A packet control function (PCF) exchanging messages with a packet data serving node (PDSN) in a wireless communication network guards against malicious or erroneous message replay by checking the “reasonableness” of PDSN time stamps in registration messages it receives over its PDSN interface. Received messages that are too old are rejected by the PCF, even if otherwise valid. A configurable time threshold may be set at the PCF that determines the allowable maximum age of a received message. Further, because messages received from the PDSN contain echoed identifier values generated by the PCF, the PCF may implement identifier value function generation that insures no repeated identifier values over a desired interval. The desired interval is set larger than the allowable message age to further guard against attempted message replay.

The present invention generally relates to high data rate wireless communication networks and particularly relates to security and authentication procedures for high data rate wireless communication networks.
The Internet provides access to information resources worldwide. Users typically gain access to the Internet from a fixed station located in the home, office, school, or other location. Laptop computers and other portable computing devices provided a first step toward mobile Internet access by allowing the user to connect to the Internet through any connection point offered by the users' service provider. Some service providers, such as America Online (AOL), offer nationwide and/or worldwide access networks for their subscribers. However, laptop computers do not provide true mobile Internet access since the laptop's connection to the Internet during any given session is fixed. True mobile access would allow the user to move freely and change the point of connection to the Internet without disrupting service.
Recently, a protocol known as Mobile IP has been developed to allow a mobile terminal, such as a cellular phone or PDA, to access the Internet via a mobile communication network. RFC 2002, a standard proposed by a working group within the Internet Engineering Task Force (i.e., IETF) is one implementation of Mobile IP. This standard solves the problem of host mobility by using two IP addresses: a fixed home address and a "care of" address that changes depending on the location of the mobile terminal. The Mobile IP allows a mobile terminal to wirelessly connect to the Internet or other data network and to roam freely within the network and to change its point of connection to the Internet without disruption of service.
In order to handle packet data traffic, mobile communication networks have evolved from older circuit-switched networks to more modern packet-switched networks. Circuit-switched networks were originally designed to route voice traffic and low throughput data traffic. More modern mobile communication networks use packet-switching technology to provide high rate data services to mobile terminals. These new packet-switched networks allow a mobile terminal to connect to a public data network (PDN), such as the Internet, and maintain the connection as the mobile terminal roams within the network.
The Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) has proposed a standard known as the "3GPP2 Access Network Interfaces Interoperability Specification", A.S0001.1 (June 2000) for a packet-switched mobile communication network. This standard, referred to herein as the 3GPP2 standard, describes a generalized network architecture that might be employed in a packet-switched network or other high data rate network. Mobile terminals communicate via RF signaling with radio base stations (RBSs), which are in turn controlled by one or more base station controllers (BSCs). Each BSC communicates with a packet control function (PCF), which serves as a specialized router that manages traffic going between the various BSCs and a gateway device, such as a high capacity router, connected to the Internet or other PDN. The gateway device, referred to as a packet data serving node (PDSN), and the PCF incorporate a variety of features and processes that allow them to validate, route, and synchronize the IP traffic flowing through the network. IP networks may be used to connect various network components, such as the PCF and PDSN, in a packet-switched network.
The use of IP networks in packet-switched networks makes such packet-switched networks more vulnerable to malicious attackers than circuit-switched networks because the 3GPP2 standard makes frequent use of remote redirection as a way to deal with the mobility of the mobile terminal. For example, the PDSN maintains a routing table that tells the PDSN which PCF to route traffic through for a specific mobile terminal as identified by an International Mobile terminal Identity (IMSI). When the mobile terminal moves from the coverage area of a first PCF, referred to as the source PCF, into the coverage area of a second PCF, referred to as the target PCF, the PDSN must be notified of the change so that it can update its routing table. In this case, the target PCF sends a registration request to the PDSN containing the IMSI of the mobile terminal. When the PDSN receives the registration request from the target PCF, it updates the routing table and initiates a procedure to terminate its connection to the source PCF.
Because the registration request is sent remotely to the PDSN, the PDSN must be certain that the registration request originated with the target PCF and not by a malicious agent. In the absence of well-designed authentication procedures, a malicious agent could cause the PDSN to alter its routing table with erroneous information by sending the PDSN a falsified registration request containing the IMSI of one of the mobile terminals served by the PDSN. The victimized mobile terminal would be unreachable to all incoming communications from the Internet. Further, the malicious agent could redirect packets intended for the victimized mobile terminal to itself.
The protocols used in the packet-switched mobile communication networks include authentication procedures to authenticate registration requests to prevent remote redirection by unauthorized agents. These authentication procedures include measures to fend off what is known as a replay attack. In a replay attack, a malicious agent records a previously-transmitted message which is authenticated by the receiving node and replays the authenticated message at a later date to subvert the authentication protocols. The receiving node, in this instance, might be fooled by the replayed message, which appears authentic to the receiving node. While the standards currently in use include measures to prevent a replay attack directed against the PDSN, a replay attack directed against the PCF is still possible. A replay attack directed against the PCF could cause the PCF to erroneously resynchronize its time clock or to accept and process a replayed message while missing the actual message sent by the PDSN. These erroneous actions could lead to service disruption at the PCF. The present invention provides an authentication procedure to eliminate this potential vulnerability.

Method for time stamp-based replay protection and PDSN synchronization at a PCF


An internal combustion engine includes a variable compression ratio mechanism made up of a case-side bearing-forming portion, a block-side bearing-forming portion, and a shaft-shaped drive portion. The case-side bearing-forming portion is formed in an upper portion of a crankcase. The block-side bearing-forming portion extends outward from a lower end portion of an outer wall surface of the cylinder block. The block-side bearing-forming portion is linked to the case-side bearing-forming portion by the shaft-shaped drive portion. Slit-shaped stress reduction groove portions each having an opening in a region between the block-side bearing-forming portion and cylinder bores are formed in a lower surface of the cylinder block. Therefore, even when the block-side bearing-forming portion presses the outer wall surface, the stress reduction groove portions reduce the stress, so that the deformation of the wall surface of each cylinder bore can be restrained.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a variable compression ratio internal combustion engine capable of changing the compression ratio that is the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value of the volume of a combustion chamber that changes with the movement of the piston.
2. Description of the Related Art
Variable compression ratio internal combustion engines have been proposed which change the compression ratio by moving the cylinder block relative to the crankcase in the direction of an axis (center axis) of a cylinder bore (hereinafter, simply referred to also as "up-down direction"). For example, one of the variable compression ratio internal combustion engines has a cylinder block that is disposed so as to be relatively movable in the up-down direction with respect to a crankcase, and a variable compression ratio mechanism.
In the cylinder block, in-line arranged four cylinder bores are formed. A piston is housed in each cylinder bore. The pistons are linked to a crankshaft. The crankshaft is rotatably supported by the crankcase. Furthermore, the variable compression ratio internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head. The cylinder head is fixed to a top portion of the cylinder block.
The variable compression ratio mechanism includes a block-side bearing-forming portion, a case-side bearing-forming portion and a shaft-shaped drive portion.
The block-side bearing-forming portion is fixed to an outer wall surface (side wall surface) of the cylinder block so as to extend out from the outer wall surface in a region that contains an crankcase-side end portion of the outer wall surface (a lower end portion of the cylinder block).
The case-side bearing-forming portion is made up of an upstanding wall portion and a cap portion. The cap portion is fixed to the upstanding wall portion that is formed on an upper portion of the crankcase.
The shaft-shaped drive portion includes a plurality of eccentric cam portions, and is disposed so as to extend through a cylindrical bearing hole formed in the block-side bearing-forming portion, and a cylindrical bearing hole formed in the case-side bearing-forming portion. Then, the shaft-shaped drive portion is rotated about a predetermined axis by a driving device. At this time, the shaft-shaped drive portion rotates in contact with the surfaces that define the cylindrical bearing holes formed in the block-side bearing-forming portion and the case-side bearing-forming portion, and causes a shift in the direction of eccentricity. Thus, the cylinder block can be slid relative to the crankcase to the top dead center side. As a result, since the distance between the cylinder block and the crankcase becomes longer, the volume of the combustion chamber when the piston is at the top dead center (the minimum value of the volume of the combustion chamber) becomes larger, and therefore the compression ratio becomes lower. In this manner, according to the foregoing internal combustion engine, the compression ratio can be changed (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-206771 (JP-A-2003-206771)).
When a mixture gas burns in a combustion chamber defined by a wall surface that defines the cylinder bore, a lower surface of the cylinder head, and a top surface of a piston, the pressure of the gas in the combustion chamber becomes very high. Due to this pressure, the lower surface of the cylinder head is pressed upward by the pressure in the combustion chamber, and the top surface of the piston is pressed downward by the same pressure. Therefore, a force in an upward direction is exerted on the cylinder block to which the cylinder head is fixed. On the other hand, a force in a downward direction is exerted on the crankcase that supports the crankshaft linked to the piston. As a result, a crankcase-side portion of the surface that defines the bearing hole of the block-side bearing-forming portion receives a force caused by the shaft-shaped drive portion 53, and is therefore pressed downward.
Since a cylinder head-side end portion of the cylinder block is fixed to the cylinder head as mentioned above, the rigidity of the cylinder head-side end portion of the cylinder block is relatively high. On the other hand, a crankcase-side end portion of the cylinder block has a relatively low rigidity since the portion is not fixed to the crankcase. Furthermore, since the force exerted on the bearing hole of the block-side bearing-forming portion acts at a position that is apart outward from the outer wall surface of the cylinder block to which the block-side bearing-forming portion is fixed, the force acts on the cylinder block as a force that tends to bend a lower end portion of the cylinder block inward (bending moment).
In other words, a pressing force in an inward direction of the cylinder block (pressing direction) is exerted on a region in the outer wall surface of the cylinder block to which the block-side bearing-forming portion is fixed. Due to this pressing force, the wall surface defining the cylinder bore deforms in an inward direction of the cylinder bore. As a result, there is possibility that the friction force between the wall surface defining the cylinder bore and the piston may increase, and the fuel economy may deteriorate, or that the amount of inflow of lubricating oil into the combustion chamber may increase leading to useless consumption of lubricating oil.


