A heating windshield wiper shroud system which is designed to be installed in combination with a conventional motorized vehicle windshield wiper assembly having an electrically activated windshield wiper rocker arm and a windshield wiper blade and supporting frame. The wiper shroud system utilizes a shroud housing with a roof portion along a longitudinal axis having a middle section with a first vertically and transversely designed upper width portion and a second vertically and transversely designed lower width portion which has a differentially wider transverse width dimension than the first upper width portion. The second lower width has a shelf portion which has a perimeter generally between and coextensive with the outside vertical edge of the first upper width and the outer edge of the second lower width portion. The shroud housing is further provided with an internal channel long its longitudinal length for installation of a conventional wiper blade assembly, a channel transversely positioned within the upper width of the middle section for receipt of a pin securing a wiper arm, and a channel transversely positioned within the lower width for pinned securement of a wiper blade. Biasable clip means are utilized adjacent to the transverse channels to secure pin members; and a perforated duct tubing system positionally oriented and mounted adjacent to the roof portion of the shroud on opposite sides of the middle section to provide a heated ambient fluid directly adjacent to and above a wiper frame and blade assembly installed in the shroud housing.

Typical of the prior art references regarding heated and adjacent area surfaces of a vehicle windshield, for use in an anutomotive vehicle are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,325,561; 4,928,345; 4,670,933; 4,603,451; 4,497,083; 4,360,941; 3,619,556; 3,447,186; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 342,225; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 341,115; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 324,014; issued respectively to Kotlar, Meltzer et al., Toplensky, VanSickle, Nielsen, Jr. et al., Mabie, Delbel et al., Senkewich Heckman et al., Papania, and Runiner; each of which was located during the course of a patent search; each being enclosed by full or gazette copy with the application herein as filed pursuant to Rule regarding disclosure of prior art.
The Senkewich '186 patent discloses "a windshield wiper in the form of an almost closed elongated box or collector into which hot air or a liquid medium enters" (Senkewich, Col. 1, lines 42-44). the present invention operates on the basis of a very differently constructed "open-ended shroud housing subassembly." Additionally, it will be noted that Senkewich does not utilize or work in combination with a truly conventional wiper blade unit as is the case in the present invention; but, instead, utilizes a specially adopted wiper blade; its element 15, which is differently installed and retained, from the present invention, by three (3) stops (element 18 therein) and spring clamps (element 19) (Senkewich, Col. 2, lines 41-50). Other significant differences will be noted in the Senkewich reference from the present invention, such as the means for installment in reference to a conventional wiper arm and wiper frame and blade assembly, the structure and positional orientation of the perforated duct means and heated fluid entry port, and the heating and pump assembly means of the present invention.
The Kotlar '561 patent discloses a windshield wiper assembly having a thin heater wire structured within the length of a flexible wiper blade, with the wiper blade being enclosed within a flexible cover which defines a dead air space heated somewhat by the heater element in the wiper blade. This device is not ment to be utilized with or replaceable by a conventional wiper blade, as in the case of the present invention, nor does the cover otherwise support any type of heating means.
Additionally, there have been many attempts to improve the wiping function of a windshield wiper in cleaning the outer surface of a windshield in cold weather; and various efforts in attempting to solve the problem of providing proper wiping performance in extremely frigid, snowy or icy conditions while also removing and keeping the wiper blade, frame and linkages free from interference by ice and snow, or otherwise flexible such that a special wiper blade would function on the surface of the vehicle windshield.
In this regard, the Meltzer et al. '345 patent discloses another of many specially adopted wiper blade assemblies wherein the electrical heating and resistence means is provided within the special blade member itself, with no use disclosed or intended with conventional vehicle wiper blade assemblies already provided with the vehicle. Along these similar lines the Ruminer U.S. Pat. No. Des. '014 patent discloses a design for a heated windshield wiper.
The Nielsen et al. '083 patent discloses a heated windshield wiper blade having a resistance wire running along the length of the wiper arm, the blade carrier and the wiper blade for the purpose of heating the blade and the carrier when it is connected to a vehicle's electrical system. In Nielsen, the path through which the heating-resistance wire travels, and the various associated connections, are reasonable complex for satisfying the purpose therein of providing the blade, which, in that case, is a non-conventional replaceable blade, with a function of being independently replaced in reference to its arm and carrier.
The Mabie '941 patent discloses a fairly complex windshield wiper assembly which incorporates a weather protective hood utilizing electrical conductors affixed on the outer wall of the hood and other conductors affixed on the inner wall of the hood to heat the hood and frame of this device to prevent the accumulation of ice.
The Deibel et al. '556 patent discloses a heated windshield wiper blade, described as an electrically heated weatherproof wiper blade. Deibel is, therefore, in the genre of the prior art where a specially adopted wiper blade element is provided with the device. Disclosed is a windshield wiper blade and arm assembly in which the blade has a pressure-distributing superstructure including a number of pivotally connected levers and a flexible backing strip for retaining a specially adopted rubber squeegee member. The superstructure and backing strip of Deibel are enclosed by an envelope of rubber or rubberlike material with a squeegee element extending exterior or outside of the envelope portion. The wiper blade of Deibel is provided with a heating element secreted between the squeegee member and its pressure applying and distributing frame. The envelope and the squeegee are both constructed from insulating material which, thereby, serve as electrical insulators for the heating element utilized in this invention.
The Toplenszky '933 patent discloses a wiper blade which is mounted within a mounting strip having an electrical heating resistance material therein; and the VanSickle '451 patent is of similar structure and function in disclosing a wiper assembly supported by a structure having a heating element with thermostat means. Neither Toplenszky nor VanSickle are provided with any type of heat supplied cover means; nor is either designed to be utilizable with a conventional wiper element and unit typically and conventionally provided with automobiles and trucks, or other vehicles.
Additionally, the Heckman et al. U.S. Pat. No. Des. '225 design patent discloses a wiper arm cover, which is not provided structurally or functionally with any type of pivotable or rotatable attachment means for connection to conventional wiper arm assemblies normally provided with motarized vehicles having windshields; nor is Heckman provided with heating means or moveable or pivotable attachment means for receiving a conventional wiper blade assembly. The structure, design and function are also distinguishable from that of the present invention's shroud assembly and system.
None of the references found and cited specifically illustrates the heating windshield wiper shroud system of the present invention. Nor is the present invention obvious in view of any of the prior art references listed herein. In addition, all of the relevant prior art heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages.
It will otherwise be indicated that none of the apparently crowded, prior art references herein teach concepts which provide a relatively simple and distinguishably improved assembly for a heated windshield wiper shroud system which provides specially bowed shroud means having a differentially spaced and widthed upper middle portion when viewed from a top view in longitudinal cross-section; so that a first upper smaller differential width spacing can receive a clippable pin to hold the shroud housing to a conventional wiper arm provided with a vehicle, and a second lower wider differential width spacing at this upper middle portion of the shroud housing can receive a second clippable pin to hold a conventional wiper blade within the shroud for heating and pivotable movement within and adjacent to the shroud of the present invention, with a heating means being supported by the internal roof portions of end portions of the shroud so that heating is provided directly above and adjacent to the installed conventional wiper blade assembly.
In the past, the prior art heated windshield wiper devices which could be utilized in any reasonable manner on conventional wiper arms provided with vehicles, have suffered from functionally and structurally deficient wiper blades, heating elements and placement and effective heating ability, ice and sludge prevention ability, wiper frame support and movement ability, covering design and shape/contour, spacing and support ability of any covering utilized. in relationship to a wiper blade, complexity and prolixity of electrical heating resistance construction and logistical placement, and the ability to be utilized reasonably, or in any manner, with already-available, conventional wiper blade units such as those provided with a vehicle; as well, otherwise, as complexity of construction.
There have been problems of design and construction in providing a covered and housed system which could both attach and be installable on both a conventional wiper arm provided as part of the construction of a vehicle and a conventional wiper blade characteristically also provided with a vehicle, being workably attached and functionally installed to each at the same time, with no specially adopted wiper blade containing an electrical heating element being necessary.
These and other disadvantages, structurally and functionally, of the prior art will become apparent in reviewing the remainder of the present specification, claims and drawings.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved heating windshield wiper shroud system and assembly for installation and combination with a conventional wiper arm member and a conventional wiper blade, conventionally and characteristically provided with the same vehicle, for installable and secure use with each of these members at the same time.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved, simplified and more easily manufactured, heated windshield wiper shroud housing and assembly, having an improved design, contour and shape for connection and installation to and with a conventional wiper arm and wiper blade such that a conventional wiper blade is provided with adjacent support, flexible movement and heating for more efficient movement and function on the outer surface of a vehicle windshield during frigid, icy or cold weather conditions.
It is a further object of the present improved invention to provide a novelly constructed, open-ended heating apparatus with a perforated duct system and heated fluid entry port to provide positional advantages to the dissemination of heat to conventional wiper arm, wiper frame and blade assemblies and adjacent vehicle windshield components and areas thereof; and to more advantageously supply a heated ambient fluid such as hot air, gas, liquid or colloidal suspension fluid to the duct system of the specially constructed shroud housing of the present invention.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially improved, and otherwise novel and superior shroud housing assembly having a special middle portion differentially spaced in width longitudinally at two different vertical positions, to receive a first upper pin to secure the wiper arm unit and a second lower pin to secure a conventional wiper blade unit, with a perforated duct means for providing a heated ambient fluid being provided at first and second lateral end portions outside the middle portion of the shroud supporting the wiper arm and the wiper blade.
Additionally, it is a further object of the invention by utilization of its specially adopted shroud housing to provide easier and more efficient access vehicle-engine-generated convection currents for utilization in heating an ambient fluid such as collected air or a stored or supplied liquid fluid, for efficient communication as a heated fluid to the novel open-ended shroud housing subassembly and specially positioned perforated duct system and entry port of the present invention.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a substantially and distinguishably novel and improved heating windshield wiper shroud system and assembly which is shaped, constructed and otherwise adopted to allow, permit and assist movement of a conventional wiper blade unit on the outer surface of a vehicle windshield during icy, frigid and cold weather conditions, providing pivotable or rotional movement of the wiper blade within and adjacent to a shroud housing while providing at the same time adjacent and functional heating to the frame elements of a conventional wiper blade unit such that the wiper blade will be more flexible in more easily and functionally sliding across and over the windshield of a vehicle.
A further object is to provide a dual biasable and lockable clip means at each differential width apacing of the shroud for respective securement of the wiper arm (or wiper arm pin) and the wiper blade unit conventionally available with a vehicle.
It will, therefore, be understood that substantial and distinguishable structural and functional advantages are realized in the present invention over the prior art devices with regard to the shroud housing of the invention providing two level, locked support at differentially apaced width portions of the shroud's middle section for secure support and movement of a respective wiper arm unit and a respective wiper blade unit, conventionally provided with vehicles, and for advantageous and improved protection and adjacent heating of the wiper blade unit when in supported position within the shroud.

