The cooling device for a pet carrier is a portable system for providing an ice-cooled surface on which a pet can rest. The cooling device includes a housing defining an open interior region therein, adapted for receiving a volume of ice. An opening is formed through an upper surface of the housing, and a lid is pivotally joined to the housing for selectively and releasably covering and sealing the opening. A plurality of apertures are formed through the lid, and a plurality of spikes are secured to a lower surface of the lid and project downwardly therefrom. When the volume of ice is received within the housing, the lid may be closed and the spikes evenly distribute the ice within the housing. The ice generates cooled air, which may be transmitted through the apertures to a pet resting on the upper surface of the lid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling device for a pet carrier. Particularly, the cooling device is a portable system for providing an ice-cooled surface on which a pet can rest, adapted to be received within a conventional pet carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pet animals are often difficult to transport, particularly within vehicles, such as automobiles or airplanes. Thus, many pet owners utilize a pet carrier, which is generally a portable cage, sized and contoured for easy transportability. Pet carriers, however, are often quite uncomfortable for the pets stored therein. Simple pet carriers often provide for basic ventilation, but do not offer any other form of temperature control for the pet. Excessive temperatures within a pet carrier can be both uncomfortable and potentially hazardous for the animal.
Although pet beds and the like having refrigeration and air conditioning systems have been utilized, such systems require heavy and complex equipment and are not typically portable. Further, such systems are not adapted for reception within a pet carrier, as they are typically stand-alone cooling units. Thus, a cooling device for pet carrier solving the aforementioned problems is desired.


A system, device and method for balancing resource usage at a plurality of computing terminals is provided. Predicted dispatcher workload is generated for one or more of channels and talkgroups, based on crime analysis data for one or more of regions and first responders associated with the one or more of the channels and the talkgroups. Subsets of the one or more of the channels and the talkgroups are assigned to the plurality of dispatcher terminals based at least on the predicted dispatcher workload for the one or more of the channels and the talkgroups and respective dispatcher profiles. Communications at each of the plurality of dispatcher terminals are controlled based on the assigning of the subsets of the one or more of the channels and the talkgroups to the plurality of dispatcher terminals.

In a dispatch center, for example a command center and/or an emergency dispatch center, computing terminals (also referred to as dispatcher terminals) are used to communicate with remote communication devices using channels and/or talkgroups. Balancing use of processing resources and communication resources at each terminal may be important.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

System, device and method for balancing human resource usage at a plurality of computing terminals


A device (1) for measuring reaction moments and forces on a lever (2) with at least one receptacle (9) for the lever (2) and with at least one carrier (42), wherein the receptacle (9) is fixed on the carrier (42) in opposite measurement directions deflectable relative to the carrier (42), and the device (1) is further provided with at least one fixed, supported sensor (50) for measuring deflections of the lever (2).

The invention relates to a device for measuring reaction moments and forces on a lever with at least one receptacle for the lever and with at least one carrier, wherein the receptacle is mounted on the carrier so that it can be displaced relative to the carrier in opposite measurement directions, and the device is further provided with at least one stationary sensor for measuring deflections of the lever.
The subject matter of the invention relates to the class of devices for measuring reaction moments and forces on levers. The levers can be aids in measurement arrangements and are formed, for example, as measuring beams. In this case, the measuring beams are components of the measurement device, especially for measuring torques in rotating connections. Alternatively, the levers are sections of shafts or sections on articulated shafts, which are connected in an articulated way to another section via a joint. The reaction forces or reaction moments develop in the device as reactions to torques in rotating connections or in bearings or as reactions to bending moments in joints, when rotating connections or bearings are turned or joints are bent.
The moments of rotating connections are, for example, the torques that develop from friction and/or rolling contact in the rotating connection when two components supported so that they can rotate one on the other or one in the other, for example, the inner ring and the outer ring of a roller bearing, slide one on the other or are supported relative to each other on roller bodies arranged in-between. Here, the lever is turned about the rotational axis at least once 360°. As a rule, the torques of roller bearings should be as low as possible.
In articulated shafts of the drive train of vehicles, the bending moment is a measure for the prevailing play in the joint arrangement. However, for example, in so-called constant-velocity joints, especially in pin universal joints, the play is an evaluation criterion for the function of the articulated shaft arrangement. Unbalanced masses around the rotational axes of the articulated shaft sections can develop due to play that is too great.
The resistance at the bending point of a joint is designated as the bending moment, which is directed opposite the bending of two articulated shaft sections connected to the joint and can be detected and thus can be measured. The bending moment is dependent on the construction of the hinged connection and is comprised, for example, from friction moments and from other resistances of the roller contact at a joint of an articulated shaft of a motor vehicle. In such joints, the value of the bending moment is set at the freedom of play of the joint. The joints are installed intentionally with pre-tensioning. Friction is intentionally set, for example, between the ends of the pin joint and the bases of the universal joint bushings. With the measurement of the bending moment, this resistance can be tested together with other resistances, for example, together with the resistances from the radial roller bearings of the universal joint bushings. For this purpose, a joint section of the articulated shaft arrangement is fixed and the other pivots about one of the axes of the pin joint by an angle up to 90°.
With constant-velocity joints, a hinged connection, which transmits torques and which must allow relative axial movements between the articulated shaft sections, is produced between two articulated shaft sections. For this purpose, the joints usually feature roller bodies, which are guided in raceways and on which the two joint sections roll relative to each other so that they can move in the axial direction and by means of which the joint sections are engaged with each other to transmit torque with a positive fit in the peripheral direction. The friction moments should be as small as possible in this arrangement.
Pin universal joints are hinged connections transmitting torques between two articulated shaft sections without play as much as possible in all directions. In pin universal joints, each of the articulated shaft sections is provided with a joint yoke. The two joint yokes are connected by a universal joint so that they can pivot about two joint axes and are supported usually with low friction as much as possible on the pin of the universal joint via roller bearings. Each of the joint axes corresponds to one of the pin joint axes, which are oriented perpendicular to each other and which cross at the center of the universal joint.
Small play in joint arrangements is important for the function of the articulated shaft. Because the constant-velocity joints should allow axial compensation, the play is positive. Positive plays are air gaps between elements supported one on the other. These plays should be as small as possible, but should also be provided to keep the bending moments small. In contrast, in pin universal joint arrangements, the point and the joint yokes are mounted, as already mentioned above, so that they can move relative to each other, without play, and with pre-tensioning. In order to guarantee freedom of play, the elements are preferably mounted relative to each other with negative play, that is, with pre-tensioning. A measure for the freedom of play or the measure for the pre-tensioning, with which the joint yokes and the pin joint are to be mounted or are assembled with each other is the bending moment, with which the pre-tensioned joint can bend about the respective joint axis.
DE 39 22 194 C1 describes a method and a device of the most general form for measuring bending moments in pin universal joint arrangements. The device is formed by a holder, with which an articulated shaft section is held stationary. The joint yoke of this joint section is oriented in the device so that the other articulated shaft section is driven by the pivot drive so that it can pivot about the joint axes of the pin joint. A bending rod, whose fibers of the outer skin are elongated or compressed as a function of bending direction and resistance of the joint, is arranged between the pivoting joint section and the pivot drive. Expansion measurement strips, with which the expansion of the fibers is detected and converted into corresponding electrical voltage magnitudes, are arranged on the outer skin.
The pivot drive is connected in an articulated way to a radial guide and then via a ball-and-socket joint to the bending rod. The radial guidance can pivot with a pivoting angle of 90° about the rotational axis of the articulated shaft arrangement in the sense of rotation by the pivot drive.
With the method described in DE 39 22 194 C1, in the device counter-acting bending moments about the two joint axes when the moving joint section bends relative to the rigid joint section are measured. For this purpose, the radial guidance is pivoted about the rotational axis on an arc by 90° in the sense of rotation by means of the pivot drive. Here, the counteracting bending moments on the joint axes are first detected in the form of tension magnitudes on the expansion measurement strips of the bending rod. These tension magnitudes are proportional to the bending moments, are recorded, and are selectively converted and displayed legibly in a display device.
DE 41 02 278 A1 shows and describes a device for measuring forces and moments in articulated shaft arrangements with constant-velocity joints. This device has a stationary receptacle, in which one of the joint sections is held rigidly. The other articulated shaft section can pivot relative to the fixed articulated shaft section by the joint. A so-called force-measuring device for force-path measurement, in which the pivoting articulated shaft section is held, is arranged on the pivot axis between the contact of the pivot drive and the joint. The bending moments are converted into deflections (paths) of the receptacle, which are caused in the device by reaction forces to the moments on the bearing.
In the arrangement from DE 41 02 278 A1, an articulated shaft section is held in a receptacle, which is supported so that it can move radially and axially by means of elastic means on carriers. Carriers are fixed in place, for example, on a base plate of the measurement device. The elastic elements should counteract the axial and radial movements and as much as possible have no restoring forces. Force measurement sensors are arranged between the suspended receptacle moving radially and axially and the non-moving carriers.
With force measurement sensors, usually the forces acting on the sensor are not measured directly. These sensors react to the displacement of objects from a starting position with displacements of sensor elements or through their deformation. The displacements and deformation result from forces or from moments. The reactions in the device are first displacements against defined resistances and then the displacement or deformation of sensor elements. In one evaluation device, signals due to deformation are finally converted into force measurement values.
With force sensors, usually compression, shear, and tension forces are all measured. Most force sensors work with at least one spring-elastic body, whose elastic deformation is measured, or they react in a different way, for example, to changes in position using moving elements. Examples for such sensors are tension or compression rods or bending beams or membrane force sensors with expanding measurement strips. In these arrangements, the spring-elastic body is the rod or the bending beam, which is deformed elastically by the force. The force is received in a prescribed direction. The expanding measurement strips are oriented in this direction accordingly. The deformations of the spring-elastic body usually formed from metal are transmitted to the expanding measurement strips, so that these expand and, expressed simply, cause changes in the electrical resistance due to the expansion. The resulting electrical signals are converted into force measurement values.
Alternative force measurement sensors are, for example, piezoelectric force sensors that react to pressure. In a piezoceramic element, a voltage that is proportional to the force is generated due to the force. This voltage can be measured. The use of any suitable force sensor, for example, force sensors with electro-magnetic compensation or other force sensors with distance sensors and current regulation, is also conceivable.
The elastic means, on which the receptacle from DE 41 02 278 A1 is held, are elastically flexible like a hinge only in the pivoting directions, in which the articulated shaft section is pivoted for measuring bending moments. The bending moments are detected at sensors as deflections of the receptacle from an origin or position. The deflections are caused by reaction forces to the moments on the bearing. In the radial and axial direction, the means formed as leaf springs are rigid. Because the axial deflections resulting from the forces are to be measured with this device, the carrier again sits on two other elastic means that can be deflected axially relative to the base plate. These means are also leaf springs, which act in the pivoting directions and are radially rigid but act like a hinge in the axial direction. Sensors, which receive the deflection of the articulated shaft section, are each arranged between fixed carriers and the moving articulated shaft section.
As described in DE 41 02 278 A1, the measurement values are influenced by a coupling equalizing axial movements and by restoring moments of the elastic elements. In addition, the weight of the articulated shaft section is supported on the leaf springs, of which the latter leaf springs also must still receive a part of the weight of the device as a compression or bending load. The leaf springs are strongly dimensioned, in order to withstand these loads without bending and have correspondingly high restoring moments, which can overlap the reaction forces to be measured in the device. Before the beginning of the measurements, complicated calibration processes must be performed, in order to remove the influence of the previously mentioned factors on the measurement results.