An apparatus and method is disclosed for recovering a cleaning material and a surface material with a vacuum source. The surface material is removed from a surface by projecting the cleaning material such as sand, water or the like from a plurality of rotatable nozzle to impact upon the surface. The apparatus comprises a housing having a housing opening for projecting the cleaning material through the housing opening onto the surface. A fluid seal provides a seal between the housing and the surface. The vacuum source is connected to the housing for withdrawing the impacted cleaning material and the surface material removed from the surface.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to cleaning and recovery, and more particularly to an apparatus for cleaning a surface by projecting a cleaning material upon the surface and for recovering the impacted cleaning material and the material removed from the surface.
2. Background Of The Invention
The process cleaning of a surface by sand blasting, water blasting and the like has been well established in the prior art. Although these cleaning processes have progressed the art, the processes still require the projection of a cleaning material such as sand, water or another abrasive material to impact onto a surface. The force of the impact of the cleaning material abrades or cleans the surface thus removing any overcoating, contaminants, corrosion or the like.
Typically, the cleaning material is directed from a nozzle toward the surface by an operator physically holding the nozzle. The force of the cleaning material emanating from the nozzle makes the physical holding of the nozzle difficult for the operator. In addition, the force of the impact of the cleaning material on the surface results in the cleaning material and material removed from the surface such as over-coatings, contaminants, corrosion or the like being projected back from the surface. The cleaning material and the material removed from the surface are not only projected back toward the operator but are also dispersed within the surrounding atmosphere. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such an operation is hazardous not only to the operator but is also hazardous to the environment.
In my prior patents including U.S. Pat. No. RE 30,289; 4,139,970 and 4,545,156, I replaced the physical holding the of nozzle by an operator through the use of a nozzle holding apparatus. These U.S. patents not only eliminated the difficult task of physically holding the nozzle by an operator, but also enabled the use of multiple nozzles to increase the efficiency of the cleaning operation. In addition, since these U.S. Patents eliminated the need for the operator to physically hold the nozzle, the operator could be removed from the immediate area of the cleaning process. Accordingly, the hazard to the operator was substantially reduced through the practice of my prior inventions.
It is a prime object of the present invention to improve upon my prior inventions by providing a recovery system for totally collecting the impacted cleaning material and the material removed from the cleaned surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and material removed from the surface that is safe for both the operator and the environment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and material removed from the surface that is a practical apparatus and method for such recovery.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface that has substantially total recovery.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface material that is adaptable to various pre-existing cleaning devices.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface material that is mountable on a pre-existing cleaning device for movement therewith.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface that is light-weight and durable.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface having a life expectancy commensurate with the life expectancy of blast nozzles.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from the surface that is economical to manufacture and easy to replace.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for recovering a cleaning material and a material removed from a surface that recovers substantially all of the materials with a minimum vacuum source.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention with in the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A leak testable bulkhead around a pipe penetrating through a wall, comprising a cylindrical hollow insert for partial passage through a hole in the wall, and through which the pipe passes. The insert has a perpendicular abutment flange preventing complete passage through the hole. Also provided are two rubbery gaskets for sealing, placed on each side of the hole against the wall with the flange abutting one gasket, and a wide-lipped washer against the other gasket. A nut threadably engaged on the insert and placed against the washer secures the insert, gaskets and washer tightly in place. Also included are two flexible reducer boots, a smaller of which is sealingly affixed over an un-threaded end of the insert adjacent the nut and reduces downward and sealingly affixes around the pipe passing through the insert. A larger of the reducers sealingly affixes onto the washer, and reduces downward and sealingly affixes over the pipe slightly beyond the smaller reducer so as to encase the nut and smaller reducer. Connected air passages and chambers are defined in communication with the inner sides of each sealed area. An air input valve on the larger exposed reducer boot allows pressurizing of the passages and chambers so that the ability of the sealed points to retain air pressure may be tested and monitored with a pressure gage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to entrance seals for preventing the transference of fluids around elongated members such as pipes at penetration points through walls. The present bulkhead or penetration seal, which I refer to as a testable bulkhead, may be pressure tested at the initial installation or at any time thereafter to ascertain the integrity of the seal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most relevant sealed bulkheads or penetration seals appear to be found in the prior art pertaining to chemical storage and particularly fuel storage and piped fuel distribution systems such as are commonly found at gas or service stations. The majority of underground fuel tanks have a manhole which is accessible from the ground surface through a manhole cover. Fuel lines, as well as electrical conduits typically pass through the wall of the manhole for the purpose of connecting equipment within the manhole to equipment outside of the manhole. Since the manhole and pipes are located underground, there is always the risk of ground water leaking into the manhole around the pipes at the penetration points. Leakage of water into the manhole is undesirable since it could damage equipment such as fuel leak sensors and pumps within the manhole. Leakage of fuel out of the pipeline and the manhole at the wall junction is also not desired for environmental reasons. In modern installations, to avoid fuel leakage from the pipeline, a secondary containment system is used around the primary fuel pipe(s). If a leak occurs in the primary pipe, the fuel is directed by gravity back through a secondary containment pipe into the manhole, where the manhole serves as an emergency reservoir, and where electronic sensors and alarms register the malfunction. However, there is still the possibility that the fuel could accumulate sufficiently within the manhole to reach the junction of the pipe wall penetration, and therefore measures must be taken to contain the accumulated fuel since leakage into the surrounding soil is environmentally unsound and against government regulations.
Various techniques have been used to seal around pipes passing through the wall of the manhole, including welding of the pipes to the chamber wall, and using flanged fittings and sealing gaskets bolted to the wall. Rigidly welding the fuel line or entrance fitting to the chamber wall is not an ideal arrangement since ground shifting often occurs which could rupture the weld or pipe. Simple gasket seals have often failed in the past, with the seals often previously being in an undetectable weakened state for some time prior to the failure. Simple gasket seals, as well as welded connections do not allow for testing of the integrity of the seal at the time of installation or at periodic intervals after installation, and so the sealing connection may be defective at the time of the initial installation.
Therefore, there is a need for a penetration seal which can be tested to determine the integrity of the seal, and for a testable seal that also allows shifting or angling of the pipe at the point of penetration through a wall, and there is no similarly structured prior art which teaches such an arrangement as does the present invention.


