A shape data specifies the shape of an elongated product within an overall coordinate system. Local coordinate systems are defined on respective cross-sections of the elongated product in the overall coordinate system. The local coordinate system is designed to represent a stable die of a bending apparatus. The images of the elongated product protruding forward from the stable die within the respective local coordinate systems serve to specify the position of a movable die of the bending apparatus. The specified position reflects the deformation induced in the elongated product between the stable and movable dies. An ideal movement amount of the movable die can be determined based on the determined positions within the local coordinate systems. The determined movement amount can be utilized to prepare the control data for the bending apparatus. When the prepared control data is supplied to the bending apparatus, an ideal movement of the movable die can be achieved so as to effect bending on the elongated workpiece at a higher accuracy in accordance with the shape data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bending apparatus or machine employed to bend an elongated workpiece passing through stable and movable dies, one after the other, which movable die is allowed to move or shift relative to the stable die so as to bend the elongated workpiece.
The term "curve" may optionally include a line comprising nodes and arcs connecting the adjacent nodes in the following description.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A software program such as a numerical control (NC) program can be employed to control the operation of any types of machine tools, including a bending machine. The software program must specify control data such as data defining a displacement or shift amount of a movable die in the bending machine, for example. Heretofore, skilled operators or workers are in general forced to write down the control data based on their intuition and experience. The written control data is actually used to manufacture trial products for evaluation. The evaluation may induce update of the control data based on intuition and experience of skilled operators or workers. The update of the written control data may be repeated many times until the product as expected can be obtained with the bending machine.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 9-327727 and 10-166064 disclose proposals to generate control data without reliance on intuition and experience of skilled operators or workers. The proposals may contribute to manufacture of a first trial product roughly reflecting the shape of the final product as expected. The operators are released from generation of an original control data fully dependent upon their intuition and experience. The proposals may serve to reduce the operators' burden on troublesome operations, such as repeated manufacture of trial products and repeated update of control data.
The proposals of the above-mentioned Laid-open Nos. 9-327727 and 10-166064 are designed to employ a single three-dimensional coordinate system in calculating the periodical positions or motional path of the movable die. The coordinate system is designed to define the x-axis corresponding to the direction of advancement for an elongated workpiece, in other words, the longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece. The motional path of the movable die is thus regulated within a plane perpendicular to the x-axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system. However, it is the fact that a straight line cannot completely reflect the longitudinal axis of a bent elongated workpiece. The plane for the motional path of the movable die, perpendicular to the x-axis, tends to suffer from an inclined attitude within a three-dimensional machine coordinate system established in the actual bending machine. The definition for the positions of the movable die according to the aforementioned plane of the three-dimensional coordinate system consequently cannot contribute to manufacture of a product of the dimensional accuracy within a permissible range required for a practical use.
In general, a simple calculation for deriving the positions of the movable die, based on a shape data specifying an image of a designed product within a coordinate system, cannot eliminate dimensional deviations or errors in a manufactured product. Corrections or compensations should be included in data for the positions of the movable die for cancellation of dimensional deviations in a manufactured product. Such data suffers from variation depending upon factors, such as the magnitude of curvature in bending, the quality of the elongated workpiece, the sectional shape of the elongated workpiece, and so on. These factors inevitably induce difficulty to specify the quantity of the corrections or compensations. For example, all the corrections or compensations are specified based on actual measurements in the aforementioned Laid-open Nos. 9-327727 and 10-166064. One has to measure the corrections or compensations for every magnitude of the curvature. Moreover, such measurement should be effected for every quality as well as every sectional shape and size of the elongated workpiece. Operators should suffer from a troublesome collection of measurement results.
When a software program is to be specified for the control of a bending machine, a displacement or shift amount of the movable die in control data must relate with the feed speed of an elongated workpiece such as an extruded aluminum workpiece, for example. However, the feed speed of the straight elongated workpiece cannot easily be specified based on an image of a bent product in the three-dimensional coordinate system. The aforementioned Laid-open Nos. 9-327727 and 10-166064 completely fail to refer to a method of accurately specifying the feed speed of an elongated workpiece based on a shape data specifying the shape of the bent product.
For example, the shapes or designs for industrial products, such as automobiles and electric household appliances, cannot be determined without considering methods of manufacture or mass production. If torsion can be effected on an elongated workpiece in combination with bending in a bending machine, an increased variety can be realized in the shapes or designs for industrial products. Heretofore, no one proposes a bending machine capable of effecting torsion on an elongated workpiece as expected.

Method of generating control data for bending and torsion apparatuses


A proton conductive polymer electrolyte includes an acidic functional group-containing aromatic hydrocarbon polymer and an electron donor functional group-containing compound. When used in a fuel cell, the proton conductive polymer electrolyte provides a long-term stable power generating performance at an operating temperature from 100° C. to 200° C. in non-humidified conditions or a relative humidity of 50% or less.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a proton conductive polymer electrolyte and a fuel cell including the same, and more particularly, to a solid polymer-type fuel cell stably performing for a long period of time even at an operational temperature from 100° C. to 200° C. in non-humidified conditions or a relative humidity of 50% or less.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, fluorinated polyethylene sulfonic acid membranes are used in common salt electrolysis, a desalinization process of sea water, and water treatment, and in addition, are used as an electrolyte for a fuel cell due to its high proton conductivity and high chemical stability. Examples of commercially available fluorinated polyethylene sulfonic acid membranes include NAFION membranes, FLEMION membranes, ACIPLEX membranes, and DOW membranes.
However, these electrolytes are not environmentally friendly since they include fluorine, and are also expensive.
There are electrolytes which do not include fluorine. Examples of such electrolytes include a polystyrene sulfonic acid used as an ion exchange resin or ion exchange membrane for use in a water treatment, and a sulfonic acid aromatic polymer for use in a fuel cell (refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. hei11-502245, T. Kobayashi, M. Rikukawa, K. Sanui, N. Ogata, Solid State Ionics, 106 vol., 1998, p. 219).
However, such electrolytes are not suitable for use in fuel cells due to their heat resistance and chemical instability.
Non-aqueous proton conductive electrolytes also exist. Such non-aqueous proton conductive electrolytes can be prepared by combining a non-volatile and room temperature-molten salt, a phosphoric acid, or a low molecular weight molecule, such as imidazole, with a heat-resistant polymer. In this state, the non-volatile and room temperature-melting salt, phosphoric acid, and low molecular weight molecule, such as imidazole, act as a proton acceptor or a carrier. Most non-aqueous proton conductive electrolytes, however, are soluble with respect to water and thus can leak out of a fuel cell due to water that is generated when the fuel cell operates.

Proton conductive polymer electrolyte and fuel cell including the same


The use of certain amidoamines to disinfect contact lenses and preserve ophthalmic compositions is described. Ophthalmic compositions containing these compounds as disinfecting agents or preservatives are also described. The amidoamines utilized in the present invention have potent antibacterial and antifungal activity, and are chemically compatible with inorganic ions and other materials utilized in ophthalmic compositions.

The present invention relates to the field of ophthalmology. More particularly, the invention is directed to compositions and methods for disinfecting contact lenses, and to the chemical preservation of various types of ophthalmic products.
Contact lenses are exposed to a broad spectrum of microbes during normal wear and become soiled relatively quickly. Routine cleaning and disinfecting of the lenses are therefore required. Although the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting may vary somewhat among different types of lenses and lens care regimens, daily cleaning and disinfecting is normally required. Failure to clean and disinfect the lens properly can lead to a multitude of problems ranging from mere discomfort when the lenses are being worn to serious ocular infections. Ocular infections caused by particularly virulent microbes, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can lead to loss of the infected eye(s) if left untreated or if allowed to reach an advanced stage before treatment is initiated. It is therefore extremely important that patients disinfect their contact lenses in accordance with the, regimen prescribed by their optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Unfortunately, patients frequently fail to follow the prescribed regimens. Many patients find regimens to be difficult to understand and/or complicated, and as a result do not comply with one or more aspects of the regimen. Other patients may have a negative experience with the regimen, such as ocular discomfort attributable to the disinfecting agent, and as a result do not routinely disinfect their lenses or otherwise stray from the prescribed regimen. In either case, the risk of ocular infections is exacerbated.
Despite the availability of various types of contact lens disinfecting systems, such as heat, hydrogen peroxide, and other chemical agents, there continues to be a need for improved systems which: 1) are simple to use, 2) have potent antimicrobial activity, and 3) are nontoxic (i.e., do not cause ocular irritation as the result of binding to the lens material). Moreover, the chemical agents utilized in the currently marketed contact lens disinfection systems generally have limited antifungal activity. Also, many of the chemical agents currently utilized may interact with contact lens materials and/or cause: irritation in some individuals. There is, therefore, a particular need in the fields of contact lens disinfection and ophthalmic composition preservation for safe and effective chemical agents having better antifungal activity. The present invention is directed to satisfaction of the above-cited needs.

Use of amidoamines in ophthalmic compositions


The present invention refers to a system and a method for the automatic evaluation of the indexes of volemic status (Systolic Pressure Variation or SPV) in patients submitted to mechanic ventilation, starting form the analysis of the variations of the values of blood pressure.

