A flexible structural frame (100) includes a structure (110) having a passage (112), the walls (114) of the passage (112) defining an opening (116). The flexible structural frame (100) also includes a piece of elastomeric material (120) that has a first surface (122) and a second surface (124). The first surface (122) of the elastomeric material (120) is coupled to at least one of the walls (114) of the passage (112). The flexible structural frame (100) further includes at least one rigid member (130) coupled to the elastomeric material (120) and at least one tension bearing member (140) coupled to the rigid member (130), such that the elastomeric material (120) is compressed when the tension applied to the tension bearing member (140) increases.

This invention relates generally to the field of aerospace structures and, more specifically, to a flexible structural frame, a method for its construction, and a method for its use.
Aircraft have a variety of doors, which are a type of panel, along the exterior surface of the airframe. Examples are the main cabin door, the landing gear doors, the cargo doors, and, in military aircraft, the bomb bay doors. While the exterior surfaces of the doors can be manufactured to be substantially flush with the exterior surface of the airframe, discontinuities will exist between the perimeter of the doors and the exterior surface of the airframe. These discontinuities create opportunities for gaps to exist and/or develop between the doors and the exterior surface. These gaps can be detrimental to an aircraft""s aerodynamic characteristics because they produce drag. Thus, eliminating, or at least mitigating, any gaps between the doors and the exterior surface of the airframe is a significant advantage.
One conventional structural technique used to mitigate the gaps between a door and the exterior surface of the airframe, which are both fairly rigid structures, is to make the perimeter of the door approximately the same size as the opening in the airframe. However, the perimeter of the door may approximate the size of the opening only so closely because some nominal gap is required for the door to be able to operate. Furthermore, if either the door or the airframe deforms during the operation of the aircraft, perhaps due to aerodynamic loads or heat, gaps may form between the door and the exterior of the airframe. Another approach has been to use all out-of-plane sealing devices, such as flex seals, blade seals, or scuff seals. However, these devices can also degrade the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft, are dangerous to maintenance workers, and require extensive maintenance. A further approach has been to construct a flexible door. This type of door has a compressible strip fixed between two relatively movable plates that are linked in such a way that they cause the strip to compress or expand as desired. A disadvantage of this approach is that it adds substantial weight to the door, making the door harder to handle and requiring more powerful hydraulic devices than might otherwise be required. Therefore, a need has arisen for a new technique to mitigate the gaps between an aircraft door and the exterior surface of the airframe.
The present invention provides a technique-methods and apparatus-that substantially reduces or eliminates at least some of the disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed gap mitigation techniques. Accordingly, the present invention provides a flexible structural frame, a method for its construction, and a method for its use.
In one embodiment, a flexible structural frame is disclosed. The flexible structural frame includes a structure having a passage, the walls of the passage defining an opening. The flexible structural frame also includes a piece of elastomeric material that has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the elastomeric material is coupled to at least one wall of the passage. The flexible structural frame further includes at least one rigid member that is coupled to the elastomeric material and at least one tension bearing member that is coupled to the rigid member, such that the elastomeric material is compressed when the tension applied to the tension bearing member increases.
In another embodiment, a method for constructing a flexible structure is also disclosed. The method includes three steps. Step one calls for forming a piece of elastomeric material that has a first surface and a second surface and that contains at least one rigid member coupled to a tension bearing member. Step two requires forming a passage in a structure, the passage having walls that define an opening. The final step requires coupling the first surface of the elastomeric material to at least one wall of the passage, such that the elastomeric material is compressed when the tension applied to the tension bearing member increases.
The present invention has several technical advantages. One technical advantage is that the flexible structural frame mitigates any gaps between a door of an aircraft and the exterior surface of the airframe. Thus, the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft are improved. Another technical advantage is that the flexible structural frame can compress and expand to accommodate for any deformations in either the door or the airframe during the operations of the aircraft. Thus, any gaps that form after the door is closed can be mitigated. A further technical advantage is that the gaps between an aircraft door and airframe can be reduced without adding any additional weight to the door.
Other technical features and advantages will be obvious to one of skill in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.


An emergency lubrication system for a turbine engine includes a reservoir 50 containing a reserve quantity of lubricant 52 and having a lubricant inlet 54 and a lubricant outlet 56. A lubricant supply line 62 and a lubricant outlet line 66 each have a respective valves 64, 68 for regulating lubricant flow into and out of the reservoir. A fluid supply line 70 includes a valve 72 for selectively establishing communication between the reserve quantity of lubricant and a source of pressurized fluid. During normal operation the lubricant outlet valve continuously releases lubricant at a normal rate to the component requiring lubrication while the lubricant inlet valve concurrently admits fresh lubricant into the reservoir. During abnormal operation, the lubricant inlet valve closes in response to abnormally low lubricant pressure outside the reservoir thereby preventing backflow of reserve lubricant out of the reservoir. The fluid inlet valve opens to admit pressurized fluid into the reservoir thus pressurizing the reserve lubricant. The lubricant outlet valve opens or cycles open and closed in response to a command from a controller 26 so that the pressurized fluid forces lubricant through the outlet 56 as a subnormal rate, which persists until the lubricant reserve is substantially depleted. The subnormal rate is ideally achieved by intermittently releasing lubricant from the reservoir, but may also be achieved by releasing a continuous stream of lubricant at a rate less than the normal rate of release.

Lubrication systems, such as those used in aircraft gas turbine engines, supply lubricant to bearings, gears and other engine components that require lubrication. The lubricant, typically oil, cools the components and protects them from wear. A typical oil lubrication system includes conventional components such as an oil tank, pump and filter.
If one of the lubrication system components fails, malfunctions or sustains damage, the oil supply to the lubricated component may be disrupted resulting in irreparable damage to the component and undesirable corollary consequences. For example, if an engine oil pump fails, the resulting loss of oil pressure could disable the engine by causing overheating and/or seizure of the bearings that support the engine shaft. An aircraft engine that becomes disabled in flight is obviously a concern, especially if the engine powers a single-engine military aircraft operating in hostile airspace.
It is known to accommodate the possibility of a failure in the oil system by configuring the system so that it continues to supply oil to the lubricated components for a limited time, thereby enabling continued temporary operation of the engine. Such a system allows the aircraft crew time to safely shut down the engine or to take other appropriate actions to safeguard the aircraft and its occupants. In a military aircraft, such a system can provide the crew with valuable additional time to return to friendly airspace.
An emergency lubrication system for an aircraft engine should possess several desirable attributes. The system should provide emergency lubrication for as long as possible, but should not add significantly to aircraft weight or consume precious space by requiring that the aircraft carry a large reserve of emergency lubricant. Moreover, it is desirable that any reserve quantity of lubricant be continuously replenished. Otherwise the properties of the reserve lubricant could degrade over time, rendering the lubricant unsuitable for use when called upon in an emergency. The emergency system should also make as much use as possible of the existing non-emergency lubrication system hardware and lubricant flowpaths, thus avoiding the weight, cost and complexity of dedicated emergency hardware. The system should also operate autonomously, i.e. without requiring that the aircraft crew take any action to engage the system.
Some known lubrication systems use high pressure to deliver a high velocity stream of lubricant during normal operation, but provide a low velocity mist or gravity induced flow of lubricant during abnormal or emergency conditions. Despite the merits of these systems, they may not be satisfactory for all applications. For example, intershaft bearings, such as those used between corotating or counterrotating shafts of a turbine engine, normally receive lubricant by way of a lubricant flowpath that includes scoops projecting from the exterior of a shaft and lubricant passageways (which may include the shaft bore) extending axially through a shaft. The scoops receive pressurized lubricant from the lubricant pumps mounted on the nonrotating structure of the engine and convey that lubricant to the passageways, which then guide the lubricant to the intershaft bearings. Because the scoops and passageways are designed to receive and transport high velocity lubricant, they may not work satisfactorily with low velocity lubricant such as a lubricant mist or a gravity induced lubricant stream. Hence, if it is desired to use the existing lubricant flowpath under emergency operating conditions, it is advantageous to maintain lubricant pressure despite the failure of one or more of the lubrication system components. Although it might be possible to include auxiliary features and hardware that allow low pressure emergency lubricant (e.g. a mist or gravity induced stream) to bridge the interface between the nonrotating structure and the rotating shafts and adequately lubricate the bearing, doing so would introduce undesirable weight, cost and complexity.


The invention relates to a method, party challenging device (18) and computer program products for providing a challenge to a first terminal (10) intending to communicate with a second terminal (24) via two networks (N1, N2). The party challenging device receives a first electronic message (1M) concerning a transfer of media from the first terminal to the second terminal sent from the first terminal (10) and addressed to the second terminal (24), obtains communication contextual data associated with the first party or the first terminal, provides an electronic challenge message (CHM) including a challenge (CHl1) based on the obtained data and sends the challenge message to the first terminal in order to enable a decision to be made how to process the invitation message for the second terminal based on the correctness of a response (RM) including a response to the challenge.

