Methods for treating conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake are disclosed which comprise administration of an effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist, alone or in conjunction with other compounds or compositions that affect satiety. The methods are useful for treating conditions or disorders, including obesity, Type II diabetes, eating disorders, and insulin-resistance syndrome. The methods are also useful for lowering the plasma glucose level, lowering the plasma lipid level, reducing the cardiac risk, reducing the appetite, and reducing the weight of subjects. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.

The following description summarizes information relevant to the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art to the presently claimed invention, nor that any of the publications specifically or implicitly referenced are prior art to that invention.
Exendin
Exendins are peptides that are found in the venom of the Gila-monster, a lizard found in Arizona, and the Mexican Beaded Lizard. Exendin-3 is present in the venom of Heloderma horridum, and exendin-4 is present in the venom of Heloderma suspectum (Eng, J., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 265:20259-62, 1990; Eng., J., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267:7402-05, 1992). The exendins have some sequence similarity to several members of the glucagon-like peptide family, with the highest homology, 53%, being to GLP-1[7-36]NH2 (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:19650-55, 1993). GLP-1[7-36]NH2, also known as proglucagon[78-107], has an insulinotropic effect, stimulating insulin secretion from pancreatic .beta.-cells; GLP also inhibits glucagon secretion from pancreatic .alpha.-cells (Orskov, et al., Diabetes, 42:658-61, 1993; D'Alessio, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 97:133-38, 1996). GLP-1 is reported to inhibit gastric emptying (Williams B, et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 81 (1): 327-32, 1996; Wettergren A, et al., Dig Dis Sci 38 (4): 665-73, 1993), and gastric acid secretion. (Schjoldager B T, et al., Dig Dis Sci 34 (5): 703-8, 1989; O'Halloran D J, et al., J Endocrinol 126 (1): 169-73, 1990; Wettergren A, et al., Dig Dis Sci 38 (4): 665-73, 1993). GLP-1[7-37], which has an additional glycine residue at its carboxy terminus, also stimulates insulin secretion in humans (Orskov, et al., Diabetes, 42:658-61, 1993). A transmembrane G-protein adenylate-cyclase-coupled receptor believed to be responsible for the insulinotropic effect of GLP-1 is reported to have been cloned from a .beta.-cell line (Thorens, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8641-45 (1992)).
Exendin-4 potently binds at GLP-1 receptors on insulin-secreting βTC1 cells, at dispersed acinar cells from guinea pig pancreas, and at parietal cells from stomach; the peptide is also said to stimulate somatostatin release and inhibit gastrin release in isolated stomachs (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268:19650-55, 1993; Schepp, et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol., 69:183-91, 1994; Eissele, et al., Life Sci., 55:629-34, 1994). Exendin-3 and exendin-4 were reported to stimulate cAMP production in, and amylase release from, pancreatic acinar cells (Malhotra, R., et al., Regulatory Peptides, 41:149-56, 1992; Raufman, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:21432-37, 1992; Singh, et al., Regul. Pept. 53:47-59, 1994). The use of exendin-3 and exendin-4 as insulinotrophic agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and the prevention of hyperglycemia has been proposed (Eng, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,286).
C-terminally truncated exendin peptides such as exendin[9-39], a carboxyamidated molecule, and fragments 3-39 through 9-39 have been reported to be potent and selective antagonists of GLP-1 (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:19650-55, 1993; Raufinan, J. P., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:2897-902, 1991; Schepp, W., et al., Eur. J. Pharm. 269:183-91, 1994; Montrose-Rafizadeh, et al., Diabetes, 45(Suppl. 2):152A, 1996). Exendin[9-39] is said to block endogenous GLP-1 in vivo, resulting in reduced insulin secretion. Wang, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 95:417-21, 1995; D'Alessio, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 97:133-38, 1996). The receptor apparently responsible for the insulinotropic effect of GLP-1 has reportedly been cloned from rat pancreatic islet cell (Thorens, B., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8641-8645, 1992). Exendins and exendin[9-39] are said to bind to the cloned GLP-1 receptor (rat pancreatic β-cell GLP-1 receptor (Fehmann H C, et al., Peptides 15 (3): 453-6, 1994) and human GLP-1 receptor (Thorens B, et al., Diabetes 42 (11): 1678-82, 1993). In cells transfected with the cloned GLP-1 receptor, exendin-4 is reportedly an agonist, i.e., it increases cAMP, while exendin[9-39] is identified as an antagonist, i.e., it blocks the stimulatory actions of exendin-4 and GLP-1. Id.
Exendin[9-39] is also reported to act as an antagonist of the full length exendins, inhibiting stimulation of pancreatic acinar cells by exendin-3 and exendin-4 (Raufinan, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:2897-902, 1991; Raufman, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 266:21432-37, 1992). It is also reported that exendin[9-39] inhibits the stimulation of plasma insulin levels by exendin-4, and inhibits the somatostatin release-stimulating and gastrin release-inhibiting activities of exendin-4 and GLP-1 (Kolligs, F., et al., Diabetes, 44:16-19, 1995; Eissele, et al., Life Sciences, 55:629-34, 1994).
Exendins have recently been found to inhibit gastric emptying (U.S. Ser. No. 08/694,954, filed Aug. 8, 1996, which enjoys common ownership with the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference).
Exendin [9-39] has been used to investigate the physiological relevance of central GLP-1 in control of food intake (Turton, M. D. et al. Nature 379:69-72, 1996). GLP-1 administered by intracerebroventricular injection inhibits food intake in rats. This satiety-inducing effect of GLP-1 delivered ICV is reported to be inhibited by ICV injection of exendin [9-39] (Turton, supra). However, it has been reported that GLP-1 does not inhibit food intake in mice when administered by peripheral injection (Turton, M. D., Nature 379:69-72, 1996; Bhavsar, S. P., Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 21:460 (188.8), 1995).
Obesity and Hypemutrition
Obesity, excess adipose tissue, is becoming increasingly prevalent in developed societies. For example, approximately 30% of adults in the U.S. were estimated to be 20 percent above desirable body weight—an accepted measure of obesity sufficient to impact a health risk (HARRISON'S PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 12th Edition, McGraw Hill, Inc. (1991) p. 411). The pathogenesis of obesity is believed to be multifactorial but the basic problem is that in obese subjects food intake and energy expenditure do not come into balance until there is excess adipose tissue. Attempts to reduce food intake, or hypemutrition, are usually fruitless in the medium term because the weight loss induced by dieting results in both increased appetite and decreased energy expenditure (Leibel et al., (1995) New England Journal of Medicine 322: 621-628). The intensity of physical exercise required to expend enough energy to materially lose adipose mass is too great for most people to undertake on a sufficiently frequent basis. Thus, obesity is currently a poorly treatable, chronic, essentially intractable metabolic disorder. Not only is obesity itself believed by some to be undesirable for cosmetic reasons, but obesity also carries serious risk of co-morbidities including, Type 2 diabetes, increased cardiac risk, hypertension, atherosclerosis, degenerative arthritis, and increased incidence of complications of surgery involving general anesthesia. Obesity due to hypemutrition is also a risk factor for the group of conditions called insulin resistance syndrome, or "syndrome X." In syndrome X, it has been reported that there is a linkage between insulin resistance and hypertension. (Watson N. and Sandler M., Curr. Med. Res. Opin., 12(6):374-378 (1991); Kodama J. et al., Diabetes Care, 13(11): 1109-1111 (1990); Lithell et al., J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol., 15 Suppl. 5: S46-S52 (1990)).
In those few subjects who do succeed in losing weight, by about 10 percent of body weight, there can be striking improvements in co-morbid conditions, most especially Type 2 diabetes in which dieting and weight loss are the primary therapeutic modality, albeit relatively ineffective in many patients for the reasons stated above. Reducing food intake in obese subjects would decrease the plasma glucose level, the plasma lipid level, and the cardiac risk in these subjects. Hypernutrition is also the result of, and the psychological cause of, many eating disorders. Reducing food intake would also be beneficial in the treatment of such disorders.
Thus, it can be appreciated that an effective means to reduce food intake is a major challenge and a superior method of treatment would be of great utility. Such a method, and compounds and compositions which are useful therefor, have been invented and are described and claimed herein.