The present invention refers to a system and a method for the automatic evaluation of the indexes of volemic status (Systolic Pressure Variation or SPV) in patients submitted to mechanical ventilation, starting from the analysis of blood pressure variations.
The system permits the acquisition of values of blood pressure from the transducers, to analyse said signals automatically and calculate the indexes of volemic status in seconds.
At present the indexes of volemic status is calculated starting from recordings of the pressure signal on graph paper, and carrying out operations of manual calculation, which require time and can lead to even significant errors.
The blood pressure signal is acquired following a pre-set clinical protocol, which provides for an interval of several seconds of apnoea and for an interval of several seconds of mechanical breathing.
In view of the state of the technique described, the object of the present invention is to provide for a system for the automatic evaluation of the indexes of volemic status capable of presenting the results in a very brief time and being highly precise, in addition being capable of giving an immediate warning or alarm indication in the event of values which are outside the interval.
In accordance with the present invention, said object is reached by means of a system for the automatic evaluation of indexes of volemic status of a patient comprising: means suitable for submitting said patient to a preset period of apnoea and a preset period of mechanical breathing; blood pressure probes for acquiring an analogue signal relative to the values of the blood pressure of said patient in said preset periods; an analogue/digital converter for converting said analogue signal into a digital signal; means for determining the values of the positive systolic peaks of said pressure; means for determining a first average value of the positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of apnoea; means for determining a second average value of the maximum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of mechanical breathing; means for determining a third average value of the minimum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of mechanical breathing; means for calculating a first index of volemic status equal to the difference between said second value and said first value; means for calculating a second index of volemic status equal to the difference between said third value and said first value; a display of said indexes of volemic status.
Said object is also reached by means of a method for the evaluation of the indexes of volemic status of a patient comprising the following phases: submitting said patient to a period of preset duration of apnoea; submitting said patient to a period of preset duration of mechanical breathing; acquiring the blood pressure values of said patient in said preset periods by suitable pressure probes; determining the values of the positive systolic peaks of said pressure; determining a first average value of the positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said period of apnoea; determining a second average value of the maximum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said period of mechanical breathing; determining a third average value of the minimum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said period of mechanical breathing; calculating a first index of volemic status equal to the difference between said second value and said first value; calculating a second index of volemic status equal to the difference between said third value and said first value; visualizing said indexes of volemic status on a display.

System and method for the automatic evaluation of the indexes of volemic status

Abstract: In one embodiment the system for the automatic evaluation of indexes of volemic status of a patient comprises: elements suitable for submitting said patient to a preset period of apnoea and to a preset period of mechanical breathing; heart pressure probes for acquiring an analogical signal relative to the values of the blood pressure of said patient in said preset periods; an analogue/digital converter for the conversion of said analogical signals into a digital signal; system for determining the values of positive systolic peaks of said pressure; element for determining a first average value of the positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of apnoea; element for determining a second average value of the maximum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of mechanical breathing; element for determining a third average value of the minimum positive systolic peaks of said pressure in said preset period of mechanical breathing; system for calculating a first index of volemic status equal to the difference between said second value and said first value; system for calculating a second index of volemic status equal to the difference between said third value and said first value; a display of said indexes of volemic status.


A planet gear journal for an epicyclic gear system is asymmetrically formed to compensate for carrier twist. The asymmetry may be between a pair of opposed outwardly open annular channels inboard of a bearing surface of the journal. A particular application is the planetary gear system of a geared turbofan engine.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transmissions, and more particularly to geared turbofan engines.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In high bypass turbofan engines it is advantageous that the turbine drive the fan through a reduction gearing system. This permits the turbine to operate at the relatively high speeds at which it is efficient while the much larger diameter fan operates at the relatively lower speeds at which it is efficient. Possible gearing systems include epicyclic systems. In an exemplary planetary implementation, the turbine shaft directly drives a sun gear. A number of planet gears are enmeshed between the sun gear and a ring gear that is non-rotating relative to an engine nacelle or other environmental structure in which the engine is mounted. The fan is directly driven by a carrier cage holding the planet gears. Bearings are typically provided: (a) for supporting the turbine shaft and sun gear relative to the environment; and (b) for rotatably supporting the planetary gears relative to the carrier. Whereas the former are often rolling-element bearings, the latter are advantageously journal bearings. Journal bearings may offer an advantageous balance of compactness and load-carrying ability.
In a common configuration, first and second end portions (front and rear for ease of reference) of each journal are mounted in front and rear portions of the carrier. In a basic configuration, the front and rear portions are separate plates coupled to each other by the journals and the front plate is, in turn, coupled to the fan. Under load, there may be a torsional twist of the front plate relative to the rear plate causing a journal axes to twist out of parallel with the engine axis. This misalignment can damage the gears as is noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,198, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length. The '198 patent teaches use of a torque frame system to prevent carrier twist. Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,379 teaches the presence of undercuts or annular compartments in front and rear faces of the journal to permit flexing of distal portions of the journal bearing surface relative to a journal centerline to at least partially accommodate radial loading on journals.

Turbofan engine comprising an spicyclic transmission having bearing journals


The present invention provides a method for producing, by adding an additive and/or gas bubbles to a monomer with high efficiency, a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water-absorbing resin having high physical properties while high productivity is maintained. The step of preparing an aqueous monomer solution includes the steps of: preparing an aqueous solution; and adding a water-insoluble additive and/or gas bubbles. A retention time from when the water-insoluble additive and/or the gas bubbles is/are added to when polymerization starts is 1 second to 60 seconds.

A water-absorbing resin (SAP/Super Absorbent Polymer) is a water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer gelatinizer, and is frequently used for absorbents. Examples of the absorbents encompass sanitary materials such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, agricultural and horticultural water retaining agents, and industrial waterproofing materials.
Examples of a raw material of the water-absorbing resin encompass a large number of monomers and hydrophilic polymers. Industrially most common among such water-absorbing resins is a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water-absorbing resin in which an acrylic acid and/or a salt thereof is used as a monomer(s), because such a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water-absorbing resin has high water absorption performance.
The water-absorbing resin is produced as a product in the form of particles through various processes such as polymerization, drying, crushing, classification, and surface crosslinking (Non-Patent Literature 1). In line with enhancing performance of disposable diapers for which the water-absorbing resin is mainly used, the water-absorbing resin is required to have a large number of functions (physical properties). Examples of the functions (physical properties) in addition to fluid retention capacity encompass gel strength, water soluble component, water absorption speed, fluid retention capacity under pressure, liquid permeability, particle size distribution, urine resistance, antibacterial property, impact resistance (damage resistance), powder fluidity, deodorizing property, coloration resistance (whiteness), and dust resistance.
In addition, for the purpose of increasing productivity (particularly polymerizability) and water absorption performance of the water-absorbing resin, a technique to add an additive to a monomer has been proposed.
Specifically, having been proposed are techniques concerning an internal crosslinking agent as an additive, that is, a technique to disperse an internal crosslinking agent using a dispersing agent (Patent Literature 1), a technique to use internal crosslinking agents having different reaction mechanisms in combination (Patent Literatures 2 and 3), and a technique, in which a length of time between addition of an internal crosslinking agent and introduction of a resultant mixture into a polymerization device is specified (Patent Literature 4).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a polymerization initiator as an additive, that is, a techniques concerning a photopolymerization initiator having a benzoyl group (Patent Literature 5), a technique in which a polymerization initiator is continuously added (Patent Literature 6), and a technique in which a polymerization initiator is diluted and then added (Patent Literature 7).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a reducing agent as an additive, that is, a technique in which a sulfinic acid derivative is added and polymerized (Patent Literature 8), a technique in which an oxygen concentration is reduced with the use of a reducing agent and then polymerization is carried out (Patent Literature 9), and a technique in which a reducing agent is added in a polymerization device (Patent Literature 10).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a chain transfer agent as an additive that is a technique in which a chain transfer agent is used in carrying out reverse phase suspension polymerization (Patent Literature 11), techniques in each of which a hypophosphorous acid is used (Patent Literatures 12 and 13), and a technique in which a thiol compound is used (Patent Literature 14).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a surfactant as an additive, that is a technique in which a fluorine-based surfactant is used (Patent Literature 15), a technique in which an organometallic surfactant is used (Patent Literature 16), and a technique in which solubility of gas is lowered in the presence of a surfactant (Patent Literature 17).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a chelating agent as an additive, that is a technique in which polymerization is carried out in the presence of a certain chelating agent (Patent Literatures 18 and 19) and a technique in which a ratio of iron ion to a chelating agent is controlled (Patent Literature 20).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning, as additives, a water-insoluble polymer (particularly a water-absorbing resin fine powder) and a fibrous material, that is techniques in each of which a water-absorbing resin fine powder is added to an aqueous monomer solution so as to polymerize the aqueous monomer solution (Patent Literatures 21 through 25), a technique in which starch is added to an aqueous monomer solution so as to polymerize the aqueous monomer solution (Patent Literature 26), and a technique in which a fibrous material is added to an aqueous monomer solution so as to polymerize the aqueous monomer solution (Patent Literature 27).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning inorganic fine particles as an additive, that is a technique in which an aqueous monomer solution containing a water-insoluble solid matter is subjected to high-temperature polymerization (Patent Literature 21) and a technique in which inorganic fine particles are added to carry out polymerization (Patent Literature 28).
Also having been proposed are techniques concerning a foaming agent (gas generating agent) as an additive, that is a technique in which a carbonate is used (Patent Literature 29), a technique in which an encapsulated foaming agent is used (Patent Literature 30), a technique in which a reverse phase suspension polymerization is carried out in the presence of a foaming agent (Patent Literature 31), techniques in each which an azo compound is used (Patent Literatures 32 and 33), and a technique in which a solid azo compound is dispersed in an aqueous monomer solution (Patent Literature 34).
Also having been proposed are techniques for improving a water absorption speed of a water-absorbing resin, that is techniques concerning methods for continuously mixing gases (Patent Literatures 35 and 36), a technique in which gas bubbles are dispersed in the presence of a surfactant and a solubilizer (Patent Literature 37), a technique in which miorobubbles are introduced (Patent Literature 38), a technique in which gases are mixed with the use of a microreactor (Patent Literature 39), and a technique in which gas is dissolved in an aqueous monomer solution under reduced pressure (Patent Literature 40).

