The Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a videoconference terminal is provided with user-selectable icons which are associated by the user with various video signals. Textual labels for the various video signals may also be provided. This information may be exchanged with the “far end” participant in the video conference. During the videoconference participants may then simply select an icon to dynamically switch video feeds without having to remember by number the particular camera or other video signal associated with a desired video feed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to videoconferencing systems. More particularly it relates to Graphical User Interfaces used to control the operation of a video conference terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Videoconferencing systems are relatively complex. They typically involve a plurality of video signals, audio signals, processors, apparatus and/or software for data compression and decompression, directional microphones, speakers, video display units, feedback-prevention circuits, cameras and connections to telecommunications networks with associated interface devices.
Systems and methods which alleviate the complexity of videoconferencing systems and simplify the user interface help to gain mass-market acceptance of videoconferencing as an alternative to in-person meetings which often involve travel to a remote location. As has been demonstrated in the personal computer industry, one particularly successful method of simplifying the user's interaction with the system is to employ a graphical user interface (GUI). Since videoconferencing systems are often processor-based systems having one or more video displays, a GUI is particularly suitable due to the fact that the major hardware components of a GUI are already in place.
Videoconferencing systems often have more than one camera or source of video signal associated with a videoconferencing terminal or station. The user may select the particular video signal to be displayed on his or her video monitor(s). In addition, the user may also be presented the option of controlling either the "near end" or "far end" video source—e.g., the pan and tilt of a camera generating video signals being sent by or to the user's terminal. Keeping track of which video signal is which is a task that increases the user's workload during a videoconference and detracts from the user's attention. The present invention simplifies the task of video source selection.

Graphical user interface for video feed on videoconference terminal


In summary, there is provided a front axle mounting assembly (100) which is suitable for a tractor or a construction vehicle for example. The assembly comprises a steerable front axle (130), which is typically the front axle on a tractor, and a pair of support arms (120) which extend forwardly from the main body of the vehicle. The arms are pivotally mounted to the body of the vehicle, for example, at the front of the chassis, at transversely spaced mounting points (121). The other ends of the arms (120) are pivotally attached to, and maintained at a fixed spacing, by a crosslink member (124). The axle (130) is mounted to the crosslink member (124) so as to be parallel thereto when viewed from above. By mounting the axle (130) on two support arms (120) instead of one, the effective radius of pivot of the axle is significantly increased, thereby allowing the axle to move sideways to a greater extent for a given angular displacement.

A vehicle having a large radius of turn is known to have a more limited ability to manoeuvre. This is a particular problem in agricultural vehicles such as tractors where there is often a need to manoeuvre within areas having a restricted space. When using implements such as wide-boom sprayers on fields of crops there is also a desire to minimise the area which is flattened by the tractor whilst still covering the entire field. Having a smaller radius of turn reduces the area flattened when turning on the field headlands for example.
A conventional tractor comprises two axles mounted on a chassis. The front axle comprises steerable wheels mounted at the ends of the axle. As the general trend, farm machinery is progressively increasing in size which, in turn, has lead to an increase in the size of tractors. Larger tractors generally require larger wheels, both larger in diameter and in width. Combined with the constraints on overall tractor width, larger steerable wheels reduce the angle at which the wheels can turn without catching on the engine compartment of the tractor for example. There is, therefore, a desire to find alternatives to the conventional steering arrangement.
UK patent application GB-2,392,657, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a compound steering mechanism wherein the axle pivots laterally relative to the chassis. Two plan views of the arrangement from GB-2,392,657 are replicated herein as FIGS. 1 and 2. The same reference numbers will be used for the sake of simplicity.
An axle 20 is connected to an axle support 1 through a link (not shown) which extends upwardly from a ball-and-socket joint on the axle 20 to a ball-and-socket joint on the support 1. The rear part of the axle 20 is connected to the support through a further ball-and-socket joint allowing the axle to pivot in an arc about this joint. With reference to FIG. 1, wheel hubs 23 are steered by means of a steering ram 14 and track rods 15 attached to respective brackets 21. A connecting link 25 is attached to the support 1 forward of the axle, and to a bracket 24 connected to a steerable hub 23.
The connecting link 25 causes the axle 20 to pivot relative to the support 1 in response to operation of the steering ram 14, as shown in FIG. 2, such that the axis Y-Y of the axle moves from being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to being angularly displaced with respect to the longitudinal axis. By moving the axle relative to the chassis, the turning angle can be increased.


This application discloses a soft value extraction method and device applicable to an OvXDM system, and the OvXDM system. In the method, waveform coding is performed on all symbols in a hard value sequence, to generate a predictive value after overlapped coding; the symbols in the hard value sequence are reversed one by one, and overlapped coding is performed on each reversed symbol and associated symbols before and after the reversed symbol, to generate a predictive value of the reversed symbol; and for each symbol in the hard value sequence, a soft value of the current symbol is calculated based on A×(+1−−1), where A is a coefficient related to a channel type, +1=∥yrx−y+1∥, and −1=∥yrx−y−1∥2; if y+1 is a predictive value of the symbol obtained after overlapped coding and before reversing, y−1 is a predictive value of the symbol obtained after overlapped coding and reversing; and yrx is a received signal sequence.

In an OvXDM system, an entire process usually ends after a receiving end completes waveform decoding. In a relatively complex case, a skilled person uses the OvXDM system together with a common conventional communications technology, for example, a concatenated OvXDM system or a precoding OvXDM system, to improve overall system performance. However, an error correction code has a relatively good error correction capability, and can improve overall system performance and reduce a bit error rate. Therefore, most skilled persons apply the error correction code to the OvXDM system. In a commonly used error-correction decoding method, input information includes hard information and soft information. The hard information represents real information or data. For example, in the binary data of OvXDM system, hard information may be represented as {+1, −1}, and soft information represents possible value probability of each information. Practice has proved that the hard information has poorer error correction performance compared with the soft information, and has a specific loss in coding gain. Therefore, in order to improve a coding gain of an entire system, a soft information error correction code is used in most conditions.
However, in the OvXDM system, if information obtained after waveform decoding is hard information, for example, in a commonly used Viterbi decoding method, in order to apply a soft information error correction code to the OvXDM system, a problem to be firstly solved is to extract soft information corresponding to the hard information.

Soft value extraction method and device applicable to OvXDM system, and OvXDM system

SHEN ZHEN KUANG-CHI HEZHONG TECHNOLOGY LTD


A spatial light modulator is disclosed, along with methods for making such a modulator that comprises an array of mirror devices each having at least a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is designated for driving the mirror plate of the micromirror device to an ON state, and the second electrode is designated for driving the mirror plate to an OFF state. The two electrodes can be disposed on the same side of the mirror plate but on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the mirror plate for driving the mirror plate to rotate in opposite directions. Alternatively, the two electrodes can be disposed on the opposite sides of the mirror plate, but on the same side of the rotation axis of the mirror plate for driving the mirror plate to rotate in opposite directions. The ON state and OFF state of the mirror plate can be defined by stops. The stops may be formed on substrate(s), hinge structures holding the mirror plates of the micromirror device and/or a desired location within the micromirror device. Alternatively, the electrodes for the ON state and the OFF state can be used as stops, either individually or in combination, or in combination with other component(s), such as substrate(s) of the micromirror device. The OFF state angle and the ON state angle are preferably different.

The present invention relates to reflective micromirrors and micromirror array devices for, e.g., projection-type displays, for steering light beams, maskless lithography, maskless micro-array production, etc. A common feature is a micromirror that is movable so as to deflect incident light. In one type of conventional direct view or projection-type display system, an array of reflective micro-mirrors is provided for producing an image. Typically the micromirrors have either a tilt angle for the "ON" state and a non-deflected state for the "OFF" state, or the same tilt angles for "ON" and "OFF" states but with opposite sign.
As an exemplary application for displaying an image, a micromirror is associated with a pixel of an image. At a time when the pixel is "bright", a micromirror is set to the "ON" state. Incident light is reflected by the micromirror into a cone of reflected light towards the projection lens or the display target. At another time when the pixel turns to "dark", the micromirror is set to the "OFF" state. Incident light is reflected into another cone of reflected light away from the projection lens and the display target. However, when the cone of the reflected light by the micromirror in the ON state and the cone of the reflected by the micromirror in the OFF state are too close, e.g., the angle between the two light cones is too small, the two light cones may be overlapped. The contrast ratio of the pixel, thus the quality of the displayed image is reduced (contrast ratio is the ratio of luminance between the brightest white that can be produced and the darkest black that can be produced). And it is a major determinant of perceived image quality. If a displayed image has high contrast ratio, a viewer will judge it to be sharper than a displayed image with lower contrast ratio, even if the lower contrast image has substantially more measurable resolution. The degradation of the contrast ratio becomes larger as the angular extent of the incident beam grows.
Therefore, what is needed is a spatial light modulator that has a high resolution, a high fill factor and a high contrast ratio. What is further needed is a spatial light modulator that does not require polarized light, hence is optically efficient and mechanically robust.

