The completion of an electronic checklist is facilitated by the automated display of certain data while completing the checklist. The disclosed program presents an automated display of synoptic, navigational, or flight management data for each task in a checklist. For each task in a checklist, there may be certain data which would aid the pilot or other user to complete the checklist. Such data can be displayed contemporaneously with the checklist. After the completion of each task in the checklist, the contents of the display can be restored to the state the display was in before the checklist was started.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to aircraft cockpit displays and, more particularly, to graphical methods for displaying synoptic and flight data in conjunction with a checklist.
2. Background Information
Flying an aircraft can be a complicated task, requiring the monitoring and control of many different functions of an aircraft to determine if they are operating properly to increase the safety of a flight. Many of these functions can be checked regularly by the user to determine if the aircraft is in a proper operating mode. In addition, in the event of a failure of a system or component of an aircraft, there may be several systems or functions that should be checked or monitored to increase the safety of a flight.
A list (commonly called a checklist) is usually prepared by the manufacturer of the aircraft (or various other entities that are familiar with the operation of the particular aircraft) that contains the tasks that need to be performed or systems that need to be checked during certain phases of a flight. For example, before a flight, a pilot should check the aircraft power, battery, hydraulics, brakes, engines, fuel level, and various other equipment to determine that they are in proper working order. Checklists are also available for emergency situations. For example, in the event of a failure of one of the engines or of a pump supplying fuel to the engines, a checklist of tasks to be performed in the particular situation is typically available to the pilot of the aircraft or other crew member or user (including the co-pilot and various technicians who prepare the aircraft for flight).
These checklists may be provided on paper such that a user would read the checklist to determine which task must be performed next, complete the task, then proceed to the next task. A user may also mark the paper checklist to show that the checklist has been performed. For example, the pre-flight checklist may include a task of checking the fuel level, and once the user determines that the fuel level is adequate, the pilot marks the task as completed and performs the next task.
More recently, checklists have been provided on a computer display such that once a task has been completed, the user would mark the task completed on the display, possibly using a keyboard, a touch screen display, a track ball, or other pointing device or marking device known in the art. More recent systems have linked the computerized checklists various sensors on the aircraft, wherein the sensors automatically determine if the task is completed. For example, if one of the items on a checklist is to ensure that the doors of the pressurized cabin of the aircraft are closed, sensors on the doors determine if the doors are closed. If a door is not closed, the checklist will not allow the checklist to proceed until all the doors are closed. If all of the doors are closed when the task is selected, the checklist may automatically proceed to the next task on the checklist.
When performing the tasks on the checklist, it may be desirable for the user to have access to certain data, commonly called synoptic information, which presents a graphical overview of a particular system. For example, if the checklist requires the user to check if portions of the fuel system are operating properly, it may be desirable for the user to have access to data concerning the fuel systems. It may also be desirable to have access to other data that may be available to the pilot and the co-pilot. For example, one may have a desire to view navigation information in performing a checklist. In certain aircraft systems, access to navigation data may involve the monitoring of certain gauges. In other aircraft systems, the synoptic data and navigational information may be present in various display units present throughout the cockpit.
The presentation of data on aircraft flight displays continues to advance in sophistication, achieving increasingly higher levels of information density and, consequently, presenting a greater amount of visual information to be perceived and understood by the operator. In many applications, it is important that visual displays provide a proper cognitive mapping between what the operator is trying to achieve and the information available to accomplish the task. As a result, such systems increasingly utilize human-factor design principles in order to build instrumentation and controls that work cooperatively with human operators. Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has promulgated a number of standards and advisory circulars relating to flight instrumentation. More particularly, Title 14 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25, Sec. 25.1321 et seq. provides guidelines for arrangement and visibility of instruments, warning lights, indicators, and the like. Similarly, detailed guidelines related to electronic displays can be found in FAA Advisory Circular 20-88A, Guidelines on the Marking of Aircraft Powerplant Instruments (September 1985).
In summary, in certain situations, including, but not limited to, emergency situations, it is desirable for the appropriate synoptic data to be displayed for each task in a checklist. It may also be desirable for such a display to occur automatically, to ease the workload of the pilot or other user. It may also be desirable for the displays to revert to the configuration present before the checklist was started, to further ease the workload of the pilot or other user. It may also be desirable for such an automated checklist system to be overridden such that the user has complete control over the displays of the aircraft. It may also be desirable to incorporate such a linkage between the checklist and the synoptic display in the context of a checklist with automatic sensing.

Method and apparatus for automatic display and removal of required synoptic pages in a checklist context


An apparatus installed on a host vehicle derives travel locus/condition information relating each of a plurality of reception positions on the vehicle to a corresponding reception condition (e.g., received signal strength), and updates the information at each of successive positions along a travel locus of the vehicle. The currently obtained information is compared with reference travel locus/condition information previously obtained by travel along a reference travel locus, in the same travel direction, by the host vehicle or similar vehicle. Degrees of similarity between the currently obtained information and the reference information are evaluated, and the results used to detect changes in position of the host vehicle along a direction at right angles to its advancement direction.

Field of Application
The present invention relates to a vehicle-installed apparatus for use in estimating the position of a vehicle based on variations in a condition of reception of radio waves.
Description of Related Art
Position measurement systems are known for estimating the current position of a vehicle along a travel locus (a path traced out by the vehicle as it moves along a route) by using a relationship between positions along the travel locus and variations in reception condition of radio waves received by an apparatus of the vehicle.
An example of such a position measurement system is described in Japanese patent publication No. 2013-257306, designated in the following as reference document 1. With that system, reference information is derived beforehand which relates successive positions reached by a motor vehicle along its travel locus to corresponding values of RSSI (received signal strength indication) of radio waves received at these positions, transmitted from a base station. Thereafter when a vehicle of the same type advances along a similar travel locus (i.e., along the same road and same travel direction), an apparatus of the vehicle receives the radio waves and generates information relating the RSSI variation to successive increments of distance traveled by the vehicle. That relationship information is compared with the reference information, for use in estimating positions reached by the vehicle along its route.
However with the technology of reference document 1, it is not possible to estimate the position of the vehicle relative to the reference travel locus with respect to a direction at right angles to the reference travel locus, and thereby detect changes in the vehicle position in a direction at right angles to its current advancement direction.

Apparatus using radio reception for detecting displacement of a vehicle in a direction at right angles to its advancement direction


In an improved ozone decomposing air filter carbon fibers are held together with a carbonized binder in a perforated structure. The structure is made by combining rayon fibers with gelatin, forming the mixture in a mold, freeze-drying, and vacuum baking.

Frequently in crowded urban office environments, volatile air-borne contaminants contribute to a variety of undesirable effects on persons and property, collectively sometimes referred to as "sick building syndrome". These contaminants issue from various synthetic building materials, from contaminated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ducts, and from a variety of electrical and electronic devices. A frequent and significant contributor to air contamination, and thus to "sick building syndrome" is ozone. Ozone is a very active form of oxygen molecule, and is produced in office buildings by electronic copiers, laser jet printers, and other electrical and electronic equipment. It is also produced by devices which use ultraviolet light, often for sterilization of medical and dental instruments, sterilization of deionized process water, sterilization of equipment used for hair care and other applications in cosmetology and skin care, and for surface activation of polymers and other manufacturing processes.
Ozone is a toxic gas that has an unpleasant, pungent odor that is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.05 parts per million (ppm). It becomes irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs at about 0.1 ppm. The American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have extablished the maximum permissible average concentration of ozone as 0.1 ppm over an eight hour exposure period.
Conventional methods for reducing ozone concentrations in air use activated carbon alone or in combination with metal catalysts or oxide catalysts such as activated manganese dioxide and high surface area ferric oxide. Examples of activated carbon filters that are available commercially are the "TAK Filter 800 Cell" produced by Roki Company in Tokyo, Japan, and a honeycomb activated carbon filter produced by Ricoh Co. in West Caldwell, New Jersey. These activated filters have been found to lose approximately one half their ozone decomposing capacity after about 1 days' service. U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,377 entitled "Ozone Decomposing Material and Ozone Decomposing Apparatus Using the Ozone Decomposing Material", issued Oct. 26, 1993 discusses this degradation issue. To overcome the loss of ozone decomposing capacity this patent claims the use of a number of dipentene compounds in combination with an activated carbon filter.
Because conventional air filters for reducing ozone made of activated carbon alone or with catalysts lose approximately one half their ozone decomposing capacity after just one day in service, and because these filters cost approximately $100 for one of a size suitable for an office copier or printer, an effort was undertaken to find or produce an ozone decomposing filter which is effective at decomposing ozone over a much longer period and at a greatly reduced cost. The present invention arose from that effort.
The present invention is a monolithic carbon composite filter and a simple, inexpensive method for producing it. The filter has been tested for ozone destroying capacity and has been found to be extremely effective. Moreover, this filter has a long ozone-decomposing lifetime without the use of catalysts or adsorbed dipentenes. Precursor materials are inexpensive, non-hazardous, and readily available. The method permits easy casting-to-shape of a monolithic filter.