Method for producing polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water-absorbable resin


An organization and storage assembly movably coupled with a track having a partially enclosed polygonal channelway, and a base, a mounting lug, a lock actuator, and a first organization and storage accessory. The base is at least partially enclosable in, and slidably translatable along, a polygonal channelway. The mounting lug is mounted to the base to extend exteriorly of the channelway when the base is within the channelway. The lock actuator is movably coupled with the base, for engagement and disengagement of the lock actuator under the influence of a biasing element. A first organization and storage accessory is resiliently coupled with the mounting lug, and can be selectively uncoupled from the mounting lug when the base is at least partially enclosed in a polygonal channelway to enable coupling of a second organization and storage accessory with the mounting lug without uncoupling the organization and storage assembly from a track.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tie-down assembly with organization and storage accessories.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art tie-down assemblies are well-known structures used in automobiles, trains, airplanes, boats, and the like for securing loads. Some prior art tie-down assemblies are fixedly mounted in a desired location, and others include a movable tie-down apparatus slidable along a track. Those having a movable tie-down apparatus typically comprise some type of locking mechanism that interacts with the track for locking the tie-down apparatus in a selected position along the track. Furthermore, the tie-down apparatus includes an attachment device, such as an eyelet, a loop, or a prior art solid-body cleat, to which the load is secured via a rope or other securing line attached to the load.


A buffered intravesicular pharmaceutical dosage system for delivery of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab to a human bladder for bladder cancer chemotherapy, in which a buffer system of 100 mM phosphate at an initial pH of 7.8 maintains a pH range in the bladder of 6.5 to 7.8 that is sufficient to maximize interaction of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab with the EGF receptor expressed on the surface of bladder cancer cells and to prevent aggregation of the TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab while in the bladder.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces the bacterial exotoxin Pseudomonas exotoxin A. The exotoxin consists of four structural domains, namely Ia, II, Ib and III. When domain Ia is cleaved off the exotoxin, the resulting protein is known as PE.sub.40. Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF.alpha.) is a protein that can be genetically fused to the amino terminus of PE.sub.40 to produce the chimeric protein TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40. When cysteine residues in domain II of PE.sub.40 are deleted or substituted by non-cysteinyl amino acids, the resulting protein is PE.sub.40 ab, which when genetically fused to TGF.alpha. produces TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab.
TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab is potentially useful in treating human bladder cancer, being toxic to bladder cancer cells The TGF.alpha. end of the protein binds to Epidermal Growth Factor receptors (EGFr) that are expressed at the surface of bladder cancer cells at elevated levels relative to normal bladder cells. Administration of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab to a patient is via the intravesicular route. A solution of the drug is administered via a urethral catheter into the bladder, where the solution is allowed to dwell for a period of time, most preferably about two hours. During this period of residence in the bladder, the drug solution would ordinarily be subjected to an acidic environment as the normal pH range of human urine is 5 to 8, depending on the patient's diet and the time of day. Moreover, urine itself has a high buffering capacity. Since it is now known that TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab is pH-sensitive in its binding to its receptor site as well as in its conformation, the optimum pH range for its action in the bladder had to be determined, and a formulation compounded that would maintain that optimum pH range and buffer it against pH changes in the bladder. Maximal binding of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab to the EGF receptor was thus found to occur above a pH of 6.5. Moreover, TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab was found to form an aggregate at an approximate pH range of 5.5 or below. The present invention solves these buffering problems by providing for a buffering diluent that buffers a solution of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab prior to intravesicular administration so as to overwhelm natural urinary buffering capacity and maintain a desired pH range of 6.5-7.8 in the human bladder during therapy.

Controlled-pH formulation for intravesicular instillation of TGF.alpha.PE.sub.40 ab


A vibration control system includes four mass discs located at a central axis and rotatable thereabout. Each mass disc includes a mass secured thereto wherein rotation of the four mass discs creates a vibratory force output. A power transfer assembly is located between adjacent mass discs of the four mass discs and is configured to transfer rotational energy between the adjacent mass discs. The power transfer assembly includes a power transfer shaft rotatable about a power transfer shaft axis and a power transfer disc connected to the power transfer shaft and in frictional contact with each of the adjacent mass discs at a contact point. When the power transfer shaft is rotated, a radial location of the contact point at each of the adjacent mass discs relative to the central axis is changed, altering the vibratory force.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to vibration cancellation systems for, for example, rotary wing aircraft.
Rotating machinery commonly produces vibration. Rotary wing aircraft, for example, are susceptible to vibration even with correctly balanced and tracked components, such as rotors. This is due, at least in part, to oscillatory aerodynamic loading which produces forces and moments of vibratory load along three axes (X,Y,Z) which are generated by the rotor at the blade passing frequency. The forces and moments are usually transmitted through the shaft, aircraft transmission, and into the airframe via transmission attachments to produce vibration in the airframe. The goal of vibration cancellation is to reduce vibration to an acceptable level for occupant comfort and component reliability.
One typical approach to reducing such vibration involves replacing a rigid gearbox mounting strut with a compliant strut and parallel hydraulic actuator. Such an arrangement intercepts the vibration of the gearbox before the vibration is transferred to the airframe, and/or it generates counteracting loads to partially suppress the vibration. Interruption of the load path between the gear box and the airframe may cause fatigue failures in engine drive shafts which transmit power to the gear box.
Another conventional approach utilizes counter-rotating eccentric masses located in the airframe to rotate at the frequency of the aircraft vibration. A second pair of eccentric masses phased relative to the first pair to yield a force magnitude from zero to maximum force. Rotation of the masses is controlled to counter the vibratory forces entering the airframe from the gearbox. Typical force generators are driven by sizeable electric motors and since each unit can counteract one of the six moments and forces driving the vibration, six such units are required to have full vibration control capability.
The art would well-receive an improved, more compact vibration cancellation system for a rotary wing aircraft.


A contact start/stop (CSS) disk file has an improved head-disk interface which has significantly reduced static friction between the head-supporting slider and the disk. The slider has a plurality of narrow skids which project from the air-bearing surface of the slider and support the air-bearing surface off the disk when the disk file is not operating. The skids are designed to not affect the flyability of the slider and contain a protective overcoat to minimize wear at the head-disk interface.

In many types of rotating rigid disk files, each of the read/write transducers (or heads) is supported on a carrier (or slider) which rides on a cushion or bearing of air above the surface of its associated disk when the disk is rotating at its operating speed. The slider has an air-bearing surface (ABS), typically in the form of a plurality of rails, and is connected to a linear or rotary actuator by means of a relatively fragile suspension. There may be a stack of disks in the disk file with the actuator supporting a number of sliders. The actuator moves the sliders radially so that each head may access the recording area of its associated disk surface.
In these conventional disk files the slider is biased towards the disk surface by a small force from the suspension. The ABS of the slider is thus in contact with the disk surface from the time the disk fib is turned on until the disk reaches a speed sufficient to cause the slider to ride on the air-bearing. The ABS of the slider is again in contact with the disk surface when the disk file is turned off and the rotational speed of the disk falls below that necessary to create the air-bearing. In order to provide wear resistance for the ABS, a protective overcoat may be placed on the slider rails. Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,508 describes a slider wherein the air-bearing rails have an amorphous carbon overcoat which is adhered to the slider material by a silicon adhesion layer.
The disk for use in such CSS rigid disk files is a thin film metal alloy disk which typically comprises a substrate, such as an aluminum-magnesium (AlMg) alloy with a nickel-phosphorous (NiP) surface coating, and a cobalt-based magnetic alloy film formed by sputter deposition over the substrate. A protective overcoat, such as a sputter-deposited amorphous carbon film, is formed over the magnetic layer to provide corrosion resistance and wear resistance from the ABS of the slider. Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,582 describes a protective hydrogenated disk carbon overcoat formed by sputtering a graphite target in the presence of Ar and hydrogen (H2).
In such contact start/stop (CSS) disk files a liquid polyperfluoroether lubricant is also maintained on the surface of the protective disk overcoat to prevent damage to the head and the disk during starting and stopping of the disk. Typically, the lubricant used on disks with carbon overcoats is made up of a first layer of lubricant which is bonded to the carbon and a second layer of free or mobile lubricant on top of the bonded lubricant.
In order to improve the wear resistance of the disk, as well as to maintain consistent magnetic properties, it is desirable to make the disk surface as smooth as possible. However, a very smooth disk surface creates an additional problem in CSS disk files, which is referred to as "stiction". This means that after the slider ABS has been in stationary contact with the disk for a period of time, the slider tends to resist translational movement or "stick" to the disk surface. It is known that this "stiction" force can increase over time. Thus the stiction force measured relatively soon after a CSS cycle is referred to as "CSS stiction", while that measured several hours after a CSS cycle is referred to as "rest stiction". Stiction is caused by a variety of factors, including static friction and adhesion forces between the disk and slider created by the lubricant, typically the mobile lubricant. Stiction in a CSS disk file can result in damage to the head or disk when the slider suddenly breaks free from the disk surface when disk rotation is initiated. In addition, because the suspension between the actuator and the slider is relatively fragile in order to permit the slider to fly above the disk surface, sudden rotation of the disk can also damage the suspension.
What is needed is an improved slider which reduces stiction and thus improves the head-disk interface in a CSS disk file.