Micromirrors with OFF-angle electrodes and stops


A method, an apparatus and an electronic device for processing point cloud data and a computer readable storage medium are disclosed. The method includes: receiving first point cloud data acquired by a laser scanner; classifying the first point cloud data to obtain second point cloud data which is classified; judging if the second point cloud data at least comprises target point cloud data, and whether a distance between other point cloud data in the second point cloud data and the target point cloud data is smaller than a first preset threshold value; if yes, determining the other point cloud data as hazardous point cloud data.

Electric power transmission lines are an indispensable part of a power grid, and quickly and efficiently inspecting status of vegetation and other surface features around electric power lines is of far-reaching significance for an electric power department to realize real-time monitoring, quick assessment, and scientific prediction of an electric system.
With the development of LiDAR technologies and drone technologies, currently electric power transmission lines are usually inspected by a LiDAR scanning device mounted on a drone, to obtain LiDAR point cloud data corresponding to the electric power transmission lines. Before the LiDAR point cloud data is used to detect faults and potential hazards of the electric power transmission lines, it is first required to judge which LiDAR point cloud data is corresponding to hazardous areas of the above electric power transmission lines. According to "Operating Code for Overhead Transmission Line", a safe distance should be kept between the electric power transmission lines and trees, and if the above safe distance is exceeded, trees are likely to bring potential safety hazards to the electric power transmission lines.
In related technologies, a manner of manual site investigation is generally used, which consumes a lot of manual labors and material resources, and has a relatively low degree of automation and a relatively low degree of accuracy.

Method, apparatus, and electronic device for processing point cloud data, and computer readable storage medium

BEIJING GREENVALLEY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

SHENZHEN GREENVALLEY INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO.. LTD.


The embodiments of the present invention provide a method for comparing file tree descriptions and generating a sequenced log of changes that transform an old file tree to a new file tree. According to one embodiment, the inputs to this comparator are two tree-structured descriptions called file tree indices, and the outputs are a sequence of file tree operations that can transform the old tree to the current tree. According to another embodiment, the comparator has two top level steps, where at step one it recursively goes through the old file tree index and compares each folder along with its children with that of the corresponding file tree generating a raw operation log, and at step two after the recursion is done, the comparator processes the raw operation log and optimizes certain sets of operations by transforming them into single operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to file systems, and in particular to a method for comparing two file tree descriptions and generating a sequenced log of changes that transforms an old tree to a new tree.
Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
2. Background Art
A way to organize files and folders of a user on a computer is by arranging them in a structure commonly known as a tree. Oftentimes, files and folders are changed. When this happens, a new tree is generated. It is helpful sometimes to know the differences between the old and new trees. Finding these differences currently is very difficult, as will be further explained below. Before discussing this problem, however, an overview of a tree data structure is provided.

Method and system for comparing and updating file trees


A rapping device is provided for forming a battery separator or the like by rapping from a flexible elastic band material. A rapping device for manufacturing works in a specified shape by rapping from an elastic band material comprises a conveying drum having a first suction unit and a second suction unit for conveying the band material while suction is applied, a die drum having a blade possessing a forming position for rapping and forming the works with a width coinciding with the width of the band material, and a cutting position for cutting between the adjacent works, disposed continuously on the outer circumference at every pitch equal to the length of each work, and a die drum driving device for rotating and driving the die drum in synchronization with the conveying speed of the band material.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rapping device and rapping method for forming a work such as a battery separator by rapping using a flexible elastic band material.
2. Prior Art
A 9 V square battery laminating six 1.5 V unit cells in the vertical direction usually has an insulating separator provided in the laminates in order to insulate the laminated unit cells. This separator comprises a work 1 as shown in FIG. 4, and this work 1 is manufactured by rapping using a soft band material 103 such as kraft paper of about 0.15 mm in thickness.
In a conventional rapping device, to convey the band material 103 to the rapping position, a feed beam of about several millimeters is provided in the band material 103, and this feed beam 25 is pulled and manipulated by a roller or the like. The band material 103 is flexible and cannot be fed by pushing.
In this type of conveying means, due to expansion or slip of the material, it is hard to control the feed rate accurately, and processing precision of the work 1 itself cannot be assured. Accordingly, positioning means such as a pilot hole is provided in the feed beam 25 of the band material 103, or an allowance 26 of about several millimeters is provided between adjacent works 1 as shown in FIG. 4.
However, as in the prior art, a feed beam 25 or an allowance 26 in the band material 103 is ultimately discarded, thereby causing the material yield to decrease and the cost to increase.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The embodiments of the present invention provide methods, devices, and systems enabling a central coordinator to manage hidden stations via a proxy central coordinator, where a hidden station is discovered based on beacons and made known to other networked devices via transmitted lists.

Access to the network medium may be shared by multiple devices, which may interfere with one another, even if they belong to different communication networks. The interference environment, coupled with the nature of the line channel, gives rise to situations where certain devices that belong to the same network, e.g., a home network, may not be able to communicate with a central coordinator that coordinates and manages the activities of that particular network. A way to manage these hidden devices that are otherwise unable to communicate with a central coordinator for lack of receiving beacon signals is thus desirable.

Method for managing hidden stations in a centrally controlled network


A tangential airstream heat shrinking device of plastic film has a chassis, a heating chamber, air blowers, and high-temperature airstream ejectors. The heating chamber is mounted on the chassis and the heating channel is under the heating chamber. The air blowers are mounted to a bottom of the chassis. The high-temperature airstream ejectors are respectively fit into the mounting holes of the heating chamber. Heated air is discharged through a high-temperature airstream discharging opening of the air blade section under a respective high-temperature airstream ejector. A high-temperature airstream discharging opening is located inside the heating channel of the heating chamber. Each high-temperature airstream ejector can be rotationally adjusted so that the high-temperature airstreams are supplied along routes defined by different tangents at different angles along the circumference of a film-packaged article.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tangential airstream heat shrinking device of plastic film, and in particular to a device that is applicable to heat shrinking package and comprises a high-temperature airstream ejector that has a plurality of circumference tangential heat-shrinking routes of different angles for uniformly heating an external plastic film of the package.
2. The Related Arts
In a heat shrinking packaging process using a heat shrinking film, except a heat shrinking film wrapping operation, a primary packaging mechanism is the heating device for heat shrinking. The conventional heating device for heat shrinking is generally set up at one side, or both sides, or a top side of a packaged article. Thus, in heating the heat shrinking film wrapped externally around the packaged article, the routes along which high-temperature airstreams are ejected are only set at one side, both sides, or the top side of the packaged article. The manner of heating that is conventionally adopted is generally heating through high temperature airstream moving along linear routes. This generally results in inhomogeneous shrinking of the heat shrinking film wrapped externally around a packaged article. The outside appearance of the heat shrinking film package around the packaged article may be deformed or even broken. This deteriorates the quality of heat shrinking packaging and is thus a major issue to be addressed by the heat shrinking packaging device.
Related prior art references are known, such as Taiwan Utility Model M348070, which discloses a high-temperature airstream heating device, Chinese Patent Application No. 201010543690.7 (Publication No. CN102050243), which discloses a shrinking tunnel, Chinese Patent Application No. 200780052373 vehicle safeguard device 1 (Publication No. CN101641260), which discloses a shrinking oven that shrinks a shrinkable film over a packaged article or a packaged unit, and Chinese Patent Application No. 01818418 mold frame 9 (Publication No. CN1473125), which discloses a heat shrinking tunnel of packaging machine featuring high adaptability. All these references disclose conventional heating devices for heat shrinking, wherein high-temperature airstream heating devices are set up at two sides of a packaged article. Although heating can be conducted for packaged articles of different sizes, yet the manner of heating the heat shrinking film wrapped externally around the packaged article is still conducted in high-temperature airstream direct heating through linear routes and thus may still cause inhomogeneous heat shrinking of plastic film, eventually leading to problems and shortcomings, such as deformation of outside appearance formed after heat shrinking of the heat shrinking film, breaking, and being not able to improve quality of the packaged article.

Tangential airstream heat shrinking device of plastic film


A muzzle-loading firearm having a bolt, a receiver, a striker mounted in the bolt and a breech plug or other part of the receiver carrying a percussion cap in which the bolt has an extension engageable with the breech plug to prevent inadvertent engagement of the striker and percussion cap when the plug is not properly seated. Further, the bolt extension may prevent bolt locking when the plug is not properly seated.

