A process for making cerium-containing nanoparticles with biocompatible stabilizers is described, wherein an aqueous reaction mixture comprising cerous ion, citric acid, a stabilizer (chelator) selected from the group consisting of nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, and an oxidant, is provided, followed by a heating step to effectively form the nanoparticles. These biocompatible nanoparticles can be used to treat oxidative stress related diseases and events, such as ischemic stroke.

Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, and in particular, neurodegenerative diseases. Treatment with antioxidants, which may reduce particular free radical species, therefore, might theoretically prevent tissue damage and improve both survival and neurological outcome. Free radicals in physiological environments can often be classified as either a reactive oxygen species (ROS) or a reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Free radicals are highly reactive chemical species and readily react with proteins, lipids and nucleic acids at a subcellular level and thereby contribute to the progression of various diseases and events producing oxidative stress, such as ischemic stroke.
The origin of the use of nanoceria in nano-medicine can be traced to the seminal work of Bailey and Rzigalinski, wherein the application of ultrafine cerium oxide particles to brain cells in culture was observed to greatly enhanced cell survivability, as described by Rzigalinski in Nanoparticles and Cell Longevity, Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment 4(6), 651-659 (2005). More particularly, rat brain cell cultures in vitro were shown to survive approximately 3-4 times longer when treated with 2-10 nanometer (nm) sized cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesized by a reverse micelle micro emulsion technique, as disclosed by Rzigalinski et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,534,453, filed Sep. 4, 2003. Cultured brain cells exposed to a lethal dose of free radicals generated by hydrogen peroxide or ultraviolet light exposures were afforded considerable protection by the cerium oxide nanoparticles. In addition, the cerium oxide nanoparticles were reported to be relatively inert in the murine body, with low toxicity (e.g. tail vein injections produced no toxic effects). While no in vivo medical benefits were reported, benefits were postulated for treatments with these ceria nanoparticles, including reduced inflammation associated with wounds, implants, arthritis, joint disease, vascular disease, tissue aging, stroke and traumatic brain injury.
However, a host of problems with these particular nanoceria particles was subsequently disclosed by Rzigalinski et al. in WO 2007/002662. Nanoceria produced by this reverse micelle micro emulsion technique suffered from several problems: (1) particle size was not well-controlled within the reported 2-10 nanometer (nm) range, making variability between batches high; (2) tailing of surfactants, such as sodium bis(ethylhexyl)sulphosuccinate, also known as docusate sodium or (AOT), used in the process into the final product caused toxic responses; (3) inability to control the amount of surfactant tailing posed problems with agglomeration when these nanoparticles were placed in biological media, resulting in reduced efficacy and deliverability; and (4) instability of the valence state of cerium (+3/+4) over time. Thus, the cerium oxide nanoparticles produced by the reverse micelle micro emulsion technique were highly variable from batch to batch, and showed higher than desired toxicity to mammalian cells.
As an alternative, Rzigalinski et al. in WO 2007/002662 describe the biological efficacy of nanoceria synthesized by high temperature techniques, obtained from at least three commercial sources. These new sources of cerium oxide nanoparticles were reported to provide superior reproducibility of activity from batch to batch. It was further reported that, regardless of source, cerium oxide particles having a small size, narrow size distribution, and low agglomeration rate are most advantageous. In regard to size, this disclosure specifically teaches that in embodiments where particles are taken into the interior of cells, the preferable size range of particles that are taken into the cell are from about 11 nm to about 50 nm, such as about 20 nm. In embodiments where particles exert their effects on cells from outside the cells, the preferable size range of these extracellular particles is from about 11 nm to about 500 nm.
These inventors (Rzigalinski et al.) also report that for delivery, the nanoparticles were advantageously in a non-agglomerated form. To accomplish this, they reported that stock solutions of about 10% by weight could be sonicated in ultra-high purity water or in normal saline prepared with ultra-high purity water. However, as others have noted, we have observed that sonicated aqueous dispersions of nanoceria synthesized by high temperature techniques (e.g. obtained from commercial sources) are highly unstable, and settle rapidly (i.e. within minutes), causing substantial variability in administering aqueous dispersions of nanoceria derived from these sources.
Hardas et al., Toxicological Sciences 116(2), 562-576 (2010), report on the biodistribution and toxicology effects of aqueous dispersions of nanoceria prepared by the direct two-step hydrothermal preparation of Masui et al., J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 21, 489-491 (2002), in which sodium citrate is included as a biocompatible stabilizer. High resolution TEM revealed that this form of nanoceria possessed crystalline polyhedral particle morphology with sharp edges and a narrow size distribution of 4-6 nm. These citrate stabilized ceria nanoparticle dispersions were reported to be stable for more than 2 months at a physiological pH of 7.35. Thus, no sonication prior to administration was required.
Quite surprisingly, however, they report that compared with previously studied commercially sourced nanoceria (Aldrich Chemical Co. (Cat. #639648)), this form of citrate stabilized nanoceria was more toxic, was not seen in the brain, and produced little oxidative stress effect to the hippocampus and cerebellum.
DiFrancesco et al. in commonly assigned PCT/US2007/077545, METHOD OF PREPARING CERIUM DIOXIDE NANOPARTICLES, filed Sep. 4, 2007, describes the oxidation of cerous ion by hydrogen peroxide at low pH (<4.5) in the presence of biocompatible stabilizers, such as citric acid (CA), lactic acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and combinations thereof. Specifically, the stabilizer lactic acid and the combination of lactic acid and EDTA are shown to directly produce stable dispersions of nanoceria of average particle size in the range of 3-8 nm.
Reed et al. in commonly assigned US2013/0337083, NANOCERIA FOR THE TREATMENT OF OXIDATIVE STRESS, filed Mar. 15, 2013, describes a synergistic increase in hippocampal cell sparing for mice treated with nanoceria prepared with a combination of citric acid (CA) and EDTA, wherein the molar ratio of CA/EDTA ranges from 3.0 to 0.1. Amelioration of disease progression and improvement in motor behavior tests resulted in murine models of chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis, relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ischemic reperfusion injury.
As described previously, various methods have been reported for preparing biocompatible dispersions of cerium-containing nanoparticles, and in particular those stabilized with citric acid or citrate ion. However, a need remains for further improvement in the free radical scavenging ability of citric acid stabilized cerium-containing nanoparticle dispersions, used, for example, to treat the effects of oxidative stress related diseases and events, such as ischemic stroke.

Chelated nanoceria for the treatment of oxidative stress


Smoking article components, cigarettes, methods for making cigarettes and methods for smoking cigarettes are provided that use nitrided transition metal oxide nanoscale particles and/or nitrided transition metal oxide clusters capable of catalyzing and/or oxidizing carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and/or adsorbing carbon monoxide and catalyzing and/or reducing nitric oxide to nitrogen and/or adsorbing nitric oxide. Cut filler compositions, cigarette paper and cigarette filter material can comprise nitrided transition metal oxide nanoscale particles and/or nitrided transition metal oxide clusters.

Smoking articles, such as cigarettes or cigars, produce both mainstream smoke during a puff and sidestream smoke during static burning. Constituents of both mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke are carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO). The reduction of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in smoke is desirable.
Despite the developments to date, there remains an interest in improved and more efficient methods and compositions for reducing the amount of carbon monoxide in the mainstream smoke of a cigarette during smoking.

Reduction of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in smoking articles using iron oxynitride


In a method of making a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, a metal plate is contoured and preformed in at least one shaping step into a tubular body. Subsequently, the tubular body is end-formed into the structural part by internal high-pressure application while free contact regions snugly bear upon one another. The structural part is at least partially heated and quenched in a holding tool acted upon with a coolant.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, and to a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger vehicle.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved method of manufacturing a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, and an improved structural part of a motor vehicle, to obviate prior art shortcomings and to enable a cross section reduction of the structural part while yet increasing rigidity thereof.

Method of manufacturing a tubular structural part, and tubular structural part


A device for removing circumferential burrs of a wheel with high precision includes an electric cylinder, a lifting table, guide rails, an electric cylinder, a sliding block, a plurality of sensors, a rim burr cutter, a riser burr cutter, and the like. The device can simultaneously remove circumferential burrs from the flange edge, the outer rim and the riser slot edge, which eliminates the error caused by coaxial degree deviation, so that the rotating center of the cutters coincides with the circumferential center of the burrs. The device is configured to provide high-precision removal of burrs from the flange edge, and high-precision removal of burrs from the outer rim and the riser.

