A new cultivar of Heuchera a plant named ‘Pinky Panky’ that is characterized by its leaves that are white in color, finely mottled and edged green, with pink veins and surfaces that are flushed with pink and its flowers that are pink in color.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera of hybrid origin, botanically known as Heuchera 'Pinky Panky' and is hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name 'Pinky Panky'.
The new cultivar originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted from open pollination of an unnamed and unpatented plant of Heuchera from the Inventor's breeding program in Réty, France. The male parent of 'Pinky Panky' is therefore unknown. 'Pinky Panky' was selected as a single unique plant in spring of 2017 from the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished under the direction of the Inventor by tissue culture initiated from meristem tissue in September of 2019 in Lochristi, Belgium. Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tissue culture has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A system and method related to creating a reference transcript for a portion of audio data that includes natural language using a speech-to-text recognition process executed at a reference speed. A threshold deviation may be identified from the reference transcript. A plurality of generated transcripts may be generated for the portion of audio data using the speech-to-text recognition process executed at a plurality of increased speeds that each exceed the reference speed. A generated transcript of the plurality of generated transcripts that is the closest to the threshold deviation without exceeding the threshold deviation may be identified. The generated transcript may be generated at a respective increased speed of the plurality of increased speeds. An increased playback speed may be determined for the portion of the audio data based on the respective increased speed of the generated transcript.

The present disclosure relates to playback speed analysis for audio data, and more specifically, to playback speed analysis for increased speed of playback whilst maintaining comprehension.
People are busy and often need or otherwise want to watch videos or listen to podcasts and process auditory information as quickly as possible. However, there may be limits to a speed at which a person may listen to speech for it to still be comprehensible. Without some trial and error and subject to video player limitations, it is difficult to know how fast a user may listen to audio speech and still fully comprehend what is being said.
This is a problem on platforms such as video and audio applications where a user may increase the speed of audio to up to two times the original speed, but selecting that option often results in incomprehensible chatter.

International Business Machines Corporation


There is provided a semiconductor package that includes a first semiconductor die mounted on a package substrate. The semiconductor package further includes a second semiconductor die mounted on the first semiconductor die and including a thermal sensing and reset protection circuit. The thermal sensing and reset protection circuit is configured to determine a temperature of the first semiconductor die and to provide a reset protection signal to the first semiconductor die when the temperature of the first semiconductor die is substantially equal to a preset temperature so as to protect the first semiconductor die from thermal runaway. The reset protection signal can cause the first semiconductor die to be in a sleep mode or a reset state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to thermal protection circuits and, more specifically to thermal protection circuits for semiconductor dies.
2. Background Art
A System-On-Chip (SOC) typically includes an integrated electronic system on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip. As transistor size continues to shrink in submicron SOCs, transistor leakage power can correspondingly increase. Since transistor leakage power is a function of temperature, as the temperature of the SOC increases, the leakage power can also increase. When heat generated as a result of the leakage power and the active power from the SOC exceeds the heat dissipation capacity of the SOC package, chip temperature can rise at a faster rate with increasing leakage power, thereby resulting in a process called "thermal runaway." Since a thermal runaway can destroy the SOC by causing it to burn up, it is very important to prevent the thermal runaway from occurring.
In a conventional approach for preventing a thermal runaway from occurring, a thermal diode can be built into the SOC. A separate thermal sensor chip residing on the circuit board that houses the SOC can then read the temperature of the SOC from the on-chip thermal diode and generate over temperature alarm and control signals to shut down the power supply to the SOC or put the SOC in a low power mode so as to prevent thermal runaway. In this conventional approach, however, thermal diode offset and noise from the SOC can undesirably limit the accuracy of the temperature measurement. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for providing effective thermal runaway protection for an IC chip, such as an SOC.

Thermal sensing and reset protection for an integrated circuit chip


A focusing torque control device for a lens barrel includes a rotating unit, rotatable in association with a lens included in the lens barrel, an engaging pin by which the rotating unit is engaged, and a frictional force unit. The lens is moved along an optical axis thereof when the rotating unit is rotated. The frictional force control unit controls a frictional force between the rotating unit and the engaging pin by controlling a pressure force pressing the engaging pin against the rotating unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a focusing torque control device for a lens barrel of a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a camera having an automatic focusing lens, which can be switched between an automatic focusing operation (hereinafter referred to as AF mode) and a manual focusing operation (hereinafter referred to as MF mode), is known. This automatic focusing lens is provided with a drive shaft which, in the AF mode, is connected to a motor housed in the camera body, moving a lens along the optical axis. In the MF mode, the drive shaft is disconnected from the motor so that the lens can be manually moved.
In such an automatic focusing lens, a focusing operation in the AF mode should be carried out at a high-speed, and the electric power consumption of the motor should be low. Therefore, a drive force for displacing the lens in the optical axis must be made minimal to ensure smooth movement of the lens.
However, if the drive force for displacing the lens along the optical axis is lowered, the lens can be moved along the optical axis by even a small force in the MF mode. Thus, the operability of a manual focusing operation is not good.

Focusing torque control device for lens barrel


A Thermococcus barosii DNA polymerase with reduced 3'-5' exonuclease activity is disclosed. Additionally disclosed is a Thermococcus barosii DNA polymerase with increased ability to incorporate ribonucleotides and dideoxynucleotides.

Theriococcus barosii is a thermophilic organism obtained from deep vent flange, Endeavor Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge, off the coast of Washington State in the U.S.A. Native Tba (nTba) DNA polymerase has been purified from cell paste by classical chromatographic purification methods including Q-Sepharose, Heparin Sepharose, phosphocellulose and Mono-Q (U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,011). Characterization of the purified nTba showed that it possesses an active proofreading function in addition to its DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity. Tba DNA polymerase does not possess detectable 5'-3' exonuclease activity. Because nTba DNA polymerase was obtained from a thermophilic organism, it was shown to retain polymerase activity following prolonged treatment at elevated temperatures (95.degree. C.).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,011 discloses cloned Tba DNA polymerase.
Cloning of the gene for the Tba DNA polymerase DNA polymerase revealed that it is a member of the alpha-family of DNA polymerases and is approximately 80% conserved compared with the Pfu and Deep Vent DNA polymerases.
Based on amino acid sequence comparisons and protein expression studies on the truncated forms of other known polymerases, it can be shown that the organization of the gene is structured such that the 3'-5' exonuclease function is encoded in the 5' half of the gene, while the polymerase function is encoded in the latter half. The predicted amino acid sequence derived from the gene sequence highlights a metal binding site in the 3'-5' exonuclease domain. This domain is typified by the amino acid sequence FDIET and is conserved between Tba DNA polymerase, Pfu and Deep Vent. (See, for example, Vemori, et al., Nucl. Acids Research 21(2):259-265, 1993.)
Alteration of the FDIET sequence to FAIAT has been shown in some polymerases to eliminate the proofreading function. (Derbyshire, V., et al., Science 240:199-201, 1988; Bernad, A., et al., Cell 59:219-228, 1989; Frey, M. W., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:2579-2583, 1993; Mather, E. J., U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,523.)

Thermococcus barossii DNA polymerase mutants


The invention provides a method of continuously preparing caseinate from milk proteins in non-soluble powder form in an extruder machine having two co-rotating and interpenetrating screws into which water and an alkaline reagent are introduced, and the mixture formed by the milk proteins, the water, and the alkaline reagent is subjected to a plurality of steps of kneading under pressure and of shearing with the temperature rising to obtain at the outlet from the extruder machine a caseinate paste, the caseinate paste is cooled to bring its temperature to below 20° C., a continuous thin sheet of caseinate paste is formed, and the sheet is cut up into a plurality of parallel strips, and these strips are cut up into small-sized pieces of caseinate. The invention also provides an installation for continuously preparing caseinate.

Milk is used as raw material for fabricating various products usable in the chemical or food industries.
In particular, it is known to extract casein by precipitation, which casein is then transformed, for example into a jelling agent suitable for use in particular in making soups, desserts, ices, yogurts, or pork butchery products, or indeed for use in industries other than the food industry.
Nevertheless, in order to be usable, casein must initially be transformed into soluble caseinate.
To do this, caseinate is manufactured from casein, i.e. from milk proteins which are subjected to chemical transformation to enable them to absorb water.
Various categories of caseinate exist, including sodium caseinate and calcium caseinate. Sodium caseinate is the result of kneading casein, sodium hydroxide, and water, while calcium caseinate is the result of kneading casein, ammonium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, and water, and possibly also ammonia.
Until now, the chemical reaction has been performed in a reactor in the presence of a large quantity of water and after several minutes caseinate is obtained which then needs to be dried in order to obtain a powder that presents poor solubility.
Installations that have been used until now for making caseinate are thus bulky and require large reactors and large dryers and such installations consume large quantities of water and of energy.
Furthermore, the installations that have been used up until now require numerous handling operations between various workstations.