An emergency power system may provide hydraulic and electrical power to an aircraft in the event of a failure of the aircraft's primary control power system. The system may be constructed as a ram air turbine in which a single ram air fan may drive both a hydraulic pump and an electrical generator. A unique gearbox may incorporate compound gearing to permit the pump and the generator to be driven at different speeds. Thus the pump and the generator may be driven at their respective optimum speeds. The pump and the generator may be detachably mounted on a gearbox that supports the ram air fan. The detachable mounting of the pump and generator may accommodate ease of maintenance of these items. The gearbox may be provided with a ground testing port through which rotational testing force may be introduced to a shaft that supports the ram air fan. This may permit ground level testing of the system. Ground level testing may reduce a need to perform periodic in-flight testing of the system.

This invention generally relates to ram air turbine power systems (RATPS) that can be deployed to utilize energy from a passing air stream of a moving aircraft to generate hydraulic and/or electrical power. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements of a RATPS which facilitate ground-level testing and ease of maintenance of the RATPS.
Many commercial aircraft are equipped with a RATPS. They are important elements in a spectrum of devices used to enhance aircraft safety. Typically, a RATPS is attached to a pivotal strut. During normal operation of an aircraft, the RATPS is held in a stowed position within an enclosed storage bay. In the event of a failure of an electrical or hydraulic power system, the RATPS is moved into a deployed position by opening the storage bay and pivoting the strut on which the RATPS is attached. In a deployed position, a ram air turbine is exposed to an air stream outside the aircraft. The ram air turbine drives a generator and/or a hydraulic pump to provide requisite power for control systems.
A RATPS is only rarely deployed as a matter of operational necessity. Indeed, during the past decade, there may have been only a dozen incidents in which in-flight power failure has required deployment of a RATPS on a commercial aircraft. Nevertheless, it is important to assure that the RATPS is always in a state of operational readiness. The determination of operational readiness is made by periodic testing of the RATPS.
Periodic testing has heretofore been accomplished by intentionally deploying the RATPS while an aircraft is in normal flight. There are inherent risks associated with in-flight testing. It is obviously safer to perform on-ground testing of any safety device. But, in the prior art, a typical RATPS has not been amenable to on-ground testing. A RATPS will only operate when exposed to high velocity air flow associated with a moving aircraft. Consequently, the more risky in-flight testing has generally been used as a standard procedure for assuring operational readiness of the RATPS.
Maintenance of most prior art RATPS's has heretofore been a costly and complex procedure. This is because a typical prior art RATPS is constructed as an integrated combination of a turbine, electrical generator and a hydraulic pump, with both the generator and the pump having their own separate reduction gearing. Consequently, it has been impracticable to remove just a defective pump from a RATPS without a complete disassembly of the turbine, reduction gearing and the generator. Similarly, a defective generator can only be replaced by performing a complete disassembly of the RATPS.
This maintenance difficulty is partially mitigated in a prior art RATPS disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,976 issued to Cohen. In the Cohen RATPS, shown as a second embodiment in the subject patent, a hydraulic pump is attached to a flange of a gearbox. A generator is attached on an opposite side of the same gearbox. In this configuration, both the hydraulic pump and the generator are driven by the same rotating shaft. This arrangement facilitates easy replacement of either the pump or the generator. However, both the generator and the pump are driven at the same rotational speed in this arrangement. Consequently, the generator and the pump are both driven at a compromised speed. Neither the generator nor the pump is driven at its respective optimum speed.
As can be seen, there is a need for a RATPS that can be readily ground tested. Additionally, it is important that individual components, such as a generator or a pump of the RATPS, can be expediently replaced. It is desirable that such a system provides optimized rotational speeds for both a generator and a hydraulic pump.