At present, the turning process of a wheel mainly comprises a first turning and a second turning. The inner wheel flange, inner rim, back-cavity in spoke and center hole of flange of the wheel are machined by the first turning, wherein a ring of burrs is produced at the junction of the back-cavity of the spoke and the flange face. The outer wheel flange and the riser of the wheel are machined by the second turning, wherein a ring of burrs remains at the edge of the outer wheel flange, and a ring of burrs also remains at the edge of the riser. Since the above three kinds of burrs are circumferential burrs, it is difficult to ensure the roundness of pieces by manual removal. The poor roundness leads to not only an unqualified appearance, but also uneven coverage of a paint film which would be prone to corrosion. Therefore, the circumferential burrs need to be removed by automatic equipment. Since the first turning and the second turning are completed on two lathes, there is coaxial deviation between them, that is, the burrs at the flange face produced in the first turning may not be coaxial with the burrs at the wheel flange and the riser produced in the second turning. In order to realize high-precision removal of burrs, as it is impossible to enable the burrs produced in the first and second turning to be machined by coaxial cutters, it is needed to eliminate the error caused by the coaxial deviation, that is, to enable the coincidence of the rotating center of the cutters with the circumferential center of the burrs.

Device for removing circumferential burrs of wheel with high precision


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, the method being adapted so that throat height of a main magnetic pole piece of a perpendicular recording magnetic head can be controlled with high accuracy. According to one embodiment, a first Electrical Lapping Guide element (ELG) is disposed on the same layer as a plated underlayer of a shield of one write head in a row bar, and other ELGs are disposed on the same layer as that of a main magnetic pole piece of another write head. Front end positions (Tops) are detected from changes in resistance values of the other ELGs and an ending position of lapping is calculated. Since the front end positions (Tops) of the other ELGs are accurate, it is possible to assign a correlation to throat height “Th” of the main magnetic pole piece and the resistance value of the first ELG by detecting this resistance value existing when the front end positions (Tops) are detected.

Magnetic disk drives for use as the external storage devices of information-processing apparatuses such as computers are required to have higher recording capacities, and are therefore improved primarily in recording density in order to meet this requirement. Enhancing density by using a conventional longitudinal magnetic recording scheme, however, poses the problem that since a large diamagnetic field occurs in the transition region of magnetization on the medium, reduction in the recording layer film thickness thereof is required and recorded data is consequently lost by thermal confusion. Meanwhile, for the perpendicular magnetic recording scheme where a recording magnetization process for the medium is conducted in its film thickness direction, high recording density is easy to achieve, since the diamagnetic field occurring in the magnetization transition region is small and thus since the necessity for the reduction in the film thickness of the medium is not too substantial.
When a signal is recorded on a perpendicular recording medium by using a perpendicular recording magnetic head, the electrical signal is converted into a magnetic signal by a coil and thus the main and subsidiary magnetic pole pieces of the head are excited to generate magnetic fluxes. Part of these magnetic fluxes flow from the subsidiary magnetic pole piece and after moving past the area between the main and subsidiary magnetic pole pieces, penetrate the perpendicular recording layer of the recording medium. After this, a closed loop is formed that returns to the subsidiary magnetic pole piece through the soft magnetic underlayer located below the perpendicular recording layer. At this time, the subsidiary magnetic pole piece is used to return the magnetic fluxes that have occurred at the perpendicular recording layer and soft magnetic underlayer of the recording medium, from the main magnetic pole piece to the subsidiary magnetic pole piece efficiently and magnetically. The magnetic fluxes flow in this manner to record a magnetizing signal on the perpendicular recording medium.
To improve recording density in the perpendicular recording scheme, it is necessary to process the element height of the read head and that of the write head very accurately. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-48806 ("Patent Document 1") describes a technique that allows both the element height (throat height) of a write head and the element height (sensor height) of a read head to be controlled by using the procedure below. First, a special detection pattern for air bearing surface processing of the read head and a special detection pattern for air bearing surface processing of the write head are provided in respective sections that operate as sliders. Next, the air bearing surface of the write head is lapped while the element height (throat height) thereof is being monitored by using the detection pattern for air bearing surface processing, and during this monitoring process, the special detection pattern for air bearing surface processing of the read head as well is monitored. It is also described that during air bearing surface lapping of the write and read heads, the resistance values of the processing detection patterns for the heads are checked and if the throat height of the write head is found to be large in comparison with the sensor height of the read head, the air bearing surface of the write head is lapped at a tilt to reduce the throat height thereof.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-317069 ("Patent Document 2") describes a technique that the processing accuracy of throat height TH as well as that of magnetoresistive (MR) element height can be enhanced by using the procedure below. First, on the air bearing surface of a bar, a plurality of first resistive films are provided at the same layer positions as those of the MR element, and a plurality of second resistive films are provided at the same layer positions as those of a recording gap. Next, the resistance values of the first and second resistive films are measured while the air bearing surface of the bar is being lapped, and the amounts of lapping of the air bearing surface in a longitudinal direction and minor-axis direction thereof are controlled on the basis of the respective resistance values of the first resistive films and those of the second resistive films.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-67408 ("Patent Document 3") describes a technique in which, during the lapping of a read head such as an MR head or giant MR head, a first ELG (Electrical Lapping Guide) element larger than the read head in element height and a second ELG element of the same shape as that of the read head are provided. Then the element height of the read head is controlled to be a required dimensional accuracy while being monitored with the first ELG element, and the element resistance value of the read head is controlled to be a required value while being monitored with the second ELG element.
In the above conventional techniques, the throat height of the write head and the sensor height of the read head are controlled by measuring the resistance values of the ELG elements (processing detection patterns) that are correlated with the throat height and the sensor height. There is the problem, however, that since the write head ELG element patterning of the perpendicular recording magnetic head is conducted by ion milling primarily from the air bearing surface side of the write head simultaneously with the formation of the main magnetic pole piece, swarf by ion milling re-sticks to the edge opposite to the air bearing surface of the ELG element and makes the resistance value of this ELG element unstable. If the resistance value of the ELG element becomes unstable and nonuniform, lapping the throat height section of the main magnetic pole piece that is required to be dimensionally accurate cannot be controlled with high accuracy.
Since the front end positions of the write ELGs of a perpendicular recording magnetic head are determined during ion milling from the air bearing surface side simultaneously with the formation of the main magnetic pole piece, fragments of the material lapped will re-stick to the edge at the opposite side to the air bearing surface of each ELG, resulting in unstable ELG resistance values. The instability and nonuniformity of ELG resistance values do not make highly accurate lapping control of the throat height of the main magnetic pole piece.

Method for manufacturing a magnetic head slider

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


In a recording apparatus capable of effecting time-division drive, in a predetermined sequence, the plural blocks formed by dividing plural recording elements of a recording head, if the time-division drive is started from the blocks in the lower half of the recording head as in a reduced image recording operation, the timing of the time-division drive is delayed from the ordinary timing, in order to prevent aberration in the print position in the recorded image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus capable of driving a recording head consisting of plural recording elements by time-division drive.
2. Related Background Art
With the recent commercialization of the information processing equipment such as copying machines, word processors and computers, and other communication equipment, digital image recording apparatus such as those employing a recording system or thermal transfer recording system are rapidly becoming popular for image output for the above-mentioned equipment. Such recording apparatus generally employs a recording head consisting of an array of plural recording elements (hereinafter after called multi-element head) for the purpose of increasing the recording speed. For example, in the ink jet recording, there is generally employed a so-called multi-nozzle head in which a plurality of ink discharge openings 100 and ink channels are integrally formed, and in the thermal or thermal transfer recording head, there are generally integrated plural heater elements.
For such multi-nozzle head, there is usually employed time-division driving method by dividing said head into plural blocks. Since the divided blocks are driven at different timings and the recording head performs scanning motion even between such different timings, there is generated a slight aberration in the position of recording. For compensating such aberration, the recording head is inclined as shown in FIG. 1.
Because of such inclined positioning of the head 30, the positions of the prints are aligned linearly, though the recording operations of the neighboring blocks are different by t.sub.b in time.
It is also possible to activate arbitrary ones among plural blocks of the recording head, as shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), which illustrate, as an example, the procedure of recording an input image in a size reduced to 1/2. At first blocks (digits) 9 to 16 (cf. FIG. 4) are blocked, and digits 1 to 8 are activated to record a 1/2-reduced image with the upper half of the recording head and with the main scanning motion (FIG. 2(A)). Then the digits 1 to 8 are blocked, while the digits 9 to 16 are activated to record a next 1/2-reduced image with the lower half of the recording head, with the main scanning motion but without the sub scanning motion (FIG. 2(B)).
In this example, each digit consists of 8 pixels or dots, so that the recording head can record 16.times.8=128 dots at a time.
A reduced print image shown in FIG. 2(B) can be obtained in this manner. Although satisfactory image quality can be obtained in the unreduced image, the image quality is deteriorated in the reduced image recording since the recording of the second line becomes aberrated from that of the first line, as shown in FIG. 2(b). Said aberration in the reduced image recording results from an aberration in the on-timing of the digits, as will be explained in the following with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 4 shows the on-timing of the digits of the ink jet recording head at unreduced image recording. In every line, the digits are turned on sequentially from digit 1 to 16, in synchronization with basic clock signals. The on-timing of the digits in the reduced image recording is same as that of the unreduced image recording for the upper half (cf. FIG. 2(A)), but is different from that for the lower half (FIG. 2(B)). FIG. 3 shows the on-timing of the digits 9 to 16, wherein (a) and (b) respectively show the timing in reduced image recording and in unreduced image recording. It will be understood that the timing for each digit is different by a time Ta for these two recording modes.
The conventional driving method, as explained in the foregoing, has resulted in an aberration in the obtained print, since the drive timing is not changed according to the change in the sequence of time-division drive.

