An automatic transaction apparatus for performing a transaction process of banknotes, the apparatus includes a safe for storing banknotes to be transacted and an inspection unit for inspecting the banknotes taken out of the safe during the transaction process and banknotes stored in the safe during a checking process in which quantity of banknotes stored in the safe are counted to classify them into normal banknotes and rejected banknotes. The apparatus further includes a first and a second rejected banknote storage boxes for storing banknotes judged to be rejected by the inspection unit during the transaction process and the checking process and a controller for controlling to switch the first and the second rejected banknote storage boxes after completing the checking process to discriminate between a rejected banknote storage box storing banknotes judged to be rejected during the transaction process before the checking process and banknotes judged to be rejected during the checking process, and a rejected banknote storage box storing banknotes judged to be rejected during the transaction process after completing the checking process and banknotes judged to be rejected during the next checking process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transaction apparatus which receives banknotes, classifies them into banknotes in reusable good condition and those not suited for reuse and stacks them separately and disperses reusable banknotes in response to customers' requests for dispensing.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic transaction apparatus which receives banknotes, classifies and stacks them into two groups of those in reusable good condition and those not suited for reuse and pays reusable banknotes in response to customers' requests for disbursement has been put in practical use.
This kind of automatic transaction apparatus includes a banknote receiving section, an inspection section, a recycling section, a rejection section, a loading section, a checking section and a conveying section. The banknote receiving section receives banknotes to be processed. The inspection section checks conditions of banknotes deposited into the receiving section; that is, for instance, the degree of stain or kind one by one and classify them into those banknotes that are reusable (hereinafter referred to as reusable banknotes) for disbursement and those that are judged to be not suited for reuse (hereinafter referred to as rejected banknotes). The recycling section stores reusable banknotes that are classified as such by the inspection section. The rejection section stores rejected banknotes that are classified as such by the inspection section. The loading section makes it possible to supply banknotes from the outside so that reusable banknotes to be disbursed in response to customers' requests do not become insufficient. The checking section rechecks the state of banknotes stored in the recycling banknote storage section for reuse one by one. The conveying section conveys banknotes deposited into the receiving section to the inspection section, guides the banknotes either to a recycle banknote stacking section or the rejected banknote storage section according to the result of classification by the inspection section and sends banknotes in specified numbers from the recycle banknote storage section to the receiving section.
Nowadays, the reduction of pause time, that is, improvement of the operating ratio of automatic transaction apparatus is demanded. For this reason, automatic transaction apparatus are required to have a capacity sufficient enough to store banknotes; that is, no additional replenishment of banknotes and reduction of the number of checks by service man are demanded for enabling unattended transaction for a long hour, for instance, in holidays. In addition, it is also demanded not to suspend normal transactions; that is, receiving or disbursing for supplying banknotes.
Further, one set of rejected banknote stacking sections is normally arranged in a relatively less storage capacity in order to secure a capacity of the banknote recycling section.
In the rejected banknotes stacking sections, rejected banknotes classified by the inspection section after deposited through the banknote receiving opening and counted, and rejected banknotes classified then disbursing from the recycling banknote section in response to customers' dispensing requests are stored.
Further, in the rejected banknote stacking section, rejected banknotes generated from the check for counting the balance of rejected banknotes stored in the recycling banknote section are also stored.
By the way, the balance of banknotes in the recycling banknote section becomes definite when completing the check but the balance in the rejected banknote stacking section is unknown. Therefore, in order to carry out the subsequent operation in the state where the balance of banknotes in an automatic transaction apparatus is settled by the check, newly rejected banknotes generated in the customers' transactions such as dispensing or depositing after completion of the check must be clearly discriminated from rejected banknotes already rejected before the check and rejected banknotes generated during the check.
Accordingly, the customers' transactions becomes executable after removing rejected banknotes stored in the rejected banknote stacking section by a clerk at the time when the check is completed. However, this has such a problem that a clerk is needed whenever performing the check. Further, there is also such a problem that a checking clerk must be on standby around an automatic transaction apparatus.
Further, nowadays, examples of some automatic transaction apparatus are installed in remote unattended shops through an on-line system. In addition, many automatic transaction apparatus are so formed that the check can be started any time according to a check command from a management sensor of an on-line system.
However, to automatically start the customer transactions after completing the check, rejected banknotes already stored in the rejected banknote stacking section must be removed.
This will bind a clerk who goes round unattended shops for a long hour and also increase the number of clerks required for going round a plurality of unattended shops.

Automatic transaction apparatus and handling method of rejected banknotes in automatic transaction apparatus


A cyclone outlet assembly with a frusto-conical dirt blocking plate minimizes clogging at the outlet of the cyclone separator. An upright vacuum cleaner with a cyclone separator is mounted on and in fluid communication with an elongated rigid tube that forms part of a working air conduit and also forms part of an upright handle that is pivotally mounted to a base module with a suction nozzle upstream from a conventional bag filter in a dirty air or clean air dust collection vacuum cleaner.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum cleaners. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that includes a cyclone dirt separator. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that incorporates a cyclone separator in combination with a filter bag for dust collection.
2. State of the Prior Art
Upright vacuum cleaners include a handle mounted to a base for pivotal movement between an inclined use position and a generally vertical storage position. Such an upright vacuum cleaner is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,833 issued Jul. 10, 2001. The disclosed upright vacuum cleaner includes a suction nozzle in the base and an agitation brush in the suction nozzle, the suction nozzle being fluidly connected to a suction source and a filter bag enclosure mounted to the handle of the cleaner. Soil from a surface being cleaned is entrained in an airflow from the suction nozzle and transported to the filter bag enclosure for deposit in a semi-permeable filter bag, as is well known in the art. A filter bag is generally disposable, and requires frequent replacement when it becomes full. The effectiveness of some vacuum cleaners decreases prior to the filter bag becoming full, as fine particles trapped by the filter bag degrade its permeability and cause a loss of suction deliverable to the suction nozzle.
Vacuum cleaners using a cyclone separator have the advantage of not requiring replacement of the disposable, non-reusable, filter bag. However, in order to match the dirt capacity of a filter bag-type vacuum cleaner, the cyclone-type vacuum cleaner is usually fairly large to accommodate the generally cylindrical cyclone separation chamber. As the diameter of the cyclone chamber increases, the rotational velocity of the air decreases for a give size vacuum motor. This lower velocity adversely affects the efficiency of the cyclone separator. The large dirt reservoir is also cumbersome to handle while still requiring frequent emptying to avoid re-entrainment of collected dirt into the suction airstream. Decreasing the size of the cyclone chamber could increase its efficiency and ease of handling, but at the cost of further decreasing its capacity to hold dirt when compared to the filter bag-type cleaner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,434 issued Nov. 14, 2000, to Scalfani et al. discloses a stick vacuum cleaner having a floor engaging base with a nozzle opening, a handle pivotally mounted to the base and including a working air conduit from the base to a dirt cup that has cyclonic action to separate entrained dust from the air, a filter bag that covers the outlet from the dirt cup and a suction source above the filter bag to draw the dirty air from the nozzle opening through the cyclonic dirt cup assembly and through the filter bag. The "stick" vacuum disclosed is limited by weight in the strength of suction motor it can accommodate.
PCT published patent application No. WO 84/02282 discloses a dust collector that includes a cyclone separator that communicates with a hose or flexible tubing with a suction nozzle at one end to separate coarse particles from the air. The outlet from the cyclone separator is connected to a bag filter for removing less coarse particles. A suction fan draws air through the cyclone separator and through the bag filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,835 discloses a canister vacuum cleaner in which a small cyclone dust-collecting device is mounted to a wand for separating and collecting dust and dirt of comparatively large particle size from the air that is then drawn through a conventional bag filter in a canister. A small dirt-collecting tub that is removably mounted biaxially alongside the wand forms the cyclone dust-collecting device.


The invention relates to a method for the surface treatment of a biologically inert titanium implant to be placed in contact with a bone of the human body, which involves allowing body fluids, such as the inorganic portion of human blood plasma, to naturally deposit, onto the titanium implant, a calcium phosphate film having the formula Ca5(PO4)3(OH), in the form of hydroxyapatite, with a view to rendering the biologically inert titanium biologically active so as to enable the bone to chemically bond to the implant, thus promoting osseointegration, the method including an operation that involves submerging the titanium in a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, wherein said submersion causes the formation of a film of hydrated titanium oxides (HTiO3—) on the titanium, which in turn causes hydroxyl groups (TiOH) to appear, thus enabling the deposition of said calcium phosphate film. The method according to the invention is characterized in that it includes, after the operation of submerging the implant in sodium hydroxide, an operation of anodizing the implant at a given voltage, thereby enabling the stabilization of the oxide film formed by means the operation of submerging the implant in the sodium hydroxide.