Use of exendins and agonists thereof to treat diabetes


A tool for holding and applying torque to a nut including a keyway. The tool includes a longitudinal body having a longitudinal axis and a body channel. A longitudinal key is disposed in the body channel with one end of the key configured to engage the keyway of the nut. A first key portion contacts the body channel while a second key portion extends over the body channel forming a gap between the key and the body channel prior to insertion of the key into the keyway of the nut. The second key portion is configured to be resiliently deflected radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal body when the second key portion engages the keyway of the nut.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an apparatus or tool for holding and applying torque to a nut, e.g., in a sensor port of a flow cell.
Flow meters, including ultrasonic flow meters, employ sensors to determine the characteristics (e.g., flow rate, pressure, temperature, etc.) of liquids, gases, etc. flowing in conduits of different sizes and shapes. Knowledge of these characteristics of the fluid can enable other physical properties or qualities of the fluid to be determined. For example, in some custody-transfer applications, the flow rate can be used to determine the volume of a fluid (e.g., oil or gas) being transferred from a seller to a buyer through a conduit to determine the costs for the transaction, where the volume is equal to the flow rate multiplied by the cross sectional area of the conduit.
A sensor can be installed in a sensor port of a flow cell using an insert body that is mounted within the sensor port. In some installations, the insert body is fixed in the sensor port using threaded nuts that are inserted into the sensor port and tightened proximate to the insert body. In many installations, the significant length of the sensor port requires that the threaded nuts be mounted onto the end of the shaft of a tool, which is extended into the sensor port until the threaded nut reaches the desired installation location. Similarly, when the threaded nuts are removed, the threaded nuts are loosened and removed by the end of the shaft of the tool which is extended into and then pulled back out of the sensor port. Existing tools for accomplishing the insertion and removal of the threaded nuts include ribs on the distal end of a shaft that mate with the keyways of the threaded nuts. When these ribs become worn or otherwise damaged, the tool cannot reliably retain or apply torque to the threaded nut on the end of the shaft, causing the nut to fall off of the shaft of the tool and become lodged in the sensor port. Additionally, given the potential differences in dimensions between different tools and different threaded nuts caused by manufacturing tolerances, the ribs on the shaft do not always reliably retain or apply torque to the threaded nut on the end of the shaft.
The discussion above is merely provided for a general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Apparatus for holding and applying torque to a nut


An apparatus for melt spinning a plurality of strand-like filaments through a spinneret, which is mounted within a downwardly open receptacle in a nozzle holder. The spinneret includes a housing which is deformed by the entry of the pressurized polymeric melt into an internal diffuser chamber, so as to press the spinneret against the inner wall of the receptacle and thereby seal the melt inlet of the spinneret against the melt outlet in the receptacle. Thus the high pressure forces required for sealing only arise and are active during the operational state, and the spinneret can be otherwise held in the nozzle holder under a minimal securing force which permits the spinneret to be easily loosened and removed for periodic maintenance.

The present invention relates to a apparatus for the melt-spinning of a plurality of strand-like filaments in a yarn forming operation.
For the melt-spinning of synthetic fibers, a melted polymer material is extruded to form a plurality of strand-like filaments. For this, it is necessary that the polymer melt be pressed through nozzle holes. The extrusion, which is also called spinning out, is done by a spinneret which comprises on its underside a plurality of nozzle holes. In practice, several spinnerets of this type are used simultaneously alongside one another in order to extrude several fiber bundles in parallel to one another. For this, the spinnerets are held in a nozzle holder.
In operation, it is necessary that the spinnerets be removed and given maintenance at regular intervals. The removal of the spinnerets is laborious and causes unavoidable downtimes which lead to a loss of production. There is thus the desire to fashion the design of the spinnerets, as well as the connection of the spinnerets to a nozzle holder, in such a way that they can be removed in as simple a manner as possible. Here the leak-tightness of the components must be ensured at all times during operation since the polymer melt is conducted and extended under a high melt pressure.
Apparatus are known from DE 199 35 982 A1, DE 42 36 570 A1, and the corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,716,016 and 5,387,097, respectively in which the spinnerets or spinneret blocks are secured in place in the nozzle holder in order to make the interface between a melt outlet of the nozzle holder and a melt inlet of the spinneret pressure-tight. For this, a cylindrical seal is secured in place between the melt outlet and the melt inlet. However, apparatus of this type have the basic disadvantage that during operation a deformation of the sealing ring occurs so that a securing in place between the sealing ring and the nozzle holder hinders the loosening of the spinneret. In addition to this, the spinneret must be secured in place against the nozzle holder with high securing forces in order to ensure the sealing function at the interface between the melt outlet and the melt inlet so that correspondingly high de-securing forces are required to loosen the spinneret.
DE 16 60 375 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,499 discloses an apparatus in which the housing and the nozzle plate of the spinneret are held in a receptacle of the nozzle holder in such a manner that they can move relative to one another and in such a manner that the connection between the melt outlet of the nozzle holder and the melt inlet of the spinneret is sealed automatically. However, the movable arrangement of the individual parts of the spinneret has the great disadvantage that the spinneret is not held in the nozzle holder in such a manner that it can be removed as a structural unit. Furthermore, the concept requires an additional sealing point within the spinneret.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a melt spinning apparatus of the type stated initially in such a manner that, on the one hand, the spinneret is held in the nozzle holder in such a manner that it can be loosened easily and, on the other hand, high pressure forces for sealing can be produced between the spinneret and the nozzle holder.

Apparatus for melt-spinning filaments in a yarn forming operation


The object of the invention is to automatically select an optimum printing device according to the characteristics of a page in units of pages to print the page, thereby reducing the load on the operator in print processing. For this purpose, it is determined in units of pages whether data to be printed contains color information. If color information is present, a color flag is set to ON. When the color flag is ON, print data prepared and developed in a page buffer is sent to a color printer. When the color flag is OFF, the print data prepared and developed in the page buffer is sent to a monochromatic printer.

The present invention relate to a printing device control apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of controlling a plurality of printing devices.
Printing devices use various printing schemes including electrophotography (laser beam printer) and ejection of ink droplets of a printer (ink-jet printer).
Generally, a laser printer is suitable for monochromatic, i.e., black-and-white printing, and the print quality of black and white portions is high. In addition, the laser printer has a high speed. On the other hand, an ink-jet printer is suited to printing a color image, though its speed is lower than that of the laser beam printer.
When a document is to be prepared by a document processing apparatus (including a personal computer), often almost all pages are monochromatic, and only several pages require color printing.
In this case, as color page portions are present, the operator performs operations to output the entire document to a color ink-jet printer for printing, or to output only the color page portions of the document to the color ink-jet printer and thereafter print the remaining monochromatic pages with a laser beam printer dedicated to monochromatic printing.
In the former case, the operator needs to perform the operation only once because the printing operation is completed with only one printing instruction. However, with the color ink-jet printer, a long time is required to complete printing of all pages.
In the latter case, if the apparatus itself has only one printer interface, switching connection of the two printers is necessary, and the printing instruction must be given at least twice. Even if the apparatus has two printer interfaces, the printing instructions must still be given at least twice. This also applies to a case in which the printers are connected to a network, and the color ink-jet printer and monochromatic laser beam printer on the network (or one of the printers is a local printer) perform print processing.

Printing device control apparatus and method


The invention relates to a cleaning head (sometimes called a “suction head”) for a vacuum cleaner, and in particular to a cleaning head having a motor to rotate a brush carried by the cleaning head. According to the invention there is provided a cleaning head (10) having a steering joint, the steering joint having a non-rotatable section (26) and a rotatable section (24) with a rotatable joint (20) between the non-rotatable section and the rotatable section. The cleaning head has a first holding region (52) which is engageable by a first part (50) of the rotatable section (24), the first holding region and the first part when engaged resisting rotation of the rotatable section. The cleaning head also has a second holding region (54) which is engageable by a second part (50) of the rotatable section (24), the second holding region and the second part when engaged resisting rotation of the rotatable section. The cleaning head can therefore be held against unwanted rotation in a storage position and also in a position in which it is suspended above a surface being cleaned.