Recording apparatus and method by time-division drive


A safety airbag, comprising: an airbag (2) having a side air curtain (21) and a front air bag (22); an gas-guiding bag (3), which guides gas generated from a gas generator (4) into the airbag (2); and a backflow prevention assembly (7), which is connected to the gas-guiding bag (3) and which may prevent the gas in the front air bag (22) from flowing back to the side air curtain (21) when the front air bag (22) is extruded. The safety airbag may protect a occupant's head and effectively lessen the impact on the head or neck of the occupant.

The safety airbag is used to provide effective collision protection for occupants in the event of a vehicle crash. In general, in the event of a side collision, a side curtain airbag is used as a safety airbag device for protecting the head of the occupant, which can simultaneously protect multiple rows of occupants.
A traditional side curtain airbag is generally mounted on a side metal panel, extending from a front pillar to a rear pillar of a vehicle, located above interiors of the pillars, and covered by an edge of a roof so that such side curtain airbag is invisible inside the vehicle. When the vehicle is subjected to a side impact, the side curtain airbag will be inflated rapidly upon an activating signal transmitted from the electronic control unit (ECU), and the side curtain airbag will push the roof away, expand downward across the interiors, cover a side window area, and form a protection cushion between a side of the seat and the vehicle body interior, thereby forming buffer areas between a head of an occupant and the vehicle body and between the head of the occupant and an outer rigid structure, to protect the head of the occupant. The traditional side curtain airbag may form a front seat side protection air chamber and a rear seat side protection air chamber, which may protect a side area from the front pillar to the rear pillar.
In the event of a front impact, the safety airbag device that can protect the heads of the front occupants generally includes a driver safety airbag and a front passenger safety airbag. For the rear occupants, only safety belts are generally used for protection. However, in regulatory tests, for example according to China-New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP), the overall safety rating of the vehicle may be lowered due to many scores lost by lacking of airbag protection for the head and neck of the dummy on the rear seat.
In an actual collision accident, the collision generally has a certain collision angle, that is, there are both forward and lateral collision components. Therefore, for the occupants, if only the side curtain airbag is deployed, the protection effect is incomplete. In the past, it has been proposed to mount safety airbags on the back of the front seats to provide front-side collision protection for the rear occupants. However, this solution requires an addition of safety airbags on the back of the front seats, which will lead a lot of complicated issues to seat structure, cost, control strategies, and so on. Therefore, the feasibility of the solution is so low that it still cannot be applied to the market.
In addition, an actual investigation showed that in traffic accidents, small offset collisions accounted for 25% of the all front-side collision accidents and 15% of all traffic accidents. As a result, manufacturers of high-end vehicles began to test vehicles with the small offset collisions. For this type of collision, a typical energy-absorbing structure in the vehicle body, such as a bumper and a front longitudinal beam, cannot function properly. Therefore, this poses a higher requirement for the safety of vehicle, especially for the protection performance of airbags. And from August 2012, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced a 25% front-side offset collision for evaluation. In the 25% small offset collision process, due to the effect of inertia, the driver's head easily slides into a space between the driver side airbag and the side curtain airbag. Due to the absence of airbag protection at this location, it is easy to make the driver's head directly in contact with the rigid plastic board of A-pillar and cause an excessive damage. Therefore, it causes poor front-side protection effect for front occupants.
In summary, the traditional vehicle safety airbag systems cannot provide front-side collision protection for occupants. Therefore, the traditional vehicle safety airbag systems have the technical problem of being unable to provide comprehensive collision protection for occupants.

Yanfeng Automotive Safety Systems Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Lingang Joyson Safety Systems Co., Ltd.


Disclosed is a technique for generating a relational view. Initially, identification of a base model, a relational schema, and a ViewType are received. Then, a statement to create a relational view of the instance data for the base model using the ViewType is automatically generated.

1. Field
The present invention is related to generating a relational view for a base model schema.
2. Description of the Related Art
An Essential Meta-Object Facility (EMOF) specification describes a framework for describing and representing metadata (i.e., data describing other data). The EMOF specification provides EMOF model constructs that enable creation of metadata models. A metadata model includes objects described by EMOF classes (defined by the EMOF model), links that connect objects described by EMOF associations, and data values. An EMOF class may include a class name, attributes, operations, association references, and other elements. An association reference enables an EMOF object to be "aware" of being in a relationship with other objects via an association, and the relationship links may be navigated or traversed to get to other data in the model (e.g., to perform operations on objects in a metadata model). An EMOF class may inherit characteristics (e.g., attributes, operations, etc.) from other EMOF classes.
Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a notational language for specifying and visualizing software, (e.g., object-oriented projects) and was developed by the Object Management Group (OMG). An EMOF metadata model may be represented using a UML model. For more information regarding EMOF and UML, see the World Wide Web, omg.org.
When defining an EMOF-based model in a relational database, the resulting relational schema (e.g., a logical classification of database objects in a database) for representing the EMOF-based model may be substantially complex. Consequently, dealing with instance data for classes of the model may also be very complicated.
Additionally, because the EMOF-based model may be a network of many interrelated classes, resulting database tables that hold instance data for the EMOF-based model are likewise all interrelated. In order to write Structured Query Language (SQL) queries against the resulting tables, a user must be familiar with the EMOF-based model as well as the mapping between the EMOF-based model and the relational tables.
Thus, there is a need in the art for more simply defining views for scoping and accessing data in database tables that hold instance data for an EMOF-based model.

Generating a relational view for a base model schema


An external cultivation liquid siphon includes a liquid delivery equipment located in a cultivation liquid storage tank to continuously pump cultivation liquid to a plant cultivation pot and an external siphon equipment to bridge the cultivation liquid storage tank and the plant cultivation pot. The external siphon equipment has a tubular facility with variations in tubular diameters to generate siphonage action to fill the tubular facility with flowing liquid. Thus the cultivation liquid pumped by the liquid delivery equipment to the plant cultivation pot can circulate reciprocally between an upper liquid level and a lower liquid level to cultivate plants.

Aquaponics system functions mainly based on a principle of creature interaction that is existing in the nature. It is an eco-system in which plants, fishes, bacteria or microbes are fundamental elements, and excrements of the fishes are transformed to nutrients of plants. In a broader sense aquaponics is an eco-culture or composite cultivation technique. In practice the system generally adopts an approach of nitrifying waste water of culture farming through bacteria to produce nutrients needed by growing of plants. The waste water is finally transformed to the nutrients needed by the plants and absorbed. The water also is purified in the process. Hence the entire aquaponics system is eventually a closed water circulation system. It provides the advantage of culture farming without the need of changing water and growing vegetables without the need of watering. Meanwhile, the aquaponics system also incorporates microbes activities, hence is an organic cultivation and culture technique, and can provide more natural and healthy foods to people.
A conventional aquaponics system 1 is designed in a concept as shown in FIG. 1. It mainly includes a bell siphon 11 which consists of a bell hood 111, an inner tube 112 and an external air tube 113. The bell hood 111 has a plurality of apertures 114. A cultivation liquid storage tank 12 is provided which has a liquid pumping device 13 located inside to continuously pump liquid to a plant cultivation pot 14. When the cultivation liquid enters the bell hood 111 through the apertures 114 and reaches an upper spot of the inner tube 112, namely the upper liquid level where a plurality of cultivated plants 15 can absorb the cultivation liquid, if the cultivation liquid flows out through the inner tube 112 at a sufficient amount to form a water film and make the pressure inside the bell hood 111 smaller than the external atmospheric pressure, the bell siphon 11 generates a siphonage action, and the external atmospheric pressure pushes the cultivation liquid to flow back to the cultivation liquid storage tank 12. When the cultivation liquid drops to a lower liquid level the external air enters the bell hood 111 via the external air tube 113 to break liquid column and stop the siphonage action, then the cultivation liquid stop flowing back. Therefore the liquid level in the plant cultivation pot 14 reaches the lower liquid level to allow the roots of the cultivated plants to breath with oxygen. At the same time, the liquid pumping device 13 continuously pumps the cultivation liquid until reaching the higher liquid level to achieve circulation of the cultivation liquid, thereby make cultivation of the plants possible.
However, all the present bell siphon 11 adopts the internally built approach and is embedded in the plant cultivation pot 14, and is prone to skewing and results in failure of generating siphonage action desired, or has the inlet of the cultivation liquid jammed by dirt, stones or external objects that prohibits external air from entering the siphon air chamber to break the liquid column This makes the siphonage action fails to stop the liquid pumping device 13 to pump the cultivation liquid to the plant cultivation pot 14 and maintain the siphonage action to allow flow back of the cultivation liquid to the cultivation liquid storage tank 12 to keep liquid balance as desired. Namely, the liquid level in the plant cultivation pot 14 cannot rise to the higher liquid level to allow the plants 15 to get the cultivation liquid, but merely maintain at the lower liquid level, thus fails to achieve the liquid level circulation effect. In addition, the bell siphon 11 also has the external air tube 113 as shown in FIG. 1 to aid entry of external air when the actual liquid level drops to the lower liquid level, but it still does not improve the problems of skewing of the bell siphon 11 installation angle and jamming of the external objects.
Taiwan Patent Nos. M473049, M465006 and I388278 disclose various complex mechanisms that use a timer to interrupt pumping of cultivation liquid. However, the aquaponics system basically aims to adopt the concept of natural circulation function with minimum electronic devices. The aforesaid prior techniques, although can partly fix the problem, actually contradict this concept.