Windshield and windshield wiper heating apparatus assembly


A windbreaker air drag reduction system for trailers and other box-like towed vehicles having a blunt-nosed forward face. The system comprises a wedge-shaped fairing element including a pair of upstanding panel members adjoining one another and being secured to an upstanding riser. The panel members and riser are attached to a crossbar member which is securely clamped to the trailer tongue support beams. The panel members are secured to the upper and lower face of forward face of the trailer at their respective outward edges. The combined components of the fairing element cooperate to form a triangular arrangement, the apex of the triangle being located forwardly of the blunt-nosed forward face of the vehicle. The entire system may be attached, detached, and reattached to multiple trailers or towed vehicles by means of simple tools and assembly and ease of use by only one operator.

Various prior art devices have been suggested for reducing aerodynamic drag of a moving vehicle, and more particularly to apparatus for reducing air drag on flat-nosed trailer trucks, railroad cars, and other similar blunt-nosed, towed vehicles which present a substantially broad aerodynamically resistant surface in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Of these prior art devices, there are disclosures of various provision of air vanes or fins around the edges of the cargo carrying portion of the vehicle to deflect the impinging air stream. Such devices include large blister-shaped deflectors provided with an opening for collecting impinging air, and a conduit means extending along the trailer to exit collected air at the rear portion of the trailer. Obviously, this requires a substantial modification to the trailer or similar blunt-nosed towed vehicle. Other prior art devices, although successful in varying degrees in reducing the aerodynamic resistance or drag on a vehicle, are deficient to the extent that they require either substantial modification to the towed vehicle to employ the devices, or necessitate use of a combination of several devices to achieve reduction of aerodynamic resistance in both the head flow and cross flow of air. The other prior art devices substantially increase the cost of air resistance reduction.


Synthesis gas for FT synthesis is produced using a producing apparatus including an active carbon adsorbing vessel for adsorbing impurities in a natural gas, a hydro-desulfurizer for hydrogenating and desulfurizing sulfur content in the natural gas under a condition of a partial pressure of hydrogen of 100 to 200 kPa, a second hydrogen supplying line for supplying hydrogen to the natural gas between the hydro-desulfurizer and a reactor, the reactor for obtaining synthesis gas by reacting the natural gas, carbon dioxide and steam in the presence of a catalyst for reforming, and a heat recovering boiler for cooling the synthesis gas at a cooling rate of 2000 to 4000° C./second.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing synthesis gas for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and a producing apparatus thereof.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-100941, filed Mar. 30, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the GTL technology (Gas to Liquids) for producing liquid fuel, such as light oil and kerosene, from natural gas has attracted attention. The GTL technology consists of a step of reforming gaseous hydrocarbons to the synthesis gas of hydrogen and carbon monoxide using a reforming catalyst, and a step of obtaining converted liquefied hydrocarbons from the synthesis gas by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (hereafter referred to as FT synthesis).
As a method for reforming hydrocarbons such as a natural gas to synthesis gas, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publications No. 2000-104078 and No. 2002-173303 respectively disclose a process for manufacturing synthesis gas having a hydrogen/carbon monoxide ratio which is suitable for the FT synthesis, including the steps of reforming hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and steam in the presence of a reforming catalyst at a temperature of 800 to 1000° C.
In addition, these patent documents above disclose reforming catalysts which are suitable for manufacturing synthesis gas for the FT synthesis, conditions suitable for performing the reforming reaction such as molar ratio of (steam+carbon dioxide)/carbon atoms in the hydrocarbons, the reaction temperature, and the pressure, basic constitution of a manufacturing apparatus such as a hydro-desulfurizer, and a reactor in which catalyst tubes loaded with a catalyst for reforming are installed.
However, if an attempt is made to make the production equipment larger while actually using natural gas as a raw material, in order to perform the production of the synthesis gas for the FT synthesis commercially, the following new problems which are not present appear. That is, soot (microparticles of carbon) becomes mixed in the manufactured synthesis gas for the FT synthesis, thereby enormously deteriorating the quality of the synthesis gas for the FT synthesis. In addition, a side reaction occurs in the hydro-desulfurizer, elevating temperature rapidly, such that it becomes impossible to control the temperature. Moreover, the catalyst for reforming (inlet side of the catalyst tube) is oxidized, deteriorating the activity of the catalyst.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing the synthesis gas for FT synthesis and a producing apparatus therefor, which are capable of producing the synthesis gas for FT synthesis having hydrogen/carbon monoxide molar ratio suitable for FT synthesis (1.9-2.1) and no soot mixed therein, and which can suppress the side reaction in a hydro-desulfurizer and the deterioration of the catalyst for reforming, and which are applicable to a large scale production equipment (commercial plant).

Process for producing synthesis gas for the fischer-tropsch synthesis and producing apparatus thereof

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation


Disclosed is a method for performing a game by using an activity count. The method includes receiving a specific internet identifier that is input by a user, from a client (S100), acquiring an activity count of contents corresponding to the internet identifier (S200), converting the activity count to a game point in a specific game (S300), and allocating a specific game point to an account of the user according to an allocation weight condition in unit of a specific time (S400). Accordingly, because the monetary value of the activity count in the reality may be applied to the game point of the online game, a realistic game may be realized as the reality may be linked to the game.

Embodiments of the inventive concept described herein relate to a method for performing a game by using an activity count, and more particularly, to a method for acquiring a game point that is utilized in a game.
For a game, a game point for purchasing and upgrading items that is necessary to perform the game is necessary. A game point is generally acquired in a process of performing a game. That is, a game point is acquired by manipulating a unit in a game to acquire an article corresponding to the game point or wining a battle through a character in the game.
In a method other than the method of acquiring a game point through performance of a game, a game point is purchased by using real cash.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for performing game by using activity count


A balloon device useful for dissecting tissue or retracting tissue for the purpose of providing access for laparoscopic surgery, the device including a balloon which inflates to a shape specially suitable for the surgical procedure and the anatomical region of deployment. The present device, when configured with a tapered dissection balloon, is particularly useful for subfascial endoscopic perforator surgical procedures.