Unsolicited communication such as SPAM is becoming an increasing problem on the Internet. While there may be many types of unwanted traffic, SPAM is usually defined to be communication which is not only unwanted, but also mass distributed. Often, this mass distribution is accomplished by automated (machine based) generation of the messages. There is a fear that SPAM will spread to telecommunication operator networks, such as fixed or mobile telecommunication operator network. Such SPAM in a telecommunication network is not only annoying to the user or party receiving it. It may also lead to network waste and possibly incorrect or seemingly unfair charging of end-users. There is also a fear that SPAM will spread to non-email services such as IP Telephony (SPAM over IP Telephony, "SpIT"), Instant Messaging (SPAM over Instant Messaging, "SpIM"), and in general to any/all IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) service based services.
In the case that the IMS is provided by a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) operator, it could be argued that users will be authenticated and the perpetrator (the source of the unsolicited communication) can be identified. Still, it does not prevent SPAM/SpIM/SpIT. Also, there is need to support the case when only one (or neither) of the parties use 3GPP hosted services.
Because of this there is a need to be able to at least broadly authorize a communication initiator in a communication network in order to be able to take counter-measures for preferably stopping undesirable communication to take place. It is in this respect of interest for a party at the receiving end to have this done without being involved. However, this party at the receiving end naturally does not want to have all such communication initiating parties to be barred.
Various techniques to mitigate SPAM have been proposed. A common denominator is that the techniques are based on "challenging" the sender/initiator of the communication. The idea is either to impose a computational load on the sender's computing device by asking the sender to solve a computational puzzle thereby limiting the rate at which the sender can initiate communication, or, to give the sender a task which only a human user would be able to solve, thereby using the fact that humans have limited computing power. This will slow down the process of sending SPAM or make it expensive, since it would need the involvement of humans. The latter form of challenges can thus be seen as a form of "Turing test", in this context known as "Completely Automated Public Turing-test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" (CAPTCHA). A typical such CAPTCHA may consist of asking the user to describe a picture or video, or to summarize some "semantical" meaning of a spoken sentence. A CAPTCHA can also be the sending of an image with "warped" or twisted characters, like numbers or letters that cannot easily be identified by a machine, for instance using character recognition such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), while being easily identifiable by a human.
A problem with computational puzzles is that it is difficult to issue a puzzle that is "suitably" hard, as it is of interest to let a legitimate sender to be able to send even if he has a "thin" device, while at the same time it is desirable to prevent malicious "spammers" from sending bulk email, even if they have a large computer cluster to assist.
CAPTCHAs have, as was mentioned earlier, been used frequently in relation to the Internet. Examples on this are given in WO 2008/030363. Here a CAPTCHA is combined with contextual background, such as data relating to an on-line application environment provided by a provider, such as an on-line payment environment. This means that a user who wants to access a service provided by a provider is presented with a CAPTCHA that has been combined with contextual data of the service provider and normally of the service itself.
CAPTCHAS in relation to various terminals including mobile telephones has also been proposed in US 2009/0083826.
There is however still a problem in how to select a good challenge, like a CAPTCHA. First of all, since it is desirable to avoid unnecessary disturbance of the party at the receiving end of the communication, all situations where the challenge is actively chosen by the receiving party are unsuitable. Furthermore, if the communication initiator is visually or hearing impaired he or she may not be able to solve a visual or audio challenge CAPTCHA. Even if a challenge that could be understood by the communication initiator is used, this communication initiator could be in a situation where the challenge is unsuitable at a given point in time. For example, if the communication initiator is "mobile", such as driving a car, it could be dangerous to distract him or her by forcing him or her to look at the screen of a terminal on which the challenge is presented. Some terminals may furthermore lack displays and then it is also impossible to view a visual challenge. In summary, there is a need for an improved way to select challenges.

Challenging a first terminal intending to communicate with a second terminal


This invention includes a hydraulic pump (9), a working implement (107) having a lift cylinder (13) driven by a hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump (9), an operating device (104) for operating the working implement (107), a traveling motor (7) for driving wheels, and a main controller (100). When the lift cylinder (13) fails to operate despite an extending instruction being imparted to the lift cylinder (13) via the operating device (104), the main controller (100) reduces a limit value for an increase rate of a torque required in the traveling motor (7) to a value smaller than that applied when the lift cylinder (13) operates. With this configuration, occurrence of wheel slip during lifting of an object to be carried can be reduced.

Some construction vehicles include a traveling drive device for wheel driving and a working implement mounted on an anterior section of the vehicle, the working implement being driven by a hydraulic fluid supplied from a hydraulic pump. Among these types of construction vehicles are those in which a force generated when the working implement lifts an object to be carried will act upon the vehicle as a counteraction from the object. Wheel loaders and forklift trucks, for example, correspond to such construction vehicles.
Wheel loaders have an articulated type of working implement, inclusive of a bucket and a lift arm, on an anterior section of the vehicle. The wheel loaders apply a driving force to the wheels via the traveling drive device, with the bucket plunging into the object, then raise the bucket to excavate the soil. At this time, the wheels increase in ground contact pressure since the force that raises the bucket works upon the vehicle body as the counteraction from the object. As the ground contact pressure of the wheels increases, maximum frictional force between the wheels and the ground surface increases, so that when the bucket is being raised, occurrence of wheel slip tends to be reduced below a level at which the bucket is not being raised.
If the excavating counteraction is small and the driving force is large, however, the wheels may slip because of insufficient frictional force. In addition, the slipping of the wheels may involve scraping against the road surface to make it rough and thus to significantly reduce subsequent working efficiency of the vehicle. For example, in a wheel loader having a torque converter type of automatic transmission (hereinafter, this construction vehicle may be termed the conventional type of wheel loader), since the torque converter yields an increase in output torque with an engine speed, an operator predicts a magnitude of the driving force from parameters such as the engine speed, and performs excavation while balancing the extracting counteraction and the driving force appropriately for suppressed wheel slip. Skill is needed to balance the extracting counteraction and the driving force. Conversely to the above, if the driving force is too small, the bucket may fail to plunge into the object deeply. In this case, the amount of object that the bucket can scoop may reduce, thus the workload per unit time may also reduced.
While known traction control for automotive use would be applied to suppress the wheel slip generated when a construction vehicle is operated as above, occurrence of initial slip is likely to be unavoidable since the driving force is limited only after the occurrence of the slip has been detected.
In order to prevent wheel slip from occurring, therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a wheel loader that includes traveling control means to detect a position of a bucket and an excavating counteraction (load), then calculate a rotational moment of a working implement, based upon the detected position and excavating counteraction, and limit a driving force according to the particular rotational moment.

HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.


A backlight module (2) includes a light source (66) and a light guide plate (20), the light guide plate includes a light incidence surface (25), a light-emitting surface (21) adjacent to the light incidence surface; and a bottom surface (22) opposite to the light-emitting surface, the bottom surface includes a plurality of curved grooves (23), the light-emitting surface includes a plurality of grooves (24). In the backlight module, because of the curved grooves of the bottom surface and the grooves of the light-emitting surface, light beams entering the light guide plate are concentrated at the bottom surface and light-emitting surface, thus the surface light beams outputting from the light-emitting surface have a rather higher brightness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light guide plates and backlight modules that use light guide plates, such backlight modules typically being incorporated into devices such as liquid crystal displays.
2. General Background
In a typical liquid crystal display, a backlight module provides a surface light source for illuminating the liquid crystal display. Generally, the backlight module includes a light guide plate and a light source arranged adjacent to one side of the light guide plate. The light guide plate changes light beams received from the light source into surface light beams, and directs the surface light beams to a liquid crystal panel of the liquid crystal display.
FIG. 13 shows a conventional backlight module 1. The backlight module 1 comprises a light guide plate 10 and a point light source 13 adjacent to a corner of the light guide plate 10. The light guide plate 10 includes a bottom surface 11. The bottom surface 11 has a plurality of curving grooves 12. Each of the curving grooves 12 is bounded by a pair of ridges, and each of the ridges is continuous along a length thereof. Generally the curving grooves 12 are concentric relative to the point light source 13.
In operation, light beams emitted from the point light source 13 propagate within the light guide plate 10 toward the curving grooves 12 in directions perpendicular to the curving grooves 12. The light beams are reflected and refracted at the curving grooves 12, and are then output from a light-emitting region (not shown) of the light guide plate 10. With this configuration, the light beams output from the light-emitting region provide improved brightness and uniformity of illumination.
However, there is ongoing demand for backlight modules to provide even more improved brightness and uniformity of illumination. A new light guide plate for a backlight module which can meet this demand is desired.