Device for measuring reaction moments and forces on a lever


A system and method for enabling automated activation of a temperature control shaft of a gas valve includes an electric motor having a motor shaft and integral coupler, wired to a relay control circuit and controlled by a standard electric timer device.

Typically, gas water heaters are fueled by either natural or propane gas. The hot water heater provides a thermostat wherein the temperature within the hot water heater is maintained at a predetermined temperature established by the thermostat. When the water within the hot water heater reaches a temperature below the predetermined temperature set by the thermostat, the water heater begins to heat the water within the hot water heater until the water reaches the predetermined set temperature.
The continuous reheating of the water within the hot water heater is inherently an inefficient process because the water within the hot water heater is maintained at a predetermined temperature whether hot water is needed or not.
A more efficient operation would be to turn the water heater gas control valve off or to a lower setting during vacations, work schedules, evenings and other times when hot water is not needed. Thus the application of this invention will greatly reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and energy cost to operate a gas hot water heater.


A method and device are provided for controlling a beginning point of an optical pick-up unit. The optical pick-up unit moves to a beginning point of an optical disc such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) to execute a servo-tuning function at the beginning point. The method includes a) performing a focus search operation on an optical disc and at the same time determining whether there is a reflection signal from the optical disc; b) after performing the focus search operation, moving the optical pick-up unit toward a predetermined beginning point of the optical disc based on the result of the determining step; and c) based on the reflection signal from the optical disc, determining whether or not the optical pick-up unit has moved to the beginning point of the optical disc while the optical pick-up unit is in motion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling a beginning point of an optical pick-up unit, and more particularly to a method and device for moving the optical pick-up unit to a beginning point of an optical disc such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) in order to execute a servo-tuning function.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional optical disc driver such as a DVD player. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional DVD player includes an optical pick-up unit 20 for reading/writing data from/to an optical disc 10 such as a DVD, a spindle motor 21 for rotating the disc 10, a sled motor 22 for moving the optical pick-up unit 20 to an inner or outer portion of the disc 10, a limit switch 23 for generating a low signal L when the optical pick-up unit 20 moves to the innermost data track of the disc 10, a RF unit 30 for filtering an output signal of the optical pick-up unit 20 to create a binary signal, and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 40 for restoring the binary signal to original data according to its own clock being phase-locked with the binary signal.
The conventional DVD player further includes an MPEG decoder 50 for decoding the restored data generated from the DSP 40 according to an MPEG scheme, a motor drive 60 for applying a proper drive voltage to the spindle motor 21 and the sled motor 22, rotating the disc 10 and sliding the optical pick-up unit 20, and a microcomputer 70 for determining a current position of the optical pick-up unit 20 based on an output signal from the limit switch 23, and performing a servo-tuning operation.
Typically, if the disc 10 is inserted into the DVD player shown in FIG. 1, the microcomputer 70 executes a servo-tuning function to read the disc 10. In this case, the microcomputer 70 controls the optical pick-up unit 20 to be located at an innermost data track (also called a beginning point) of the disc 10, and then executes a servo-tuning operation. However, since the microcomputer 70 is unable to recognize a current position of the optical pick-up unit 20 before reading the disc 10, it firstly moves the optical pick-up unit 20 to the beginning point (i.e., the innermost data track) of the disc 10 prior to executing the servo-tuning operation. This operation will hereinafter be described in more detail.
If the disc 10 is inserted into the DVD player, the microcomputer 70 applies a proper drive voltage to the sled motor 22, and moves the optical pick-up unit 20 to the beginning point (i.e., innermost data track) of the disc 10. In this case, the limit switch 23 outputs the signal L when the optical pick-up unit 20 is placed at the innermost data track of the disc 10, such that the microcomputer 70 continuously checks the output signal of the limit switch 23 while the optical pick-up unit 20 is in motion in order to determine whether the optical pick-up unit 20 has been moved to the innermost data track.
When the optical pick-up unit 20 finally moves to the innermost data track, the microcomputer 70 executes a prescribed servo-tuning operation.
However, the aforementioned conventional DVD player must adapt an additional limit switch to determine whether the optical pick-up unit 20 has been moved to the innermost data track of the disc 10, resulting in the increase of size and cost of the DVD player.

Method and device for controlling beginning point of optical pick-up unit


A water craft includes a first portion having a front end, a rear end, and at least two sides; a second portion connected to the rear end of the first portion, wherein the second portion includes a walking-exercise treadmill portion having an exercise platform and at least two propelling portions on either side of the exercise platform; third and fourth portions that include at least two laterally spaced, parallel air tanks or pontoons; and a handle connected to a front end of the first portion and used as a controller for the walking exercise treadmill portion and a steering unit of the water craft.

The inventors of the subject matter of this application have invented a water craft apparatus for use at home or on the beach that can be transformed into a chair, jogging machine, water ski, water bed and potentially other shapes for specific use by a person.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,073 discloses a Water Sports Craft designed for water sports as running over the water, as exercise, for use in competitive games, or for just having fun in the water. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,003 discloses a mechanically-propelled Water Craft having a mechanically propelled mechanism operated by a person walking or running on an endless belt. Moreover, WO93/019979 discloses an apparatus for use in water-skiing/cross-country skiing and surfing.


An infrared radiation element A heat insulating layer having sufficiently smaller thermal conductivity than a semiconductor substrate, is formed on a surface in the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. A heating layer, which is in the form of a lamina (plane) and has larger thermal conductivity and larger electrical conductivity than the heat insulating layer, is formed on the heat insulating layer. A pair of pads 4 for energization are formed on the heating layer. The semiconductor substrate is made of a silicon substrate. The heat insulating layer and the heating layer are formed by porous silicon layers having different porosities from each other, and the heating layer has smaller porosity than the heat insulating layer. By using the infrared radiation element as an infrared radiation source of a gas sensor, it becomes possible to extend a life of the infrared radiation source.