An environment control apparatus having a shell adapted to be placed adjacent to a portable device and a heating element positioned to heat the shell and the adjacently positioned portable device. The heating element includes structure for receiving power from a power source and is selected to maintain the portable device at a temperature above a predetermined minimum temperature.

Portable computer equipment is typically transported in a padded bag or case. The delicate components used to construct the portable equipment require certain environmental conditions. For example, one portable laptop manufacturer has specified the following operating environmental requirements: temperature range 50.degree. F. to 104.degree. F. and relative humidity 10% to 90%. The following non-operating conditions are also specified: temperature range 40.degree. F. to 49.degree. F. and 105.degree. F. to 140.degree. F. and relative humidity 5% to 95%.
The adverse effects of cold and moisture on a portable computer include mechanical failure, electronic failure, deterioration, and data storage difficulties including data loss.
While electronic components operate well in cold temperatures, mechanical components encounter difficulties. For example, the recommended temperature range for operation of a standard floppy disk drive is approximately 40.degree. F. to 115.degree. F. At the low end, the mechanical portions of the disk drive tend to operate sluggishly and with an increased possibility of data storage and retrieval errors. In addition, the silicon material from which the floppy disks are constructed becomes brittle in the cold temperature and may also contribute to potential operating difficulties.
Additional environmental concerns have been raised for equipment which employs a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as "LCD"). The LCD material is known to coagulate at temperatures below 32.degree. F. Exposure to such temperatures may result in the formation of black and white bubbles in the liquid crystal material, which causes a deterioration in the performance of the LCD.
Additional concerns exist due to the formation of condensation on equipment which has been transported from a cold environment to a warm environment. The potential for damage to the electrical system is increased when the computer is powered while condensation is present. The build up of condensation on electrical components may cause electrical problems including failure and/or damage. The effects of moisture, over time, can also cause mechanical failure, corrosion, oxidation and rusting.
At present, the industry recommends that before powering up a computer that was transported from a cold environment, the computer be placed in the warmer environment until the temperature of the computer is substantially the same as that of the warmer environment.
While the gradual temperature equalization associated with waiting before powering the equipment reduces some of the mechanical problems associated with a cold piece of equipment, it fails to offer sufficient protection for the LCD and it requires a substantial amount of temperature equalization time.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transportation environment control device for a portable computer which maintains the transportation environment of the computer at levels which minimize the need to wait before one can safely operate a computer after transporting it through a cold environment.
It is a further objective to provide an environment control device which may be used with an existing computer transporting bag.
It is also a objective to provide an environment control device which is powered by the battery of the portable computer.
It is a further objective to provide an environment control device which is incorporated into a computer transport bag.
It is also an objective to provide an environment control device which incorporates a portable power supply.

Environment control apparatus for use with a portable computer


An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus body, an image carrier for carrying a latent image on its surface, and a developing device for developing the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. A removable member is removably mounted to the apparatus body and positioned in the apparatus body such that a distance between the removable member and a surrounding member around it varies when the removable member is being mounted to or dismounted from the apparatus body. A frame surrounds at least one of the removable member and surrounding member. A contact member contacts, when the removable member is being mounted to or dismounted from the apparatus body, the frame to thereby determine a distance between the removable member and the surrounding member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer or similar image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image carrier, image forming devices for forming a toner image on the image carrier and an image transferring device for transferring the toner image to a sheet or recording medium, wherein the image carrier and one or more of the image forming devices are constructed into an image forming unit removably mounted to the body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
A color image forming apparatus of the type using an intermediate image transfer system belongs to a family of conventional image forming apparatuses. This type of image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoconductive drums or image carriers and a single intermediate image transfer drum facing the drums. Toner images of different colors are sequentially transferred from the drums to the intermediate image transfer belt one above the other, completing a composite color image. The composite color image is then transferred to a sheet or recording medium.
It is likely that the toner images of different colors are shifted in position from each other on the intermediate image transfer belt, resulting in color shift. Color shift is a serious problem when it comes to a color image forming apparatus. To obviate color shift, it has been customary to accurately mount and affix the intermediate image transfer belt and drums to the apparatus body by use of a jig.
The intermediate image transfer belt whose life is usually shorter than the life of the apparatus body must be replaced when the degradation of performance or damage occurs before the life of the apparatus body ends. A specific conventional method of replacing the intermediate image transfer belt will be described hereinafter.
The intermediate image transfer belt is included in a belt unit, which forms part of an image forming unit, together with rollers over which the belt is passed and a frame surrounding the belt and rollers. When the belt unit is disposed in the apparatus body, axially opposite ends of each roller is accurately positioned. The ends of the rollers may be positioned by a specific configuration to be described hereinafter.
In the specific configuration, parallel pins are studded on opposite ends of each roller in such a manner as to extend in the axial direction of the roller. Guide holes are formed in the rear wall of the apparatus body while an opening is formed in the front wall and sized to allow the belt unit to be mounted or dismounted therethrough. A faceplate, which selectively opens or closes the above opening, is also formed with guide holes. Two arms extend from the bottom of the faceplate and are hinged to the apparatus body via a shaft. The faceplate is therefore angularly movable between a horizontal position parallel to a floor and a vertical position perpendicular to the horizontal position. The faceplate covers the opening in the vertical position or uncovers it in the horizontal position. When the belt unit is mounted to the apparatus body, the pins of the rollers each enter one of the guide holes to thereby accurately position the path of the intermediate image transfer belt inside the apparatus body.
For example, assume that developing devices and photoconductive drums are positioned above the intermediate image transfer belt. Then, to dismount the belt unit from the apparatus body, the faceplate is lowered to the horizontal position to uncover the opening with the guide holes of the faceplate being released from the front pins of the rollers. Subsequently, the belt unit is pulled out toward the front of the apparatus body. At this instant, the rear pins of the rollers are released from the guide holes of the rear wall as soon as the belt unit is slightly pulled out. As a result, the belt unit is made free. The belt unit is then fully pulled out of the apparatus body. To mount the belt unit, the belt unit is inserted into the apparatus body via the opening, which is uncovered then, until the rear pins of the rollers mate with the guide holes of the rear wall. Subsequently, the faceplate is raised toward the vertical position to cover the opening with the guide holes of the faceplate mating with the front pins. The belt unit is fully positioned when the faceplate reaches the vertical position.
The user of the apparatus must bear extra expenses every time the user calls a service person for, e.g., the replacement of the intermediate image transfer belt. It is therefore preferable to construct replaceable members into a single unit that can be replaced by the user.
The problem with the conventional belt unit described above is that the intermediate image transfer belt and drums are apt to contact and rub each other in the event of mounting or dismounting of the belt unit. More specifically, the pins of the rollers all are released from the guide holes as soon as the belt unit is slightly pulled toward the front of the apparatus body, as stated earlier. Therefore, if the belt unit shakes when being pulled out, then it is likely to move upward and contact and rub the drums and other members adjoining the intermediate image transfer belt. Such undesirable contact is apt to occur even when the belt unit is being mounted to the apparatus body. As a result, even a member that does not need replacement is scratched or otherwise damaged and must be wastefully replaced. This is particularly true when the user replaces the belt unit.
In light of the above, a space between the drums and the intermediate image transfer belt may be provided with a margin great enough to prevent the drums and intermediate image transfer belt from contacting each other even when the belt unit shakes during mounting or dismounting. This scheme, however, brings about another problem that the size of the apparatus increases in the direction of height.
The problems stated above arise not only with the intermediate image transfer belt but also with, e.g., a sheet conveying belt included in a belt unit mounted on a color image forming apparatus that uses a direct image transfer system.
Not only the belt unit and drums but also some other members must be prevented from contacting each other without a distance therebetween being increased. For example, when a developing device, facing any one of the drums, is removably mounted on the apparatus body, the developing device should preferably be prevented from contacting the drum. Also, when a cleaning unit, including the drum and a drum cleaner, or a process cartridge, including the drum and developing device, is removably mounted on the apparatus body, the cleaning unit or the process cartridge should preferably be prevented from contacting the drum. This is also true with an image forming unit or similar member removably mounted on the apparatus body and apt to shake and contact members therearound during mounting or dismounting.
To prevent the removable member from contacting members therearound, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-325622, for example, proposes an image transferring unit angularly movable about a drive shaft between a contact position where it contacts photoconductive drums and a retracted position where the former is released from the latter. This document teaches that by moving the image transferring unit to the retracted position before the replacement of a drum unit, it is possible to prevent the drums and an image transfer belt from contacting each other. This proposal, however, also needs a margin in the distance between the image transferring unit and the drums when shaking to occur during mounting or dismounting is taken into account.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-235309 discloses a belt unit, including an intermediate image transfer belt, removably mounted on an apparatus body and provided with a positioning block. When the belt unit is to be mounted to the apparatus body, the positioning block of the belt unit is positioned on a guide rail, and then the belt unit is inserted into the apparatus body. Subsequently, to set the belt unit in an operable position, a lift cam lifts the positioning block until the block abuts against a positioning shaft mounted on the apparatus body. As a result, the top of the belt and drums are positioned relative to each other. This allows the user of the apparatus to easily replace the intermediate image transfer belt while accurately positioning the drums and belt relative to each other. However, the positioning block is not lifted by the cam during mounting or dismounting of the belt unit, so that a space exists above at least the side of the belt unit where the positioning block is located. Consequently, the belt and drums are apt to contact each other when the user inadvertently lifts the belt unit during replacement of the belt.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-249508 teaches an image forming unit removably mounted on an apparatus body and made up of a photoconductive drum unit and an intermediate image transferring unit. Guide rails for a photoconductive drum and guide rails for an intermediate image transfer belt are arranged in the apparatus body. To mount or dismount the image forming unit to or from the apparatus body, drum bearings included in the image forming unit are positioned on the drum guide rails. At the same time, bearings mounted on opposite ends of a drive roller, which drives the intermediate image transfer belt, and lugs protruding from opposite side covers of the image forming unit are positioned on the belt guide rails. Subsequently, the image forming unit is slid into or out of the apparatus body. This configuration, however, is apt to bring about shaking because the image forming unit is slid with the bearings or the lugs contacting the guide rails, causing the image forming unit to contact members arranged in the apparatus body.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 6-110261, 11-84985, 11-295952 and 2000-194203.