Documentation has taught us that the materials used for the purposes of implantation in the human body may be of different types.
There are biotolerant materials, bioinert materials and bioactive materials of which some examples appear in Table 1 established by Kienapfel H., Sprey C., Wilke A., Griss P., Implant fixation by bone ingrowth, The Journal of Arthroplasty, Volume 14 No. 3, 1999, which Table 1 also sets out the level of biocompatibility of some of the materials examined in contact with the bone. The distinction between these types of materials is the manner in which they will be accepted by the organism. In this manner, the biotolerant materials will be encapsulated by a fibrous material. Bioinert materials will not bring about a reaction of the living tissues. The bone will be able to grow on these materials without a chemical bond. Conversely, the bioactive materials will integrate excellently in the living environment by creating chemical bonds therewith.
TABLE 1Extent of theMaterialsbiocompatibilityOsteogenesisPMMA (PolymethylBiotolerantRemote osteogenesismethacrylate)Stainless steelBiotolerantRemote osteogenesisAluminaBioinertContactosteogenesisCarbonBioinertContactosteogenesisTitanium andBioinertContacttitanium-basedosteogenesisalloysChromium/cobaltBioinertOsteogenesis withalloysbondPhosphocalcicBioactiveOsteogenesis withceramicsbond
Kokubo T. (see "Bioactive glass ceramics: properties and applications, Biomaterials 12, pages 155-163, 1991" and see also "Formation of biologically active bone-like apatite on metals and polymers by a biomimetic process, Thermochimica Acta 280/281, pages 479-490, 1996") has carried out research concluding that the connection between the titanium and the bone is carried out by means of a film of apatite, in particular in the form of hydroxyapatite which is a mineral species of the phosphate family, having the formula Ca5(PO4)3(OH). It is known that titanium is bioinert. The bone can therefore not bond chemically thereto. However, it has been found that, following an implant of titanium, the biological fluids deposit on the implant a film of calcium phosphate which will chemically bond to the titanium of the implant, and it is to this deposit, in which the levels of calcium and phosphorus are in the ratio Ca/P of approximately from 1.57 to 1.62 and whose constitution is therefore very close to that of the human bone, that the bone can chemically bond.
FIG. 1 further shows the method for attaching the bone to an implant in vivo.
To this end, scientists have developed techniques for evaluation of the bioactivity using for this purpose solutions which simulate the mineral portion of human blood plasma and which therefore contain the same ions as the blood plasma, and at equivalent concentrations. Several solutions of this type, referred to as "Simulated Body Fluid" or SBF, have been disclosed over recent years. After the first SBF created by Kokubo in 1991, improvements were made to this fluid so that it represents the mineral portion of the human blood plasma to the greatest possible extent. The chemical properties of the SBF thus allow the bioactivity of a material to be evaluated by immersing it in the SBF fluid for a length of time and observing the surface thereof after drying.
Table 2, communicated by Kokubo T., Takadama H. (How useful is SBF in predicting in vivo bone bioactivity, Biomaterials 27, pages 2907-2915, 2006), further establishes the comparison between the composition of human blood plasma and different SBFs.
TABLE 2Ionic concentration (mM)Na+K+Mg2+Ca2+Cl−HCO3−HPO42−SO42−Human142.05.01.52.5103.027.01.00.5bloodplasmaStarting142.05.01.52.5148.84.21.00SBFCorrected142.05.01.52.5147.84.21.00.5SBF (c-SBF)Revised142.05.01.52.5103.027.01.00.5SBF (r-SBF)Resulting142.05.01.52.5103.04.21.00.5improvedSBF
According to Kokubo, the layer which is indispensable for the connection between the bone and the titanium in vivo can be reproduced in vitro by immersion in the SBF. The capacity of a material to create bonds with the bone corresponds to the capacity thereof to be covered with a layer of apatite when it is immersed in this bodily fluid simulated in vitro. Conversely, the bone colonisation will not be able to be carried out on a material which does not have a deposit of apatite after it has been immersed in the SBF.
The observation of the deposit of apatite can be carried out by means of electronic microscopy and the analysis of the composition of this deposit can be carried out using any chemical analysis method.
Still according to Kokubo, it is consequently possible to compare the bioactivity of several materials by comparing the deposition speed of the apatite on these different materials when they are immersed in SBF.
In 2008, concentrating more specifically on pure titanium, the team of Waléria Silva de Meideros, de Oliveira M. V., Pereira L. C. and Andrade M. C. (Bioactive Porous Titanium: an alternative to surgical implants, Artificial Organs 32(4), pages 277-282, 2008) immersed in SBF porous samples of pure titanium. This team has concluded that, after seven days, a deposit of calcium could be identified. Then, after fourteen days, it was possible for them to observe by means of EDX analysis the presence of calcium and phosphorus. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, it can be seen that after fourteen and twenty-eight days of immersion, respectively, a film of calcium phosphate is present at the surface of the material.
According to Kokubo, in his article mentioned above which appeared in 1996 in "Thermochimica Acta", the layer of apatite which is deposited on the material implanted in the human body is carried out using hydroxyl groups (OH) present on the surface of the material. These hydroxyl groups appear as a result of the action of the biological fluids on the material. A layer containing hydrated titanium oxides (HTiO3—) may be reproduced, for titanium, by immersing it in a solution which contains sodium hydroxide NaOH concentrated at 10 moles per liter. This is because the immersion of the titanium in this solution allows the passive layer of oxide to be dissolved at the surface and a new layer of oxides to be created which are necessary for the attachment of the layer of apatite. The same author informs us that this new layer of oxides is unstable both mechanically and chemically. In order to stabilise it, he carries out a thermal processing operation at 600° C. in order to render this deposit amorphous and crystalline. The presence of this layer facilitates the appearance, at the surface of the material, of hydroxyl groups (TiOH) which will bring about the formation of apatite.
Lenka Jonasova and his team (Jonasova L., üller F. A., Helebrant A., Strnad J., Greil P., Biomimetic apatite formation on chemically treated titanium, Biomaterials 25, pages 1187-1194, 2004) have worked on this same subject-matter. However, for their part, they have sought to improve such a method for processing titanium with sodium hydroxide by preparing the titanium beforehand and, more specifically, by pickling it with a solution containing HCl. According to their work, this prior preparation allows, before the processing with NaOH, a layer of TiO2 to be obtained which is finer and more uniform than without such a pickling operation. Samples which had been processed using this method (HCl, then NaOH) were then immersed in SBF. Following each step, chemical analyses were carried out and suppositions relating to the chemical reactions which had taken place, leading to modifications of the surface of the samples of titanium, were transmitted as can be seen in FIG. 7.
It appears that the pickling is successful in degrading the layer of TiO2 naturally present on the surface of the titanium and that, following this degradation, a layer of TiH2 is formed. In contact with ambient air, a new layer of TiO2 which is finer is formed. The immersion in sodium hydroxide NaOH allows this surface layer of TiO2 to be dissolved and a new titanium oxide which contains Na+ ions to be formed. During the immersion in the SBF, an exchange of ions is produced between this and the surface of the titanium. This leads to the formation of a layer of TiOH. The Ca2+ ions are then incorporated into this layer and it is these Ca2+ ions which, owing to their positive charge, will allow apatite to be formed on the surface. This is because the ions (PO4)3− and (CO3)2− will be able to become attached thereto and thus form apatite. The apatite formed in this instance at the surface is HydroxyCarbonated Apatite (HCA), that is to say, a hydroxyapatite which is similar to that naturally present in a bone tissue.
This being the case, no conclusion has been drawn from all these hypotheses formulated in documentation although titanium implants are being increasingly used and porous titanium implants whose characteristics of porosity are very similar to those of the human bone have even recently appeared.
In the wording of a patent application filed in parallel with this one by the same filing company, there has been proposed a new method for processing the surface of a titanium implant by means of immersion in a bath of sodium hydroxide which modifies the layer of oxides naturally present on the titanium and which renders bioactive this metal which is naturally bioinert, which thus allows a strong chemical connection of the bone to the implant produced from such a metal and which consequently promotes the osteointegration of the implant.
The chemical and mechanical stability of the effects of this processing with sodium hydroxide is, however, uncertain.
An object of the present invention is therefore to overcome this possible disadvantage.