Various kinds of analyzers that use an infrared radiation source, such as an infrared gas analyzer, have been provided. A typical infrared radiation source used in such an analyzer is a halogen lamp. However, the halogen lamp is large and has a relatively short life span, so it is difficult to apply it to a small gas sensor that detects gas using infrared rays.
So, as an infrared radiation source that can be miniaturized, an infrared radiation element formed by using a micro machining technology has been developed in many places (For example, see Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 9-153640 (paragraphs [0027]-[0028], FIG. 2), Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 2000-236110 (paragraphs [0017]-[0019], FIGS. 1 and 2), and Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 10-294165 (paragraphs [0014]-[0015], FIG. 1)).
In the above patent documents, an infrared radiation element of a so-called micro-bridge structure is disclosed, which comprises a supporting substrate which is formed from a silicon substrate and so on by using a micro machining technology and in the form of a rectangular frame, and a wire heat generator across the supporting substrate. In the infrared radiation element having the micro-bridge structure of this kind, infrared rays are emitted from the wire heat generator by Joule heat generated by energization of the wire heat generator, and such an infrared radiation element can quickly respond to a on/off state of a current passing through the heat generator because the heat generator is surrounded by air and therefore heat capacity difference between the heat generator and its surroundings can be increased.
However, in the above infrared radiation element having the micro-bridge structure, the heat generator is subject to breakage, and it may be melted by the heat because the heat generator is in the form of a line, and only both ends of the heat generator are supported by the supporting substrate.

Infrared radiation element and gas sensor using it


One exemplary aspect describes systems and methods for determining normal SLE behavior, determining when a SLE exhibits abnormal deterioration, and determining whether to take an action to mitigate what appears to be an indication of an abnormal SLE.

To ensure a high Service Level Experience (SLE), communication systems include methods to detect faults in real-time and to even predictively detect faults before a user notices the fault(s). One such fault detection system is described in related US patent application "METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING FAULT DETECTION AND/OR PREDICTIVE FAULT DETECTION," filed on Dec. 31, 2018, and assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 16/237,677, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Communications systems in general, and specifically wireless systems, include recovery methods. The simplest recovery process involves retries. For example, if a device attempts to connect to a network and fails, the device may retry and attempt to connect again. IT personnel can be notified in the event of a retry and called upon to rectify the underlying root cause of the problem should the system fail the auto-recovery/retry.
In a wireless system, a certain level of failure may be acceptable and deemed to be normal. For example, if many employees arrive in the morning and attempt to sign into the wireless system, the system may be overwhelmed by the large number of network registration requests resulting in a large number of failed network access attempts. Similarly, a specific access point (AP) in a large conference room may be overwhelmed on weekly bases when a large number of users assemble in that conference room and attempt to roam to the access point that serves that conference room at the same time. In either case, the issue may be resolve itself by the retry mechanism without requiring any manual intervention by any IT personnel.
These scenarios introduce conflicting demands on the system. On the one hand, to accelerate fault resolution, IT personnel should be notified as soon as possible about any system issues that may adversely impact the SLE. On the other hand, it is desirable to avoid alerting IT personnel about issues that may be resolved by the auto-recovery process (e.g., retries) that is inherit in the design of the wireless system.
What is needed is a system that can determine which occurrences of SLE deterioration would be resolved by the auto-recovery mechanism inherit in the wireless system and which occurrences of SLE deterioration may require human and/or IT intervention and as such should be reported to IT personnel and/or IT support as soon as possible.


Compositions comprising a mixture of fatty acids or derivatives thereof derived from secretions of the uropygial glands of birds are disclosed. This composition, named an avian appeasing pheromone, can be used to decrease stress, anxiety and agressiveness in birds.

Stress, by definition is the reaction of an animal body to forces of deleterious nature, infections and various abnormal states that tend to disturb homeostasis.
Animals exposed to stress respond with changes in the activity of the autonomic and neuroendocrine systems and in behavior. The activation of these biological systems is a prerequisite for the animal to cope with stress and thus is the principal resource that will provide the adequate biological defense against a threat that challenges the homeostasis of the animal. Moberg, G.P. Animal Stress, pp. 27-49 (1985); Vogel, W. H. Neuropsychobiology, 13 p. 1290 (1985).
Stress is associated with an objective aggression and the consequences appear in altering different systems such as humoral, metabolic, immunolgic and/or behavioral systems. The hormonal response is traditionally determined by a release of cortisol, a decrease in the secretion of growth hormone and an increase in thyroid hormones and also the sexual steroids. Stress also has a role for diminishing either directly or indirectly the amount of consumption, which is a principal problem with animal breeders. This decrease in the amount of consumption in animals can be caused either by an increase in metabolism or a decrease in food consumption due to stress.
More specifically, stress can be observed by examining several clinical elements in the blood. It is known that in a stressed condition an increase in the ratio of H/L (heterophiles/lymphocytes; heterophiles meaning all white blood cells that are not lymphocytes in avians) and an augmentation in the level of hormones such as circulating T4 (thyroxine), cortisol and prolactin. Davis and Siopas, Poultry Science, 66, pp. 34-43 (1987).
The augmentation of T4 in avians results in the alteration of different well known physiological conditions such as an increase in the level of carbohydrate catabolism, a deregulation of thermoregulation, an increase in heartbeat and an increase in urine and fecal calcium. Idelman, Col. Grenoble Science PUG (1990).
Physiological stressors can also result in an abnormally elevated corticosterone secretion. Campo J .L., S. G. Davila,. Poult. Sci. 81: 1637-1639. (2002); Moberg G. P.,. In: The Biology of animal stress (Moberg & Mench Ed.), CABI, 1-23(2000)
Besides physiological tests, behavioral tests can also be performed to evaluate stress and/or fear in avians. One of the most utilized behavioral tests is the test of Tonic Immobility (TI) as described by Campo J. L., S. G. Davila,. Poult. Sci. 81: 1637-1639 (2002).
It can be appreciated that the change in the physiological conditions due to stress in avians can result, in some instances, in dire effects such as mortality and in many instances loss of weight. Moreover, stress can cause behavioral changes which results in aggressiveness such as pecking other birds, cannibalism, and causing damage to the skin in avian settings. Stress is a real detriment to the aviculturist, since it results in less production of the avian.
Therefore a reduction in stress in birds and especially in avian breeding would lead to less mortality, more weight gain and higher quality production resulting in greater financial gain to the aviculturist.
The advantages resulting from a reduction for in stress in avians are extremely beneficial for those aviculturists who use confinement housing. In confinement housing a large number of avians are raised in cages in hen houses and there are a. large number of birds per cage. Since the avians are confined in a small area with other avians, the stress levels are higher in comparison to those avians that are raised in a free range system. Stress in avians in confinement housing systems can therefore lead to a large loss of yield (Craig J. V., and W. M. Muir, Poult. Sci. 75: 294-302.(1996) due to feather pecking behavior (Kjaer J. B., and P. Sorensen,. Br. Poult. Sci. 38: 333-341 (1997) higher feed to gain ratio (Buitenhuis A. J. et al. 7th WCGALP, Montpellier-France, communication no 14-06) higher mortality (Buitenhuis A .J., et al 7th WCGALP, Montpellier-France, communication no 14-06) or/and poor meat (carcass) quality (Tankston J. D. et al. Poult. Sci. 80: 1384-1389 (2001).
In a confinement housing system, the birds remain indoors and are provided with light twenty-four hours a day to encourage feed consumption. Litter is generally spread on the floor in the hen houses which acts to absorb moisture, dilute manure and provides cushioning and insulation for the birds. In the conventional industry, litter is spread 2 to 4 inches deep and maintained at a 20% to 30% moisture content. There is generally a rest period of about a week between flocks, when the hen houses are cleaned out of de-caked.
By definition, pheromones are substances released by the body that cause a predictable reaction by another individual of the same species.
A number of different glands are known to produce pheromones in male mammals such as the submaxillary salivary glands, the parathyroid glands and the sebaceous glands.
Pheromones that are secreted in submaxillary salivary and parathyroid glands in males, are used to mark females during courtship. In boars, the secretion of these glands results in agnostic behavior. These secretions are known to contain a mixture of androstenol and andosterone.
It is known in the art that pheromones in mammals can be used to reduce stress, anxiety and aggressiveness as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,077,87, 6,054,481 and 6,169,113. These pheromones were derived from secretions of mammalian mammary glands. However, mammary glands do not exist in birds. Moreover, there are some doubts among specialists about the presence of pheromones in birds since there is no vomeronasal organ, which is a sensory organ with its own pathway to the brain.
The uropygial glands in birds are a bibbed holocrine gland with secretions that form several functions in birds. These functions include waterproofing the feathers, manufacturing of vitamin D precursors, keeping the bill, skin and feathers supple and preventing bacterial infection. The secretions of the uropygial gland are generally spread over the feathers during the act of preening and thus weatherproofs the feathers.
Bohnet et al in the Joumal of Biochemistry vol. 226, No. 15 pp. 9795-9804 (1991) describe the production in female mallards of sex pheromones, diesters of 3-hydroxy fatty acids in their uropygial glands during the mating season. Outside the mating season the uropygial gland only produced a usual monoester wax. It is not known how the uropygial gland switches its biological processes to produce sexual pheromones during the mating season only.
The sexual pheromones as described by Bohnet et al, supra and known to be produced in various birds only during mating season act as attractants or sexual stimulants and cannot be used as appeasing pheromones which act to calm, sooth or relieve anxiety due to stress as in the present invention. Moreover, the chemical composition of sexual pheromones is different than the avian appeasing pheromones of the present invention.
Thus, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an avian appeasing pheromone derived from the uropygial gland of an avian.
In another aspect the present invention provides a composition comprising an avian appeasing pheromone comprising lauric acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid and/or derivatives thereof and/or isomers thereof, as well as mixtures of one or more of these fatty acids with one or more of their derivatives and/or one or more of their isomers.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a composition comprising an avian appeasing pheromone comprising a mixture of about 12.3 to 13.7 (w %/w %) of lauric acid, about 38.0 to 42.0 (w %/w %) palmitic acid, about 32.3 to 35.7 (w %/w % ) linoleic acid and about 12.0 to 14.0 (w %/w %) oleic acid and/or derivatives thereof and/or isomers thereof, as well as mixtures of one or more of these fatty acids with one or more of their derivatives and/or one or more of their isomers.
In yet another aspect the present invention provides a process to treat stress in an avian, said process comprising administering to an avian in need of such treatment an avian appeasing pheromone derived from secretions around the uropygial gland of an avian.
In yet another aspect the present invention relates to a process of treating weight loss in an avian, said process comprising administering to an avian in need of such treatment an avian appeasing pheromonal composition derived from secretions around the uropygial gland of an avian.
In yet still another aspect the present invention provides a process of treating a domestic avian during transportation to eliminate their anxiety, said process comprising administering to an avian in need of such treatment an avian appeasing pheromonal composition derived from secretions around the uropygial gland of an avian.
In another aspect the present invention provides a process to improve feed conversion in an avian comprising administering to an avian in need of such treatment an avian appeasing pheromonal composition derived from secretions around the uropygial gland of an avian.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention as evidenced by the summary of the invention, description of the preferred embodiments and the claims.