Bolt operated muzzle-loading firearms have included receivers configured to engage the bolt after the bolt handle is moved forward and turned down. While bolts and their firing units have been placed selected distances from the percussion cap in the breech by so locking the bolt, prior bolt operated muzzle-loading firearms have permitted the bolt to be moved forward against the percussion cap, particularly if the nipple or breech plug biasing the percussion cap is not completely tightened fully into the barrel or receiver of the firearm.

Muzzle-loaded firearm with bolt travel limitation


A method measures performance for computing entities being run concurrently. A tool manager samples usage of a computing resource associated with a computing entity. A first state is determined based on the usage. Then, the tool manager determines that an application running in the computing entity started execution of a test that is being run in the plurality of computing entities when the usage changes from the first state. Upon determining the change, the tool manager sends a start command to a performance measurement tool that is configured to measure the performance of the computing entity. The tool manager determines the computing entity is in a second state based on the usage and determines the application ended execution of the test when the usage changes from the second state. Upon determining the change, the tool manager sends a stop command to the performance measurement tool.

Performance measurement tools assess the relative performance of an object based on an application running in a computing system. For example, the performance measurement tools apply benchmarks or tests to the computing system and measure the performance of computer hardware or the application. The performance measurement tool needs to be started and stopped at certain times so the tool can accurately measure the performance of the computer hardware or the application. For example, when an application starts running, the performance measurement tool may be subsequently started, and when the application stops performing the test, the performance measurement tool should be subsequently stopped. When operating in a single physical computing machine, a user may manually start and stop the performance measurement tool as needed. In this case, a user may determine that the application is starting and then start the performance measurement tool. The user may then determine when the application stops performing the test and stop the performance measurement tool. Because only a single physical computing machine is being used, the starting and stopping is not that much of a burden to the user.
In some cases, the tests are run "at scale", which means multiple performance measurement tools are run concurrently. Having a user manually start and stop the performance measurement tool works well when a single test is being run in a single physical computing machine; however, when running at scale, manually starting and stopping multiple performance measurement tools becomes more difficult. For example, running at scale in a virtualization environment may require testing of hundreds of virtual machines running on a physical computing machine at once. In one example, each virtual machine includes a performance management tool that needs to be started and stopped, which makes the manual starting and stopping of the performance measurement tools very difficult. Further, the operation of virtual machines that are running on the physical computing machine may not be synchronized. For example, virtual machines being tested may not all start in the same instance and execute corresponding operations at the same time. Thus, each virtual machine may have a different start and stop time. A user easily cannot monitor each virtual machine and manually start and stop each performance measurement tool at multiple different times.

Detecting process execution state change using measurement of resource consumption


A membrane switch having a pair of flexible printed boards and a pair of contacts respectively disposed on said printed boards. The contacts are formed of powdered alloy of silver and palladium bounded by resinous material, and a conductive layer of silver powder is disposed between the flexible printed board and the contact. Preferably, the powdered alloy contains 50-97 weight percent silver and palladium in the remainder of weight percent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tearable membrane switch, particularly, a membrane switch for use with an air bag mounted in the steering wheel of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A membrane switch for a vehicle has usually a pair of contacts made of copper. Therefore, the surfaces of the contacts are apt to be covered by oxide film or hydroxide film, thereby gradually increasing the contact resistance of the membrane switch. Generally, such a contact is formed from a copper film bonded to a base film sheet, and it may become thick and stiff. A membrane switch employing such contacts may not be suitable for a horn switch for a vehicle which is equipped with an air bag system because the horn switch that is installed in the steering wheel must tear when an air bag accommodated in the steering wheel is inflated. However, the above contacts may be too stiff to tear for the air bag to be inflated in a short time.
If the material of the contacts is changed to mixture of silver powder and carbon powder, the contact resistance necessarily increases to a level not suitable for the horn switch.

Tearable membrane switch with resinous bounded silver-palladium alloy contacts


Provided are a laser diode generating passive mode locking that does not contain non-linear sector of an SA, and a method of creating an optical pulse using the same diode. The laser diode includes a DFB sector serving as a reflector and a gain sector. The gain sector is connected to the DFB sector and includes an as-cleaved facet formed at the end of the gain sector. When a current less than a threshold current is applied to the DFB sector to allow the DFB sector to operate as a reflector, passive mode locking occurs swiftly and therefore a sector of the SA is not required, which makes manufacturing simple. Also, it is possible to effectively extend a frequency variable region compared to using of the SA.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser diode, and more particularly, to a laser diode generating passive mode locking that does not contain non-linear sector of a saturable absorber (SA), and a method of creating an optical pulse using the same diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical pulse is utilized in a variety of fields such as a clock reproduction by a 3R reproducer (re-amplifying, re-shaping, re-timing) in optical communication, a light source in the optical communication, a light source for light sampling, a carrier for radio frequency (RF) communication. Particularly, when an optical pulse is produced using a semiconductor laser diode, it is very advantageous in aspects of the size and economics of a device. Therefore, lots of researches on a pulse laser diode have been made.
Physical mechanism that causes a laser diode to emit a pulse is Q-switching, gain switching, mode beating, or mode locking. Since an RF signal is used in case of the Q-switching or gain switching, there are limitations due to the speed of an electronic device and a response speed of a laser diode. In case of the mode beating, a laser diode having a plurality of distributed feedback (DFB) sectors is generally used. However, a very precise process is required to form these DFB sectors.
The mode locking is roughly divided into active mode locking and passive mode locking. The active mode locking modulates to the same frequency as a mode interval using a modulator within the laser diode and performs phase locking (meaning fixing a phase difference between modes). Since the active mode locking performs the phase locking using an external RF signal, it has the same problems as those of the Q-switching.
Therefore, the passive mode locking is preferred. In case of the passive mode locking, a non-linear sector of a saturable absorber (SA) is input in the laser diode to perform the phase locking. However, since the passive mode locking includes the non-linear sector of the SA, it has a complicated structure. Also, according to a prior art passive mode locking, the width of a variable frequency is small, so that there is manufacturing difficulty. For example, when a reference frequency is 40 GHz, the width of a variable frequency is less than 1 GHz (2.5%). Therefore, it is difficult to adjust a frequency to a reference frequency by applying a current after forming a device. Therefore, a device should be precisely manufactured. This problem also occurs in relation to the active mode locking.
Also, there is a laser diode including a single DFB sector and using the mode beating. The laser diode using such mode beating includes a DFB sector, a phase control sector, and a gain sector, and creates an optical pulse using mode beating occurring between compound cavity modes. In detail, when a current equal to or greater than a threshold current is applied to the DFB sector, the DFB sector operates as a single mode laser to emit light a phase control sector and a gain sector. The emitted light passes through the phase control sector and the gain sector, and is reflected by an as-cleaved facet (a cut plane of the end of the gain sector) to return back to the DFB sector. By such reflection, the entire device does not operate as a single mode but oscillates in two modes. The device creates an optical pulse using beating between the two modes.
The laser diode using the mode beating does not use an SA but uses only two modes and therefore has limitation in creating various optical pulses.
A research on a passive mode locking laser diode using a distributed brag reflector (DBR) is under progress. As reported, a normal wave guide structure does not create a pulse swiftly. However, when the wave guide is formed in an almost square, a pulse is swiftly created. In more detail, the cross-section of a wave guide of a general laser diode has a size of 1 μm in horizontal length and 0.3 μm in vertical length. On the other hand, a wave guide for the passive mode locking has an almost square-shaped cross-section of 0.7 μm in horizontal length and 0.5 μm in vertical length.
Currently, interaction between non-linear modes such as four wave mixing (FWM) is drawing attention as a reason generating the passive mode locking. The wave guide structure having the square cross-section also increases only a light restriction coefficient of the wave guide to increase the non-linear effect. Here, the light restriction coefficient describes a degree a wave guide restricts light.
However, it is particularly difficult to manufacture a wave guide having a shape close to a square in case of the laser diode using the DBR.

Laser diode generating passive mode and method of creating optical pulse using the same diode

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The invention provides rubber compositions for tire inner layers, capable of providing excellent ozone resistance over a wide environmental temperature range and of preventing discoloration well, as well as pneumatic tires including such compositions. The invention relates to a rubber composition for tire inner layers, containing C20-C32 normal alkanes. Preferably, the combined amount of the C20-C32 normal alkanes is 0.1-2.5 parts by mass, and the combined amount of phenylenediamine and quinone antioxidants is 0-4 parts by mass, each per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber component. The rubber composition for tire inner layers preferably contains C48 and higher normal alkanes in a combined amount of not more than 0.1 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber component. The rubber composition preferably contains not more than 15 parts by mass of process oil per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber component.