A beverage cover includes an insulating sleeve receiving an insert and supporting a sound generating device. The sound generating device is protected from moisture such as condensation and the like, is selectively operable, and may contain a melody or other preprogrammed audio track. The beverage container may thus be used for amusement or entertainment as well as to reinforce promotional messages associated with distribution of the beverage cover.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to beverage covers and in particular to beverage covers distributed as part of promotional efforts. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a distinctive and memorable beverage cover which may be distributed as part of a promotional effort to reinforce the promotional message while providing recipients with a source of amusement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beverage covers, particularly those comprising an insulating sleeve of the type generally referred to a "coozies" or "Koozies," are frequently distributed as part of promotional efforts for concerts, sporting events, movies, radio stations, and other aspects of the entertainment industry. The practice has become so common, however, and beverage covers so widely available for small costs, that the distinctiveness of the beverage covers as a promotional item has been lost. Retention of the promotional message relating to the beverage covers is thus substantially reduced.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a distinctive beverage cover which reinforces retention of a promotional message when distributed. It would further be advantageous if the beverage cover provided a source of amusement or entertainment to recipients.


A fuel cell system for a hybrid vehicle that includes a high voltage battery, where the system uses a cathode exhaust gas airflow from a fuel cell stack to draw air through a battery compartment in which the battery is mounted to provide battery cooling. An air intake line is in fluid communication with the passenger compartment of the vehicle and the battery compartment. An ejector line is in fluid communication with the battery compartment and the cathode exhaust gas pipe. The flow of the cathode exhaust gas around the injector pipe creates a low pressure area, which draws air through the battery compartment from the passenger compartment. In one embodiment, a compressor that provides the cathode inlet air to the fuel cell stack is used at low stack output loads, such as during vehicle idle, to direct air through the cathode exhaust gas pipe, and cool the battery system under low load conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a battery cooling system for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a battery cooling system for a fuel cell hybrid vehicle, where the battery cooling system uses the exhaust gas flow from a fuel cell stack to create a partial vacuum that draws air through the battery system from the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hydrogen is a very attractive fuel because it is clean and can be used to efficiently produce electricity in a fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that includes an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte therebetween. The anode receives hydrogen gas and the cathode receives oxygen or air. The hydrogen gas is dissociated in the anode to generate free hydrogen protons and electrons. The hydrogen protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode. The hydrogen protons react with the oxygen and the electrons in the cathode to generate water. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte, and thus are directed through a load to perform work before being sent to the cathode.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a popular fuel cell for vehicles. The PEMFC generally includes a solid polymer electrolyte proton conducting membrane, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. The anode and cathode typically include finely divided catalytic particles, usually platinum (Pt), supported on carbon particles and mixed with an ionomer. The catalytic mixture is deposited on opposing sides of the membrane. The combination of the anode catalytic mixture, the cathode catalytic mixture and the membrane define a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). MEAs are relatively expensive to manufacture and require certain conditions for effective operation.
Several fuel cells are typically combined in a fuel cell stack to generate the desired power. The fuel cell stack receives a cathode input gas, typically a flow of air forced through the stack by a compressor. Not all of the oxygen is consumed by the stack and some of the air is output as a cathode exhaust gas that may include water as a stack by-product. The fuel cell stack also receives an anode hydrogen input gas that flows into the anode side of the stack.
The dynamic power of a fuel cell system is limited. Further, the time delay from system start-up to driveability and low acceleration of a fuel cell vehicle may not be acceptable. During a drive cycle, the stack cell voltage varies because the variable driver power request follows the stack polarization curve. The voltage cycles can decrease the stack durability. These drawbacks can be minimized by using a high voltage battery in parallel with the fuel cell stack. Algorithms are employed to provide the distribution of power from the battery and the fuel cell stack to meet the requested power.
For the reasons discussed above, some fuel cell vehicles are hybrid vehicles that employ a rechargeable supplemental power source in addition to the fuel cell stack, such as a DC battery or a super capacitor (also referred to as an ultra-capacitor or double layer capacitor). The power source provides supplemental power for the various vehicle auxiliary loads, for system start-up and during high power demands when the fuel cell stack is unable to provide the desired power. More particularly, the fuel cell stack provides power to a traction motor and other vehicle systems through a DC voltage bus line for vehicle operation. The battery provides the supplemental power to the voltage bus line during those times when additional power is needed beyond what the stack can provide, such as during heavy acceleration. For example, the fuel cell stack may provide 70 kW of power. However, vehicle acceleration may require 100 kW or more of power. The fuel cell stack is used to recharge the battery at those times when the fuel cell stack is able to meet the system power demand. The generator power available from the traction motor during regenerative braking is also used to recharge the battery through the DC bus line.
In one known fuel cell vehicle hybrid design, the battery is part of a battery system enclosed within a housing or compartment, where the system includes a plurality of battery modules, each having a number of battery cells. The battery system further includes various power control modules, electronic control circuits, etc., enclosed within the compartment. In this particular design, it is typically necessary to cool the battery modules because they generate a significant amount waste heat that could reduce the performance and life of the battery system.
It is known in the fuel cell art to use the cooling sub-system that cools the fuel cell stack to also cool the battery system. For example, flow channels may be provided at appropriate locations in the battery system compartment that are plumbed to the coolant loop through which a cooling fluid flows that cools the fuel cell stack. The cooling sub-system typically will include a radiator and a fan that reduces the temperature of the cooling fluid before it is returned to the fuel cell stack to collect the stack waste heat. However, this type of liquid cooling system for the battery system has a number of drawbacks in that it is fairly complex to provide the necessary pipes and such to direct the cooling fluid to the battery compartment. Further, during high load conditions, the ability of the radiator and cooling fan to cool the cooling fluid is reduced, which may not be adequate to cool the battery system to the desired temperature, thus requiring a larger radiator and fan to cool both the fuel cell stack and the battery system under these conditions. Also, the normal operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, typically between 60° C. and 80° C., is generally too high for proper battery system cooling. Generally, it is desirable to maintain the temperature of the battery system below 40° C.
It is also known in the art employ a separate thermal sub-system for the cooling the battery system that uses air as the cooling medium. In one particular design, a fan is employed to draw air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, which is typically at a comfortable temperature, and drive the air through the battery compartment so that it flows around the battery modules. The heated air that flows through the battery compartment is then exhausted to the environment. The air cooled thermal sub-system is typically not able to provide as great amount of cooling as a liquid cooled thermal sub-system, but it is less complex and easier to implement. However, the fan used in the air-cooled battery thermal sub-system requires power to drive the fan, and suitable packaging space. Therefore, it is desirable to eliminate the fan to reduce the weight, packaging space and power required by the fuel cell vehicle.

HV battery cooling with exhaust flow of fuel cell systems


An air drag reducing apparatus for use with a vehicle having a rear end closed by a pair of doors consists of a rectangular shaped panel having a leading edge hingedly connected to the vehicle, the panel extending at about 16 degrees relative to the rearward projection of a side of the vehicle in a drag reducing position. As the door is opened, an element allows the panel to be moved between the door and the side of the vehicle to a position adjacent the side of the vehicle. As the door is moved back from the opened position to a closed position, the element causes the panel to return to its drag reducing position. The rear of a vehicle includes two side panels and two top panels.