Disk file with air-bearing slider having skids

International Business Machines Corporation


An ophthalmic device forming system includes an inspection station configured to receive a plurality of ophthalmic devices, a fluid supply fluidly connected to the inspection station, the fluid supply containing a working fluid, and a heat source fluidly connected between the fluid supply and the inspection station. The heat source includes a housing, a transfer element, and a low pressure gas region defined by the housing adjacent to the transfer element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment used to manufacture ophthalmic devices, and, in particular, to equipment used to manufacture contact lenses.
2. Description of Related Art
Soft hydrogel contact lenses have increased in popularity since they were first introduced in the 1970s. Such contact lenses are conventionally formed through a process in which the material used to make the lenses is placed between two halves of a casting mold, and the entire assembly is then cured to form the desired contact lens shape. After the curing process, the lens is removed from the casting mold and is immersed in a series of fluids to remove impurities therefrom. While still immersed in fluid, the lens is taken to an examination station where it is inspected for foreign particles, holes, and/or deformations caused by the manufacturing process.
Existing systems for the inspection of contact lenses typically include a lens transportation device, a camera, a viewing monitor, and a computer. The computer is configured to run lens examination software which controls the camera during a lens inspection process. In examining the lens, the camera and, in particular, the software, can inspect the lens surfaces for the foreign particles, holes, and deformities discussed above, and the software can control the inspection system to reject a lens if such deformities are found thereon.
Although existing inspection systems have some utility in a contact lens production environment, reliance on such systems can result in a large number of false lens rejections during production. For example, the camera and, in particular, the camera software can not be capable of distinguishing a hole, a foreign particle, or other lens deformities from gas bubbles that have adhered to the surface of the lens. Bubbles can be formed by, for example, turbulent working fluid 42 flow within the various systems used for impurity removal. In such systems, air and other gases can become entrained within the working fluid 42 and high fluid pressures can not allow the entrained air to expand and escape from the working fluid 42. Depending on the type of contact lens being examined and the throughput of the manufacturing line, false lens rejections caused by existing camera inspection systems can dramatically increase production costs and can severely hinder manufacturing efficiency.
Accordingly, the disclosed systems and methods are directed towards overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A print head maintenance device is used in a printing device. The print head maintenance device cleans a print head of the printing device. The print head is movable on a horizontal track of the printing device. The print head has at least one linearly arranged nozzle array. When the print head moves across the maintenance device, the print head will connect with the maintenance device through the connecting device, making the connecting device capable of moving along the first track to slide the ink brush along the second track so as to clean remaining ink from the nozzle array of the print head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a maintenance device, and more particularly, to a print head maintenance device used in a printing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nowadays machines often used in document processing include photostats, faxes, and printers. To meet the requirement of high quality printing, the common ink jet printer mostly requires a print head maintenance device to clean and maintain a print head so as to avoid ink contamination.
A general print head maintenance device comprises a wiper, a print head cap, and a blotting device. The wiper is used to wipe remaining ink from the print head. The print head cap is used to cap the print head to avoid remaining ink drying on the print head blocking the nozzles when the print head returns to its original position. The blotting device is used to absorb ink jetted by the print head when cleaning the nozzles.
As mentioned, the print head and the wiper must have relative motions, so the objective of wiping ink can be achieved. In a prior art print head maintenance device, according to different arrangements of nozzle array on the print head, the relative motions of the print head and the wiper can be divided into two arrangements. If a plurality of chromatic nozzle arrays on the print head uses an arrangement perpendicular to the horizontal, the direction of the relative motions of the print head and the wiper can be in parallel. Nevertheless, if the plurality of chromatic nozzle arrays on the print head uses an arrangement parallel to the horizontal, a direction of the relative motions of the print head and the wiper must be perpendicular to each other so as to prevent chromatic ink contamination during wiping.
For the above mentioned first condition, the direction of the relative motions of the print head and the wiper can optically fix one party and move the other to produce a parallel movement. For example, the simplest solution is to fix the print head at a predetermined position in the process to achieve the objective of wiping ink. For the second condition, a direction of the relative motions of the print head and the wiper is produced by moving the wiper in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the print head after the print head reaches a predetermined position on the process to achieve the objective of wiping ink and prevent chromatic ink contamination. This movement of the wiper usually employs an extra motor.
Currently, the arrangement of the plurality chromatic nozzle arrays on the print head often uses a side-by-side arrangement. Therefore, the direction of the relative motions of the print head and the wiper must be exactly perpendicular to wipe remaining ink from the print head. But in the prior art, to achieve the relative motions, a motor is added in the maintenance device to drive the wiper, thus the cost of the maintenance device is increased.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a print head maintenance device to solve the above mentioned problems.
According to the claimed invention, the print head maintenance device is used to clean a print head of a printing device. The print head is movable on a horizontal track of the printing device. The print head has at least one linearly arranged nozzle array. The maintenance device comprises a line-shaped first track in parallel with the horizontal track, a line-shaped second track having a first section which forms a slant angle with the first track and a second section which is in parallel with the first track, an ink brush slidably installed on the second track for cleaning remaining ink from the nozzle array of the print head, and a connecting device moveable along the first track in the maintenance device. When the print head moves across the maintenance device, the print head will connect with the maintenance device through the connecting device. The connecting device can move along the first track to slide the ink brush along the second track to clean remaining ink from the nozzle array of the print head.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the wiping direction of the ink brush of the maintenance device is perpendicular to the movement direction of the print head. Besides, there is no need to install another motor to drive the ink brush so reducing the cost of the maintenance device.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

Print head maintenance device used in a printing device


The present invention teaches that daily, cyclical vaginal delivery of progestin may be used to provide regular, predictable withdrawal bleeding during hormone replacement therapy. The present invention also teaches that constant administration of progestin in a water-insoluble, water-swellable cross-linked polycarboxylic acid polymer may be used to maintain amenorrhea. Either regimen is accompanied by a significant decrease in adverse side effects.