Rubber compositions for tire treads, tire sidewalls or the like contain wax or other additives for preventing degradation by ozone or by oxidation. The added wax migrates to the rubber surface to form a film on the rubber surface, which physically protects rubber from physical stimuli of ozone, oxygen, and other harmful gases.
In cold to temperate regions, wax blooming is less likely to occur, which makes it difficult to ensure ozone resistance. Thus, the use of conventional wax in an amount that allows prevention of discoloration may result in insufficient ozone resistance in cold environments (for example, in winter in the temperate regions). In hot regions, on the other hand, wax blooming is likely to occur because rubber molecules are in active motion. This facilitates ensuring ozone resistance but easily causes the surface of tires to turn white. Therefore, it is difficult to provide excellent ozone resistance over a wide temperature range from intense-cold to tropical zones while preventing white discoloration.
In particular, silica-containing tread rubbers are likely to be attacked by ozone because the rubbers are likely to shrink by vulcanization so that tension is applied to the bottom of the tread grooves. Accordingly, tread groove cracking (TGC) is likely to occur. Thus, it is important to ensure both ozone resistance and discoloration resistance.
Another known approach for improving ozone resistance is to use the antioxidant 3PPD, which tends to migrate quickly to the surface. This agent is capable of improving ozone resistance in cold environments because it easily blooms as compared to 6PPD or 6QDI. However, it is difficult for this agent to ensure ozone resistance for a long period of time because it is highly volatile and will disappear in a short time.
Patent Literature 1 proposes the use of a certain wax. This method, however, has much room for improvement in terms of ozone resistance in cold regions or in winter in the temperate regions. Therefore, there remains a need for techniques that can provide excellent ozone resistance over a wide temperature range while preventing discoloration.
Meanwhile, in the case of inner layer components of tires, for example, a technique for a base tread is known which uses wax in an amount equal to that used for a cap tread, and an antioxidant in an amount equal to or more than that used for the cap tread. They are used to prevent tread groove cracking (TGC) as TGC is likely to occur in markets when the minimum rubber thickness at the groove bottom subtread is approximately 2.0 to 4 mm so that the grooves gape greatly (i.e. high tensile stress is applied to the bottom of the grooves) upon inflation.
The recent trend, driven by the growing need for lightweight tires, has been towards improving process capability, such as the precision of the weight/profile of rubber applied, the precision of the application position, and roundness, to further thin the subtread and sidewall layers. With the advances in production technology, the preparation of thin treads or sidewalls, which is conventionally impossible due to manufacturing defects, is being enabled. The preparation of thinner outer layer components has made us aware of the importance of antioxidants and waxes in inner-layer rubber components because the problems then arise that would not arise in outer rubber layers that are sufficiently thick (approximately 3 to 6 mm) since, in this case, the outer-layer rubber compounds make overwhelming contributions against cracks on the surface of the outer rubber layers.
Outer rubber layers containing much wax, in the fresh condition, are likely to turn white due to wax blooming. Wax is mainly formed of normal alkanes —(CH2) (molecular weight: 14), and has a molecular weight of approximately 420 [=(number of repeating alkane units) (=30)×(unit molecular weight) (=14)], which is approximately equivalent to that of the process oil TDAE. Thus, its migration rate to adjacent rubbers can be considered to be equivalent to that of oil. So far, however, the migration of wax has been considered only for base treads. Thus, when thinner outer rubber layers are used, a sufficient amount of wax cannot be ensured on the surface of the outer rubber layers in the fresh condition and during service, which leads to the problems that sufficient static ozone resistance and brown discoloration resistance cannot be ensured.

Tire inner-layer rubber composition and pneumatic tire


A toolholder has a conventional square shank body with a pocket extending downwardly from the top surface of the body so that the cutting tip of an insert mounted within the pocket is positioned below the top surface of the square shank body. This permits the pocket to have a back wall through which coolant may be introduced and directed against the cutting insert. Typically, the cutting tip of a conventional square shank toolholder is aligned with the top surface of the toolholder. Additionally, a toolholder assembly is disclosed which includes a plurality of such toolholders.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is directed to metal working operations and, in particular, to a toolholder and toolholder assembly adapted to permit a cutting insert to be secured at a non-conventional location within the toolholder.
2. Description of Related Art
During many metal working operations, it is desirable and sometimes necessary, to flush the interface between a cutting tool and the workpiece with coolant to avoid damage to the cutting tool and to the workpiece as a result of high temperatures generated at this interface and chips that may become tangled at this interface. However, depending upon the arrangement by which the cutting insert is held against the workpiece, efficient dispersion of coolant toward this interface area may be difficult, if not impossible, without significantly changing the envelope of the toolholder.
Within the metal cutting industry, the most common hardware for holding a cutting insert during a turning operation is a conventional square shank toolholder. This toolholder has a body which is typically clamped within a machine tool and the portion to be clamped has a cross-section defining four sides of equal length. The most common conventional square shank toolholder bodies have sides wherein the length is less than or equal to 1¼ inches and hereinafter reference to conventional square shank toolholder bodies will be directed to square shank toolholder bodies with the portion to be clamped having each side less than or equal to 1¼ inches. Not only is this size compact, but also permits tool access in many locations and with many machine tools that could not accommodate toolholder bodies with larger shanks. Some conventional square shank toolholders have a front end beyond the portion intended to be clamped and this front end may be larger than the portion to be clamped.
Modular toolholders permit quick insertion and/or removal of a cutting insert mounted upon a tool head. However, as a result of the internal hardware associated with modular tooling, the toolholder bodies for modular tooling must be larger than conventional square shank toolholder bodies. In particular, the minimum shank size for modular toolholder bodies is about 1½ inches. Therefore, modular toolholder bodies take up additional space and must be secured to machine tools in a different manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,388 discloses a conventional square shank toolholder with a tower extending upwardly from the toolholder through which coolant is directed downwardly upon the cutting insert. Through the introduction of such a tower, the assembly becomes significantly larger than the envelope of just the square shank toolholder and, as a result, this arrangement is not suitable for a variety of different applications in which the toolholder envelope may not exceed that of a conventional square shank toolholder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,672 is directed to a cutting tool utilizing a modular toolholder, such as holder 2, which as previously discussed must be larger than conventional square shank toolholders to accommodate the additional hardware to make it operational. As a result, the width of the shank for a modular toolholder may be twice that of a comparable conventional square shank toolholder.
Typically for machines utilizing conventional square shank cutting tools, the cutting edge of cutting inserts retained in such tooling is located flush with the top surface of the square shank. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a square shank toolholder 1 having a top surface 3 and a cutting insert 5 mounted within a pocket 7 of the square shank toolholder 1. FIG. 1 is an example of a conventional square shank toolholder with a larger front end, wherein the portion intended to be clamped is square. The insert 5 illustrated in FIG. 1 is indexable and therefore may have usable cutting edges on four sides. For purposes of discussion in this application, references to cutting edges will be to cutting edges oriented within a toolholder ready to engage a workpiece. Cutting edge 8 is one such example. The cutting edge tip 9 is positioned within the toolholder 1 so that during a metalworking operation the tip 9 is the first part of the cutting edge 8 that engages the workpiece. The active cutting edge 8 of the cutting insert 5 is positioned along a line L which overlays a line L1 extending from the top surface 3 of the toolholder 1. Aligning the cutting edge tip 9 of the cutting insert 5 with the top surface 3 of a square shank toolholder 1 is conventional practice within the industry and, as a result, if coolant must be introduced at the interface between the cutting insert 5 and the workpiece, then an arrangement such as the tower previously discussed is necessary. However, as mentioned, a tower attached to the square shank toolholder 1 will create an envelope larger than what is permissible for many applications. Furthermore, a tower on the square shank adds extra steel and overhang length to the tooling.
Modular toolholder configurations for similar operations have been designed, wherein coolant may be introduced through a wall in the pocket of the toolholder. However, these are centerline systems and, as illustrated in FIG. 2, such a toolholder 10 is secured to a flange 12, which is mounted to a machine tool (not shown). A cutting insert 15 is mounted within a pocket 17 within the toolholder 10, wherein the cutting insert 15 has a cutting edge 19. The cutting edge 19 of the cutting insert 15 is located in a plane L3 that passes through the centerline L4 of the connecting joint which, in this case, is the flange 12. The toolholder 10 has a rear wall 20 suitable to accept a bore through which coolant may be directed against the cutting insert 15. While one advantage of such a system is the interchangability of turning and boring cutting inserts for the toolholder 10 used for ID and OD machining operations, a disadvantage of this configuration is that size constraints make it impossible to fit such a centerline system into a small square shank tool envelope. Most modular toolholders require double width slots in order to be applied to a machine tool. That is, the width of the modular toolholder body is twice the width of a comparable conventional square shank toolholder body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,156 is directed to a process for machining titanium parts, wherein, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of that patent, the toolholder, which appears to have a square or rectangular shank, has a cutting insert positioned within the top surface of the toolholder to create a recess within the shank. However, a clamp (collar 2) is secured within the recess to hold the insert in place and simultaneously to direct coolant through the clamp against the cutting edge of the tip. Not only is this system fairly complex but, furthermore, the recess within the pocket must be fairly deep to accommodate the space required for the clamp.