The present invention. relates to an air drag reducing apparatus for use with vehicles having a rectangular rear end closed by a pair of hingedly mounted doors.
It is known that a significant amount of air drag results when a vehicle travels over a roadway; this is due to an area of low pressure created at the rear end of the vehicle. For example, with a tractor-trailer type vehicle, the air makes a sharp bend around the squared-off back of the trailer, thus causing turbulence and drag. To overcome this problem, engine power is required and therefore fuel. Furthermore, the turbulence also causes poor visibility in rainy conditions and an accumulation of dirt on the back of trailers.
In the trucking industry, the aerodynamics of vehicles is a growing concern. Tests indicate that fuel savings from aerodynamic improvements are equivalent to fuel savings attained by a chassis weight reduction and require fewer services to maintain. The air resistance or aerodynamic drag of the vehicle increases the power needed by the engine as the speed increases. It is known that a tractor-trailer needs about 100 HP to overtake the air drag at a speed of 55 MPH. Approximately half the energy reaching the drive wheels is required to overcome air resistance at cruising speed. Recent tests reveal that the square back end contributes approximately to 30% of the air drag. Therefore, the addition of aerodynamic device, such as a rear defector, diminishes the air drag and results in lower fuel consumption.
Various devices have been proposed to reduce air drag. One air drag reducing apparatus may be found described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,787 issued Jul. 29, 1980 to Chain wherein a pair of trim panels are pivotally connected to the rear end of the vehicle with control means connected between each trim panel and the rear end of the vehicle for maintaining the trim panel in an upward position when the vehicle is moving at a rate exceeding a predetermined minimum velocity. The drag reducing apparatus described in this patent includes a control assembly, which automatically controls the movement of the trim panels between an operating position and a storage position adjacent the vehicle doors. The control system comprises a panel actuator in the form of a ram, which is responsible to the application of pressurized fluid or air by the operator of the vehicle to maintain the panel in the drag reducing position. However, in this drag apparatus, the ram construction does not enable the doors to be moved between a closed position to a completely opened position where the doors are adjacently parallel to the sides of the trailer vehicle.
Another air drag reducing apparatus may be found in applicant""s U.S. patent Ser. No. 6,257,654 issued Jul. 10, 2001.
The present invention is concerned with providing an air drag reducing apparatus which overcomes the above-described problems.
More specifically, this is achieved by providing an apparatus which allows the panels to be moved outwardly from a drag reducing position to a position where the doors are in their fully retracted position adjacent their associated sides of the vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which will enable the panels to return back to their drag reducing position whenever the doors are hingedly moved from their retracted position to their end closing position. This is achieved by providing a pressure exerting element which assists the panel to return to its drag reducing position.
The present invention therefore relates to an air drag reducing apparatus for use with a vehicle having a top and opposite lateral sides contiguous with a rear end formed of a pair of hingedly mounted rectangular doors movable between a closed position to a fully open retracted position wherein the doors panels are respectively retracted adjacent to a corresponding side of the vehicle; the apparatus comprising:
a pair of elongated generally rectangular side panels each having opposite short sides and opposite long sides, the long sides defining a leading edge and a trailing edge;
hinge means connecting each side panel allowing for pivotal movement relative to a corresponding door of the vehicle;
means associated with each side panel for maintaining the side panel in a drag reducing position rearwardly of a corresponding closed door wherein the side panel defines an angle of about 16xc2x0 with a rearward projection of a plane of the corresponding side of the vehicle;
a pair of generally rectangular top panels each having opposite short sides and opposite long sides, the long sides defining a leading edge and a trailing edge; the short sides of the top panels including one short side disposed adjacent an inner face of a corresponding one of the side panels when the side panels are in the drag reducing position; and
means associated with the top panels for maintaining the top panels in a drag reducing position rearwardly of a corresponding closed door wherein each top panel defines an angle of about 16xc2x0 with a rearward projection of a plane of the top of the vehicle; the maintaining means associated with the top panels allowing the top panels to be moved from the drag reducing position to a position lying substantially parallel to a corresponding side of the vehicle between a corresponding side panel and a corresponding door in the fully open position.
In one preferred form of the invention, one short side of the top panels includes means that slidably contact the inner face of the side panels as the vehicle doors are opened.
In another form of the invention, the positioning means consist of gas cylinders connected between the door and the top panel.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.


A molded, non-metallic insert is disclosed that is of a form which replicates the seat configuration of the oxy-fuel cutting torch into which it is intended to be inserted. The insert material is compressible and resilient and allows a cutting tip, without special requirements, to be installed into the cutting torch so equipped with the insert. The insert is resistant to the difficult environmental conditions in which it is required to operate, in the industrial situations in which it is used. The insert resists elevated temperatures and the chemical and physical effects of the gases it contacts while sealing the flowpaths of the oxygen and fuel flowing through the torch head and cutting tip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting torches and cutting tips, and more particularly to a molded insert formed of a resilient, non-metallic material which is placed into the metal head of an oxy-fuel cutting torch and allows a standard metal cutting tip to be installed leak-free into the cutting torch head.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Oxy-fuel cutting torches are used with cutting tips to perform cutting operations in the metalworking industry. The cutting torch conveys fuel gas and oxygen to the tip where the mixture of the two combusts at the tip exit orifices to pre-heat the metal to be cut. Pure oxygen is also discharged from the cutting tip to sever the pre-heated metal by an oxidation process.
Conventionally, oxy-fuel cutting torch heads and cutting tips have been formed from metal such as brass and copper. The use of these materials is based on their resistance to degradation by corrosion in the industrial environment, their resistance to elevated temperatures, and their ease of fabrication by standard manufacturing practices such as forging and machining. Conventional designs require that the metal cutting tip be installed into the cutting torch head and held firmly in place, in metal-to-metal contact, by means of a threaded metal tip nut. The tip nut is tightened using a wrench until it applies sufficient force on the tip to form a gas tight seal between the metal seats of the tip and the metal torch head seat. Prior cutting tips are typically made from a single piece of metal or are assembled from multiple pieces. Prior cutting tips typically rely on metal-to-metal sealing with the torch head to prevent premature mixing of oxygen and fuel in the cutting tip and torch head.
The prior art head and tip designs have several drawbacks. Cutting tips are subject to damage due to dirt, mishandling, and abuse in the industrial environment. Nicks, scratches, and dents cause the seats to leak when installed into the cutting torch head and subjected to oxygen and fuel gas under pressure. Seat leaks cause operating malfunctions such as backfiring and flashback which can be hazardous. Furthermore, the surface finish of prior metal-to-metal seals is critical, and significant cost is involved in manufacturing and maintaining torches and tips with appropriate surface finishes.

Oxy-fuel cutting torch head seat insert and method of use


A method of obtaining run-time information associated with executing an executable is described. The method comprises receiving an external database comprising one or more external debugging information entries, retrieving the one or more external debugging information entries from the external database and storing the one or more external debugging information entries retrieved from the external database in a debugging information entries collection. The method further comprises providing the debugging information entries collection to a debugging information consumer, and obtaining the run-time information from letting the debugging information consumer retrieve run-time values and format the run-time values according to the external debugging information entries in the debugging information entries collection.

During design and development of systems with one or more programmable processors and the associated program code to be executed by the programmable processors, designers and developers usually perform extensive testing of the program code at various stages during the design and development. Herein, the designers and developers (hereafter referred to as users) use debuggers, profilers, analyzers and/or visualizers to obtain and inspect run-time information associated with executing an executable. The term executable may herein relate to a program code in a form suitable for execution on the programmable processor, e.g., obtained from compiling and linking a source code. For example, a user may use a debugger to obtain run-time values of e.g. registers, variables, functions, memory locations as defined in the executable as so-called debugging information entries (DIEs) in, for example, the standardized DWARF format. Inspecting and analysing the run-time values allows the user to check the execution of the program code and to, e.g., adapt the program code to improve the program code. If the user needs additional run-time information, the user defines additional DIEs in the source code, compiles and links the source code with the additional DIEs therein, and thereby obtains an executable which, when executed, also provides run-time information for these additional DIEs. The user may subsequently inspect the run-time information, real-time and/or offline, using for example the debugger.