This invention relates to a method of administering progestin therapy in a manner that promotes controlled bleeding, rather than the irregular and unpredictable bleeding that normally accompanies progestin administration.
Progesterone is a naturally occurring steroid which is the main steroid secreted by women during their reproductive years. This steroid has been studied extensively and has been found to be a major precursor in the biosynthesis of most other steroids, particularly glucocorticoids, androgens and estrogens. Progesterone also stimulates the growth of the uterus and a number of specific changes in the endometrium and myometrium. It is essential for the development of decidual tissue and the differentiation of luminal and glandular epithelial tissue. Progesterone also plays several roles in gestation, including breast enlargement, inhibition of uterine contractility, maintenance of gestation, immunological protection of the embryo, and inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.
Progestins include the natural progestin, progesterone, as well as the synthetic progestins, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Progestins have been used pharmaceutically in the treatment of a number of clinical disorders such as luteal phase deficiency, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, endometriosis, endometrial carcinoma, benign breast disease, pre-eclampsia, and assisting in vitro fertilization, preventing early abortion and reducing the occurrence of endometrial hyperplasia in estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
The most common progestational agents used are the synthetic progestins, which are accompanied by undesirable side effects such as depression and water retention. Additionally, many of the synthetic progestins derived from 19-nor-testosterone reverse the positive effects of estrogen on lipoprotein (HDL) levels. In contrast, natural progesterone does not cause water retention, is rarely associated with depression and has no adverse effects upon lipid levels.
There have been many difficulties in administering natural progesterone at the appropriate serum and tissue levels to patients. When given orally, progesterone is rapidly metabolized. See e.g., Adlecruz, H. and Martin, F. J. Steroid Biochem., 13: 231-244 (1980) and Maxson, W. S., and Hargrove, J. T., Fertil. Steril., 44: 622-626 (1985).
Rectal administration of progestins has also been attempted with 25 mg and 100 mg doses of natural progesterone, which achieved peak plasma levels at 4 to 8 hours after administration followed by a gradual decline, but the maintenance of a stable plasma level has been difficult with this route. Maxson, W. S. Clinical Obstet. Gynecol., 30: 465-477 (1987); Nillius, S. J. and Johansson, E. D. B. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 110: 470-479 (1971). Sublingual administration resulted in rapid appearance of progesterone in the serum reaching peak values of up to 10 times basal levels, but returning to basal levels within twenty-four hours. Villanueva, B., et al., Fertil. Steril., 35: 433-437 (1981). Nasal administration, using 20 mg and 30 mg doses, achieved mean maximum concentrations of 2.1 and 4.1 ng/ml, respectively, at approximately 30 and 240 minutes, respectively.
Intramuscular administration of progesterone has been attempted with 100 mg doses which achieved 40 to 50 ng/ml serum concentrations in two to eight hours. Nillius, S. J. and Johansson, E. D. B., Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 110: 470-479 (1971). Such administration has shown that such injections need to be given every day or on alternate days to produce results. Whitehead, M., and Godfree, V. in Hormone Replacement Therapy, Churchill Livingston Edinburgh 1992, pp 91. Subdermal administration has also been assayed, with six 100 mg progesterone pellets being implanted in postpartum women. Croxatto, H. B., et al., Acta Endocrinol, 100: 630 (1982). Progesterone levels reached a peak of 4.4 ng/ml within the first week after insertion and reached a mean peak level of 1.9 ng/ml six months after implantation. Progestin implants are not practical in cyclical therapy and moreover, physiological levels of progestin are not achieved. (xe2x80x9cCyclicalxe2x80x9d therapy means that the progestin is administered off and on, typically for a portion of each 28-day cycle or each calendar month. For example, cyclical administration could be daily, or every other day, only on days 15 through 20 of each 28-day cycle, or only for the first five days each month. xe2x80x9cConstantxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccontinuousxe2x80x9d therapy means that the drug is administered regularly, whether it is daily, every other day, weekly, or otherwise, without regard, for example, to the 28-day cycle or the calendar month.)
It has been demonstrated that topically applied radioactive progesterone can be absorbed through the skin. Mauvais-Jarvis, Progesterone., et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 29: 1580-1587 (1969). Labeled metabolites were recovered in the urine at 48 hours after topical administration. However, the absorption was only 10% of the applied dose. The high fat solubility of progesterone is responsible for the prolonged retention of this steroid and the extensive local metabolism reduces the systemic effect of the steroid. It has been shown that treatment with topical application of progesterone to the breast produces no significant endometrial effects. Sitruk-Ware, R., et al., J. Clin. Endocrin. Metab., 44: 771-774 (1977).
Progestins have also been administered vaginally to postmenopausal women receiving ERT. 50 mg/ml of progesterone in a suspension containing carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose which was inserted into the vagina was characterized by a rapid absorption of the progesterone across the vaginal mucosa. There was an immediate appearance of the hormone in the peripheral circulation resulting in a 10-fold increase over the baseline serum levels (0.34 ng/ml) after 15 minutes. The peak levels were obtained 1 or 2 hours after administration and represented a thirty- to forty-fold increase over baseline levels (12.25 ng/ml). The serum levels remained at this level over the next seven hours, declining over the next ten hours to 3.68 ng/ml. Villanueva, B., et al., Fertil. Steril., 35: 433-437 (1981). These results suggested that the absorption of progestins was enhanced in women also undergoing ERT.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,150 (xe2x80x9cthe ""150 Patentxe2x80x9d), which is incorporated herein by reference, it now appears that the bioadhesive formulation used with the instant invention can provide local vaginal administration of progestins to yield significant local drug levels while maintaining serum levels low enough to avoid most of the undesired side effects. See also, Warren, M. P., et al., Evaluation of Crinone(copyright), a Transvaginally Administered Progesterone Containing Bioadhesive Gel, in Women with Secondary Amenorrhea, Abstract, Presented at the 8th International Congress on the Menopause, Sydney, Australia, 1996. And as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/743,153, which is incorporated herein by reference, it also appears that progesterone can be administered for the purpose of treating or reducing ischemia or incidence of cardiovascular events.
Treatments of menopausal and post-menopausal women involving administration of progestins in cyclical association with estrogen induces the physiological sequence of endometrial changes normally encountered in the menstrual cycle. Such treatments usually administer progestins, usually daily, over a period of about 10 to 14 days each month. However, the withdrawal bleeding that results from such administration is typically irregular and unpredictable, and often begins as early as about the fourth day following the first progestin dose. See, Archer, D. F., et al., Bleeding Patterns in Post-menopausal Women Taking Continuous Combined or Sequential Regimens of Conjugated Estrogens with Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, Obstet. Gynecol., 83: 686-92 (1994).
The present invention comprises a method of cyclical vaginal administration of progestins daily, while avoiding significant adverse side effects, in order to avoid the often-erratic monthly withdrawal bleeding normally associated with cyclical progestin treatment, and instead to provide regular withdrawal bleeding upon completion of the progestin-administration period. Thus the invention provides the benefits of cyclical progestin therapy without the inconvenience and complications of irregular withdrawal bleeding, and without common side effects.
The present invention also comprises a method of constant vaginal administration to maintain complete amenorrhea while avoiding significant adverse side effects. Thus, the invention provides complete amenorrhea without the periodic breakthrough bleeding or spotting often observed with other methods for three to six months, and without significant adverse side effects often resulting from other methods.

Progestin therapy for maintaining amenorrhea


The improved torque detector comprises a driven shaft 1 provided with a magnetostrictive magnetic member 2 and two sets of inductors 5a and 5b that are each composed of current paths which are formed in such a way that current will flow in directions that are at right angles to the two directions of main stress that develops on the surface of the driven shaft 1 when it receives an applied torque. The inductors are arranged in such a way that they are superposed in substantially the same axial position on a cylindrical plane that is spaced by a predetermined gap from the surface of the magnetic member 2. The detector detects the inductances of those inductors 5a and 5b to eventually determine the applied torque. Alternatively, a bias current is preliminarily supplied to the inductors and a current is impressed on a drive coil 17 that is wound around the driven shaft 1, whereupon a current or voltage is induced in those inductors and detected by the detector, thereby determining the applied torque. The torque detector is simple in construction and yet it is capable of correct torque detection without unduly affected by disturbances such as an axial temperature gradient, unbalanced external magnetic field and residual magnetic flux.

This invention relates to a torque detector with which the torque that is applied as an external force to a driven shaft such as a rotating shaft can be detected in a non-contact fashion.
In automotive areas such as the power steering mechanism, anti-skid braking mechanism and automatic transmission control, a need often occurs to detect the torque as it is applied to driven shafts such as the shaft of a steering wheel. An example of the torque detectors that are to be used in those applications is a magnetostrictive torque detector that has been disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (kokai) Hei-1-94230. The construction of this detector is described below with reference to FIG. 10.
In the drawing, numeral 1 denotes a driven shaft which is a rotating shaft; 7a and 7b are bearings that support the driven shaft 1 rotatably; and 3 is a bobbin that is also supported by the bearings. A first magnetic member 2a and a second magnetic member 2b, each being made of a layer of a magnetostrictive material, are secured to the circumferential surface of the driven shaft 1 as they are axially spaced from each other. The first magnetic member 2a is formed as a plurality of thin stripes that are arranged at an angle (.theta.) of 45.degree. with respect to the center axis whereas the second magnetic member 2b is formed as a plurality of thin strips that are arranged at an angle (.theta.) of -45.degree.. The bobbin 3 is fitted with a first coil 5a and a first yoke 4a in association with the first magnetic member 2a, as well as a second coil 5b and a second yoke 4b in association with the second magnetic member 2b. The yokes 4a and 4b are members that prevent magnetic fluxes from spreading towards the outside. Shown by 100 is a stress detecting circuit that is connected to the first and second coils 5a and 5b.
The torque detector shown in FIG. 10 operates as follows. When an external torque is applied to the driven shaft 1, a main stress develops on the surface of the driven shaft in the directions defined by .theta.=.+-.45.degree., whereupon a tensile component of the stress works on one of the magnetic members 2a and 2b and a compressive component of the stress works on the other. If this stress is created, the permeability of the magnetic members 2a and 2b will change and the direction of the change that occurs upon development of the tensile stress is opposite to the direction for the case where the compressive stress develops. The stress detecting circuit 100 detects the inductances of the coils 5a and 5b that develop in response to the changes in the permeability of the magnetic members, calculates the torque that has been applied to the driven shaft 1, and outputs a voltage proportional to the torque.
The thus constructed magnetostrictive torque detector has had the following problems. First, the provision of magnetic members 2a and 2b as a plurality of strips on the surface of the driven shaft 1 requires a complex procedure; furthermore, the magnetic members in the form of strips will come off easily and corrosion has occasionally developed at the boundary between the shaft 1 and each magnetic member.
In the magnetostrictive torque detector under consideration, the changes in permeability that occur in opposite directions in the magnetic member 2a disposed in the direction of +45.degree. and the magnetic member 2b disposed in the direction of -45.degree. are detected via different coils 5a and 5b; although this is effective in compensating for the temperature characteristics of the magnetic members, external magnetic field and residual magnetic flux; various disturbances such as an axial temperature gradient, unbalanced external magnetic field and residual magnetic flux cannot be fully compensated. For example, the magnetic members 2a and 2b are axially spaced from each other, so if the driven shaft 1 has an axial temperature gradient, the magnetic members can have different temperatures that will eventually cause an error in the result of inductance detection.