Toolholder and toolholder assembly for a cutting insert positioned at a non-conventional height


Provided herein are gapmer oligomeric compounds for reduction of target RNA in vivo comprising different nucleotide modifications within one or both wing regions. Also provided are methods of using such oligomeric compounds, including use in animals. In certain embodiments, such compound have desirable potency and toxicity characteristics.

Targeting disease-causing gene sequences was first suggested nearly 40 years ago (Belikova et al., Tet. Lett., 1967, 37, 3557-3562), and antisense activity was demonstrated in cell culture a decade later (Zamecnik et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1978, 75, 280-284). One advantage of antisense technology in the treatment of a disease or condition that stems from a disease-causing gene is that it is a direct genetic approach that has the ability to modulate expression of specific disease-causing genes. Another advantage is that validation of a target using antisense compounds results in direct and immediate discovery of the therapeutic agent.
Generally, the principle behind antisense technology is that an antisense compound hybridizes to a target nucleic acid and effects modulation of gene expression activity or function, such as transcription, translation or splicing. The modulation of gene expression can be achieved by, for example, target degradation or occupancy-based inhibition. An example of modulation of RNA target function by degradation is RNase H-based degradation of the target RNA upon hybridization with a DNA-like antisense compound. Another example of modulation of gene expression by target degradation is RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is a form of antisense-mediated gene silencing involving the introduction of dsRNA leading to the sequence-specific reduction of targeted endogenous mRNA levels. This sequence-specificity makes antisense compounds extremely attractive as tools for target validation and gene functionalization, as well as therapeutics to selectively modulate the expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of any one of a variety of diseases.
Antisense technology is an effective means for reducing the expression of one or more specific gene products and can therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications. Chemically modified nucleosides are routinely used for incorporation into antisense compounds to enhance one or more properties, such as nuclease resistance, pharmacokinetics or affinity for a target RNA.
Despite the expansion of knowledge since the discovery of antisense technology, there remains an unmet need for antisense compounds with greater efficacy, reduced toxicity and lower cost. The high-affinity methyleneoxy (4′-CH2—O-2′) bicyclic nucleic acid (BNA) moiety, also know as "Locked Nucleic Acid" (LNA) moiety, has been used to create potent gapmer antisense oligonucleotides. It has been shown, however, that this potency is accompanied by an increased risk of hepatotoxicity as indicated by elevation of liver transaminases in rodent experiments. Thus, provided herein are gapmer antisense compounds for inhibition of target RNA in vivo comprising high-affinity bicyclic nucleotide modifications, but which are designed to have mitigated toxicity by incorporation of non-bicyclic high-affinity modified nucleotides. Such gapmer antisense compounds are more effective than previously described BNA or LNA antisense compounds, as a result of a reduction in toxicity.


An infant bed apparatus includes a support frame, a bed frame for defining an interior space suitable for receiving a child, and a motorized drive unit. The support frame includes a first and a second housing disposed at two locations spaced-apart from each other along a lengthwise axis of the infant bed apparatus. The bed frame has a first portion anchored with the first housing, and a second portion assembled with the second housing. The motorized drive unit is operable to drive the second portion of the bed frame in movement relative to the second housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relate to apparatuses for calming a baby and facilitating sleeping, and more particularly to infant bed apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the early stages of a baby's life, sleeping, crying, diaper changes and feeding are part of a routine that is performed multiple times a day. The most desirable time of that routine can be a calm baby and the peaceful and quiet environment that a sleeping baby can provide for the caregiver. Therefore, there is a need for an infant bed apparatus that can create a safe sleeping environment for the child, with the option of a soothing motion to help calm the child and prolong a few more precious moments of quiet time for the caregiver.


A sealed rectangular battery having a reliably operative explosion-proof valve is provided. A rectangular battery case 1 whose cross-section is oblong, the battery case having a prismatic shaped case body 5 with a bottom and a lid 6. An explosion-proof valve 2 is arranged near one of two opposing short sides of a main surface wall of the lid. The explosion-proof valve a V-cut groove 15 concavely formed in V-shaped or U-shaped in which a central bent part 15a is positioned at a central location in the main surface wall 6a of the lid, and a thin wall 16 formed by the V-cut groove. Cut grooves 18 connecting each of two ends of the V-cut groove and each of two long sides of the main surface wall of the lid which are parallel to each other, respectively, are cut and formed in the main surface wall of the lid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealed rectangular battery including an explosion-proof valve in a square shaped battery case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, compact and light electronic apparatuses such as portable phones or personal digital assistances are becoming widespread. A compact and light battery having high-capacity is being used as a power source. As the electronic apparatus is becoming more sophisticated, the battery is being required to have higher capacity. Particularly, a primary battery using lithium metal as an active material, and a secondary battery for performing charge and discharge using lithium ion is being widely used because of its light weight and high-capacity, and a development in higher capacity thereof is also active.
In such battery, when an excessive electrical load is applied or an excessive thermal load is applied, a short-circuit state occurs within the battery thus generating gas, and an internal pressure of the battery rises abnormally. Even when the battery is over charged, gas is generated within the battery due to decomposition of an electrolytic solution, and the internal pressure of the battery rises abnormally.
When the battery can no longer tolerate the abnormal rise of the internal pressure, the battery case explodes and the contents fly out in all directions. Thus, the battery case is equipped with an explosion-proof valve for releasing internal pressure of the battery when the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined internal pressure thus preventing the explosion of the battery.
The explosion-proof valve is disclosed in for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-261391 (Paragraphs 0017-0019, FIG. 3), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-185714 (Paragraphs 0019, 0026, FIGS. 2-4), and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-143664 (Paragraphs 0019-0022, FIGS. 1-6). In such publications, a groove is formed on a lid and the like of the battery case, and when the internal pressure of the battery becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a thin wall formed by the groove rips thus releasing the internal pressure of the battery. Another document, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-256944 (Paragraphs 0021-0028, FIGS. 1-12) discloses an explosion-proof valve in which a circular or an elliptical thin part is formed on the lid of the battery and when the internal pressure of the battery becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the thin part rips thus releasing the internal pressure of the battery.
With regards to the explosion-proof valve disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-261391, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-185714, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-143664, when the battery case expands and deforms due to the abnormal rise of the internal pressure of the battery, the groove is pulled in the direction of the width of the groove and is ripped, and thus can not be sufficiently ripped unless the dimension of the entire length of the groove is long. Therefore, a large surface area is needed to form the groove, and is thus difficult to apply to a small battery.
In this case, when the wall thickness of the thin wall of the groove is thinned, the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-261391, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-185714, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-143664 is applicable even to a small battery, but if the wall thickness is too thinned, the groove may easily rip when the battery is accidentally dropped.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-256944, the explosion-proof valve can be formed small, but the thin part is formed by press working or cutting. Formation of the thin part by press working is difficult and in the formation by cutting, the manufacturing cost is expensive. Further, when a foreign object hits the thin part, the relevant part is easily ripped and thus handling of the battery in for example, manufacturing steps is troublesome.


An in-situ method for regenerating a deactivated catalyst removes a calcium sulfate layer masking active catalyst sites. A reducing agent converts the calcium sulfate to calcium oxide, which is then removed, by reintrainment into the flue gas steam using soot blowers or sonic horns. The method is particularly useful for regenerating selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts used to remove nitrogen oxides from flue gas produced by combustion of coal from the Powder River Basin. The method can be practiced using existing SCR system hardware, and without removing the SCR system from service.