Ram air turbine with compound geartrain gearbox


A method is disclosed for the delivery of therapeutic agents into tissues, blood vessels, and body ducts of the human body. A novel catheter enables controlled directing of emitted drug delivery to assist control of drug dwell time in targeted areas. One coaxial catheter embodiment provides capability for locating an outer lumen of the system into the target region, with localization of said outer lumen carried out by use of appropriate medical imaging modalities. In one embodiment, an inner lumen of the catheter means is primed with the agent to be delivered, and recirculated flow of the agent through pluralities of appropriately positioned port holes on the two lumens then occurs via one or more active and/or passive flow driving and guiding techniques intrinsic to the design of the coaxial catheter system. Another coaxial catheter embodiment carries and emits agent in an outer cannula and recaptures agent plus liquid or fluids in the body (such as blood, bile, serum, stable (non-flowing) liquid or kinetic liquid) in an inner cannula.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved means of intravascular, intraparenchymal and intracerebroventricular delivery of agents such as diagnostic agents or therapeutic agents for the treatment of local medical conditions in the head and body. Such treatments and local medical conditions may include, by way of non-limiting examples, neoplasms, the counteraction of neurodegenerative disorders, the recanalization and reperfusion of blocked arterial and venous structures and the treatment of other forms of disease within the vasculature and elsewhere in the body. Systemic delivery of therapeutic agents into the brain is limited by the presence of the blood brain barrier formed by the tight junctions of endothelial cells that line capillaries within the brain. As a result, many diseases and disorders of the central nervous system are inadequately treated by conventional systemic therapies. The search for new approaches for dealing with this problem has lead to the development of positive pressure infusion as a means for delivering therapeutic agents directly into the brain, thereby bypassing the blood brain barrier. A general requirement for targeted delivery of therapeutic drug agents, gene vectors and cells into the brain parenchyma, cerebral fluid compartments or cerebral vasculature is the availability of suitable access devices. The present invention relates to the field of acute or chronic implantable medical devices and catheters in particular. More specifically, the invention relates to a class of catheters that can be used to carry out positive pressure infusions of therapeutic agents into an organ, particularly a solid tissue organ such as a brain, for the purpose of avoiding the restrictive effects of the blood-brain barrier. The invention additionally relates to a class of catheters that can be used to deliver fluids into or remove fluids from within the vasculature of a body. The invention also relates to that class of catheters that are multi-lumen devices. The invention further relates to classes of treatment that may utilize successive delivery of initial and follow-up doses of therapeutic agents, or successive delivery of a first and then subsequent different therapeutic agents, into the same location or set of locations within a body part of a patient or live being such as a brain or a tubular vascular structure of an animal or human being.
2. Background of the Art
There are many instances in which a neurosurgeon, an interventional radiologist, a cardiologist or other clinician would wish to deliver a diagnostic or therapeutic agent into a targeted local area, especially the brain, the cerebral vasculature, the cardiovascular system or elsewhere in the vasculature or the body ducts of a patient, for example, for the treatment of a local condition, such as neoplastic disease or arterial blockages. Potential therapeutic applications for the delivery of such agents would include but not be limited to the delivery of chemotherapeutic and antiangiogenic agents for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme and other intracranial neoplasms, the delivery of angiogenic drug and gene agents and autologous stem cells into the heart to reverse tissue damage following myocardial infarcts, and the delivery of antithrombolytic agents into the peripheral vasculature to break up thrombotic and stenotic occlusions and allow for recanalization of arteries and veins and reperfusion of dependent tissues. To enlarge upon one of these applications, consider that positive pressure infusion of agents directly into the bulk brain tissues is a technique that has been taught by several workers, examples of which are Laske, et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,720), Kucharczyk, et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,316), and Gillies, et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,370). The resulting convection-enhanced flow of catheter-delivered infusates through the interstitial space of the brain can provide for regional volumes of distribution of therapeutic agents without the need to have large molecular weight species traverse the blood-brain barrier. Special neurocatheters optimized for this approach to drug delivery are needed in order to maximize the utility of such therapies. This general approach to intraparenchymal therapies also applies to the delivery of autologous stem cells into tissues in the brain and heart for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and the sequellae of myocardial infarction, respectively, as well as for infusion protocols for the assessment and treatment of traumatic brain injury.
Specialized multi-lumen therapy-delivery catheter systems have been disclosed by Kucharczyk et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,902 and in European Patent Application No. 01303108.3-2310. Coaxial catheters for the intraparenchymal delivery of cells and drug agents have been disclosed by Kucharczyk et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,274 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/444,884 and Gillies has disclosed a catheter means with adjustable port holes for control of regulation of the flow of infused agents into the brain, in U.S. Ser. No. 60/380,387 (abandoned, now 60/645,302). Several clinical and pre-clinical applications of various types of therapy delivery catheters are discussed in the articles of Chen, Z.-J., et al., "Intraparenchymal Drug Delivery via Positive Pressure Infusion: Experimental and Modeling Studies of Poroelasticity in Brain Phantom Gels," IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 49 (2), 85-96, (February 2002); Broaddus, W. C., et al., "Advances in Image-Guided Delivery of Drug and Cell Therapies into the Central Nervous System," Neuroimaging Clinics of North America, 11 (4), 727-735, (November 2001); and Broaddus, W.C., et al., "Strategies for the Design and Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotide in Central Nervous System," Methods in Enzymology: Antisense Technology, Part. B: Applications, 314, 121-135 (2000).
One limitation of the art is that none of the catheters known to have been developed to date, nor many others of those foreseen in the literature have been optimized in design for the localized control of dwell time of delivered agent during a targeted delivery. The dwell time refers to the time (actually a concentration over time) for which the agent remains at a satisfactorily active level at the location where it is intended to be active. In particular, there has been no optimization of recirculation of the infused agent in ways that do not damage the adjacent tissues if the agent is being delivered intraparenchymally, or in ways that do not restrict blood flow if the agent is being delivered inside the vasculature. This would be a desirable feature, especially in instances where the infusate might otherwise simply be carried away by the local flow of blood, thus permitting only a limited dwell-time of it in the target zone of interest. Among those catheters claiming some form of recirculative capabilities is that described by Evans et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,613) which teaches a certain method of rotary arterectomy that might be carried out in concert with the recirculation of antithrombolytic agents within the lumen of a blood vessel. The technique is limited in that balloons, filters or other shielding means must be positioned on either side of the recirculation zone in order to contain the agent. The blockage of local blood flow cannot be tolerated indefinitely, nor can such means be extended into solid tissues of the brain without damage to those tissues. The device described by Barbut (U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,444) suffers from a similar limitation. The system of Heruth (U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,966) is further limited in that once the agent exits the distal tip of the catheter, it cannot recirculatively return into it, even though the flow of the agent within the catheter can circulate internally through the device in a continuous manner. A still further-related limitation is that found in the catheter of Wernerth et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,378) in which the recirculative flow of a working fluid inside the catheter is able to modulate the temperature-dependent performance characteristics of a urokinase antithrombolytic agent, but without the agent itself being able to recirculate through the catheter in order to re-treat a region of vascular stenosis.
A second limitation of the existing art is that many types of multi-lumen implantable devices that are suitable, e.g., for recirculative hemodialysis are nevertheless not configured in such a way that a given volume of therapeutic agent could recirculatively flow into and out of a user-selected region in the distal tip of the device. This limitation applies to the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,624,413 (Markel et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,692 (Schon); U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,111 (Tesio); U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,953 (Ash et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,242 (Wilson et al.).
A third limitation of the art is that the existing multi-lumen catheter designs do not describe pumping means for coordinately controlling emitting flow and recapture flow of agents, such as would enabling recirculative flow between the outside of an outermost lumen and the inside of an interior or innermost lumen. This is the case, for instance, in the device disclosed by Fleming (U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,678). In those cases where the existing multi-lumen catheter designs do allow for at least dialysis-like exchange of fluids between an outer lumen and tissues external to it, they would still be essentially nonfunctional in situations where there was substantial flow of a fluid around the outer lumen, as when the catheter is inserted into a blood vessel. Such a limitation applies for instance to the device disclosed by Odland (U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,241). A still further example of a related limitation is that suffered by the device of Hanson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,874) which is able to deliver an agent into the boundary layer of the flow occupying the region between the inner lumen of the blood vessel and the vessel wall, but which is not able to recirculate the agent in order to increase its dwell time in the boundary layer region.
A fourth limitation in certain classes of the existing art is that the intra-tube flow dividers inside of some types of multi-lumen devices seals at the end of the catheter in such a way that there cannot be communication between the input and output channels. This is the case in the blood recirculation catheter of Siegel et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,700).
A fifth limitation of the existing art is that in catheters incorporating either active or passive flow control devices in their distal tips, the pressure gradients that are established are such as to preclude efficient recirculative flow. An example of the former is the device and system of Brisken (U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,046) and an example of the latter is that described by Schneiter (U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,763). A further limitation of passive flow control devices is that which arises in the device disclosed by Christensen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,183) in which the length of the catheter alone is used to control the flow rate at a constant pressure, but no provision is made for recirculating the flow in the distal region of the device.
Another limitation in the prior art is that single port catheters provide only limited distribution of drugs because the effective radius of drug penetration of the drug agent is restricted. Attempts to overcome this problem by increasing the volume rate of delivery of the drug through a single port can result in unintended damage to brain cells and nerve fibers. Another aspect of this invention, therefore, is to overcome the inherent agent distribution limitations of single point drug delivery by devising a multi-lumen catheter with multiple drug release sources which under positive pressure delivery effectively disperse over an appropriate tissue region containing receptors for the drug agent.
Further examples of prior art in the field of the invention include U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,596 (Griego et al.), which discloses a coaxial catheter means for mixing chemical species in the distal tip of the catheter means in preparation for delivery of it into a body part through the catheter means, but not in a recirculative fashion; U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,201 by Gillies et al., discloses a coaxial catheter means in which there is a reversing flow from the inner tube to the outer tube, within the distal tip of the catheter means but not in a recirculative fashion relative to fluids in regions exterior to the distal tip of the catheter means; and Humphrey et al., "Hydrodynamically Unstable Turning Flow in the End-Space of a Magnetically Guided CNS Catheter," in Kasagi, N., Eaton, J. K., Friedrich, R., Humphrey, J. A. C., Leschziner, M. A., and Miyauchi, T., eds., Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 2003), pp. 811-816, who describe the fluid dynamics of the reversing flow that occurs in one embodiment of the device disclosed by Gillies et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,201, but who also do not describe a recirculative therapy delivery system.
None of the multi-lumen intraparenchymal therapy delivery devices extant in the art overcome these limitations, nor does the prior art describe means, techniques, and systems for improving the designs of them such that these limitations would not prevent successful therapeutic protocols from being carried out.
There are numerous catheter designs that contain multiple lumens for parallel or adjacent flow of liquids, but none are believed to address capture and recirculation of materials for redlivery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,828 (Hammer) describes an apparatus that delivers an agent to a treatment region, the apparatus having an outer cannula or lumen that has an internal surface and an external surface, the external surface being substantially smooth to penetrate tissue whereas the distal end is tapered; an inner cannula, or lumen coaxial to the outer cannula, providing a common fluid path (that is the same fluid passes through both the inner cannula and outer cannula) at the distal end with the inner surface of the outer cannula; a source of fluid to be passed through the common fluid path, the source of fluid comprising at least a reservoir of nutrients and/or gases for maintaining cells contained in a lumen coaxial and internal to the inner cannula; a semipermeable membrane comprises the surface of the lumen, thus allowing controlled material transport across the lumen surface; a source of cells or other biologically active material mass flow connected to the proximal lumen so that the cells or other biologically active material can exit the distal portion upon entering the target tissue; and a first flow distributor located at the proximal end of the outer cannula to provide substantially uniform flow through the outer cannula.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,358 (Odland) describes an apparatus having a pump reservoir and one or more microcatheters, for use in delivering and/or recovering fluid to and/or from a tissue site or for performing tissue engineering outside of the body.
Significant and potentially useful advances in the treatment of intracranial neoplasms, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders, sequellae from myocardial infarcts, and coronary and peripheral vascular diseases could be realized if alternatives to the prior art were to be able to demonstrate safety and efficacy via improvement of the catheter systems used for recirculative delivery of therapeutic agents. The present invention discloses a means, technique, and system for attempting to reach this goal by implementation of a novel set of catheter means that traverse the limitations of the existing art discussed above.