Method for the surface treatment of titanium bone implants using, in order, a sodium hydroxide bath and anodization


A compact L-band antenna includes a plurality of elongated radiating elements arranged in a conical configuration. Ends of the radiating elements are attached to provide a single conductor end, which is attached to a connector structure.

This invention relates to RF antennas, and more particularly to L-band antennas.
Log-periodic antennas have been used for L-band applications, but are generally relatively large. Dipole stub antennas have also been used for certain L-band frequencies, but provide unsatisfactory performance at higher frequencies in the L-band range from 500 MHz to 2 GHz.
Bi-conical antennas have been employed for low frequency applications below L-band
It would therefore be advantageous to provide an L-band antenna which is relatively small and has good wide-band performance.
An L-band antenna is described, and includes a plurality of elongated radiating elements arranged in a conical configuration, the radiating elements having first and second ends, the first ends of the elements attached in a tapered fashion to provide a conductive tapered end. The tapered end is attached to a connector.


The multivalent strains of bacteriophages, methods of obtaining these and their use in the treatment of bacterial infections, particularly those of drug-resistant bacterial strains, especially arising in mucoviscidosis patients, are provided.

The bacteriophages (phages) are a diverse group of viruses whose life cycle is connected exclusively with bacteria cells. Bacteriophages are characterized by a lysogenic or lytic life cycle. As anti-bacterial agents, lytic bacteriophages are especially useful which, after infection by bacteria cells to which they are sensitive, they replicate within them, leading to their total destruction (by lysis) and the release of new phages which attack and destroy subsequent bacteria cells. This process may occur both in vitro and in vivo.
One of the essential characteristics of bacteriophages is the well-known high specificity of their lytic activity. This feature is exploited in, for example, species determination (phage typing) of various bacteria (see, for example, patent descriptions GB 2285684, U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,468 and SU 543260, as well as the international patent notifications WO 0100786 and WO 0109370). Other known applications of bacteriophages include their usefulness as tools in molecular biology, for example in the expression and selection of specific proteins (e.g. patent description U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,930), and in sterilization and cleansing media (e.g. patent descriptions EP 0414304, EP 0290295 and GB 2253859, as well as the international patent notifications WO 9808944 and WO 9003122). Modified phages are used in the production of vaccines (e.g. WO 9505454). Certain proteins of bacteriophage origin are also used (e.g. EP 0510907, U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,573, WO 9607329). The methods of isolating bacteriophages and obtaining phage preparations are well known and are constantly being perfected (e.g. GB 829266, CS 192212, RU 2109055).
Phage therapy has been employed on a wide scale since the Second World War at the Institute of Microbiology and Virology of Tbilisi, Georgia. A bank of various phage preparations is used there in the treatment of bacterial infections and in prophylaxis.
Available data indicate a great effectiveness of phage therapy. Similar research has been conducted in Poland for over 25 years. At the Bacteriophage Laboratory of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Wroclaw the phage therapy is used treatment of infections caused by drug-resistant forms of bacteria and those not susceptible to antibiotics (see: Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1981, 31, 293; Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1983, 31, 267; Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1984, 32, 317; Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1985, 33, 219; Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1985, 33, 241; Stefan Ślopek et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 1987, 35, 569; Beata Weber-Dabrowska et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 2000, 48, 31–37; Beata Weber-Dabrowska et al., Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 2000, 48, 547–551). The phage therapy carried out there over the last 14 years, which has included 1473 patients with purulent infections of different tissues and organs, indicates the high efficacy of phage therapy.
Complete abatement of disease symptoms and return to health was noted in 1289 cases. It must be emphasized that in at least a dozen or so cases phage therapy presented the only possibility of eliminating the life-threatening infection. The therapy conducted concerned individual patients. It consisted of:    a) the growth and identification of bacterial strains isolated from material obtained from the patient,    b) determination of the susceptibility of the strain to specific phages and selection of the phage showing the highest lytic activity towards the strain,    c) preparation of a phage lysate with a large number of phage particles,    d) production of a sterile phage preparation for treatment.
This procedure is rather costly, laborious and time consuming. At times, 7–10 days pass from the moment of obtaining the research material to the availability of the finished, sterilized phage preparation for treatment. Such a delay is too long in certain disease states. Phage therapy on a broad scale cannot be carried out with the procedure employed thus far.
Infections accompanying mucoviscidosis present a particular problem. This is a hereditary, systemic disease consisting of dysfunction of mucous-secreting glands, predisposing the patient to chronic bronchial and pulmonary diseases. Secreted mucous is thick and sticky, making its elimination by natural routes (coughing) difficult. The accumulation and lingering of mucous in the bronchi and the impairment in clearing it create favorable conditions for bacterial infections, leading to chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. The most threatening pathogens causing infections accompanying mucoviscidosis are Staphylococcus aureus and bacilli of the genus Pseudonomas. Permanently recurring infections by these micro-organisms lead to serious pathological changes in the respiratory system and premature death. Few patients survive more than 25 years. Treatment of such infections with the available antibiotics has created a serious therapeutic problem worldwide, especially in the past few years. Antibiotic therapy of these infections has become less and less effective because the vast majority of the bacterial strains show resistance to all antibiotics, including the antibiotic of last resort—vancomycin. There is, therefore, an urgent need to introduce an alternative therapeutic method into medical practice for the treatment of refractory and highly dangerous bacterial infections.

Methods of polyvalent bacteriophage preparation for the treatment of bacterial infections

Instytut Immunologii I Terapii Doswiadczal-Nej Pan


A hand-held power tool is provided which includes a drive unit in a housing, a switch device, and elastomer elements. The drive unit is configured to be switched on and off with the switch device which comprises a switch accommodated inside the housing. The elastomer elements are molded onto the outside of the housing and onto the inside of the housing and are connected to each other via an opening in a wall of the housing. An elastomer element on the inside of the housing forms an elastomer bearing configured to support the switch.

DE 10 2006 020 172 A1 describes a cordless screwdriver or cordless drill which has an electric drive motor in a housing, wherein the motor housing, in which the drive motor is arranged, is adjoined by a transmission housing having a transmission, via which the motor movement is transmitted to a tool. In the joining region between the motor housing and the transmission housing there is arranged a sealing element which consists of two half-rings made of thermoplastic elastomer which is molded, next to the joining region, onto the end side of the motor housing. The half-rings also have the function of damping the transmission and sealing off the transmission space from the motor space.
Located on a handle of the housing there is a switch-on element which is connected to a switch which is arranged in the housing and via which the electric drive motor is intended to be switched on and off. Such switches inside the housing are held in their position for example via elastically deformable latching lugs. In order to be able to join the housing parts together, it is necessary to provide the switch mount in the housing with play, which must not exceed a particular degree, however, since otherwise vibrations of the power tool can lead to damage to the switch or to the connection between the switch and the motor.

Hand-held power tool having elastomer elements for supporting components in the housing


Specific advertisements and other information can be communicated to the user of a mobile vehicle depending on the vehicles or occupants needs or preferences.

Owners and operators of trucks and other mobile vehicles often travel to areas with which they are unfamiliar. Even in areas with which they are familiar, there are often nearby resources for obtaining goods and services for their vehicles, and for other purposes, of which they are unaware.
Conversely, dealers of trucks and other automotive products and services incur enormous costs in advertising their products. Unfortunately, much of this expense is wasted when a large percentage of the audience exposed to their radio, print, or other media-based advertisements may have no need or desire for the product or service advertised, because they do not own the particular type of vehicle for which the product or service is available, or their vehicle does not currently need the particular product or service, or because they are not located near (or do not know they're located near) a convenient source for the advertised product or service.
It would be advantageous for vehicle owners and operators to be made aware of potential needs that their vehicle might require, and also of nearby resources for satisfying that need. It would also be mutually advantageous for vehicle manufacturers and/or dealers, as well as for owners and operators, if a vehicle occupant could be alerted to these possible needs by means of an advertisement or other message directing the vehicle operator to a particular service center, store, or other resource in the vicinity of the vehicle.
Conventional systems are available that can tell the driver of the vehicle his position, and there are systems that can provide maps to desired destinations. However, these systems do not focus the available information to the needs of the driver. Conventional systems are available that alert a driver if there is a problem with his vehicle. And of course, conventional systems are available to direct advertising at vehicle drivers (e.g., billboards, commercial radio, etc.).
However, no systems are available that choose and communicate advertising or advisory messages to a driver based on some physical attribute of the vehicle (e.g., type of vehicle, condition of vehicle, etc.), the vehicle's position, and/or need of the operator. Such a system would allow precise targeting of advertisements and/or advisory messages.
The invention is directed toward addressing one or more of the above concerns.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Action recommendation system for a mobile vehicle


A stereo image processor (1) performs image matching, in an image matching section (6), on partial images of the same object included in a base image and a comparative image respectively and detects pixel-precision partial displacement between the base image and the comparative image based on a result of the image matching. Next, in an inverted phase filter processing section (9) in a second matching section (8), pixel values from the comparative image are filtered with an inverted phase filter using, as a filter coefficient, pixel values from the base image with the order thereof reversed, given the partial images of the same object that have minimum pixel-precision partial displacement. Then, in a peak detecting section (10), a peak position where an output value of the filtering with the inverted phase filter is maximum is detected and sub-pixel-precision partial displacement between the base image and the comparative image is detected based on the peak position. In this way, there is provided a stereo image processor that has improved accuracy of disparity calculation and analytical resolution and that requires less computation for disparity calculation and is capable of fast processing.