Avian appeasing pheromones to decrease stress, anxiety and aggressiveness


The present invention embodies an endovascular graft having various frame-to-main body component attachment mechanisms which provide a secure bond, reduced graft material wear, and reduced delivery profile.

This invention relates to an endovascular graft assembly for treating vasculature of a patient and more specifically to graft system and the attachment of structures thereof.
It is well established that various fluid conducting body or corporeal lumens, such as veins and arteries, may deteriorate or suffer trauma so that repair is necessary. For example, various types of aneurysms or other deteriorative diseases may affect the ability of the lumen to conduct fluids and, in turn, may be life threatening. In some cases, the damage to the lumen is repairable only with the use of prosthesis such as an artificial vessel or graft.
For repair of vital lumens such as the aorta, surgical repair is significantly life threatening or subject to significant morbidity. Surgical techniques known in the art involve major surgery in which a graft resembling the natural vessel is spliced into the diseased or obstructed section of the natural vessel. Known procedures include surgically removing the damaged or diseased portion of the vessel and inserting an artificial or donor graft portion inserted and stitched to the ends of the vessel which were created by the removal of the diseased portion. More recently, devices have been developed for treating diseased vasculature through intraluminal repair. Rather than removing the diseased portion of the vasculature, the art has taught bypassing the diseased portion with a prosthesis and implanting the prosthesis within the vasculature. An intra arterial prosthesis of this type has two components: a flexible conduit, the graft, and the expandable framework, the stent (or stents). Such a prosthesis is called an endovascular graft.
It has been found that many abdominal aortic aneurysms extend to the aortic bifurcation. Accordingly, a majority of cases of endovascular aneurysm repair employ a graft having a bifurcated shape with a trunk portion and two limbs, each limb extending into separate branches of vasculature. Currently available bifurcated endovascular grafts fall into two categories. One category of grafts are those in which a preformed graft is inserted whole into the arterial system and manipulated into position about the area to be treated. This is a unibody graft. The other category of endovascular grafts are those in which a graft is assembled in-situ from two or more endovascular graft components. This latter endovascular graft is referred to as a modular endovascular graft. Because a modular endovascular graft facilitates greater versatility of matching the individual components to the dimensions of the patient's anatomy, the art has taught the use of modular endovascular grafts in order to minimize difficulties encountered with insertion of the devices into vasculature and sizing to the patient's vasculature.
Although the use of modular endovascular grafts minimize some of the difficulties, there are still drawbacks associated with the current methods. Drawbacks with current methods can be categorized in three ways; drawbacks associated with delivery and deployment of the individual endovascular graft components, drawbacks associated with the main body portion, and drawbacks associated with securing the limb portions to the main body portion.
The drawbacks of current methods of delivery and deployment of endovascular graft components include redundant components for delivery, delivery of both a graft and its securing stent as a single entity, and at least minor surgery in order to gain access to the vasculature of the patient. In some systems, current methods for delivering the individual components of a modular endovascular graft to the treatment site require the use of a separate delivery catheter for each component and exchange of the delivery catheters through an introducer sheath after each component has been deployed. There are a number of disadvantages to this method. Since each delivery catheter has to be smaller than the introducer sheath, this limits the design of the implant, makes packing the implant into the delivery system more difficult, and increases the force required to deploy the implant. The use of multiple delivery catheters increases production costs and decreases reliability due to the multiplicity of catheter parts required. The process of removing one delivery system and replacing it with another may require coordination between two operators to ensure that guidewire access is maintained, a longer guidewire, additional procedure time, a large amount of physical space, and additional trauma to the insertion and delivery sites.
Furthermore, the known methods for delivering grafts to the required location within a patient's vascular system also require that an attachment system be delivered simultaneously with the graft, axially overlapping the graft and located either on the interior or the exterior of the graft's lumen, so that upon deployment of the graft the attachment system is expanded to attach the graft to the vascular wall. The attachment system is typically connected to the graft before implantation in the patient by means such as stitching. As a consequence, the outer diameter of the delivery capsule or sheath containing the compressed graft is increased by the presence of the compressed attachment system. Complications may be encountered in maneuvering the compressed graft and its delivery system around the bends and branches of the patient's vascular system. It will be appreciated that the greater the outer dimension of the capsule containing the compressed graft to be delivered, the more inflexible it will be, making delivery to the final destination more difficult and perhaps even impossible in some patients.
Moreover, in the majority of cases, the patient must be subject to surgery in which the appropriate vessel is surgically exposed and opened by incision to allow entry of the graft. Significantly, it is this surgical procedure on the vessel which can give rise to serious complications such as infection, patient discomfort, and necrosis of the vessel itself. However, if the outside dimension of the delivery capsule were sufficiently small, it might be possible, depending on the size and condition of the patient, to insert the capsule into the patient's vessel by applying sufficient force to the skin and artery of the patient with a sharpened end of the graft's delivery capsule, similar to the commonly known method of inserting a needle directly into the vein or artery of a patient.
With regard to the method of delivery and deployment of endovascular graft components, there therefore exists a need for a stent-graft delivery system that limits the amount of redundancy of delivery components required, can be easily operated by a single technician without decreased reliability or additional risk to the patient, facilitates a reduced outside dimension of the capsule or sheath containing a compressed graft component to be delivered to the patient's vascular system, and minimizes the need for surgery in order to gain entry to the patient's vasculature.
The drawbacks of current embodiments of the main body component of a modular endovascular graft include a larger delivery profile due to the aforementioned graft and supporting stent as a single entity as well as additional stents within the separate branches of a bifurcated main body portion, difficulty in catheterizing the connection site of the first endovascular graft component prior to introduction of the second endovascular graft component, and a lack of adequate healthy tissue near the aneurysm for anchoring the graft to the aortic wall. Although the prior art has taught that the larger delivery profile of a combined graft and supporting stent can be minimized by providing separate support stents for the trunk and limb support branches of the main body component rather than a single support stent for the entire main graft component, separate support stents for the limb support branches are conventionally located at the same axial level. This results in a larger delivery profile since the support stents, when collapsed for delivery, lie on top of each other.
Furthermore, because of the restricted geometry of the vasculature and the small diameter of the limb supporting branch of the main body component, it can be difficult to insert one element of a modular endovascular graft into another. The instrumentation required to insert catheters and deploy the limb components of a modular endovascular graft inside the main graft limb support sections can dislodge mural thrombus in the AAA. The dislodged mural thrombus is carried in the blood flow through the femoral arteries to small distal arteries causing blockage and tissue necrosis.
Moreover, a lack of healthy tissue near the aneurysm being treated provides difficulty with adequately anchoring the main body portion of a modular endovascular graft. If the aneurysm is too close to the renal arteries there may be a lack of healthy tissue to adequately anchor the neck of the main graft portion without interfering with blood flow in the renal arteries. Anchoring the limb support branches of the main body component in the iliac arteries requires a larger main body component and additional effort and delivery hardware. Allowing the limb support branches of the main body component to float freely in the aneurysm presents other difficulties with deploying the limb components of the modular endovascular graft within the main body component.
With regard to the main body component of modular endovascular graft, there therefore exists a need for a main body component that facilitates a minimized delivery profile, easier catheterization of the limb support portions and accurate deployment of the limb components, and anchoring of the neck portion near the renal arteries without disrupting cross-blood flow.
The devices and methods of the present invention address these and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Endovascular graft device and methods for attaching components thereof


Apparatus are disclosed for controlling the delivery of power to DC components such as computer components, microprocessors or the like. Designs of rectifier circuitry are presented which are appropriate for faster components, lower voltages, and higher currents. Embodiments are especially suited to applications which cause rapid changes in the conductance of the load, even in the sub-microsecond time domain as is common in computer applications and the like and in powering electronics equipment, especially a distributed system and especially a system wherein low voltage at high current is required. Embodiments and sub elements provide energy storage for low voltage, high current electronic loads, an ability to supply current with rapid time variation, providing extremely low inductance connections, permitting components to be located relatively remotely from the powered electronic load.