Most vacuum cleaners are fitted with a cleaning head through which air and entrained dirt and debris pass on their way to a dirt collection chamber. The cleaning head has a sole plate adapted to overlie or engage a surface to be cleaned, the sole plate having an opening through which the air and entrained dirt can pass. The dirt collection chamber will typically contain a removable vessel, perhaps comprising or containing a disposable bag, in which the dirt is collected for subsequent disposal.
Vacuum cleaners may be mains-powered or battery-powered and fall into three general classes. Upright vacuum cleaners have a cleaning head which is typically integrated into the body of the vacuum cleaner, the body of the vacuum cleaner containing the dirt collection chamber. Cylinder vacuum cleaners on the other hand have a cleaning head which is connected to the body of the vacuum cleaner by a length of flexible hose. With a cylinder vacuum cleaner the cleaning head can be moved across the surface being cleaned without necessarily also moving the body containing the dirt collection chamber.
Upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners are designed to rest upon the floor or ground during use, and are moved across the floor or ground by the user. The third general class of vacuum cleaner comprises hand-held vacuum cleaners which are adapted to be used whilst carried by the user. Most hand-held vacuum cleaners are battery-powered.
A particular type of hand-held vacuum cleaner is sometimes referred to as a "stick vacuum cleaner" and an example of a stick vacuum cleaner is shown in FIGS. 1-3. A stick vacuum cleaner has a body with a handle for gripping by the user. The body typically contains a battery, a motor, an impeller and a dirt-collection chamber. The body is connected to a cleaning head by a (substantially) rigid tube, the tube being sufficiently long to permit (for example) the cleaning head to be used for floor cleaning whilst the user is standing and carrying the body of the vacuum cleaner. The rigid tube and cleaning head are typically removable from the body to enable other cleaning operations.
The cleaning head of a cylinder vacuum cleaner is also typically connected to a (substantially) rigid tube which connects the flexible hose to the cleaning head. The rigid tube provides a handle part by which the user can move the cleaning head across the surface being cleaned, the rigid nature of the tube permitting the user to hold the handle part of the tube at a comfortable distance from the cleaning head (for example whilst standing and using a floor-engaging cleaning head).
It is a feature of the cleaning heads of stick vacuum cleaners and cylinder vacuum cleaners that they typically provide a steering joint allowing the cleaning head to be steered across a floor by the user. In practice, the cleaning head and rigid tube of a stick vacuum cleaner may be interchangeable with those components of a cylinder vacuum cleaner.
The present invention has been designed primarily for stick vacuum cleaners but is also applicable to cylinder vacuum cleaners (and may also be usable in other applications). For brevity, the following description will refer to stick vacuum cleaners unless otherwise indicated.
The cleaning head of a stick vacuum cleaner is adapted for floor cleaning, but may also be used for cleaning other (horizontal and non-horizontal) surfaces. To facilitate its use for floor cleaning, the cleaning head will typically be adjustable between a configuration for cleaning carpets, rugs and the like, and a configuration suited to cleaning hard floor surfaces such as wood, tiles etc. Additional tools are generally provided for cleaning of specific areas as and when required.
The cleaning head is typically removable (with or without the rigid tube), permitting the user to replace the cleaning head with a chosen additional tool. If the rigid tube is also removed the chosen additional tool may be connected directly to the body.
It is not typically necessary or desirable to utilise a steering joint for the additional tools, and so the steering joint is usually provided with the cleaning head. Accordingly, when the cleaning head is removed the steering joint is also removed.
It is desirable that the sole plate of the cleaning head can be maintained in contact with the floor as the position and orientation of the vacuum cleaner body changes during use. The cleaning head is therefore generally able to pivot relative to the rigid tube so that the sole plate can maintain a horizontal orientation (for example) as the body of the vacuum cleaner is raised and lowered during use.
Steering is achieved by rotating the body of the vacuum cleaner and thereby twisting the rigid tube. The steering joint has a non-rotatable section mounted to the body of the cleaning head and a rotatable section connected (or connectable) to the rigid tube. A rotatable joint permits relative rotation between these sections. The rotatable section is bent or angled at or above the rotatable joint and the combination of the rotatable joint and the angled rotatable section enables the steering joint to cause the cleaning head to change direction in response to twisting movements of the rigid tube. The steering mechanism or steering joint of a vacuum cleaner typically includes a rotatable joint and a pivotable joint such as those described in detail below, and in the following description the term "steering joint" describes a joint comprising a rotatable joint and a pivotable joint.
A steering joint is, however, often disadvantageous, particularly during periods of non-use of a stick vacuum cleaner (during which periods the body is not held by the user). A stick vacuum cleaner is usually stored in a generally upright position, with the cleaning head on the floor and the body leaning against a wall or the like. The vacuum cleaner is top heavy and relatively unstable in that position, and unless it is well balanced the steering joint will often permit the body to rotate relative to the cleaning head, and to slide across and down the wall. The significant weight of the body can cause damage to the wall, to the vacuum cleaner, and also to furniture and other items which are impacted by the body as it falls towards the floor.
Most users will be aware of this problem and during long term storage will usually wedge the body so that it cannot easily slide across and down the wall. However, such arrangements are often not available during short-term periods of non-use, for example whilst moving furniture or other items during a cleaning operation. During short-term periods of non-use a particularly diligent user may reach down and rest the body of the stick vacuum cleaner upon the floor, or otherwise place the body on a suitable surface so that it is stable. Other users may, however, lean the vacuum cleaner against a wall, and it is recognised that such usage will often result in the vacuum cleaner sliding across and down the wall with a significant possibility of damage.
The steering joint of the cleaning head of a cylinder vacuum cleaner presents similar problems in that the rigid tube and flexible tube are often leant against a wall during short-term periods of non-use. Whilst the steering joint makes the rigid tube and flexible tube unstable in such a position, their combined weight is significantly less than that of the body of a stick vacuum cleaner and the effect of the rigid tube and flexible hose sliding across and down the wall are generally less significant.
The general desire for a cleaning head to be substantially fixed in position when not in use has been recognised by the manufacturers of cylinder vacuum cleaners. Many of the cleaning heads of cylinder vacuum cleaners therefore have locking mechanisms permitting the cleaning head to be secured to the body of the cylinder vacuum cleaner when not in use, or to be secured in position relative to the rigid tube. In particular, the cleaning head of a cylinder vacuum cleaner will typically be stored against the body of the vacuum cleaner, often with a male/female clip element. Only the most diligent of users will typically use the clip element during short-term periods of non-use, however, and such an arrangement is not suitable for use with a stick vacuum cleaner.
To improve the cleaning efficiency of a vacuum cleaner, it is known to fit a rotating brush to the cleaning head, the brush projecting through the opening in the sole plate. The bristles of the brush engage the carpet or other floor surface and mechanically dislodge dirt and debris to assist the entrainment of that dirt and debris into the passing airflow. In many cleaning heads the brush is electrically operated, the cleaning head having a motor connected to the brush. In a stick vacuum cleaner the electrical power for the motor is communicated from the battery within the body by electrical wires passing along the rigid tube.
It is desirable that the rigid tube is connected approximately at the centre of the cleaning head, i.e. so that the cleaning head projects to the left and right (from a user's perspective) by approximately equal distances from the rigid tube. In order to avoid the motor obstructing the airflow path through the cleaning head the motor is typically offset from the centreline. The motor is usually the heaviest component of the cleaning head and its location offset from the centreline causes the centre of gravity of the cleaning head also to be offset from the centreline, and in particular to be offset from the rotation axis of the rotatable joint. The offset weight is not a significant concern whilst the vacuum cleaner is in use upon a floor or other substantially horizontal surface, but when the cleaning head is lifted from the surface the offset weight of the cleaning head typically causes the cleaning head to twist around the rotatable joint. The uncontrolled twisting of the cleaning head can be awkward and cumbersome for the user, especially when cleaning areas such as stairs where the cleaning head is repeatedly and frequently lifted from the surface.


The present invention provides a hub assembly and a hub fastener anti-rotate apparatus for securing a wheel of vehicle (e.g., a zero-radius-turning lawn mower) to a vehicle drive axle. The anti-rotate apparatus may assist in preventing or substantially limiting loosening of a hub fastener used to secure the hub assembly to the drive axle.

Traditional riding mowers, e.g., those typically having four wheels wherein the front wheels are conventionally steerable, are in common use by homeowners and professionals alike. However, for lawns having numerous obstacles, tight spaces, and/or intricate borders, riding mowers having zero-radius-turning (ZRT) capability are often preferred. As the name implies, "ZRT" generally indicates a vehicle having a very tight minimum turning radius, i.e., a vehicle that is highly maneuverable.
Most ZRT riding mowers have one or more drive wheels located on each side of the mower. The drive wheels are independently powered, e.g., by hydraulic motors or integrated zero-turn transaxles, so that, while a drive wheel on a first side of the mower may rotate in a first direction at a first speed, the drive wheel on the opposite side may rotate in the same or different direction at the same or different speed. Rotating one drive wheel for forward motion while simultaneously slowing, stopping, or reversing rotation of the drive wheel on the opposite side, causes the mower to turn. At the extreme, the mower may spin generally about a vertical axis located between the respective drive wheels.
Each drive wheel is typically coupled to a drive shaft or axle of a mower with a hub. The hub may include a flange having a conventional lug pattern to which the wheel attaches.
Often, the hub is attached to the drive axle with a coaxial fastener or mounting bolt and transfers rotational power through mating surfaces provided on both the axle and the hub. While this configuration is adequate for many applications, the frequent speed and direction changes common with ZRT mowers may cause the coaxial bolt to back out or loosen over time. This problem may be more apparent where the configuration of the hub and axle mating surfaces allows for greater rotational movement of the hub relative to the axle.
As a result, many ZRT mowers that utilize a central mounting bolt also utilize a hub/axle combination having relatively tight clearances, i.e., having minimal backlash or "looseness," between the mating surfaces of the drive axle and the hub. Thus, relative motion between the axle and the hub is minimized, reducing the tendency for the mounting bolt to inadvertently loosen over time. Some configurations that provide such tight clearances include, for example, an axle and hub using a key and keyway to transfer torque. Other configurations may utilize a tapered axle and hub combination, where the axle transfers torque to the hub via the interference fit between the two components. Other options include permanently securing the hub to the axle, such as by welding. All these configurations provide minimal backlash and, thus, may be effective in limiting the loosening effect on the mounting bolt during mower operation.
While effective at reducing backlash, these hub and axle configurations are potentially expensive to produce. Although the cost may be acceptable for larger, commercial grade equipment, it may be economically undesirable for smaller mowers, e.g., those directed primarily to homeowners. Moreover, smaller ZRT mowers may not have a drive axle of sufficient diameter to accommodate the desired keyway or taper configuration.
Another technique known for preventing loosening between two components is lockwiring. While effective, lockwiring can be labor-intensive and require a certain level of skill to properly install. In addition, lockwire is usually destroyed upon removal, i.e., it is generally not reusable.