Light guide plate and backlight module using the same


An apparatus for voice modulation in a mobile terminal comprises: a voice input unit being inputted a voice of a subscriber and generating an analog voice signal; a voice modulation unit for modulating the generated analog voice signal; an audio processor for converting the modulated analog voice signal into a digital signal; and an mobile station modem (MSM) for processing the digital signal to be suitable for a wireless transmission. Therefore, the apparatus for voice modulation in a mobile terminal is able to protect the privacy of subscriber by modulating the voice of subscriber during speaking on the phone, and is able to prevent the telephone harassment. Also, the voice of subscriber can be modulated variously as voice in a cave, child voice, devil voice, man's voice, woman's voice, and user defined effect sound, etc., and therefore, the various desires of mobile terminal user can be satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice modulating apparatus, and particularly, to an apparatus and a method for voice modulation in a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Background Art
Voice and sound is a kind of energy, that is, vibration generated from a source of sound delivered as making air as a medium. Physically, the sound has three elements such as the times of vibration, that is, frequency, amplitude, and duration. The voice of human being is a compound of sounds having various frequencies. Therefore, a pitch of the voice is not only decided by a size of the frequency, but a difference in tone by which various vowels and consonants are distinguished is generated by constitution of frequencies.
The human beings generate voice frequency of 100˜400 Hz generally, and a frequency range that the human beings can hear is 15˜20,000 Hz. The voices of human beings have their own properties, that is, different pitches and lengths of sound. Human brain remembers the differences, and therefore, the human beings can recognize the speaker only with his/her voice.
Voice modulation is to change the properties of voice intentionally.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a general mobile terminal related to a voice processing.
As shown therein, the mobile terminal comprises: a voice input unit 10 being inputted the voice of subscriber and generating an analog voice signal; an audio processor 30 for converting the analog voice signal into a digital signal; and a mobile station modem (hereinafter, referred to as 'MSM') 40 processing the digital signal to be suitable for wireless transmission.
General operation of the mobile terminal will be described as follows.
The voice input unit 10 is a device for collecting and converting the voice of the subscriber, and the voice input unit 10 converts the collected subscriber's voice into an analog signal and transmits it to the audio processor 30. The audio processor 30 amplifies the converted analog signal, and converts the signal into a digital signal of pulse code modulation (PCM) data form. And the converted digital signal is transmitted to the MSM 40.
The MSM 40 convolutionally encodes the received digital signal so as to detect and correct an error in transmission, scrambles the signal in order to ensure the privacy, and generates an IQ signal by 4-phase modulating using a pair of pilot PN code. Then the IQ signal is converted into a radio frequency (RF) signal as passing through a predetermined procedure, and discharged wirelessly through an antenna.
The MSM 40 is a circuit performing same functions as those of a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer, comprises an encoder, an interleaver, a deinterleaver, a viterbi decoder, a mod/demodulator, and a vocoder, etc., and controls most functions processed in the mobile terminal.
As described above, the conventional voice processing unit puts an emphasis on preventing the modulation and deformation of voice, and restoring the voice similarly to the original sound in the process of converting the voice into the signal and the code. The conventional mobile terminal is faithful to its own objects, however, can not satisfy the various desires of the subscriber since it does not have the functions of voice modulation and intentional voice modulation by which the subscriber is able to be protected from telephone harassment.

Apparatus and method for voice modulation in mobile terminal


A filtering device for fluids features a filter element located in a filter housing and a heating device located in the flow path of the fluid. The heating device comprises a heating element that is held by a heating support which is located at the inner surface of the cover, with a water outlet connection being designed as one-piece with the heating support, the water outlet connection being directed outwards through a recess in the cover.

DE 10 2006 034 077 A1 describes a liquid filter which is equipped with a heating device for heating the medium flowing through the filtering device. The heating device is designed as heating track which can be heated with electric power and which is injected into the filter housing. The heating track is integrated into the wall of the pot-shaped filter housing and encompasses the filter element in a ring-shaped manner at its exterior side which represents the raw side so that the fluid reaching the raw side is heated by the heating track.
A heating device, which features positive temperature co-efficient (PTC) heating elements which are disposed at the front side of the housing, is known from EP 0 162 939 A1. The PTC elements are located at a cover of the housing through which the Diesel fuel flows in and out. The cover which is attachable to the front side of the pot-shaped housing features a flow chamber between an outside located and an inside located cover shell for guiding the flow, the PTC elements being disposed at the side of the inner housing shell facing the housing pot.
The task of the invention is to realize a filtering device for fluids in compact design by means of simple constructional features in such a way that a quick heating of the fluid along with an easy installation and maintenance is ensured.

Filtering device for fluids, in particular for fuel


A moulding machine with a blowing head includes a hollow rammer within which is provided a valve which receives blast air from a drum and which by telescopic conduits plays inside guide-columns in a fixed framework. The rammer is fixed through a flange to a metal plate provided with holes for passage therethrough of blowing air. The metal plate plays tightly inside a subframe which is rigidly connected to a framework fixed to the machine. Another frame, associated with a moulding box, is tightly coupled with the box when a table carrying a moulding plate rises so that after blowing air when the valve opens or after compacting by blowing, the rammer travels down and hence also the metal plate which performs a mechanical compacting of the sand mass.

The present invention relates to a blowing head specifically, designed for air impact sandbox moulding machines. In such machines, the box is first filled with sand and the same is then compacted in to consecutive operations, in one of which air is blown onto the sand mass, and in another of which a mechanical compacting takes place, the two operations being carried out successively and immediately, using the same head, which acts as a blowing means and as a mechanical compacting means.
The applicant himself is the holder of Spanish patent of invention 8703409, for a shooting mechanism for coreshooters, wherein the rammer, designed to be coupled to the sand cartridge, is hollow and houses therein a pop valve, that is triggered due to the pressure existing in a drum, which pressure arrives at the valve through the actual guide-columns for alternating displacement of the rammer in coupling and uncoupling to and from the sand cartridge, the pop valve being driven by the actual pressure in the drum, such that the pressure normally arrives at the packing piston through two chambers that are set against each other, a chamber through which blowing air passes on its way towards the cartridge and an auxiliary chamber established at the rear of the packing piston and through which the piston is held closed, while the pressure entering the auxiliary chamber from the drum is not discontinued, which comes about precisely when the shooting takes place.
Furthermore, and within the field of air impact sandbox moulding machines, subject hereof, the applicant himself is also the holder of Spanish patent of invention 8901201, regarding a number of improvements to this kind of machines, which improvements comprise placing a sandsupplying hopper at the mouth of the machine, under the hatch supplying batched sand, a mo&or, duly protected against sand discharges and making up the element driving a number of lower blades or vanes that spread out and level the sand within the compacting chamber, the assembly being enclosed by a release valve, that is disposed annularly outside the hopper and provided with an annular stopper, such that after the sand is batched, the motor causes the sand to be spread out and levelled within the box and its respective frame whereupon pneumatic compacting takes place by opening the annular stopper and suddenly releasing compressed air onto the compacting chamber, specifically onto the upper base of the mass of the sand-binder mixture.
However, in machines such as that disclosed in Spanish patent of invention 8901201 and in any other air impact sandbox moulding machines, the sand mass not only fills the sandbox, but a sizeable part of the upper frame, and given that the box must subsequently be levelled, all the sand housed in the frame will be wasted.
To overcome this problem, in some machines the box and the frame move to a station where additional mechanical compacting follows, either by means of manifold pneumatic or hydraulic rammers or by means of a single rammer, thereby to improve the compacting of the sand mould and at the same cut down on the waste.

Air impact sandbox moulding machine with a blowing head

Zorrostea 4, Poligano Industrial Ali Gobeo


A well treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and a wettability modifier, and a method using the well treatment fluid. The wettability modifier includes an alkylamine oxide surfactant, and an organic compound having a phosphonoalkyl moiety. As an example, the well treatment fluid is suitable for treating oil-wet formations.