Method and system for obtaining run-time information associated with executing an executable


An optical film and an illuminating device having the optical film are provided. The optical film may include a first surface including a plurality of peaks and valleys formed from the plurality of peaks, a second surface opposite the first surface and a plurality of scattering patterns on the second surface. One of the scattering patterns may correspond to 3 to 6 peaks of the plurality of peaks on the first surface.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention may relate to an optical film and an illuminating device having the optical film. More particularly, embodiments at the present invention may relate to an optical film having a patterned first surface and a second surface having a plurality of scattering (or dot) patterns formed thereon.
2. Background
Illuminating devices that include a light pipe capable of transmitting light to a remote place with less transmission loss may be used in various places (for example, inside and outside a building). Light pipes may also be referred to as light conduits, light guides or light tubes, and have been used to effectively distribute light across a wide area for various purposes such as for illumination.
Light pipes may be used not only for illuminating certain points but also for illuminating whole areas. Light that transmits through a light pipe may be distributed to outside of the light pipe for illuminating certain points or for maximizing the effect of illumination.
However, illuminating devices using a light pipe may provide different illuminance levels according to their distances from a light source, and thus may not be able to achieve uniform brightness across a longitudinal direction of a light pipe.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical film and illuminating device having the same


A trailing arm mounting structure for a space frame vehicle includes: a trailing arm mounting portion configured to mount a trailing arm; a side sill including a rear portion on which the trailing arm mounting portion is mounted; and a rear pillar connected to an upper rear portion of the side sill.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A trailing arm suspension is a type of vehicle suspension in which at least one arm or link is connected to between the axle and pivot point. It is generally used on the rear axle of a vehicle.
The space frame is used in the chassis design of vehicles and motorcycles. In both the space frame and tube frame chassis, the suspension, engine and vehicle body panels are attached to the skeleton frame of the tube, and the vehicle body panel has no structural function, and in a unibody or monocoque design, the body is used as part of the structure.
However, in order to apply the trailing arm suspension to the space frame, a configuration for providing strength such as a mounting bracket is desired, and the vehicle weight increases.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Trailing arm mounting structure for space frame vehicle


An application builder system and methodology enables a user to create an application using a builder (“builder application”); interactively edit the builder application by adding and removing application objects; interactively edit the properties of the application objects, including a new property called “debug level”; interactively set values of parameters for a code generator, including the value of a new parameter called “debug level”; invoking the code generator to automatically generate application code; and running the resulting generated application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to application development tools for computer applications, and particularly a method and system for an application builder that can optionally generate code used for debugging or testing purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Application builders are software development tools that enable the development of computer applications at an abstraction level that is higher than writing source code. An application builder typically has a graphical user interface through which the developer interacts to create the higher-level representation of the application. The application builder has a code generator component that translates the high-level representation to a concrete representation, which is typically source code, which can then be compiled and run.
The higher level of abstraction offered by application builders makes them useful in tackling today's complex application development. However, the fact that the developer works at an abstraction level that is higher than source code can make debugging and testing harder, since debuggers work at the source code level.
The ability to have source code that is used only in "debug" mode is known in the art. For example, the preprocessor of C and C++ provides such a facility through #if and #ifdef statements, and having statements of the form "#ifdef DEBUG . . . " in an application is common practice. However, having such a facility at the abstraction level of the application builder is not known in the art.
Within an application builder, having selective code generation is also known in the art. For example, the Rational Rose UML builder (http://www.rational.com/products/rose/index.jsp) lets the developer turn on and off code generation for any given object, where the typical use is to disable code generation for an object while it is still "half-baked". However, there is no logical grouping of the objects that are turned off and no easy way to toggle between generation and non-generation for a set of objects.
Also known in the art are various techniques for adding debug-specific objects within an application builder framework. However, all such known techniques require the developer to implement some non-trivial aspect of such objects.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a simple mechanism that lets developers add debug-specific objects within an application builder at a high level of abstraction.
It would be highly desirable to provide a simple mechanism that lets software developers add debug-specific objects within an application builder at a high level of abstraction. Such a development tool should enable the effortless creation and employment of a dedicated debug object, or, advantageously enable any object that normally participates in an application to serve as a debug object.

Testing and debugging framework for application builders

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a simple fuel vent assembly for use in inboard and outboard fuel tanks for marine vessels. The vent assembly includes upper and lower portions defining an L shaped interior passageway. The lower portion includes upper and lower valve seats positioned within this passageway. Spaced vent openings extend through the lower portion above and below the valve seat. A spherical float is positioned within the passageway between the upper and lower valve seats. As fuel is added to the tank, pressure can escape through the fuel vent. The flow valve is within the passageway as the level of liquid fuel in the tank rises during the fuel refilling process. When the tank is at its desired fill level the float engages the upper valve seat and forms a seal preventing liquid fuel from traveling past the upper seat and through the passageway into the atmosphere outside the tank. The second vent opening remained open to vent pressure from the space between the top of the tank and the fuel level.

Devices for venting fuel tanks in vehicles and, in particular, marine vessels, are well known in the art. Typical marine fuel venting devices facilitate the process of filling a tank with liquid fuel by compensating for changes in pressure within the tank as the volume of fuel dispensed into the tank increases and the fuel transitions between liquid and gas phases. Such devices typically consist of vent lines installed in the tanks. One end of the vent line is formed into the top of the tank and the other end opens into the atmosphere exterior to the tank.
Although a vent line helps prevent the buildup of fuel pressure within the tank, the vent line does not prevent the unintentional overboard venting of liquid fuel through the vent line, which frequently occurs when a marine fuel tank is being refueled. This unintentional venting occurs when the tank is overfilled or becomes full and resultant displaced vapors carry liquid fuel through the vent line to be discharged into the water or onto land.


An integrated circuit and method are provided for generating current for low power applications. The integrated circuit preferably includes a current generating circuit responsive to a supply voltage for generating a first reference current and a temperature compensating voltage controlling circuit for generating a temperature compensated voltage control signal during temperature variations. A bias controlling circuit is preferably connected to the current generating circuit and the temperature compensating voltage control circuit for biasingly controlling the temperature compensating voltage control circuit. A current output controlling circuit is connected to the current generating circuit and the temperature compensating voltage controlling circuit for controlling a second temperature compensated reference current responsive to the temperature compensated voltage control signal so as to generate a high output source current even during low temperature conditions.

Integrated circuits are widely used in many electronic applications. Current sources for these integrated circuits are often made by using active devices both as biasing elements and as load devices for amplifier stages. The use of current sources in biasing, for example, can result in improved sensitivity of circuit performance to power-supply variations and to temperature. Current sources also are often more economical than resistors in terms of the die area needed to provide bias current of selected values. When current sources are used as load devices in transistor amplifiers, the high incremental resistance of the current source can result in high voltage gain at low power-supply voltages.
Current sources, for example, can be formed from or include a field-effect transistor and a reference voltage source that biases the gate of the transistor. The reference source voltage can be a so-called "bandgap" type which generally refers to the energy interval between the valence bands and the conduction bands of a semiconductor. Current sources of this type conventionally use a known relationship of dependency between this interval and the temperature to achieve compensations that make the reference voltage as stable as possible as a function of the temperature.
A bandgap-type voltage source generally has two diodes through which flow different currents and a looped differential amplifier amplifying the voltage difference at the terminals and supplying the diodes with current. The current through the diodes can also be the same current, but if the current is the same, then the diodes are necessary and will generally have different junction surfaces. A current source can be made from this type of voltage source, but the stability in temperature is often lost during the voltage-to-current conversion.
Another type of current source is the "Wilson mirror" sources. A source of this kind is generally based upon mutually compensating variations in the characteristics of several transistors which mutually copy one another's currents. A Wilson mirror source conventionally has two parallel branches with two transistors each, and the transistors are mounted so that each branch copies the current of the other one. Two transistors which each belong to a different branch are different in size or in threshold voltage.
Modifications to this Wilson mirror type have been developed which further attempt to stabilize the current source for temperature variations. These modifications, for example, can include adding additional transistors such as in an MOSFET cascade current source illustrated in FIG. 1 or combining the Wilson mirror type and the bandgap type sources such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,159 by Breugnot et al. titled "Current Source With Low Temperature Coefficient." Although some stability can be obtained with these modified current sources, either the stability or the performance can be considered lacking for many low power applications such as low power clocks, low current oscillators, or controlling gain stages, dividers, level shifters, or other functions of various low power integrated circuit designs.

Low power temperature compensated, current source and associated method


A method of manufacturing a capacitor for use in an implantable cardiac defibrillator by forming a set of conductive sheets with the same profile having a sacrificial portion. An alignment figure is formed in each sheet, and the sheets are stacked and aligned by registering the alignment figures with each other. The sacrificial portions are removed from each of the sheets, which are secured together and positioned in a capacitor housing. Each sheet may include two major portions joined by the sacrificial portion, so that each major portion may become part of a separate capacitor stack after the sacrificial portion is removed, doubling manufacturing throughput.