Wheel hub assemblies with anti-rotate feature for use with zero-radius-turning vehicle


A distributed object messaging system and method (10) are provided for a plurality of nodes (15-21, 25-32) distributed in multiple physically separate sites (12, 13). There are a plurality of processes (40-44) executing in each node. The processes register a plurality of objects in each node. The objects include client objects and server objects. The server objects may be registered for global service for service availability to client objects in a local node, local site and/or site global service for service availability for client object in remote sites. a server object database (46) is used in each node to store a server object description for each server object registered in the node and objects registered in remote nodes that are registered for global or site global service. a client-server interface (50) is accessible by client objects and receives requests for services therefrom. The client-server interface accesses the server object database (46) for at least one destination server object capable of performing the client object's requested service, and forwards the service request to the destination server objects at a local site or a remote site.

The simplest most common interface between a client and server occurs when the client and server are linked into the same process. In this case, the client can invoke a subroutine call to access the server. Calling Input Parameters can be passed from the client to the server in common memory and Returned Output Parameters can be passed back from the server to the client through common memory to complete the call.
To utilize the power of distributed computing architecture, it is necessary that the server frequently reside in a network node which is remote from the client node. Multiple clients may be requesting the same service from multiple servers at the same time. In additiona, there is a requirement in telephony applications for both hardware and software redundancy to provide a hardware/software fault tolerant service environment. This environment consists of nodes in geographically remote locations in the global telecommunications network. The system must be able to quickly adjust to server outages at any point in the network.

System and method for multi-site distributed object management environment


A method for transmitting a packet for N data streams in a communication system is provided. The method includes dividing each of the data streams into data payloads and adding a header for discriminating between the N data streams to each of the data payloads, determining, from the source packet flow, an FEC source formed by source packets generated from an (N−M) number of data streams, distinguishing at least one source packet block, generating a source symbol block from the at least one distinguished source packet block, generating a repair symbol block formed by at least one repair symbol, determining a repair flow ID for identifying a repair flow formed by the repair symbols generated from the FEC source packet flow, generating an FEC repair packet by adding a header to each of the repair symbols of the repair flow, and transmitting the source packet and the FEC repair packet.

As various types of contents and high-capacity contents (such as high definition (HD) contents, ultra HD (UHD) contents, and the like) have increased, data congestion has become worse. Accordingly, contents sent from a sender (e.g., Host A) may not be normally transferred to a receiver (e.g., Host B), and some of the contents may get lost on route.
In general, data is transmitted based on a packet unit, and the data loss occurs based on a packet unit. The packet is formed of a single block (payload) of data to be transmitted, address information (e.g., a source address and a destination address), and management information (e.g., a header). Accordingly, the receiver may fail to receive a lost packet when the packet loss occurs over the network, and thus, may be unable to be aware of the data and the management information in the lost packet. Therefore, it causes a deterioration of audio quality, a degradation of video image quality or an image breaking, an omission of a subtitle, a loss of a file, and the like, thereby causing an inconvenience for a user.
For the reason above, there is a desire for application layer forward error correction (AL-FEC), which is a method of repairing the data loss that occurs in the network. To this end, there is a desire for a method of configuring an FEC packet and transmitting and receiving the same.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving packet in communication system


A variable magnification optical system for forming an optical image of an object onto a light acceptance surface of an image sensor, has in order from an object side: a first lens group having negative optical power; a second lens group having positive optical power; and a third lens group having positive optical power, the third lens group including at least two lenses. In magnification change from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit, the first lens group moves along a locus convex to an image side, the second lens group moves monotonically to the object side, and the third lens group moves along a locus convex to the object side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable magnification optical system and, for example, to a variable magnification optical system suitable for a digital camera, a video camera, a digital device with image input function, and the like capable of acquiring an image of a photographic object through an image sensor. In particular, the present invention relates to a small zoom lens system suitable for a barrel retraction type. The present invention further relates to an imaging device employing a variable magnification optical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, size reduction is progressing in digital cameras and video cameras. Thus, size reduction and thickness reduction are desired in imaging devices employed in these cameras. Further, demand is also increasing for compact imaging devices capable of being installed on digital devices such as a portable phone and a personal information terminal. Thus, in the prior art, various types of zoom lens systems have been proposed in order to satisfy such desire. For example, in zoom lens systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the number of lenses and the thickness of each lens group are reduced so that the thickness is reduced at the time of barrel retraction. As a result, the camera size is reduced at the time of lens accommodation. In zoom lens system described in Patent Document 3, one of lens groups escapes from the optical axis at the time of barrel retraction so that the thickness reduction is achieved in the camera.
[Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,962B2
[Patent Document 2] U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,452B2
[Patent Document 3] U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,088B2
In the zoom lens systems proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, although the camera thickness is suppressed at the time of lens accommodation, the overall lens length in the image shooting state becomes long. This causes complexity in the mechanical configuration for moving the most object side lens group to the image shooting state position. In the zoom lens system proposed in Patent Document 3, the lens barrel thickness at the time of barrel retraction is reduced further by virtue of the employed escape technique. This causes further difficulty in the draw-out of the lens at the time of image shooting.
The present invention has been devised in view of such situations. An object of the present invention is to provide: a variable magnification optical system in which reduction of the thickness in a retracted state and reduction of the overall lens length in the image shooting state are achieved with maintaining satisfactory optical performance; and an imaging device employing this variable magnification optical system.

Variable magnification optical system and imaging device


An improved mouthpiece for use with single reed woodwinds to enable the generation of improved sound quality from the standpoint of enhanced harmonic tone generation. The configuration of the mouthpiece in the area overlying the opening which underlies the vibrating end of the reed is significantly modified relative to prior art construction to enable the reed to vibrate a column of inducted air as the same passes through a relatively narrow channel, following which the column enters a channel of substantially greater cross-section before exiting to the neck of the instrument. As contrasted with the prior art construction in which the area immediately above the vibrating portion of the reed defines an air column of greater cross-section, the constricting of the column at the point in which vibration is imparted generates additional harmonics which significantly affect the quality of the tone. The cross-sectional area of the channel is substantially enlarged by modifying the area from circular to elliptical shape resulting in a configuration which is higher than it is wide prior to communicating with the neck or tuning barrel of the instrument.

This invention relates generally to the field of woodwind musical instruments, and more particularly to those which employ a single reed to vibrate a column of air which passes through the barrel of the instrument to exit at tone openings therealong.
As contrasted with string instruments which naturally develop multiple harmonic vibrations, the degree to which the woodwind family possesses this capability is far more limited. In the case of the flute, this instrument, which has no reed, is capable of generating substantially only a pure tone, which for all practical purposes, is devoid of harmonic overtones. The double reed instruments, such as the oboe, bassoon, are capable of producing tones having a substantial degree of harmonics, and the artist often varies this quality to his preference by the simple expedient of shaping the reed to corresponding configuration. The reeds for such instruments are normally sold in unfinished condition to enable such shaping.
In the case of single reed instruments, such as clarinets and saxophones of varying tone ranges, the mouthpiece is provided with an opening lying in a plane disposed at a small angle with respect to the principal axis, and a terminal end of the reed overlies the opening. The opposite end of the reed is rigidly clamped to the mouthpiece at a point beyond the distal end of the opening. The vibrating end of the reed is relatively broad and flat. The resultant tonal quality, as compared with the double reed family is substantially less shrill, and vibration is enhanced by a greater volume of air with somewhat less effort on the part of the player. The generation of harmonics, particularly in the lower tonal ranges, however, is not substantial, being superior to the flute, and considerably inferior to the corresponding double reed instruments. This problem is of particular importance where the instrument is used in a solo performance.

Mouthpiece for single reed musical instruments


A cover film is applied to a flexible display device. The cover film includes a light incident surface and a light exit surface. A plurality of concaves are provided on the light incident surface. Each of the concaves includes a first portion, and the first portion is arch shaped. By providing the plurality of concaves with an arched structure on the cover film, the flexible display device changes a light path less during a bending process, and rainbow ripples or water ripples may be avoided, thereby improving user experience. In addition, since the plurality of concaves are the arched structures with a certain radian, the plurality of concaves have a certain concentrating effect, so that brightness of a visible region of the flexible display device can be enhanced.

With the development of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED), bendable flexible display devices are being accepted by more and more people, and therefore, demands are also increasing. However, overall protection is particularly important for flexible display. For example, in a process of folding, especially, of bending, a light path changes during a light exit process, which may seriously affect visual experience of people.
A cover film in the flexible display device serves as a last barrier for the light path to be emitted. A light source is emitted by a display module and transmitted to a light emitted surface through an adjacent light incident surface, which not only guarantees light transmission efficiency, but also protects the display device. A structure of the cover film in the prior art is a flat structure, and when the flexible display device is bent, an output light path is changed greatly to form a phenomenon such as rainbow ripples, water ripples, or a decrease in screen contrast, thereby reducing user experience.

KunShan Go-Visionox Opto-Electronics Co., Ltd.