Well treatment fluids are introduced into a subterranean formation through a wellbore of an oil and gas well in connection with a variety of treatment operations including, for example, drilling operations, cementing operations, completion operations and stimulation and recovery operations. The components of a particular well treatment fluid and the resulting properties thereof will vary depending on the application, well conditions and other factors known to those skilled in the art.
An example of one type of well treatment fluid is a hydraulic fracturing fluid. In a hydraulic fracturing operation, a fracturing fluid is pumped into a subterranean formation at or above a pressure sufficient to form or extend one or more fractures in the formation. Proppant particulates are carried by the fracturing fluid and placed in the fracture(s) to hold the fracture(s) open once the hydraulic pressure on the formation is released. The resulting propped fracture(s) provides one or more conductive channels through which fluids in the formation can flow from the formation to the wellbore.
Surfactants are added to well treatment fluids for a large variety of reasons. The type surfactant(s) used and the function(s) thereof vary depending on the application. For example, surfactants are often included in hydraulic fracturing fluids to function as flowback additives, that is, additives that function to reduce capillary pressure and water blocks (retained water) in the formation that would otherwise potentially inhibit the flow of oil, or gas, from the formation to the wellbore. Maximizing or enhancing the flowability of oil in the reservoir can ultimately increase the production of oil from the well.
Although most surfactants (including flowback additives) are effective in water-wet formations, it has been discovered that many surfactants and surfactant formulations (including flowback additives) do not perform well in oil-wet formations, such as oil-wet calcite (calcium carbonate)-containing formations. Furthermore, over the life of a well in a calcite-containing formation, proppant packs and even microfractures in the formation may become oil-wet as organic content (enriched with chemical compounds that are significantly distinct from the saturated hydrocarbons naturally present in the formation) is leached from the formation due to closure stresses and changes in temperature.
For example, when a crude oil-saturated formation exhibits a water-wet character, water is the wetting phase and oil is the non-wetting phase, which allows water to displace oil from the formation. Conversely, if a crude oil-saturated formation exhibits an oil-wet character, oil is the wetting phase and water is the non-wetting phase. Under oil-wet conditions, water does not always provide a force sufficient to overcome the adhesion forces associated with the formation pore surface and crude oil and thereby displace oil from the formation.
There is a need for a surfactant formulation that effectively functions in oil-wet formations. For example, there is a need for a surfactant formulation that effectively functions as a flowback additive in oil-wet formations.

Rapid reversal of wettability of subterranean formations


An authentication system combines a source of ultraviolet light (and optionally a scanning mechanism) with apparatus for capturing and recognizing either graphic images or characters or both, where the graphic images and/or characters have been previously made with fluorescent substances that may be invisible under ordinary visible light, but are rendered detectable by the ultraviolet light. As in conventional optical character recognition (OCR), the characters may be conventional alphanumeric characters readable by human readers once they are made visible. The authentication system has a housing enclosing its optical path, a source of UV light, a detector for detecting graphic images or characters, conversion of the detector signal to digital form, a memory storing predetermined indicia, recognition logic, and indicating means. The system may also include a scanning mechanism and optical filters to select predetermined wavelengths of fluorescent light. The detector may be capable of detecting both fluorescent images and normal visible images, and the authentication system may incorporate switching mechanisms to allow multiplexed acquisition of fluorescent and normally visible images. The authentication system can operate in conjunction with a process for marking articles with indicia selected from a predetermined set of graphic images and characters readable by optical character recognition and/or by image comparison. That process can include printing fluorescent graphic images or characters in registration with (or with predetermined offset from) visible images or characters or indicia printed with substances fluorescent at different wavelengths. The recognition logic of the authentication system can include comparison of fluorescent and visible images or two different fluorescent images with each other. Pairs of indicia to be recognized and/or compared may be arranged to constitute a stereogram or other arrangement for first-order authentication by a human observer.

PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
The counterfeiting of articles of many kinds has become a serious problem worldwide, causing great loss of revenues to legitimate businesses and to individuals. Counterfeiting has produced articles that are very difficult to distinguish from the genuine articles, taking sales revenues from the producers of genuine articles and impacting legitimate business' reputations when the counterfeit articles have inferior quality and/or non-existent manufacturers' support. Similarly, problems and losses occur due to counterfeiting of articles used for financial transactions or identification, such as credit cards, drivers' licenses, passports, and immigration documents. Even when genuine articles have been marked with authentication markings such as watermarks, special papers, and holograms which are difficult to replicate, counterfeiters have managed to produce articles that appear genuine. The general availability of newer replication technology such as high-resolution image scanners, laser copiers and printers, and color-accurate color copiers and printers has enabled counterfeiters to produce more credible counterfeit articles. These technological developments of replication hardware continue to make rapid progress, as do the computer hardware and software that support them. Thus it is useful to have additional ways to mark articles for authentication with greater security. Greater security may be achieved by making authentication markings more difficult for counterfeiters to detect and interpret, by incorporating greater complexity into the markings, and by making replication by counterfeiters more difficult. Combining multiple kinds of marking indicia can further increase the complexity of detection, interpretation, and replication, thus providing even better security. Considering the security issue from another point of view, it is not desirable to use the same means that generated the visible appearance of an article to authenticate it, as the visible appearance is becoming easier to replicate. Invisible indicia that cannot be reproduced by common visible graphic copying and printing means can provide improved security, especially when combined with complex images, patterns, and/or characters.

Apparatus and methods for fluorescent imaging and optical character reading


A toothed belt is provided that has excellent environment resistance, high load resistance, high stiffness, and achieves high accuracy, light weight, compactness and low noise.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toothed belt that has high stiffness, excellent high load resistance, and environment resistance such as heat resistance and cold resistance, and achieves high accuracy, compactness and low noise.
2. Description of Related Art
The toothed belt is wound between a driving toothed pulley and a driven toothed pulley, and is used, for example, as a power transmission belt for general industrial apparatuses and OA apparatuses, a timing belt for vehicle internal combustion engines, and a driving belt for bicycles. The toothed belt is normally constituted by a belt body formed of a black rubber portion containing carbon black embedded with a plurality of core wires extending in the direction of the length, a plurality of tooth rubber portions formed on a surface of the belt body, and tooth cloth portion covering the surface of the tooth rubber portions. The toothed belt becomes unusable in occasions such as when tooth breakage occurs mainly because of tooth cloth wear or when a core wire breaks.
To improve the transmission capacity, the stopping accuracy and the attenuation characteristic of the toothed belt, it is essential to enhance the strength, the stiffness, the wear resistance, the bending fatigue resistance and the adhesiveness, to other materials, of the rubber portion. Japanese Patent No. 4,360,993 discloses an invention of a toothed belt where the strength, the stiffness and the wear resistance of the rubber portion are enhanced by blending, as a constituent of the rubber portion, a polymer alloy in which zinc methacrylate is finely dispersed in hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR).
Moreover, to improve the transmission capacity of the toothed belt, it is essential to improve the wear resistance and the adhesiveness, to the rubber portion and the core wires, of the canvas for the belt tooth cloth.
Further, to improve the transmission capacity, the stopping accuracy and the attenuation characteristic of the toothed belt, it is also essential to enhance the strength, the stiffness, the bending fatigue resistance and the adhesiveness, to other materials, of the core wires.
Japanese Patent No. 5,116,791 discloses an invention of a toothed belt having high stiffness and high strength and further, having excellent bending fatigue resistance since the rubber portion contains a hydrogenated nitrile rubber the Mooney viscosity (1+4) 100 deg C. of which is not less than 100 and not more than 160.
The above-described toothed belts of Japanese Patent No. 4,360,993 and Japanese Patent No. 5,116,791 are mainly for general industry, and are unsuited for use as a toothed belt for uses in vehicles which is used, for example, in an engine room, is a small pitch toothed belt having a tooth pitch of not more than 3 mm, and requires environment resistance, high load resistance (compactness), high accuracy, light weight and low noise.
For a small pitch toothed belt, as a rubber constituent of the rubber portion, CR (chloroprene), EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene rubber) or the like is frequently used, and for use under low load, the rubber hardness Hs of the rubber portion is 72 to 83 and the 100% modulus at a vulcanized rubber test is 3 to 6 MPa, which indicates that stiffness is insufficient for achieving compactness.
As for the service temperature of the small pitch toothed belt, the upper limit is normally 80 deg C., in particular, 120 deg C. in the case of EPDM, and the lower limit is normally −15 to 20 deg C., in particular, −40 deg C. in the case of EPDM. In the conventional small pitch toothed belt, when heat resistance and oil resistance are satisfied, cold resistance is insufficient, when cold resistance is satisfied, oil resistance or heat resistance is insufficient, and when water resistance is satisfied, durability and dimension stability are insufficient. As for environment resistance, although belts tailored to a specific required physical property have conventionally been present, properties other than the specific property are apt to be low. Particularly, in the case of EPDM, oil resistance is insufficient. In the case of the EPS (electric power steering), scattering of grease from a ball screw occurs.
When the rubber portion contains CR and EPDM, from the viewpoint of strength, workability and moldability, it is difficult to realize high stiffness which leads to compactness.
In the conventional small pitch toothed belt, bending fatigue resistance and wear resistance are insufficient, permanent deformation is large, cracks are readily caused in the back rubber and the tooth portions, and tooth breakage readily occurs.
Moreover, in the conventional small pitch toothed belt, since glass core wires having a small diameter and a low modulus of elasticity are used, rubber stiffness is low and this increases the belt width, so that low noise is difficult to achieve. For example, in the case of a timing belt for the EPS, although the tooth pitch is 2 to 3 mm with the intension of achieving low noise, since the belt width is 25 to 34 mm, considerable space is required, and noise is caused as a result. When helical teeth are adopted, although low noise is achieved, the side surfaces of the belt are shaved because of a significant reduction in dynamic tooth jumping torque and an increase in side thrust, and durability is significantly low because of the occurrence of uneven wear of the tooth cloth or the like.
As for the original yarn of the core wires, since a thin core wire made of E glass is mainly used, strength, bending fatigue resistance and stiffness are insufficient, so that it is difficult to achieve high compactness. Although use of a high strength glass is considered, the increase in strength is 30% at the most. In addition, since an RFL treatment is performed, permanent elongation, heat resistance and water resistance are insufficient, and environment resistance is insufficient.
In the case of the small pitch toothed belt, since the tooth portions are small, the original canvas for tooth cloth is thin, so that strength is insufficient (particularly, the woof). When strength is ensured by using thick cloth, moldability is poor (the belt tooth portions are mostly cloth), so that durability is insufficient.
When the RFL treatment or a mucilage treatment using a mucilage containing carbon is performed as the treatment of the tooth cloth, friction is high, and the surface is shaved by scattered carbon shreds to reduce wear resistance. The RFL treatment is a treatment performed by using an RFL liquid formed by causing a condensation reaction between resorcinol and formaldehyde under alkaline environment and adding formalin latex or the like thereto to cause a reaction.
When the tooth portions of the belt are covered with the tooth cloth, it is preferable that the junction (joint, seam) be at a tooth tip; however, when the tooth pitch is not more than 3 mm, since the teeth are too small, it is difficult to situate the junction of the cloth at a tooth tip. The junction is shifted by the degree of linearity of the junction of the tooth cloth, a twist caused when the core wires are wound, and the like. Therefore, currently, a sewing machine and welding are used for joining, and formation into a belt is performed without specific consideration given to the position of the seam (this hardly causes a problem since the belt is used under low load). However, in the case of joining by a sewing machine, the back rubber sometimes oozes out to the tooth side surfaces through the needle holes to cause an unusual noise, and in the case of welding, a molding defect (the welded junction is entangled, so that the entire surface of the belt tooth is cloth) sometimes occurs at the junction.

