors, which are provided for use in motor vehicles, are frequently designed as patch antennas on an HF substrate. This permits a cost-effective construction of the radar sensor. When array antennas are used, the desired directional characteristic of the radar sensor is able to be achieved in azimuth and/or in elevation, without requiring a radar lens. Separate antennas are frequently used for the radiation of the radar signal and for receiving the reflected signal. The desired directional characteristic of the transmitting antenna in azimuth is achievable by supplying the microwave power to the plurality of antenna elements juxtaposed on the substrate in the same phase. A radar lobe is then created by interference, whose main radiation direction is oriented at a right angle to the plane of the substrate, and which covers an azimuth angle range of about −45° to about +45°. On the receiving side also a plurality of juxtaposed antenna elements or patches are used, which belong, however, to different receiving channels, so that, based on the phase differences between the signals received by the different antenna elements, one is able to draw a conclusion on the azimuth angle of the object.

Radar sensor for motor vehicles, especially LCA sensor


A multi-stage, multi-pole connector provides improved connectivity with electronic devices having mating receptacles of differing form factors. In one aspect, the connector includes a hollow base plug portion, a hollow tip plug portion, and a series of conductive lines extending within the base plug portion and the tip plug portion. Both the base plug portion and the tip plug portion share the same longitudinal axis and are each formed with one or more discrete conductive contacts electrically isolated from one another. The tip plug portion extends axially from the base plug portion and has a smaller outside diameter along the length of the tip plug portion than the average outside diameter along the length of the base plug portion. This configuration causes the connector to step down in form factor to a smaller cross-sectional size moving from the base plug portion to the tip plug portion.

Interconnectivity between electronic devices is commonly accomplished through a connector arrangement in non-wireless signal transmission situations. One type of conventional connector system employs a single or multi-prong conductive male element, or "plug" mating with a receptacle of an electronic device having corresponding conductive terminals. These connector systems are typically utilized to interconnect audio and/or video equipment, such as televisions, stereo equipment, DVD players, etc. Each conductive contact, or terminal, on the plug represents a dedicated channel for delivering a specific type of signal from a first device coupled with the plug through cabling to a second device having the receptacle. For instance, the channels may include audio left and right channels, as well as a ground. Individual pins of certain plug also can serve as channels to transmit a video signal as composite components, such as color and luminance, which are then delivered to the receptacle where circuitry of the device recombines the signals from the channels into a representative video signal. Other types of conventional connector systems utilize a plug and receptacle arrangement, but with recessed conductive terminals formed on the plug instead of projecting prongs. Examples of these types of connector systems include universal serial bus (USB) connectors and Firewire® connectors of Apple Computer, Inc., which are often utilized to interconnect components of a computing system (e.g., input/output devices with computer hardware) but also have found use in interfacing audio and/or video equipment with a computing system. Plug-type connectors have a series of conductive lines or cabling attached to the terminals within a body of the plug, with the cabling typically extending away from the plug inside of a cable sheath to the associated electronic device.
Depending on the particular application, conventional connector systems can have a number of drawbacks. As an example, the individual prongs or recessed terminals of plug-type connectors can be fragile and subject to breakage if the plug is not in proper rotational alignment with respect to the mating receptacle upon insertion. Additionally, the relatively small form factor of multi-prong connectors (as well as USB connectors and the like) typically results in the conductive terminals of the plug and/or receptacle having durability issues after numerous cycles of mating between the connector elements.


A circuit includes a decoder for receiving an address within an address space of a processor and for accessing a pixel in an active pixel sensor array based on the address. The decoder maps the active pixel sensor array to the address space. The circuit can also provide sequencing of these addresses such that a group of pixels can be read out without additional addressing from a processor. There is also provided a method of processing pixel imperfections in real time. Pixel integration can be programmed on any single pixel or group of pixels in the array as well as windowed readout. A method of target discrimination is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging technology, and more particularly, to a technique for accessing pixels in an active pixel sensor array. Embodiments of the invention may be used, for example, in cameras and in applications such as star tracking for satellite attitude control.
2. Description of the Related Art
A new image sensor technology is being developed as a successor to charge coupled device (CCD) technology. This new technology utilizes complementary metal oxide processing (CMOS) to construct an active pixel sensor (APS) that is responsive to light input over its field of view. An APS is an array of photosensitive elements known as pixels, each pixel possessing simple electrometers capable of converting photoelectric charge to an electrical current that can readily be measured. Each of the pixels can be accessed individually through various addressing schemes. This technology is contrasted to that of CCD technology where each photosensitive element transfers it's charge to the next element in a "bucket brigade" fashion until the charge reaches a common electrometer for the entire CCD that is capable of converting photoelectric charge to an electrical current.
Star tracking in the past has been accomplished by electronic imaging, typically using CCDs. However, future celestial tracking space navigation methods impose challenging requirements. Future host spacecraft should be smaller, have less mass, and require less power than present host spacecraft. Therefore, a list of features desired for future star tracking navigation devices includes miniaturization, small mass, and low power consumption. Radiation hardness, high fill factor, high sampling resolution, windowing (random access to pixels within a frame and programmable integration within windows), wide dynamic range (programmable integration time), and real time pixel access are also desirable in an imaging sensor.
U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2001/0040631 A1 to Ewedemi et al. discloses a sensor array with a memory interface. Pixel data from the sensor array is stored in a local memory. An interface is coupled to the local memory and accesses the local memory for exporting the pixel data. The interface does not access the sensor array. The data is most current at a time of transfer of the data from the sensor array to the local memory, and the data ages after the transfer. Consequently, the pixel data may not be sufficiently current for some real-time processing applications.