A latch housing for a carriage latch in a disc drive comprising a cantilever beam and a buckling beam. The cantilever beam and the buckling beam are so oriented in relation to each other and the path of the carriage that contact between a latching feature on the moving carriage and the carriage latch occurs with the beams at an original position and causes the cantilever beam to deflect in a cantilever mode and the buckling beam to deflect in a buckling mode until the kinetic energy of the moving carriage is converted to internal stresses in the material of the beams. Reactive motion of the beams due to these internal stresses is limited to a return to the original position by leashing action of the buckling beam. In a preferred embodiment, the latch housing is realized as a one-piece molded component, and the material of the component as well as the dimensions and shapes of the cantilever beam and buckling beam are all selected to limit the motion caused by contact between the moving latch feature and the latch to a single excursion from the original position to a maximum deflected position and back to the original position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of disc drive data storage devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a latch housing for mounting and supporting a latch mechanism for latching the moving head carriage of the disc drive and dissipating some of the kinetic energy of the moving carriage.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Systems to absorb the kinetic energy of mechanical shocks generated by contact with a moving body are well known in the art. The simplest of such systems include some type of deformable member which deflects from its original position or shape in response to impact from a moving body.
If the system is intended for "one-time" use, the deformable member may be permanently altered. An example of such a system is the "crushable" bodywork of certain current automobiles, which are designed to absorb the destructive force of a collision, while diminishing the force transferred to occupants of the vehicle.
Other common systems include some type of resilient member designed to deform at impact and return to its original condition after the kinetic energy of the contact has been absorbed. An example of, perhaps, the simplest of this type of shock absorption system is a rubber block mounted in the path of a moving object--such as a swinging door--which deforms at impact and "bounces back" to its original shape. Other examples of this type of mechanical shock absorption systems are easily recalled, including those which incorporate springs, cantilevered beams and other resilient members.
Most simple systems which include resilient members, though, operate under the assumption that the resilient member can be allowed to deflect--or deform--in the original direction of movement of the moving body and then "spring" back past the original shape or location of the resilient member, before returning--after perhaps several iterations of this oscillation--to the original, or neutral, position. This is indeed an acceptable response in these systems.
There are, however, cases in which such "bouncing" about a neutral position is unacceptable, i.e., in which the system may be permitted to deflect only in the direction of movement of the moving body, and must then return to the neutral position without passing the original point of contact.
One such situation is found in the carriage latching mechanisms of disc drive data storage devices.
Disc drive data storage devices of the type commonly referred to as "Winchester" disc drives record--or write--and retrieve--or read--digital data on a magnetic medium deposited on the surfaces of rotating rigid disc members. During operation, the air pulled along by the spinning discs interacts with self-acting hydrodynamic air bearing surfaces on read/write heads to "fly" the heads in close proximity to the discs, thus eliminating any contact-induced wear on or damage to the heads or discs. An actuator mechanism is typically employed to controllably move a vertically aligned array of read/write heads--one per disc surface--to any desired one of a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks on the discs. The rapidity of this movement--or seek time--is one of the principal criteria by which the performance of the disc drive is judged. The quest for minimal seek time has lead to one of the greater challenges facing a designer of disc drives. Current high performance disc drives utilize voice coil motors to move the heads from track to track, and have achieved average seek times of less than ten milliseconds (0.010 seconds) with great reliability. Such seek performance requires that the actuator achieve extremely high velocities. For instance, a high-performance disc drive of the current technology using a rotary voice coil actuator typically achieves radial velocities of 220 radians per second. Even though the moving mass of the actuator is minimized by design, speeds of this order create a significant problem for the designer.
Moving-coil voice coil motors incorporate a coil of wire suspended within the field of a permanent magnet--or array of magnets--and constrained by some type of mechanical attachment mechanism which defines and restricts the coil's direction and extent of motion. When DC current is applied to the coil, an interaction occurs between the magnetic field induced about the coil and the magnetic field of the permanent magnets, in accordance with the well known Lorenz relationship. If, however, power is removed from the coil--as is the case when power is interrupted to a disc drive--the coil is free to move in an uncontrolled manner within the range defined by its mechanical attachment mechanism. Such uncontrolled motion of the voice coil motor in a disc drive data storage device is entirely unacceptable, since the loss of power to the actuator implies simultaneous loss of power to the motor spinning the discs, and thus potentially damaging contact between the heads and discs.
Because of this characteristic of voice coil actuators, the common practice in the industry is to move the heads to a preselected position--or park zone--when any loss of power is detected, and latch the actuator in this position until power is restored. Obviously, since the parking sequence occurs in response to a loss of power, the speed of the actuator during the parking sequence must be maximized, which, in turn, implies that a high level of kinetic energy must be dissipated by the latching mechanism. Further, the challenge is to absorb this kinetic energy, and, at the same time, prevent the heads from oscillating back and forth while direct contact between the heads and discs is possible due to the deterioration of the air bearing.
The features of the present invention are particularly suited to the above described application, since it is capable of absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy of a moving body by deflecting from a neutral position in response to contact with the moving mass, and includes a mechanism for limiting the extent of motion of the system to a return to the neutral position after such contact and deflection.

Disc drive latch housing having improved vibration dampening


A color wheel is attached to a hub of a motor before the hub is built in the motor. In this process, portions of the hub which do not impact the rotation accuracy of the motor are held by appropriate clamping means and attaching means so that excessive stress and heat are not applied to bearings of the motor. Then, the hub with the color wheel attached thereto is assembled to the rest of components of the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fixing, to a motor, a color wheel suitable for use as a filter element in a color wheel assembly as a time-share light dispersing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color composition in a projection-type image display apparatus has conventionally been accomplished commonly by a method, such as: a single-panel method, in which one light valve element adapted to control light amount per pixel thereby creating an image is used to disperse each pixel into R (red), G (green), and B (blue) lights; and a three-panel method, in which three light valve elements dedicated to R, G and B lights, respectively, are used to produce R, G and B images in parallel, and then the three images thus produced are composed. Recently, as a light valve element capable of fast switching, such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal display element or a digital micro-mirror device, is increasingly coming into practical use, a time-sharing single-panel method is widely used. In the time-sharing single-panel method, R, G and B lights are caused to sequentially impinge on one light valve element, the light valve element is driven in synchronization with switching-over of the R, G and B lights thereby producing R, G and B images in a time-series manner, and the images thus produced are projected onto a screen, or the like. Here, color composition of the images is accomplished by a viewer due to an afterimage effect occurring at a sense of vision. In the time-sharing single-panel method, reduction in both dimension and weight of the apparatus, which is a feature of a single-panel method, can be achieved by employing a relatively simple optical system, and therefore the time-sharing single-panel method is favorable for realizing inexpensive fabrication of a projection-type image display apparatus. In such an image display apparatus, a color wheel is preferably used as a filter element of a time-share light dispersing device to sequentially disperse light emitted from a white light source into R, G and B lights having respective wavelength bands in a time-sharing manner.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are respectively top plan and side views of a conventional and typical color wheel assembly 200 as a time-share light dispersing device including such a color wheel. Referring to FIG. 6B, the color wheel assembly 200 comprises a color wheel 100, and a driving motor 106 including a motor hub 105. The color wheel 150 is a tricolor color wheel composed of a disk-like substrate 101 which is made of a light-transmitting material, for example, optical glass, and three pie-shaped (sectorial) filters 102, 103 and 104 which are formed on a surface of the substrate 101, and which transmit exclusively, for example, R, G and B lights, respectively. The color wheel 100 thus structured is fixedly attached to the motor hub 105 coaxially therewith. The color wheel assembly 200 operates such that the color wheel 100 is spun by the driving motor 106 so that white light S impinges sequentially on the filters (R, G and B) 102, 103 and 104 whereby the white light S is sequentially dispersed into R, G and B lights.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show respectively top plan and exploded side sectional view of a segment-type color wheel 160 comprising a plurality (four in FIG. 7) of sectorial color filter segments (hereinafter referred to simply as segments as appropriate) 112, 114, 116 and 118 which are separately prepared and are fixed in position by means of a support member 120 and a clamp member 122 so as to form a disk.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, respective inner circumferences 112a, 114a, 116a and 118a of the segments 112, 114, 116 and 118 are fitted to an outer circumference of a smaller cylinder portion 120a of the support member 120 whereby the segments 112, 114, 116 and 118 are duly set in position in the radial direction of the color wheel 160, and respective surfaces of the segments 112, 114, 116 and 118 toward the inner circumferences 112a, 114a, 116a and 118a are fitted to an annular seat portion 120b of the support member 120 whereby the segments 112, 114, 116 and 118 are duly set in position in the thickness direction of the color wheel 160. Then, a smaller cylinder portion 122a of the clamp member 122 is engagingly inserted into a hollow 120c of the support member 120 so that an annular seat portion 122b of the clamp member 122 and the aforementioned annular seat portion 120b of the support member 120 sandwich and clamp the inner circumferential portions of the 112, 114, 116 and 118. And, when the support member 120 and the clamp member 122 are bonded or screwed together, the segments 112, 114, 116 and 118 are fixed in position. The color wheel 160 thus structured is fixedly attached to a motor (such as the driving motor 106 as shown in FIG. 6B) via a hub (such as the hub 105 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B) such that the hub is inserted in a hollow 122c of the clamp member 122 (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 2004-101827 ([0010], and FIG. 6 therein) and H10-48542 (claim 1, and FIG. 2 therein).
FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of a motor 106 as one example of the motor shown in FIG. 6B. The motor 106 is a rotary shaft type motor, in which a hub 105 is fixed to a rotary shaft 107 which is rotatably held by bearings 108 attached to a housing 109. The hub 105 includes a cylinder portion 105a, and a rotor magnet 110 is fixedly attached to an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder portion 105a. A stator 111 is fixed to the housing 109, and a coil 111a is attached to the stator 111.
Conventionally, the color wheel 160 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is adhesively attached to the hub 105 after the hub 105 is assembled to the rest of components including the bearings 108 to complete the motor 106. Since an adequate pressing force is applied for sufficient bonding strength, and also an adjusting work is performed for positional accuracy in the process of attaching the color wheel 160 to the hub 105 already built in the motor 106, excessive stress and heat are given to the bearings 108 which are precision components. This degrades accidentally the bearings 108, and it may happen that the motor 106 generates noises when rotating, and that the center of the motor 106 is shifted. Such problems can happen not only with a segment-type color wheel such as the aforementioned color wheel 160 but also with s monolithic-type color wheel which is structured such that color filters are formed on one disk-like substrate, and which does not use a support member.