More than 2.5 million people in the United States suffer from chronic venous insufficiency which includes disorders such as edema, stasis pigmentation, stasis dermatitis and stasis ulceration. Treatment of venous ulcers is difficult and costly, and their recurrence is frequent despite the treatment. Patients with venous ulcers may face partial or permanent disability and suffer the psychological and economic effects of losing mobility.
A promising approach to the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency is subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery ("SEPS"). Before discussing the SEPS procedure and the present invention's application to surgical procedures such as SEPS, it will be helpful to briefly review the venous anatomy of the leg and the pathophysiology of chronic venous insufficiency.
Venous blood is returned from the lower leg to the heart through a system comprising three types of veins: superficial veins which drain venous blood from tissue above the deep fascia in the lower leg, deep veins which drain blood from venous sinuisoids in the lower leg, and perforator veins which drain blood from the superficial veins into the deep veins.
Superficial veins include the greater saphenous vein, the lesser saphenous vein and the posterior arch vein. The lesser saphenous vein ascends from the lateral side of the foot and travels superiorly on the posterolateral side of the calf. The greater saphenous vein originates at the arch of the foot and eventually rises along the medial aspect of the lower leg. The posterior arch vein, or Leonardo's vein, drains blood from below the medial ankle, rises along the medial half of the leg and joins the greater saphenous vein.
The deep veins lie beneath the deep fascia and include the paired posterior tibial veins, the anterior tibial veins, the peroneal veins and the popliteal vein. Some of the deep veins originate at the foot and ascend the lower leg.
The perforator veins which connect the superficial veins to the deep veins are called "perforator" veins because they penetrate the deep fascia as they travel from the superficial veins to the deep veins. Perforator veins include anterior perforator veins situated on the anterolateral surface of the lower leg, lateral perforator veins found on the posterolateral surface of the lower leg, and medial perforator veins located on the medial side of the lower leg. The medial perforator veins further include the Cockett perforator veins which are located toward the ankle.
The blood pressure in veins is much lower than the blood pressure in arteries, often by a factor of fifty. The low venous blood pressure itself is incapable of returning venous blood, particularly in the lower limbs, to the heart. As a result, skeletal muscles in the lower limbs assist by contracting to pump venous blood from the lower limbs to the heart. For example, the veins in the calf muscle are surrounded by a tight muscle-fascial envelope which forms a "calf-muscle pump". Contraction of the calf muscles compresses the veins and propels the venous blood upward to the heart.
When the calf muscles are relaxed (diastolic phase), the valves of the perforator veins are open which permits blood to flow one-way from the superficial veins to the dilated soleal sinusoids of the deep vein system. The next muscle contraction (systolic phase) expels the blood temporarily stored in the soleal sinuisoids into the popliteal and femoral veins of the deep vein system. During the systolic phase of the calf-muscle pump, the valves of the perforator veins are closed to prevent blood from being expelled back through the perforator veins and into the superficial veins. The valves of the perforating veins further protect various subcutaneous tissues from the muscular systolic pressure generated by the calf-muscle pump, which pressure may range from 150 to 300 mm Hg.
When the valves in the perforator veins fail to function correctly (perforator vein incompetence), blood will flow backward (reflux) from the deep veins to the superficial veins, thereby failing to return to the heart. Perforator vein incompetence may be caused, for example, by local trauma, long-term saphenous incompetence, or minor calf-vein thrombosis.
Reflux of blood due to perforator vein incompetence may result in chronic ambulatory venous hypertension, that is, a persistent case of elevated ambulatory venous pressure. Patients with chronic ambulatory venous hypertension may have symptoms such as aching, fullness, or tiredness in their lower leg. Chronic ambulatory venous hypertension may further lead to venous ulceration, a painful and often debilitating condition. In fact, the more extensive and the more distal the reflux, the greater the chance that the patient will develop a venous ulcer.
According to one study, 80–90% of incompetent perforator vein cases involve the medial perforator veins in the lower leg, 15% involve the lateral perforator veins, and 5% involve the anterior perforator veins. Of the 80–90% of incompetent perforator vein cases which involve the medial perforator veins in the lower leg, most occur near the region of Cockett's perforator veins. Cockett's perforator veins are located at roughly six, twelve and eighteen centimeters from the heel sole.
Treatment of chronic venous insufficiency includes noninvasive treatments such as leg elevation to foster draining the blood out of the lower leg, compression by application of bandages to reduce venous pressure in the lower leg, and topical therapies to promote healing of ulcerous wounds. Treatment also may include invasive treatments such as sclerotherapy, skin grafting, stripping of superficial veins, open subfascial perforator surgery, subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery and deep vein reconstruction. The proper treatment or treatments to apply depend on the particular circumstances of the patient's venous dysfunction. Skin grafting may be used to accelerate healing of ulcerous wounds through the covering of wounds with split-skin, mesh, or pinch grafts. Skin grafting, however, does not eliminate the underlying cause of venous dysfunction. Instead, it treats the symptoms of venous dysfunction such as the ulcer. Thus, recurrence of ulcers is likely. Sclerotherapy involves injecting a sclerosing solution into, dysfunctional blood vessels to cause them to obliterate. The removal of dysfunctional vessels reduces venous reflux. Similarly, superficial vein stripping involves excising dysfunctional superficial veins by subcutaneous dissection in order to reduce venous reflux. However, the removal of superficial veins does not resolve reflux problems in the perforator veins. Deep vein reconstruction is reserved for patients whose ulcers have failed to respond to all other kinds of therapy. Deep venous reconstruction includes direct valve repair (valvuloplasty), valve transposition and valve transplantation.
Open subfascial perforator surgery involves making at least one long incision in the lower leg to gain access to the perforator veins which are then ligated or removed. When incompetent perforator veins are removed, new perforator veins begin to grow through a regeneration process. As a result, dysfunctional perforator veins are replaced by regenerated perforator veins. Open subfascial perforator surgery tends to prevent recurrent venous ulceration because this treatment attacks a root cause of perforator venous dysfunction.
However, incisions near or at the locations of diseased skin (e.g., ulcers) may result in wound complications and delayed wound healing. Thus, there is a need for a surgical procedure which uses an incision site more distant from the area of ulcerative damage and yet provides access to the underlying perforator veins.
While subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery (SEPS) is not indicated for all venous dysfunctions or for all patients, it permits surgeons to make an incision more remote from an ulcerous wound and yet gain access to perforator veins underlying the ulcer. SEPS approaches vary. Some surgeons use a one-port approach where the scope and working instruments are introduced through a single incision in the proximal calf. In the dual port approach which enhances visualization, one port is used for the scope and the other port is used for the working instruments. The space created by either the single or dual port approach may be optionally insufflated with gas, such as CO2, or any other suitable fluid. The SEPS approach requires the dissection of the subfascial plane so that surgical instruments can access and ligate the dysfunctional perforator veins. Dissection of the subfascial plane may be accomplished manually with surgical instruments. Besides blunt dissection, dissection can also be performed by inserting a deflated balloon to the subfascial tissue plane and then inflating the balloon to cause dissection of tissue layers along the tissue plane. A traumatic balloon dissection of the subfascial plane exposes the perforator veins and creates space for the surgeon to access and ligate dysfunctional perforator veins, while minimizing trauma to the blood vessels, long-standing ulcers and damaged tissues. Compared to blunt dissection, balloon dissection results in less bleeding, due in part to the atraumatic nature of tissue dissection and in part to the tamponade effect of the balloon on surrounding tissues. Thus, the balloon offers the advantage of minimizing trauma to certain tissues (e.g., veins) while accomplishing sufficient dissection of tissues to afford visualization, if desired, as well as access to the vein.
The Spacemaker SEPS balloon device (model number VDB 300), which is manufactured and sold by General Surgical Innovations, Inc., the assignee of the present patent application, is a balloon device which may be used to dissect the subfascial plane for a SEPS procedure. This balloon is mounted to a cannula and inflates to a predictable cylindrical shape. The diameter of the cylindrical balloon is generally uniform along the length of the balloon.
Because many of the incompetent perforator veins occur near the ankle where blood is the furthest from the heart, resulting tissue damage and venous ulcers may occur near the ankle. Thus, there is a need for an improved balloon dissection device which further minimizes trauma to the already deteriorated tissue and which permits further dissection of the subfascial space at a location close to the ankle.