Torque detector and torque detecting element


An afterburner device for injecting fresh air laterally into the exhaust gas streams of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine. The afterburner has a planar gasket section for mounting between the engine block and the exhaust manifold. Exhaust gas stream port holes extend laterally through the gasket section in alignment with similar port holes in the engine block and manifold. A plurality of fresh air input passages within the gasket section extend from the port holes to a fresh air supply plenum section of the afterburner.

The invention relates to an exhaust gas afterburner device for internal combustion engines. More specifically it relates to a hollow plate type fitment for injecting a plurality of streams of fresh air laterally into each exhaust gas stream through a thin planar gasket area of the fitment located between the engine block and its exhaust manifold. Fresh air is supplied under pressure to the gasket section through an integrally attached thin plenum section extending along the underside or bottom edge of the gasket section. The injection of fresh air through a plurality of input openings surrounding a substantial portion of each exhaust gas stream provides improved afterburning over comparable prior art systems which inject air into each exhaust gas stream through a single input opening. A number of other significant advantages provided by this invention relate to the fact that the fresh air input passages are spread over a relatively large area of the gasket section surrounding each exhaust port. The fresh air is preheated efficiently as it flows through relatively narrow passages disposed within the gasket section and in doing so cools a portion of the gasket section thus providing a partial thermal barrier at the interface of the engine block and manifold. Some prior preheating also occurs in the thin plenum section because of its location in close proximity to the hot exhaust manifold. Additionally installation is simplified because the afterburner fitment replaces the manifold gasket and does not require multiple tubing connections.


A faucet clamp for retaining a faucet to a sink has first and second jaws that are pivoted together by a hinge. The jaws have internal clamping surfaces which include a thread-engaging surface, for example a compliant liner. The thread-engaging surface engages the threads of a faucet pipe extending from the faucet base and clamps the faucet to the sink. The jaws of the faucet clamp pivot to an open position for installation or removal over the faucet pipe.

This invention relates generally to plumbing fixtures and more particularly to a clamp for retaining a faucet.
Water faucets typically include one or more faucet pipes carrying water flow therein. These faucet pipes are externally threaded and prior art faucets are typically mechanically secured by means of threaded fasteners that are threaded onto the faucet pipes to clamp the faucet to the sink. This type of faucet installation can be very difficult and time consuming because of the need to work in a restricted area, such as underneath a countertop or cabinet, where there is little room for an installer's hands or tools. Furthermore, removing an old faucet can be difficult and time consuming because of the presence of corrosion or hard water deposits which hinder removal of the threaded fasteners.
Accordingly, there is a need for a faucet clamp which may be easily installed and removed.


Collapsible household containers having a foldable wall section with shape-retaining characteristics are disclosed. In particular, collapsible laundry baskets, buckets, colanders, dish drainers, cups, and bottles are provided. The folding region may include foldable tiers of a flexible material, each tier having at least one stable, relatively expanded position and at least one stable, relatively collapsed position; and an intervening, non-folding tier composed of a different, relatively rigid material.

It is desirable for a household container to be able to collapse to relatively compact dimensions for storage or transport when the container is either not in use or being used to hold less than its maximum volume capacity of contents. Collapsible kitchenware and houseware containers of various types exist to accommodate these general needs. For example, one type of existing collapsible colander includes a stiff or rigid top section connected to a stiff or rigid bottom section by a foldable wall section that snap-folds between or among two or more positions, including at least a fully expanded position and a fully collapsed position, and in some instances, one or more intermediate, partially collapsed positions. However, because the material used to make the foldable wall section must be flexible enough to fold, it typically offers little or no resistance to deformation caused by lateral forces, such as an object bumping into or pressing against the side of the container, or a user attempting to grasp or lift the container by the flexible wall section, which could result in the contents being damaged, undesirably shifted, or spilled.
A need therefore exists for kitchenware and houseware containers that are collapsible and expandable; self-supporting in at least a fully collapsed and a fully expanded state, if not in one or more intermediate, partially expanded states; and resistant to structural deformation over at least a portion of a collapsible wall region.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A process for making a food product having a high protein content of good nutritional profile and substantially without fiber, fats, or oils from grain that has been malted and subjected to a mashing operation to remove fermentable sugars. The grain so treated is dried by microwave heating and is subjected to liquid nitrogen to reduce the temperature of the grain greatly while subjecting the grain to mechanical action to remove the husks. The fats and oils are removed by a solvent, after which the remaining granular material may be ground to a flour.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of high-protein food materials and the manufacture of such material from grain. In particular, the invention relates to a food product suitable for human consumption and substantially free of fibers, fats, and oils, the product being made from grain from which fermentable sugars have been largely extracted but having a higher protein fraction than any untreated grain, the protein fraction including effective amounts of all of the essential amino acids.
2. The Prior Art
There is currently a critical and increasing world food shortage. It is not only necessary that nations find ways to increase and to use effectively the total quantity of food available in the world but that the additional food have proper nutritional values. In particular, extra sources of protein are needed, since protein is the most important foodstuff.
The derivation of high-protein foods and food supplements from plants has been the subject of extensive investigation. Soybeans have long been known to be a good source of edible protein, and have been the subject of much study, but it is difficult to remove the basic bean taste from foods processed from soybeans, and therefore, soybean-based foods continue to be less desirable than their nutritional profile indicates that they should be. Cereal grains also contain substantial amounts of protein but generally have less nutritional value than soybeans. However, foods made from grain are not plagued by an undesirable taste.
There is a source of grain heretofore overlooked as being fit for human consumption. Substantial quantities of grain are used in the brewing industry and at the present time thereis in excess of 1.5 million tons of spent grains produced each year as a by-product of the brewing industry in the United States and four times that amount world-wide. The grains are referred to as "spent" because a large percentage of fermentable sugars has been extracted from them, leaving material that is of no further value in the production of beer. This material, when dried, consists of needle-sharp particles due to the husks of the grains and, especially because of these husks, is not suitable for human consumption but is currently being sold as cattle food at a price of about one cent a pound on a dry basis. The removal of spent grains from the brewery poses potential, and sometimes actual, logistical problems, and spent grains are generally looked upon in the brewing industry as an undesirable but unavoidable waste material.
The husks of grain processed for direct human consumption as cereals, flour, etc. are not so troublesome because they are removed while the grain is still in the raw state. In that state, the husks are not bound tightly to the grain and are relatively easily removed. By the time grain has gone through the mashing process used to extract fermentable sugars in the production of beer and other alcoholic beverages, the husks have been cooked onto the grain, forming a tenacious adhesive bond between each seed and its husk. This has heretofore presented an insuperable barrier to the use of brewers spent grains as a human food material, although the digestive system of cattle permits dried spent grains to be used as cattle food, for which brewers are paid very little.
The initial process steps applied to grain in brewing beer and the like result in the production of large amounts of undesirable sewage, the removal of which is entirely an expense. Not only are brewers required to pay high sewer taxes to the communities in which breweries are located, but because of their inability to control the quantity and nature of the material they deliver to the sewage system, the brewers also have to pay high sewage surcharges.


A roof flashing structure for use in sealing the tubes and wires leading to and from a solar collector where said tubes and wires pass through the roof has a generally flat plate with an upstanding housing integrally formed with the plate, both of a rigid material. The flat plate has an opening in it where the housing meets with the plate and the upper end of the housing has an opening wherein a resilient elastomeric sealing member is located. The elastomeric sealing member has an upper surface and a lower surface and includes a plurality of generally circular apertures extending upwardly from the lower surface. Formed with the upper surface over the top of each of the apertures is an upstanding boss which seals the apertures. Within the interior of each of the apertures are a plurality of sealing flanges located one above the other along the length of the aperture between the lower surface and the sealed end. Each of the sealing flanges extends circularly around the aperture and projects radially toward the center of the aperture. The top portion of the bosses are capable of being severed by a sharp instrument unsealing the apertures. Each of the flanges within the apertures are capable of forming a seal with a tube or a wire passed through the unsealed aperture.