Image forming apparatus and process cartridge removably mounted thereto


A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for high availability remote centralized data management. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a primary remote centralized data storage storing medical data, and a redundant remote centralized data storage storing a redundant copy of the medical data. In a preferred embodiment, the system also includes a primary data server for storing the medical data in the primary remote centralized data storage. In a preferred embodiment, the primary data server also stores the medical data in the redundant remote centralized data storage. Preferably, the system also includes a redundant data server for storing the medical data in the redundant remote centralized data storage and also the primary remote centralized data storage. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the system includes an interface allowing access to the system. Preferably, the interface is a redundant interface providing high availability access to the remote centralized data management system.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention generally relate to electrocardiogram management systems, and in particular relate to a method and system for high availability (HA) deployment of an off-site management system for digital cardiac electrocardiograms (ECGs) operating in an application service provider (ASP) model.
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a graphical record of a heart's electrical activity. Typically, ECGs may be obtained as part of routine patient examination. Typically, ECGs may be repeated and updated to maintain a history of a patient's ECGs. An ECG history for a patient may be used to monitor and chart a patient's health and cardiac function.
In order to obtain an ECG, electrodes or electrocardiographic leads may be placed on a patient in areas such as a patient's arms, legs, and chest. ECG readings may be taken on an ECG table. ECG readings may also be obtained with a portable unit. Additionally, ECG data may be recorded using a wearable monitor. Typically, ECGS are recorded electronically. Additionally, ECGs may be charted on paper with an instrument such as a stylus.
The reliable management of ECGs is important to help ensure the availability of ECG information during diagnosis and treatment of a patient. Availability of ECG information is important during diagnosis and treatment of a patient in order to monitor a patient's health and cardiac function. For example, a healthcare practitioner (such as a physician, nurse, assistant, technician, or other medical professional, for example) may use trends in ECG patterns to diagnose a cardiac condition in a patient. Additionally, awareness of a cardiac condition in a patient may affect the course of treatment prescribed by the healthcare practitioner.
Quality and reliability often translate into success in the medical device marketplace. For example, an ECG management system may serve more than thirty customers. A failure in the ECG management system may result in dissatisfaction with the ECG management system and with a company's services. Customer dissatisfaction may affect future business opportunities for the company. Thus, there is a need to reduce errors and failures in ECG management systems to provide quality service. Additionally, there is a need for an ECG management system designed with high availability to improve ECG management system up-time and availability of information for medical diagnosis and treatment.
Currently, a service technician is typically dispatched to a customer site in the event of an ECG management system failure. Often, service calls by a service technician to a customer site may be expensive and time-consuming due to the location of the customer site, the nature of the problem, and the timing of the call. Thus, there is a need for redundant, high availability systems to reduce the dispatch of service technicians to a customer site. A reduction in service calls may reduce the amounts paid for service support, especially during expensive periods such as holidays, weekends, or nights.
A highly available or high availability system is defined in the art as a system that provides reliable access, such as through redundant systems and redundant storage to help ensure reliable storage and retrieval of data and services, for example. A highly available system design may improve operation of an ECG management system for operations of a customer such as a healthcare facility (such as a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, or other medical office, for example) through reliable storage and retrieval of ECGs. For example, a reliable ECG management system allows ECG data to be available for use by a cardiologist or other user in treatment and diagnosis by helping to prevent system failures and system downtime. Availability of data helps allow a cardiologist or other such user to read and diagnose cardiac complications quickly. Thus, prompt access to data and diagnosis of the data help allow a cardiologist to provide a high level of care to a patient.
Additionally, remote, centralized access to ECG data may allow multiple users to reliably access ECG data. Centralized ECG storage may allow computing resources and support to be pooled in a smaller number of locations. In the field of computers, Application Service Providers (ASPs) have been employed to allow for centralized access and storage of data. ASPs operate as hosts for data and applications. Typically, ASPs maintain applications and data in an off-site data center. ASPs have been hired by companies in the field of computers to manage data and computer applications. Companies may access data and applications via an ASP. Typically, in the computer field, companies remotely access data and applications via an ASP central data location.
In the field of computers, ASPs may offer several desirable services, such as secure data storage, data backup, and redundant systems. Because ASPs offer such services, a customer of an ASP may not have to incur additional expenses for its own security, backup, and storage systems. In addition to functioning as a remote database, ASPs may host a number of applications that may be activated or accessed remotely by customers. By concentrating computing power and maintenance at the ASP, the ASP may offer continuous access to and support of the applications and alleviate the need for the customer to purchase and maintain its own expensive computer equipment. For example, ASPs may provide installation, management, and support of applications and storage of data for many remote clients. Client data may be stored at a remote data center. Data may be retrieved from a remote data center via a communications medium such as the Internet or a private network.
There is a need in the medical field for centralized remote access to ECG data for use in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. There is also a need for reliable access to ECG data to help ensure that the ECG data may be used by healthcare practitioners in diagnosis and treatment of patients. There is a further need for a highly available ECG management system to support reliable access to ECG data.
Thus, there is a need in the medical field for a remote, centralized, reliable, high availability ECG management system to help ensure access by healthcare practitioners to ECG data to support diagnosis and treatment of patients. Central, remote maintenance may reduce the resources employed at healthcare facilities by reducing manual transfer of ECG data between healthcare facilities and by reducing resources for the maintenance of ECG data at healthcare facilities. Redundant, high availability systems may improve reliability of access to ECG data by healthcare practitioners for diagnosis and treatment of patients by reducing system failures. Thus, a need exists for a method and system for high availability deployment of an off-site management system for digital cardiac electrocardiograms operating in an application service provider model.