Abstract: A toothed belt is provided with a belt body including a plurality of core wires juxtaposed in the width direction of a rubber portion, a plurality of tooth rubber portions formed on one surface of the belt body, and a tooth cloth covering the surface of the tooth rubber portions. The rubber portion contains dioctyl sebacate and trimellitic acid ester in a mass part ratio of 1:19 to 1:1, the mass percentage of the dioctyl sebacate to the whole quantity of the rubber portion is less than 4 mass %, and the mass percentage of the total quantity of the dioctyl sebacate and the trimellitic acid ester to the whole quantity of the rubber portion is in a range from 4 mass % to 8 mass %.


A portable therapeutic fluid delivery device and a method for delivering a therapeutic fluid into a body of a patient are provided. In one aspect the therapeutic fluid delivery device and the method can be implemented using at least one housing securable to the body of the patient, a reservoir coupled to the at least one housing, a therapeutic fluid dispensing mechanism, a memory component, a controller, at least one bolus delivery button configured to signal the controller to initiate the delivery of the therapeutic fluid into the body of the patient; and, an inadvertent initiation prevention mechanism adapted for preventing the patient from activating the at least one bolus delivery button.

Medical treatment of several illnesses requires continuous drug infusion into various body compartments, such as subcutaneous and intra-venous injections. Diabetes mellitus patients, for example, require the administration of varying amounts of insulin throughout the day to control their blood glucose levels. In recent years, ambulatory portable insulin infusion pumps have emerged as a superior alternative to multiple daily syringe injections of insulin. These pumps, which deliver insulin at a continuous basal rate as well as in bolus volumes, were developed to liberate patients from repeated self-administered injections, and allow them to maintain a near-normal daily routine. Both basal and bolus volumes must be delivered in precise doses, according to individual prescription, since an overdose or under-dose of insulin could be fatal.
The 1st generation of portable infusion pumps disclosed "pager-like" devices with a reservoir contained within the device's housing. In such 1st generation devices, a long tube delivers insulin from the pump attached to a patient's belt to a remote insertion site. Both basal and bolus volume deliveries in these "pager-like" devices are controlled via a set of buttons provided on the device. Such devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,771,694, 4,657,486 and 4,498,843. These devices represent a significant improvement over multiple daily injections, but nevertheless, they all suffer from several major drawbacks, among which are the large size and weight of the device.
These uncomfortable bulky devices are rejected by the majority of diabetic insulin users, since they disturb regular activities, such as sleeping and swimming. In addition, the delivery tube excludes some optional remote insertion sites, like buttocks, arms and legs. To avoid the consequences of long delivery tube, a 2nd generation of pumps was proposed. As described in the prior art, the 2nd generation systems include a remote controlled skin adherable device with a housing having a bottom surface adapted for contact with the patient's skin, a reservoir disposed within the housing, and an injection needle adapted for communication with the reservoir. These skin adherable devices should be discarded every 2-3 days to avoid irritation and infection. This paradigm was described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,957,895, 6,589,229, 6,740,059, 6,723,072 and 6,485,461. However, these 2nd generation devices also have limitations: they are bulky and expensive. The high selling price is due to the high production and accessory costs. Moreover, such systems are expensive for users since they must be discarded every 2-3 days, including the relatively expensive components, such as the driving mechanism and other electronics.
Another major drawback of these 2nd generation skin adherable devices concerns the remote controlled drug administration. The users are totally dependent on the remote control and cannot initiate a bolus delivery if the remote control is not at hand, lost or has malfunctioned (practically, the patient cannot eat).
In some 2nd generation devices, a manual bolus button is disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,059, assigned to Insulet Corporation. When pressed, the spring loaded button moves a release finger away from a bolus delivery tube, thus enabling the delivery of a fixed amount of fluid from a bolus volume accumulator to the exit port of the device. This system has several drawbacks:                1. Unsafe: a life-threatening, unwanted bolus can be delivered by unintentional pressing of the button.        2. Not tailored to patient needs: a one size accumulator allows one bolus dose per button press. Thus, for example, if the accumulator volume is 0.2 units of insulin, a toddler that needs an average bolus dose of 1 unit has to press the button 5 times; however an adult that requires an average bolus dose of 6 units has to press the button 30 times. If, for example, the accumulator volume is 1 unit, the same adult needs 6 button presses but it limits most kids from using manual bolus delivery.        3. Prolonged manual bolus administration: the user has to wait for the accumulator to be refilled before the next consecutive bolus. For example, if 10 presses are required and the filling time is 0.5 minutes, the bolus administration time is 5 minutes.        4. Enlargement of the device's overall size: the employment of two reservoirs, one for basal delivery and one for bolus delivery, as well as two separate tubes and additional mechanical components (e.g. spring) requires enlargement of the device's overall size.
A mechanical bolus button, suffering from the same abovementioned drawbacks, was also disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0162518, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,779 assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Company.
A 3rd generation skin adherable device was devised to avoid the cost issues of the 2nd generation and to extend patient customization. An example of such a device was described in co-owned/co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/397,115 and International Patent Application No. PCT/IL06/001276, disclosers of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. This 3rd generation device contains a remote control unit and a skin adherable dispensing patch unit (also referred to as "dispensing unit" or "dispensing patch") that is comprised of two parts:                Reusable part—including the driving mechanism, fluid dispensing mechanism, electronics and other relatively expensive components.        Disposable part—including inexpensive, disposable components such as reservoir, tube and batteries, and an outlet port.
This 3rd generation device/system provides a cost-effective skin adherable infusion device/system and allows diverse usage such as various reservoir sizes, various needle and cannula types, etc.
This 3rd generation skin adherable device, similarly to 2nd generation devices, can also be remotely controlled. However, it is desirable that manual initiation of fluid delivery will be possible when the remote control unit is not at hand (or not included), for at least one of basal and bolus drug delivery.

Manually operable portable infusion device


The invention provides a method and apparatus for minimizing heat degradation of a vapor decontaminant in a vaporizer by selectively operating a plurality of vaporizer heaters to provide a decreasing heat gradient through the vaporizer. A method and apparatus are also provided for selectively operating a plurality of preheaters, in series, for preheating a carrier gas entering a vaporizer in a flow-through decontamination system, and for maintaining a predetermined carrier gas temperature. A further method and apparatus are provided for fine-tuning chamber pressure in a high flow rate closed-loop flow-through vapor phase decontamination system.

