A rotation transmission device includes a control retainer and a rotary retainer having bars arranged circumferentially alternating with each other such that pockets are defined between the adjacent pairs of bars. A pair of rollers are mounted in each pocket with an elastic member disposed between the pair of rollers such that the pair of rollers are pushed by the respective bars to their respective disengaged positions when the control retainer and the rotary retainer rotate relative to each other. A spring holder is fitted on an input shaft while abutting one axial end surface of an inner ring. The spring holder has spring support pieces on the outer periphery thereof to prevent radially outward movement of the elastic members. The spring support pieces are plate-shaped members disposed radially outwardly of the elastic members to extend in the axial direction in parallel to the outer periphery of the inner ring.

One known rotation transmission device which can selectively transmit rotation of a driving shaft to a driven shaft includes a two-way clutch and an electromagnetic clutch for selectively engaging and disengaging the two-way clutch.
The rotation transmission device disclosed in JP Patent Publication 2009-287724A includes an outer ring, an inner ring mounted inside the outer ring, and a control retainer and a rotary retainer each having bars mounted between the inner and outer rings such that the bars of the control retainer are arranged circumferentially alternating with the bars of the rotary retainer, whereby pockets are defined between circumferentially adjacent pairs of the bars of the respective retainers. The rotation transmission device further includes opposed pairs of rollers, each pair being mounted in one of the pockets, and elastic members mounted between the respective opposed pairs of rollers and biasing the respective opposed pairs of rollers away from each other toward stand-by positions where the rollers can instantly engage a cylindrical surface formed on the inner periphery of the outer ring and cam surfaces formed on the outer periphery of the inner ring, whereby when the inner ring rotates in either direction, one of each opposed pair of rollers engages the cylindrical surface and the cam surface, thereby transmitting rotation of the inner ring to the outer ring.
The rotation transmission device further includes an electromagnetic clutch mounted on an input shaft, which carries the inner ring. The electromagnetic clutch is configured to move the control retainer in the axial direction when the electromagnet of the electromagnetic clutch is energized. When the control retainer is moved in the axial direction by the electromagnetic clutch, the retainers are rotated relative to each other in the direction in which the circumferential widths of the pockets decrease due to the action of a torque cam provided between the opposed surfaces of a flange of the control retainer and a flange of the rotary retainer, whereby the pairs of rollers are moved by the bars of the respective retainers to the disengaged position, thus preventing transmission of rotation from the inner ring to the outer ring.
This rotation transmission device is further configured such that when the control retainer is moved by the electromagnetic clutch in the direction in which the flange of the control retainer moves away from the flange of the rotary retainer, the rotary retainer and the control retainer are rotated relative to each other under the biasing of the elastic members mounted between the respective opposed pairs of rollers, in the direction in which the circumferential widths of the pockets increase, thus allowing the rollers to instantly engage the cylindrical surface and the cam surfaces. Thus, when the rollers engage, the rollers move very little in the circumferential direction, so that the response of the clutch is good.
This rotation transmission device includes a spring holder rotationally fixed to the input shaft and kept in abutment with one end of the inner ring. The spring holder includes braking pieces (protruding pieces) on its inner periphery, with each braking piece having a spring support piece on its outer periphery which prevents radially outward movement of the corresponding elastic member. This arrangement stabilizes the positions of the respective rollers pressed by the elastic members, thus making it possible to reliably press the rollers toward the engaged positions. This in turn ensures reliable operation of the two-way clutch.
In the rotation transmission device disclosed in JP Patent Publication 2009-287724A, each spring support piece is formed with a through hole extending between both side surfaces thereof, and the elastic members, which are coil springs, are inserted in the respective through holes to prevent radial movements of the elastic members. With this arrangement, since the elastic members have to be inserted into the through holes in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the bars, the bars tend to interfere with the elastic members when inserting the elastic members into the through holes. Thus, in order to avoid interference with the bars, the elastic members have to be inserted into the through holes while being bent in the length direction of the elastic members. It is therefore difficult to mount the elastic members in position, and it has been desired to more easily mount the elastic members in position.