A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Vyron`, bearing medium sized yellow blooms with a brownish center and a performance of about 14 days.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant which is a natural occurring sport of a parent Chrysanthemum named Regoltime (not patented). The new cultivar was discovered as a whole plant mutation in 1986 in a greenhouse at 's-Gravenzande in Holland. The invention has been asexually reproduced by cuttings at the same location. The new cultivar has been found to retain all of its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.


An image sensor includes a photoelectric converter, a source-follower transistor, and a selection transistor. The photoelectric converter generates electric charge in response to received light, and the electric charge varies a voltage of a detection node. The source-follower transistor is coupled between the detection node and an output node and has a first threshold voltage. The selection transistor is coupled between the source-follower transistor and a voltage node with a power supply voltage or a boosted voltage applied thereon, and has a second threshold voltage with a magnitude that is less than a magnitude of the first threshold voltage such that the source-follower transistor operates in saturation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image sensors, and more particularly, to a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) image sensor having source-follower transistors operating in saturation for a wide operating range.
2. Background of the Invention
Generally, image sensors convert an optical image into electric signals. With developments in the computer and communication industries, image sensors are in high demand especially with improved performance, such as in digital cameras, camcorders, personal communication systems, gaming devices, security cameras, medical micro-cameras, or robots, for example.
Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) image sensors are easy to drive and may be driven with various scanning techniques. Additionally, the MOS image sensor with a signal processor is easily integrated into a single chip having miniaturized size and reduced manufacturing cost using typical MOS fabrication processes. The power consumption of the MOS image sensor is relatively low such that the MOS image sensor is amenable for application in devices with limited battery capacity. Accordingly, use of MOS image sensors with high resolution has dramatically increased.
Each pixel in a MOS image sensor includes a photoelectric converter that generates electric charge in response to received light. Such electric charge varies the voltage of a detection node. In addition, each pixel includes a source-follower transistor that is coupled to the detection node for generating an output signal indicating the amount of electric charge transferred to the detection node. Such a source-follower transistor is desired to operate in the saturation region.


A cushion assembly has two cushions that are loosely joined by a connector that proceeds through respective diagonal channels in respective corners of the two cushions. The connector has a length that loosely connects the cushions and, by a combination of this length and the diagonal channels, the cushions can be selectively configured co-planar with each other in a V-shape, with any arbitrary angle therebetween, and in a stacked configuration wherein the cushions are atop each other. The connector and the diagonal channels also allow the cushions to be configured at any selected angle between the V-shape configuration and the stacked configuration.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns patient care cushions that are configured to alleviate sitting discomfort, and in particular, cushions used for the prevention, protection or alleviation either of pain, pressure or discomfort to the pelvic floor, perineum, coccyx and rectal region of the human body caused by sitting.
Description of the Prior Art
Although symptoms of the above type may be centralized in the lower body, secondary sites in the upper body or extremities may be affected, with pain radiating from the original site of pain or discomfort.
Developmentally, humans learn to sit upright at the age of approximately five months. Humans progressively gain motor control and core strength, enabling an upright position to be maintained while sitting on the body's weight bearing surfaces, the ischial tuberosities and greater trochanters.
There is a well-documented need for seat cushions that perform at least one of the following functions. There is a need to pad or protect the user from pain or discomfort caused by either short or long periods of sitting on an un-padded, or insufficiently padded, surface. There is also a need to pad or protect the user from exacerbating pain or discomfort from an existing pathology or injury, such as childbirth, traumatic injury, surgery, etc.
There is furthermore a need to lift the user off of the surface of a seat by redistributing weight and allowing the suspension of affected body parts above the seat.
There is also a need to create an ergonomically correct seated position and posture for the user.
A number of products are known that have attempted to address these needs for protection or alignment correction.
Among these is the well known "donut" foam seat cushion, which is cylindrical with a hollow core for pressure relief, so named because it is in the shape of a donut with a hole in the middle. The donut foam cushion is large and is made of relatively dense material. The donut cushion, as one of few options that are available to users, has not received complete acceptance, due to its cumbersome size, the obviousness of its use (some users would prefer a cushion that is not so noticeable when in use), and issues with comfort. Examples of such cushions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,079,785 and 5,046,205 and 5,288,132.
While the donut cushion does promote pressure relief due to the hollow core, it may cause a pressure build-up as a result of the user's weight displacement into the center of the circle. The vascular supply to the perineum may be altered secondary to the increase in pressure around the ring from the user's weight being subject to natural gravitational forces, so as to displace the tissue down into the central opening.
A U-shaped cushion with a thermal transfer unit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,196.
Another commercially available product is the so-called "Tush Cush," described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,425 which is a padded seat cushion in the shape of a square, having a small central opening in order to decrease pressure on the coccyx. The cushion itself is not adjustable, and the limited size of the opening may decrease pressure only for users who fall within a relatively limited range of weights and body types. Moreover, this cushion is large and bulky, and does not address pressure relief in the perineum.

360 degree channel hinged cushion assembly for suspension and alleviation of sitting discomfort and injury


An animal tether system and method wherein the rate of extension and retraction of the tether and/or the length of the tether can be actively controlled at least in part as a function of the angular direction and/or speed and/or length of which the tether extends/retracts. The system can be used to maintain an animal in a non-circular boundary, such as a rectangular space, by controlling how far the tether can extend at certain angular positions. The system also allows a user to block off certain areas within a space from access by the animal.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to animal tethers. It finds particular application in conjunction with an automated tether system for a dog or other animal, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Animals, including but not limited to dogs, are often tethered to a stake installed in the ground with a fixed-length tether (e.g., chain, cable or rope). In some instances, a spring-return coil spool is provided to take up/pay out a variable length cable or rope. In either arrangement, the animal is generally confined to a circular shaped area.
Existing animal tethers may perform suitably in some applications, but in many instances the ability of the animal to roam freely within the circular area can present problems. When a dog chases something at a high rate of speed there is no available deceleration other than the abrupt end-of-line pull on the dog's collar when the dog reaches the perimeter of the circular area. This can injure the animal and be an unfavorably emotional experience for all involved. In extreme cases, the stake can be pulled from the ground leaving the animal free to wander from the confined area. The circular shaped confined area can also be a risk to the safety of the animal if there is an obstacle within the perimeter that the animal can run into and become injured, or wrap the tether around the obstacle and become entangled. To avoid or mitigate these issues, the cable or rope can be shortened but this then makes the confined area smaller, which is generally not ideal.
In some locations, laws, regulations or rules prohibit an animal from being left unattended in a yard.