Reusable medical, pharmaceutical, and biological instruments are generally sterilized before each use. Additionally, reusable containers employed in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological applications, such as glove boxes and incubators, are generally sterilized before each use. In facilities and applications where these types of instruments and containers are used several times a day, it is important to achieve sterilization efficiently and economically.
Several different methods have been developed for delivering a vapor phase sterilant to an enclosure or chamber for sterilizing the load (e.g., medical instruments) or interior thereof. In one option, the "deep vacuum" approach, a deep vacuum is used to pull liquid sterilant into a heated vaporizer; once vaporized, the sterilant is propelled by its vapor pressure into an evacuated and sealed chamber. In another option, the "flow-through" approach, vaporized sterilant is mixed with a flow of carrier gas that serves to deliver the sterilant into, through and out of the chamber, which may be at slightly negative or positive pressure.
In addition, methods have been developed for optimizing vapor phase sterilization in a deep vacuum and/or flow-through system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,145 discloses a deep vacuum method of vapor phase sterilization in which a predetermined concentration of hydrogen peroxide sterilant is maintained in an evacuated, sealed chamber. The amount of sterilant injected into the chamber is regulated or adjusted to account for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide sterilant vapor into water and oxygen in the closed system over time. A different approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,792 and 5,508,009, incorporated by reference herein, wherein a predetermined percent saturation is maintained in an open, flow-through sterilization. The rate of hydrogen peroxide vapor injection into a carrier gas is regulated or adjusted in response to predetermined characteristics of the carrier gas.
Also, several systems and apparatus have been developed for conducting vapor phase sterilization. An open flow-through system designed to handle the disposition of residual sterilant vapors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,999 and is incorporated by reference herein. That system can be integrally associated with or releasably connected to a sealable container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,258, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses another flow-through system in which vapor phase hydrogen peroxide is introduced into a recirculating, closed flow of carrier gas. The hydrogen peroxide vapor is introduced and maintained at a predetermined concentration selected to optimize the sterilization cycle. The system includes a dryer to dehumidify the recirculating flow, preferably to at least about 10% relative humidity, and thereby prevent moisture build-up resulting from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide vapor over time. By eliminating moisture build-up, the system can maintain the sterilization chamber at higher concentrations of vapor phase hydrogen peroxide sterilant for longer periods of time (i.e., the predried gas will accept more of the sterilant vapor). Further, to avoid condensation of the sterilant, the relative humidity in the chamber is preferably reduced (e.g., to at least about 10%) prior to introducing sterilant vapor. After decontamination is complete, the enclosure may be rehumidified or conditioned if desired for the selected application.
The foregoing methods and systems are effective at sterilization and/or provide an enhanced sterilization cycle. However, each of the aforementioned flow-through systems employ a comparatively low carrier gas or air flow rate of approximately 12-20 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) and a low liquid sterilant injection rate into the vaporizer. If higher carrier gas flow rates of up to 40-70 SCFM or more are employed, an increase in the amount of liquid sterilant injected into the vaporizer is required to maintain a predetermined vapor concentration. The combination of increased liquid and increased flow rate may have the result that not all of the liquid particles come into contact with the heated vaporizer wall and the liquid is not completely vaporized. Further, when employing a vapor sterilant that is easily decomposed by heat, such as hydrogen peroxide vapor, early-formed vapor may be decomposed by the constant heat of vaporizer as it follows a tortuous path through the vaporizer.
Previous low flow rate systems utilized one heater (of one wattage) to preheat the carrier gas prior to its entering the vaporizer. However, when higher air flow rates and higher sterilant injection rates are employed, one heater of one wattage is not sufficient to provide enough heat to the air stream. Furthermore, it may be desirable to provide a wide range of different air flow rates, each requiring a different heating wattage.
Other problems arise when flow-through systems with a high rate of flow are used to decontaminate rigid-walled chambers or enclosures, in which a slightly positive or slightly negative pressure must be maintained, because minute changes in the carrier gas flow rate, produced by adjusting the flow with high velocity blower motors, can be magnified into gross changes in the enclosure pressure, which may exceed process limits or harm processes going on inside the enclosure.
There exists, therefore, a need for further improvements in decontamination systems to accommodate high rates of carrier gas flow-through.

Continuous-operation, closed loop decontamination system and method


A process for the manufacture of a transparent Pigment Yellow 155 or transparent Pigment Yellow 180 is disclosed, said process includes grinding particles of said pigment in the presence of a grinding agent until said particles achieve a surface area of at least about 40 m2/g.

Printing ink, and special paint and plastics systems containing yellow pigments require strong color strength and transparent pigments.
Conventional Pigment Yellow 180 and Pigment Yellow 155 exhibit a color strength and opacity that limits their usefulness in printing inks, paints and plastics where high transparency is demanded. Examples of such conventional Pigment Yellow are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,870,164, 6,022,659 and 6,028,178.
Accordingly, there exists a need for Pigment Yellow 155 and 180 having increased color strength and transparency and thus pigments with high surface area.


Construction of an outer column for a telescopic steering apparatus is achieved in which sufficient strength is maintained even when a steering lock apparatus is assembled, and smooth operation is maintained when making it possible to adjust the forward/backward position of a steering wheel, and when maintaining the adjusted position. Of the end sections 58a, 58b, 59a, 59b of the sub slit sections 52a, 52b of an approximately H-shaped slit 19a for expanding or contracting the inner diameter of a fitting support portion 31a of an outer column 11b, the rigidity of the nearest end section 58a portion that exists in the location closest to a lock through hole 37a and of the furthest end section 59a portion that exists in a location diagonally from the nearest end section 58a, is greater than the rigidity of the end sections 58b, 59b in the remaining two locations. Moreover, convex sections 61a, 61b are provided at two locations in the up/down direction on the outside surfaces of each of a pair of held plate sections 20a, 20b.