Conventionally, a stereo image processor is known, which calculates partial displacement between images based on two images (a base image and a comparative image) obtained when a stereo camera is used to take images of the same object, and measures a distance to the object based on the partial displacement between the images. The stereo image processor is under study for application to devices such as one that measures a distance to a vehicle in front based on images obtained by using an on-board camera to take the images of the vehicle or one that measures a distance to a part of the driver's face, such as an eye and a nose, based on images obtained by using an inboard camera to take the images of the face and estimates the direction of the driver's face. However, the smaller size of recent cameras, such as on-board and inboard cameras, have led to a smaller camera spacing and resultant smaller partial displacement between stereo images. Consequently, there is a need for highly accurate disparity calculating functions for a stereo image processor.
Conventionally, a stereo matching method (which is for disparity calculation for stereo image processing) such as a sum of absolute difference (SAD) method and a phase only correlation method (POC) is used in such a stereo image processor.
In a SAD method, partial images are cut off from a base image and a comparative image respectively by using a rectangular window, and the total sum of absolute values of difference between luminance values of the partial images is calculated. Characteristics values here, such as a SAD value, indicate a level of difference in luminance of images. The position of the rectangular window of the comparative image is then shifted on a per pixel basis in the baseline direction to find a alignment at which the SAD value is minimized, which is defined as "pixel level disparity (i.e. partial displacement)". Thereafter, three SAD values around the minimum value (i.e. the minimum, the second minimum, and the third minimum of SAD values) are used to calculate "sub-pixel level disparity (i.e. partial displacement)" by isometric linear fitting.
Such a SAD method has traditionally been used and characterized by relatively high analytical resolution with less computation. However, the SAD method suffers from low accuracy of sub-pixel level disparity calculation; the SAD method can determine disparity (i.e. partial displacement between images) only on the order of ¼ to 1/16 pixel accuracy and is difficult to satisfy the need for highly accurate disparity calculating functions.
Recently, therefore, the POC method draws attention for its high accuracy in disparity calculation. In the POC method, partial images are cut off from a base image and a comparative image respectively by using a window function for reducing an effect from harmonics occurring when a Hanning window or the like is used to cut off an image, and a 2D Fourier transformation is performed on the partial images. The 2 pieces of Fourier image data are combined and the amplitude component is normalized. A 2D inverse Fourier transformation is then performed on the data to determine a phase-limited correlation coefficient. The amount of partial displacement between images is then determined based on a correlated peak.
Such a POC method, which is referred to as a 2D POC method, has an advantage of very high accuracy in disparity calculation. However, the 2D POC method requires a large amount of computation in disparity calculation, and it is difficult to compute in a short time. In addition, the 2D POC method is inferior to the SAD method in terms of analytical resolution, which is the quantity on a screen at which isolated objects can be distinguished and the distance can be measured.
Recently, a 1D POC method is proposed (see Patent Literature 1), which requires less computation than the 2D POC method. In the 1D POC method, partial images are cut off from a base image and a comparative image respectively by using a Hanning window, and a 1D Fourier transformation is performed on the partial images. The 2 pieces of Fourier image data are combined and the amplitude component is normalized. A 1D inverse Fourier transformation is then performed on the data to determine a phase-limited correlation coefficient. In other words, the 1D Fourier transformation is performed instead of the 2D Fourier transformation to reduce computation.
However, even though computation has been somewhat reduced in the conventional 1D POC method, the reduction is still insufficient and computation required to calculate disparity is still much greater (in comparison with the SAD method); therefore, it is not easy to compute in a short time. In addition, the 1D POC method is significantly inferior to the SAD method in terms of analytical resolution, which is the quantity on a screen at which isolated objects can be distinguished and the distance can be measured.

Stereo image processor and stereo image processing method

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


During the device link processing, an original lookup table LUT0 is modified into a modified lookup table LUT1 so that achromatic color value sets B2a will be associated with all the achromatic color value sets B1a. Accordingly, during a color conversion processing, by using the modified lookup table LUT1, any input achromatic color value set B1 in (0, 0, 0, K1 in ) will be converted into an output achromatic color value set B2 out (0, 0, 0, K2 out). In this way, the black-print image part in the input image that is reproduced by black ink only by printer A1 will be maintained as a black-print image part and printed by a printer A2 by black ink only. Thus, the black-print information of the input image can be maintained through the color conversion processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color conversion device.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a color printer is provided with four cartridges that store inks of colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), respectively. In order to form a multi-color image on a recording paper, the color printer forms images of the respective colors of C, M, Y, and M and by superimposing the four single-color images on top of one another.
The color printer receives a CMYK color value set (C, M, Y, K), which is constituted by cyan, magenta, yellow, and black control signals C, M, Y, K. Each control signal has a value representative of 256 gradations from 0 to 255 for a corresponding color. For example, a CMYK color value set (0, 0, 100, 0) indicates light yellow, while another CMYK color value set of (0, 0, 200, 0) indicates thick or dark yellow. The color printer reproduces multiple tones for each color by adjusting the amount of the corresponding ink according to the CMYK color value set (C, M, Y, K).
Incidentally, coloring degrees of inks used in different color printers are different from one another. Accordingly, even if the same color value set (C, M, Y, K) is used in two different devices A1 and A2, colors reproduced by the devices A1 and A2 will be different from each other. Therefore, when device A1 is controlled by some color value set (C1, M1, Y1, K1) to produce some image and when it is intended to control the device A2 to form the same image, a color conversion device has to convert the color value set (C1, M1, Y1, K1) into another color value set (C2, M2, Y2, K2) that can control the device A2 to reproduce the same image.
In order to convert the color value set (C1, M1, Y1, K1) into the color value set (C2, M2, Y2, K2), according to an ICC (International Color Consortium) color management, the color conversion device first converts the color value set (C1, M1, Y1, K1) into a standard color value set (L, a, b) or (X, Y, Z) by using an ICC profile for the device A1. The standard color value set (L, a, b) or (X, Y, Z) is defined by the CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage). The color conversion device then converts the standard color value set (L, a, b) or (X, Y, Z) into the color value set (C2, M2, Y2, K2) by using another ICC profile that is for the device A2. Each ICC profile includes data indicative of a correspondence between a plurality of representative color value sets (C, M, Y, K) used in the corresponding device and a plurality of representative standard color value sets (L, a, b) or (X, Y, Z). Each ICC profile is prepared in a file format that is set by the ICC.


A method for monitoring the health of a brake plate having a solenoid with a solenoid air gap includes creating a reference solenoid current profile for the brake plate solenoid air gap, by: calculating a nominal solenoid current profile based on the air gap under nominal conditions, calculating a upper and lower limit of the nominal solenoid current profile, based on an impact of at least one external variation and/or tolerance of the brake plate, and creating the reference solenoid current profile by combining said upper and lower limits into the nominal solenoid current profile. The method also includes generating and measuring a solenoid current curve of the brake plate and determining if said generated curve of the brake plate is between said upper and lower limits to determine that the brake plate is healthy.