A roof flashing structure is disclosed which is used to seal around tubing and wires passing through a roof which primarily is used for solar collectors. This roof flashing structure includes an elastomeric sealing member which is molded into a permanent bond with the housing of the flashing and is capable of forming a tight seal with a length of tubing or wire.
Because of the recent awareness of the earth's limited potential for supplying man with energy the development of devices which can directly harness the sun's energy has increased. Presently the field of solar energy is being expanded to include devices for heating swimming pools, hot water for homes and devices for supplying heat to heat reservoirs which are utilized for heating the buildings. Associated with these solar devices and in fact one of the primary components is the solar collector.
Sunlight only contains a particular radiant flux. There are losses converting this radiant flux into heat energy or some other energy form. Presently this necessitates the use of solar collectors having a large surface area in order to adequately harvest as much of the sun's energy as as possible. A solar collector harvests the sun's energy by utilizing this energy to heat a liquid or gas. For home use, generally a liquid is heated. This requires passing a volume of liquid through the collector and then passing the heated liquid to the appliance which will utilize the heated liquid. Because of the space taken up by solar collectors the most useful location for them is on the roof of the building wherein the appliance is located. At the minimum, an inlet and an outlet pipe must be passed through the roof to the collector. Additionally, if a pump or switch is located in conjunction with the collector an electrical wire must also be passed through the roof.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,578 and my Patent application Ser. Nos. 883,420 and 042,216 I described certain roof flashing structures each having unique and novel properties which are useful to seal the openings wherein a pipe used as a sewer vent or the like is passed through the roof. Generally such pipes have diameters at least as large as one and a half inches. My prior roof flashing structure and other prior roof flashing structures are adapted to accept one size of pipe having a set outside diameter.
The presently known roof flashing structures, since they are designed only for plumbing vent pipes and the like, simply do not lend themselves to applications involving the small diameter tubing and/or wires which must pass through a roof before being connected to the collector. As such the present solar installations are left with the antiquated methods previously used to seal pipes such as caulking or other mastic type materials and sheet metal flashings. From the above it is evident that there exists a need for a roof flashing structure which can accept and seal the small diameter tubes and wires used in conjunction with solar collectors.

Roof flashings for use with solar collector


A method for making ice cream including the following steps, performed in the following order: heating the side walls of the processing container to a preset preheating temperature; placing a basic ice cream mixture in the processing chamber after the step of heating the side walls of the processing container to a preset preheating temperature; deactivating any infectious agents which may be present in the basic mixture by activating the thermal treatment system in heating mode for a predetermined time in order to pasteurize the basic mixture inside the processing chamber; keeping the basic mixture, previously subjected to the thermal treatment inside the processing chamber, for a predetermined hold time.

This invention relates to a method for making ice cream.
As is known, food safety and hygiene in the food industry in question are particularly important issues.
More specifically, ubiquitous invasive infectious agents such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes are becoming increasingly common in the industry in question.
The Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, in particular, proliferates even at low temperatures and with limited nutritional levels and spreads rapidly by cross-contamination.
A typical example of this context is the process for producing ice cream and the machines used for processing ice cream.
It has also been found that each time the basic mixture comes into contact with any external item (containers, serving utensils), the risk of product contamination increases, which, in effect, means that the overall food safety of the ice cream making process is reduced.
This has given rise to the need to improve food safety in order to provide ice cream which is particularly safe, and which does not have any residual food risk for consumers.
Elimination of the food risk, or at least its drastic reduction to levels which do not represent a problem for someone who eats the ice cream, is a need felt by everyone involved in the trade: from manufacturers of semi-finished food products and related processing machines down to individual ice-cream vendors.
In this context, it is therefore essential to increase the food safety of the ice cream making process and to provide an operating method which is inherently safe, that is, which allows the potential risks of contamination to be eliminated independently of factors external to the preparation performed on the machine, thus guaranteeing a safe end product.


A right angle shielded connector includes an elongated shaft having connector surfaces and an opposite head portion with a flange which is slidably received within a groove around a slot in a shell cap. The slot extends through the upper portion of the cap and a lower threaded portion of cylindrical shape except for the slot extending therethrough. A cylindrical threaded bushing screws onto the lower threaded portion and snugly against the flange. A pair of terminals are located within the hollow interior of the shell cap and are keyed to prevent rotation once assembled. Prior art right angle connectors are also illustrated in which the shell cap are formed from two halves of a cover which mate together.

The interconnection of various electronic and electrical systems typically requires that a cable containing one or more conductors terminates in an electrical connector which removably mates with a receptacle. Examples of electrical connectors are quarter-inch phone plugs having an elongated male shaft which is plugged into a female jack having connectors for mating engagement with surfaces on the shaft. Often it is desirable that the elongated shaft be at an angle such as 90.degree. to the threaded shield so that the inserted plug does not protrude much beyond the jack bearing panel. Because of their manner of use, right angle connectors often have increased stress caused by insertion and removal forces as contrasted with the standard in-line configuration in which the elongated shaft and the threaded shielded bushing and extending cable are coaxial. They also are more prone to breakage than an in-line connector.
Conventional right angle connectors are typically formed by a housing formed from separate pieces which are joined together. One of the pieces may be integral to the elongated shaft. These separate pieces may each contain a partial annular thread and when mated together allow a threaded bushing with an internal thread to join together and hold the individual pieces. However, such a structure is more liable to breakage, forms a less effective shield, and the increased number of parts are individually and collectively less structurally sound than is desirable. Also, the number of pieces of the plug which must be assembled by the end user after connection is made to a cable should be minimized particularly to reduce labor costs in industrial and commercial applications. Unfortunately, these requirements often conflict with the need to form a structurally secure right angle connector.


Devices for the propagation or storage of microorganisms are provided including a first layer that has a first portion of a surface of the first layer, to which a first water-swellable gelling agent comprising a first clay is affixed. The devices further include a second layer that is separable from the first layer and has a first portion of a surface of the second layer, to which a second water-swellable gelling agent is affixed. Methods for detecting and enumerating at least one microorganism in a sample are provided. The methods include providing a device, separating the first layer from the second layer, adding an aliquot of a sample containing at least one microorganism onto the first or second water-swellable gelling agent to form an inoculated device, laminating the first layer back to the second layer, and incubating the inoculated device. Kits and methods of making the devices are also provided.

Dehydrated microbial culture devices are known which rely on guar and other natural gums as cold soluble gelling agents. Natural gums work well in most applications and have superior gelling characteristics compared to other cold soluble polymers. Disadvantages of the use of natural gums include that some organisms are able to metabolize the natural gum's sugar chains, resulting in at least some liquefaction of the plate. Further, natural gums tend to break down under levels of ionizing radiation typically used to decontaminate or sterilize a plate.
Hence, there remains a need for devices for propagation or storage of microorganisms that provide features such as increased resistance to organism metabolism, ionizing radiation, etc.

Devices and kits for the propagation or storage of microorganisms, and methods of making and using


A method comprising treating an article with steam, wherein the article comprises a composition comprising an amount of a polysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer effective to provide thermal and hydrolytic stability to the article for at least 15 cycles, wherein each cycle comprises 20 minutes of contact with steam at 100° C., at atmospheric pressure. The articles are of utility in a wide variety of applications such as food service and medical applications.

This disclosure relates to polycarbonate articles, and in particular to polycarbonate articles that can be repeatedly sterilized and methods of manufacture thereof.
Polycarbonates are useful in the manufacture of articles and components for a wide range of applications, from automotive parts to medical devices. Because of their broad use, it is desirable to provide polycarbonates with improved thermal and hydrolytic stability. Medical devices in particular are desirably resistant to steam sterilization. Although some polycarbonate articles can be steam sterilized one time, the repeated steam sterilization of many polycarbonate articles generally results in a degradation of the advantageous physical and/or mechanical properties of polycarbonate.
Resistance to steam sterilization, for the most part, has been attempted by using materials that have higher glass transition temperatures and heat distortion temperatures. Some of these materials have been polyetherimides, polysulfones, Bayer APEC (a high heat polycarbonate) and polyphthalyl carbonate (PPC, a high heat copolyester polycarbonate). Generally though, these materials have drawbacks that prevent their widespread use in articles that are usually steam sterilized. For example, polyetherimides are colored, relatively expensive, and have low impact strength. Polysulfones color upon exposure to light, tend to be brittle, are viscous, and can absorb water. Bayer APEC is a stiff material that presents processing challenges and that can also be sensitive to hydrolysis, and certain copolyester polycarbonates tend to be brittle, colored materials. There accordingly remains a demand in the art for polycarbonate articles that do not exhibit significantly degraded physical and/or mechanical properties despite being repeatedly steam sterilized.

Methods of sterilizing polycarbonate articles and methods of manufacture


The invention teaches a multiple reference optical coherence tomography scanner that provides a subdermal fingerprint scan, covers an area of approximately 16 mm-17 mm×10 mm in less than a second, and fits into a slim profile of less than 6 mm in thickness, thereby fitting within the slim consumer electronics such as the iPhone and similar consumer electronics. Various embodiments are taught.

Security is an ubiquitous concern in modern life. Many consumer electronic devices are currently equipped with fingerprint scanners to unlock the device. However, surface fingerprints are fairly easy to fake. A need exists for more secure means of preventing unauthorized access to consumer electronics. Moreover, although more secure means do currently exist, such approaches fail to meet consumer expectations of nearly instantaneous access to electronic devices. Further obstacles to security arise as consumer electronics manufacturers respond to consumer demands for smaller, lighter devices, while simultaneously offering price reductions. Solutions to security are rejected if such approaches do not fit the expected form factor, or increase the selling price of the device. Lastly, standards exist, such as those adopted by NIST, and purveyors of security must also satisfy such standards.
For a device to be accepted by consumers, user authentication is expected to be very secure and very fast, as well as robust. It is expected to be nearly transparent to the user, adding neither weight nor volume to the device, as well as being included at no extra charge in the price of the device.
What is needed is a rapid, secure fingerprint scan device. What is further needed is a rapid secure fingerprint scan device that fits into the form of current electronic devices. What is also needed is a rapid highly secure user authentication that is robust, withstanding of consumer handling and device use conditions. Further needed is an approach that is sufficiently low cost so that price of the device is not increased by virtue of the included user authentication feature.