Method and installation for continuously preparing caseinate


An agricultural feed bagging machine rotor which includes a plurality of rotor teeth mounted thereon with each of the rotor teeth having a tooth face provided thereon. Each of the tooth faces has a progressively increasing thickness from the inner end thereof to the outer end thereof. The outer face of each of the tooth faces has a channel formed therein with the depth of the channel progressively decreasing from the outer end of the tooth face towards the inner end thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotor tooth for a bagging machine and more particularly to a bagging machine rotor tooth having a concave face.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural feed bagging machines have been employed for several years to pack or bag silage or the like into elongated plastic bags. Two of the earliest bagging machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,687,061 and 4,046,068. In the prior art bagging machines, silage or the like is supplied to the forward or intake end of the bagging machine and is fed to a rotor which conveys the silage into a tunnel on which the plastic bag is positioned so that the bag is filled. As silage is loaded into the bag, the bagging machine moves away from the filled end of the bag in a controlled fashion in an attempt to achieve uniform compaction of the silage material within the bag.
Most rotors on the bagging machines comprise a plurality of rotor teeth which are welded to the surface of the rotor. A problem exists with the rotor teeth of the prior art bagging machines in that the rotor teeth must be replaced when worn or damaged. Many efforts have been previously attempted in an effort to solve the problems associated with the replacement of the rotor teeth. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,907,503 and 5,503,066. Neither of the aforementioned patents discloses any means for replacing the teeth, but simply disclose means for replacing the wear surfaces on the rotor teeth.
In applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,692, a rotor for a bagging machine is described including quick change rotor teeth. While the rotor of the '692 patent has met with considerable success, the rotor teeth of the '692 patent, as well as all other rotor teeth, still experience considerable wear requiring replacement. Applicant has also utilized replaceable caps which are detachably mounted on the tooth. Although the replaceable caps eliminate the need for replacing the entire tooth when the cap becomes worn, the life of the replaceable caps is not as great as one would like.
In an effort to solve the tooth wear problem, applicant designed chrome steel caps which were mounted on the rotor teeth which utilized the old design of a flat tooth base or surface. In testing of the chrome steel caps for the rotor teeth, it was discovered that most of the wear occurs on the last three inches of the tooth. The sides of the upper end of the tooth are eventually rounded off with the rounding off being caused by the feed prematurely coming around the tooth face at its sides thereby causing the tooth to more quickly wear. The subject of the instant application solves the premature tooth wearing problem and greatly extends the life of the rotor tooth. The instant application also enhances the location and welding of the cap onto the tooth.

Bagging machine rotor tooth having a concave face


A music synthesizer is provided. The synthesizer divides an input sound into a plurality of musical bands, and, for each divided band, generates a waveform having a predetermined shape with a period corresponding to a detected pitch and with a level corresponding to a detected level. The synthesizer then adds up the waveforms generated for each band and outputs a result thereof.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a music synthesizer.
Related Art
FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional synthesizer. The synthesizer shown in FIG. 21 receives an input of a guitar sound or a microphone sound and thereby produces a synthesizer sound corresponding to the input sound. The synthesizer includes a pitch detector 211, a gate detector 212 and a waveform generating means 213.
The pitch detector 211 detects a frequency (pitch) of the input sound and outputs information (hereinafter "pitch information") of the detected pitch. The gate detector 212 compares a signal level of the input sound with a predetermined threshold value and thereby detects presence or absence of the input sound. The gate detector 212 outputs gate-ON information when detecting the input sound, and outputs gate-OFF information when no longer detecting the input sound.
The waveform generating means 213 includes a sound source (sounding body) for producing the synthesizer sound. The waveform generating means 213 produces, as the synthesizer sound, sounds of various waveforms (e.g., sine wave, sawtooth wave and square wave, etc.) corresponding to parameters set by a parameter setting means (not illustrated).
When the gate-ON information is received from the gate detector 212, the waveform generating means 213 starts to produce the synthesizer sound, and during the production of the synthesizer sound, the waveform generating means 213 controls the frequency of the synthesizer sound to be a frequency corresponding to the pitch information received from the pitch detector 211. Then, when the gate-OFF information is received from the gate detector 212, the waveform generating means 213 muffles the synthesizer sound.
FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing a configuration of another conventional synthesizer. The synthesizer shown in FIG. 22 is, e.g., the synthesizer described in Patent Document 1 (JPH09-006351 A), so-called a polyphonic guitar synthesizer. This synthesizer is capable of producing a synthesizer sound individually not only when a single note is played but also when a plurality of strings are played at the same time (i.e., even when a chord is played).
As shown in FIG. 22, the synthesizer includes six strings 221 stretched on a guitar, a pickup 222, a pitch detector 223, a gate detector 224, a waveform generating means 225 and a mixer 226. The pickup 222 converts vibration of the string 221 into an electrical signal. The pickup 222 is independently provided for each of the six strings 221 and is capable of picking out the vibration of each string 221 as an electrical signal individually.
The pitch detector 223 is a detector similar to the pitch detector 211 and is provided corresponding to each of the six strings 221. The gate detector 224 is a detector similar to the gate detector 212 and is provided corresponding to each of the six strings 221. The waveform generating means 225 is a waveform generating means similar to the waveform generating means 213 and is provided corresponding to each of the six strings 221. The mixer 226 adds up outputs from each waveform generating means 225 corresponding to each string 221 and outputs a result thereof.
(1) Issue Relating to Timbre of Synthesizer Sound
In the aforementioned conventional synthesizer, whether the type of the input sound is a guitar sound or a microphone sound such as a singing voice, the pitch detector outputs one piece of pitch information for one input sound, and the waveform generating means outputs the synthesizer sound at a frequency corresponding to the pitch information. In other words, whether a guitar produces a sound having a pitch name "Do" or a singer sings a note having a pitch name "Do," the pitch detector will detect the same pitch name "Do." This means that a synthesizer sound outputted according to a detected pitch will have the same timbre regardless of the type of the input sound.
Therefore, although guitar sound and singing voice have completely different timbres, a synthesizer sound outputted for the same pitch name will have the same timbre without making use of the characteristics of the guitar sound or the singing voice. As a result, the timbre of the synthesizer sound becomes monotonous.
Moreover, the reason why timbre varies according to the type of sound such as guitar sound or singing voice is that harmonic components contained in that sound vary. A harmonic refers to a sound having a frequency that is an integral multiple of (e.g., twice, triple, etc.) the frequency of a fundamental pitch sound (hereinafter "fundamental tone"). According to how the harmonics are contained as components of a sound, characteristics are imparted to the timbre of that sound. The conventional synthesizer does not collect such timbre characteristics as information from the input sound, but merely acquires the information of one pitch as a representative value.
(2) Issue Relating to Gate Detection
In the conventional synthesizer, the gate detector is used to output the gate-ON information when the input sound is detected, and to output the gate-OFF information when the input sound is no longer detected. However, because level variation of an actual sound or voice is complicated, the gate detector sometimes performs detection different from that intended by the performer or the singer, i.e., erroneous detection.
FIG. 23 shows an example of erroneous detection performed by the gate detector. In the example shown in FIG. 23, an input sound 231 is inputted as a series of sounds (sounds that are continuous without being interrupted halfway). A broken line 232 indicates transition in level obtained from the input sound 231. The level of the input sound 231 is temporarily lower than a threshold value 233 at halfway time T1. The gate detector outputs the gate-OFF information as the level of the input sound 231 becomes lower than the threshold value 233.
Then, the level of the input sound 231 exceeds the threshold value 233 again at halfway time T2. Accordingly, the gate detector outputs the gate-ON information. As a result, the waveform generating means silences the synthesizer at time T1, and then resumes sound production at time T2. In other words, although the input sound 231 was inputted as a series of sounds, a synthesizer sound that is temporarily interrupted in the middle is produced. This is called erroneous detection in gate detection.
Regarding this, it may be considered to prevent the erroneous detection by reducing the threshold value. However, because of the reduction in the threshold value, the gate-OFF information and gate-ON information can be sensitively outputted even for a feeble signal. Accordingly, production of the synthesizer sound may even be initiated by, e.g., a noise-like signal. This is also erroneous detection in gate detection.
Alternatively, from the input sound, it may be considered to perform smoothing when acquiring the level of the input sound. In detail, in order to achieve a more gradual level variation, a moving average may be utilized, or a time constant that the level follows for an audio input is increased, so as to improve detection stability.
However, because of the more gradual level variation due to the smoothing, another problem occurs, namely, response in gate detection becomes poor. That is, time from input of a sound until output of the gate-ON information is increased. As for output of the gate-OFF information, the same problem occurs. The poor response in gate detection may cause poor response to a performance, and therefore becomes a main cause of an incompatible feeling for the performer.
In gate detection, in addition to the aforementioned erroneous detection problem, there is a problem that the synthesizer sound is monotonous. The synthesizer only starts sound production in response to the gate-ON information and is silenced in response to the gate-OFF information. As shown in FIG. 24A, the level of the produced synthesizer sound does not vary.
In contrast, as shown in FIG. 24B, at the start of production of the synthesizer sound, an envelope generator is used to control the level of the synthesizer sound according to a time-series level variation pattern (shown by the broken line 241) that was pre-programmed, thereby making it possible to obtain a synthesizer sound rich in level variation. However, the level variation controlled by the envelope generator has the same pattern for the gate-ON information every time. Hence, the synthesizer sound is even more monotonous in this respect.
(3) Issue Relating to Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer
The aforementioned conventional polyphonic guitar synthesizer (in FIG. 22) includes the pitch detector 223, the gate detector 224, and the waveform generating means 225 of a plurality of systems in accordance with the number of strings stretched on the guitar. The configuration shown in FIG. 22 is specialized for an instrument called a six-string guitar, and enhancements will be necessary for adapting the configuration to guitars other than the six-string such as those with seven or eight strings. That is, since it is necessary to change the processing configuration (specifically, the numbers of the pitch detector, the gate detector and the waveform generating means) according to the number of strings, the polyphonic guitar synthesizer made for six-string guitars, for example, cannot be applied to the guitars other than the six-string without change.
In addition, according to various types of stringed instruments such as guitars or basses, it is necessary to change physical configuration (number of installation, or distance between pickups, etc.) of pickups. Therefore, in this respect, the polyphonic guitar synthesizer made for a certain type of stringed instrument cannot be applied to the other types of stringed instruments.