Brake plates wear through use. There are a number of different ways by which this wear can be monitored. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,803,712 B2 describes a method of monitoring a brake and in doing so, obtaining information on the condition of the brake. The document describes using a magnetizing means and first and second braking surfaces. When an electric current is applied to the magnetizing means, this moves the braking surfaces to an open state wherein the braking surfaces are no longer connected to each other. The method comprises determining the electric current of the magnetizing means as these braking surfaces move apart and further comprises determining a maximum electric current of the magnetizing means of the brake when in the open state. The method then determines the condition of the braking surface as a current ratio from the electric current measured as the braking surfaces start to move to a maximum electric current.
WO 2018/054545 A1 describes a method for monitoring an electromagnetically actuatable brake which has an energizable coil that interacts with a solenoid arranged in a linearly movable manner. The current flowing through the coil is detected, and the detected current is fed to an analysis unit. The voltage applied to the coil is increased during particular periods of time and the current curve produced determines the position of the solenoid relative to the coil. This determined position is used to determine whether the brake is in the engaged state or released state.

Brake plate wear detection using solenoid current signature


Dispersant compositions are described which contain: (a) a carrier medium comprising glycerol carbonate, the carrier medium present in an amount of from 10 to 80% by weight based on the composition; and (b) one or more polyester dispersants present in an amount of from 20 to 90% by weight based on the composition.

Dispersants are used in paint manufacture largely for the following reasons:    a) to disperse the film former,    b) to disperse pigments and fillers and    c) to disperse other additives which may be present in paint formulations, for example hardening accelerators, thickeners, flow controllers, flatting agents, preservatives.
As the expert is aware, paint manufacturers generally seek to have the components used for the production of paint formulations available in a form which allows for easy handling. A major advantage in this regard is if a component is present in liquid rather than solid form and can be poured at room temperature (room temperature in the context of the present invention is understood to be a temperature of 25° C. This is routinely achieved by the use of solvents. In principle, suitable solvents are on the one hand water and, on the other hand, organic solvents. However, there are instances where, on the one hand, water is not suitable because it is unable satisfactorily to dissolve the dispersant or because the dispersant is not permanently stable in water and where, on the other hand, organic solvents are not suitable. The latter point is of increasing importance because organic solvents have become increasingly unattractive for environmental reasons so that substantial freedom from VOCs (volatile organic compounds) is desirable. Accordingly, there is a constant demand for dispersants to be presented in a form which is not attended by any of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Dispersant compositions containing glycerol carbonate and polyester-based dispersants


A method is provided for inducing or enhancing penile erection through the delivery of odorants for inhalation. The administration of odorants provides an increase in blood flow to the penis, and a therapeutic aid to stimulate sexual activity and alleviate male vasculogenic impotence.

In men, the genital component of the excitement phase of the sexual response cycle is manifested by penile erection and scrotal elevation (Kolodny, Masters and Johnson, Textbook of Sexual Medicine, pages 507-508, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Mass. (1979)). Erection is basically a cardiovascular event that is controlled by the nervous system. The first physical sign of sexual excitation is a change in penile blood flow. Blood flow increases to the penis with sexual excitement and is reduced with sexual inhibition.
Male erectile dysfunction, or impotence, is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection of sufficient rigidity to have sexual intercourse. The causes of impotence are psychological and/or organic (i.e., endocrinologic, neurogenic and vasculogenic). Ten to fifteen percent of male impotence is organic in nature. Organic causes can be from local lesions of the genitalia, endocrine diseases, organic lesions of the nervous system, and/or vasculogenic impotence from reduced blood flow is the most common organic cause usually seen in diabetes. Impotence may be a side effect of a therapeutic drug or associated with a disease such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and sickle cell anemia, and can be exacerbated by smoking, inadequate diet among other factors. Emotional disturbances, including stress, fatigue or distraction, can also cause impotence.
In the sexual response, neuromuscular events simultaneously increase the amount of blood entering the organ and decrease the rate at which blood is allowed to leave it. Three vascular changes have been indicated in causing erection: shunting of blood into the cavernous spaces, contraction of muscular polsters on deep efferent veins, and vasoconstriction-induced reduction in superficial penile blood flow (G. Conti, Octa. Anat. 14:17 (1952)). As a function of the autonomic nervous system, penile engorgement is controlled by arterial flow through the pudendal artery and the smaller arteries to the penis. The increased arterial flow is accomplished by active dilatation of the arterioles. The process is reversed by the sudden constriction of the arterioles that accompanies ejaculation.
Alteration of blood flow to and from the penis is considered to be the most frequent organic cause of impotence. Vasculogenic impotence results from either arterial occlusion, i.e., the obstruction of adequate blood flow to the penile arteries, or excess venal outflow (cavernovenous leaking).
Treatment of impotence can include counseling directed toward dealing with the male's insecurities and feelings to reduce fears of sexual performance. Treatments for male impotence include surgery, penile prostheses implants including flexible rods and inflatable balloons, drugs such as vasodilators given to induce an erection as an ointment for topical application or a solution for transurethral injection, and external aids such as penile splints to support the penis or constricting rings to alter the blood flow through the penis. A drawback of those systems is their invasiveness, unwanted side effects, cost, inconvenience, and complexity.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method of stimulating the male sexual response and inducing penile erection, that is non-invasive and easy to perform. Another object is to induce normal male sexual arousal.

Use of odorants to treat male impotence, and article of manufacture therefor


A mechanism for ascertaining whether a male connector is engaged with a female connector through a rotatable ring is provided. The mechanism includes a detection tool, an accommodating part formed on a connector housing of the male connector, and an engagement recess formed on the ring. The detection tool includes a body part, an engagement projection formed on the body part, and a strut part formed on the body part. The accommodating part has a large groove for receiving the body part of the detection tool and a small groove formed on a bottom of the large groove, for receiving the strut part of the detection tool. The engagement recess is provided for engagement with the engagement projection. When the engagement recess is brought into a position opposing the engagement projection, the detection tool can be slid in the accommodating part, so that the engagement projection engages with the engagement recess. On the contrary, when the engagement projection is not fitted into the engagement recess, the perfect fitting condition of the connectors cannot be realized.

The present invention relates to a mechanism for ascertaining a fitting condition of an electrical connector assembly which comprises a male connector, a female connector and a rotatable engagement ring for assisting the engagement of the male connector with the female connector.
In general, this kind of electrical connector assembly includes the male connector having a male connector housing in form of a hollow cylinder, the female connector having a female connector housing in form of a hollow cylinder, and the engagement ring rotatably arranged on a peripheral face of the male connector housing. The female connector is provided, at a front end of the female connector housing, with a swelling hood for receiving the male connector. Normally, the ring has a pair of projecting studs formed on an inner periphery of a front end portion of the ring. While, the female connector is provided, on an outer periphery of the hood, with double-start threads for engagement with the studs. Note, the so-constructed female connector housing is fitted into an orifice formed in a panel constituting a vehicle or the like.
In order to complete the above-mentioned electrical connector assembly, the male connector housing is firstly inserted into the hood and the ring is then rotated to screw the studs into the threads. Consequently, the male connector is engaged with the female connector, while terminals carried in the male connector are electrically connected with terminals in the female connector, respectively.
In the above-mentioned arrangement of the electrical connector assembly, however, there is a problem of difficulty for a worker to confirm the rotating condition of the ring by his sense of sight or touch. For this, there is a possibility of occurrence of imperfect engagement of the male connector with the female connector.