Specially shaped balloon device for use in surgery and method of use


The stabilizer is able to stabilize both fat/oil and water and to improve the texture of mechanically separated meats. The stabilizer is a composite of gelatin, an acid, a sugar component and/or a starch component. The gelatin component is made by treating the gelatin in an aqueous slurry with an acid such that a pH of 1.0 to 4.5 is maintained throughout the treatment process. The stabilizer is especially suited for use in cased meats such as sausage, frankfurters, and bologna.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to food and, more particularly, to a water and fat or oil stabilizer and a texture improver for use in food which is able to function through a broad temperature range. The stabilizer of the present invention is especially suited for frozen foods and foods made with mechanically separated meats.
2. Prior Art to Invention
Water and fat/oil are present in virtually all foodstuffs and especially all prepared foodstuffs. Typically, prepared foodstuffs go through a broad range of temperatures, freezing (xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C.) to canning or retorting (120xc2x0 C.) to baking (250xc2x0 C.), as well as prolonged storage, oftentimes in either a chilled or frozen state prior to consumption. The broad temperature ranges and extended storage have a deleterious effect on the stability of the water and fat/oil in the foodstuff. Both water and fat/oil tend to migrate out of the foodstuff during prolonged storage and when the foodstuff is heated. This deleterious effect manifests itself in a number of ways, for example the foodstuff becomes dry or soggy, greasy, tough, chewy or brittle. These problems are due not only to simple movement of the fat/oil and water in the foodstuff but also to the breakdown of the foodstuff, such as the breakdown of the oil emulsion. The problem of stabilizing water and fat/oil in a foodstuff is especially a problem in the food industry where the foodstuff is subjected to a myriad of stresses due to the equipment used to mass produce the foodstuff.
To date, no one stabilizer has been found that is able to function in such a broad range of temperatures and to withstand extended frozen storage. There is a need in the food industry for a stabilizer that can withstand commercial processing, prolonged storage and operate in a broad temperature range, xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C. to 250xc2x0 C., without breaking down.
Broad temperature ranges and prolonged storage at cold temperatures can also have a deleterious effect on the texture and mouth feel of a foodstuff. There is a need for a stabilizer which maintains or improves the texture and mouth feel of foodstuffs.
Texture and mouth feel is especially important with mechanically separated meats. Mechanically separated meats, sometimes referred to as fine ground meats or mechanically deboned meats, are a species of ground meat. Mechanically separated meat is meat that is separated from the bone and, in the case of poultry, from the skin, by machine. Because of the reduced cost for mechanical deboning of meat, there has been a recent increase in the use of mechanically separated meats. This is especially true for poultry, such as turkey and chicken.
The texture of mechanically separated meat is mush or a fine ground product, hence the texture of foodstuffs made with mechanically separated meat has been a problem. For example, mechanical deboned poultry is used in sausage products, i.e. meat stuffed in a casing, and especially hot dogs or frankfurters. The amount of mechanically deboned poultry added to a sausage product must be controlled because too much impairs the texture of the product and makes it too mushy. Generally, the amount of mechanically deboned poultry used for sausage products is no greater than 20%.
There is a need for a texture improver which has a positive effect on the texture of mechanically separated meats and which allows for an increase in the amount of mechanically separated meats in sausage.
It has now been discovered that the stabilizer of the present invention improves the texture of mechanically separated meat and broadens their use in foodstuffs.
Furthermore, the stabilizer of the present invention works to stabilize fat or oil and water in food and operates in a broad temperature range, over prolonged storage periods, and under commercial processing conditions. By preventing the loss of water from a foodstuff, microbial growth or spoilage of the foodstuff is also delayed and/or prevented. Also, by stabilizing fat/oil and water, emulsions of fat/oil in water which are present in a number of foodstuffs such as salad dressing are also stabilized.
The stabilizer of the present invention works not only to prevent moisture loss of a stored, frozen or chilled food but also to prevent moisture loss after heating and prior to consumption of that frozen or chilled food. The stabilizer of the present invention also prevents moisture loss from fresh breads and the like which are prepared from either fresh dough or frozen dough, thereby extending the shelf life of the farinaceous product. It has also been found that the stabilizer of the present invention also increases the shelf life of meat products such as summer sausage which does not require refrigeration, as well as improve the texture of foodstuffs made with mechanically separated meats.
In other words, the stabilizer of the present invention works in a broad temperature range and in a variety of foods and does not break down even after being subjected to prolonged periods in the freezer and the stress of cooking in a wide variety of foodstuffs. The stabilizer of the present invention has also been found to withstand repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Furthermore, novel canned meats can be formulated using the process of the present invention from mechanically separated meats.
Foodstuffs which can be stabilized and/or have their texture improved include eggs, ground meats, mechanically separated meats, dough, sauces, gravies, and farinaceous products.
Broadly, the process for stabilizing water and/or improving texture of food such as mechanically separated meats in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of:
(a) forming a slurry of gelatin, acid and water, at a temperature of about 0xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C., for a period of time of at least about 10 minutes, to fully hydrate said gelatin, said acid being present in an amount to cause said slurry to have a pH of about 1.0 to about 4.5;
(b) maintaining the pH of said slurry at about 1.0 to about 4.5;
(c) recovering a gelatin component having a pH of about 1.0 to about 4.5 from said slurry; and
(d) adding said gelatin component to a foodstuff and/or said mechanical separated meat having water in an amount sufficient to stabilize said water and/or improve the texture of said foodstuff or meat.
Optionally, the recovered gelatin component is first dried and then added to a foodstuff in a particulate form. In either case, the stabilizer improves the texture of the foodstuff prepared with mechanically separated meat. Also, during the hydration of the gelatin, steps (a) and (b) above, it is best to agitate the slurry to provide a uniform slurry. Alternatively, some of the water is removed and the fully hydrated gelatin in slurry form is employed.
In order to stabilize both water and a fat/oil in foodstuffs as well as improve the texture of mechanically separated meat, it is preferred to incorporate a starch component and/or a sugar component into the foodstuff along with the gelatin component. The starch component and/or sugar component is suitably employed in the present invention either:
(1) by being added to the acid-gelatin slurry during hydration;
(2) by being dried with the gelatin and acid;
(3) by being mixed with the dried particulate gelatin; or
(4) being added to the foodstuff along with the gelatin component.
Suitable starch components include flour, starch granules, pregelatinized starch, chemically modified starch, and derivatives of starch such as dextrins, maltodextrins, and corn syrups. Suitable sugar components include monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, ribose, arabinose, mannose, xylose or galactose; disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, lactose, or trehalose; and trisaccharides such as maltotriose, raffinose, cellotriose or manninotriose.
It has been found that the amount of acid can be reduced in the slurry if a sugar component selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides and disaccharides is present. Where the stabilizer of the present invention is used in a farinaceous product, it is preferred that a portion of the acid be reduced in the slurry and a sugar component selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides and disaccharides be substituted for a portion of the acid. Good results have been obtained with sucrose, glucose and fructose.
The amount of gelatin in the slurry is suitably about 0.5% to about 30% by weight and preferably about 1% to about 10% by weight. The amount of gelatin component added to the foodstuff is suitably about 0.1% to about 15% by weight foodstuff and, more preferably, about 0.1% to about 5% by weight foodstuff. It has been found that the higher the Bloom of the gelatin, the lesser the amount of gelatin added to the foodstuff to get the same effect. In other words, a 100 Bloom gelatin needs three times as much gelatin as a 300 Bloom gelatin to accomplish the same effect in accordance with the present invention.
The amount of starch component used in the slurry, step (a), is suitably about 0.5% to about 20% by weight and, more preferably, about 1% to about 10% by weight slurry. The amount of starch component added to the foodstuff, step (c), is about 0.05% to about 10% and, more preferably, about 0.25% to about 5.0% by weight based on the weight of foodstuff. If flour is used as the starch component, more flour is necessary than granular starch or other forms of starch. The amount of sugar component added to the slurry in step (a) is suitably about 2% to about 3%.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,603 issued May 13, 1986, a process for preparing a stabilized food is disclosed wherein the stabilizer is an aqueous solution of fully hydrated, fully-swollen gelatin and an acid. The stabilizer of the ""603 patent requires the use of non-halogenated water. Applicant has found that by using enough acid to lower the pH to about 1.0 to about 4.5 and maintaining the pH to about 1.0 to about 4.5 to recover a gelatin component at a pH of about 1.0 to about 4.5, that tap water can be used in preparing a food stabilizer.
The stabilizer of the present invention stabilizes both water and fat/oil in a variety of food systems to include eggs, dough, sauces and gravies, mechanically separated meats and ground meats. For instance, in a frozen burrito, the stabilizer of the present invention is used both in the filling of the burrito as well as the flour tortilla. In a frozen pancake, the stabilizer of the present invention is used in both the pancake itself as well as the maple syrup which is used on top of the pancake, both of which were frozen and pre-wrapped for sale to the consumer. In yet another example, the stabilizer of the present invention is used not only in the filling of a chicken pot pie but also the crust. Alternatively, the stabilizer is used only in the crust of the pie and not in the filling to stabilize the crust only.
It has been found that tne stabilizer of the present invention not only stabilizes the water and fat/oil in the food but also prevents the food containing the stabilizer of the present invention from absorbing water and fats/oils. Such is beneficial in crusts, coatings, breadings, batters, and dough since it means that where the farinaceous product contains the stabilizer of the present invention while a portion of the foodstuff does not, that portion of the foodstuff that does not contain the stabilizer will not effect the farinaceous portion of the food.
It has also been found that the stabilizer of the present invention will continue to operate in the foodstuff even after the foodstuff has been heated for consumption. Even though the stabilizer of the present invention does not easily break down in the food system, it is digestible by humans and classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. Furthermore, a novel canned meat can be prepared using the stabilizer of the present invention.
The gelatin component is prepared through a slow hydration process wherein acid, water and gelatin are held between about 0xc2x0 C. and about 100xc2x0 C. over a period of at least about 10 minutes, more preferably, about xc2xd hour to about 1xc2xd hours, so as to fully swell and hydrate the gelatin. Optionally, the hydrated acidified gelatin can be heated after being hydrated. Preferably, a slow heating process is employed such that the gelatin granules are allowed to hydrate and fully expand under controlled conditions to thereby increase their water and fat/oil stabilizing capability. Such a slow heating process is conducted at temperatures of about 10xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C.
The water used to form the slurry can contain halogen, e.g. chlorine, bromine and fluorine; and metal ions which are found in conventional tap water; so long as the pH of the slurry is maintained throughout the process.