Defibrillators are implanted in patients susceptible to cardiac arrhythmias or fibrillation. Such devices provide cardioversion or defibrillation by delivering a high voltage shock to the patient's heart, typically about 500-750V. High voltage capacitors are used in defibrillators to accumulate the high voltage charge following detection of a tachyarrhythmia. It is desirable to make implantable devices as small as possible, with slim, flat packages being desired for pectorally implanted defibrillators. Therefore, flat capacitors have been developed to avoid the disadvantages of traditional cylindrical aluminum electrolytic capacitors.
Such a flat capacitor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,851 to Fayram, which is incorporated herein by reference. Flat capacitors include a plurality of layers laminarly arranged in a stack. Each layer includes an anode and a cathode, with the anodes and cathodes being commonly connected to respective connectors. The layers may be cut in nearly any shape, to fit within a similarly shaped housing designed for a particular application. The capacitance of such a device is proportional to the number of layers, and to the area of each layer, providing significant design flexibility. However, it is desirable to further improve the capacitance per unit volume ratio of current devices, which currently devote some volume to clearances for preventing shorting of components, and to fastening and alignment elements for securing the device components to each other.
In addition, the process of manufacturing such capacitors is very labor intensive. The layer by layer assembly requires great care by the assembler to avoid damaging or misaligning any of the layers. The registration holes used in some devices aid manufacturing efficiency, but decrease the capacitance per unit volume and thus, the stored energy per unit volume.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a method of manufacturing an implantable cardiac defibrillator by forming a set of conductive sheets with the same profile having a sacrificial portion. An alignment figure is formed in each sheet, and the sheets are stacked and aligned by registering the alignment figures with each other. The sacrificial portions are removed from each of the sheets, which are secured together and positioned in a capacitor housing. Each sheet may include two major portions joined by the sacrificial portion, so that each major portion may become part of a separate capacitor stack after the sacrificial portion is removed, doubling manufacturing throughput.

Capacitor for an implantable cardiac defibrillator


The invention is for a continuous-combustion, closed-cycle, gas turbine engine with a regenerator and a displacer. It has embodiments that remove heater and cooler interior volumes during gas compression, which enable it to scale well to very large sizes. Low combustion temperatures insure very low emissions. The displacer levitated by an integral gas bearing and small clearance seal and given oscillatory translational motion by electromagnetic forces operates without surface wear. The turbine blades, subjected only to warm gases, are durable and inexpensive. Thus, this engine has a very long, continuous, maintenance-free service life. This gas turbine engine also operates without back work allowing high efficiency for both low and rated output. Pressurized encapsulation permits use of low-cost ceramics for high temperature components. The invention includes a unique monolithic ceramic heater, a compact high-capacity regenerator and a constant-power gas turbine.

This invention is for a heat engine that:                1. uses a regenerator,        2. uses a displacer,        3. uses a turbine or other gas drive,        4. uses an energy source derived from continuous combustion or solar energy,        5. uses a quasi-constant-pressure process,        6. has very-low emissions,        7. has a very-long, continuous-use service life,        8. operates with an efficiency near the Carnot cycle,        9. operates efficiently when operating at a small fraction of rated output, and        10. belongs to the family of Ericsson cycle engines.
The regenerative gas turbine belongs to the family of Ericsson cycle engines. It is the preferred small gas turbine configuration. This engine has important limitations:                1. back work (work required to drive the compressor) puts a premium on turbine and compressor component efficiency, i.e., a small drop in component efficiency results in a much larger drop in engine efficiency;        2. small engines have low operating efficiencies;        3. turbine blade life is limited by high temperature metal fatigue and creep failure, significantly adding to operating cost and lowering service life;        4. the engine operates best as a constant output engine, i.e., operating efficiency can be poor at, say, 10% of rated output and thus not useful for many applications;        5. the regenerator requires a high pressure and high temperature gas seal; however, this problem can be overcome by accepting a lower efficiency and using a recuperator in place of the regenerator; and        6. it is costly relative to some engine types.
Gas turbines such as those used on aircraft have gained wide use because they have a low specific weight and are powerful, reliable and durable. However, to achieve good efficiency they require high combustion temperature that results in considerable emissions, and use turbine blades that require costly materials and typically fail due to creep failure or fatigue failure. In addition, they have very poor efficiency when operating at a small fraction of rated power.
Steam power plants operate on the Rankine cycle. There is essentially no back work for this system; however, the efficiency of the Rankine cycle is substantially lower than the Carnot cycle and steam plants consequently are limited to efficiency near 40%. Steam power plants operate efficiently only at a constant output and require a long time to power up.
The spark ignition (SI) engine has a moderate specific weight, cost and efficiency. It has gained universal use as a light-duty automotive engine. The SI engine requires an elaborate emission control system. The SI engine's high wear rates and service requirements preclude its use for applications requiring long continuous operation. Although better than the gas turbine or steam turbine, it has poor efficiency when operating at a small fraction of rated power.
Compression ignition (diesel) engines have become the premier heavy truck and industrial engine type. They have high emissions, significant wear and require regular maintenance. This engine is not stable at very low engine speeds.
Another regenerative gas cycle engine is the Stirling cycle engine that uses a constant-volume process as opposed to constant-pressure processes. Stirling cycle engine limitations include low volumetric efficiency and high-pressure, pushrod seal wear.
Another regenerative gas cycle engine that uses constant-pressure processes is the Ericsson engine. This engine has not gained significant market acceptance except for small engines and has high wear characteristics.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,127,286; 2,175,376; 3,991,586; 4,133,173; 4,984,432; 5,473,899; 5,590,528 and 5,894,729 have information on several Ericsson cycle engines or related information. However, each of these references suffers from the disadvantages of gas turbines and/or diesel and/or Stirling cycle engines.
Cogeneration units that generate electricity and use rejected heat to provide space heating and to heat water have gained limited acceptance for medium-size commercial and industrial facilities. They are essentially nonexistent for home use. Cogeneration reduces energy consumption and can offer considerable economic advantages to the user. Small cogeneration units such as for a single-family house or small business have not been successful because a heat engine with the necessary requirements has not been available. Such an engine ideally should:                1. operate continuously for at least ten years without the need for servicing;        2. have very low exhaust emissions over the ten-year interval;        3. have a good efficiency at both a very low and high output;        4. have a low manufacturing cost; and        5. ideally, be compatible with solar-based energy augmentation.
Small (5 kW) solar-thermal heat engine driven electric generators have failed to enter the market because the required engine has not been available. Such an engine would be low cost, have a ten-year maintenance-free service life and have a high efficiency.
A large (100 kW) space solar thermal power system has not been used because the required engine has not been available. Such an engine would have a fifteen-year, continuous, maintenance-free service life and have a high efficiency.
Due to cost, coal is the fuel of choice for electric power generation. Coal plants almost exclusively operate on the Rankine cycle and are typically limited to 40% energy conversion efficiencies. They operate as base power plants with a constant output.
Large natural gas electric power plants operate on either (1) the Rankine cycle and are typically limited to 40% efficiencies or (2) a gas turbine cycle and are typically limited to somewhat less than 40% efficiencies or (3) a combined cycle and are typically limited to less than 50% efficiencies.
Engines used with ground transportation systems operate at high combustion temperatures; consequently, they require complex and costly emission control systems, and operate at efficiencies that are much lower than are theoretically possible.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a gas-cycle heat engine with the following capabilities:                1. scales well from 1 kW to 1 GW;        2. has a very long, continuous, maintenance-free service life;        3. has very low emissions without the need for a costly emission control device;        4. operates with an efficiency near the Carnot cycle so that relatively low combustion temperature can be used;        5. has responsive controls;        6. has a version that can be used as part of a home cogeneration unit;        7. has a version that can be used as part of a low-cost, solar-thermal, power system;        8. has a version that can be used as part of a space solar thermal power system;        9. has a version that operates with coal for large power plant use;        10. has a version that can use natural gas very efficiently for large power plants; and        11. has a version that is light and compact so it can operate with ground transportation vehicles, and in addition provide high torque at low speed or ideally a constant power output.

Uncoupled, thermal-compressor, gas-turbine engine


A method is provided for the production of an aqueous composition suitable for direct use in a water-flood oil recovery process, which comprises a clarified fermentation fluid containing at least one dissolved polysaccharide, along with the clarified fermentation fluid and aqueous compositions prepared by such method.