The architecture of computing systems has undergone tremendous changes in the recent past, due principally to the advance of microcomputers from the original four-bit chips running at hundreds of kilohertz to the most modern 32 and 64 bit microprocessors running at hundreds of megahertz. As the chip designers push to higher and higher speeds, problems arise which relate to thermal issues. That is, as the speed of a circuit is increased, the internal logic switches must each discharge its surrounding capacitance that much faster. Since the energy stored in that capacitance is fixed (at a given voltage), as the speed is increased, that energy, which must be dissipated in the switches, is dumped into the switch that many more times per second. Since energy per second is defined as power, the power lost in the switches therefore increases directly with frequency.
On the other hand, the energy stored in a capacitance increases as the square of the voltage, so a capacitor charged to two volts will store only 44% of the energy stored in that same capacitor charged to three volts. For this reason, a microcomputer designed to operate at two volts will, when run at the same speed, dissipate much less power than the same microprocessor operating a three volts. So there is a tendency to lower the operating voltage of microprocessors.
Other considerations cause the microprocessor to exhibit a lower maximum speed if operated at a lower voltage as compared to a higher operating voltage. That is, if a circuit is operating at full speed, and the voltage on that circuit is simply reduced, the circuit will not operate properly, and the speed of the circuit (the "clock speed") may have to be reduced. To maintain full speed capability and still operate at lower voltage, the circuit often must be redesigned to a smaller physical size. Also, as the size of the circuitry is reduced, and layer thickness is also reduced, the operating voltage may need to be lowered to maintain adequate margin to avoid breakdown of insulating oxide layers in the devices. For the past few years, these steps have defined the course of microprocessor design. Key microprocessor designers, seeking the maximum speed for their products, have therefore expended considerable effort trading off the following considerations:
higher speed chips are worth more money;
higher speed chips must dissipate more heat;
there are limitations to removal of that heat;
lower voltages reduce the heat generated at a given speed; and
smaller devices run faster at a given voltage.
Of course, there are many, many important trade-off considerations beyond these, but the above list gives the basic elements which relate to some aspects of the current invention. The result of these considerations has been for the microprocessor designers to produce designs that operate at lower and lower voltages. Early designs operated at five volts; this was reduced to 3.3. to 3.0, to 2.7, to 2.3, and at the time of writing the leading designs are operating at 2.0 volts. Further reductions are in store, and it is expected that future designs will be operated at 1.8, 1.5, 1.3, 1.0, and even below one volt, eventually perhaps as low as 0.4 volts.
Meanwhile, advances in heat removal are expected to permit processors to run at higher and higher heat dissipation levels. Early chips dissipated perhaps a watt; current designs operate at the 30 watt level, and future heat removal designs may be able to dissipate as much as 100 watts of power generated by the processor. Since the power dissipated is proportional to the square of the operating voltage, even as the ability to remove heat is improved, there remains a tendency to run at lower operating voltages.
All of this is driven by the fundamental consideration: higher speed chips are worth more money. So the designers are driven to increase the speed by any and all means at their disposal, and this drives the size of the chips smaller, the voltages lower, and the power up. As the voltage drops the current increases for a given power, because power is voltage times current. If at the same time improvements in heat removal permit higher powers, the current increases still further. This means that the current is rising very rapidly. Early chips drew small fractions of an ampere of supply current to operate, current designs use up to 15–50 amperes, and future designs may use as much as 100 amperes or more.
As the speed of the processors increase, the dynamics of their power supply requirements also increase. A processor may be drawing very little current because it is idling, and then an event may occur (such as the arrival of a piece of key data from a memory element or a signal from an outside event) which causes the processor to suddenly start rapid computation. This can produce an abrupt change in the current drawn by the processor, which has serious electrical consequences.
Inductance is the measure of energy storage in magnetic fields. All current-carrying conductors have associated with their current a magnetic field, which represents energy storage. It is well known by workers in the art that the energy stored in a magnetic field is half the volume integral of the square of the magnetic field. Since the field is linearly related to the current in the conductor, it may be shown that the energy stored by a current carrying conductor is proportional to half the square of the current, and the constant of proportionality is called the "inductance" of the conductor. The energy stored in the system is supplied by the source of electrical current, and for a given power source there is a limit to the rate at which energy can be supplied, which means that the stored energy must be built up over time. Thus the presence of an energy storage mechanism naturally slows down a circuit, as the energy must be produced and metered into the magnetic field at some rate before the current can build up.
The available voltage, the inductance, and the rate of change of current in a conductor are related by the following equation, well known by those skilled in the art:V=L*∂I/∂t, where L is the inductance of the conductor, and ∂I/∂t is the rate of change of current in the conductor.This equation states that the voltage required to produce a given current change in a load on a power system increases as the time scale of that change is reduced, and also increases as the inductance of any connection to that load is increased. As the speed of microprocessors is increased, the time scale is reduced, and as the available voltage is reduced, this equation requires the inductance to be dropped proportionally.
Normally, in powering semiconductor devices one does not need to consider the inductance of the connections to the device, but with modern electronics, and especially with microprocessors, these considerations force a great deal of attention to be brought to lowering the inductance of the connections. At the current state of the art, for example, microprocessors operate at about two volts, and can tolerate a voltage transient on their supply lines of about 7%, or 140 millivolts. These same microprocessors can require that their supply current change at a rate of at least one-third or even nearly one ampere per nanosecond, or 3*108 or 109 amperes/second, respectively. The above equation indicates that an inductance of about 140 picohenries (1.4*10−10 H) and ½ nanohenry, (5*10−10 H) will drop a voltage of 140 millivolts at these two rates of current rise. To put this number in perspective, the inductance of a wire one inch in length in free space is approximately 20 nanohenries, or 20,000 picohenries. While the inductance of a connection can be reduced by paralleling redundant connections, to create a connection with an inductance of 140 picohenries with conductors about a centimeter long would require some 20 parallel conductors, and for instance a connection with an inductance of ½ nanohenry would require nearly 100 parallel conductors.
The foregoing discussion implies that the source of low voltage must be physically close to the microprocessor, or more generally the active portion of a particular component, which in turn implies that it be physically small. While it might be suggested that capacitors might be used to supply energy during the delay interval required for the current in the conductors to rise, the intrinsic inductance of the connections to the capacitors currently severely limits this approach. So the system designer is faced with placing the source of power very close to the processor to ensure that the processor's power source is adequately stable under rapid changes in current draw. This requirement will become increasingly severe as the voltages drop still further and the currents increase, because the former reduces the allowable transient size and the latter increases the potential rate of change of current. Both factors reduce the permissible inductance of the connection. This can force the designer to use smaller capacitors which have low inductance connections, and because the smaller capacitors store less energy, this drives the power system to higher frequencies, which adds costs and lowers efficiency.
The foregoing remarks are not limited in computers to the actual central microprocessor. Other elements of a modern computer, such as memory management circuits, graphic display devices, high speed input output circuitry and other such ancillary circuitry have been increased in speed nearly as rapidly as the central processing element, and the same considerations apply.
Many modern electronics circuitry, including computers, are powered by switchmode power conversion systems. Such a system converts incoming power from the utility line to the voltages and currents required by the electronic circuitry by operation of one or more switches. In low power business and consumer electronics, such as desktop personal computers, the incoming power is supplied as an alternating voltage, generally 115 volts in the United States, and 220 volts in much of the rest of the world. The frequency of alternation is either 50 or 60 Hertz, depending upon location. Such utility power must be converted to low voltage steady (direct) current, or dc, and regulated to a few percent in order to be useful as power for the electronic circuits. The device which performs such conversion is called a "power supply". While it is possible to create a low voltage regulated DC power source using simple transformers, rectifiers, and linear regulators, such units would be heavy, bulky and inefficient. In these applications it is desirable to reduce weight and size, and this approach is unsuitable for this reason alone. In addition, the inefficiency of linear regulators is also unacceptable. Efficiency is defined as the ratio of output power to input power, and a low efficiency implies that heat is being developed in the unit which must be transferred to the environment to keep the unit cool. The lower the efficiency the more heat must be transferred, and this is itself a reason for finding an alternate approach.
For these reasons, virtually all modern electronics circuitry is powered by switchmode conversion systems. These systems typically operate as follows. The incoming utility power is first converted to unregulated direct current by a rectifier. The rectified DC is then converted to a higher frequency, typically hundreds of kilohertz, by electronic switches. This higher frequency power is then transformed by a suitable transformer to the appropriate voltage level; this transformer also provides isolation from the utility power, required for safety reasons. The resulting isolated higher frequency power is then rectified again, and filtered into steady direct current for use by the electronics. Regulation of the output voltage is usually accomplished by control of the conduction period of the electronic switches. The resulting power conversion unit is smaller and lighter in weight than earlier approaches because the size and weight of the transformer and output filter are reduced proportionally to the increase in frequency over the basic utility power frequency. All of this is well known in the prior art.
In a complex electronic system, various voltages may be required. For example, in a computer system the peripherals (such as disk drives) may require +12 volts, some logic circuits may require +5 volts, input/output circuits may additionally require −12 volts, memory interface and general logic may require 3.3 volts, and the central microprocessor may require 2 volts. Standards have developed so that the central power source (the device that is connected directly to the utility power) delivers ±12 and +5 volts, and the lower voltages are derived from the +5 supply line by additional circuitry, called voltage regulation modules, or VRMs, near to the circuits that require the lower voltage. These additional circuits convert the +5 volt supply to high frequency AC power again, modifying the voltage through control of the period of the AC power, and again re-rectifying to the lower voltage dc.
The resulting overall system is complex and not very efficient, in spite of the use of switchmode technology. In a typical 200 watt computer system, four watts are lost in the initial rectification of the utility line, eight watts in the electronic switches, 2.5 watts in the transformer, 20 watts in the output rectification and filtering, and four watts in the connections between the center power supply and the electronics boards. Thus 38.5 watts are lost in the conversion process for the higher voltage electronic loads. Substantial additional losses may be sustained in the low voltage conversion process. A typical 50 watt voltage regulation module, which may convert +5 volts at 10 amperes to +2 volts at 25 amperes for the microprocessor, will itself have losses of about one watt each in the AC conversion and transformer, and ten watts in the final rectification and filtering. Other voltage regulation modules will have losses almost as great, resulting in losses for the entire system which may be one-third of the power used. Some particularly inefficient approaches may demonstrate efficiencies as low as 50%, requiring that the input power circuits utilize twice the power required by the actual final circuitry, and requiring that twice the heat be dissipated in the electronics (which must be removed by a fan) as is theoretically required by the actual operating circuitry.
This system evolved over the years and is not optimum for many current uses, but persists because of inertia of the industry and because of the perceived benefit of maintaining industry standards on voltages and currents as generated by the central power unit.
An analysis of current trends in the microprocessor industry clearly indicates that the current system will not be adequate for the future. These trends show that the current draw of critical elements such as the core microprocessor has been steadily increasing and will continue to do so into the future. Meanwhile, the operating voltage has been steadily decreasing, dropping with it the allowable tolerance of the supply voltage in absolute terms. Finally, the rate of change of processor current—the current slew rate—is increasing very rapidly, with substantial additional increases forecast for the near future. All of these factors mitigate against the current technology and require a new approach to be adopted in the future. It has been reliably estimated that the current powering and other technology will not last more than one additional generation of microprocessors, and since designers are currently at work on the generation following the next, it can be said that these designers are in the process of developing a microprocessor which cannot be powered by currently available technology.
A further problem in the prior art is the use of square wave electronic conversion techniques. Such technology, known as PWM, for Pulse Width Modulation, produces switch voltage waveforms which have steeply rising edges. These edges produce high frequency power components which can be conducted or radiated to adjacent circuitry, interfering with their proper operation. These high frequency power components may also be conducted or radiated to other electronic equipment such as radio or television receivers, also interfering with their proper operation. The presence of such components requires careful design of the packaging of the power system to shield other circuitry from the high frequency power components, and the installation of expensive and complex filters to prevent conduction of these components out of the power supply package on its input and output leads. What is needed then, is a power conversion system which enables small, highly efficient voltage regulation modules to be placed close to the point of power use, which is fast overall, and which is itself efficient and at least as low in cost as the prior art technology it replaces.