Apparatus for accessing an active pixel sensor array


A method for identifying wheat cultivars is provided which employs an imaging device such as a video camera and a computer to acquire and process images of grain samples and to identify the particular type or cultivar of the wheat by the images obtained thereby. The method involves the steps of acquiring the image of the kernel and germ for each grain, processing the image into digital format, storing data in the computer corresponding to the edge of the kernel and germ, determining the image characteristics of the kernel and germ, and comparing the image characteristics for the sample to a known standard. By accumulating data for a number of grains, calculating statistical information for the sample, and comparing to a known standard, the particular cultivar of the sample may be identified.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for identifying varieties of wheat or other grains by visual imaging and comparison of the characteristics of a sample thereof to a known standard. The method involves the use of a series of steps advantageously employing a computer to conduct digital image analysis of the kernel and germ in order to correctly identify the cultivar of the particular sample.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Even those largely unfamiliar with the agriculture industry recognize that wheat and other grains are further differentiated by classes and cultivars. Classes of wheat such as Hard Red Spring Wheat, Hard red Winter Wheat, Soft Red Winter Wheat and White are planted in different regions at different times, used for different purposes and command different prices at the elevator and at commodities exchanges. Within each class, a variety of different cultivars have been developed, each with its own characteristics and properties. For example, Bounty, Centura, Centurk, Mustang, Newton, Tam 105, Pike and Rough Rider are Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat cultivars and Katepaw, Stoa, and Len are Hard Red Pring (HRS) wheat cultivars while Hill, Stephans and Lewjain are examples of White wheat cultivars. There are presently over 600 cultivars of wheat grown in the United States.
It is obviously necessary to identify the different cultivars in order to properly classify the wheat for purposes such as sale to a miller or use as seed. The responsibility for wheat classification traditionally falls to Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) inspectors which are to check a representative sample of the wheat to determine the cultivar by such characteristics as brush size, germ angle, cheek angle, kernel shape, and seed coat texture. The FGIS personnel are charged with knowing the characteristics of all varieties handled within their particular market. However, the proliferation of new cultivars and the practice of crossbreeding varieties has nearly overwhelmed the capabilities of the FGIS. The current method of wheat classification, developed in 1917, is somewhat archaic and obsolete in view of the number of new variety releases each year. Thus, there is a genuine need for a rapid, accurate, more efficient and precise procedure of kernel classification and identification.
Previous studies have attempted to use kernel color as a separation method by such techniques as scanning spectrophotometry. Other efforts have employed kernel hardness, but the results are difficult to reproduce. Still other proposed methods have used electrophoresis or chromatography to isolate and characterize cereal proteins constituencies.
Attempts to identify food products by seed shape and size parameters have also been employed. These have encountered certain methodological limitations, while further studies have employed digital image analysis to study the physical dimensions of cereal crops such as rice and wheat. However, the results of these image analyses indicated that discrimination between class and cultivar were limited in terms of number of kernel characteristics used to discriminate between the classes. It thus appears that new discriminators must be employed to handle identification and classification in an efficient manner.

Identification of wheat cultivars by visual imaging

Kansas State University Research Foundation


The invention relates to a toner replenisher and method for an electrographic imaging machine, including flow of toner through a toner replenisher and sealing between a toner replenisher and a toner bottle. According to the numerous aspects of the invention, a toner replenisher and method for an electrographic imaging machine are provided, including improved flow of toner through a toner replenisher and/or improved sealing between a toner replenisher and a toner bottle.

The invention relates to a toner replenisher and method for an electrographic imaging machine, including flow of toner through a toner replenisher and sealing between a toner replenisher and a toner bottle.
In a typical electrographic imaging machine (e.g. copier, duplicator, printer, etc.), for example an electrophotographic imaging machine, a continuous loop of photoconductor film may be used to transfer an image from an input section onto a receiving medium (e.g. a sheet of paper or the like). The film is charged and passed through an input section where an image (i.e. analog or digital) is projected onto the charged film. The film then moves through a developing section where toner (i.e. dry ink) is applied to the charged image before the image is transferred to the sheet of paper. The paper is subsequently passed through a fuser section where the toner is fixed to the paper by passing the paper between a pressure roller and a heated roller.
Before applying the toner to the charged image, many electrophotograpic machines mix the toner with a carrier to form a two-component developer. When using two-component developers, it is necessary to maintain a desired ratio of toner to carrier; this ratio being commonly known as "toner concentration" or "TC". Typically, the TC may range from about 2% to about 14% by mass for general printing applications. However, the actual range of the TC may vary over different ranges depending on the densities and/or relative size of the particular toner and carrier particles being used.
To maintain the proper TC in a particular machine, the toner typically flows from a source (e.g. a bottle or other container) into a mechanism known as a "replenisher" which, in turn, feeds the toner to the developer at a desired rate. Since the charge of toner dictates other process settings within the printing/copying machine, a replenisher that maintains a consistent and controllable flow rate of toner to the developer throughout the printing operation is very desirable. Replenishers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,823 and U.S. Patent Application Publications U.S. 2002/0071692 A1 and 2003/0002890 A1, the contents of these three publications being fully incorporated by reference as if set forth herein.
Toner has a tendency to bridge in the replenisher. Bridging is a state where the powder becomes a self-supporting mass and resists flow through the replenisher due to the tendency of the particles to support each other or to adhere to each other within the replenisher. This can interrupt toner flow through the replenisher and adversely effect toner concentration.

Toner replenisher and method for an electrographic imaging machine