A method and an apparatus for identifying synonym and utilizing such synonym to conduct search is disclosed. The disclosed method includes: obtaining arbitrary two words to be identified; determining whether a shortest edit distance between the two words less than or equal to an edit distance threshold; determining whether the two words to be identified exist in a preset knowledge database, and if an answer is yes then searching a smallest granularity type with highest weight value for each word in the knowledge database; and if the two word have the same smallest granularity type with highest weight value, then determining such two words are synonyms, or non-synonym otherwise. The disclosed techniques greatly improve accuracy of synonym identification and guarantee effect of synonym identification.

The current search technology is generally based on keywords. A user inputs keywords into a search engine for search and the search engine returns web pages containing such keywords. For example, when the user inputs Chinese word " " (which means "digital photo camera" in English), the current Chinese search engine will firstly segment the input keyword that generally segment "" into two Chinese terms "" (which means "digital" in English) and "" (which means "photo camera" in English), and then return result web pages containing the two Chinese terms "" and "."
In fact, because users have different backgrounds and habits, it is very likely that such users have same intentions but use different keywords to search. For example, the users who search Chinese word "" (which means "digital camera" in English) and Chinese word "" have exactly the same intentions. With respect to "" the result web pages returned by the current search engine contain two terms "" and "". Some very valuable result web pages, however, may not be returned or not ranked at top positions due to the fact that they contain two terms "" and "" (which means "camera" in English). Provided that the search engine can find that "" and " " are synonyms and merge and return result web pages that contain both of the two words, it will effectively improve the search accuracy and user experience.
Synonym is a unique phenomenon in natural language. Synonym mining is also a very meaningful work in natural language processing. Its implementation is a great help to rewrite search query and enrich search result so that users can have better search experiences. But replacement of synonyms when applied to the search application must be adequate. It cannot be simply resolved by using a synonym checklist. Because users are accustomed to keywords search and the characters or words same as the search query being highlighted in the results, not every user accepts replacement with different words or characters even if they have exactly the same meaning as the search query. For example, Chinese words "" and "" have exactly the same meaning (both of which mean "potato" in English). But when the user inputs "" while "" is unexpectedly highlighted in the results, he/she might think the search engine got problem. If "" is not highlighted in the results, it is also very easy to be neglected by the user. Therefore, synonym in this disclosure refers to synonym suitable for search application.
The current method for automatic identification of Chinese synonym is as follows: to represent each specific word as a webpage, to establish a linkage relationship of the specific word with other words in the dictionary that are used to interpret the specific word, to assign a score to each such word. Such score represents a similarity between words. In other words, it regards interpretation and being interpreted relationships between different words as a type of hyperlink and page rank score is an index of similarity of semantics between different words, and then identifies synonym according to such similarity of semantics. This method mainly uses page rank score as index to determine synonym. The determination of page rank score relies on the available resources while such resources are quite arbitrary and hard to control. As an example of "potato", if the available resource emphasizes on the vegetable characterizations and outside appearances, it is very likely that "potato" will establish synonym relationship with "tuber" or "ellipsis." Therefore, such page rank score representing linkage relationship is very unreliable. Further such unreliability is difficult to be automatically detected, and thus such method cannot accurately identify required synonym so that the identification effectiveness cannot be guaranteed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for identifying synonyms and using synonyms to search


In a development apparatus of the hybrid method using a component developer, a development apparatus and a development method are provided that prevent the reduction of density or the occurrence of residual images (ghost images) and can carry out good image forming over a long period of time. A development apparatus has the feature that the surfaces of the toner supporting member and the developer supporting member move in a mutually opposite direction at the part where they are opposite to each others. The development apparatus further employs an electric field in the closest part applied in a direction to recover the toner from the toner supporting member to the developing supporting member, wherein the magnitude of the electric field is in the range from 2.5×106 V/m to 5×106 V/m. The developer of the development apparatus is such that its share (PD) in the space of the closest part of the opposing portion satisfies the following relationship: 0.09≦PD≦650×Dss.

Conventionally, as the methods of developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearer in an image forming apparatus using the electro-photographic method, known are the one-component developing system which uses only a toner as the developing agent and the two-component developing system which uses toner and a carrier.
Generally, in the one-component developing system, the toner is charged by passing through a regulating section that has a toner supporting member and a regulating plate that is presses by the toner supporting member, and also, it is possible to obtain the desired thin layer of the toner. Because of this, it is advantageous in terms of simplification of the apparatus, size reduction, and achieving low cost. However, it is easy for toner deterioration to progress due to the strong stress of the regulating section, and also it is easy for the charge receiving property of the toner to become lower. In addition, because the surfaces of the regulating member and the toner supporting member, which are members applying charge to the toner, get contaminated by the toner or the external additive agents, even the property of applying charge to the toner gets reduced. Therefore, the amount of charge on the toner decreases, causing problems such as fogging, and hence the life of the development apparatus is short.
On the other hand, in the two-component development system, since the toner is charged by friction charging due to mixing with the carrier, the stress is small, and this method is very effective against toner deterioration. In addition, even the carrier which is the material applying electric charge to the toner, because its surface area is large, is relatively strong against contamination due to toner or external additive agents, and this method is advantageous in terms of life. However, even when a two-component developer is used, the surface of the carrier does get contaminated by the toner and the external additive agents, the amount of charging of the toner gets reduced over a long time of use, and problems such as fogging or toner splashing occur. Because of this, its life can not be said to be sufficient, and still longer life is desired.
In view of this, several proposals have been made of technologies that suppress the deterioration of the carrier and make the life longer of two-component developers (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. S59-100471 and No. 2003-215855).
In Patent Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. S59-100471 disclosed is a development apparatus that suppresses the increase in the ratio of deteriorated carriers by replenishing the carrier gradually in the developer together with the toner or independently, and the replacement of carrier is carried out in accordance with that by discharging the deteriorated developer the charging property of which has gone down.
Further, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2003-215855, disclosed are a two-component developer having carrier and toner which is externally added with particles having the property of being charged to a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the carrier and a development method using this developer.
However, in the development apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2003-215855, since the carriers are being replaced, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the amount of charging of the toner due to carrier deterioration to a fixed level, and this is advantageous in obtaining a long life. However, there are problems in the aspects of cost and environment because a mechanism for retrieving the discharged carrier is necessary, and because the carrier becomes a consumable item. In addition, it is necessary to repeat printing of a prescribed amount until the ratio of old to new carriers becomes stable, and it is not necessarily possible to maintain the initial characteristics.
Further, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2003-215855, it has been indicated that particles with opposite polarity charging property are added with the intention of acting as polishing material and spacer particles, and that there is the effect of suppressing deterioration due to the effect of removing the spent matters on the surface of the carrier. In addition, it is said that there is the effect of improving the cleaning in the image bearer cleaning section and of polishing the image bearer. However, in the disclosed development method, the amount of consumption of the toner and the opposite polarity charging particles differs depending on the image area ratio, particularly when the image area ratio is small, the consumption of the opposite polarity charging particles adhered to the large area non-image area becomes excessive, and there is the problem that the effect of suppressing the carrier deterioration in the development apparatus becomes lower.
In view of this, in order to retain the features of both the development methods, a combined development method (hereinafter referred to as a hybrid development method) appeared that uses a two-component developer in which a non-magnetic toner is charged using a magnetic carrier, and in order to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor which is the image bearer, the charged toner is separated selectively from the two-component developer and retained on the development roller. Since this hybrid development method can develop by forming a dense toner layer on the development roller and developing in a state of close proximity with the photoreceptor, it is possible to carry out particularly fast image forming, and also, the stress applied to the developer and the development roller is small, and has attracted a lot of attention as a method that can offer long life.
However, while the hybrid development method has the above advantages, on the other hand it came to be known that it also has the following problems.
That is, a toner selection phenomenon occurs in which a toner with a high developing capacity (a toner that can adhere easily to the electrostatic latent image surface due to the developing electric field strength) is easily developed selectively but the toner having a large amount of charge is not consumed but remains on the development roller, and as a consequence, when carrying out successive printing, there is the problem that the image density decreases successively. In addition, there is the problem that the pattern of the previous image appears as a residual image (ghost) at the time of forming the next image.
To counter this problem, a method has been proposed, for example in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-108104, in which an equipotential state is generated to eliminate the potential difference between the development roller and the feed roller either during the non-image forming period or before starting the image forming, thus decreasing the adhesion force of the toner on the development roller and recovering the residual toner.
Further, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-189708, a counteracting method has been proposed of definitely separating the magnetic brush formed on the feed roller using a stirring member by stipulating the positional relationship between the development roller and the feed roller or the amount of two-component developer on the feed roller.
Further, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-298396, a method has been proposed of peeling off the residual toner layer after development by making a toner peeling off member come into pressure contact with the development roller.
However, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-108104, since a non-image forming period is required, when carrying out image formation successively in high speed, it will not be possible to carry out sufficiently the recovery of residual toner in the period between the previous image and the next image (between images). Further, there is the problem that the printing speed gets reduced if the interval between images is made long. In addition, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-189708, although the completeness of the separation of the developer on the feed roller by the stirring member gets improved, it is not possible to sufficiently recover the residual toner on the development roller, and the residual image, which is the pattern of the previous image, remains on the next image. Also, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-298396, the drive torque of the development roller becomes high due to the pressure contact of the toner peeling off member, thereby making the motor larger and increasing the cost. In addition, there will be friction of the pressure contacting member and scratches on the development roller thereby causing reduction in the life of the product and noise in the images.