A container, such as a cup, adapted to fit securely in most vehicle container receptacles, with a lower body portion of a diameter to fit standard vehicle container receptacles. The lower body portion is comprised of fluted sides that provide strength and support to the lower body portion and facilitate material flow in manufacture so that the container can be made of an ultra thin material and yet hold a large volume of liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The claimed invention relates to an improved container, such as a drinking cup, particularly used in conjunction with vehicle container receptacles (or holders), such as those found in cars, boats, and trucks. More particularly, the claimed invention relates to an improved container which can hold large quantities of beverage yet fit securely in the standard vehicle container receptacle without spilling.
2. Description of Related Art
Most cars contain a receptacle for holding containers, such as cups and cans, so that the beverage will not spill when the vehicle is moving. These standard vehicle container receptacles are generally sized to receive an aluminum can typically used with soft drinks having a cylindrical shape and a diameter of about 21/2 inches. Oftentimes larger beverage containers, e.g., having a capacity of over 21 ounces, have a diameter of greater than 21/2 inches and do not fit into the vehicle container receptacle. These larger beverage containers must either be held by the driver or passenger, or placed elsewhere in the car where they are likely to spill their contents.
To cope with this problem, most cups, especially those used in drive-thru food services, are limited to a size that will fit a standard vehicle container receptacle. However, traditionally styled cups which fit standard vehicle container receptacles are limited to a volume of about 21 ounces. Specifically, when a container larger than 21 ounces is designed to fit the standard vehicle container receptacle the container is top heavy when filled with liquid. It has been recognized in the art that, to offset this problem, it would be desirable to design a container which would fit snugly into a standard vehicle container receptacle and would not tip or spill its contents during movements of the vehicle, even in a sudden turn or stop.
One method which allows larger containers to fit in standard vehicle container receptacles involves the use of an adapter. The adapter modifies the standard vehicle container receptacle to a size such that larger containers can be accommodated by the standard vehicle container receptacle. Dahlquist II et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,468, and Chandler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,673, disclose container adapter devices designed so that a standard vehicle container receptacle can accommodate containers that are too large to fit in the standard vehicle container receptacle.
Of late, cups designed with a base proportioned to fit the standard vehicle container receptacle having a main body portion of a size larger than the base have attempted to overcome the problems of the limited container volume and top heaviness. However, these designs still cannot hold a very large volume of beverage, and are made of heavy materials, such as glass, to reduce top heaviness. The GOJO.TM. cup manufactured by Highwave, Inc. is an example of this type of design.
While the prior art discussed above provides important advantages, the prior art does not provide a container which can hold a large volume of liquid and yet fit the standard size vehicle container receptacle without being top heavy.

Large drink container to fit vehicle cup holders


A tape running guide and tape loading mechanism for a magnetic tape recording and reproducing apparatus including a tape guiding system having, at a tape supply side, at least a first movable slanted pin and a first movable tape height regulating guide roller for deriving a tape from an open space of a magnetic tape cassette and winding the tape on a cylindrical drum, a second slanted pin and a second tape height regulating guide roller and third movable guide pin for winding the tape on the second slanted pin. At a tape returning side, a fourth movable slanted pin and a fourth movable tape height regulating guide roller for deriving the magnetic tape from the open space of the tape cassette and winding the magnetic tape on the cylindrical drum a fifth movable slanted pin and a pinch roller which are to be derived from the open space of the tape cassette and a capstan in arranged outside the open space. The movable tape guide members are movable in the common area and a time-shared manner to thereby make the loading mechanism compact.