The disclosure relates to improved methods of treatment of atopic dermatitis and symptoms thereof with tradipitant.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic, and relapsing inflammatory skin disorder caused by a hypersensitivity reaction in the skin, and characterized by the symptom of intense and persistent pruritus or itch, which may be localized or even generalized, and may not be relieved by scratching. Other clinical features include erythema, excoriation, edema, lichenification, oozing, and xerosis. Scratching due to the itching may contribute to raw, sensitive, swollen skin, and render skin susceptible to infection. AD is also known as atopic eczema or eczema, and frequently presents during childhood.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy plays a central role in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis and other clinical phenotypes such as asthma and food allergy. Atopy and plasma IgE concentration are genetically complex traits, and the specific genetic risk factors that lead to IgE dysregulation and clinical atopy are an area of active investigation.
Other genes are also involved in the atopic dermatitis phenotype. CTNNA3 encodes a structural cadherin that is important for cell-cell adhesion. CTNNA3 is also important in allergy and asthma. Reduced CTNNA3 levels are found in the bronchial biopsies of asthmatics, and are correlated inversely with eosinophil numbers. Variants in CTNNA3 have been associated with response to glucocorticoid therapy in childhood asthma in a genome-wide association study (GWAS).
INADL is a gene that encodes a protein with multiple PDZ domains that localize to tight junctions and to the apical membrane of epithelial cells. Tight junction defects have been shown in patients with atopic dermatitis; specifically, tight junctions reside immediately below the stratum corneum and regulate the selective permeability of the paracellular pathway.
Chronic pruritus, including that caused by AD, represents a serious and unmet medical need. The itch sensation is believed to be induced at least in part through the action of the endogenous neuropeptide substance P (SP), through the binding at NK-1Rs expressed on multiple skin cells.
The NK-1R is expressed throughout different tissues of the body, with major activity found in neuronal tissue. SP and NK-1R interactions in neuronal tissue regulate neurogenic inflammation locally and the pain perception pathway through the central nervous system. Other tissues, including endothelial cells and immune cells, have also exhibited SP and NK-1R activity. The activation of NK-1R by the natural ligand SP is involved in numerous physiological processes, including the perception of pain, behavioral stressors, cravings, and the processes of nausea and vomiting. An inappropriate over-expression of SP either in nervous tissue or peripherally could result in pathological conditions such as substance dependence, anxiety, nausea/vomiting, and pruritus. An NK-1R antagonist may possess the ability to reduce this over-stimulation of the NK-1R, and as a result address the underlying pathophysiology of the symptoms in these conditions.
Tradipitant is a potent and selective neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist formerly known as VLY-686, having the chemical names 2-[1-[[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]methyl]-5-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]-3-pyridinyl](2-chlorophenyl)-methanone and {2-[1-(3,5-Bistrifluoromethylbenzyl)-5-pyridin-4-yl-1H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-pyridin-3-yl}-(2-chlorophenyl)-methanone, and the following chemical structure:

Tradipitant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,320,994, and contains six main structural components: the 3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl moiety, two pyridine rings, the triazol ring, the chlorophenyl ring and the methanone. Crystalline Forms IV and V of tradipitant are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,826. A process for synthesizing tradipitant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,772,496; 9,708,291; and 10,035,787.

Treatment of atopic dermatitis with tradipitant


A cure tool assembly and method of manufacturing a composite part. The cure tool assembly may include a rigid cure tool having a cutter groove and a securing groove formed therein. The cutter groove may be spaced apart from and formed around the cutter groove. The securing groove may be slanted inward, away from a peripheral edge of the rigid cure tool. The cure tool assembly may also include a first sacrificial material located in the cutter groove and a second sacrificial material located in the securing groove. Composite material placed onto the outer surface of the rigid cure tool may bond with the second sacrificial material during cure, creating a desired hold-down force to keep the composite material in place. The resulting cured part may be cut along the cutter groove, thus cutting through the composite material and into the first sacrificial material.

Parts made of composite materials are used in a variety of industries, including the aircraft industry. To form a composite part, uncured composite laminate material is often placed on a cure tool for autoclave curing and subsequent machining. Specifically, a rigid cure tool can have one or more cutter grooves formed therein with sacrificial material placed therein. Uncured composite material may be placed over the cutter grooves and sacrificial material and then cured into the composite part. To keep the composite material in place during cure, a sacrificial material is selected that is compatible with the cure cycle of the composite material and bonds or adheres to the composite material during cure. A cutting tool cuts through the composite material and into the sacrificial material in the cutter groove to release the composite part from the rigid cure tool. Small amounts of sacrificial material still adhere to the outer edges of the composite part and must be sanded off, cut off, or otherwise removed therefrom, which adds to labor costs and increases the likelihood of damaging the cured composite part. The sacrificial material remaining in the cutter groove after the composite part is removed must be cleaned out of the cutter groove and replaced with new sacrificial material. A high degree of skill is required to achieve an acceptable surface finish on the sacrificial material during replacement.
For highly-contoured composite parts, significant residual stresses may remain after cure and warp or lift the composite part off the tool surface. Hold-down strength of the sacrificial material in the cutter groove may be insufficient to prevent the composite part from separating from the tool. For example, the composite part may separate from the sacrificial material or pull the sacrificial material out of the cutter groove. This separation can lead to inaccuracies while cutting or otherwise machining the cured composite part. A dove-tail configuration of the cutter groove may be used to prevent the sacrificial material from pulling out of the cutter groove, but this trapped geometry also makes the remaining sacrificial material more difficult to clean out of the cutter groove after removal of the cured composite part.

Secondary groove for work piece retention during machining


A flat, sturdy rescue board is shaped like a sled. The long edges of the board platform have wings for attaching handles or arm hooks to the platform. A rotatable handle is attached to each wing. Each handle can rotate ninety degrees only. The handles are normally parallel to the top of the board surface but may be rotated ninety degrees so that they are perpendicular to the board. When a victim is loaded onto the board the handles may be used to extricate the board and victim from the dangerous situation. Semi-circular arm hooks may also be attached to each wing. When a victim is loaded onto the board, his arms are positioned above the hooks. When the board is pulled to safety the victim remains secured to the board by the arm hooks. The board also has lower rails attached to the bottom of the board for sliding the board along ice or on long the ground.

This invention relates to the field of emergency rescue. More particularly, a rescue board for extricating victims from mass casualty or ice rescue incidents is presented.
In the field of emergency rescue, it is often necessary to extricate victims from dangerous surroundings, buildings on fire, the water or near or underneath broken ice in lakes, ponds or rivers. The most commonly used device is a rescue board, which is usually a flat, sturdy board designed to carry a victim to an ambulance or other safe area.
Most flat rescue boards are designed to load the victim onto the board once the victim has been accessed. In some instances, such as when the victim is in a crashed car or in icy water, the board can also be used to extricate the victim from the emergency situation in the first instance. In the particular emergency where the victim has fallen through ice on a lake, pond, river or other body of water, it would be highly desirable to have a rescue board that is not only capable of transporting the victim once loaded onto the board but that may also be used to extricate the victim from the emergency environment initially. It is a main object of this invention to provide a rescue board that may be used to extricate a victim from a dangerous environment and to then transport the victim to safety.
A good example of one type of rescue board is found in the 1988 patent issued to Rudy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,474. Rudy disclosed a rescue transportation device in the form of a solid board 12 having hand lift openings 13. The hand lift openings in Rudy are round and are located near the left and right front and rear of the board. Rudy utilizes a number of straps 22, 24, 26, and 28 to secure the victim to the board. Once strapped to the board, the victim can be carried to the ambulance or other safe location. The Rudy rescue board would be very useful in locations where the victim is open to the rescuers but would be more difficult to use where the victim is not open to the rescuers, such as under or inside a crashed vehicle or floating near the surface of an otherwise ice-covered body of water. It is an object of this invention to create a rescue board where the rescuers are able to load the victim onto the board and secure the victim to the board even when the victim is in an area where he is not easily accessible.
Other innovative attempts have been made to create useful rescue devices for loading and carrying a victim to safety during a rescue. Kidd disclosed a casualty transfer system for ship-to-shore transfer of victims and for mountain rescues in his 1980 U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,110. The Kidd device comprises a reinforced plastic shell that is buoyant and protects the victim by surrounding him with the protective shell. Recognizing the difficulty with mountain rescues or rescues that require transporting the victim over longer distances, Kidd disclosed that steel skids or runners could be used over rough ground or on snow or ice. Kidd's device would be good for transporting the victim once the victim is loaded onto the rescue device, but would be cumbersome if the extrication of the victim had to be made under icy water or other difficult conditions. It is another object of this invention to provide a rescue board that may be slipped under a victim who is not easily accessible that also has runners for use on snow or ice.
A rescue board must meet certain basic criteria to be useful in rescues. First, it must be lightweight enough to be easily carried by rescuers but should be sturdy enough to carry victims whether they be small children or fully grown adults. Secondly, a rescue board must have a way to secure the victim to the board to some degree and handgrips for the rescuer to use when he carries the victim to safety. It would also be desirable if the rescue board had rails or skids for dragging the loaded victim to safety over ice or other terrain. Finally, it would be highly desirable if the rescue board could also be slipped under the victim in the emergency environment so that the victim could be extricated while secured in some fashion to the board. It is an object of this invention to provide such a rescue board.
Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon reading the below described disclosure of the invention.


An implant for occluding a passage in a circulatory system is provided. The implant in one form includes a plurality of thin wire-like members each having a proximal and a distal end and a first holder to which the distal ends of the members are attached. The proximal ends of the members are attached to a second holder. The implant includes an expansible occluding body attached to the members at a point intermediate the first and second holders. A carrier rod is releasably attached to the first holder and upon which the second holder is slidably received. A driving implement is located on the carrier rod, the driving implement contacting the second holder and movable toward the first holder along the carrier rod. The members are attached to the first and second holders in a manner to cause the members to execute a twisting motion relative to the longitudinal axis to yield a plurality of generally radially extending loops combining to form a first fixation structure adjacent the distal face of the occluding body, and a second fixation structure of generally radially extending loops adjacent the proximal face of the occluding body. In another form, the implant includes a balloon structure which is expanded from within by a spring-like mechanism in situ, or by the foregoing radially extending loop mechanism.