Catheter systems for delivery of agents and related method thereof

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


An ultrasonic motor includes a driven object, a piezoelectric element for driving the driven object, a vibration plate including a notch having an inner peripheral surface of an arc-shaped form having a central angle larger than 180 degrees and being vibrated by the piezoelectric element, and a contact portion made of a material different from that of the vibration plate, having a portion overlapping the piezoelectric element in a plan view and being smaller in thickness than the piezoelectric element, attached to the notch of the vibration plate by press fitting or forced fitting and being in contact with the driven object. Thereby, the ultrasonic motor can have a high shock resistance and a high wear resistance, and can be driven with high efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic motor and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Ultrasonic motors having an ultrasonic vibrator that uses a vibration of a piezoelectric element have been used. The ultrasonic vibrator has such distinctive features that it is not affected by magnetism, is small in size, has a high torque, has a high response speed and is at rest when it is not energized. These and other features are different from those of an electromagnetic motor. Therefore, the ultrasonic motor is a potential element particularly for an autofocus drive mechanism of a small camera lens and the like.
The piezoelectric element used in the ultrasonic vibrator is formed of a brittle material such as ceramic so that it has a poor shock resistance. It has been known that wear due to driving occurs in contact portions of the ultrasonic vibrator and an external driver such as a rotor, resulting in deterioration of performance of the ultrasonic motor. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-073341 has proposed an ultrasonic vibrator having a contact portion that is made of a material such as stainless steel (SUS) or the like having a high shock resistance and a high wear resistance, and is fixed to a vibration plate.
FIGS. 18 and 19 show examples of the above ultrasonic vibrator that has a high shock resistance and a high wear resistance, and particularly shows contact portions in ultrasonic vibrators 900 and 904 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-073341.
Contact portion 901 in ultrasonic vibrator 900 shown in FIG. 18 has an arc-shaped outer periphery, which is in contact with a semicircular inner peripheral surface of a notch formed in a vibration plate 903. Contact portion 901 is attached to vibration plate 903 by an adhesive or the like.
According to the above structure, adhesivity of the adhesive must be larger than a pulling force in a longitudinal direction of the vibration plate, i.e., in an x-axis direction in FIG. 18. In this case, contact portion 901 is disengaged from the vibration plate when the pulling force in the x-direction larger than the above adhesivity is applied between contact portion 901 and the vibration plate during the attaching operation or driving of ultrasonic vibrator 900.
A vibration plate 905 of an ultrasonic vibrator 904 shown in FIG. 19 has a notch having an arc-shaped inner peripheral surface, and is provided at the notch with a projection 906. A contact portion 907 is provided with an engagement portion 908. Projection 906 is engaged with engagement portion 908 to prevent disengagement of contact portion 907 from vibration plate 905.
According to the above structures, however, each of contact portion 907 and vibration plate 905 has the arc-shaped portion and the linear portion in a mixed fashion, which complicates working thereof. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, a space is present between vibration plate 905 and contact portion 907 in ultrasonic vibrator 904. This space prevents efficient transmission of the vibration of vibration plate 905 to contact portion 907, resulting in loss of an output power of the ultrasonic vibrator.

Ultrasonic motor and ultrasonic vibrator


A method for reducing pollutant discharge in phenol acetone production, comprising at least one of the following steps: (A) collecting phenolic wastewater generated by a phenol-acetone plant, adjusting the pH value to acidic, and performing extraction and recovery on the phenols in wastewater using cumene as an extracting agent; (B) reducing the acetone content in the wastewater from a column bottom by means of optimizing the process of an acetone refining column; (C) treating the wastewater from the column bottom of the acetone refining column by using a permselective membrane, and recovering alkali; (D) neutralizing the wastewater obtained from step (C), mixing the neutralized wastewater with a condensation liquid at the top of a cumene oxidation column, and carrying out a detoxification treatment; (E) carrying out an oil separation treatment on total discharged wastewater from the phenol-acetone plant, and recovering organic matters comprising hydrocarbons; and (F) carrying out a biological treatment, a coagulation sedimentation treatment and a reinforced degradation treatment on the wastewater after undergoing the oil separation treatment. The method has at least one of characteristics of being capable of recovering resources, increasing product yield, reducing pollutant discharge, having low cost in wastewater treatment, and having stable quality for water output.

Phenol and acetone are important basic chemical raw materials. Currently, the cumene method is the dominant process for producing phenol and acetone. The process uses propylene and benzene as the main raw materials to produce cumene which then is oxidized to form cumene hydroperoxide. Cumene hydroperoxide is thereafter decomposed under acidic heating conditions to produce phenol and acetone, which is subjected to rectification and refining to yield phenol and acetone products.
The phenol and acetone production has many procedures and wastewater discharge are involved in lots of the procedures. Most technologies for treating the wastewater from the phenol and acetone plant in the prior art are focused on the final treatment of the mixed wastewater from the equipment. While, few technologies pay attention to reducing the pollutant discharge in the midst of the production. As a result, the mixed wastewater from the phenol and acetone plant has high concentration of pollutants with high toxicity. The treatment of the wastewater is difficult and the cost for the treatment is high. Furthermore, the effluent after treatment is difficult to meet the standards.

Method for reducing pollutant discharge in phenol and acetone production

Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences


A fixture includes a base, a carrier plate, a number of pressing strips, and a cover. The base defines a base receiving chamber. The carrier plate is received in the base receiving chamber and defines a number of receiving portions in a surface opposite to the base, each receiving portion is configured for receiving a camera module, the receiving portions being arranged in a plurality of lines, the carrier plate defines a spacing portion between each two adjacent receiving portions in the same line. Each pressing strip is pressed into the spacing portions associated with one of the lines of the receiving portions to press the camera modules in the lines of the receiving portions. The cover is fixed to the base and covers the carrier plate.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to camera modules and, particularly, to a fixture for performing a drop test on a number of camera modules simultaneously.
2. Description of Related Art
Camera modules are widely used in electronic devices such as cell phones. To ensure production quality, the camera modules need to pass a drop test before being assembled into the cell phones. Current drop tests provide for only testing one camera module at a time using a fixture, which is inefficient.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a fixture for performing a drop test on a number of camera modules at the same time, which can overcome the above-mentioned problems.