The present invention relates generally to methods of cleaning exhaust gas, and in particular to a new and useful method for regenerating a catalyst used to remove nitrogen oxides from exhaust gas produced by the burning of coal.
Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology is used worldwide to control NOx emissions from combustion sources at higher temperatures (550-750 degrees F.). High temperature SCR technology has been used in Japan for NOx control from utility boilers since the late 1970's, in Germany since the late 1980's, and in the US since the late 1990's. The function of the SCR system is to react NOx with ammonia (NH3) and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst to form molecular nitrogen and water.
As shown in FIG. 1, SCR systems are located in a stream of flowing flue gas 15. Ammonia is injected into the hot flue gas upstream of the selective catalytic reduction reactor 20 by an ammonia injection system 10, such as an ammonia injection grid. Known systems for injecting ammonia upstream of an SCR catalyst are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,380,499, 5,437,851 and 6,887,435, all assigned to The Babcock & Wilcox Company at issue, and which are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. The flue gas, with the ammonia, passes across the surface of the SCR catalyst 30, which is arranged in several layers within reactor 20. Industrial scale selective catalytic reduction reactors have been designed to operate principally in the temperature range of 500 degrees F. to 900 degrees F., but most often in the range of 550 degrees F. to 750 degrees F. Ash entrained in the flue gas may deposit on catalyst 30, and reactor 20 may include catalyst cleaning devices 50, such as sootblowers and/or sonic horns.
Additional details of the characteristics of SCR systems are available in Chapter 34 of Steam/Its Generation and Use, 41st Edition, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A., © 2005, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
Catalysts 30 are typically modestly noble metals such as vanadium, titanium, molybdenum and tungsten and a variety of their oxides. These catalysts are generally preferred because they exhibit good resistance to sulfur poisoning.
Chemical poisoning of SCR catalysts occurs in all types of coal combustion flue gases. SCR catalysts are chemically deactivated by catalyst poisons, which are contained in the coal combustion flue gases or fly ash in the form of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, thallium, etc. This "chemical poisoning" results from the reaction of SCR active components such as W, V, and Mo, with, for example, oxides of the heavy metals compounds and/or phosphate Reversing chemical poisoning and regenerating SCR catalyst typically requires complicated, multi-step procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,661 describes a 4-step procedure to regenerate a chemically poisoned catalyst. This procedure involves taking the SCR off-line (by means of a by-pass) and contacting the catalyst with 1) a reducing agent and 2) washing the catalyst with a polyfunctional complex forming agent such as hydrocarboxylic acid. Steps 1 and 2 eliminate the chemical bonds between poisons and the SCR active components, and redistribute the remaining active components. In step 3, the catalyst is contacted with a solution or a suspension of active components (such as V, W, . . . ) in the polyfunctional agent solution in order to restore the original activity of the SCR catalyst. In the final step (step 4) the catalyst is dried by air at about 160 degrees F. This regeneration process is complicated, time-consuming and requires the SCR to be taken off-line.
Fuel cost issues, as well as strict SO2 and SO3 emissions limits, have resulted in a significant increase in the number of US utilities burning low sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming and Montana. Many utilities burning PRB coal are now confronted with the necessity of installing SCR units to meet strict NOx emission limits. There are a number of uncertainties regarding SCR activity performance in PRB coal combustion systems. Unexpected and accelerated deactivation of SCR catalysts exposed to PRB coal combustion flue gas has been observed.
Rigby et al., of Siemens KPW, in their paper "SCR Catalyst Design Issues and Operating Experience: Coals with High Arsenic Concentrations and Coal from the Powder River Basin" (in the Proceedings of 2000 International Joint Power Generation Conference, Miami Beach, Fla., Jul. 23-26, 2000, IPJGC2000-15067) have provided a comprehensive review of the influential parameters in PRB coal combustion that can lead to an accelerated deactivation of SCR catalyst, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. The authors concluded that the main deactivation mechanism for SCR catalysts exposed to PRB coal combustion flue gases is most likely the formation of a dense, calcium sulfate (CaSO4) layer on the surface of the catalyst. This layer blocks the entrance of the flue gas to the pores of the catalyst, thus masking the active sites of the catalyst. The authors also concluded that the presence of large amounts of free calcium oxide (CaO) is the essential factor in the CaSO4 formation mechanism. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram from the paper illustrating the calcium sulfate masking of an SCR catalyst.
The Rigby et al. authors proposed the following mechanism for the formation of a calcium sulfate surface coating on SCR catalysts in PRB applications:
(1) Free CaO (in fly ash) is deposited onto catalyst surface
(2) SO2 (in exhaust gas)→SO3 (on catalyst surface)
(3) Free CaO (on catalyst surface)+SO3 (g)→CaSO4 (calcium sulfate coating)
It is apparent that an economical and easy to implement method of reactivating a catalyst deactivated due to masking by a calcium sulfate layer would be welcomed by industry.

In-situ regeneration of a catalyst masked by calcium sulfate

Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc.


An overfill safety adapter is provide which is suitable for use on the outlet end of funnel like devices being used to transfer fluid from one container to another to prevent the overfill of the container and spilling of the fluid which includes an elongated frusto conical shaped housing member adapted to be releasably fitted within an opening of a container to be filled having a bore therethrough, the bore of the housing having a conically shaped upper portion adapted to be releasably mounted on an outlet end of a funnel or spout and a substantially cylindrically shaped lower discharge portion which slidably supports a float operably responsive to the level of fluid in a container; and a magnetically operative valve within the bore of the housing which magnetically co-acts with the float to close the flow of fluid through the bore responsive to the level of fluid in a container to be filled.

A common problem when filling a tank or other container with fluid through a small aperture, such as kerosene heaters, gasoline cans, lawn mower fuel tanks and the like, is overflow of the fluid such as fuel when the tank or container is overfilled due to the difficulty in observing the fill level. Overfilling and spilling of the fluid where such fluid is toxic, flammable or expensive presents possible safety hazards or damage that is quite apparent.
Various types of funnels and the like devices have been proposed for transferring fluids such as fuel from one container to another, which are designed to prevent or limit spilling of the fluid including, for example, funnels with fill or float indicators such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,470 and 4,901,776, funnels with float operative sealing valves as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,715,488 and 4,712,595 and funnels with specially configured spouts such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,201. While such devices have been suggested for solving a long standing problem, none of the proposed devices appear to have received wide commercial acceptance, probably due to high costs, lack of dependability of operation, complicated construction and the like. Moreover, the proposed devices are generally incorporated into or used in conjunction with only one funnel or the like device, further limiting the ready accessibility and use thereof. There is, thus, the continuing need for a simply constructed, generally low-cost and dependably operating funnel or the like device for transferring fluid from one container to another which would serve to prevent overfilling of the container to be filled. Particularly advantageous and desirable would be a device adapted to be used with more than one conventional funnel or the like of different configuration and/or size having means for preventing overfill when transferring fluids from one container to another and which also permits draining excess fluid retained within the filling device without spilling.


A gear pump and gear pump housing are provided. The gear pump housing includes an inner wall and an outer wall. The inner wall defines an inner pumping cavity having a pumping cavity inlet and a pumping cavity outlet. The outer wall surrounds at least part of the inner wall. The outer wall being spaced apart from the outer wall defining a pressure cavity between the inner and outer walls. The pumping cavity outlet is in fluid communication with the pressure cavity. As such, the pressure cavity may be supplied with high pressure fluid that is pumped. The gear pump includes a pair of pumping gears between the pumping cavity inlet and pumping cavity outlet.

Pumps are used to displace fluid to either move the fluid through a system, increase the pressure of the fluid or a combination of both move the fluid and increase the fluid pressure. One particular type of pump is a gear pump that includes a pair of cooperating gears that have intermeshing gear teeth that force fluid through a housing from a low pressure inlet to a high pressure outlet. The pair of gears is typically supported within the housing by bearings on opposite axial sides of the gear teeth.
Conventional gear pumps are relative inexpensive and simple. Unfortunately, when these gear pumps are used to generate large discharge pressures, the housing is exposed to these high pressures. The high pressures can cause localized deflections and high stress areas at the function parts of the housing that disturb operation of the pump bearings, reduce operational life, and reduce the ability to produce such high discharge pressures.
Embodiments of the invention provide improvements over the state of the art.