The present invention relates to a helical scan magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to a magnetic tape guiding and tape loading mechanism of such an apparatus, which is suitable to enable a reduction in the size of the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus in area and thickness.
For a helical scan magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus (VTR) its compactness in area and thickness is highly desirable in view of the portability thereof when applied to a VTR combined with a video camera such as an 8 mm video camera. In a VTR, a tape drive mechanism may occupy a large space thereof; therefore, a reduction of such space contributes to a compactness of a VRT.
In order to minimize the size of a tape drive mechanism, in Japanese Kokai (P) 63-239646, to reduce the thickness of the tape drive mechanism, a head cylinder device is arranged such that a portion of a cylindrical drum of the head cylinder device is received in a space provided in a front portion of a tape cassette and covered by an internal flap for tape protection in accordance with industrial standards, with the flap being opened when the tape cassette is inserted. For a tape loading, a so-called M loading system is provided wherein a portion of a magnetic tape is supplied from a tape cassette in parallel between a point on a supply reel side and point on a winding reel side of the tape cassette and helically wound on the cylindrical drum over a predetermined angle and is usually used in a VHS type VTR to reduce the thickness of the tape mechanism.
In the above proposed construction, a level of a center of the tape in a width direction on height regulating guide rollers provided in a tape supplying area and in a tape return area in the vicinity of the cylindrical drum for supplying the tape in parallel from the space of the cassette, is equal to a level of a center of the tape within the cassette at a time when the loading operation of the tape is completed.
In the proposed conventional technique, a pair of slanted posts for helically winding the tape on the cylindrical drum must be respectively positioned in the vicinity of the tape supplying and return areas. Therefore, an inclination angle and orientation of the cylindrical drum with respect to a reference plane of the apparatus and the height of the rotational center of the magnetic head mounted on the cylindrical drum with respect to a reference plane including a center line of the magnetic tape within the tape cassette are restricted.
More particularly, presuming a coordinate system having an original point corresponding to a rotational center of the magnetic head an X-axis extending in parallel to a straight line passing through the original point and connecting centers of the supply and winding reels in the tape cassette and a Y-axis passing through the original point and orthogonal to the X-axis, the orientation of the cylindrical drum is substantially within a third quadrant of this coordinate system, that is, the cylindrical drum is slanted toward the supply reel, and the inclination angle thereof is about 11.degree. to 12.degree.. Further, the level of the rotational center of the magnetic head is lower than the level of the center line of the magnetic tape within the cassette by several millimeters.
With such a head-cylinder arrangement, the amount of the cylindrical drum to be received in the open space of the tape cassette is very limited.
Further, since the inclination angle of the cylindrical drum exceeds 10.degree., the thickness of this mechanism, which depends upon the position of a lower edge of the cylindrical drum, is increased.
That is, there is a limitation in a gap between the inserted tape cassette and the cylindrical drum and there is a limitation in the size of the space to be occupied by the cylindrical drum, preventing the tape drive mechanism from being minimized.
In order to solve this problem and to allow the size of the tape drive mechanism to be made as small as possible, Japanese Patent Application No. 288912/1989 proposes arranging a cylindrical drum in a reference plane orthogonal to a straight line connecting rotational centers of the supply and take-up reels within a cassette and inclined toward the cassette with a predetermined angle of 6.degree. to 8.degree. from a straight line orthogonal to a plane on which the cassette is mounted and to make a winding angle of the magnetic tape on the cylindrical drum symmetrical with respect to the reference plane.

Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including S fixed chassis for supporting a head drum and a movable chassis for mounting a tape cassette


A loudspeaker comprises a motor structure including a voice coil with a hollow former, a frame having an upper end and a lower end connected to the motor structure, an upper suspension mounted to the upper end of the frame, and, a two part diaphragm structure which includes an upper diaphragm connected to the upper suspension and a lower diaphragm extending between the upper suspension and the voice coil in position to overlie the hollow former of the voice coil.

This invention relates to loudspeakers, and, more particularly, to a loudspeaker having an upper diaphragm and a lower diaphragm which provide extended and substantially improved range of motion in response to movement of the voice coil without bending, buckling, twisting or other deformation which can create acoustic distortion.
Loudspeakers generally comprise a frame, a motor structure, a diaphragm, an upper suspension or surround and a lower suspension or spider. In one common type of speaker, the motor structure includes a permanent magnet mounted between a top plate and a back plate, a pole piece centrally mounted on the back plate and a voice coil axially movable with respect to the pole piece. The voice coil includes a hollow, cylindrical-shaped former having an outer surface which receives a winding of wire.
One end of the diaphragm is connected to the surround, which, in turn, is mounted to the upper end of the frame. The spider is connected at one end to a seat formed in the frame at a point between its upper and lower ends. The free ends of the diaphragm and spider are mounted to the voice coil so that it is supported within the magnetic gap between the pole piece and top plate of the motor structure, with the former of the voice coil being concentrically disposed about the pole piece. In some speaker designs, a dust cap is mounted to the diaphragm in position to overlie the voice coil and pole piece to protect them from contaminants.
In the course of operation of a speaker of the type described above, electrical energy is supplied to the voice coil causing it to axially move relative to the pole piece and within the magnetic gap formed between the top plate and pole piece. The diaphragm, spider and surround move with the excursion of the voice coil. Conventionally, the diaphragm is formed in the shape of a cone with an opening cut at its apex in order to mount to the outer surface of the former of the voice coil. The diaphragm extends radially outwardly at an angle from the voice coil to the surround where it is typically connected by adhesive or otherwise permanently affixed. The driving force of the voice coil is applied at approximately the center of the diaphragm, and the diameter of the voice coil is typically much smaller than that of the diaphragm. As a result, there is a wide span along the wall of the diaphragm between the voice coil and surround which is unsupported and subject to deformation.
Deformation of the diaphragm can result from a number of factors, some involving the operation of the speaker and others related to speaker construction. In most applications, the speaker is contained within a cabinet or box which is substantially enclosed to provide protection for the speaker. At low frequencies and high axial excursions of the voice coil, the piston-like movement of the voice coil, diaphragm and spider pressurizes the air within the interior of the speaker box. In one direction of movement of the voice coil, spider and diaphragm, the air within the box is compressed thus tending to push the diaphragm in the opposite direction. Movement of the diaphragm in the reverse direction causes the air within the box to exert a pulling force on the diaphragm. These push and pull forces exerted on the diaphragm can lead to bending or buckling of its wall, creating acoustic distortion. Further, at or near the limits of axial movement of the voice coil and diaphragm permitted by the upper and lower suspensions, such as when the speaker is operated at very high output levels, substantial forces are applied to the diaphragm at its attach points to the voice coil and to the surround, thus causing an increase in bending forces applied to the diaphragm and creating another source of acoustic distortion.
Additionally, as the driving force exerted on the diaphragm by the voice coil increases in frequency, there is a tendency of the outer edge of the diaphragm located at the surround to lag behind its inner edge connected to the voice coil. This xe2x80x9clagxe2x80x9d is due to the mass of the diaphragm and the natural compliance of the material from which it is constructed. Past a certain frequency threshold, depending upon the stiffness of the diaphragm material, the wall of the diaphragm no longer moves as a single unit thus creating undesirable acoustic peaks and valleys in the reproduced sound field.
Conventional diaphragms are also susceptible to twisting during operating of the speaker, which is yet another source of acoustic distortion. During assembly, the circular-shaped surround may not be correctly centered on the frame causing one side or area of the surround to be somewhat stretched or extended, while another area is compressed to some extent. In response to movement of the voice coil in one direction, the area of the surround which was stretched to some extent during assembly reaches its limit of extension before the area which was compressed. Conversely, a movement of the voice coil in the opposite direction causes the area which was initially compressed to reach its compression limit before the area which was initially stretched. Consequently, the surround tends to tilt or twist with the movement of the voice coil, which, in turn, causes the diaphragm and voice coil to twist in the same fashion. Such twisting forces imposed on the diaphragm are another source of potential acoustic distortion.
Attempts have been made to reinforce the diaphragm of conventional loudspeakers and provide resistance to bending and twisting forces. One approach has involved the use of two diaphragms, including one outer diaphragm connected to the surround, and at least one second, inner diaphragm connected to the voice coil and to the outer diaphragm. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,968 to Dreitmeier; U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,278 to Sakurai et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,327 and 4,517,416 both to Goossens.
Despite the use of a second diaphragm for reinforcement of the primary, sound producing diaphragm, the designs in the prior art noted above suffer from common limitations. In each case, the inner diaphragm of such designs is formed with an opening at its center to receive and mount to the former of the voice coil. Particularly in high excursion speakers, the former of the voice coil must be relatively long and therefore it is commonly made from lightweight material to reduce mass. This tends to make the voice coil flimsy in the area where the inner diaphragm is connected. The combination of the opening at the center of the inner diaphragm, and its connection to the relatively weak or flimsy voice coil former, substantially reduces the degree of stiffness which can be provided by the inner diaphragm to the outer diaphragm.
Another limitation of prior two diaphragm designs is that no attempt is made to seal the space in between the inner and outer diaphragms in the area above the voice coil, or, in some instances, anywhere between the two diaphragms. The absence of a seal between the diaphragms results in the alternating pressurization and depressurization of the air in the space between the two diaphragms, which tends to collapse or pull apart the diaphragms depending on the direction of movement of the voice coil. This increases the chance of bending or other deformation of the diaphragms, leading to unwanted distortion.
It is therefore among the objectives of this invention to provide a loudspeaker which provides improved acoustic performance, particularly at low frequency and high excursions, which limits bending and twisting of the diaphragm and which resists forces imposed by pressurization of the enclosure within which the loudspeaker is mounted.
These objectives are accomplished in a loudspeaker comprising a motor structure including a voice coil with a hollow former, a frame having an upper end and a lower end connected to the motor structure, an upper suspension mounted to the upper end of the frame, and, a two part diaphragm structure which includes an upper diaphragm connected to the upper suspension and a lower diaphragm extending between the upper suspension and the voice coil in position to overlie the hollow former of the voice coil.
In the presently preferred embodiment, the lower diaphragm is a formed in a one-piece construction which extends continuously from the upper suspension to a position overlying the voice coil. No opening or hole is formed in the lower diaphragm to mount it to the former of the voice coil, as in the prior designs described above, but instead the lower diaphragm is integrally formed with a protrusion which either mounts directly to the exterior surface of the former of the voice coil or to a sleeve connected to the voice coil. In either case, the stiffness of the lower diaphragm is enhanced without the formation of an opening therein, which substantially increases the overall stiffness of the inner and outer diaphragm construction compared to the prior art. This is particularly true for high excursion loudspeakers in which the former is comparatively long to accommodate such excursions and therefore must be formed of a lightweight and relatively flimsy material to decrease mass. The continuous lower diaphragm adds stiffness to the former, and, hence, the entire moving assembly of the speaker, which is not achieved by the connection between the former and a lower diaphragm having a hole in the center as in other designs.
In the embodiment of this invention employing the sleeve noted above, the outer diaphragm includes an outer section connected to the outer suspension, and an inner section having a cross section in the shape of a truncated cone with a generally planar top wall and a tapered side wall. The protrusion is formed at the juncture of the tapered side wall of the inner section and the outer section of the lower diaphragm. Preferably, the top wall of the inner diaphragm is mounted to the upper diaphragm by adhesive or the like, which further enhances the overall stiffness and rigidity of the combined upper and lower diaphragm structure. The protrusion of the lower diaphragm is affixed within a trough or well formed at the upper end of the sleeve during the assembly process.
Alternatively, the sleeve is eliminated as noted above, and the lower diaphragm is mounted directly to the former of the voice coil. In this embodiment, the lower diaphragm has an outer section mounted to the upper suspension, and an inner section having a generally semi-circular cross sectional shape positioned to overlie the hollow interior of the former. The protrusion is formed at the juncture of the inner and outer sections of the lower diaphragm, which includes a generally vertically extending wall shaped to rest against the outer surface of the former of the voice coil where it is mounted by adhesive or the like.