The present invention provides a tip dresser for cutting and repairing spot welding electrode tips of a pair of electrodes. The tip dresser includes a rotative member having opposite sides and rotatable around centerline of M--M passing through the opposite sides by a driving means, and cutters respectively provided on the opposite sides of the rotative member for cutting edge surfaces of the electrode tips. The cutters are electrically isolated from one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tip dresser for cutting and repairing spot welding electrode tips of a pair of electrodes by oppositely positioning the electrodes with the tip dresser therebetween at the time of that the electrode tips have been worn out or damaged.
2. Discussion of the Background
A tip dresser is used to repair electrode tips respectively provided on tip portions of bodies of a pair of spot welding electrodes by oppositely positioning the electrodes with the tip dresser therebetween, rotating cutters of the tip dresser and cutting an edge surface of the electrode tip of each electrode to a proper shape at the time of that the electrode tips have been worn out our damaged. The tip dresser of a conventional type is however made of electrically conductive material. This requires shutting off of electric current of a welding machine to prevent the current from flowing from one electrode to the opposite electrode prior to abutting the electrode tips against the cutters of the tip dresser and cutting the edge surfaces of the electrode tips.
However, the shutting off of the current needs to be carried out in each cutting operation carried out by the tip dresser of the conventional type. This is troublesome and therefore degrades working efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tip dresser which is capable of cutting edge surfaces of the electrode tips of a pair of the electrodes oppositely positioned with the tip dresser therebetween, as the electric current continuously flows through the welding machine.


An instrument (2) for aligning a surgical tool, the instrument (2) comprising, a body portion (4) having a tool guide (90), first and second arms (6), (8) operatively connected to the body portion (4) and adapted to engage a bone, and urging means (10), acting between the body portion (4) and the first and second arms (6), (8), for urging the first and second arms (6), (8) into engagement with a predetermined portion of a bone, thereby clamping the arms (6), (8) onto the bone and aligning the tool guide (90) with the bone.

During all types of joint replacement surgery, and in many other surgical procedures, it is necessary to make specific cuts or to drill holes into specific areas of bone. Both the point and angle of entry of the cut or drill hole is important. This is particularly so in the case, for example, of femoral head resurfacing, where it is necessary to drill a pilot hole that passes through the centre of the femoral neck at a specific angle with respect both to the epicondylar axis and the femoral shaft axis. Guide tools exist to aid surgeons in the placement of bone cuts and guide holes. Such tools are often difficult and time consuming to operate, and are inaccurate. Many of the tools of the prior art are also bulky, requiring the removal or displacement of large areas of soft tissue in order to be used.
Use of conventional tool guides generally involves at least the steps of attaching the guide, referencing the position of the guide from an anatomical feature, and adjusting the position of the guide to correspond to the optimal position indicated in the referencing step. Several iterations of referencing and adjustment may be required to achieve the correct position and orientation of the guide.


Techniques for explicit feedback delay measurement are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor to generate a steering matrix for transmit spatial processing over a channel, determine a delay time associated with explicit feedback information for the channel, and determine whether to modify the steering matrix with the explicit feedback information based on the delay time. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Modern wireless communication systems may operate according to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards such as the 802.11 standards for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) and the 802.16 standards for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs). Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a wireless broadband technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standard of which IEEE 802.16-2004 and the 802.16e amendment are Physical (PHY) layer specifications. IEEE 802.16-2004 supports several multiple-antenna techniques including Alamouti Space-Time Coding (STC), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna systems, and Adaptive Antenna Systems (AAS).
Future wireless communication systems are expected to support multiple antenna techniques such as MIMO and spatial division multiple access (SDMA) modes of transmission, which allow spatial multiplexing of data streams from one or multiple users. The performance and complexity of such systems will strictly depend on the number of antennas used. There is a need, therefore, to develop highly efficient architectures for realization of different signal processing algorithms in MIMO-OFDM systems having a large number of antenna elements.


A transmitting apparatus includes: a baseband packet generator configured to generate a baseband packet including a header and payload data corresponding to an input stream; a frame generator configured to generate a frame including the baseband packet; a signal processor configured to process the generated frame; and a transmitter configured to transmit the processed frame, wherein the header includes information about whether a number of null packets deleted when generating the baseband packet is more than a predetermined number, information about a number of packets within the baseband packet, and information about a number of the deleted null packets.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a transmitting apparatus, a receiving apparatus, and a signal processing method thereof, and more specifically, to a transmitting apparatus configured to map and transmit data with one or more signal processing paths, the receiving apparatus, and the signal processing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the information society of the 21st century, broadcasting communication services embrace the emergence of digitization, multichannel distribution, wideband establishment, and high-quality production. Specifically, as the distribution and use of high-quality digital television (TV), portable medial player (PMP), and mobile devices explode, digital broadcasting services meet increasing demands for supporting various receiving methods.
To meet such demands, standardization groups designate various standards, and provide various services to meet user needs. Thus, a method is necessary, which can provide better services with more enhanced performances.

Transmitting apparatus, receiving apparatus and signal processing method thereof


A decorative covering for covering a passageway gate, the covering including a sleeve bounding a gate-receiving area. The sleeve has a front, a back, and a perimeter between the front and back. The gate-receiving area is sized and shaped to receive and cover a gate between the front, back, and perimeter of the sleeve. The perimeter includes a bottom which is releasably coupled to the front of the sleeve to move between a closed position secured to the front of the sleeve and an open position away from the front of the sleeve, defining an entrance to the gate-receiving area sized to receive the passageway gate for application therethrough. Openings are formed in the perimeter in communication with the gate-receiving area.

Passageway safety gates are used in doorways, hallways, stairways, and other like passageways inside and outside of homes that contain infants, children, and pets. Adults use safety gates to establish barricades to block off a portion of the home so as to prevent access by the infants, children, or pets. For instance, many safety gates are used at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent a child who is still learning to walk from falling down the stairs. Safety gates are used in passageways of different dimensions; while many passageways have a common size dictated by local building codes, some may still be wide and others narrow, depending on the use and nature of the passageway. Safety gates are available in a variety of arrangements for such different widths; some safety gates have a fixed width to be installed in a passageway of one of several standard dimensions. Other safety gates are adjustable in width and can be adjustably configured to fit in doorways, hallways, stairways, and other passageways of differing widths. Still other safety gates include hinged doors that allow the safety gate to be installed and still provide ingress and egress to adults. Yet still other gates are mounted in the passageway for temporary installation, while others are permanently mounted in the passageway, as by screwing or anchoring into the wall.
Most safety gates are constructed with a plurality of frame members, namely, horizontal top and bottom frame members and vertical frame members. The rails or frame members in such gates can be quite ugly. Other safety gates have a peripheral frame and a mesh panel stretched across the peripheral frame. While these gates may be more aesthetically pleasant than those with rails or frame members, they can still stand out in a house. Indeed, most safety gates are purely functional and lack any ornamental aspects. In most homes, this is aesthetically jarring. Such safety gates appear out of place and disjointed in homes in which interior design and decoration is important to the homeowner.
Various attempts have been made to provide ornamentation to safety gates. However, such attempts have chiefly targeted children as the audience for the ornamentation, with animal faces emblazoned on the safety gates, with twinkling lights, or with other child-oriented displays. These approaches turn the safety gate into an entertainment device, which can actually attract a child rather than blending in with the surrounding decor. Moreover, many of the decorations are permanently attached on the safety gate as part of the safety gate, or must be installed before the safety gate is installed in the passageway. An improved device for concealing or blending the safety gate into the interior design of a home is needed.