High pressure gear pump with dual wall housing


A connector apparatus for electrically connecting printed circuit boards together includes a male and a female connector. The male connector includes a connector body (1). The body (1) has a central connecting block (11) on the bottom. The external surface of the bottom of the body provides a number of contact terminal holes (15). A number of double-L-shaped contact terminals (2) each having a bent contact portion (23) is installed inside a corresponding one of the contact terminal containing spaces (16). The soldering end (22) extends out of the corresponding one of the contact terminal holes (15) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body. The female connector includes a connector body (3) with a number of parallel contact terminal containing spaces (32) extending in a direction perpendicular both to the longitudinal axis and the bottom of the body. The external surface of the bottom has a number of contact terminal holes (35) each connected to and aligned with a corresponding one of the contact terminal containing spaces (32). A number of L-shaped contact terminals (4) each having a slightly inclined contact receiving end is installed inside a corresponding one of the contact terminal containing spaces (32). One-way latching protrusions (41) are formed on the center section of the contact terminal (4) for latching into the stopping planes. A soldering end (42) extends out of the corresponding one of the contact terminal holes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body (3).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to connector means for printed circuit boards. In particular, the present invention relates to a pair of matching male and female connector means for providing firm and secure electrical connection between two printed circuit boards.
2. Technical Background
Board-to-board connector means for connecting two separate printed circuit boards are known. In general, male and female connectors having matching electrical contact terminal means are each fixedly attached to one of the pair of printed circuits to be connected together. Conventional board-to-board connector means are varied in configuration. They are generally utilized in the connection, or relaying, of a number of electrical signals between the two separate printed circuit boards.
Several disadvantages are present in conventional board-to-board connector means. For example, many of the connector means employing straight-line type of contact electrical conducting terminals when subjected to pressure become buckled in shape during the process of being inserted into their respectively assigned spaces in the plastic body of the connector means. A connector means having one or more buckled contact metal contact terminals is considered defective and may cause problem of unstable or even failed electrical connection if used in printed circuit boards.
If any one of the contact terminals is not properly installed in the containing space of a connector body, it may be damaged when the matching male or female connector is connected thereto when the connection between the two connectors is attempted. Such connection frequently results in a damaged contact terminal, since the contact terminal not properly in place would inevitably be twisted and subjected to un-normal mechanical stress. In addition to the physical damage to the connector itself, there is also the probability of an electrical signal becoming short circuited between the neighboring contact signal paths.
Mating made between a pair of connectors is normally oriented in a predetermined direction. In other words, each of the contact terminals in one connector normally has a fixed matching relationship with a corresponding contact terminal in the other of two mating connectors. Carelessness in the process of making a connection may mis-align the orientation in the connection, and the forced mating of two incorrectly aligned connectors would damage the connector bodies and result in erroneous connection of the electrical signals between two printed circuit boards. On some occasions, a misaligned connector connection results in electrical damage to the circuitries in either or both of the two printed circuit boards.
Certain types of connectors have connector contact terminal pins extending out of the plastic body of the connector. These contact terminal pins, due to their requirement to be inserted into the corresponding through-holes on the printed circuit board for soldering thereto, must have sections sufficiently long that are exposed out of the plastic body of the connector. These solder pins are easily bent and may obscure the smooth and proper insertion of each and every pin into the corresponding through-holes in the printed circuit board. The result would sometimes be that certain bent pins are not inserted into the holes at all, causing failure of electrical signal contact, or the bent pins short circuit the pins next to them.
Moreover, as the physical dimensions of the modern connectors are becoming smaller, the tolerance between the contact pins at the end of soldering and the corresponding containing space is so small to cause a capillary phenomena that sucks solder upwards. This results in poor soldering quality downward in the through-hole.

Connector apparatus for electrically connecting printed circuit boards


A medical imaging apparatus and/or method includes a gantry, a control unit, and a display unit. The gantry has a source for generating an X-ray and a detector for detecting the X-ray passing through an object. The gantry allows the source and the detector to rotate around the object. The control unit obtains operational information of the gantry. The display unit outputs the obtained operational information of the gantry.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a medical imaging apparatus and a method of providing operational information of a gantry included in the medical imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computerized tomography (CT) imaging apparatus processes data regarding a shape of an internal section of an object to obtain an image by projecting an X-ray toward the object at various angles and reconfiguring the projected X-rays by using a computer.
The CT imaging apparatus having a roughly donut shape includes an apparatus for accommodating a patient at the center thereof, which is generally referred to as a gantry. An X-ray source and a detector for detecting the X-ray are mounted on the donut shaped gantry. An opening of the gantry is disposed between the X-ray source and the detector. When an object is to be scanned so as to form an image thereof, the object is laid on a transfer device and is carried through the opening of the gantry. Then, the CT imaging apparatus operates the X-ray source and detector of the gantry so as to rotate them, operates the X-ray source to generate an X-ray, and operates the detector to detect the X-ray that has passed through the object. The CT imaging apparatus receives a signal corresponding to an intensity of the X-ray acquired from the gantry and generates an image according to an X-ray attenuation factor in a sectional plane of the object by calculating the received signal.

Medical imaging apparatus and method of providing operational information of gantry included in the same


A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image that includes a crystalline polyester resin and a release agent, wherein structures in which the crystalline polyester resin contacts the release agent exist in a ruthenium-stained cross section of the toner, and if the cross-sectional area of these structures is labeled A, the cross-sectional area of lone portions of the release agent is labeled B, and the cross-sectional area of lone portions of the crystalline polyester resin is labeled C, then 40≦100×A/(A+B+C)≦70, 10≦100×B/(A+B+C)≦30, and 20≦100×C/(A+B+C)≦30.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image and an electrostatic latent image developer that can be used in an electrophotographic apparatus that employs an electrophotographic process, such as a copying machine, printer, or facsimile, and also relates to a method of manufacturing the toner for developing an electrostatic latent image and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
In order to reduce the quantity of energy used by a copying machine or printer, technology that enables fixing to be conducted at lower energy levels is very desirable. Accordingly, there is a strong demand for electrophotographic toners that enable fixing to be conducted at lower temperatures.
Typical techniques for lowering the fixing temperature of a toner involve lowering the glass transition temperature of the toner resin (the binder). As a result of factors such as powder aggregation (blocking) and the storage properties of the toner on the fixed image, the practical lower limit for the glass transition temperature is typically 50° C., and preferably 60° C.
On the other hand, in order to achieve low-temperature fixability, the use within heat-roller fixing of a crystalline polyester resin, where possible without mixing with other components, has also been proposed.

Toner for developing electrostatic latent image and method of manufacturing same, electrostatic latent image developer, cartridge, and image forming apparatus


Tires in use wear in a host of ways. One negative manner in which tires, especially truck tires, may wear is in an irregular fashion. When this phenomenon happens, the tread of the tire may become unusable, forcing the user to replace the tire, which is undesirable. This patent application poses a new and useful way of preventing irregular wear involving the use of hidden sipes or tread blocks. In some embodiments, these hidden sipes or tread blocks are found in tread blocks or ribs adjacent other tread blocks or ribs that have been determined to be susceptible to irregular wear. In other embodiments, the hidden sipes or tread blocks are formed by a sipe blade that has a connecting member to which two y-branched members are attached, and further comprising dividing members that connect between the y-branched members.

1. Field of the Invention
Tires in use wear in a host of ways. One negative manner in which tires, especially truck tires, may wear is in an irregular fashion. When this phenomenon happens, the tread of the tire may become unusable, forcing the user to replace the tire, which is undesirable. This patent application poses a new and useful way of preventing irregular wear, increasing the useful life of the tire tread.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many nominally ribbed tires, such as truck steer and trailer tires for example are subject to irregular wear, which is often characterized by local depressions. Irregular wear is a frequent cause for tires to be removed from service. Accordingly, several design features have been used in the prior art to help prevent irregular wear including microsiping in the outside or shoulder areas of the ribs, providing sipes that are directionally oriented and providing for sacrificial shoulder ribs.
Yet another example of a technique used to prevent irregular wear is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,325. It discloses the use of angled grooves and sipes that are strategically positioned and sized for improving wet traction. However, this patent also suggests that placing sipes outside the center region of the tread, whith constitutes the middle 80% of the width of the tread, is disadvantageous because such placement increases the risk of heel and toe wear developing in the outer 20% of the tread found on either side of the center region of the tread, which corresponds to the shoulder regions of the tread. In particular, it recommends that sipes should not even extend partially into the shoulder regions of a tread for fear of increasing the risk of heel and toe wear (see col. 6, lines 54-59 of the '325 patent).
Another method for preventing abnormal wear is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,062. It suggests using sipes having different depths in the tread of tire. Specifically, it teaches decreasing the depth of the sipes such that sipes nearer the center of the tire are deeper than sipes found nearer the shoulders of the tire (see FIGS. 2 and 3 of the '062 patent).
All of these solutions found in the prior art address the need to slow down the development of irregular wear when the tire is first put into service but do little to prevent the development of irregular wear as the tire tread wears past these features. Also, they do not prevent traction losses over the life of the tire tread that occurs especially as sipes are worn away.
Accordingly, there still exists a need to prevent irregular wear as a tire tread is worn in a manner that does not lead to a compromise in traction, both at the beginning and throughout the life of the tire.

Tire having tread with hidden tread blocks

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ESTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


The balloon catheter comprises a catheter tube surrounded distally by an elongated inflatable balloon. Throughout the catheter tube is a longitudinal lumen for positioning a radioactive radiation emitter within the balloon. The catheter comprises a second lumen for directing inflation fluid into the balloon. Belt means creating a waist are mounted on the balloon to squeeze it down to nearly the diameter of the catheter thereby leaving a small passage for the inflation fluid. The belt means divide the balloon into sections to assure a close center fit of the catheter within the balloon.