High availability deployment of an off-site management system for digital cardiac electrocardiograms operating in an application service provider model

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A device and method for protecting an automobile from dents and paint scratches caused by the opening of a door of an adjacent automobile. The protection device (cover) is formed from a plurality of rectangular pockets containing a high-density cushion material. An additional pocket includes a magnetic strip for securing the device to a metal car door or side panel. A suction cup and drawstring mechanism are attached to the top of the device for use on a window or non-metallic automobile body. The front surface of the cover is made of a ripstop material and the inner surface is made from a soft material that will not damage the automobile paint or finish.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for protecting an automobile from being scratched or otherwise damaged by the car door of an adjacent automobile. More particularly, the present invention includes a multi-sectional pad configured to remain in place on an automobile such that the paint and finish of an automobile's door and side panel may be protected.
Since the invention of the automobile (for example, car, truck), automobile owners have encountered their cars being dented and scratched when parked next to another automobile. Present solutions provided by automobile manufacturers include the attaching of exterior side molding strips and edge guards positioned along the door frame. Such devices are deficient because they are dependent upon the type of automobiles (for example, different shaped door edges), force applied to open the door and the relative heights of the automobile. In addition, guards made of plastic, rubber or other material may still dent the door, scratch the paint and/or mar the finish depending upon the force of the offending door and the material used for the edge guard.
Damage for car door collisions include scratches and pitting to the painted exterior, dents and cracks in the metal, fiberglass or composite door material and damage to the trim and seals adjacent the window recesses. Such damage of this nature is not only unsightly but may reduce the value of the automobile. In addition, damage may be costly to repair; especially for luxury and high-end sports vehicles. Automobile doors and side panels are very easily damaged upon impact even at low impact velocities such as when children are opening a car door. Automobiles are especially vulnerable when parked in the tightness of space in a typical two car home garage. Typically, the automobiles are brought too closely into contact with the side of the next automobile to completely avoid contact from a fully opened door.
One known device for protecting the side of an automobile is formed from a plurality of rectangular panels connected together. The device includes hinges that lock the panels in a rigid condition along the side of an automobile, for example, in a parking lot. When not in use, the panels formed from foam rubber material can be folded, one panel onto another. The plastic panels unfold into a locked position and are mounted to the inner and outer edge of each front door using a plastic-rubber clamp. Each panel of the protector is attached to foam rubber facing the vehicle door. This known device is long, cumbersome to use, difficult to install and time consuming to disassemble.
Other known automobile body covers have hidden suction cups or other attachment devices that are difficult to remove. Moreover, such attachment devices may cause damage to the paint or finish by the user's fingernails or the device itself. Many devices are configured for use in public parking lots, requiring antitheft mechanisms. One known devices for use in a home garage is a curtain-like shield that requires significant installation hardware and is essentially a permanent structure in the garage.
Accordingly, what has been needed and not heretofore available is a device that protects the surface around the door of an automobile from damage that minimizes the denting of or chipping of paint from the sides of automobiles, is easily installed, and is quickly removable to a place of storage. In addition, it would be further desirable for this device to be made out of a durable material that will not become damaged by the force and edge of the door of an automobile. The present invention disclosed herein satisfies these and other needs.


An electrical connector, including a body formed from an electrically conductive material, the body defining an open channel configured to receive a first electrical conductor, at least one first threaded hole transverse to and in communication with the open channel, a plurality of bores extending toward the open channel, each bore configured to receive a second electrical conductor, and a second threaded hole associated with each bore transverse to and in communication with the associated bore. At least one first set screw is configured to mate with the at least one first threaded hole in communication with the open channel and configured to secure the first electrical conductor within the open channel. A plurality of second set screws are configured to mate with the second threaded holes in communication with an associated bore and configured to secure the second electrical conductor within the bore.

The present disclosure relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to an insulation piercing connector (IPC).
IPCs are often used to make an electrical connection from one or more smaller electrical conductors (i.e., wires) to a larger electrical conductor (i.e., wire). Solar engineering procurement and construction (EPC) and developers attempt to reduce the number of components in a photovoltaic (PV) system that will reduce the overall cost of installation. In current PV systems as illustrated in FIG. 1, PV modules are connected together in series. PV wires exiting the back of the PV module connect each module together via MC4 connectors. Traditionally the PV wires from the back of the PV module are fed into a combiner box to be combined then trenched to an inverter. This use of a combiner boxes and trenching greatly increases the cost of the PV system.
Therefore, there is a need to eliminate the combiner boxes and the trenching required to install a PV system.
The present invention solves these and other problems in the prior art.


In a data transformation apparatus for transforming two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data, a first nonlinear transformation of the A input data is performed using a first key parameter, a transformed result is output, an XOR operation of the transformed result and the B input data is performed to output an XORed result as B intermediate data, and the B intermediate data is input to a next sub-transformation unit as B input data. On the other hand, the B input data is input to a next sub-transformation unit as A input data. A second nonlinear transformation of the B input data is performed using a second key parameter, the transformed result is output, an XOR operation of the transformed result and the B intermediate data is performed to output an XORed result as B intermediate data, and the B intermediate data is input to a next sub-transformation unit as B input data. The above configurations is connected in a cascade and the last A intermediate data and B intermediate data are output as transformation result.