Development apparatus, image forming apparatus and developing method that employ a magnetic brush

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A system and method for controlling one or more remote sensors includes wirelessly communicating with the sensors, monitoring operation of each one of the sensors, and causing any one of the sensors that is operating in an unauthorized manner to be disabled. In one embodiment, the sensors can include micro-mechanical structure supporting electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry is capable of monitoring at least one performance parameter of the sensor, comparing the monitored parameter to a preset limit, and disabling the sensor if the preset performance limit is exceeded.

Position-determining sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, have many possible uses. Because some of these uses (for instance missile guidance, have national security issues, export of these devices, even for commercial purposes, is closely controlled.
Advances in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and other technologies facilitate low cost position-determining sensors that enable a host of consumer and commercial applications. However, the commercial business potential of these devices is greatly limited is greatly limited by governmental export restrictions. Because the high performance characteristics of these devices could potentially be diverted to enable military applications (such as ballistic missile technology), these devices encounter strict export restrictions.

System and method for controlling remote sensors

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A driving apparatus includes a first transmission mechanism receiving mechanical power from an engine output shaft by a first input shaft, a second transmission mechanism receiving the mechanical power from the engine output shaft and a motor by a second input shaft, and a first clutch capable of engaging the engine output shaft with the first input shaft. When performing cranking of an internal-combustion engine, an ECU selects a gear position of the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism to reduce speed of the mechanical power received by the second input shaft and transmit the power to the first input shaft, and puts the first clutch into an engaging state. The speed of the mechanical power from the motor is reduced by the first and second transmission mechanisms to increase torque, and power is transmitted to the engine output shaft through the first clutch.

Recently, in order to eliminate break of transmission of the mechanical power when shifting gears, a so-called dual clutch transmission provided with a first clutch capable of engaging an input shaft of a first transmission mechanism composed of odd-number gear positions (hereinafter, referred to as a first input shaft) with an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine (hereinafter, referred to as an engine output shaft), and a second clutch capable of engaging an input shaft of a second transmission mechanism composed of even-number gear positions (hereinafter, referred to as a second input shaft) with the engine output shaft, and shift gears by alternately engaging the two clutches is known as a transmission for the vehicle (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 to 3).
The dual clutch transmission prevents the break of the power transmission when shifting gears by allowing an even-number gear pair to mesh with each other in advance and putting the first clutch, which transmits the mechanical power to the odd-number position, into a release state, and putting the second clutch, which transmits the mechanical power to the even-number position, into an engaging state, when shifting from the odd-number position to the even-number position, for example.
Also, the following Patent Document 1 discloses the dual clutch transmission (double clutch gear device) provided with the two transmission mechanisms as described above and with an electric motor (second drive unit) engaging with the input shaft (second input shaft) of one transmission mechanism (second gear unit). The Patent Document 1 discloses to perform cranking to start the internal-combustion engine by putting the second clutch into the engaging state and transmitting the mechanical power output from the second drive unit to the second input shaft from the second clutch to the engine. Also, the Patent Document 1 discloses to allow the vehicle to travel by putting the first and second clutches into a non-engaging state (non-fastening state) and output the mechanical power from the second drive unit through the second transmission mechanism (second gear unit).
Also, the following Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose the vehicle in which first and second motors are connected to the first and second input shafts of the dual clutch transmission, respectively. It is proposed to minimize maximum torque required for the motor by providing the motor on each input shaft.                Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-312445        Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-79005        Patent Document 3: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0189397 Specification


A dental applicator for applying amalgam or other filling material to a tooth is provided, in which a plunger is arranged to reciprocate into and out of a barrel to thereby eject and administer the amalgam or filling material. The barrel and/or plunger are fabricated from plastic and/or metal or metallic material provided with a coating, to inhibit or totally prevent amalgam residue from solidifying and adhering to the barrel or plunger.

The present invention is directed to a dental applicator for applying amalgam or other filling material to teeth. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a dental applicator which can be repeatedly used without any danger of permanent clogging by hardened amalgam or filling material and which, in a preferred embodiment, comprises an amalgam dispenser which can be removed from a handle, e.g., for cleaning, replacement or alternative size combinations.
Various types of lever-activated dental amalgam applicators are known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,245 to Nevin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,976 to Bemer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,534 to Seid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,864 to Law et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,353 to Nevin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,492 to Karter et al. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,353 to Nevin discloses a lever-operated applicator 10 for a light-curable dental composition in which a hollow receptacle 50 is coupled to the lever 30 and elevated by depressing the lever arm 34 (column 3, lines 47-54). The receptacle is formed from inert metal or opaque plastic (column 3, lines 58-59) while the plunger 18 which extends through the receptacle cavity can be made of any conventional clear plastic such as methacrylic acid and polymer, methylmethacrylate polymer, polycarbonate or polystyrene (column 3, lines 64-67). Preferably, a clear solid plastic core 60 forming plunger 18 is surrounded by an inert metal or plastic coating (column 3, lines 67-column 4, line 17). U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,534 to Seid discloses an amalgam carrier and dispenser having a terminal end surface 16 of a plunger 10 formed of especially hard metallic material to resist abrasion effect.
Solidificator and clogging of amalgam in the receptacle or barrel of such lever-actuated dental amalgam applicators has been a significant problem encountered by dentists. Generally, amalgam is applied onto a tooth while at room temperature, e.g., about 68xc2x0 F. to about 70xc2x0 F., i.e., while in malleable condition. However, because amalgam is administered under ambient_temperature of about 75-80xc2x0 F. (or even cooler if a dental office is air conditioned), amalgam begins to solidify immediately upon receipt within the lever-actuated barrel. Therefore, after repeated application, solidified amalgam builds upon interior surfaces of the cylindrical barrel, interfering with proper administration of amalgam filling into a tooth. Eventually, the entire barrel becomes totally clogged with solidified amalgam so that the entire amalgam applicator is rendered useless and must be discarded, handle and all.
Attempts have been made to create amalgam applicators with removable tips, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,492 to Karter et al., so that once a tip becomes clogged, it can be removed from the amalgam carrier and replaced by a clean tip. However, such previous designs have proven cumbersome if not totally difficult to implement and furthermore do not solve the problem of initially preventing amalgam from adhering inside the lever-activated barrel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve dispensing and dispersing of dental amalgam or other filling material onto a tooth.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to inhibit or totally prevent accumulation of hardened amalgam or filling material within a lever-activated barrel of a dental amalgam carrier upon repeated actuation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dental amalgam or filling applicator which can be effectively cleaned and re-used and/or having individual parts thereof which can be cleaned and re-used, such as a separable amalgam carrier and handle.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description herein.
These and other objects are attained by the present invention which is directed to a dental applicator for dispensing amalgam and other filling material such as condensable resin or composite resin and comprising a barrel and a plunger arranged to reciprocate into and out of the barrel. The barrel and/or plunger are fabricated from plastic or metal/metallic material provided with a coating thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the applicator is lever-activated, i.e., by pivotally mounting the barrel to reciprocate the same by pressing and releasing a lever.
The applicator of the present invention permits dental amalgam or other filling material to be reliably dispensed therefrom over repeated usage, and with minimal clogging/solidification of amalgam or filling residue within the barrel. Additionally, because of the particular combination of plastic and coated metal/metallic material for the plunger and barrel, it is extremely easy to remove the amalgam from the applicator, e.g., by brushing and/or sterilizing the components. For example, unwanted amalgam residue can simply be removed by wiping the applicator with a cotton swab dabbed with isopropyl alcohol. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the applicator tip, including the lever-activated barrel and plunger, can be removed from the handle for cleaning and inmmediately substituted with a new applicator tip which can be easily secured to the handle for appropriate use.
When the inventive applicator is used to dispense condensable resin, any metallic streaking upon the dispensed resin is automatically eliminated, thus both improving dispensing and preventing unwanted contamination of the ultimate filling material.