The amount and type of acid are essential elements in obtaining the stabilizer of the present invention. If the water is too acidic, then the gelatin is case hardened and, unable to fully swell. If the water is not acidic enough, then the gelatin does not fully swell. The pH of the water must be between about 1.0 and about 4.5 and preferably about 4 throughout the hydration phase.
Suitable acids such as glacial acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, maleic acid and aqueous solutions thereof can be used. The preferred acids are glacial acetic, citric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric and lactic, with phosphoric being most preferred.
The amount of acid is sufficient to adjust the pH to within the desired range of 1.0 to 4.5.
In one specific example which is especially useful for dough-type products with leavening, the gelatin is prepared by using between 6 and 60 parts of water at about 10xc2x0 C. and 25xc2x0 C. combined with enough phosphoric acid to adjust the pH of the water to about 2, and then adding about 1 part of gelatin to form an acidic gelatinous aqueous slurry. The slurry is then mildly agitated for a period of time sufficient to disperse uniformly the gelatinizing agent throughout the solution so as to form a gelatinous slurry. The agitation usually continues for approximately 5 minutes. Next, the slurry is maintained at a temperature of between about 10xc2x0 C. and 25xc2x0 C. until the gelatin granules have become partially swollen and hydrated, usually between 15 and 25 minutes. The slurry is then agitated and heated to a temperature of between about 30xc2x0 C. and 50xc2x0 C. until the gelatin granules become further swollen and hydrated whereby the slurry becomes smooth and non-granular to feel. The slurry is usually held at this temperature for a period of between 10 and 30 minutes. The slurry is then further heated under agitation to a temperature of between about 65xc2x0 C. and 70xc2x0 C. until a uniformly clear solution is obtained. The pH of the slurry is periodically monitored throughout the process and adjusted to about 4 at the end of the process before recovering the gelatin component.
Conventional equipment is used to conduct the soaking and subsequent heating of the slurry. The slurry is mildly agitated throughout the heating program to maintain a uniform dispersion of gelatin and acid in water.
In one embodiment, the slurry is dried in any conventional manner to a moisture content of about 1% to about 15% and, more preferably, about 6%. The drying is done in a conventional way using conventional equipment, e.g. spray dryer, drum dryer, tray dryer, oven dryer, and freeze dryer. Good results have been accomplished with using a spray dryer or tray dryer. For small scale operations, a convection oven has been used with good results. The drying must be gentle enough so as not to destroy the gelatin while still driving off the moisture. The swollen gelatin and acid which is dried in an oven on a tray forms continuous sheets of material. These sheets must be ground so as to make them readily able to be added to food. Depending upon the volatility of the acid used during hydration of the gelatin, some of the acid will be driven off during drying.
Gelatin is a product obtained by the partial hydrolysis of collagen derived usually from the skin, white connective tissue, and bones of animals. It is a derived protein composed of various amino acids linked by adjacent amino and carbonyl groups to provide a peptide bond. Type-B gelatin is prepared by swelling the raw materials (usually ossein or hide stock) in an alkali saturated lime solution for 3-12 weeks. On the other hand, type-A gelatin is prepared by swelling raw materials (usually pork skins) in a dilute acid solution at a pH of 1 to 2 for 10 to 30 hours. The acid solution is prepared from hydrochloric acid, sulfurous acid, phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid. In accordance with the present invention, type-A gelatin or type-B gelatin may be utilized. The gelatin is also classified by Bloom strength. Bloom strength is a conventional numerical designation which distinguishes gelatin on a gel strength basis. Preferably, the Bloom strength of the gelatin employed in the present invention is about 175 to about 300 and, more preferably, about 200. The lower the bloom strength of the gelatin, the larger the amount of gelatin needed. When the gelatin has a Bloom of 275, the preferred amount of gelatin in the foodstuff is 0.25% to 5% by weight foodstuff.
The formation of the stabilizer of the present invention is preferably accomplished by mixing a starch component in with the slurry of acid and water and gelatin in the hydration step. The starch component added during the hydration step is preferably starch granules, pregelatinized starch or lightly modified starch. Preferably, the starch component is selected from cereal grains, tubers or roots, with the cereal grains such as wheat and corn being preferred. Whichever starch component is used, it should be capable of fully gelatinizing. In the case of pregelatinized starch, the starch granule is generally completely gelatinized after the first heating step at 30xc2x0 C. to 50xc2x0 C. In the case of starch granules, it is generally necessary to heat the slurry in the second heating step to about 80xc2x0 C. to about 95xc2x0 C. and hold the slurry at that temperature for about 10 to about 20 minutes to fully gelatinize the starch granules. Naturally, the temperature and time necessary to fully gelatinize the starch granules will be dependent upon the gelatinization point of the starch.
In one specific example, when pregelatinized starch is utilized, the stabilizer is prepared by combining between about 6 and 50 parts of water and enough acid to adjust the pH of the water to about 1.0 to 4.5 and then adding about 1 part of a mixture of gelatin and starch (the gelatin to starch being in a proportion of 1:6 to 1:1) to the water at a temperature of between about 10xc2x0 C. and 25xc2x0 C. to form an acidic gelatinous aqueous solution. The solution is then agitated for a period of time sufficient to thoroughly mix the gelatin and starch throughout the solution so as to form a gelatinous slurry. Agitating the solution for about 5 minutes is usually sufficient for this purpose. The slurry is then maintained at a temperature of between 10xc2x0 C. and 25xc2x0 C. until the gelatin granules have become partially swollen and hydrated. This step is usually conducted for between 15 and 25 minutes. Next, the slurry is heated to a temperature of between about 30xc2x0 C. and 50xc2x0 C. and is maintained at this temperature for about 10 to 30 minutes at which time both the gelatin as well as the pregelatinized starch are fully hydrated and wherein the slurry has been transformed into a uniformly clear solution. The slurry is then raised to a temperature of about 65xc2x0 C. to about 70xc2x0 C., preferably 68xc2x0 C., and can be dried in a conventional manner using conventional equipment as previously described.
In yet another example, the stabilizer is prepared from water, acid and a mixture of gelatin and starch. The stabilizer is formed by combining between about 6 and 50 parts of water, enough acid to adjust the pH of the water to about 1.0 to about 4.5 and then adding about 1 part of a mixture of gelatin and non-gelatinized starch (the gelatin to starch ratio being between 1:6 to 1:1) to the water at a temperature of between about 10xc2x0 C. and 25xc2x0 C. thereby forming an acidic gelatinous aqueous solution. Next, the solution is agitated to disperse uniformly the gelatin and starch throughout the solution thereby forming a gelatinous slurry. The agitation may be continued for about 5 minutes. The slurry is then maintained at about 10xc2x0 C. to about 25xc2x0 C. until the gelatin granules have become partially swollen and hydrated. This hydration step usually takes between 15 to 25 minutes. The slurry is then heated to between about 30xc2x0 C. and 50xc2x0 C. and maintained at this temperature for about 10 to 30 minutes under agitation. At this point, the gelatin granules have become fully hydrated. Next, the slurry is raised to a temperature of between about 80xc2x0 C. and 95xc2x0 C. and maintained at this temperature for between 10 to 20 minutes. The slurry is then dried as described heretofore if desired.
It has also been found that the stabilizer of the present invention can be formed in-situ where the gelatin component is first made and then the starch component and the gelatin component are added and mixed at the same time with the food ingredients.
Where the formation of the stabilizer is in-situ, the food ingredient along with the stabilizer must be heated to above about the gelatinization point of the starch component to gelatinize the starch component.
The stabilizer of the present invention is added to the prepared foodstuff during initial preparation. Broadly, the stabilizer is added to the foodstuff in an amount sufficient to stabilize both the water and/or fat/oil present in the foodstuff and/or improve the texture of the foodstuff. This amount will vary depending on, primarily, the amount of water and/or fat/oil that is present in the foodstuff and the degree of texture improvement necessary.
More specifically, the amount of stabilizer added to the foodstuff will depend on the amount of water and/or fat/oil which is liberated by the foodstuff. Water is often liberated by a foodstuff during storage in a freezer, conventionally referred to as ice crystal formation, on the food and/or packaging. Both water and fat/oil are liberated during cooking, especially in a microwave oven, prior to consumption of the food product.
Preferably, between about 0.1 to about 5.0 parts by weight of the stabilizer of the present invention where the total weight of the food system is 100 parts is used in the foodstuff. Good results have been obtained using about 0.2 to 0.5 parts by weight of the stabilizer of the present invention based on 100 parts by weight of foodstuff.
As noted above, a cased or canned meat as well as ground meat and mechanically separated meat, in general, having improved texture can be made using the stabilizer of the present invention. Broadly, in order to make a cased or canned meat in accordance with the present invention, the following steps are employed:
A) dissolving gelatin in water by first hydrating gelatin in water with a sufficient amount of acid to adjust the pH of the water to about 1 to about 4.5, and then heating the hydrate gelatin to about 140xc2x0 F. (60xc2x0 C.) to fully dissolve the gelatin in the water, optionally, the hydrated gelatin is added to meat and the meat is then cooked to cause the gelatin to fully dissolve;
B) hydrating starch in water, optionally in the presence of sodium tripolyphosphate;
C) combining a ground meat with a sodium salt to form a mixture;
D) mixing the hydrated or dissolved gelatin, the hydrated starch and the meat and salt mixture to form a meat formulation; and
E) optionally casing or canning or further processing said meat formulation to produce a cased or canned meat or other foodstuff having mechanically separated meat with improved texture.
The acidified, hydrated gelatin can be added to the meat directly, or the acidified, hydrated and heated solution of gelatin added to the meat, or the acidified, hydrated and slow heated gelatin added to the meat. Any one of these three stabilizers can be added to the meat.
The amount of sodium tripolyphosphate used in the present invention is suitably about 0.01% to about 2% by weight foodstuff (meat) and preferably about 0.1% to about 0.50% by weight foodstuff.
Suitable ground meat includes chicken, pork, beef, turkey, horse, lamb and fish. Good results have been obtained with chicken. Such ground meat includes mechanically separated meat.
The presence of sodium in the cased or canned meat is important and it is preferred that the amount of the sodium in the formulation is about 0.25% to about 5% by weight of the formulation. Good results have been obtained when the salt content of the meat formulation is about 2% by weight of the formulation. Suitable sodium salts include sodium chloride.
The amount of stabilizer, gelatin-starch-salt, added to the mechanically separated meat to improve its texture is about 0.1% to about 50% by weight meat and, more preferably, about 1% to about 20% by weight meat. Good results have been obtained when the mechanically separated meat has about 5-10% by weight meat.
The canning process is accomplished in a conventional manner using conventional equipment. Typically, the raw ingredients are combined, placed into a container and the container sealed. The sealed container is subjected to high temperatures to commercially sterilize the contents of the container. This process is also conventionally referred to as retort food processing.
The cased meat is made in a conventional manner using conventional equipment. Suitably, after the meat is formulated, it is then stuffed into a casing. The casing is usually either the intestines of an animal such as a sheep which has been fully cleaned or a man-made synthetic casing.
The use of the stabilizer of the present invention allows for mechanically separated meat to be used alone or with conventional ground meat in the cased meat while still providing the texture and mouth feel of a conventional cased meat.
Such cased and canned meats include sausage, bologna, frankfurters, luncheon meats, SPAM(copyright)-like products, salami, ham, chicken loaf, and turkey loaf.
The preferred amount of each component in the cased or canned meat is:
A more preferred formulation for the cased or canned ground meat made in accordance with the present invention is:
All of these percents are based on the total weight of the foodstuff (meat formulation).