Mechanism for ascertaining fitting condition of electrical connector assembly


A method and apparatus for applying a pre-formed decoration to an article provides that the article is immersed into a liquid on which the decoration is floating. Prior to transferring the decoration to the article, the decoration is heated and hot water vapor may be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying a pre-formed decoration to an article by using hydrostatic pressure and by heating the decoration before it is transferred to the article.
2. Background of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,057 , corresponding to German Patent No. DE-A- 25 34 640, describes a method and corresponding apparatus for applying a decoration to an article using hydrostatic pressure. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference. However, this patent neither teaches nor suggests heating the decoration before such a decoration is applied to the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,173 describes a method of decorating objects with wax in which heated wax is dripped upon a liquid surface to form a film and the article to be decorated is then dipped into the liquid thereby receiving the wax film. However, the wax dripped upon the liquid surface is unrestrained and free to assume any shape on the surface of the liquid. For that reason, the appearance of the wax film on the article will be entirely random and unsuitable for situations requiring repetitive applications of a pre-formed decoration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,246 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,866 describe transfer printing techniques in which the film with the decoration to be transferred is not placed upon a layer of water but instead is placed upon a layer of granules or a deformable layer of pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,571 describes a transfer printing technique in which the article to receive a decoration is immersed in a specific way into a flowing liquid with the decoration floating thereupon. The article is presented to the decoration in a continuous movement in the general direction of the liquid flow along a downward path oblique to the surface of the liquid and then along an upward path oblique to the surface of the liquid to provide contact between the decoration and the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,881, corresponding to DE-A- 32 19 992, describes a transfer printing technique in which the decoration is supported on a layer of a special film made of a hydrophilic, deformable layer which can swell by absorption of water, and a further layer which is placed over the hydrophilic layer and is varyingly permeable to water so that the hydrophilic layer expands to a greater or lesser extent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,239 describes another transfer printing technique in which the decoration is prepared before the transfer by a solvent in order that it detaches itself more easily from the supporting film when transferred onto the article. This activation of the decoration (printing pattern) takes place directly before transferring the film with the decoration to the surface of the water. The film supporting the decoration is water soluble so that, upon contact with the water, the film dissolves and the decoration is then floating on the surface of the water alone (without the film). The decoration is then transferred to the article to be decorated by subsequent immersion of the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,829 describes a transfer printing technique in which boric acid or a salt thereof is added to a PVA film supporting the decoration on the liquid or to the water on which the decoration floats in order to promote the transfer process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,650 also describes a transfer printing technique utilizing the addition of a solvent in order to make the detachment of the decoration from the supporting film easier.
The solvents provided in the prior art discussed above for activation of the decoration are, for example, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, octanes, gasoline (petrol) or else aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene, cyclohexane, etc. To promote the activation by means of such solvents, the addition of synthetic resins, such as halogenated vinylchlorides and the like, is also proposed in the cited prior art.
Use of solvents for activation of the decoration is laborious and requires special measures for environmental protection.

Method and apparatus for applying a decoration to an article using heat


A system 100 for real-time processing of a pointer movement provided by a pointing device, the system comprising an output 130 for displaying a pointer 162, 164 at a first position p1 in an image 152, 154, 156, the image comprising a contour; a user input 110 for obtaining pointer movement data 112 from a pointing device 140 operable by a user, the pointer movement data being indicative of a pointer movement v of the pointer from the first position to a second position p2 in the image; and a processor 120 for (i) dampening the pointer movement by reducing the pointer movement along a direction orthogonal 172 to the contour, and (ii) establishing a third position p3 of the pointer based on said dampened pointer movement vd.

Systems and methods are known that enable users to operate a pointing device to perform processing of an image using the pointer shown onscreen. For example, the user may draw a line or curve in the image by moving the pointing device accordingly.
In particular, it is known to facilitate the drawing of boundaries in medical images. A publication "Interactive Live-Wire Boundary Extraction", by W. A. Barrett et al., Medical Image Analysis, 1(4):331-341, 1997, describes a tool which is said to allow accurate boundary extraction requiring minimal user input. Optimal boundaries are computed and selected at interactive rates as the user moves a mouse starting from a manually specified seed point. When the mouse position comes in proximity to an object edge, a "live-wire" boundary snaps to, and warps around the object of interest. It is noted that in order to facilitate seed point placement, a cursor snap is available which forces the mouse pointer to the maximum gradient magnitude pixel within a user specified neighborhood.
A problem of the above tool is that snapping the mouse pointer to a particular pixel in the image to establish a position in the image is inconvenient for a user.

System and method for processing a pointer movement


A device for injection molding articles of plastics material having hollow spaces. The device includes a molding tool with a mold cavity. Plastics material melt is fed to the mold cavity through a nozzle. Another pressurized medium is supplied to the mold cavity through a hollow needle at a location different from the location of the nozzle. A needle core is mounted in the hollow needle. The needle core is axially displaceable within certain limits. The opening of the hollow needle to the mold cavity can be opened and closed or its cross-sectional area can be varied by moving the needle core.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for injection molding articles of plastics material having hollow spaces. The device includes a molding tool with a mold cavity. Plastics material melt is supplied to the mold cavity through a nozzle. Another pressurized medium, such as air, gas or liquid, can be supplied to the mold cavity through a hollow needle at a location different from the location of the nozzle.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is already known in the art from German Offenlegungsschrift 21 06 546 to manufacture articles having hollow spaces of plastics material in the mold cavity of a molding tool by supplying, after the injection of the plastics material melt within the injection period provided for this purpose, to the low-viscosity center of the injection molded body within the subsequent afterpressure period compressed gas, preferably compressed air, and then to fill the hollow space in the injection molded body during the afterpressure period with a foamed plastics material. For this purpose, an injection mold with injection nozzles is used which has another nozzle for supplying the afterpressure gas and which can be connected to an appropriate gas source and whose opening projects into the region of the low-viscosity center of the injection molded body.
In this manner, it is possible to produce articles of plastics material, even with large volumes, without problems. Without requiring a complicated construction of the molding tools and without having to operate with exactly measured injection periods, afterpressure periods and exact pressures and temperatures.
On the other hand, it is also already known from German Auslegeschrift 24 61 580, from German Offenlegungsschrift 25 01 314, and from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,101,617 and 4,740,150 to inject the plasticized plastics material, on the one hand, and the additional pressurized medium, on the other, practically at the same location into the mold cavity of the molding tool.
Particularly in injection molding devices of the type mentioned last, it has been found disadvantageous that the nozzles serving for supplying the additional pressurized medium, such as air, gas or liquid, are too frequently clogged with the plastics material to be processed and, therefore, have to be cleaned after almost every successive injection procedure to ensure that they satisfactorily carry out their functions.
The device according to German Offenlegungsschrift 21 06 546 has a nozzle which is formed as a hollow needle extending significantly into the mold cavity. However, this hollow needle is also clogged in an undesirable manner, at least when the amount of the plastics material melt introduced into the mold cavity is dimensioned such that it reaches within the low-viscosity center of the injection molded body up to the opening of the hollow needle, or even covers or flows over the opening when the gas pressure is reduced in the hollow space as the afterpressure period ends. This is because any melt still in liquid form can penetrate into the relatively large cross-sectional area of the opening of the hollow needle and clog the opening.
If this disadvantage is to be prevented in the device according to German Offenlegungsschrift 21 06 546, the hollow needle must always extend into the center of the mold cavity by such an extent that any liquid plastics material melt cannot reach the nozzle opening even after the afterpressure period has ended, i.e., it must be ensured that no melt can reach the nozzle opening.
However, it has been found advantageous if the nozzles or hollow needles serving for supplying the additional pressurized medium do not extend through the wall thickness of the articles to be manufactured in the cavity of the molding tool up to the region of the hollow space to be formed; rather, the nozzles or hollow needles should only project into a portion of the wall thickness being created. This facilitates an automatic sealing of the opening of the nozzle or hollow needle at the end of each injection procedure from the inside by means of plastics material melt still in liquid form, as is desirable or even required in most cases.

Device for injection molding articles of plastics material which contain hollow spaces