The present invention generally relates to an implant device for closing a body passage (e.g., an aperture through the auricle diaphragm or the ventricle diaphragm of a heart) or in a body channel, and more particularly comprising an occluding or closing body which is expanded and fixed into place at the passage area to be occluded/closed.
By way of example EP B1 0 362 113 shows a device for closing a passage in the heart of patients, wherein the closing part runs the risk of tipping over and thereby causing the passage to be exposed in passing through the heart. The cause of the non-secure closing capacity is the relative unfixed maneuverability for the closing part when applied around the passage, and that the application takes part long before it has arrived in its final position around the passage in the heart.
The main object of the present invention is therefore primarily to try to solve the described problem with maneuverability and application of the device.
The foregoing object is achieved by means of a device according to the present invention, which is substantially characterized in that a fluid tight closing body that expands and stiffens in a radial direction is arranged to be built up or otherwise assembled at the position of the intended closing spot, after insertion through a body vein.
The present invention provides an implant for occluding a passage in a circulatory system. The implant in one embodiment includes a plurality of thin stiff generally inextensible members each having a proximal and a distal end and a first holder to which the distal ends of the members are attached. The proximal ends of the members are attached to a second holder. The implant includes an expansible occluding body attached to the members at a point intermediate the first and second holders. The occluding body has a distal and a proximal face.
A carrier rod is releasably attached to the first holder and upon which the second holder is slidably received. The plurality of members with the occluding body form an elongated article extending along a longitudinal axis adapted for insertion through an intravenous delivery mechanism in an insertion condition. A driving implement is located on the carrier rod, the driving implement contacting the second holder and movable toward the first holder along the carrier rod. The members are attached to the first and second holders in a manner to cause the members to execute a twisting motion relative to the longitudinal axis to yield a plurality of generally radially extending loops combining to form a first fixation structure adjacent the distal face of the occluding body, and a second fixation structure of generally radially extending loops adjacent the proximal face of the occluding body. A locking element fixes the first and second attachment members in a final occluding condition upon being driven together by the driving implement.
In another embodiment, the invention is also an implantable device for closing a portion of the circulatory system comprising a closing body fixable at a passage, the closing body being a fluid occlusive body which is expandable and stiffenable in a radial direction. The closing body is located at a position in the circulatory system, and is an inflatable balloon of thin and nonthrombogenic material. In one form the foregoing threads and movable holders are used to expand the balloon in situ. In another, the balloon is a double balloon having a connection part between the two balloons arranged and constructed to form a guide for the balloon elements around the circumferential edge of the passage. A coil spring is received in a respective balloon chamber for dilating the balloon chamber in its final position.
These and other advantages and objects achieved by the present invention will be further appreciated and understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of certain embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Device for plugging an opening such as in a wall of a hollow or tubular organ


Disclosed system and methods for protecting computer resources from unauthorized access. The system provides a library of handler functions that control access of applications to protected resources on a computer device. The system associates a security policy with the library to handler functions. The security policy specifies access rules for accessing protected resources by the applications. The system also modifies applications to access the library of handler functions instead of corresponding application program interface (API) functions of the computer device. When a handler function receives an API function call from a modified application, it may determine if the received API function call complies with the access rules. When the API function call complies with the access rules, the handler function performs the API function call from the application to the protected resources. When the API function call violates the access rules, the handler function block that API function call.

The number of mobile communication devices is constantly growing, and they have penetrated into all areas of human life. The most popular of these are telephones, smartphones, notebooks, tablets and navigation systems. Mobile devices are primarily used for communication and entertainment. In parallel with the development of these devices, new wireless communication systems, networks and protocols are also being developed. The transmission of data from one device to another and the exchange of information are tasks that even an inexperienced users can perform without difficulty. But the development of new technologies brings not only benefits, but also creates problems.
On one hand, the development of mobile devices and wireless communication systems simplifies human interaction, facilitates exchange of information, and erases geographical boundaries. On the other hand, new technologies create new security problems. The ease of copying and exchanging of information causes leaks, whether deliberate or accidental, of confidential personal or business information from organization networks. Therefore, information security specialists responsible for administration of information security infrastructure need to extra vigilant in protecting corporate IT systems in order prevent information leaks and various security breaches.
In addition, the growth in popularity of mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS, is attracting the attention of hackers who have various goals—from a desire to play jokes or show off, to the theft of confidential information for the purpose of extortion and blackmail. As a result of this, computer threats, such as viruses, worms and other types of malware, which were previously characteristic of desktop computers are beginning to appear on mobile platforms as well. New threats unique to mobile devices are also appearing, such as Trojan horses, which after being installed on a mobile device, send SMS messages to telephone numbers or use geolocation services to track the movements of the device user.
In light of the foregoing, it is becoming apparent that proactive steps must be taken to reduce the risk of information leaks and protect the users of mobile devices and organizations from unauthorized access by cybercriminals. Security measures for both individual users and organizations have migrated from desktop computers to mobile devices and generally have a narrowly focused, local nature and are based on possible scenarios leading to the transfer of information from the informational environment of an organization. The three main scenarios are network, local, and due to the loss of a data storage medium. Different methods have been developed to address these problems. However, the current security solutions are ineffective and, in certain cases, hard to implement across different mobile platforms and devices due to their narrow local focus and lack of a general technical design concept.

System and method for protecting computer resources from unauthorized access using isolated environment


A method of exercise and especially for strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles using a flexible elongated device to increase resistance. The device is held at its ends by the hands with the arms in an outstretched position while a person sits with legs bent. The person places the device across and near the near the knees and crunches the abdominals against the added resistance of the flexible elongated device.

Firming, strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles can improve the health and self-image of an individual. Strong abdominal muscles in combination with a strong back make injury to an individual engaged in physical activity less likely. Runners with conditioned abdominal muscles perform better. Abdominal muscles that are well defined increase a person's physical appearance. A person's confidence is often enhanced if the person feels that he or she is in good shape and a flat stomach with well-defined abdominal muscles enhances this confidence level.
Much money, time and personal effort are expended by thousands of persons on a daily basis trying to achieve well-defined and strong abdominal muscles. The number of exercise routines and exercise devices on the market is large. The personal expenditures per year in the United States alone to strengthen and condition the muscles of the abdomen are in the millions of dollars annually.
Most of the exercise routines used to condition the abdominal muscles are a variation of the sit-up in which a person uses his or her abdominal muscles to move the upper body alone in a direction towards the legs and feet, or in combination with the legs moving toward the chest. A variety of external devices may be used by persons to enhance the conditioning and strengthening of the abdominal muscles. Such devices are: 1) weights placed on a person's chest to add resistance to the contracting of the abdominal muscles when the person's upper body is raised during the sit-up; 2) weights are placed on a person's ankles to enhance the resistance when the legs are raised in conjunction with the raising of the upper body during a modified sit-up; 3) stability balls with diameters between 55 cm and 85 cm are used by persons to create resistance in the abdominal area to strengthen the abdominal muscles; and 4) exercise machines that a person sits into whereby the machine allows resistance to be created in the abdominal area when the person moves so as to reduce the distance between the chest (upper body) and the person's legs.
The disclosed invention provides for a method of performing a modified sit-up using a flexible elongated device which is held by the person's hands and positioned against the person's thigh or thighs close to the knee such that added resistance for the abdominal muscles is created as the person performs the sit-ups.

Abdominal exercise routines using a flexible elongated device


There is provided an imaging apparatus having a viewfinder optical system; a first image sensor; a photometric sensor; and optical path changing means. The viewfinder optical system has a first reflective surface that reflects a monitoring luminous flux, and the first reflective surface changes a reflection angle of the monitoring luminous flux. A change in a reflection angle of the first reflective surface causes a course of the monitoring luminous flux to be switched between a first optical path and a second optical path. In a case of second optical path, a travel direction is changed with the optical path changing means placed on the second optical path, causing a photometric processing to be performed using the first image sensor, while in a case of the first optical path, the photometric processing is performed using the photometric sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus such as digital cameras.
2. Description of Related Art
As to single-lens reflex cameras, technologies of having a live view function are in existence. The live view function is adapted to display subject-related time-series images on a liquid crystal display unit etc. sequentially, in other words, to display subject images on the liquid crystal display unit etc. in a moving image-mannered display mode.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2000-13663 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2006-11025 (Patent Document 2), for instance, there is described one technology adapted to implement a live view function by splitting a luminous flux received from a subject into one component traveling toward an image sensor and the other component traveling toward a viewfinder window in such a manner as to place a beam splitter or a half mirror in an optical path of a viewfinder optical system, causing the one component to be guided to an image sensor.
However, with respect to the technology of this type, a luminous flux received from the subject is split into the above two types of components by the beam splitter or the half mirror, resulting in a problem of causing the subject image viewed through the viewfinder system as one component to have darkness.
A technology described in Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-133846 (Patent Document 3) is also obtainable as one technology effective in eliminating the above problem.
In the technology described in Patent Document 3, an image sensor for live viewing is provided independently of an image sensor for taking pictures (or for still image recording), and a movable reflection mirror movable to and away from a viewfinder optical path in the vicinity of an eyepiece is also provided in the above viewfinder optical path. Then, there is taken one configuration that permits, by moving the reflection mirror to and away from the viewfinder optical path, selective switching between a condition where the luminous flux received from the subject travels toward the eyepiece and a condition where the luminous flux received from the subject reaches the image sensor for live viewing.