This invention relates to a medical appliance for the treatment of a portion of body vessel by ionizing radiation, comprising a catheter, an inflatable elongated balloon distally surrounding the catheter, and lumen means longitudinally extending through the catheter for positioning a radioactive radiation emitter within the balloon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,561 describes a device for preventing restenosis after angioplasty comprising, among various embodiments, a catheter having a balloon at its distal end and a center core or tube in which a conventional guidewire is receivable. Particles or crystals of radioactive material are embedded in or mounted on the tube inside the balloon and a retractable shielding sleeve is slidable along the tube to cover the radioactive source, blocking exposure to radiation until it is shifted away. Such a structure is said to allow radiation of a vascular structure immediately following completion of angioplasty, without separately inserting a radiation source.
Standard dilatation balloons are not well suited to transport and to take up radioactive radiating sources because the center core or guidewire lumen tends to warp on the stretch inside the balloon, thereby forming an undulated line. The radioactive radiation source, however, has to be centered as exactly as possible inside the vessel in order to avoid the vessel wall being burned.
The document DE-9102312.2 describes balloon catheters for performing angioplasty procedures followed by radioactive irradiation to prevent restenosis. In a first embodiment, there is provided a catheter closed at its distal end and bearing a dilatation balloon which can be inflated by a fluid medium supplied via a lumen extending longitudinally of the catheter; a radioactive seed affixed to the end of a guidewire may be inserted into the catheter lumen to be brought into the site of angioplasty while the balloon is inflated; according to a variant, the lumen of the catheter may be separated in two parallel channels by a longitudinally extending intermediate wall, one of the channels being for insertion of the fluid for inflating the balloon and the other for insertion of a guidewire having the radioactive seed affixed at its end. In a second embodiment, the catheter comprises an additional channel centered in the catheter lumen by means of two longitudinally extending intermediate walls; the catheter lumen is thus divided into three channels, of which the central channel is for insertion of a radioactive pin affixed at the end of a guidewire and the lateral channels for balloon inflation and for supplying drugs into the blood vessel, respectively. In a third embodiment, the catheter bears two balloons at a distance from one another and which can be inflated separately; the catheter also comprises a central channel centered in the catheter lumen by means of four longitudinally extending walls defining four channels surrounding the central channel; two of the surrounding channels are respectively opening into the balloons for inflation thereof, and the two other surrounding channels are respectively opening between the two balloons to allow injection of drugs in the vessel area comprised between the two balloons; the document indicates that a radioactive seed affixed to the distal end of a guidewire may be placed in the lowest of the surrounding channels; the document also indicates that the radioactive source may be placed in the central channel, further outlining that, as with the second embodiment, the radioactive source may even be driven out of the catheter to directly irradiate the vessel. Apart from the fact that this document does not consider any particular centering of the radioactive source in the body vessel, its various configurations do not allow such a centering.
In the first embodiment of this document DE-9102312.2 no measures are described which would ensure circumferentially uniform radiation impact on the vessel wall and the radial position of the irradiation source is merely determined by gravity, whereby warping of the catheter lumen upon inflation of the balloon will add to the unevenness of radiation distribution in the vessel. In the second embodiment, any warping upon inflation of the balloon will be fully uncontrollable because of the different reactions of the main channel, additional channel and longitudinal walls of the catheter to the stresses resulting from the stretch inside the balloon; this of course makes it impossible to know where and how the radioactive radiation will be distributed in the vessel. In the third embodiment, the situation shows the same drawbacks as for the second embodiment, with some more uncertainty resulting from the additional channels.
The document DE-3620123-A1 discloses an apparatus for measuring and irradiating body cavities which permits the placing and positioning of a light conductor at the center of a cavity in order to achieve homogeneous lighting thereof via a dispersing agent.
To this effect, a light conductor is located in a tubular catheter surrounded by two optically transparent centering flexible balloons at a distance from each other and which are inflated by a dispersing agent in order to have them rest against the wall of the body cavity. The portion of the catheter which is located between the balloons is stiffer than the rest of the catheter to avoid modification of the distance between the two balloons, for instance due to curving of the catheter. The system is said to be usable for a blood vessel, and the two balloons are occlusion balloons. Occlusion balloons have to be resilient to safely fulfill their task in a vessel of unknown exact shape and size. Because of this resiliency, occlusion balloons can not be used simultaneously as dilatation balloons. Resilient balloons would overstretch the vessel wall when used with the higher pressures that are required for a successful angioplasty. Of course the doctor has control over the inflation pressure with resilient balloons same as with dilatation balloons, but this is not sufficient for safe angioplasty. With a resilient balloon the doctor has no control over the inflated diameter or over the shape to which the balloon is inflated. Of course, with this apparatus the source could be centered if the balloons are close together, but the additional weldings of two balloons close together make the catheter more complicated and expensive. Furthermore, the added weldings reduce the flexibility of the catheter which is necessary to maneuver it through tortuous vessels and to use it in tortuous vessels.
The purpose of this invention is to improve the conditions of radioactive radiation treatment of body vessels by proposing a medical appliance with inflatable balloon for a vessel wall radiation which is uniform around the vessel, an appliance that is highly versatile, simple to manufacture and easy to use.

Medical appliance with centering balloon


The present invention uses spatial dictionaries (termed locationaries), for meaningfully checking and correcting the spelling of text on Geographic Information System (GIS) maps or other computer documents containing spatially, or coordinate-, bound text. Locationaries keep track of correctly spelled words and the geographic areas within which they are considered correctly spelled. In a preferred embodiment, locationaries are feature classes, ‘map layers’ of properly-spelled words or attributed features (objects). The invention selects such features from locationaries based on spatial criteria relative to the textual objects to spell-check. It then exports the attribute values to dictionaries that can be used by conventional spell checking engines. Once all errors and suggestions are found with such an engine and within user-specified criteria, a dialog is shown that contains a row per potentially-misspelled word found. From that dialog, the user can edit the word in the original textual object of the map.

Spell checking of text in word processors, spreadsheets, emails, web pages and other computer documents has become common place. Yet, geographic information system (GIS) software products do not include built-in spell checkers. A geographic information system is a system for capturing, integrating, storing, managing, editing, analyzing, sharing and displaying data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced, typically to the earth. One known GIS provider informs its power users on how to plug in a conventional spell checker to check the spelling of text against a conventional dictionary. However, such a solution does not take into consideration map-specific factors that render such a conventional method of spell-checking very ineffective.
One of the reasons for the lack of such spell checkers was the conceptual and technical difficulties related to the spell checking of geographically-bound text in maps. Much of the text in maps is geographically-bound and, as such, has to be spell-checked differently from text in other types of documents. Some map text is geographically-bound because the spelling of a particular word may be valid in one area of the map but may not be valid in another. For example, a city name is valid near the city of that name, but may not be valid elsewhere on the map. Another difficulty in spell-checking maps arises because many of the words on maps are proper nouns, such as geographic names. Alphabetic dictionaries, such as those used in word processors, may contain the spelling of some major geographic features such as countries and major cities but are unlikely going to contain local geographic names. This is for good reason, as there are millions of such local geographic names and most of those spellings are only valid at certain narrow locations.
Yet another difficulty arises because text in maps is typically in the language of the intended reader, in the language or languages of the locale where features (cities, churches, etc.) being labeled lie, or a combination. This makes the spell checking of such maps more challenging.
Furthermore, GIS databases and maps can contain enormous amounts of text. Spell checking and potentially correcting each word at a time, as conventional spell-checkers do, is not practical. Such serial, individual spell-checking wastes the users' time by requiring that they wait for the system to find each error before fixing it manually and proceeding to finding the next error.
In addition, one conventional spell-checker controls what text should be spell checked by requiring that the user first select each individual text object manually. Such a requirement is impractical in most situations.

Method for spell-checking location-bound words within a document


An apparatus for sorting individual pieces includes a plurality of conveying elements which are guided along a closed track and are coupled to each other to form an endless conveying chain. The conveying elements have an at least approximately horizontal support plane configured to place the individual items thereon. For feeding the conveying elements, they travel along the track past at least one feeding station and they travel past several target stations for emptying the conveying elements. Each target station is provided with a sweeping or deflecting device which travels alongside of the conveying elements and pushes the individual piece from the conveying elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting individual pieces or piece goods. The apparatus includes a plurality of conveying means which are guided along a closed track and are coupled to each other to form an endless conveying means chain. The conveying means have an at least approximately horizontal support plane configured to place the individual items thereon. For feeding the conveying means, the conveying means travel along the track past at least one feeding station and the conveying means travel past several target stations for emptying the conveying means.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP-B1-0 540 464 describes and illustrates an apparatus for sorting individual pieces which include an endless carriage chain formed of several carriages coupled together one behind the other and guided along a closed track, wherein each of the carriages has a tray which can be swung to both sides about an axis extending in the direction of movement of the carriage. The tray can be swung from a horizontal position into a tilted position, wherein each carriage includes actuating members for swinging the trays. Provided at the track is at least one feeding station where the individual pieces are fed onto the trays and several target stations for removing the individual pieces from the trays.
Apparatus of this type are intended, inter alia, for sorting parcels by postal services. Because they have a wide field of applications, they are expensive and can only be used in large areas. The apparatus are not economical when processing flat items which have a relatively low weight, so that, because of the relatively high demand for the processing of flat individual pieces, it is desirable to have a simpler device.

Apparatus for sorting by directing individual pieces