Bio-polymers are hydrophilic polysaccharides, which may be obtained by the fermentation in appropriate nutrient media using microorganisms of the genera Xanthomonas, Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Erwinia, Alcaligenes, Asotobacter, Clostridium, Sclerotium, Schizophyllium, Corticium, Stromatinia, and the like. When dissolved in water in low concentration, the high molecular weight soluble polysaccharides increase the viscosity of the aqueous solution. The resulting viscosified solutions are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, such as food additives and industrial thickeners and cosmetics. During commercial preparation polysaccharides the polysaccharides unattached to the cell wall are usually recovered by alcohol precipitation from the fermentation broth in which they are made. The viscosity of the broth is generally very high by the end of the fermentation. Therefore, it is generally considered not feasible to separate all extraneous fermentation solids and dissolved media components before the first precipitation step. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,052 (Kang et al.) describes a process where the soluble polymers are first precipitated by 2 parts isopropanol to one part fermentation broth. The precipitate is removed by centrifugation and then dried. The dried material contains not only polysaccharide, but also generally contains proteins, bacterial cells, cell debris and other insoluble material. The first precipitate generally dried and is then dissolved in water and centrifuged again to remove the insoluble solids, such as nonviable bacterial cells and other cellular debris. These solids are difficult to dissolve when the polysaccharide polymer is redissolved in water and the resultant solution is generally not clear. Further clarification of this dissolved bio-polymer is difficult because the cells and cell debris are only slightly denser than the viscous solution itself. Removal of cell aggregates and proteins may require lengthy centrifugation at high speed. While the presence of these solids is not objectionable in many cases, it is problematic in the applications where the bio-polymer is used to increase the viscosity of a water flood solution that is injected into oil containing underground formations as a process of enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
In the special application of EOR, the polymer solution must be extensively clarified. In this case of EOR by the polymer flooding of oil containing formations, the residual cells, cell debris and cell aggregates can clog the sandstone formation. This can cause an increase in the resistance to flow and require higher pressure to maintain flow. An increase in pressure can fracture the formation and cause other costly problems. This is called a loss of injectivity or a loss of filterability. Loss of injectivity can be a problem with any polymer both bio-polymer and chemical polymer that are used for EOR. Generally debris in the dissolved polymer solution is the number one reason for loss of injectivity as described in Seright, R. S., Seheult, J. M., & Talashek, T. (2008 Jan. 1), Injectivity Characteristics of EOR Polymers. Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/115142-MS.
In high salinity displacement fluids a polysaccharide viscosifying agent such as those derived from Xanthomonas campestris and other polysaccharide producing microorganisms are desirable. However, these bio-polymer can have a major problem that has not been completely solved. This problem concerns the presence of insoluble cell debris in industrial grades of these polysaccharide solutions. In the typical commercial production of polysaccharides by e.g. Xanthomonas fermentation, the high viscosity of the fermentation broth complicates the complete separation of insoluble material, such as cellular debris and nonviable bacteria from the polysaccharide-containing broth.
Methods described go address this problem by dissolving the insoluble proteins have included enzyme treatments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,071 discloses a method of clarifying xanthan solutions by treating with an alkaline protease. EP 0078621 and GB 2111520 disclose a process for clarifying xanthan gum solutions by treatment of the solution with an acid or neutral protease, followed by increasing the pH of the solution from pH 8 to 13. Another group of enzymes that are suggested is polysaccharase as described by N. Kohler et al. Clim. Past 11: 1801-183, 2015 (SPE-10712). U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,892 discloses a method for recovering and purifying xanthan gum from a fermentation broth by heating the broth to a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius at a pH of 7.0 to 12.5, and then treating the solution stepwise with an alkaline protease and a lysozyme. EP 0549230 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,556, 5,702,927, 5,705,368 and 5,994,107 disclose related methods wherein a fermentation broth is heated at a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius at a pH of at least 9.0, followed by enzyme treatment, wherein the order of alkaline protease and a lysozyme enzyme treatments is interchangeable.
Another treatment with protease enzymes has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,491. To improve the clarification an enzymatic digestion is initiated. However before the cell bodies are completely disintegrated the solution is contacted with particles of solid siliceous material at an adsorption-enhancing pH followed by filtering-out the siliceous solids and the partially-disintegrated cell bodies that are adsorbed on them.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,990 a process is described for enzymatically purifying of a polysaccharide containing as impurities bacterial cell residues and microgels. This process comprises the treating of an aqueous solution of the bio-polymer with the enzyme Basidiomycete cellulase.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,037 a method is described for enhancing the ability of polysaccharides in aqueous solutions to flow through a porous medium which comprises contacting the polysaccharides with an endoenzyme which is capable of hydrolyzing at least one of the linkages of the sugar units of the polysaccharides. This process requires maintaining the polysaccharides in contact with the enzyme under hydrolysis conditions for a time sufficient to decrease the tendency of the polysaccharides to plug the porous medium yet insufficient to decrease the viscosity of the aqueous polysaccharides by more than 25%. Unlike proteases which only digest proteins, these enzymes describe in U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,037 can digest the polysaccharides and reduce the overall viscosity left go too long.
Efforts are still being made to improve the filterability of a polysaccharide containing aqueous solutions. The term filterability is commonly used to describe the ability of a fluid to flow through a porous medium, and derives from the filtration test employed in the oil industry. U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,734 describes an enzymatic process for the treatment of polysaccharide gums for improving the filterability of their aqueous solutions. In this process a combination of two enzymes i.e. a polysaccharase and protease is used.
Another method previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,958 claiming use of DNAase to increase filterability by dissolving the polymers of DNA. These DNA digesting enzymes are believed to dissolve the DNA polymers which might be part of the cell debris and cell aggregates.
Other approaches known in the art use a siliceous material to remove cell debris. A method of improving the removal of the partly degraded cells is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,491. The siliceous materials, for providing surfaces on which the partially disintegrated bacterial cell bodies (which have been separated from the associated polymers by the enzyme treatment) can be adsorbed can comprise any such particulate and/or fibrous siliceous materials such as sand, glass wool, diatomaceous earth, or the like materials. Particularly suitable materials are relatively coarse diatomaceous earth, filter-aid materials having particle sizes of from about 1 to 300 microns. It is important that the pH of that solution be in the order from about 10 to 11. Various procedures can be used for contacting the solution with the siliceous material; for example, the solution can be pumped directly through a sand or glass wool filter in which the siliceous material particle sizes and filtration rate are arranged so that the bacterial debris is adsorbed on the solids and the solids are filtered out as the solution moves through the filters. Where particulate siliceous solids, e.g., diatomaceous earth, filter-aid particles are used, such solids can advantageously be added to a stream of the solution upstream of the filter. The filtration of the suspension of siliceous solids and adsorbed bacterial cell bodies from the aqueous polymer and enzyme-containing solutions can be effected by flowing the liquid components through substantially any filter bed means capable of removing the siliceous solids on which the disassociated bacterial bodies are adsorbed. Earlier methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,711,462 and 3,729,460 removed cell debris with clay and clay at pH 11.8 to 12.8.
Although these methods may provide clarified bio-polymer solutions with some improvement in filterability, they require several processing steps, sometimes under different processing conditions, such as pH or changes in temperature, which may result in increased manufacturing costs due to the complexity of the entire process. Additionally the multi step process requires a large and high capital cost facility for producing a powdered form of polysaccharide bio-polymer that can be shipped to an oil field where needed for polymer enhanced oil recovery. Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified and effective process for the preparation of clarified soluble polysaccharide solutions of high enough viscosity and high enough purity and injectivity to be produced in proximity to an oil field so that it can be economically injected into the formation for enhanced oil recovery.

Compositions comprising and methods of making bio-polymers


There is provided a dual mount end cap system for mounting a rod. The dual mount end cap system includes both a threaded system and a fastener system. This enables end caps of the system to be pre-mounted using a fastener and also adjusted using the threaded system. The fastener can extend through the dual mount end cap system. Alternatively, the threaded system can be used without the fastener system. There also is provided a stop system to prevent a locking system for an adjustable rod system to prevent the locking system from becoming stuck.

Adjustable rods are commonly used to support curtains, such as window and shower curtains and clothing on hangers. Adjustable rods commonly have two tubes where one slides inside the other one to adjust the relative length of the combined tubes. The adjustable rods include a locking system to set the tubes relative to one another and adjustable end caps to apply the appropriate amount of pressure on a pair of mounting walls between which the rod extends. There is a need to help ensure that the locking system does not become stuck, which may then require disassembly of the system to repair it for operation.
The adjustable rods further include a pair of end caps which contact the mounting walls. The end caps include pads which create friction and improve the stability of the adjustable rods when mounted to the walls. This combined with the pressure applied by the adjustable rods to the mounting walls will secure the rod in place.
Some people, however, are more comfortable with a permanent mount to the wall because it is a more secure attachment. Thus, one known shortcoming with current adjustable tension rods is their inability to also be mounted permanently. Thus, there is a need for a tension rod that can be mounted both temporarily and permanently.