A frozen hamburger patty separator for separating a single hamburger patty from a frozen hamburger block including a U-shaped holding member having a bottom wall connected to front and rear walls for holding a frozen hamburger block in place. A U-shaped handle support component is connected to the holding member, and a blade support component is pivotally mounted on the handle support component. A separator blade is connected to the blade support component and is less than 2 inches from the pivotal mounting. A handle is connected to the blade support component for pivotally moving the separator blade between a separating position for separating hamburger patties from the frozen hamburger block and a non-separating position for allowing the frozen hamburger block to be moved along the holding member for holding the frozen hamburger block. The frozen hamburger patty separator is made of a material selected from the group consisting of durable plastic, steel, stainless steel, and aluminum for ease of cleaning and repeated use.

Consumers/cooks have great difficulty in trying to separate a round or square frozen block of hamburger patties using conventional utensils and tools such as knives, cleavers, screw drivers, chisels, metal wedges and the like. In trying to separate these frozen hamburger patties with the aforementioned conventional utensils and tools the user often injures his/her hands or fingers; and more often damages the individual hamburger patties such that the hamburger patty is marred, broken, contaminated and/or inedible, and not readily usable for frying, broiling, barbecuing, and the like.
Normal procedures have the frozen block of hamburger patties completely defrosted such that the individual hamburger patty is easily separated by a knife, spatula, hamburger flipper and the like. This procedure leads to many of the individual patties not being used for cooking, as these hamburger patties cannot be refrozen for sanitary reasons. In addition, these individual defrosted hamburger patties tend to break in half, become overly bloody and messy to handle; and again inedible and possibly contaminated and not readily usable for frying, broiling, barbecuing and the like. Thus, the consumer has wasted valuable food product for future use.
There remains a need for a simple, light-weight, portable hand-operated separator that will easily and quickly separate a single individualized hamburger patty from a frozen hamburger block having therein a plurality of individual hamburger patties that are frozen together without causing any injury to the user or causing any damage to the individualized hamburger patty that was separated from the frozen hamburger block.


A vacuum degassing method wherein a molten substance at an elevated temperature in a storage tank is sucked to a vacuum degassing vessel through an uprising pipe connecting the storage tank and the vacuum degassing vessel by maintaining the vacuum degassing vessel at a negative pressure, the molten substance is degassed and the degassed molten substance falls to a guiding duct through a downfalling pipe connecting the vacuum degassing vessel and the guiding duct characterized by that a first flow quantity of the molten substance rising in the uprising pipe is restrained and a second flow quantity thereof falling in the downfalling pipe is controlled thereby maintaining a quantity of the molten substance in the vacuum degassing vessel at a pertinent level.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vacuum degassing method and its apparatus for removing bubbles in a molten substance at elevated temperature such as molten glass or molten metal, particularly to a vacuum degassing method and an improvement of its apparatus which is effective in a process for continuously feeding molten substance at elevated temperature.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Conventionally, as such a vacuum degassing apparatus, there is one disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 4205/1969.
As shown in FIG. 7, this apparatus is employed in a process wherein molten glass G as a molten substance at elevated temperature in a melting tank 106, is degassed and is continuously fed to a successive treatment furnace. As shown in FIG. 7, a vacuum housing 100 which is sucked in vacuum, accommodates a vacuum degassing vessel 101. This vacuum degassing vessel 101 is connected to an uprising pipe 102 wherein the molten glass G rises as a molten substance at elevated temperature before degassing, and is introduced into the vacuum degassing vessel 101. The vacuum degassing vessel 101 is connected to a downfalling pipe 103 wherein the molten glass G after degassing falls and is led out to a successive treatment furnace. Casings 104 and 105 are provided around the uprising pipe 102 and the downfalling pipe 103, respectively, for insulatively coating the uprising pipe 102 and the downfalling pipe 103, which are connected to the vacuum housing 100.
Furthermore, the uprising pipe 102 and the downfalling pipe 103 are made of noble metals such as platinum, since temperatures of these pipes are elevated up to 1200.degree. to 1500.degree. C. by the molten glass G.
In the vacuum degassing apparatus of this kind, a pressure inside the vacuum degassing vessel 101, is reduced to 1/20 to 1/3 atmospheric pressure. Therefore, it is necessary to set a difference of levels of the molten glass G in the melting tank 106 and the molten glass G in the vacuum degassing vessel 101, to be approximately 3.5 m. Accordingly, since lengths of the uprising pipe 102 and the downfalling pipe 103 are prolonged, the thermal expansion quantities of the uprising pipe 102 and the downfalling pipe 103, are enlarged. Accordingly, the structure of the vacuum degassing apparatus becomes unstable and is devoid of safety.
Furthermore, since, in the vacuum degassing apparatus of this kind, the molten glass G is led from the uprising pipe 102 to the downfalling pipe 103 only by decompression in the vacuum degassing vessel 101, the flow control of the molten glass G is difficult.

Vacuum degassing method and its apparatus


A semiconductor facility. The semiconductor facility comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), a heat source, and an adjusting device. The PCB comprises a first surface and a second surface. The heat source provides heat for a first fluid around the PCB to steadily heat up the PCB. The temperature of the first surface is adjusted to be lower than that of the second surface by the adjusting device such that the PCB is rapidly deformed to a stable state.