Optical coherence tomography array based subdermal imaging device


A process for operating a palladium oxide-containing catalytic combustor is useful, e.g., for powering a gas turbine. The palladium oxide is supported on a metal oxide such as alumina, lanthanide metal oxide-modified alumina, ceria, titania or tantalum oxide. The method involves maintaining control of the temperature within the combustor in such a manner as to insure the presence of palladium oxide. By maintaining the temperature below the decomposition onset temperature of palladium oxide (which is catalytically active for catalytic combustion) into metallic palladium (which is catalytically inactive) deactivation of the catalyst is avoided and high catalytic activity is retained. Regeneration of catalyst following inactivation resulting from an over-temperature is accomplished by using a heat soak in a regeneration temperature range which varies depending on the particular metal oxide used to support the palladium oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a particularly advantageous process for the catalytically supported combustion of carbonaceous materials, including natural gas and methane. In a more specific aspect, this invention relates to a process for catalytically-supported combustion of natural gas or methane using a supported palladium oxide catalyst, without the formation of substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides.
Burning of carbonaceous fuels is associated with formation of air pollutants, among the most troublesome of which are nitrogen oxides (NOx). Nitrogen oxides form whenever air-supported combustion takes place at open flame temperatures. One approach to eliminating nitrogen oxides involves chemically modifying the oxides after their formation. This approach has drawbacks, including the high cost associated with attempting to eliminate 100% of a once-formed pollutant. A more direct method of eliminating nitrogen oxides is to operate the combustion process at a lower temperature so that no formation of nitrogen oxide occurs. Such low temperature combustion can take place in the presence of catalysts, and it is to such a low temperature combustion process that this invention is directed.
In general, conventional adiabatic, thermal combustion systems (e.g., gas turbine engines) operate at such high temperatures in the combustion zone that undesirable nitrogen oxides, especially NO, are formed. A thermal combustion system operates by contacting fuel and air in flammable proportions with an ignition source, e.g., a spark, to ignite the mixture which will then continue to burn. Flammable mixtures of most fuels burn at relatively high temperatures, i.e., about 3,300.degree. F. and above, which inherently results in the formation of substantial amounts of NOx. In the case of gas turbine combustors, the formation of NOx can be reduced by limiting the residence time of the combustion products in the combustion zone. However, due to the large quantities of gases being handled, undesirable quantities of NOx are nonetheless produced.
It has long been realized that little or no NOx is formed in a system which catalytically burns a fuel at relatively low temperatures as compared to uncatalyzed thermal combustion. Typically, such catalytic combustion of natural gas or methane, for example, utilizes a preburner or thermal combustor which employs flame combustion to preheat combustion air to a temperature of 700.degree. C. or higher. Once the catalyst is sufficiently hot to sustain catalysis, the preburner is shut down and all the fuel and air are directed to the catalyst. Preheat is then only due to compressor discharge. Such a catalytic combustor, if operated at temperatures below about 1,300.degree. C.-1,400.degree. C., avoids the nitrogen oxide formation which occurs at the higher temperatures which are characteristic of the flame combustion. A description of such a catalytic combustion process and apparatus is found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,961. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,065,917 and 4,019,316.
Such catalytic combustion as described above which will function effectively at a high space velocity has, however, heretofore been generally regarded as commercially unattractive. A primary reason for this lack of commercial attractiveness has been the absence of an economically competitive method for catalytic combustion of natural gas.
2. Description of Related Art
Catalytically supported combustion processes have been described in the prior art. See, e.g., Pfefferle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,961. The use of natural gas or methane in catalytic combustion has been taught in the art, as has the use of a palladium catalyst to promote such combustion/oxidation. See Cohn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,646 wherein the use of palladium catalyst to promote methane oxidation is generically disclosed, as is an operable temperature range, 271.degree. C. to 900.degree. C. (see column 2, lines 19-25). Note also that this Patent states "the higher the operating temperature, the shorter will be the catalyst life and the more difficult will be subsequent ignition after catalyst cooling". Other patents directed to the use of platinum group metals as catalysts for methane oxidation at temperatures above 900.degree. C. include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,928,961; 4,008,037; and 4,065,917. The literature also describes the thermal decomposition of PdO to Pd metal at temperatures of 800.degree. C. in air at atmospheric pressure. See Kirk Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technoloqy, Vol. 18, p. 248 which states that palladium acquires a coating of oxide when heated in air from 350.degree. C. to 790.degree. C. but that above this temperature the oxide decomposes and leaves the bright metal.
The present invention finds particular utility in a process for the start-up of catalytically supported combustion. Prior art references directly related to such start-up are Pfefferle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,316 and Pfefferle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,917.
C. L. McDaniel et al, "Phase Relations Between Palladium Oxide and the Rare Earth Sesquioxides in Air," Journal of Research of the Natural Bureau of Standards--A. Physics and Chemistry, Vol. 72A, No. 1, January-February, 1968, pages 27-37, describe complexes of PdO and other rare earth oxides. Specifically, the paper describes PdO in combination with each of the following sesquioxides La.sub.2 O.sub.2, Eu.sub.2 O.sub.3, Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, Dy.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ho.sub.2 O.sub.3, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, Er.sub.2 O.sub.3, Tm.sub.2 O.sub.3, Yb.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Lu.sub.2 O.sub.3.
A. Kato et al, "Lanthanide B-Alumina Supports For Catalytic Combustion Above 1,000.degree. C.," Successful Design of Catalysts, 1988, Elsevier Science Publishers, pages 27-32, describes the preparation of support materials consisting of lanthanide oxides and alumina for use as combustion catalysts. The preparation comprises preparing a mixed solution of a lanthanide element nitrate (e.g., a nitrate of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, etc.) and Al.sub.2 (NO.sub.3).sub.3, neutralizing the solution by adding dilute aqueous ammonia to form a precipitate, and washing, drying and calcining the precipitate at 500.degree. C. The powder, with 1% added graphite, was formed into cylindrical tablets and calcined at 700.degree. C. The resultant support was impregnated with a solution of Pd(NO.sub.3).sub.2 to provide 1% by weight Pd, then calcined at 500.degree. C., then at 1,200.degree. C. The article states that the use of La, Pr and Nd as the lanthanide element gave rise to B-alumina (page 28) and that endurance tests on methane combustion performed at 1,200.degree. C. demonstrated that a Pd catalyst supported on lanthanum B-alumina has good durability and resistance to thermal sintering (pages 31 and 32).

Catalytic combustion process using supported palladium oxide catalysts


A rectangular substrate is prepared by providing a starting rectangular substrate having front and back surfaces and four side surfaces as ground, and pressing a rotary polishing pad perpendicularly against one side surface under a constant pressure, and relatively moving the rotary polishing pad and the substrate parallel to the side surface, for thereby polishing the side surface of the substrate. In the imprint lithography, the rectangular substrate is capable of controlling compression and pattern shape at a high accuracy and thus transferring a complex pattern of fine feature size to a recipient.

In the fabrication of electronic devices, optical components, storage components, bioelectronic components and the like, not only higher performance and further miniaturization are demanded, but also a reduction of the manufacture cost is required at the same time. Under the circumstances, the imprint lithography is highlighted since it can reduce the cost of micropatterning as compared with the conventional lithography processes. In the imprint lithography, a (topographic) pattern of protrusions and recessions is formed by mechanical means. Specifically a mold-forming substrate having a desired topographic pattern on the surface is pressed to a resin layer of given thickness on a recipient substrate for thereby transferring the topographic pattern on the mold to the resin layer. See Patent Document 1. Substrates used in the imprint lithography have different outer shapes including rectangular shape of 65 mm squares or 152 mm squares, and circular shape having a diameter of 50 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm or 200 mm, with a choice being made in accordance with the intended application.
In the imprint lithography, the resin layer to which the topographic pattern has been transferred by pressing is cured whereby the shape of the resin layer is retained. The cure may be implemented typically by UV cure and heat cure modes. In either mode, it is important to press the mold-forming substrate and the resin layer-bearing recipient substrate together while maintaining parallelism between them and providing a uniform pressure within the contact plane. The mold-forming substrate to be provided with a topographic pattern is required to have a high shape accuracy. See Patent Document 2.
In recent years, the photo (UV) nanoimprint lithography encounters an increasing demand to provide a mold-forming substrate with a finer size pattern or more complex pattern for transfer. In such high-definition imprint lithography, very precise positioning at high accuracy, control of compression pressure, and control of pattern shape are required. Under the circumstances, in the imprint lithography using rectangular substrates, the rectangular substrates themselves must have a high shape accuracy.
For example, Patent Document 3 discloses an actuation system comprising a plurality of actuators disposed so as to enclose a rectangular substrate, wherein the end surfaces of the substrate are compressed by a plurality of forces, for thereby bowing or deforming the compressed portion of the substrate, for thereby accomplishing compression and pattern shape control at a high accuracy.

Rectangular substrate for imprint lithography and making method