Dual-mounted end cap system and locking system for an adjustable rod


A surgical glove, manufactured from an elastomeric material, includes an enlarged thumb ball portion which extends across the entire width of the palm, from the base of the thumb to the base of the fifth finger. The enlarged thumb ball portion improves the comfort of the glove. The glove also features independently-curved fingers and a cuff portion.

The present invention relates to latex surgical gloves. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved latex surgical glove, the configuration of which provides increased comfort and sensitivity to the wearer.
The fit-and sensitivity of a surgeon's latex glove are extremely important. Surgeons perform many delicate procedures, often using very small tools, and thus require a high degree of tactile sensitivity. Additionally, surgical procedures can require the surgeon (and others) to wear surgical gloves over a span of many-hours. Maintaining the desired sensitivity over that time span, as well as comfort, are important attributes of surgical gloves.
"Surgical gloves" are used in contexts other than during surgery as well as in industries outside of the medical field. For example, individuals assembling electronic equipment may wear close-fitting latex gloves which, for the purposes of this patent, can also be classified as "surgical gloves." The issues regarding tactile sensitivity and long-term comfort faced by these persons are the same or similar to those faced by surgeons and others in the medical field.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved latex surgical glove which provides good tactile sensitivity and improved comfort during long-term wear by persons working in medical and other professions and industries.


There is provided a stalk lever in which its assembling can be easily carried out and a degree of freedom in its design can be improved. The present invention is constructed such that when the longitudinal hole formed at the connecting section of the lever main body R is closed by the lid, the engaging sections formed to be protruded at the lid are fitted to the fitting sections formed to be indented at the holders and then the holder members are fixed to the holder engaging sections.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stalk lever fixed to a steering column of an automobile in such a way that it can be swung, and more particularly a stalk lever to which a holder member for use in operating either a turn signal switch or a knob switch and the like is fixed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a stalk lever having a turn signal switch or a knob switch or the like for use in controlling an operation of a wiper or head lamps or turn signals and the like fixed through a holder member is attached to a steering column of a vehicle rotatbly.
Such a prior art stalk lever described above is constructed such that a first holder member for use in operating a turn signal switch is fixed to one end of the lever main body, the lever main body is rotated from its neutral position to either a right or left direction indicating position, whereby the turn signal switch is turned ON/OFF to cause an illumination control of lamps for turning-left or turning-right operation.
In addition, a second holder member for fixing a knob switch or the like is fixed to the other end of the lever main body. The knob switch performs either a rotating control of the wiper or an illumination control for the head lamps while being rotated, for example.
The prior art stalk lever is constructed such that a connecting section for connecting both ends of the lever main body is formed and the connecting section is of a hollow pipe-shape. A lead wire connected to the knob switch at the other end is drawn around in the cavity of the connecting section and extended out to the steering column.
Locations near both ends of the lever main body are provided with a through hole passing in an upward or downward direction and the first and second holder members are also formed with through holes, respectively.
In order to fix the first and second holder members to the lever main body, a round pin is press fitted into the through holes with a pressing jig under a state in which a position of the through hole in the lever main body and positions of the through holes in the holder members are aligned to each other, the first holder member is fixed to one end of the lever main body and the second holder member is fixed to the other end to constitute the stalk lever.
However, in the prior art stalk lever described above, the fixing work for fixing the first holder member and the second holder member to the lever main body was carried out by press fitting a round pin with a press fitting jig, so that a large number of assembling facilities such as a press fitting jig were required and at the same time, an assembling time for the press fitting operation was required.
Further, when the stalk lever was assembled, the lead wire extending out of the knob switch fixed to the second holder member of the lever main body was inserted into the cavity at the connecting part and had to be drawn around up to one end of the stalk lever, resulting in that it was difficult to draw around the lead wire and took much time for the assembling work of the stalk lever.
In addition, there was a problem that an outer appearance of the stalk lever was deteriorated due to the fact that the through holes for use in press fitting the pins at both ends of the lever main body to fix the first and second holder members were seen from outside.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforesaid problem and to provide a stalk lever in which its assembling can be easily carried out and a degree of freedom in design can be improved.
The stalk lever of the present invention applied as the first means for overcoming the aforesaid problem is constructed such that it is comprised of holder engaging sections formed at both ends of a lever main body, a connecting section for connecting the holder engaging sections at both ends, a longitudinal hole formed at this connecting section, holder members which can be fixed to at least one of the holder engaging sections at the both ends and a lid for closing the longitudinal hole of the connecting section, wherein the lid is provided with engaging sections for fixing the holder members to the holder engaging sections, the holder members are formed with fitting sections which can be fitted to the engaging sections, the engaging sections of the lid are fitted to the fitting sections of the holder members when the longitudinal hole is closed by the lid and the holder members are fixed to the holder engaging sections.
In addition, as the second means for overcoming the aforesaid problem, in the first means, it is constructed such that the engaging sections of the lid are formed into protrusions, the fitting sections of the holder members are formed into indentations where the engaging sections can be fitted, and the engaging sections of the lid are fitted to the fitting sections of the holder members.
Further, as the third means for overcoming the aforesaid problem, in the first and second means, it is constructed such that the engaging sections of the lid are formed in such a way that they may be resiliently deformed, the engaging sections and the fitting sections can be snap fitted to each other, the engaging sections are snap fitted to the fitting sections, the lid is fixed to the connecting section and the holder members are prevented from being pulled off at the holder engaging sections.
Additionally, as the fourth means for overcoming the aforesaid problem, in the first, second and third means, it is constructed such that the holder members are comprised of a first holder member fixed to the holder engaging section at one end of the lever main body and a second holder member fixed to the holder engaging section at the other end of the lever main body, the lever main body is attached to a supporting member through the first holder member and can be turned, a switch comprised of a turn signal switch or the like can be operated through the first holder member by a turning operation of the lever main body, and either a knob switch which can be rotated or a push switch which can be pushed can be fixed to the second holder member.

Stalk lever fixed with holder member for operating turn signal switch or knob switch and the like


A new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant named ‘Halo Lemon Frost’, characterized by its bright yellow and cream colored flowers with medium violet-blue margins, medium green-colored foliage, and vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant botanically known as Viola cornuta and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Halo Lemon Frost'.
The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Guadalupe, Calif. during April 2010. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Viola cultivars having large flowers with distinctive flower coloration and a mounded-spreading growth habit.
The new Viola cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Viola cornuta breeding selection coded 08-22123-1, not patented, characterized by its light yellow-colored flowers with light violet-blue margins, medium green-colored foliage, and vigorous, trailing growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Viola cornuta breeding selection coded 08-22094-1, not patented, characterized by its light yellow-colored flowers with dark violet-blue margins, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during October 2010 in a controlled environment in Guadalupe, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since October 2010 in Guadalupe, Calif. and Elburn, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.


A computer device for receiving and utilizing a radio card. The radio transceiver is self contained inside the radio card and has antenna contacts disposed on the radio card on one end and an electrical interface on the other. The computer device receives the radio card such that it engages the electrical interface. The computer device additionally has and cap which covers the opening into which the radio has been inserted. Antenna contacts are disposed on the cap to engage the antenna contacts on the radio card. At least one antenna is operably connected to the radio card through the cap. A band is used to attach the cap to the housing of the computer device. The antenna or antennas are embedded in the cap, in the band, or embedded in or attached to the housing of the computer device. Positioning two similar antennas in different position creates an antenna diversity scheme. Shielding can be added to the cap to help reduce the escape of electronic noise. A micro shield ribbon can be used to connect the antenna and the antenna contacts on the cap.