The invention relates to a semiconductor facility, and in particular to a wafer probe.
FIG. 1a is a schematic view of a test head 100 of a conventional wafer probe. As shown in FIG. 1a, the test head 100 comprises a body 130, a first restricting element 121, a second restricting element 122, a printed circuit board (PCB) 110, a clamping element 140, and a probe head 170. The first restricting element 121 and the second restricting element 122 clamp the PCB 110 to restrict deformation of the PCB 110. A connecting portion 131 and the PCB 110 are fixed together via a positioning portion 124 such as a zero insertion force socket (ZIF). The test head body 130 connects to the PCB 110 by the connecting portion 131. The clamping portion 140 clamps the PCB 110. The probe head 170 is connected to the PCB 110 with probe pins 171 thereon. A wafer carrier 160 is disposed under the test head 100.
FIG. 1b is a schematic view when the test head 100 is testing a wafer 150. When the wafer 150 is disposed on the wafer carrier 160, during probing, the test head 100 moves down and an end of each probe pin 171 is inserted into the wafer 150 such that the test head 100 begins examining the wafer 150.
FIG. 2a is a schematic view of the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 when the wafer probe is idle. At this time, the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 are not deformed. Please also refer to FIGS. 1b and 2b, when the wafer probe begins, the wafer carrier 160 produces heat on the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 such that the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 is pre-heated. During the pre-heating procedure, heat is transferred from the wafer carrier 160 to the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 such that upper surfaces of the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 have higher temperature than the lower surfaces. The PCB 110 and the probe head 170 deform downward due to thermal expansion and contraction. As shown in FIG. 2c, after a period of pre-heat time, since heat is accumulated to a certain level, the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 are turned out to curve upward to reach a stable state. In the deformation process mentioned above, the deformation of the PCB 110 and the probe head 170 is leading by the deformation of the PCB 110, because the volume of the PCB 110 is greater than that of the probe head 170.
Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3a, the wafer 150 has a plurality of probe marks 151 for insertion of probe pins 171 and testing the wafer 150. FIGS. 3b, 3c and 3d show relations between the probe pins 171 and the probe marks 151. With reference to FIG. 3b, when the pre-heat procedure is not applied, some probe pins 171 dislocate from the probe marks 151 for compensating the following deformation. Then, with reference to FIG. 3c, when preheat procedure is applied, the probe head 170 deforms downward, and some probe pins 171 dislocate from the probe marks 151. Finally, when the probe head 170 curves upward, ends of the probe pins 171 are aiming at the probe marks 151.
The PCB 110 and the probe head 170, however, achieve the stable state in FIGS. 2c and 3d after a period of time. Thus, the testing time is longer.


The disclosed head cover for golf clubs is designed to be conveniently and rapidly placed upon or removed from a head of a golf club. The head cover may include a head receiving part and a shaft receiving part that extends longitudinally from the head receiving part. The shaft receiving part can have the shape of a bird bill and may comprise facing upper and lower mandibles. The mandibles may be the same length and be formed by two slots which extend in parallel from opposite sides of an end opening to the head receiving part. A fastening member can be provided on each of the upper and lower mandibles and may detachably fasten the mandibles to each other by a magnetic force. The fastening member may include magnets and a metal plate.

The present invention relates generally to a head cover for golf clubs, and more particularly to a head cover for golf clubs, which is suitable for covering the head of a golf club, especially a driver or wood.
FIG. 1 is a head cover for a driver, which is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0016648 (published on Jan. 27, 2005). The head cover 1 for golf clubs, according to this document, includes a head receiving part 2 and a shaft receiving part 3, which integrally extends from the head receiving part 2. The shaft receiving part 3 has on an end thereof an opening 4. A slot 5 extends from a position on the opening 4 to the head receiving part 2 and is expanded into a "V" shape. Further, the head cover includes a fastening member 6 to fasten both edges of the slot 5 to each other. A head cover for golf clubs, having the same construction, is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,627 (issued Apr. 5, 2005), which shows a fastening member of the head cover comprising a hook means or a magnet. However, the fastening means of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0016648 is limited to a magnet.
In the above-mentioned head cover 1 for golf clubs, the slot 5 may be expanded into a "V" shape so that the head cover 1 is placed upon or removed from a head portion of a golf club. However, it is very complicated to completely open the slot 5. Moreover, even when the slot 5 is completely opened, a passage for the club head is so narrow that it is inconvenient and difficult to put on or remove the head cover 1. Thus, if excessive force is applied to put on or remove the head cover 1, the slot 5 may be undesirably torn at an end 7 thereof.


A spigot for a beverage container includes a body having a passage with first and second ends formed therethrough. An annular shoulder extends into the passage proximate the first end thereof and an annular valve seat is formed proximate the second end. An elastomeric plunger positioned in the passage includes a button with a sealing flange seated against the annular shoulder and a valve head biased against the valve seat. The body further includes a plurality of fins extending radially into the passage, each fin has a first end adjacent the annular shoulder such that the first ends contact the sealing flange as the button is depressed. The fins act to inhibit the sealing flange from coming unseated from the shoulder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spigots for beverage dispensers of the type used for serving iced tea (including sun tea), margaritas, sangria, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A common type of spigot used for dispensing beverages from containers such as sun tea jars, margarita buckets, and the like includes a body having a threaded male connector for installation into an opening formed in a lower portion of an outer wall of the container. A horizontal passage extending through the connector communicates with a vertical passage having top and bottom ends. An elastomeric plunger extends through the vertical passage. The top end of the plunger includes a button and a sealing flange which seals the upper end of the vertical passage. The lower end of the plunger includes a valve head which seals against a valve seat formed in the lower end on the vertical passage. Pushing downwardly on the button causes the valve head to move away from the valve seat and thereby allows a beverage to flow out of the beverage container. The sealing flange further acts as a spring to move the valve head back into sealing engagement with the valve seat when the button is released.
A problem with this prior art spigot is that an excessive or off-center force applied to the button can cause an edge of the sealing flange to be pushed downwardly into the vertical passage, thereby creating a gap between the sealing flange and the body. This gap will cause the beverage to leak out of the container, or, in some cases, to spray outwardly and onto the user. This is especially prone to happen when alcoholic beverages are being served and the users' motor skills may be adversely affected.
What is needed is an improved spigot which has means to prevent the edge of the sealing flange from being pushed into the vertical passage so that such spills can be avoided.


The invention presented relates to a septic system which doses effluent into a disposal field. More particularly, the invention includes a relatively water-tight walled structure capable of accumulating a volume of septic tank effluent; a disposal field dosing system having at least one outlet conduit having an outlet end and an inlet end; a stand pipe which extends from each of the outlet conduits towards the top of the structure; a float having a chamber having an opening on an upper surface thereof; at least one feed conduit having an inlet end located within the chamber and an outlet end in operative connection with the inlet end of the outlet conduit; and a jointed coupler which forms the operative connection between the feed conduit(s) and outlet conduits.

Dosing systems for septic fields have been suggested in the past, generally involving the use of siphons or pumps. However, pumps are a potential source of trouble and consume energy. They are expensive and complex to install and should be used only when the disposal field is at a higher elevation than the outlet of the septic tank. Siphons are simple and rely on gravity to operate but they are also disadvantageous. Because of their downward projecting trap, siphons are difficult to incorporate into a precast concrete structure and require extensive work to install in the field. Siphons rely upon a small diameter vent tube to operate, which is prone to clog, rendering the siphon inoperable. They also waste elevation to achieve sufficient "draw down" which can be a problem in installations with minimal elevation changes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,323, Ball proposes a pump-driven septic system which provides dosing of effluent into a septic field. However, as discussed above, the use of a pump has disadvantages, due to breakdown and energy consumption. Accordingly, pumps should only be incorporated where the disposal field is at a higher elevation than the outlet of the septic tank, which requires the energy needed to pump the effluent "up hill".
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,731, Gavin proposes a dosing "box" for a septic system having a pivoting tray with a counterweight. The tray is filled with effluent as it enters the tank and when the weight of effluent in the tray overcomes the counterweight, the tray tips and spills its contents to the septic tank outlet. Once emptied, the tray then returns to its upright position. The use of such a tray, however, can be undesirable because of its limited size. In fact, Gavin specifies that the tray of his invention is 2.3 gallons in volume. This is a significant limitation since the flow of effluent into the septic tank is not completely uniform and the tray of Gavin can easily be overwhelmed by the inflow of effluent.


Apparatus and methods are disclosed for increasing the illuminance at a mask used for proximity-type microlithography and for achieving increases in throughput. A mask defining a pattern is illuminated by an illumination optical system. The pattern is transferred to a workpiece separated from the mask by a prescribed standoff. The mask and workpiece can be relatively moved in a scan direction. With respect to the illumination optical system, the workpiece-side numerical aperture in a first direction on the plane of the mask is different from the workpiece-side numerical aperture in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, on the plane of the mask. A reflective-type relay optical system can be included that comprises first and second spherical mirrors that do not produce chromatic aberrations.