A composite body is provided that includes a rigid polyurethane foam shell and an elastomeric polyurethane layer disposed over the rigid polyurethane foam shell. The rigid polyurethane foam shell defines a cavity within the composite body. The rigid polyurethane foam shell has a closed cell content of at least 70% and comprises the reaction product of a first isocyanate component and a first isocyanate-reactive component in the presence of a blowing agent. The elastomeric polyurethane layer is disposed over the polyurethane foam shell. The elastomeric polyurethane layer comprises the reaction product of a second isocyanate component and a second isocyanate-reactive component. A method of forming the composite body includes the step of molding the rigid polyurethane foam shell, demolding the rigid polyurethane foam shell from the mold, and applying an elastomeric polyurethane composition upon the rigid polyurethane foam shell after demolding to form the elastomeric polyurethane layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a composite body including multiple layers that comprise polymeric material. More specifically, the invention relates to a composite body including a foam shell that defines a cavity and an elastomeric layer that is disposed over the foam shell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Composite bodies including multiple layers that comprise polymeric material are well known in the art and are used for a range of applications. Such composite bodies may provide many benefits including, but not limited to, ease of manufacture, freedom of design, structural functions, and aesthetic superiority compared to articles that are formed from non-polymeric or non-composite polymeric materials. One particular field in which composite bodies have found beneficial use is for the manufacture of figures or articles such as but not limited to mannequin bodies. In particular, by forming various layers in a mannequin body from polymeric materials, diverse body shapes and features may be produced with expediency, good structural and performance quality. Such benefits also apply to any article having a complex shape and for which aesthetic features are among the features of primary importance, but for which there is a desire for the articles to withstand conditions associated with handling, exposure to sunlight, exposure to slightly elevated temperatures and other environmental conditions like those that may be experienced during transport or when the articles are maintained or displayed in a confined space that is exposed to direct or indirect sunlight.
Mannequin bodies, in particular, have been manufactured in the past based upon various quality specifications. At the lowest tier of quality, blow-molded plastic mannequin bodies have been prepared and sold. However, such mannequin bodies generally have a limited appeal and possibly a short useful lifespan due to the inability to withstand typical environmental conditions to which mannequin bodies are exposed over time. For example, due to the fact that mannequin bodies are often displayed in storefront windows, mannequin bodies potentially display UV degradation (resulting in discoloration and other forms of degradation) and may be exposed to elevated temperatures, which may also result in discoloration and/or breakdown in structural features and properties. However, due to the rate and cost of production, these types of mannequins have and maintain a considerable market presence. Higher quality mannequin bodies are available that are formed from polymeric materials that are better able to withstand the environmental conditions to which mannequin bodies are typically subjected. For example, mannequin bodies constructed of glass reinforced polyester-based polymers provide higher strength and may be better able to withstand elevated temperatures, as compared to blow-molded mannequin bodies, but the labor involved in their manufacture makes then more costly. Application of non-composite, non-reinforced polyurethane has also been utilized for the preparation of mannequin bodies. However, the cost associated with the molding process does not lend itself to the manufacture of a small number of a particular style and the forms made by this method tend to be heavy, making them less desirable when being assembled as a display.
Construction of a mannequin body using a composite structure allows many of the advantages of the various methods of production to be incorporated and addresses issues associated with individual methods. However, existing mannequin bodies having a composite structure with multiple urethane layers often require an overcoating on the urethane layer to provide acceptable aesthetic properties. Traditional overcoatings are formed from acrylic resins, which provide generally smooth finishes and are often paintable. Further, such mannequin bodies tend to be expensive due to the need for higher volumes of material to form the layers of the composite structure. Further still, such mannequin bodies may be vulnerable to physical impact, which may irreparably damage the appearance of the mannequins.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need to further improve upon existing composite bodies, especially those having complex shapes and for which aesthetic features are of primary importance such as mannequin bodies, by developing composite bodies that are able to withstand elevated temperatures, exposure to UV light, and physical impact while maintaining acceptable aesthetic qualities.

Composite body and method of making the same


An integral heat sink and fan rectifier assembly comprises a disk fastened to a rotor of a synchronous motor or generator, the disk having a central bore, a plurality of fan blades disposed on the outer periphery and a circular array of recesses that receive insulation encapsulated rectifier units that are fastened to the disk and a have a heat transfer plates that engage the bottom of the recesses to transfer heat to the disk which conducts the transferred heat to the fan blades, which transfer the heat to the cooling air as rotor rotates and blows cooling air through a portion of the motor or generator.

Rectifiers which convert AC to DC produce heat due to the resistance of the rectifier. This heat must be dissipated as fast as it is generated or the rectifiers will overheat and fail. U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,105 provides a heat exchange frame having a central cylindrical portion with a plurality of cooling arms extending outwardly from the outer surface thereof in longitudinal planes. A rectifier is disposed on each arm to transfer heat to the arm.

Integral heat sink and fan rectifier assembly


A method and apparatus is disclosed for setting energy saver sleep modes for use in a centrifuge systems. The centrifuge system contains an energy saver touch screen control which can be either manually set or automatically set to turn the centrifuge on or off at predetermined times. This allows the centrifuge system to be readily available to a user, resulting in lower wear and tear being placed on the major systems of the centrifuge and waste less energy.

A centrifuge instrument is a device by which contained materials of different specific quantities are subjected to centrifugal forces in order to separate colloidal particles suspended in a liquid. A typical centrifuge set-up may include a centrifuge tube which holds a sample for separation. A plurality of centrifuge tubes may be located and retained on a rotor of the centrifuge. The rotor of the centrifuge is commonly configured to be contained in a compartment and spun about a central axis in order to achieve separation of the sample. A rotatable drive shaft may be connected to the centrifuge rotor in order to facilitate spinning of the rotor assembly. The rotatable drive shaft may be further connected to a source of motive energy in order to receive power.
Centrifuges are currently employed in many industrial and research situations, such as, for example, laboratories. Laboratory ecntrifuges are generally operated by manual controls using various settings and procedures. The calibration of the centrifuge is important in order to achieve proper separation of particles within test samples during testing under controlled operating conditions. An operator may want to pre-set various aspects of the testing condition or indicated specific components coupled to the system of the centrifuge. This information could be further conveyed to a processor located within the centrifuge and be utilized for preparing the centrifuge to operate under a prescribed testing condition.
An example of relayed information that can set up a condition of the centrifuge may include a rotor control used to set the specific size or type of rotor used within the centrifuge. This would allow the centrifuge to operate a given rotor assembly at preferred power levels. Different rotors are capable of operating at different speeds and are further capable of generating different centripetal forces. Such control would be preferable in order to operate a given rotor at a peak efficiency and prescribed rotational forces and/or speeds.
Additionally, a temperature control and a timer control may also be set in accordance with a type of sample being tested. It may be important to maintain a certain operating temperature for the test sample over a given period of time. This may also include requirements for a sample to sit at an operation temperature for a prescribed time before and/or after testing within the centrifuge. This temperature would be regulated by the temperature control of the centrifuge. The length of time that the sample would be subjected to specific temperal conditions would be regulated by the time control.
An operator may also want to apply the centripetal force generated by the rotor over a regulated time period. This, of course, would depend on the goals for testing a product and the test sample itself. Additional controls may also include conventional power switches provided on the centrifuge device to manually turn the unit on or off as needed.
Thus, it is clear that the ability to control functions of the centrifuge can be advantageous to a user and the samples being tested. Having a greater flexibility to control the testing environment would yield a greater variety of functions in the testing capabilities provided by the centrifuge. While technological advances have made it easier to calibrate and control operations of the centrifuge, there remain some functions which still require extensive set-up or waste resources during "down-times". For example, if a user desired to have a centrifuge readily available for testing samples at a pre-set temperature, the user would have to leave the centrifuge on during "down-time" in order to avoid any "warm-up" delays. This method of operating the centrifuge can cause undesirable wear and tear on its systems such as the refrigerator compresser or the refrigerator condenser. Additionally, an amount of energy is lost while simply maintaining a condition of the centrifuge without actually using it.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method that would allow a centrifuge to be readily available to a user without the delays involved with "warm-up" times and avoid excessive wear and tear placed upon the internal hardware components of the centrifuge. It would also be desirable to conserve energy during down times.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC


A footrest mechanism, comprising a chair support body, a locking component and a leg component. The locking component comprises a locking rod, a locking arm and a locking elastic member. The locking rod is pivotally connected to the chair support structure. The locking arm is pivotally connected to the leg component and the locking rod, respectively. The locking elastic member is connected to the chair support structure and the locking arm, respectively. The locking arm can be locked to the chair support structure to define a locking state and the locking state can be maintained due to an elastic deformation of the locking elastic member. The leg component is pivotally connected to the chair support structure and in a transmission connection with a driving component, and the leg component is capable of rotating relative to the chair support structure when the leg component is driven by the driving component.