Many computer devices use modular components to allow increased flexibility and adaptability to various work environments. This is especially true in the area of small computing device such as hand held computer terminals, vehicle mounted computer terminals and small lap-top computers. Along these lines, small, removable and interchangeable memory cards were developed. The memory cards have now become commonplace and the PCMCIA memory card standard has become accepted industry wide as the format to use.
The PCMCIA memory cards are relative small with a length and width roughly the size of a credit card. The thickness of these cards is more than that of a credit card and there are several thicknesses used for different cards. These cards are designed to slide into a receiving portion of a computer device. At one end of the card is an interface section which is in essence the female portion of a connector which mates with the male end in the receiving device. This connection and design, including the number of pins, layout of the pins, and the pin size for the connection, are all part of the PCMCIA standard.
The success of the removable and interchangeable PCMCIA memory cards has led to the development of other types of peripheral devices which use the same standard. Of particular interest to the present application are the cards which contain radio transceivers. These radio transceiver devices, or radio cards, can be inserted into and connected to a receiving device in the same manner as a memory card. However, with these devices there is an addition connection which must be made to connect the transceiver device to a radio antenna.
Radio frequency communication allows two or more computer terminals to communicate without actually being wired together. Many types of radio communication exist and many different radio frequencies can and must be used to accommodate the different types of radio communication. For example, a radio which operates by sending the information on a single channel in the 902 MHz range differs from a radio which sends its information utilizing spread spectrum frequency hopping in the 2.400-2.483 GHz range. The antennas necessary to operate in the different frequency ranges also differ.
Connection of the radio card to an outside antenna is typically made by either extending the length of the card beyond the standard length with the antenna built into the extended portion or by having an antenna or telephone cable protrude out of the end of the radio card to which the user may attach an antenna or telephone line. These options have significant limitation. Both connections severely limit the type of devices which can accommodate the cards. Most devices cannot accommodate the extra length without some modification and both connections make environmentally sealing the connections difficult. Additionally, both connections are susceptible to increased damage from dropping or other physical trauma. An external antenna to which the user must couple an antenna is inconvenient and subjects the radio to periods of unreliability due to wear of the cable and connection.
As disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/081,411 filed Jun. 22, 1993 by P. Kinney, improving the connection between the radio card and the appropriate antenna can be accomplished by using antenna contacts mounted on the housing of the radio card which encounter corresponding antenna contacts mounted on the receiving portion of the computer device. This solution eliminates the need for extending the length of the radio card and permits the radio card to remain environmentally sealed.
However, while the connection of the radio card to the antenna is solved by the use of these contacts, the flexibility and interchangability of the antennas to compensate for all of the different radio cards is not. Additionally, the contact method as disclosed is not ideally suited for use with computer devices which are designed to accept cards of this type but which do not have the antenna contacts built in or for computer devices which do not have an antenna built in or attached to with which the radio card could be connected.
Thus, there is a need for an improved computer device apparatus for connecting a removable card type radio to a protected, interchangeable, environmentally sealed antenna which uses contacts located on the housing of the radio card.

Antenna cap for computer device utilizing a radio card


In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods for improving ball-grid-array solder joint reliability in printed circuit boards. Such apparatuses may comprise, in an exemplary embodiment, a stiffened printed circuit board defining one or more cavities therein and including one or more stiffening members positioned, respectively, in the one or more cavities. The cavities and embedded stiffening members may be located proximate a ball-grid-array device footprint so as to resist deflection caused by the application of forces to the board by test probe pins during testing. Such methods may include, in an exemplary embodiment, creating one or more cavities in a middle sub-layer of a core layer of a stiffened printed circuit board and inserting one or more stiffening members, respectively, therein. Top and bottom sub-layers may then be secured to top and bottom surfaces of the middle sub-layer to complete the core layer. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Many of today's printed circuit boards are tested during manufacture with automated test equipment having fixtures that hold the printed circuit boards in position while test probe pins are brought into contact with the boards at pre-determined test points. Upon contacting a board, the test probe pins each exert a force on the printed circuit board. For a board including a ball-grid-array device, numerous test probe pins must necessarily be employed to rapidly test the solder joints of the ball-grid-array device footprint. In order to resist the forces exerted by the test probe pins on one side of the board, a number of pushing rods are, typically, brought into contact with the other side of the board to apply counterbalance forces to the board.
Unfortunately, the ever-shrinking size and density of today's printed circuit boards and the inherent lack of unpopulated areas on such boards makes it increasingly difficult to apply counterbalance forces at appropriate locations necessary to offset the forces exerted on the printed circuit boards by the test probe pins. For those boards where it is not possible to apply counterbalance forces of sufficient magnitude at appropriate locations, imbalances in the forces applied to the boards by the test probe pins and pushing rods often cause solder joints in the area of a ball-grid-array device footprint to crack or open. To make matters worse, the layering of traces beneath a ball-grid-array device footprint in combination with the forces exerted by the test probe pins may enhance the possibility that board warpage may occur in and around the ball-grid-array device footprint. In turn, such board warpage may worsen the severity of any solder joint cracks caused by imbalance in the forces applied to such boards. What is needed, therefore, are methods and apparatuses for improving ball-grid-array solder joint reliability.

Apparatuses and methods for improving ball-grid-array solder joint reliability


The present invention relates to recombinant hepatitis viral vectors useful for the expression of functional heterologous gene products in liver cells. It is contemplated that these vectors will find use in anti-viral, anti-tumor and/or gene therapy, particularly for the correction of inherited single-gene defects. These novel recombinant vectors may be used to deliver genes to cells in vivo by a variety of means including infection and direct injection of vector DNA.

A large number of human genetic disorders could be treated by expression of missing or mutant genes in the liver. These disorders include familial hypercholesterolemia (deficiency of LDL receptors), ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (a lethal liver metabolic disease), and hepatobiliary disease of cystitic fibrosis to name but a few metabolic disorders which effect the liver. In addition to correction of metabolic disorders effecting the liver, a number of primary tumors of the liver are known and would benefit from expression of anti-neoplastic genes in the liver [e.g., VDEPT; Huber et al. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8039].
In addition to permitting correction of inherited disorders which effect the liver, the ability to express genes in the liver permits gene therapy for a number of disorders whose primary defect is not located in the liver. For example, a number of inborn errors of metabolism result in high concentrations of toxic metabolites in the blood; transfer of a correct gene encoding the defective enzyme to the liver could permit metabolism of the toxic metabolites relieving the metabolic defect even though the site of the deficiency is outside of the liver (e.g., replacement of adenosine deaminase to remove toxic levels of adenosine and deoxyadenosine in the circulation of severe combined immunodeficiency patients).
Current approaches to targeting genes to the liver have focused upon ex vivo gene therapy. Ex vivo liver-directed gene therapy involves the surgical removal of liver cells, transduction of the liver cells in vitro (e.g., infection of the explanted cells with recombinant retroviral vectors) followed by injection of the genetically modified liver cells into the liver or spleen of the patient. A serious drawback for ex vivo gene therapy of the liver is the fact that hepatocyctes (i.e., liver cells) cannot be maintained and expanded in culture. Therefore, the success of ex vivo liver-directed gene therapy depends upon the ability to efficiently and stably engraft the genetically modified (i.e., transduced) hepatocyctes and their progeny. It has been reported that even under optimal conditions, autologous modified liver cells injected into the liver or spleen which engraft represent only a small percentage (less than 10%) of the total number of cells in the liver [Chowdhury et al. (1991) Science 254:1802]. Ectopic engraftment of transduced primary hepatocytes into the peritoneal cavity has been tried to address the problem of engraftment in the liver [Ledley, et al. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:5335; Wilson et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:3014 and Wolff et al. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:3344].
Given the problems associated with ex vivo liver-directed gene therapy, in vivo approaches have been investigated for the transfer of genes into hepatocytes, including the use of recombinant retroviruses, recombinant adenoviruses, liposomes and molecular conjugates [Jaffe et al. (1992) Nature Gent. 1:372; Kaneda et al. (1989) Science 243:375; and Wu et al. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 16985]. While these in vivo approaches do not suffer from the drawbacks associated with ex vivo liver-directed gene therapy, they do not provide a means to specifically target hepatocytes. In addition, several of these approaches require that a partial hepatectomy be performed in order to achieve prolonged expression of the transferred genes in vivo [Wilson (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267:963].
Ideally, liver-directed gene therapy would be achieved by in vivo transfer of genes using vectors which specifically target hepatocytes. Hepatotrophic viruses, such as human hepatitis B virus (HBV), can be delivered via the circulation and their gene products are known to be expressed specifically in the liver. However, to date, the ability to express a foreign gene in the context of a HBV has not been reported. The art needs human HBV vectors capable of carrying and expressing foreign genes to allow in vivo liver-directed and liver-specific gene therapy.