A cable connector includes a connector housing attached to an outer shell. A seal is disposed at least partially between the outer shell and the connector housing. A shield is at least partially disposed about the connector housing adjacent to the seal. In one exemplary approach, the connector housing is removably attached to the outer shell. In another exemplary approach, the seal has a unitary configuration.

Cable connectors are widely used in various industries to connect two portions of a cable inline with each other or to connect one portion with a header. Cables come in many different sizes and configurations. For example, in a multiple core configuration, each cable has more than one terminal. In a single core configuration, each cable has only one terminal. Often times, cables of these or other configuration must pass through holes of varying sizes and possibly connect to a cable of a different size. Space is often limited in the devices that use such cables, and the cable is often too large to fit through the hole.
The number of components in the cable connector directly affects the size of the cable connector. First, each cable connector includes an outer shell with an integrally formed connector housing, a shield, a shell, and two seals: a peripheral seal and a cable seal. Both seals are enclosed in the cable connector and disposed about the cable. Having both seals increases the number of components, size, and cost of the cable connector. Moreover, integrally forming the connector housing with the outer shell increases the size of the cable connector and limits molding options and material choices. Furthermore, integrally forming the connector housing with the outer shell reduces the effectiveness of a shield because it requires the shield to have additional slots that may fail to prevent unwanted signal leaks.
Accordingly, a cable connector is needed that has a reduced size and cost while still providing a durable and robust cable connection.


The invention is based on a plastic articulated arm (10) with a connection part (12) for a wiper blade formed at its outer end by the side walls (14), wherein the connection part (12) can engage in a hook-in box (42) of the wiper blade and is provided in the side walls (14), which serve to guide the wiper blade laterally, with an open hub (16) for a pivot pin (44) of the wiper blade. It is proposed that a window (32) be provided at least in one side wall (14) of the connection part (12) in the longitudinal direction of the articulated arm (10), in which window is arranged a spring tongue (34) which projects outwardly beyond the side wall (14).

The invention is based on a plastic articulated arm for a windshield wiper.
Known windshield wipers comprise an articulated arm which is positioned with one end on a wiper shaft driven by a wiper motor. A wiper blade is articulated on its free, outer end. Said wiper blade generally has a multi-member support bracket system comprising a central bracket. Optionally, subordinate brackets are articulated thereto, of which at least several hold a wiper strip with claws at the ends thereof, as well as generally two spring tongues inserted into lateral grooves. Flat-bar wiper blades are also known which, instead of the support bracket system, have a bar-shaped, flexible support element. Said support element is connected via a connecting element to a connection part of an articulated arm in an articulated manner.
The articulated arm of the type to be considered, consists of plastics and has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile with reinforcing ribs which is open toward a vehicle aperture. Additionally, a connection part is formed at the outer end for coupling the wiper blade.
The connection part is inserted from above into a mounting box of the wiper blade, an open hub of the connection part encompassing a pivot pin arranged between the lateral walls of the mounting box, whilst the outer lateral walls of the connection part bear against the internal lateral walls of the mounting box. Thus the pivot pin mounted in the hub forms a joint which permits a pivoting movement between the articulated arm and the wiper blade, whilst the lateral walls of the connection part laterally guide the wiper blade.
Expediently, the articulated arm is produced in its final form in an injection-molding process, so that no subsequent processing is necessary. However, said components have tolerances required by manufacturing. Thus a clearance has to be provided between the rigid lateral walls of the connection part and the lateral walls of the mounting box. Said clearance increases during operation as a result of wear. A lateral clearance between the articulated arm and the wiper blade produces a rattling movement and has a negative effect on the wiping performance. Moreover, undesirable noises are generated as a result of the clearance. Said noises are transmitted undampened via the rigid guide to the articulated arm.
Such articulated arms are, for example, known from JP 2001315622 and JP 2000272478.


Provided are optical fiber connectors having top and bottom, front and back orientation comprising: a jacketed optical cable comprising a terminating fiber (11), the cable having molded thereon a locking component (13) comprising at least one locking lug (14), the locking component (13) being formed from a flexible moldable material; and an inner housing (18) having a radial cross-section which is generally rectilinear and comprises at least three corners, the inner housing (18) comprising at least a portion which defines an opening (25) for receiving the locking component (13), the opening (25) being configured such that upon insertion of the locking component (13) therein the locking lug (14) in a corner of the inner housing (18) such that the locking component (13) and inner housing (18) are secured to each other in an axial direction.

Optical fiber connectors are an essential part of substantially all optical fiber communication systems. For instance, such connectors are used to join segments of fiber into longer lengths, to connect fiber to active devices such as radiation sources, detectors and repeaters, and to connect fiber to passive devices such as switches and attenuators. The principal function of optical fiber connectors is to hold an optical fiber such that its core is axially aligned with the optical path of the device to which the connector is mating (herein "mating device"). This way, the light from one fiber is optically coupled to the optical path of the mating device.
A typical connector comprises a jacketed optical cable having a terminating optical fiber end which is secured within a housing comprising a ferrule designed to hold the fiber. The ferrule is biased forward in the housing such that, when the connector is mated to the device, the fiber in the ferrule urges against the optical path of the mating device.
Applicants have recognized there is a on-going need to produce optical fiber connectors at a lower-cost than current connectors found on the market. The highly competitive nature of the connector industry drives connector manufacturers to seek out methods for producing connectors that are not only suitable for a given application, but can be made and sold at a lower, industrially-competitive cost.
One attempt in the art to produce a low-cost connector is the prior art Fiber-Conn SC Multimode connector (100), available from Emerson (Hanover, Md.), an exploded view and an assembled configuration of which is shown in FIG. 7. A closer view of the retainer body of connector 100 is shown in FIG. 8. Connector 100, referred to herein as a "rigid snap-type " connector, comprises a jacketed cable 101 comprising a terminating optical fiber (not shown) and having molded thereon a rigid plastic retainer body 102 comprising one or more protrusions 103. Connector 100 further comprises an inner housing 104 for holding a ferrule 106 and which defines one or more openings 105 each of which is capable of being deflected to receive a protrusion 103. Upon assembly, the ferrule 106 comprising an optical fiber is secured within housing 104 by "snap fitting" the retainer body 102 to housing 104. That is, retainer body 102 is moved in a forward direction into housing 104 such that the protrusions first deflect the housing walls and are then received in the housing openings 105. A small portion of each protrusion 103 thus interferes with a small area of the wall defining an opening 105 to secure the body 102 to the housing 104 via a snap fit.
While the above connector offers some cost-saving features such as using the over-molded snap-fit retainer body 102 to hold an optical fiber in housing 104, applicants have nevertheless identified a number of disadvantages associated with such prior art connector. In particular, applicants have recognized that the configuration of the connector 100 requires the over-molded retainer body to be formed from a material which is highly rigid and expensive. Only a relatively small surface area of the protrusions 103 of body 102 abut and interfere with housing 104 to hold the body 102 and the housing 104 together. Due to the small surface area of the interfering protrusion, such protrusion must be made of a highly rigid material to prevent shearing, flexing, and/or stretching of the protrusion when axial force is applied in an attempt to separate housing 104 from body 102. In addition, the required flexing of the housing 104 upon assembly and disassembly of connector 100 tends to stress the connector components. To avoid degradation thereof, it is necessary to form such components of a material that is highly resilient. A relatively flexible, and less expensive, over-molding material would not work in the body of the prior art connector, because the protrusions formed therefrom, use only a small surface area to interfere with housing 104. A protrusion with such a small surface area would tend to shear, flex, and/or stretch under standard forces, such as the standard load applied in Standard Test TIA 568 B. In addition, components made from a less resilient material would tend to degrade readily upon repeated deflection due to assembly and disassembly of the connector. Accordingly, the prior art connector 100 cannot be adapted to use less expensive flexible materials, and is therefore disadvantageous.
In addition, applicants have recognized that connector 100 tends to be difficult to disassemble and repair, requiring specific tools and excessive time to break the connector and conduct repairs.
Therefore, applicants have identified a need for an optical connector comprising locking mechanism for securing an optical fiber in the connector housing which uses less costly, including less-rigid, materials not suitable for use in conventional locking/securing means, and which also overcomes the other disadvantages associated with conventional rigid snap-fit connectors.