As a conventional data transformation method for encryption, "FEAL-8 Algorithm" (Fast data Encipherment ALgorithm-8) is disclosed by Miyaguchi et al. (Miyaguchi, Shiraishi, and Shimizu, "FEAL-8 Encipherment Algorithm" NTT Practical Research Report vol. 39, No. 4/5, 1988).
FIG. 29 is a partial diagram of the above "FEAL-8" encipherment algorithm.
In the figure, 1001 and 1002 denote input data of two sequences, 1003 and 1004 denote output data of two sequences, and 1005, 1006, 1007 and 1008 denote intermediate data. 1011, 1012, 1013 and 1014 respectively show a first key parameter, a second key parameter, a third key parameter and a fourth key parameter. Each of 1021, 1022, 1023 and 1024 shows sub-transformation unit of each transforming stage. Each sub-transformation unit includes each of nonlinear transformers 1031, 1032, 1033, 1034 and each of XOR (exclusive OR) circuits 1041, 1042, 1043, 1044.
An operation will be explained hereinafter. The input data 1001 and 1002 of two sequences are received at the sub-transformation unit 1021 of a first stage to be transformed into new data, that is, the intermediate data 1005 and 1006 of two sequences. The intermediate data is input to the sub-transformation unit 1022 of a second stage to be transformed into new data, that is, the intermediate data 1007 and 1008. The above operation is repeated eight times in total, and the output data 1003 and 1004 of two sequences are output as the last transformation result from the sub-transformation unit of an eighth stage.
An operation of the sub-transformation unit 1021 of the first stage will be explained for one example of the above sub-transformation units.
The sub-transformation unit 1021 receives the input data 1001 and 1002 of two sequences and outputs the intermediate data 1005 and 1006 of two sequences. As described in detail in the above Practical Research Report, the second input data, that is, the input data 1002, is divided into byte by byte, and the divided is then XORed with the key parameter. Arithmetic addition is repeated to the data and the divided data is united again. This nonlinear transforming operation is performed in the nonlinear transformer 1031. The transformed data is XORed with the first input data 1001. The XORed result is output from the first stage as the second intermediate data 1006. On the other hand, the second input data 1002 is output as the first intermediate data 1005 without any transformation.
In the second sub-transformation unit 1022, data is processed as well as in the above procedure and the intermediate data of the second stage is obtained. In the same way, in this example, the processes of eight stages are performed in total. As the result, output data 1003 and 1004 are obtained.
The conventional data transformation apparatus is configured as described above. The transformed data is output only after the nonlinear transformation is completed in one stage of the sub-transformation unit, and is input to the sub-transformation unit of the next stage. Namely, each sub-transformation is performed sequentially and it takes time to perform an entire procedure.
The present invention is provided to solve the above problem. The object of the invention is to perform a plurality of sub-transformations in parallel to increase the processing speed of data transformation such as encryption, decryption and data diffusion.
The data transformation apparatus of the present invention inputs two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data to a first unit of the apparatus. A first nonlinear transformation of A input data is performed using a first key parameter and the transformed data is XORed with B input data. The XORed result is output as B intermediate data. B input data is also output as A intermediate data without any transformation. In a next unit, a second nonlinear transformation of A intermediate data is performed using a second key parameter and the transformed data is XORed with B intermediate data. The XORed result is output as next B intermediate data. B intermediate data output from the first unit is output as next A intermediate data without any transformation. The above two units are connected in a cascade and the last A intermediate data and the last B intermediate data are output as transformation result of the data transformation apparatus.
Further, in the above basic configuration of the apparatus, a set of a first nonlinear transformer and an XOR circuit located between an input side of the first nonlinear transformation and an input side of the second nonlinear transformation is defined as a first sub-transformation unit. Another set of a second nonlinear transformer and an XOR circuit located between the input side of the second nonlinear transformation and the input side of the first nonlinear transformation of the next stage is defined as a second sub-transformation unit. Otherwise, a set of the XOR circuit and the second nonlinear transformer located between an output side of the first nonlinear transformation and an output side of the second nonlinear transformation is defined as the first sub-transformation unit. Another set of the XOR circuit and the first nonlinear transformer located between the output side of the second nonlinear transformation and the output side of the first nonlinear transformation of the next stage is defined as the second sub-transformation unit. Regardless of the definition, a necessary number of the above first sub-transformation units and the second sub-transformation units are alternately connected in a cascade. From the last stage, A intermediate data and B intermediate data output from either of the first and the second sub-transformation units is output as the transformation result of the apparatus.
Further, the nonlinear transformer of each sub-transformation unit has a nest configuration of the basic configuration of data transformation apparatus.
According to a data transformation method of the present invention, two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data are input. B input data is output as a first A intermediate data at a first step. A nonlinear transformation of A input data is performed using a first key parameter. The transformed data is XORed with B input data and the XORed result is output as a first B intermediate data at a second step. At a third step, the first B intermediate data is input and output as a second A intermediate data. The first A intermediate data is input and a nonlinear transformation of the A intermediate data is performed using a second key parameter. The transformed data is XORed with the first B intermediate data and the XORed result is output as a second B intermediate data at a fourth step. The above steps are repeated from the first step to the fourth step. The above second step or the fourth step should be placed at the last step of the transformation method and the last A intermediate data and the last B intermediate data are output as the transformation result of the whole procedure.
In the above method, an operation order may be changed, that is, a nonlinear transformation and an XOR operation may be altered. The method still have effective steps as the above.
Further, in the above basic configuration of the apparatus, a set of the first nonlinear transformer and the XOR circuit located between the input side of the first nonlinear transformation and the input side of the second nonlinear transformation is defined as the first sub-transformation unit. Another set of the second nonlinear transformer and the XOR circuit located between the input side of the second nonlinear transformation and the input side of the first nonlinear transformation of the next stage is defined as the second sub-transformation unit. Otherwise, a set of the XOR circuit and the second nonlinear transformer located between the output side of the first nonlinear transformation and the output side of the second nonlinear transformation is defined as the first sub-transformation unit. Another set of XOR circuit and the first nonlinear transformer located between the output side of the second nonlinear transformation and the output side of the first nonlinear transformation of the next stage is defined as the second sub-transformation unit. Regardless of the definition, a necessary number of the above first sub-transformation units and the second sub-transformation units are alternately connected in a cascade. A data selecting unit is provided to the input side of the first sub-transformation unit and a data holding unit is also provided to the output side of either of the first and the second sub-transformation units. At the beginning of the data transformation, the data selecting unit selects one of two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data. After selecting one input data, the data selecting unit is connected with the data holding unit to form a feedback loop so as to select the output of the data holding unit. The selected data is transformed to be finally output from either of the first and the second sub-transformation units and is stored in the data holding unit. Then, A intermediate data and B intermediate data are output from the data holding unit as the transformation result of the apparatus.
Further, in the above basic configuration of the data transformation apparatus, the two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data include the same number of digits of data. Either of a set of the first nonlinear transformer and the XOR circuit located between the input side of the first nonlinear transformation and the input side of the second nonlinear transformation and a set of the second nonlinear transformer and the XOR circuit located between the output side of the second nonlinear transformation and the output side of the first nonlinear transformation is defined as a sub-transformation unit. A necessary number of the sub-transformation units are connected. The data selecting unit is provided to each of the two input sides of A input data and B input data of the first sub-transformation unit. The data holding unit is provided to each of the two output sides of A output data and B output data of the last sub-transformation unit. As a first step of the data transformation procedure, the data selecting units select A input data and B input data, respectively. After selecting the input data, the data selecting unit is connected with the data holding unit to form the feedback loop so as to select the output of the data holding unit. The selected data is transformed and, finally, the data holding unit outputs A intermediate data and B intermediate data as the transformation result.
Further, in the first or the second nonlinear transformation, A input data is divided into A1 input data including some digits of A input data and A2 input data including the other digits of A input data. The key parameter is also divided by an arbitrary number of digits into "n" number of divided key parameters, from a first divided key parameter to an n-th divided key parameter. In a first internal sub-transformation unit, an internal nonlinear transformation of A1 input data, that is, one of the divided A input data, is performed using the first divided key parameter. The transformed data is XORed with the A2 input data and the XORed result is output as first A2 internal intermediate data. A2 input data is output as first A1 internal intermediate data without any transformation. The first A1 internal intermediate data output from the first internal sub-transformation unit is input to a second internal sub-transformation unit as A1 input data. An internal nonlinear transformation of the first A1 internal intermediate data is performed using the second divided key parameter. The first A2 internal intermediate data, input as A2 input data, is XORed with the transformed first A1 internal intermediate data. The XORed result is output as second A2 internal intermediate data and the first A2 internal intermediate data is output as second A1 internal intermediate data without any transformation. The above first internal sub-transformation unit and the second internal sub-transformation unit are alternately connected "n" times. An internal data selecting unit is provided to the input side of the first internal sub-transformation unit and an internal data holding unit is provided to either of the output sides of the first and the second internal sub-transformation units. The internal data selecting unit selects A1 input data and A2 input data. After selecting the input data, the internal data selecting unit is connected with the internal data holding unit to form the feedback loop so as to select the output of the internal data holding unit. The selected data is transformed and, finally, A1 internal intermediate data and A2 internal intermediate data is output from the internal data holding unit as the transformed A output data.
Further, in the nonlinear transformation of each sub-transformation unit, A input data is divided into A1 input data including some digits of A input data and A2 input data including the other digits of A input data. The key parameter is also divided by an arbitrary number of digits into "n" number of divided key parameters, from a first divided key parameter to an n-th divided key parameter. In the first internal sub-transformation unit, an internal nonlinear transformation of A1 input data, that is, one of the divided A input data, is performed using the first divided key parameter. The transformed data is output as first A2 internal intermediate data. A1 input data is XORed with the A2 input data and the XORed result is output as first A1 internal intermediate data. In the second internal sub-transformation unit, an internal nonlinear transformation of the first A1 internal intermediate data, output from the first internal sub-transformation unit and input as A1 input data, is performed using the second divided key parameter. The transformed data is output as second A2 internal intermediate data. An XOR operation of the first A1 internal intermediate data and the first A2 internal intermediate data is performed as A1 input data and A2 input data. The XORed result is output as second A2 internal intermediate data and the first A2 internal intermediate data is output as second A1 internal intermediate data. The above first internal sub-transformation unit and the second internal sub-transformation unit are alternately connected "n" times. The internal data selecting unit is provided to each of the input sides of the first internal sub-transformation unit and the internal data holding unit is provided to either of the output sides of the first and the second internal sub-transformation units. The internal data selecting unit selects A1 input data and A2 input data. After selecting the input data, the internal data selecting unit is connected with the internal data holding unit to form the feedback loop so as to select the output of the internal data holding unit. The selected data is transformed and, finally, A1 internal intermediate data and A2 internal intermediate data are output from the internal data holding unit as the transformed A output data.
Further, in both of the above two kinds of modification of the data transformation apparatus, when A input data is divided into two pieces of divided input data having the same number of digits, only the first internal sub-transformation unit is connected necessary number of times.
Further, the first internal sub-transformation unit and the second internal sub-transformation unit are alternately connected necessary number of times. The internal data selecting unit is provided to the input side of the first internal sub-transformation unit and the internal data holding unit is provided to the output side of either of the first and the second internal sub-transformation units. As a first step of the data transformation, the internal data selecting unit selects B1 input data and B2 input data. After selecting the input data, the internal data selecting unit is connected with the internal data holding unit to form the feedback loop so as to select the output of the internal data holding unit. The selected data is transformed and, finally, B1 internal intermediate data and B2 internal intermediate data are output from the internal data holding unit as the transformed B output data.
Further, in the above configuration, when B input data is divided into two divided input data having the same number of digits, only the first internal sub-transformation unit is connected necessary number of times.
Further, in the data transformation apparatus, the sub-transformation units are connected even number of times. The data selecting unit is provided to the input side of the first sub-transformation unit and the data holding unit is provided to the output side of the last sub-transformation unit. A key parameter supply unit is also provided to the above configuration. As a first step of the data transformation, the data selecting unit selects two arbitrary pieces of data of A input data and B input data. After selecting the input data, the data selecting unit is connected with the data holding unit to form the feedback loop so as to select the output of the data holding unit. The data transformation apparatus repeatedly transforms the selected data using the key parameters, each of which is supplied by the key parameter supply unit to each of the sub-transformation units. The data holding unit finally outputs A intermediate data and B intermediate data as the transformation result.
Further, in the above configuration, at least one of the nonlinear transformers is Xn (X: an element) circuit on Galois Field.
Further, the above Xn circuit on Galois Field is formed by a normal basis.
Further, in the above configuration, at least one part of the nonlinear transformer is a Read Only Memory.
Further, in the above configuration, at least one part of the nonlinear transformer is a Random Access Memory.
Further, in the above configuration, at least one part of the nonlinear transformer is a Logic Circuit.
Further, a data transformer including two logic circuits is provided to at least one of A input and B input. Each of the above two logic circuits may be either of two XOR circuits and AND circuit and OR circuits. A input data or B input data is divided into two pieces of divided data having an arbitrary number of digits such as AA data and AB data. The key parameter is divided into two divided key parameters, A transformation key parameter and B transformation key parameter. A first AND/OR operation of AA data and A transformation key parameter is performed. The first ANDed/ORed result is first XORed with the AB data and the first XORed result is output as the transformation result of AB data. The first XORed result is second ANDed/ORed with B transformation key parameter. A second XOR operation of the second ANDed/ORed result and AA data is performed and the second XORed result is output as the transformation result of AA data. The transformed AA data and the transformed AB data are output to the next stage as A input data or B input data.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data transformation apparatus and data transformation method


Systems and methods according to present principles use touchscreen-based devices such as tablet computers or other computers incorporating touchscreens to both run the test and to receive input/output. It will be understood that any such device may be employed, so long as a display, means for user input, and means for eye tracking, are provided, and so long as its display screen is large enough to effectively test visual field.