In an automotive floor panel assembly comprising a floor panel (1) stamp-formed of sheet metal and including a recess (21, 22) defining an upper concave surface and a lower convex surface, a compound longitudinal floor frame is formed by a lower reinforcement (24) extending longitudinally across a part of the lower convex surface of the floor panel and an upper reinforcement (25) extending longitudinally across a part of the upper concave surface of the floor panel. The lower and upper reinforcements include a first vertical wall having an upper edge closely following a contour of the lower convex surface a second vertical wall having a lower edge closely following a contour of the supper concave surface, respectively. The compound longitudinal floor frame is thus provided with a substantially constant cross section and extends substantially linearly over the entire length of the floor panel and hereby. Therefore, the height of a lowest part of the floor panel from the ground surface is prevented from being reduced, and the mechanical strength of the floor panel would not be compromised even when the floor pane is provided with a downward projection.

In a moncoque automotive body structure, various body panel members are stamp formed from thin steel plate, and are joined by spot welding or the like so as to form the final body structure. The floor panel assembly that forms the floor of the body is typically provided with reinforcements such as longitudinal floor frames and floor cross members on the upper and lower surfaces thererof so as to ensure the mechanical strength and rigidity that are required to support the weight of the seats and vehicle occupants.
When providing a longitudinal floor frame to the lower surface of the floor panel, it is desirable that the longitudinal floor frame has a substantially constant cross section over the entire length thereof to minimize vibrations and noises, prevent stress concentration and ensure a favorable distribution of crash impact energy.
Electropaining is commonly used for painting automotive bodies. This process involves the dipping of the body into water containing particles of paint suspended therein, and the body is required to have an arrangement for facilitating the draining of the water trapped in the body when the body is lifted out of the water. For this purpose, an automotive floor panel is typically provided with a recessed portion in a longitudinally middle portion thereof and draining holes are formed in low parts of such a recessed portion. A longitudinal floor frame for such a floor panel is typically curved so as to extend along the curved contour of the lower surface of the floor panel, and is provided with a substantially uniform height over the entire length thereof. Such an example can be found in Japanese patent laid open publication No. 2003-252251.
FIG. 6a shows a conventional arrangement in which a longitudinal floor frame 31 is attached to the lower surface of a floor panel which is provided with a recess 22 defining an upper concave surface and a lower convex surface. The longitudinal floor frame 31 is provided with a curved section 31a which is curved so as to conform to the lower convex surface. The curved section 31a reduces the height Z of the lowest part of the body from the ground level, and this impairs the capability of the automobile to travel in a rugged terrain or creates the need to raise the height of other parts of the automobile body.
This problem can be overcome by locally reducing the height of the longitudinal floor frame 31 as indicated by numeral 31b in FIG. 6b so as to accommodate the lower convex surface of the floor panel while keeping the lower surface of the longitudinal floor frame 31 flat or horizontal over the entire length thereof. However, this part 31b which is reduced in height creates a weak portion 31c having a reduced cross section. Also, stress tends to concentrate in such a portion lacking in uniformity.


A method and apparatus for partially up/downscaling an image encoded on a macroblock basis. The method and apparatus performs operations of: storing the encoded image; creating map data from bitstream of the encoded image to decode at least one macroblock of the encoded image, creating a shrunken image of a predetermined size based on resolution of a display device, storing the map data and the shrunken image so as to relate with the encoded image; outputting the shrunken image related with the encoded image to be displayed based on a control request received from an input device; determining at least one macroblock to be decoded based on a display area of the shrunken image; partially decoding the encoded image for the determined macroblock using the map data; and outputting to the display device, the image data of the display area of the partially decoded image.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a technology that expands only a part of an encoded image data. Especially it relates to a partial expansion method of an encoded image and an image processing apparatus that decodes (i.e. expands) a part of the encoded image data, such as in JPEG format, and outputs the partially decoded image to a display device according to user control request regarding display area, up/downscaling, scrolling or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
These days, large volume image data is becoming more common due to increased resolution of digital cameras and mobile phones with camera functionality. However, the resolution of the display device is usually lower than that of the data to be displayed.
For example, a display device to view image data is usually limited up to 0.5 megapixels (VGA)-2 megapixels (HDTV) in resolution. In this case, it is impossible to fully display the entire data of a 10 megapixel image of recent digital cameras. Therefore, as a viewing method, options are to shrink the image to view its entire image or not to shrink the image (or to shrink the image but not enough to fit the display device) and to view a part of the image. This image processing and image data storage requires significant volume of memory, but because of cost reduction needs and/or hardware restriction, its memory capacity is often restricted.
From these reasons, conventionally, several technologies to reduce memory to be used for image processing or image data storage have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3108283 proposes a partial up/downscaling apparatus that designates start position and end position of up/downscaling according to an RST table storing RST positions which are inserted into encoded JPEG data, reads data from the read starting sector located before the up/downscaling start position to the read ending sector located after the up/downscaling end position out of a storage medium, and up/downscales the data from up/downscaling start position to the up/downscaling end position.
Japanese Patent No. 3399743 proposes a technology that, in order to decode a large encoded image data using small volume of memory with smooth display and scrolling of partially decoded image, a regularly skipped encoded data offset values are recorded from the starting position of encoded image datastream while encoding image data or decoding encoded image data where the encoded data offset values are stored by predetermined intervals, if partial area within source image is selected appropriate encoded data offset values are read out, and encoded image data is partially decoded in the middle of the encoded datastream to perform scrolling.
Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-278685 describes a method in detail that partially expands a JPEG image using a scan table to partially expand the source image efficiently.
To create and display a partially decoded image data, certain amount of computational processing time is required. Therefore, Japanese Patent No. 3747914 proposes a technology where a preview image data with reduced resolution is created from a captured source image, and a thumbnail image with further reduced resolution of predetermined size is created, and the source image data are all stored together as an image data set in memory card, and one of the image data in the image data set is selected and displayed from the memory card when in display mode, and if there is no preview image data in the image data set then the source image data or thumbnail image data are displayed on the display device instead.
However, creating control data to partially expand an image and using the control data to partially expand the image require processing costs such as memory space and CPU load. For example, during the creation of control data, when a control request such as displaying an image, scrolling, zoom in, or zoom out is made by a user, responses to the user control request may be delayed due to the control data creation. Even though the speed of the partial decoding is faster than that of the entire decoding, the speed of processes such as scrolling may suffer due to such nature of partial decoding.
With the above circumstances taken into consideration, the object of the present invention is to provide to a partial expansion method of an encoded image and an image processing apparatus to reduce the CPU load of partial expansion processing, and to enable high quality image display while promptly responding to user control requests when displaying the partially decoded image.

Partial expansion method of encoded images and image processing apparatus


A method for deposition of a layer on a razor blade edge of a razor blade, the layer including at least two components, in an enclosure comprising at least first and second sputter targets, each sputter target including at least one of the components to be deposited on the edge and being adapted, in operation, to release the component in the enclosure.

Razor blades are generally made of a ceramic or steel substrate covered by a hard coating. An outer layer of an organic material is also often deposited on the hard coating, to reduce friction of the razor blade on the skin when shaving. This organic layer is often a PTFE material.
The hard coating usually primarily acts as a strengthening coating, in order to strengthen the blade and improve its life expectancy. Some particular materials providing a very good strength property, like for example chromium-platinum alloys, have been deposited in the past by placing the razor blade edges in front of a chromium-platinum alloy sputtering target and sputtering the target in order to deposit chromium-platinum on the razor blade edge. Yet, the proportions of chromium and platinum in the deposited coating are fixed by the proportions of chromium and platinum in the target.

Method of deposition of a layer on a razor blade edge and razor blade