Optical fiber connector with molded locking component


An information processor includes a keyword registration means for accepting an input of a keyword composed of a predetermined character string and storing the accepted keyword in a storage device; and a content display means for displaying externally acquired content on a display device. The content display means is configured to display the content on the display device by replacing a character string in a preset range containing the keyword with other display data if the keyword stored in the storage device exists in character information contained in the content.

Along with the advancement of internet, various informations are delivered from a web site on the internet. A user can inspect these informations by using an information processing terminal, such as a personal computer or mobile phone. To be specific, an application called browser is incorporated into the information processing terminal, thereby allowing images, characters, and the like delivered from the web site to be inspected on the browser.
On the other hand, huge amount of informations are recently delivered from the web site, whereas even information that the user will not want to inspect and even information that may cause copyright and privacy problems are also delivered in some cases. Under these circumstances, patent document 1 discloses a technique with which the information causing the copyright and privacy problems are not displayed to the user. Specifically, a word dictionary is registered in an electronic news analyzer for relaying delivery of electronic news that are contents. Based on this, it is analyzed whether each portion of the electronic news is unusable limited portion or unlimited portion. Tag information indicating the analysis result is appended to each portion of the electronic news, and this is sent to a user terminal. On the browser of the user terminal, a preset processing is performed by referring to the sent tag information of the electronic news. For example, if a predetermined portion of the electronic news is the unusable limited portion, an obscure processing is performed by overwriting the predetermined portion with other portion, or by deleting it.
Patent document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-222124


An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.

In designing a wall-mounted thermostat, it is desirable to have a thermostat that has a visually pleasing, smooth, sleek and rounded exterior appearance while at the same time including one or more sensors for detecting occupancy and/or users. It is also desirable not to have visible front facing vents or grilles.
It is to be appreciated that although exemplary embodiments are presented herein for the particular context of HVAC system control, there are a wide variety of other resource usage contexts for which the embodiments are readily applicable including, but not limited to, water usage, air usage, the usage of other natural resources, and the usage of other (i.e., non-HVAC-related) forms of energy, as would be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the present disclosure. Therefore, such application of the embodiments in such other resource usage contexts is not outside the scope of the present teachings.

Integrating sensing systems into thermostat housing in manners facilitating compact and visually pleasing physical characteristics thereof


A vehicle flooring system for converting regular vehicles into wheelchair accessible vehicles. The flooring system is made up of individual flooring panels connected via a snap fit type tongue and lip connection. Each individual panel contains an integral track. The integral track forms a positive lock with the track channels. The flooring system is able to satisfy government regulations concerning seat and wheelchair location pull testing.

Converting vans, buses, and other vehicles into those with flooring systems capable of providing flexible seating arrangements as well as accommodating wheelchairs is an expensive process. The labor hours needed to convert the van is considerable. The typical installation process includes adhering and bolting metal and plywood flooring materials to the floor, and the resulting floor is then covered by a flooring material such as carpets and/or rubber mats. Many governments have safety regulations that require the flooring systems to pass a pull test that mimics some of the forces experienced during typical collisions. To reduce the risk of failing the pull test, many suppliers of these flooring systems require each metal plank or panel of the system to be bolted to the floor at multiple locations along the entire length of the panel. As should be recognized, this bolting process is time consuming and labor intensive.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.


The present invention discloses a nutraceutical composition for up-regulation of SIRT 1 expression. The nutraceutical composition comprises NMN at in an amount between 300 mg and 500 mg, in an amount of 500 mg, and a soluble agent. The NMN and polyphenol are wrapped in a soluble agent as a protective bio-active agent to increase bioavailability and protect the polyphenol compounds during gut absorption. The invention also discloses a method of preparing a nutraceutical composition by weighing polyphenol at a suitable concentration, mixing the polyphenol with a suitable soluble agent and finally adding NMN to the mixture and blended it to form the nutraceutical composition. The nutraceutical composition up regulates SIRT1 and hence is suitable for treatment of various diseases and used in the form of powder, liquid, tablets, capsules, chewable form, gels, etc.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide is a bioactive nucleotide that is most recognized for its role as an intermediate of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis. NMN is one of the main precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential enzyme for various critical cell functions, including metabolism, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair, cell growth and survival.
NMN is associated with increased NAD+ biosynthesis, suppressed age-related adipose tissue inflammation, enhanced insulin secretion and insulin action, improved mitochondrial function, and improved neuronal function in the brain.
NMN levels decrease with age, and aging itself has also been shown to significantly compromise the body's conversion of NMN to NAD+. NMN has been able to suppress age-associated weight gain, enhance energy metabolism and physical activity, improve insulin sensitivity, improve eye function, improve mitochondrial metabolism and prevent age-linked changes in gene expression.
Polyphenols are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. Polyphenols are found in plants, including flavonoids and phenolic acid that greatly benefit the human body and help fight disease. Polyphenols are now widely considered to play an important role in maintaining health and well-being throughout the body, mainly as a result of their antioxidant activity.
SIRT1, which is encoded by the SIRT1 gene is the most conserved mammalian nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) dependent histone deacetylase. Besides its role being a target for histone and non-histone proteins, SIRT1 functions as a transcription factor for many different physiological processes.
Resveratrol is a polyphenol with major health benefits that is thought to operate through direct activation of NAD+ levels thus up regulating SIRT1. SIRT1 requires NAD+ as a substrate to perform its gene silencing function, higher NAD+ levels enhances SIRT1 activity. Thus, resveratrol promotes SIRT1 function by enhancing NAD+ synthesis in whole cell systems without requiring direct activation.
Generally, polyphenols show a low bioavailability due to several factors such as interaction with the food matrix, the metabolic processes mediated by the liver, intestine and microbiota. As polyphenol bioavailability is influenced by food matrix components, specific strategies could be considered in order to increase their in vivo delivery such as fermentation or exploiting the association among foods, or to protect them from degradation such as microencapsulation.
SIRT1 is a nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase that removes acetyl groups from various proteins. SIRT1 performs a wide variety of functions in biological systems. SIRT1 is an important regulator of energy homeostasis in response to nutrient availability.
SIRT1 activates mitochondrial signals and pathways regulating the expression levels of genes crucial for proliferation and ATP generation. SIRT1 increases mitochondrial biogenesis thereby contributing to increased healthy life-span and reducing aging-related diseases. SIRT 1 enzymes are indirectly responsible for DNA deacetylation and directly responsible for regulating cell senescence, autophagy, and apoptosis.
SIRT1 takes a part in chronic inflammation, its expression levels and protein levels are reduced in several chronic inflammatory diseases such as arterial inflammation, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, chronic inflammation is associated with increased NFκB RelA/p65 activity secondary to decreased SIRT1.
Nutraceuticals are compositions that do not fall neatly into the categories of pure vitamins, amino acids or herbal remedies. These compositions are generally products derived from food sources that have extra health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods used that improve health, delay the aging process, prevent chronic diseases, increase life expectancy, or support the structure or function of the body.
Currently, nutraceuticals have received considerable interest due to potential nutritional, safety and therapeutic effects. Over the past several years, the ever-growing awareness that good health goes hand-in-hand with a healthy and balanced diet has encouraged people to eat more fruit and vegetables, and to take supplements to make up for nutritional deficiencies.
Natural polyphenols are the largest group of phytonutrients and are considered potential agents for the prevention and treatment of stress-related oxidative diseases. They are found in many plants and foods, such as fruits, vegetables, tea, cereals, and wine, and long-term intake is associated with health benefits. Mediterranean diets are in fact linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases due to the consumption of olive oil and red wine, which contain high amounts of polyphenols
U.S. Patent Publication No. US20210346365A1 entitled "Methods for enhancing liver regeneration" discloses methods, kits, and pharmaceutical compositions for enhancing liver regeneration in a mammal in need thereof, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that increases nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) activity. The methods may include administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that increases nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) activity and a sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) agonist. The agent that increases NAD activity may be a NAD precursor. The NAD precursor may include one or more of tryptophan, nicotinic acid, nicotinic acid riboside, nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide, NADP, and NAD itself, and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
U.S. Patent publication No. US20180050054A1 entitled "Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide in the Treatment of Disease" discloses methods and compositions related to methods of treating, ameliorating, mitigating, slowing, arresting, preventing or reversing various diseases and conditions, including age-related obesity, age-related increases in blood lipid levels, age-related decreases in insulin sensitivity, age-related decreases in memory function, and age-related changes in eye function such as macular degeneration. The methods comprise administering nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) to a subject. In some embodiments, the administration can be oral administration.
The Publication entitled "Role of nutraceutical SIRT1 modulators in AMPK and mTOR pathway: Evidence of a synergistic effect" to Giovannini and Biachi in Nutrition, discloses the effect of different natural substances on SIRT1 expression and on AMPK and mTOR phosphorylation and the synergistic effect between the substances. The results indicate that the expression of SIRT1 was significantly increased in all experimental groups compared with the control group (p<0.001). In addition, the simultaneous administration involved a significant and synergistic increase in the expression of SIRT1 for some but not all of the tested compounds. Finally, the individual administration of berberine, quercetin, ferulic acid, and tyrosol resulted in a statistically significant increase in AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition.