A steering apparatus such as illustrated in FIG. 18 has been widely used in order to apply a steering angle to the steered wheels (normally the front wheels) of an automobile. In this steering apparatus, a steering shaft 3 is supported so as to be able to rotate on the inner-diameter side of a cylindrical steering column 2 that is supported by the vehicle body 1. A steering wheel 4 is fastened to the rear-end portion of the steering shaft 3 that protrudes further toward the rear than the rear-end opening of the steering column 2. The rotation of the steering wheel 4 is transmitted to an input shaft 8 of a steering gear unit 7 by way of a universal joint 5a, an intermediate shaft 6 and a universal joint 5b. The rotation of the input shaft 8 pushes or pulls a pair of tie rods 9 that are located on both sides of the steering gear unit 7, which applies a steering angle to the steered wheels that corresponds to the amount that the steering wheel 4 was operated.
The steering apparatus may comprise a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the forward/backward position of the steering wheel 4 according to the size and driving posture of the operator. In the telescopic mechanism, the steering column 2 is constructed such that the rear-end section of a front-side inner column 10 fits inside the front-end section of an outer column 11 so that relative displacement in the axial direction is possible, and such that the entire length is able to extend or contract in a telescopic shape, and the steering shaft 3 is constructed such that an outer tube 12 is combined with an inner shaft 13 with a spline joint or the like so that torque can be transmitted and so as to be able to freely extend and contract. In the example in FIG. 18, a tilt mechanism is also assembled in order to adjust the up/down position of the steering wheel 4. Furthermore, an electric-powered power steering apparatus having an electric motor 14 as an auxiliary power source is also assembled, and this electric-powered power steering apparatus makes it possible to reduce the force required for operating the steering wheel 4. More specifically, a housing 15 that houses a worm reduction gear or the like is connected and fastened to the front-end section of the steering column 2, and this housing 15 is supported by the vehicle body 1 so as to be able to pivotally displace around a horizontal shaft 16. Moreover, a column-side bracket 18 that is fastened to part of the steering column 2 is supported by a support bracket 17, which is supported by a different location of the vehicle body 1, and is supported so as to be able to displace in the forward/backward direction and up/down direction.
Except for electric powered devices, in the tilt mechanism and telescopic mechanism, it is necessary, based on the operation of an adjustment lever, to be able to switch between a state in which the position of the steering wheel 4 can be adjusted, and a state in which the adjusted position can be maintained. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 19, a slit 19 that extends in the axial direction is provided on the bottom surface of a portion near the front-end section and middle of the outer column 11, and this slit 19 makes it possible for the inner diameter of the front-end section of the outer column 11 to expand or contract. A pair of held plate sections 20 is provided in portions on both sides in the width direction of the slit 19. Long holes 21 in the forward/backward direction that extend in the axial direction of the outer column 11 are formed in portions of the pair of held plate sections 20 that are aligned with each other. Moreover, long holes 23 in the up/down direction that are partially arc shaped centered around the horizontal shaft 16 are formed in a pair of support plate sections 21 that are parallel with each other and that hold the held plate sections 20 on both sides in the width direction. An adjustment rod 24 is inserted through the long holes 21 in the forward/backward direction and the long holes 23 in the up down direction. A head section 25 that is provided on the base-end section of the adjustment rod 24 engages with the long hole 23 in the up/down direction that is formed in one (right side in FIG. 19) of the support plate sections 22 so that displacement is only possible along the long holes 23 in the up/down direction, or in other words, in a state so that rotation is prevented. On the other hand, a cam apparatus 29 that comprises a drive-side cam 27 and a driven-side cam 28 is provided between a nut 26 that is screwed onto the tip-end section of the adjustment rod 24 and the outside surface of the other (left side in FIG. 19) support plate section 22. The drive-side cam 27 is rotated and driven by an adjustment lever 30. By providing a thrust bearing 53 between the outside surface of the adjustment lever 30 and the nut 26, the operational feeling when operating the adjustment lever 30 is improved.
When adjusting the position of the steering wheel 4, the adjustment lever 30 is rotated in a specified direction, which rotates and drives the drive-side cam 27 and reduces the dimension in the axial direction of the cam apparatus 29. As a result, the space between the inside surfaces that face each other of the driven-side cam 28 and the head section 25 is increased, and the force that the support plate sections 22 apply to the held place sections 20 is released. As the same time, the inner diameter of the portion of the front section of the outer column 11 where the rear section of the inner column 10 fits is elastically expanded, and the pressure acting on the area of contact between the inner-circumferential surface of the front section of the outer column 11 and the outer-circumferential surface of the rear section of the inner column 10 decreases. In this state, adjustment of the up/down position and the forward/backward position of the steering wheel 4 is possible within the range that the adjustment rod 24 is able to displace inside the long holes 21 in the forward/backward direction and the long holes 23 in the up/down direction.
After the steering wheel 4 has been moved to a desired position, the adjustment lever 30 is rotated in a direction opposite the specified direction, which increases the dimension in the axial direction of the cam apparatus 29. As a result, the space between the inside surfaces that face each other of the driven-side cam 28 and the head section 25 is reduced, and the held plate sections 20 are firmly pressed by the support plate sections 22. At the same time, the inner diameter of the portion on the front section of the outer column 11 where the rear section of the inner column 10 fits is elastically reduced, and the surface pressure that acts on the area of contact between the inner-circumferential surface of the front section of the outer column 11 and the outer-circumferential surface of the rear section of the inner column 10 increases. As a result, the up/down position and forward/backward position of the steering wheel is maintained in the adjusted position.
In recent years, as a countermeasure against automobile theft, various kinds of anti-theft apparatuses have been provided in automobiles. One kind of such an apparatus that is widely used is a steering lock apparatus that makes operation of the steering wheel impossible unless a proper key is used. FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a steering lock apparatus as disclosed in JP 2008-265646 (A). The steering lock apparatus 32 has a lock unit 33 that is provided on part of the steering column 2a and a key-lock collar 35 that is fitted around and fastened to the outside of part of the steering shaft 3a in a position that coincides with the phase in the axial direction of the lock unit 33 and is provided with an engaging concave section 34 that is formed in at least one location in the circumferential direction of this key-lock collar 35. During operation (when the key is locked), the tip-end section of a lock pin 36 of the lock unit 33 is displaced toward the inner-diameter side of the steering column 2a through a lock hole 37 that is formed in the middle section in the axial direction of the steering column 2a, and by engaging with the engaging concave section 34, rotation of the steering shaft 3a becomes practically impossible. In other words, when an attempt is made to rotate the steering wheel 4 with a force that exceeds a specified value (value regulated by key lock regulation) when the ignition is OFF and the engaging concave section 34 and lock pin 36 are engaged, the steering shaft 3a rotates with respect to the key-lock collar 35. However, the steering shaft 3a does not rotate when an attempt is made to rotate the steering wheel 4 with a normal operating force.
When assembling the steering lock apparatus 32 in the steering apparatus, the lock unit 33 is provided on the outer-diameter side of the steering column 2a, and the key-lock collar 35 is provided on the inner-diameter side of the steering column 2a. Therefore, in order to place the key-lock collar 35 on the inner-diameter side of the steering column 2a so as to be able to rotate, and to make it possible for the lock pin 36 and key-lock collar 35 to become completely disengaged without increasing the stroke of the lock pin 36, it is necessary to make at least the outer diameter of the portion of the steering column 2a where the steering lock apparatus 32 is assembled small and the inner diameter of this portion large, or in other words, it is necessary to make the thickness of the steering column 2a thin in that portion.
FIG. 21 illustrates an outer column 11a that is disclosed in JP 2007-223383 (A). An outer column 11a is integrally formed by casting using a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy or the like. A fitting support portion 31 for the end section of a cylindrical shaped inner column 10 (see FIG. 18) to fit into so that relative displacement is possible in the axial direction is provided on the end section in the axial direction of the outer column 11a, and a lock hole 37a for assembling the steering lock apparatus 32 is provided in the middle section in the axial direction of the outer column 11a. In an outer column 11a having this kind of construction, there is a possibility that the strength required when the steering lock apparatus 32 is operated will not be sufficiently maintained. In other words, when an attempt is made to rotate the steering wheel 4 with a large force when the lock pin 36 that protrudes toward the inner-diameter side of the outer column 11a through the lock hole 37a is engaged with the engaging concave section 34 of the key-lock collar 35, there is a possibility that the lock hole 37a will deform due to an excessively large force. Therefore, in order to prevent this kind of deformation, it is necessary to sufficiently maintain the strength of the outer column 11a. In order for that, increasing the wall thickness of the outer column 11a, or making the outer column 11a using an iron-based material is possible, however, in that case, a problem occurs in that the overall weight of the steering column increases.

Telescopic steering apparatus and outer column


A method for detecting changes in a viewfield observed by a stationary image capturing device is proposed, in which edge images are calculated and are compared to edge images of reference recordings in order to detect static changes within the observed image range that are independent of image brightness.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring a scene to detect changes, especially changes that indicate a theft of an object.
2. Description of Related Art
The publication "Gefahrenmeldesysteme, Technik und Strukturen" {Danger Alert Systems, Technology and Structures} by Harald Fuhrmann, Hüttig-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1992, ISBN 3-7785-2185-3, pp. 82–83, has already disclosed comparing a reference image of a view field with a current image so that changes in the current image in relation to the reference image cause an alarm to be triggered; in order to detect differences, a gray value comparison is executed.

Method for identifying change of scenery and corresponding monitoring device


An adjustable handle assembly includes a pedestal with an axial bore for mounting on a threaded shaft, a handle extending radially and upwardly away from the pedestal and a shaft release plunger radially removable in the pedestal. The shaft release plunger includes a threaded surface for selectively engaging and disengaging the shaft. Disengagement of the plunger allows rapid movement of the assembly along the shaft. The handle applies a torque to the pedestal when the plunger is engaging the shaft which allows the pedestal to exert a clamping force.

Clamping assemblies involving a threaded nut and shaft are generally known in the art. These assemblies are used for various clamping applications by threading the nut on the shaft and using the nut as a clamping or stop member.
Adjustable nuts used for quick release stop and guide members on drilling machines are known. For example, Guthrie U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,656 discloses a "Quick Adjusting Nut" for use on a threaded shaft. The disclosed nut includes a button element with a threaded bore that can be selectively engaged with the shaft.
Conventional handle assemblies are fixedly mounted on shafts and not moveable along the shaft.


A device for detecting wireless signals and locating the place of origin in a building is provided that includes a transmitter system using a cellular protocol; a plurality of antennae that receive wireless Radio Frequency (RF) signals, each antenna having a port; a receiving system connected to the antennae ports with a plurality of cables, converting the RF signal to voltage waveform; a processing system in communication with the receiving system, detecting the strength of the received signals and Time Difference of Arrival of the RF signals with respect to antennae and determining the location where the wireless signals are being emitted by using classification algorithms; and a human machine interface.

This invention relates to a system for detecting and locating the place of operation of wireless devices such as cellular phones, and in particular, a system capable of detecting and locating the use of cellular phones in an area such as a prison where radio frequency (RF) antennae have been installed at various locations.
It can be very important to be able to detect the use of and location of wireless devices, such as cellular phones. One particular application where it can be very important to locate the use and operation of cell phones, and in particular, the use and operation of unauthorized cell phones, is in correction facilities. Numerous approaches have been undertaken to prevent unauthorized use of cell phones in correction facilities, but this has become a continuing problem, which has been difficult to address. Phones are smuggled in to inmates by guards or family members and activated using prepaid calling plans that are very hard to trace. Such unauthorized use poses a severe concern as criminals may contact gang members or others to plan and coordinate illegal activities including, but not limited to, buying drugs, elimination or intimidation of witnesses or competing gang members, and/or to plan escape attempts, all while behind bars.
One prior approach for controlling unauthorized dissemination and use of cell phones in correction facilities is to manage and carefully screen access. Such screening measures create additional costs and have been minimally effective. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method wherein the use of a cell phone in a monitored area is detected, and based upon the signals detected, the system can calculate and pinpoint or approximate the location where the cell phone or wireless device is being operated.


A compressor according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a mixed compression stage having both axial and radial components arranged along a main flow path, and a radial compression stage having an impeller with a plurality of vanes arranged in the main flow path downstream of the mixed compression stage. The impeller is configured to rotate about an axis and has an outlet downstream of the vanes. A movable diffuser is arranged at the outlet, and the movable diffuser is configured to vary an area of the outlet.