Peripheral vision, as opposed to central vision, relates to the ability to see objects and movement on the side extremes of one's vision, i.e., not in the direct line of sight.
The peripheral retina of the eyes is generally responsible for peripheral vision. The loss of peripheral vision is termed "tunnel vision", and can be associated with glaucoma or other deteriorations of the retina or optic nerve. Thus, one potential test for glaucoma involves testing peripheral vision, and such has been implemented by perimetry tests, i.e., visual field testing.
However, such are generally associated with a complicated piece of capital equipment called a "Perimeter", which is generally bulky and not suited for portable use. Portable and inexpensive equipment are generally highly desired as trends towards value and outcome based medicine continue.

System and method for testing peripheral vision


A wound dressing is provided which includes an inner layer with a plurality of drain holes around the perimeter. The inner layer is resistant to penetration by liquid. Adjacent the inner layer is an absorbent layer. An outer layer is adjacent, but not attached to the absorbent layer. The outer layer is resistant to penetration by liquid. The outer layer includes an adhesive band. A removable protective layer covers the adhesive bands and includes a plurality of perforations spaced about the protective layer with a plurality of non-perforated sections between the perforations such that when removed, the perforations cause separation at the perforations and only one non-perforated section is removed at a time. A base layer is provided with an open area and adhesive bands. The base layer is attached to the skin and the outer layer covers the open area of the base layer.

People may have surgical wounds resulting from various medical procedures. For example, large incisions are made into the skin for exploratory surgery or the removal of tissue. People may have skin ulcers from various causes. Accidental injuries are sometimes repaired with stitches extending over large sections of the skin. Wounds result from injuries on a battlefield. In addition, wounds can result from surgically implanted, indwelling catheters used in connection with a variety of procedures. Many diabetic patients use indwelling catheters for delivering insulin. Patients undergoing long term chemotherapy also may have an indwelling catheter. Peritoneal dialysis patients use an indwelling peritoneal catheter for delivering dialysis fluid. All of these wounds require proper care to avoid infection and to facilitate healing.
Protection of the wound is a significant daily task for these people. Infection of the wound must be avoided to prevent unintended complications. Traditional coverings for post-surgical wounds include bandages and gauze. One problem with these traditional coverings is the requirement that the coverings be frequently changed. Another problem is injury to the wound site caused by removal of the covering. Other problems include increased risk of infection and maceration of the skin due to continuous exposure to moisture. The wounds need to be covered to keep the wound clean, dry and infection free. Generally, when a person with a surgical wound dressing wants to swim, shower or bathe, the person tries to protect the wound site against moisture by using makeshift plastic covers taped over the exposed wound. These makeshift covers often fail to work, allowing moisture to enter the wound site. They are not designed to affirmatively repel or divert moisture away from the wound site. Usually, the person does not even know whether leakage has occurred until it is too late. These makeshift covers are simply inadequate to protect the wound site against moisture and the risk of serious infection. If the covering leaks and the dressing becomes wet the dressing must be replaced so as not to inhibit healing of a wound covered by the dressing and/or to inhibit infection. Moisture can support the growth of harmful or infectious bacteria in and around the site.
The need exists for a moisture-proof barrier for use by people who must use indwelling catheters or have other wounds to prevent infection due to exposure to external sources of moisture. The need also exists for a wound covering which will absorb fluids from the wound site, but will keep the wound site dry.


A top drive system for wellbore operations, the top drive system including motor apparatus, a main shaft driven by the motor apparatus, the main shaft having a top end and a bottom end, a quill connected to the main shaft, and a gear system interconnected with the quill and the motor apparatus.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention is directed to wellbore drilling top drive systems; parts thereof; and methods of their use.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a variety of top drive systems; for example, and not by way of limitation, the following U.S. Patents present exemplary top drive systems and components thereof: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,458,768; 4,807,890; 4,984,641; 5,433,279; 6,276,450; 4,813,493; 6,705,405; 4,800,968; 4,878,546; 4,872,577; 4,753,300; 6,007,105; 6,536,520; 6,679,333; 6,923,254 —all these patents incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
Certain typical prior art top drive drilling systems have a derrick supporting a top drive which rotates tubulars, e.g., drill pipe. The top drive is supported from a travelling block beneath a crown block. A drawworks on a rig floor raises and lowers the top drive. The top drive moves on a guide track.


A cutting device embodying a housing that fully encloses the knife blade in its retracted position. The cutting device has access slots in the sides of the housing that provide access to the interior of the housing without having to disassemble the housing. The cutting device can be operated manually through the access slots, or pneumatically by attaching a nose mount air cylinder to a threaded hole in the housing. An air source can be attached to an end of the housing opposite the threaded hole, for automatically removing scrap from the cutter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting device for both reinforced and non-reinforced rubber hose, and more particularly to a fully enclosed blade that can be operated manually or pneumatically.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cutting devices generally employ a blade moving in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece wherein the blade severs the workpiece through a shearing action. It is important to secure the workpiece firmly during the cutting action to prevent the workpiece from twisting or shifting, which causes an uneven, ragged, and misdirected cut.
In the past, cutting devices have relied on complicated or cumbersome means to secure the workpiece during the cutting operation. Some devices merely rely on the force of the blade itself acting upon the workpiece to hold the workpiece against a curved or grooved surface. Examples of such prior art devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,579 to Matsumoto; U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,754 to Kloster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,212 to Cavdek; U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,496 to Reich et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,083 to Domonoske. Each of these references lacks means for positively retaining the workpiece in order to hold it steady relative to the cutting blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,780 to Green discloses a complex chain and lock mechanism which secures, spears, and shears a cable. The securing mechanism of Green requires that the chain link mechanism be tightened with a wrench to securely engage the workpiece.
Blade distortion is another problem that exists with prior art cutting devices. Prior art cutting devices allow the blade too much freedom to flex and bend. The flexing and bending put undue stress on the blade resulting in shorter blade life, and unexpected breakage.
Nowhere in the prior art is the problem of accessibility to the blade for removal and replacement addressed. For example, the Domonoske reference fully encloses the blade within the housing, yet fails to disclose any means for accessing the blade other than completely disassembling the cutting device. In addition, the blade is operated by means of a spring force. Therefore, when replacing a blade, a user must be extremely cautious in that the blade must be set against a spring located within the housing of the cutting device. It is extremely difficult to replace the blade in a spring loaded position wherein the possibility of releasing the spring tension and actuating the blade is highly likely. The housing portions must be disconnected, the blade removed, the new blade inserted with the spring loaded, and reconnecting the housing portions.
None of the prior art devices provides means for removing scrap without manually reaching into the cutting mechanism and risking contact with the knife blade or merely relying on the force of gravity to remove the scrap from the cutting device.
What is needed is a cutting device that fully encloses the blade for maximum safety to the user, allows safe and easy blade replacement without completely disassembling the housing, and automatically removes any scrap from the cutting apparatus without the need to manually reach into the device to remove scrap.

Enclosed blade fixture for cutting hoses


A beverage container assembly that includes a cap member, a connecting neck member, a body member and a flexible ring member. The body member is configured to receive a bottle or beverage container via an opening on the top surface and the flexible ring member is configured to be positioned between the bottle or beverage container and the connecting neck member during use.

At many venues and events, a beverage may be opened by an individual and the contents consumed over an extended period of time. Unfortunately, at particular venues, such as the beach, the temperature of the contents may increase to a value that the beverage loses at least some of its appeal to the consuming individual. Additionally, at some venues the beverage may need to be transported or temporarily closed to prevent spilling or contamination until consumed.

Device for flexible ring, transporting, and insulating single beverage containers