Nutraceutical compositions to up-regulate SIRT1 and methods of use


A front part of a motor vehicle body includes, but is not limited to a bumper, a bumper bracket, and a fresh air channel. At least one movable closure element is situated in the fresh air channel to modulate its throughput. The bumper bracket forms a wall of the fresh air channel.

In recent times, it has become increasingly typical to attach a controllable closure element, also referred to as a shutter, to a fresh air channel of such a vehicle body front part, via which the engine is supplied with cooling and/or combustion air, which allows the throughput of the fresh air channel to be modulated. If the throughput is kept low at low engine temperature, for example, the engine can be brought more rapidly to a stationary operating temperature. The phase of low engine temperature immediately after the start of the engine is thus shortened, and fuel savings may be achieved and the exhaust gas quality may be improved.
The advantages of such a shutter are opposed by the disadvantage that it increases the weight of the motor vehicle and thus results in increased fuel consumption.
In addition, in case of a collision, it changes the crumple behavior of the vehicle body front part. While in the event of a collision with a heavy obstruction, additional stiffening of the front part by the shutter can be advantageous, the shutter can cause other problems in the event of accidents. Because it is typically installed directly adjoining the bumper, in order to ensure that fresh air passing through it is completely introduced into the channel, on the one hand, and because there is little space available for the shutter in front of radiator and engine block, on the other hand, it is already affected in the initial phase of the deformation occurring in the case of a collision. This already increases the rigidity of the vehicle body and the mass of the components of the vehicle in the initial phase of the collision.
It is therefore desirable to minimize the weight of a vehicle body front part having controllable closure element. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.


A high breakdown voltage semiconductor device formed in an SOI structure is disclosed. An MOS transistor composed of a drift layer, p well, a source, a gate, and a drain is formed in an island region surrounded by insulators on a semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, an electricfield-alleviating layer is formed in a bottom portion of the Si island region. The electric-field-alleviating layer is a semiconductor layer of exceeding low concentration, e.g., intrinsic, and therefore a virtual PIN structure is structured among the p well and the drift layer. Because the electric-field-alleviating layer corresponds to an I layer of the PIN structure, a depletion layer is created within the electric-field-alleviating layer when high voltage is applied to the MOS transistor, the high voltage is distributed throughout this depletion layer, and high breakdown voltage can be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device to allow high breakdown voltage in semiconductor elements formed in an element region of island configuration, and a method of fabricating same. The semiconductor device according to the present invention can be applied in an IC for drive use having a plurality of high-voltage output stages employed for example in a flat-panel display, and in particular an electroluminescence (EL) display or the like.
2. Related Arts
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, a device which forms a thick oxide film 20 (LOCOS oxide film) between a gate and drain to alleviate an electric field between the gate and drain exists as a device to cause the breakdown voltage of an element in an MOS transistor to increase.
FIG. 8 indicates a case where this device has a SOI (silicon on insulator) structure, i.e., an element structure of isolating type. Herein, when a high voltage of positive polarity is applied to a drain side of an n-channel MOS transistor, equipotential lines expand and an electric-field-alleviating effect due to a buried oxide film 21 appears, as indicated in the right-hand portion of the drawing; In contrast to the left-hand portion of the drawing in which high voltage of negative polarity is applied to a source side, equipotential lines become dense and an electric field is concentrated at a pn-junction interface proximately to the source due to a relationship of potential differential with a Si substrate 22, and a problem occurs in which required breakdown voltage cannot be obtained.
Additionally, a device which disposes an electric-field-alleviating layer of low concentration (but of higher concentration than the SOI layer thereabove) below an SOI layer has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-103851 Patent Gazette as electric-field alleviation of this type. Namely, according to this device, a portion of the voltage applied to an element is effectively allotted to a buried oxide film by causing a portion of high voltage of reversed direction to be allotted to the electric-field-alleviating layer, so as to achieve high breakdown voltage.
When this device is applied in the above-described structure, as shown in FIG. 9, the electric field is alleviated by widening the depletion layer in the electric-field-alleviating layer 23. Thus, the electric field concentration at the pn-junction interface proximate to the source is eliminated, and the required breakdown voltage can be obtained, even where a high voltage of negative polarity is applied to the source side.
However, it is necessary to form the electric-field-alleviating layer 23 with a conductivity type opposite the n.sup.- layer thereabove. This is because if it were made to be of the same conductivity type, the structure would be similar to the device depicted in FIG. 8, and there would be no widening of the depletion layer at the electric-field-alleviating layer 23, thus failing to achieve the desired electric-field-alleviating effect. Consequently, a restriction is created in that a p-type electric-field-alleviating layer must be provided in an n-channel MOS transistor, and that an n-type electric-field-alleviating layer must be provided in a p-channel MOS transistor.
However, where it is necessary to form n-channel MOS transistors and p-channel MOS transistors on the same semiconductor substrate, a problem occurs in that different electric-field-alleviating layers must be provided in each of these element regions, due to this restriction.

Semiconductor device having a high breakdown voltage


A rotating display device displays a value in a variable viewing orientation. The value is received from an electrical apparatus, such as a circuit breaker, having a first port. The rotating display device includes a housing having a first side and a second side, a display disposed on the first side of the housing, a rotating assembly disposed on the second side, and a second port for receiving the value from the first port of the electrical apparatus. The second port communicates with the display and is coupled to the rotating assembly in order to permit the display to rotate. The rotating assembly permits the rotating display device to rotate in the plane of the surface of the circuit breaker on which it is mounted, thereby permitting the display to be quickly and accurately viewed and interpreted regardless of the orientation of the surface to which it is coupled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical apparatus and, more particularly, to a display device for receiving and displaying a value from an electrical apparatus. The invention also relates to an electrical apparatus including a display device.
2. Background Information
Displaying operating parameters (e.g., without limitation, voltage; electrical current; frequency) provides one way for a user to ensure that an electrical apparatus is operating properly. Accordingly, electrical apparatus including electrical switching apparatus, such as circuit switching devices and circuit interrupters (e.g., without limitation, circuit breakers, contactors, motor starters, motor controllers and other load controllers), often include a connector for outputting a value. The value outputted on the connector is typically indicative of one or more operating parameters. Circuit breakers, such as the low voltage circuit breaker 2, shown in FIG. 1, exemplify one type of electrical apparatus that may include such a connector 4.
Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an over current condition, such as an overload condition or a relatively high level short circuit or fault condition. As shown in FIG. 1, the low voltage circuit breaker 2, for example, includes a housing 6 enclosing at least one pair of separable contacts (not shown) which are operated either manually, by way of an operating handle 8 disposed on the outside of the housing 6, or automatically by way of a trip unit 10 in response to an over current condition. In this example, the circuit breaker trip unit 10 is a modular component that can be interchanged (as best shown in FIG. 2), in order to change the trip characteristics of the circuit breaker 2. As shown, the connector 4, in this case a trip unit testing port, may be located on the trip unit 10. The connector 4 outputs the value, such as, for example, the amount of load current flowing through the circuit breaker 2, to a display device, such as, for example, an ammeter 12 (FIG. 2), in order to display the value on a display 20 thereon.
However, electrical apparatus, including circuit breakers, are often mounted or disposed in a wide variety of orientations with the position of the display device display being dictated by such orientation and the corresponding orientation of the connector on the electrical apparatus. This has made it difficult to read the value displayed on the display when the electrical apparatus is disposed in any orientation other than a vertical one. For example, the circuit breaker discussed above could be mounted sideways in an inverted orientation, thereby requiring the ammeter to be oriented in a corresponding sideways or inverted orientation. This would result in the electrical current value being displayed in an improper orientation making it difficult to be accurately read or interpreted by a user.