Microlithography apparatus are conventionally used to transfer a desired pattern, defined by a mask or reticle, to a sensitized substrate (i.e., a substrate surface coated with a suitable photoresist or other photosensitive resin). The mask is typically formed by vapor deposition of a film of chromium or other suitable metal on a glass or analogous transparent material. The mask is irradiated with actinic light; light passing through the mask "prints" the mask pattern on the sensitive substrate.
Generally, microlithography apparatus and methods include (1) projection exposure, wherein the image on the mask is printed on the sensitive substrate using a projection optical system; (2) contact-exposure, wherein the mask and sensitized substrate directly contact each other during exposure of the sensitive substrate with the mask pattern; and (3) proximity-exposure, wherein the mask pattern is transferred to the sensitive substrate by irradiating the mask while the mask and the sensitized substrate are separated slightly from each other.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional proximity-exposure apparatus. Illuminant light is produced by a light source 1 and condensed by an elliptical mirror 2 to form a light-source image. Light from the light-source image is reflected by a planar mirror 3, converted into a substantially collimated beam by a collimating lens 4, and is incident upon a fly-eye lens 5. The fly-eye lens 5 splits the incident collimated light beam into a number of wavefronts, thereby forming multiple light-source images at the exit side of the fly-eye lens. Light from the multiple light-source images passes through, e.g., an aperture stop S defining a usually circular aperture. The light is condensed by a condenser optical system comprising a single concave mirror 6 having a front focal point at the location of the multiple light-source images. Light reflected from the concave mirror 6 illuminates a mask 7 placed superposedly relative to the sensitized substrate 8 (also termed herein a "workpiece"). The workpiece 8 is separated from the mask 7 by a prescribed small distance termed herein the "standoff." The illuminant light passing through transparent regions of the mask 7 are incident on the workpiece 8, thereby "transferring" the pattern defined by the mask 7 to the workpiece 8.
In conventional proximity-type microlithography apparatus as summarized above, the illuminance at the mask 7 and the obtainable resolution at the workpiece 8 are determined by the mask-side numerical aperture (NA) of the condenser optical system 4. More specifically, where B is the luminance of the light source 1, NA is the mask-side numerical aperture of the condenser optical system 4, and T is the transmittance of the optical system, the illuminance E at the mask is given by the following: EQU E=.pi..multidot.B.multidot.NA.sup.2 .multidot.T (1)
In conventional proximity-type microlithography apparatus, the luminance B is fixed. The NA of the illumination striking the mask 7 is also constant and is not a function of the direction of propagation of the illumination light. The NA, however, is dictated by the resolution required for transferring the mask pattern to the sensitive substrate. Due to problems arising from diffraction, the NA must be small whenever a large resolving power is required. I.e., as the mask-side NA of the condenser optical system is increased, edge regions of pattern features of the mask 7 are transferred to the workpiece 8 with less definition, i.e., the resolution with which the mask pattern is transferred to the workpiece deteriorates (FIG. 2).
With conventional proximity microlithography apparatus, it has frequently not been possible to obtain a desired illuminance of the workpiece while also ensuring attainment of a required pattern-transfer resolution. The only way to increase the illuminance E at the mask 7 in order to improve throughput while maintaining resolution is to increase the luminance B of the light source 1. This requires a light source 1 having greater output intensity, which means greater size of and heat generation by the light source 1. This, in turn, results in unwanted increases in size and complexity of the lamp unit used as the light source.

Proximity-type microlithography apparatus and method


A device may receive a first sample. The device may identify a plurality of second samples that are similar to the first sample. The plurality of second samples may correspond to service tickets that have previously been processed. The device may obtain or determine log information identifying a plurality of events associated with the first sample. The device may determine respective probabilities of occurrence corresponding to the plurality of second samples. A probability of occurrence, for a particular second sample, may identify a likelihood of receiving a corresponding service ticket within a particular time period of occurrence of the plurality of events. The device may assign ranks to the plurality of second samples based on the respective probabilities of occurrence. The device may provide information identifying the ranks and the plurality of second samples.

An application may be implemented on one or more devices. Users may interact with the application and/or the one or more devices. When a user encounters aberrant (e.g., anomalous, deviant, peculiar, abnormal, etc.) behavior of the application, the user, or a device associated with the user, may report the aberrant behavior to an application management entity so that the entity can log and/or resolve a cause of the aberrant behavior. For example, the user may generate a service ticket that includes a textual description of the aberrant behavior.

Automated inference of evidence from log information


An approach for integrated development environment (IDE)-based program code library consolidation in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment) is provided. Under this approach, it may be determined whether to consolidate a first set of program code libraries in an integrated development environment (IDE). The determination may be based on consolidation criteria applicable to the first set of program code libraries. Based on the determination, the first set of program code libraries may be consolidated based on a set of consolidation preferences and a set of consolidation rules to yield a second set of program code libraries. An ordered list identifying the second set of program code libraries may then be generated.

A code repository is typically a searchable, categorized, and/or Internet accessible location that users may access to browse, search, and download source or compiled library code. Uses of code repositories may include open source projects, proprietary development projects, and/or projects that create libraries for later use. A code annotation is a special form of syntactic metadata that can be added to source code. Classes, methods, variables, parameters, and/or code packages may be annotated. Unlike comments, annotations may be actionable in that they may be embedded in files generated by a compiler, and may be utilized by an execution environment to be retrievable at run-time. A code library is a collection of resources used to develop software. Such resources may include pre-written code and subroutines, classes, values, or type specifications. Code libraries may contain program code and/or data that provide services to independent programs. Such an implementation allows for program code and/or data to be shared and changed in a modular fashion. Challenges may exist, however, when a search of code libraries results in multiple code libraries being identified. Specifically, it may be difficult to efficiently and/or accurately select a particular program code library from within an IDE.

Program code library consolidation in an integrated development environment

International Business Machines Corporation


A cartoon drawer with built-in lamp comprises a disk, a tank formed on the central portion of the disk, a ground glass plate placed upon the tank and covering the tank to allow the light of lamp within the tank to transmit therethrough, a pair of positioning rulers placed on the top/bottom sided of tank respectively, and a pair of fixing plates placed on the outer sides of the rulers to guide the lateral sliding of the ruler. By using this arrangement, the cartoon drawer has a built-in lamp and the user only needs to place the cartoon drawer with the built-in lamp within the aperture of the cartoon-drawing table.

The playback of an animated cartoon is performed by displaying continuously a series of picture frame thereof with an interval short enough to cause the visual attention of viewers. Because there is only a slight difference between consecutive picture frames, i.e., the still background is almost the same and the animated portion has only slight differences, the production of an animated cartoon can utilize this property to save production effort. After finishing the first picture frame, the second picture frame can be produced with relative ease by overlapping a tracing paper upon the first picture frame that is already finished and drawing only the distinction portion. The subsequent picture frames can be produced in a similar way.
A cartoon drawer is intended to facilitate the above procedures such as overlapping of tracing papers and shifting an upper an tracing paper to the desired position for painting.
The conventional cartoon drawing apparatus generally comprises a drawer, a drawing table and a lighting lamp. As shown in FIG. 1, the drawer of the conventional cartoon drawing apparatus generally comprises a casement (1), a ground glass (2) and upper/lower positioning rulers (3), wherein the casement (1) is disk-shaped and has a hollow central portion for accommodating the ground glass (2). Moreover, a pair of grooves (11) parallel to each other are formed on the casement (1) and located adjacent to the top and bottom side of the ground glass (2), respectively. The rulers and (3) are strip-shaped and can move within the grooves (11) in a lateral direction.
As shown in FIG. 2, the drawer with the casement (1), the ground glass (2) and the upper/lower positioning rulers (3) has the following arrangement. The casement (1) is placed within an aperture (41) formed on the top surface of the drawing table (4). A lighting lamp (5) is placed within the aperture (41). The tracing paper is illuminated by the light emitted from the lamp (5) through aperture (41) and the ground glass (2). Meanwhile, the tracing paper to be painted is placed upon the tracing paper already finished and the image of underlying paper can emerge by exposure to the light of the lamp (5). The cartoon creator can conveniently draw the upper paper by reference to the image of the underlying paper.
However, there are some drawbacks in a conventional cartoon drawing apparatus in that the manufacture of the drawer, the drawing, table and the lamp involves different levels of skill. The cartoon creators often need to buy the three components separately and set up by themselves. And worse, sometimes the lamp should be tailored to meet a special requirement. Although there are commercially-available drawing, apparatus which contain all the components, those components are manufactured separately and the cost is accordingly high. Moreover, the design of the drawer makes it difficult to use with another table.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cartoon drawer with built-in lamp to overcome above drawbacks and save cost. The cartoon drawer with built-in lamp according to the present invention comprises a disk, a tank formed in the central portion of the disk, a ground glass plate placed upon the tank and covering the tank to allow the light of lamp within the tank to transmit therethrough, a pair of positioning rulers placed on the top/bottom sides of tank respectively, and a pair of the fixing plates placed on the outer side of the ruler respectively to guide the ruler laterally. By using, this arrangement, the cartoon drawer has a built-in lamp and the user only needs to place the cartoon drawer with built-in lamp within the aperture of the cartoon-drawing, table without the problem of buying and setting-up a lamp. Moreover, the user can utilize a common drawing table by forming an aperture of suitable size on the top surface of the common drawing table, thus saving cost.

1st. Fl., No. 10, Lane 45, Jiu-Lu-Tu Street