Refrigerant compressors are used to circulate refrigerant in a chiller via a refrigerant loop. Refrigerant loops are known to include a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The compressor compresses the fluid, which then travels to a condenser, which in turn cools and condenses the fluid. The refrigerant then goes to an expansion device, which decreases the pressure of the fluid, and to the evaporator, where the fluid is vaporized, completing a refrigeration cycle.
Many refrigerant compressors are centrifugal compressors and have an electric motor that drives at least one impeller to compress refrigerant. Fluid flows into the impeller in an axial direction, and is expelled radially from the impeller. The fluid is then directed downstream for use in the chiller system.

Active unloading device for mixed flow compressors


One or more computer processors install a trigger on a primary database. The one or more computer processors, responsive to the trigger activating and a data modification associated with the primary database, format the data modification into a universal format for a plurality of backup databases. The one or more computer processors rotate an active backup database from the plurality of backup databases based on a determined alternating backup period. The one or more computer processors synchronize in real-time the primary database with the active backup database.

The present invention relates generally to the field of databases, and more particularly to database recovery.
Database recovery is the process of restoring the database to a correct state in the event of a failure by restoring the database to the most recent consistent state that existed shortly before the time of system failure. The failure may be the result of a system crash due to hardware or software errors, a media failure, such as head crash, or a software error in the application, such as a logical error in the program that is accessing the database.

International Business Machines Corporation


There is provided a rubber composition for a tread obtained by compounding (a) 5-40 parts by mass of a softening agent including an oil in which an extraction quantity with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by IP346 process is controlled to less than 3% by mass and (b) 5-40 parts by mass of a liquid polymer having a viscosity average molecular weight of 45,000-100,000 based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, and considerably improving the fracture properties and wear resistance and controlling the lowering of the modulus of elasticity as compared with the case of compounding the conventional high aromatic oil.

Heretofore, a high aromatic oil (aromatic oil) has been favorably used as a softening agent for a rubber composition and an extender oil for a synthetic rubber in the rubber compositions for tires and other region from a viewpoint of provision of high loss characteristic (high hysteresis loss characteristic), affinity with rubber and the like.
Recently, it is started to use process oils in which extraction quantity with DMSO is less than 3% by mass, which are called as Treated Distilled Aromatic Extracts (T-DAE), Mild Extracted Solvates (MES) and the like obtained by treating the high aromatic oil made from petroleum as a starting material (e.g. see JP-A-11-302459, page 2).
However, rubber compositions using an alternate oil such as T-DAE, MES or the like are low in the fracture properties and wear resistance as compared with the case using the conventional high aromatic oil, and also the temperature dependence of viscoelastic characteristics in the rubber composition tends to shift toward a low temperature side because the softening point and viscosity of the rubber itself are low. Therefore, they have a problem of causing inconvenience that the wet skid property and steering stability of the tire lower. Also, it is considered to improve the fracture properties and the wear resistance by blending with an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer. In this case, however, there is a problem that the deterioration of low heat buildup becomes large if it is intended to control the lowering of modulus of elasticity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


When a filling person fills in a document using an electronic pen, a system refers to a document information file forming a history information file and an electronic pen information file. A judging part of the system judges the presence or absence of an entry authority over the document on the basis of the pen ID of the electronic pen and the electronic pen information file. The judging part judges an entry sequence to the document on the basis of the pen ID, a document ID applied to the document, and the document information file. A judged result is transmitted from a creating part via a communication controller to the electronic pen.

The present invention relates to a system for filling in documents using an electronic pen, an electronic pen and electronically processing paper for use in the system.
In government and public offices, municipal offices, companies or corporations, etc., for the purpose of facilitating document management or inquiry or the like, conversion of documents such as written applications or circular documents to electronically processible forms has been advanced in these years. In this connection, a technique for immediately converting information manually filled in such document into electronic data includes, for example, an electronic pen and electronic processing paper implemented by a technique described in WO01/48590A1.
First, the electronic processing paper means a document having the format of the document printed on a paper sheet having a special dot pattern formed thereon. The dot pattern is made of dots uniquely arranged so that, when the paper sheet is divided into grids having a predetermined size and viewed, the position of a grid on the whole paper sheet can be specified. That is, the dot pattern corresponds to an allocated part of the whole dot pattern formed on a massive area. Second, the electronic pen includes a pen device capable of visually recognizing a character or the like filled in a sheet of paper by fixing ink onto the paper sheet, a camera for reading out a dot pattern on the paper sheet, a piezoelectric element for detecting a pressure applied to the pen device, an image processing device for generating positional information of coordinate data about the locus of a character, etc., a memory for temporarily storing the positional information therein, and a wireless transmission device for transmitting the positional information to another device.
When a user fills in a document as an electronic processing paper with necessary matters using the electronic pen device, each time the piezoelectric element detects the pen pressure, the electronic pen device generates information on a position at the tip of the pen device on the basis of dots read out by the camera. The generated positional information is stored in the memory and, after the user finishes document filling, the stored positional information is transmitted from the wireless transmission device. The transmitted data is processed and subjected to character recognition as necessary in an analysis processing device for linking the positional information to the format of the document, thereby converting the data into an electronic document.
However, when the document is required to be sequentially filled in by a plurality of users, it is impossible to confirm specific one of the users who filled in a specific column. It is also difficult to confirm the filling or entry sequence of the plurality of users. To avoid this, it is considered to attach an explanation paper instructing the users about their filling or entry authority and entry sequence to the document. However, this is not preferable because it involves an increased number of documents.

System for filling in documents using an electronic pen


Methods and systems are presented for powering a generator via a flexible driveshaft coupled to a vehicle power take off unit. In one example, a flexible driveshaft with a non-rotatable outer sheath and inner, rotatable mandrel may be coupled to a generator complementary connector to power the generator with torque from a power take off unit.

Power from an engine is typically delivered to vehicle wheels to propel a vehicle. Additionally, engine power may be used to drive ancillary vehicle accessories such as air conditioning units and alternators. However, some vehicles include a power take off port located in the vehicle driveline between the engine and the wheels. The power take off unit (PTU) can be a source of power to a device that is external to the vehicle or to a device that may not be incorporated into a typical passenger vehicle. For example, a power take off port (included in the PTU) may power a hydraulic pump that lifts a snow plow or a hydraulic motor that turns a cement mixer. However, typical PTUs drive ancillary vehicle accessories via a linear drive shaft coupled from an output of the PTU to an input of the accessory, and thus cannot power the ancillary vehicle accessories on uneven surfaces.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a kit comprising a generator including an input coupling and a flexible driveshaft comprising an outer sheath and a rotatable and flexible inner shaft, where a first end of the inner shaft is coupleable to the input coupling and a second end of the inner shaft is coupleable to an output coupling of a PTU of a vehicle. In this way, an ancillary vehicle accessory (e.g., the generator) may be powered by a vehicle PTU on an uneven, sloping, and/or slanted surface via the flexible driveshaft.
As one example, the flexible driveshaft may connect to the vehicle PTU in either a linear or non-linear linkage. A complementary connector on the PTU may be located on a vehicle body or undercarriage of the vehicle. The first end of the inner shaft of the flexible driveshaft may include a first coupling element (e.g., a mechanical coupler) adapted to be directly and rotatably coupled with a complementary connector of the generator and the second end of the inner shaft of the flexible driveshaft may include a second coupling element (e.g., mechanical coupler) adapted to be directly coupled to the complementary connector of the PTU. By having a flexible driveshaft configured in this way, the generator may be placed independently relative to the position of the PTU. This may increase an ease of use for a user and thus the frequency of use of the PTU-driven generator system.
The above discussion includes recognitions made by the inventors and not admitted to be generally known. It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for powering a generator with a vehicle power take-off


A method for pre-wiring through multiple levels of metal using flues includes steps of: receiving information comprising flue geometries and flue properties; producing multiple routing patterns of a design for the flues; identifying macro instance terminals to be pre-wired in the design; selecting at least one of the routing patterns for the macro instance terminals in the design to avoid blockage; and instantiating the design such that the flues can be manipulated as vias.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuit design and particularly to flue design for integrated circuits.
2. Description of Background
In general, routing programs have difficulty accessing pins when there are not many options for accessing that pin. A problem arises when routing an integrated circuit design with multiple metal layers and at least one level of hierarchy. The problem is that nets with wires on the upper planes of metal need to be able to connect to pins on the lower levels of metal. Subsequently, if there are a lot of pins in a small area and very few tracks available to access those pins a generic router will most likely be unable to access all of the pins. Modern automatic routing applications have trouble connecting to these pins when the wiring resources available above and around the pin are highly restrictive. The solution has been to give the router extra area to route in order to get to the pin. However, it is not always possible or desirable to provide this extra area.

Process for managing complex pre-wired net segments in a VLSI design