Rotating display device and electrical apparatus employing the same


A new and distinct Sutera roth plant named ‘Sumsut 04’ with purple colored double flowers and a compact growth habit.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant known by the varietal name 'Sumsut 04'. The new variety was discovered in May of 2005 in a selected breeding program in 's Gravenzande, The Netherlands. The purpose of the breeding program was to develop double-flowering Sutera plants with a variety of colors. The new variety is a selection from the cross of proprietary, unpatented breeding plants. The female parent was Seedling 1-5 and the male parent was Seedling 2-64. The double-flowering characteristic of the new variety is similar to its parents, but the new variety exhibits a different flower color and a more compact growth habit when compared to both parents. The new variety was first asexually reproduced in July of 2005 by tip cuttings in 's Gravenzande, The Netherlands. The new variety has been trial and field tested and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remains true to type through successive asexual propagations.
The following traits distinguish 'Sumsut 04' as a new and distinct cultivar from other Sutera varieties known to the breeder.                Double flowers; and        Upright and compact growth habit.
The new variety exhibits double flowers like Sutera variety 'Sumsut 06' (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/284,402, applied for concurrently). However, 'Sumsut 06' has white flowers and a hanging growth habit, while 'Sumsut 04' has purple flowers and a compact growth habit. The following Table 1 provides a comparative listing of botanical characteristics of Sumsut 04' and 'Sumsut 06'.
TABLE 1Botanicalcharacteristics'Sumsut 04''Sumsut 06'Petal number perAverage of 6 (from 5-7)5inflorescence:Pistil number perAverage of 3Average of 2inflorescence:Number of petaloidsAverage of 8 (4-10)Average of 14per inflorescence:(8-20)Flower diameter:14-16 mm18-20 mmFlower length:7-9 mm10 mmPeduncle length:6-8 mm18-20 mmLobe length:5 mm8 mmLobe width:5 mm7 mm
The following Table 2 provides a listing of botanical characteristics that distinguish 'Sumsut 04' from Sutera variety 'Sumsut 05' (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/284,404, applied for concurrently).
TABLE 2Botanical characteristics'Sumsut 04''Sumsut 05'Petal number perAverage of 65inflorescence:(from 5-7)Pistil number perAverage of 31inflorescence:Number of petaloids perAverage of 8 (4-10)Average of 7 (4-9)inflorescence:Flower diameter:14-16 mm15-18 mm


A chat window. In one example embodiment, a chat window is configured to facilitate communication between a visitor of a website and an agent of the website. The chat window includes a text chat region and an interactive region configured to display to the visitor one or more products selected by the visitor. The interactive region includes one or markup tools that enables the visitor to markup the one or more products during a chat with the agent.

Website customer support and sales support has traditionally been accomplished by providing website visitors with a telephone number that the visitors call to reach an agent of the website to discuss the needs of the visitor. While telephone communication remains a valid option for website customer support and sales support, some visitors prefer a somewhat less intrusive method of communication for accessing customer support or sales support, such as email or chat systems.
Chat systems enable an agent of a website, such as a sales agent or a support agent, and a visitor of the website to send short text messages back and forth using chat windows. For example, a visitor can use a traditional chat window to solicit additional information about a product that is offered for sale on the website before purchasing the product. A visitor can also use a traditional chat window to solicit help with a problem with a product that the visitor previously purchased from the website.
Unfortunately, existing chat systems do not provide an agent with the same tools possessed by agents in traditional brick-and-mortal retail stores. For example, existing chat systems do not allow a sales agent to "size up" the visitor or the product as is possible in a face-to-face sales pitch. Instead, existing chat systems limit the interaction between a sales agent and a visitor to a text chat interaction. This limitation to a text chat interaction inhibits the type and quantity of information that can be conveyed between the sales agent and the visitor and thereby inhibits the sales agent's ability to sell products to the visitor.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


The invention relates to an electrochemical measuring cell for measuring the content of chlorine compounds in water, having an electrolyte chamber (2) which receives an electrolyte, a measuring electrode (3) which delimits the electrolyte chamber, a reference electrode (5), and a counterelectrode (4). Said electrochemical measuring cell is characterised in that the measuring electrode (3) is a rigid, porous platinum membrane having a pore size of 0.15 μm to 0.25 μm, which produces the contact with the electrolyte and the water.

The invention concerns an electrochemical measuring cell for measuring the content of chlorine compounds in water, comprising an electrolyte chamber, a measuring electrode delimiting the electrolyte chamber, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode.
Such electrochemical measuring cells are inter alia described in EP 0 740 149 B1, EP 0 563 690 A1, DE 195 15 392 C2, and DE 103 22 894 A1.
These known measuring cells are so-called membrane-covered measuring cells with a hydrophilic, liquid-permeable membrane that delimits the electrolyte chamber or the electrolyte contained therein relative to the liquid to be tested, in particular water.
The known membrane-covered sensors have several disadvantages:                The compounds to be measured must diffuse through the membrane into the electrolyte chamber. This is a slow process, the signal strength drops greatly, and the response time increases greatly in comparison to open electrode systems. Also, a diffusion of the salts dissolved in the electrolyte in opposite direction into the water to be tested can take place; this can significantly shorten the service life of the measuring cell.        Because of the slow diffusion process, the membrane must be as thin as possible. This makes it mechanically delicate. Since the electrolyte due to measurement and storage is used up, it must be changed regularly. For this purpose, a membrane cap must be unscrewed, emptied, rinsed, filled, and again screwed on, wherein also a pressure compensation must be provided for. This handling entails always the risk that the operator in the process will damage the membrane and thereby cause the sensor to become unusable.        Since behind the membrane a material transport is also possible only by diffusion, the spacing between membrane and measuring electrode has a decisive effect on the signal strength. This spacing however can vary due to pressure fluctuations or changes in the inflow so that the measuring signal also displays such pressure or flow changes.        The sensors that are available on the market have very small electrodes with corresponding weak signals which require pre-amplification, i.e., electronics installed in the sensor; this has a negative effect on the manufacturing costs. In order to counteract this, it is not the sensor that is being considered expendable material but only the membrane and the electrolyte. In practice, some manufacturers offer to refurbish, if desired, the electrodes of the sensor for a fee.        Membrane sensors with hydrophilic, liquid-permeable membranes contain different plastic materials, adhesive connections, and seals which react partially sensitive to the ingredients of water, e.g. to surface active agents.
An electrochemical cell disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,242 A contains two working electrodes 20, 22, a reference electrode 34, and a counter electrode 28 and serves for quantitative measurement of harmful gases. The reference electrode 34 and the counter electrode attached to a porous membrane 30 are located in an electrolyte chamber 14 into which the gas to be tested is pumped. The working electrodes 20, 22 according to FIG. 3 are attached as a first unit to a porous gas diffusion membrane 24 forming a second unit. The second working electrode 22 surrounds the first working electrode 20. The first working electrode 20 is produced by mixing a suitable catalyst 40 with a polytetrafluoroethylene dispersion. The catalyst 40 can be comprised of platinum. The second working electrode 22 has a catalytic area 50 which can be comprised of platinum. This known electrochemical cell is not suitable for measuring the chlorine compounds in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,449 A discloses a sensor for the electrochemical analysis of a catalyzed reagent in solution. This sensor has a composite membrane 140 of a catalytically immobilized protein for conversion of the reagent to be measured into an electrically measurable value. The composite membrane contains a porous membrane 142 of a synthetic polymer material in a thin flexible layer. Into the membrane containing the protein, at least one blocking membrane 148 is partially embedded which is positioned as protective membrane between the porous membrane and the analyte. According to column 7, lines 15ff, the porous membrane elements have a pore size in the range of approximately 0.01 micron to approximately 10 micron, preferably 0.1 to approximately 2 micron. This known sensor is not suitable for measuring the content of chlorine compounds in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,013 A discloses a liquid chromatography device with a coulometric cell 23 which contains at least one working electrode, at least one reference electrode, and at least one counter electrode. The working electrode 54 contains a material pack 68 of platinum material in powder form with an average grain size between approximately 2 to 3 micron and approximately 400 micron. The material pack 68 is located between two porous membranes or frits of e.g. glass, glass fiber, polypropylene, porous Teflon or the like, and is arranged in a flow channel 46 for the sample solution to be tested which is flowing through the working electrode 54 and thus through the material pack 68 of platinum material in powder form. The cell 23 has no electrolyte chamber. When manufacturing the cell 23, the dry platinum material in powder form is poured onto one of the two porous membranes (frits) and then covered with the second membrane. The purpose of the known cell resides in that disruptive ingredients, for example, oxygen, are to be removed from the sample solution upstream of the chromatography column 28. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,013, it is expressed, without a more precise specification, that the known cell can also be used for measuring purposes.
The invention has the object to provide an electromechanical measuring cell for measuring the content of chlorine compounds in water in which it is possible to eliminate a flexible hydrophilic membrane that is as thin as possible in order to avoid the afore described risks or disadvantages when handling and cleaning the measuring cell, without negatively affecting future measuring results.

Electrochemical measuring cell for measuring the content of chlorine compounds in water