A bearing comprising different materials having oil-filled pores in them has a relief space in the middle section which is not provided by machining. The materials are different, have different characteristics, and bear different portions of load the bearing supports, resulting in longer bearing life and reduced noise. Materials 1 and 2 are separately formed and sintered in such a way that material 1 has smaller pores in it and can support higher load, material 2 has larger pores in it and can support lower load, and an end portion of each material is stepped so that material 1 can be partially inserted into material 2 and a relief space is provided on the inner periphery of material 1. The materials 1 and 2 are then joined together into one piece, and the one piece is placed in a sizing die and pressed. The sized one piece is a strong one-piece bearing having an accurate inside diameter and good concentric alignment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a composite porous bearing with its pores filled with lubricant oil, and a method of making such a bearing. More specifically, the invention relates to a slide bearing supporting a rotating shaft of an axial-flow fan motor or other rotating devices, and a method of making such a bearing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many ideas are known in the conventional art in relation to a so-called mid-relief bearing where the inside diameter of the middle section is larger than that of either end section. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-110823 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 58-94628 relate to a mid-relief bearing manufactured by first removing part of the outer surface of the middle section to make the walls of the middle section thinner and by expanding outwardly the thinner walls from inside to make the inside diameter of the middle section larger during a sizing process. Also, Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-54525 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1-242821 relate to a method of making a mid-relief bearing by sizing a bearing with a special die so that the inside diameter of the middle section gets larger. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-149803 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-151502 also use similar methods.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-107705 uses a crowned sizing core during a sizing process and removes it by spring-back. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-53387 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 3-240901 make the inside diameter of the middle section larger by means of the pressure applied to the bearing as it is pressed fit into a housing.
All the methods mentioned above obtain a one-piece bearing with a larger inside diameter at the middle section by means of plastic deformation caused by either a special die in a forming process or the press-fit pressure in a housing process, for the purpose of reducing friction found with a long bearing having a relatively large bearing area. These methods have advantage over an earlier three-piece bearing which uses two separate bearing parts and a housing to form a mid-relief bearing assembly. A major advantage is high performance with reduced cost due to the simpler one-piece structure.
Another Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 6-70504 discloses a long-life porous bearing featuring effective use of lubricating oil where the high-load and low-load materials have oil-filled pores of different sizes and are joining together, and oil circulates from the low-load material to the high-load material through their pores by capillary. Another Japanese patent Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 2-65714 discloses a long-life porous bearing consisting of two sintered porous materials with pores of different sizes where oil returns into the larger pores in one material and then advances by capillary through the smaller pores in the other material.
Another Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 4-75443 prevents oil leakage by providing the peripheral area of a bearing with oil-collecting grooves. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 48-39464, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 44-22002, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 48-4311 also use similar techniques. In these methods, the grooves in the outside peripheral area allow oil to pass through them, not only preventing oil leakage but improving cooling effect, and an oil-filled felt or other oil supplying means ensures a longer-life bearing.
A mid-relief bearing as mentioned above can reduce bearing friction, but suffers from an accuracy problem in a sizing process because either the middle section is expanded or the end sections are squeezed during a sizing process to make the inside diameter of the middle section larger. Especially, it is practically impossible to control the distribution of pores over the inner peripheral areas because of the one piece manufacturing method. Also it is difficult to make the inside diameters, or the concentric alignment, the shaft-joining end sections accurate. When compared with a three piece bearing assembly where two bearing materials are assembled into a housing, the one piece bearing more quickly deteriorates in performance, requires more lenient dimensional tolerances, has less stable bearing characteristics, and thereby leads to an unsatisfactory product yield.
For a bearing made of different materials tightly joining together and having oil-filled pores, which may be different in size, longer life can be expected due to oil circulation through pores, but tight junction between the materials is assured only by the press-fit pressure at the time of incorporation into a housing and not easily ensured or confirmed. Also, tight junction between the materials is difficult to achieve and may fail to assure effective oil circulation, because the joining areas are sometimes not large enough or have relatively coarser texture than inner or outer peripheral areas. Another problem with this type of bearing is that other sintered materials are necessary outside the bearing to collect and return oil to the bearing, adding to the cost.
While any bearing made by powder-material metallurgy is formed, sintered, sized, and assembled into a housing during manufacturing, some of the conventional art assembles two or more formed materials into one bearing assembly and subjects the assembly to a sintering process ensuring tight junction between materials by making use of the diffusion effect of the process. Some of the conventional art forms, sinters, and sizes bearing materials separately, and joins them together in a press-fit assembly process.
The method in which formed materials are assembled together and then sintered suffers poor workability due to the weak strength of formed materials, as well as limited allowable combination of materials due to the requirements of a sintering process. The method in which materials are sized separately before assembled together requires an additional process of inside diameter correction to make the inside diameters, and the concentric alignment, of the materials accurate and have a desired distribution of pores. Additional process means additional cost.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A fabric wrap jewelry item embodiment includes an elongate strip of fabric having a width, an elongate length, and two ends, wherein the elongate length is sized to wrap at least twice around an appendage of a wearer and the ends connected together to form a loop of fabric material, and a pendant affixed to the elongate strip of fabric.

Bracelets are popular items to wear, but are troublesome for active individuals or people engaging in exercise because they tend to slip, rub, or otherwise irritate the wrist.
Conventional bracelet designs have several deficiencies including clasp, sizing, safety, durability, appearance, and comfort issues. For example:
Clasp issues: Clasps are notoriously difficult to operate by oneself and are by nature typically the weak point of any bracelet design. Such difficulties in operation are particularly true for children and for the elderly. Additionally, clasps can open, allowing the bracelet to become lost. Clasps can also break over time from repeated opening and closing, thereby rendering the bracelet useless.Sizing issues: Bracelets are typically made with an average 7.25″ wrist in mind. However, many individuals with larger or smaller wrists have difficulty finding bracelets that fit them.Safety issues: Bracelets that are rigid or hang loosely off the wrist can more easily catch or snag on clothing or other objects. This is a potential safety hazard, especially when the wearer is engaging in more vigorous activities.Durability: Bracelets often employ the use of jumprings in their design. A jumpring is often used to attach the clasp to the actual bracelet. This creates a weak point in the bracelet design, and in many instances, any tugging on the bracelet can cause the jumpring to open.Appearance: Bracelets often have a focal bead or main pendant in their design. The weight of the focal bead or main pendant causes it to slip around to the underside of the wrist so that it becomes hidden or the bracelet appears to be the wrong side up.Comfort: Bracelets can be bothersome to wear because they are heavy, bulky, scratchy, or fit loosely around the wrist. Movement through exercise or increased activity exacerbates all of these comfort issues. Comfort issues are even more important for wearers who, often for medical reasons, need to wear a bracelet throughout the entire day (such as a medical alert bracelet).
Some of the issues listed above are more tolerable for "everyday" jewelry wearers, but make the wearing of such jewelry difficult for active and exercise-minded individuals. Rubber band-type bracelets have been designed to overcome some of these issues. However, they still fit loosely on the wrist, causing rubbing to occur. They also are not made of a breathable, washable material and thus are more irritating to the skin during perspiration. The issues noted above are even more problematic for people with certain serious medical conditions, such as Diabetes, Epilepsy, and severe allergies. These individuals are advised to continuously wear a medical alert bracelet, which are most often a metal chain design, which can have many of the issues discussed above.
Additionally, tags for placement on shoes have be utilized, however these tags utilize tags that have charms affixed to their surface or are created from plastic materials which involve the use of molds to form the design. Although nice looking, changing the design of these tags is expensive due to the creation of new charms or new molds.

Fabric wrap jewelry item and customizable decorative tags


A headlight for vehicles has a headlight housing, a light source arranged in the headlight housing, an electrical supply unit provided for the light source and arranged on the headlight housing, the headlight housing in the region of at least a part of the supply unit being provided with an opening, a metallic cooling body closing the opening of the headlight housing, and a cooling body being formed so that the at least a part of the supply unit is arranged inside the headlight housing on the cooling body.

The present invention generally relates to a headlight for vehicles.
More particularly, it relates to a headlight for vehicles, with a headlight housing accommodating a gas discharge lamp and provided with an electrical supply for the gas discharge lamp.
Headlights of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such headlights is disclosed for example in the German patent document DE 43 15 394 A1. This headlight has a light source formed as a gas discharge lamp, and also is provided with a headlight housing and electrical supply unit for the gas discharge lamp arranged in the headlight housing. The electrical supply unit has an ignition device and a control device. The control device is located substantially outside the headlight housing and has a housing extending through an opening of the headlight housing. The ignition device is arranged inside the headlight housing and connected by a conductor with the control device as well as with the gas discharge lamp. The control device during the operation of the gas discharge lamp is heated. A cooling of the control device is possible because of its arrangement outside of the headlight housing.
The disadvantage of this construction is that the control device requires a separate, closed and sealed housing, which increases the mounting space and the weight of the headlight.


A combination backpack and tent system utilizes the backpack frame as the support for one end of a tent. This frame has a pair of tent leg holding members attached to the upper end of the frame on each side. The tent is secured to the lower end of the backpack frame; so that it can be rolled up and stored on the frame, covered by a short flap constituting an extension of the floor. This flap is rolled over the tent and secured to the frame. When the tent is erected, the short flap is pulled to the opposite side of the backpack frame and the tent is unrolled. The tent extends up over a pack on the backpack at one end, and telescoping legs or flexible tent pole extensions are attached to the leg holding members on each side of the backpack. The tent is extended; and when it is erected, the pack portion of the backpack faces the interior of the tent. A pair of flaps extend from the sides of the tent over the opposite side of the backpack, and are secured together to form a substantially weather-tight system. The pack portion of the backpack is located inside the tent for access to the contents thereof from within the tent.