A chair support body is a mechanical device disposed inside a chair or a sofa. The conventional chair support body is commonly provided with a footrest mechanism capable of rotating relative to a chair support structure, and a driving component configured for driving the footrest mechanism to move. The footrest mechanism can be driven by the driving component to expand or contract relative to the chair support structure, so as to raise up or lower legs of a user. When the footrest mechanism is contracted relative to the chair support structure, it is difficult for the footrest mechanism to maintain a relative position between the footrest mechanism and the chair support structure. The footrest mechanism may even move relative to the chair support structure, thereby causing the footrest mechanism to impact the chair support structure.
Therefore, the user may feel not stable, and have a poor user's experience.

Footrest mechanism, chair support body having same and chair


A method of making a beverage including a gas in a beverage making includes pressurizing a gas storage tank arranged to store a gas, supplying a beverage diluent liquid into a dissolver, and dissolving, by way of the dissolver, portion of the gas into the beverage diluent liquid at a minimum dissolver gas volumes level. The method further includes creating a blended beverage diluent liquid having a selectable target gas volumes level by diluting volumetrically the beverage diluent liquid from the dissolver including the gas, with the beverage diluent liquid which is absence the gas, to form the blended beverage diluent liquid having the predefined target gas volumes level, and dispensing selectively a predefined ratio of a beverage ingredient and the blended beverage diluent liquid to form a beverage.

The handling of high pressure gas for the purpose of sparkling beverage making was typically done using a heavy walled pressure vessel. In this regard, making a beverage typically involved infusing a gas into water to create carbonated water and then mixing the gas infused water with ingredients to form the beverage. The ingredient and water parts of the beverage were relatively easy to handle, ship, and mix on site or in a factory. The gas on the other hand, had to be delivered to the factory in high pressure vessels by special purpose vehicles and/or produced onsite in the factory. In addition, when smaller quantities of the gas were needed to be delivered to an outlet, such as a quick serve restaurant, it was typically done by way of beverage company truck delivery, not a regular postal delivery service.
This model, with the costs of logistics, and need for heavy wall high pressure vessel filling, handling, and recycling can serve to abate and make impractical gas delivery models for low volume home or office dispenser locations. In addition, there are many postal services that ban or restrict the shipment of high pressure gasses. As such a consumer who might order supplies for a home or office dispenser might be able to receive by postal courier the ingredients but not the high pressure gas.
Another shortcoming was in the beverage quality of packaged or pod based tea, coffee, and other beverage products reconstituted from concentrates, powders, or syrups. In this regard, by the very nature of how the ingredients are manufactured for package or pod based beverage systems, the aroma is lost or added to the ingredients where it then typically degrades before the consumer can enjoy. Aroma is a big consumer attribute in many beverages such as teas, coffees, and citrus beverages to name a few; however packaged and pod based system lack the ability to produce aroma rich beverages. As such, making an authentic tea or fresh brewed coffee, or fresh squeezed citrus beverage from package or pod based system was difficult and often relied on or employed unsuccessful techniques.
Another shortcoming was the ability to make beverage making systems that deliver an array of high quality sparking (gas infused) and still (non-gas infused) beverages in a small compact form factor and equipment footprint, as to make a system well suited for size constrained locations and countertops. Larger systems that require lots of space for ingredients, tanks, drain tubes, ice making, and other items are too large for many locations and thus unsuited for many new market opportunities.
Another shortcoming was that there were few options to turn bulk water dispensers into high quality flavored and customized beverages. Such bulk water type dispensers can typically include thermoses, sport type coolers, water coolers, and bulk water tank type facilities or stations often found in developing parts of the world. With regards to water in the developing world, too often these consumers don't have the opportunity to experience safe clean high quality flavored beverages. As such, water treatment techniques combined with beverage making technology, in simple easy to use forms, is in demand and very much needed around the world.

Method of making a beverage including a gas in a beverage making machine


A polygonal lay down indexable cutting insert for boring, finish turning and backfacing. The insert has a positive land surface and particularly useful at moderate to high cutting speeds and at low range of feed rates and depths of cut.

The present invention relates to a polygonal, lay down indexable cutting insert to turn ductile material like steel at moderate to high cutting speeds and at low ranges of feed and depth of cut.
The present invention further relates to a high sheer, low force throwaway cutting insert which is a positive insert and is useful for boring, back facing and finish turning operations.


A method of processing a vegetable that includes providing a vegetable composition having a first outer layer to which an enzyme is applied for a time that is sufficient to form an enzyme-degraded vegetable. The enzyme-degraded vegetable is capable of absorbing components, such as water, additives or enzymes that further process the vegetable.

The present invention generally relates to using enzymes to process raw vegetables prior to human consumption. More specifically, the present invention relates to forming a enzyme-degraded vegetable product with improved processing and nutritional characteristics and to a method of making the vegetable product.
During the last several years, consumer interest in eating foods that are nutritionally balanced with an adequate source of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals has increased. Growing concern over chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease have motivated consumers to seek foods for consumption that are effective in treating chronic diseases while promoting a healthier lifestyle. As evidenced by the growing health foods market, whole foods market, and dietary supplements market, consumers believe that consumption of phytochemicals in their diet may contribute to a lower risk and a lower incidence of chronic diseases. As used herein, a "phytochemical" means a chemical substance produced by a plant with a demonstrated health benefit.
Consumption of vegetables having phytochemicals may pose several problems. The presence of anti-nutritional components such as indigestible sugars, enzyme inhibitors, nutrient-binding substances or toxic compounds typically render a vegetable containing the beneficial phytochemicals unfit for consumption. Low concentrations of the desired phytochemical in the vegetable is another problem for consumers, especially if the concentration of the phytochemical is considered too low to deliver a health benefit.
Heat or pressure processing of vegetables to eliminate anti-nutritional components in the vegetable prior to consumption is the traditional approach used by food manufacturers. However, heat and/or pressure processing may eliminate most, if not all phytochemical levels during the manufacturing process. In addition, the manufacturing process may require physical and/or chemical pre-treatment strategies, such as cooking, boiling, application of strong acids, and/or hydration of the raw vegetable prior to processing, in order to adequately process the vegetable. Unfortunately, physical and/or chemical pretreatment strategies of the vegetable prior to processing may include complicated steps that increase the overall costs associated with vegetable production.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for enzymatic treatment of a vegetable composition


A hand power tool has a machine housing, a drive motor accommodated in the machine housing, a drive train connected with the drive motor and provided with a tool receptacle for rotation of a tool insertable in the tool receptacle, a detecting device for detecting an uncontrolled operation of the hand power tool by detecting a blocking of the tool in a workpiece with a resulting impact-like turning of the machine housing, a blocking device provided for the drive train and releasable by the detecting device, the locking device having a locking toothing arranged in the drive train and a blocking member movably supported in the machine housing and form-lockingly engagable in the locking toothing so as to non-rotatably fix the drive train relative to the machine housing, the detecting device being formed so that it produces an electrical release signal in an uncontrolled operation, the blocking device being releasable by the electrical release signal, and further has electromagnet device actuatable by the release signal so that the locking member is engagable by the electromagnet device into the locking toothing.

The present invention relates generally to hand power tools.
More particularly, it relates to a hand power tool which has a machine housing, a drive motor arranged in the housing, a drive strand connecting the drive motor with a tool receptacle for rotation of a tool inserted in the tool receptacle, and a detection device for detecting an uncontrolled operation of the hand power tool.
Hand power tools of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such hand power tools is disclosed in the German patent document DE 43 00 021 A1. The drive spindle in this hand power tool is blocked in an impact-like manner when the machine housing unintentionally starts to rotate. For releasing the blocking process, a mass member guided displaceably in the machine housing is provided. In the case of blocking, it releases a locking member for engagement in a toothing of the drive spindle. This solution has the disadvantage that the mass member always causes vibrations as a result of the operation, and moreover gravitation action is caused by the operation, so that in an unfavorable operational positions, only a relatively inaccurate and late release of the blocking device is possible.