Outdoorsmen, such as hikers, hunters, mountain climbers and the like typically carry all of the necessary camping equipment with them on a backpack frame. Backpack frames usually are made of lightweight metal, such as tubular aluminum or the like, in the form of a generally vertical frame having a pair of spaced-apart vertical side members which are interconnected at the top and at intermediate points by cross members. The frame has shoulder straps and a hip belt for distributing the weight of items carried on the frame comfortably on the hiker using the backpack.
Generally, a pack made of nylon or other suitable material is attached to the frame. Such packs usually have a large central compartment with a flap-covered opening at the top. Frequently, there are one or more side pockets on each side of the central pack, which are separately accessible, and the exterior of the main body portion of the pack often has one or more smaller pockets located on its exterior surface. This permits different items to be carried in the various pockets and portions of the pack; so that they may easily be separately accessed. Usually, such frames have a space at the top, above the pack, to which a lightweight tent or sleeping bag may be attached, and a similar space below the main pack, again, to which either a sleeping bag or a lightweight tent may be attached.
Tents typically carried by backpackers are made of lightweight material, such as nylon, and typically include sectionalized poles, usually made of flexible fiberglass, for supporting the tent in its erected position. When this is done, the backpack either then must be placed separately inside the tent, if that is the desire of the hiker, of it is left outside the tent. During rainy weather, or when marauding animals are likely to be encountered, it generally is not advisable to leave the backpack outside; so that it must be placed inside the tent. When this is done inside a standard tent, the backpack takes up space that otherwise is used by the tent occupants, and it is cumbersome to move the backpack into and out of the tent.
In the past, specialized backpack frames have been designed for providing a carrying frame when the backpacker is hiking, which is utilized to provide a frame for a cot or a tent. Three patents directed to devices of this type are the patents to Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,918; Velazquez U.S. Pat No. 3,971,495; and Lindner U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,812. The devices disclosed in all three of these patents require a specialized construction of the backpack or backpack frame in order to provide the tent (or cot) capability. None of the devices disclosed in these patents are adaptable to a standard backpack; and most of the bulk of the device is directly employed for the storage of the frame members and the tent or cot material. None of them have any provision for making the contents of the parts of the backpack, which are not used directly in constructing a tent, accessible from within such a tent.
A patent directed to another type of combination backpack frame and tent is the patent to Carter U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,813. This patent discloses a backpack frame which has telescoping and pivoting members to extend it to a length sufficient to overlie a sleeping bag placed underneath it. In the extended form, the frame is used to suspend a tent attached beneath it. Both ends of the frame need to be attached to some upright support to hold it up above the sleeping bag located within the tent. Once again, a standard backpack frame is not used; and there is no provision for making the pockets of the pack of a standard backpack accessible from within the tent.
Two other patents are specifically directed to backpack frames which are disassembled to provide a number of component parts for re-assembly into a tent frame. These are the patents to Pava No. U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,138 and Dean et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,217. These devices do not employ standard backpack frames. In addition, the backpack contents, which normally are attached to a backpack frame, must be completely removed from the frame, which is disassembled and then re-assembled to form the tent frame.
It is desirable to provide a combination backpack and tent system which can be used with a conventional backpack without requiring modification of the backpack itself, and which, when assembled, encloses the backpack within the tent in such a way that the contents of the pack itself are accessible from within the tent.


A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a front case, a flat panel having a front side facing the front case and a back side, a main printed circuit board supported by the back side of the flat panel, the main circuit printed circuit board having a back side, a battery having a first surface located at a first side thereof and a second surface located at a second side thereof, the battery being located at the back side of the main printed circuit board to form a separation gap between the first curved surface and the back side of the main printed circuit board and at least a portion of an electronic component being mounted on the main printed circuit board and extending into the separation gap. An apparatus for forming a curved battery for the mobile terminal is also provided.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal including a back side that is curved so as to form a slim structure and an apparatus configured to mold a battery loaded in the mobile terminal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a device which may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files and outputting music via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some terminals include additional functionality which supports game playing, while other terminals are also configured as multimedia players. More recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receive broadcast and multicast signals which permit viewing of contents, such as videos and television programs.
Generally, terminals can be classified into mobile terminals and stationary terminals according to their degree (e.g., ease) of mobility. Further, the mobile terminals can be further classified into handheld terminals and vehicle mount terminals according to the manner of portability.
There are ongoing efforts to support and increase the functionality of mobile terminals. Such efforts include software and hardware improvements, as well as changes and improvements in the structural components which form the mobile terminal.
Meanwhile, to break from the conventional uniform design configured of a flat front and back sides, there are increasing demands on a mobile terminal configured of a curved back side. Generally, to form such a curved back side of the mobile terminal, a rear case of a back cover that has a thick center may be coupled to a LCD panel, a printed circuit board and a battery. As the thickness of the center is increased in the rear case or the back cover, an inner surface of the rear case or the back cover is flat and the opposite outer surface thereof is curved to make curved the back side of the mobile terminal.
However, the thickness of the rear case of the back cover partially increases to make the outer surface curved and the overall thickness of the mobile terminal cannot help increasing. Accordingly, it is difficult to realize the mobile terminal having a slim design and a curved back side simultaneously.

Curved mobile terminal with curved battery


Integrated circuit memory devices include a plurality of pads that receive signals from external of the memory device and a plurality of data buses, a respective one of which is operatively connected to a respective one of the plurality of pads. A plurality of multiplexers is provided, a respective one of which is operatively connected to a respective one of the pads and to each of the data buses, to write data from the data buses to the memory cell in a direct access test mode, and to write data from the respective one of the pads to the memory cell array in a normal mode. The integrated circuit memory devices also preferably include a plurality of input/output devices, a respective one of which operatively connects the respective one of the pads to the respective one of the multiplexers. The plurality of input/output devices preferably are a plurality of pipelines that store signals that are serially received from external of the memory device, and that provide the stored signals to the multiplexers.

High-speed integrated circuit memory devices may include a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), an input/output unit that receives an external signal, and an interface logic unit that receives a command from the input/output unit and decodes the received command. The DRAM may be tested in a direct access test mode. In the direct access test mode, test signals output by low frequency testing equipment bypass the interface logic and proceed directly to the DRAM, so that the low frequency testing equipment can test the DRAM.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a high-speed integrated circuit memory device including an input/output circuit. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional high-speed memory device 101 includes first through eighth pads P0 through P7, first through eighth input pipelines 121 through 128, first through fourth buffers 131 through 134 and a memory cell array such as a DRAM cell array 111. The high-speed memory device 101 receives a test row address strobe signal (TRASB), a test column address strobe signal (TCASB), a test write enable signal (TWE), a test latch enable signal (TWL), a test clock signal (TCLK), a row address signal (RADR) and a column address signal (CADR) from external of the device 101.
FIG. 2 shows the waveforms of signals for writing data in the DRAM cell array 111 of FIG. 1. A method of writing data in the DRAM cell array 111 of a high-speed memory device in the direct access test mode will now be described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.
In order to select memory cells of the DRAM cell array 111, the test write enable signal TWE is activated to logic high. In this state, when the row address signal RADR and the column address signal CADR are input to the DRAM cell array 111, particular cells of the DRAM cell array 111 are selected. The row address signal RADR is input to the first through fourth buffers 131 through 134 via the first through fourth pads P0 through P3 when the test row address strobe signal TRASB is activated to logic low. The column address signal CADR is input to the first through fourth buffers 131 through 134 via the first through fourth pads P0 through P3 when a column latency signal COLLAT which is generated when the test column address strobe signal TCASB is activated to logic low, is activated to logic high. The direct access test signal PDA is activated to logic high in the direct access test mode, so that the row and column address signals RADR and CADR input to the first through fourth buffers 131 through 134 are transmitted to the DRAM cell array 111 to select the particular cells of the DRAM cell array 111.
After the row and column address signals RADR and CADR are input to the DRAM cell array 111, the test clock signal TCLK is generated. During four cycles of the test clock signal TCLK, data to be written in the DRAM cell array 111 from external of the memory device is latched to the first through eighth input pipelines 121 through 128 via the first through eighth pads P0 through P7. The data latched to the first through eighth input pipelines 121 through 128 is written to the DRAM cell array 111 when a column cycle signal COLCYC that is generated as the test column address strobe signal TCASB is inactivated to logic high, is activated to logic high.
As described above, a test pad is allocated for each data bit to test the DRAM cell array 111 of a conventional high-speed memory device 101. Accordingly, it may be difficult for the test equipment to test several high-speed memory devices simultaneously due to the limited number of test pads. Thus, long times may be needed to test several high-speed memory devices. Also, a conventional DRAM memory device may not receive data via the first through eighth input pipelines 121 through 128 during four cycles of the test clock signal TCLK. Therefore, the time for testing the DRAM memory cell array of a high-speed memory device may increase significantly compared to testing a conventional memory device.

Input/output circuits and methods for testing integrated circuit memory devices