This spring holder is rotationally fixed in position by the engagement between an engaging surface formed on the inner periphery of the spring holder and an engaging surface formed on the input shaft and opposed to the engaging surface of the spring holder. Thus, the spring holder keeps the control retainer and the rotary retainer in their respective neutral positions upon abutment of the bars of the two retainers against the side edges of the protruding pieces. However, since the bars of the two retainers tend to collide hard against the protruding pieces when the former abut the latter, and since there tends to be a slight time difference between when the bars of one retainer abut the protruding pieces and when the bars of the other retainer abut the protruding pieces, the (flat) engaging surface of the spring holder and the engaging surface of the input shaft, which are in engagement with each other to rotationally fix the spring holder, tend to be deformed or become damaged. Deformation of or damage to the spring holder could detrimentally influence the operation of the two-way clutch.
If the flat surface and/or the engaging surface is deformed, the spring holder may be moved axially due to looseness between the flat surface and the engaging surface. If the control retainer is inclined with the spring holder displaced axially, the edge on the inner periphery of the spring holder could engage the outer periphery of the input shaft and the spring holder could get locked to the input shaft. If the electromagnetic clutch is de-energized in this state, the spring holder interferes with the movement of the control retainer, making it impossible to move the control retainer to the predetermined engaged position. This makes it impossible to timely engage the two-way clutch. Thus, it is desired to reliably and accurately engage the two-way clutch of this conventional rotation transmission device.
In the rotation transmission device disclosed in JP Patent Publication 2009-287724A, while not shown, the two-way clutch and the electromagnetic clutch are entirely covered by a housing. Ordinarily in such an arrangement, a lead wire is connected to the electromagnetic coil of the electromagnet forming the electromagnetic clutch so as to extend to the outside of the rotation transmission device, and a male connector is connected to the distal end of the lead wire to which a female connector connected to the end of the power cord can be detachably connected.
In this arrangement, since the lead wire is exposed to the outside, when the rotation transmission device is mounted on an external device, the lead wire may get caught on an external part and be broken. The lead wire thus makes handling of the rotation transmission device difficult. It is desired to make handling of this rotation transmission device easier.


A trim and tilt system for use with an outboard propulsion unit on a marine craft having a transom. The trim and tilt system comprises a stern bracket configured to be mounted on the transom of the marine craft and a swivel bracket for supporting the outboard propulsion unit. The swivel bracket is pivotally supported on an upper end of the stern bracket. There is also a tilt cylinder unit that has a lower end supported by the stern bracket and an upper end in pivotal engagement with the swivel bracket. The tilt cylinder unit pivotally supports a pair of trim cylinder units. Each of the trim cylinder units is on an opposite side of the tilt cylinder unit. Each said trim cylinder unit has a longitudinal axis, a lower end in pivotal arrangement with the tilt cylinder unit and a trim rod for engagement with the swivel bracket. The swivel bracket has means for aligning the trim rods therewith, whereby the force exerted by the swivel bracket on the trim cylinder unit is substantially along the longitudinal axis. There is also means for actuating the tilt cylinder unit and the trim cylinder units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trim and tilt system for use with an outboard motor mounted on a marine craft.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional trim and tilt systems include a unitary trim and tilt cylinder apparatus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,094, issued Jul. 1, 1991 to Sadaji Katogi, hereinafter Katogi. Katogi discloses a trim and tilt system for trimming and tilting an outboard propulsion unit on a boat. The trim and tilt system disclosed by Katogi includes a unitary trim and tilt cylinder apparatus having a tilt cylinder unit and a trim cylinder unit, a stem bracket adapted to be mounted on the transom of the boat, a swivel bracket for supporting the outboard propulsion unit, the swivel bracket being pivotally supported on an upper end of the stem bracket, and a hydraulic pressure circuit for actuating the tilt cylinder unit and the trim cylinder unit. The trim and tilt cylinder apparatus has an upper end pivotally supported on the stern bracket and a lower end pivotally supported on the swivel bracket.
The trim and tilt system disclosed by Katogi has the disadvantage of undue stress being applied to the trim cylinder units at a point of contact of a trim rod of each of the trim cylinder units with the swivel bracket. This excessive stress is in part due to the unitary construction of the trim and tilt cylinder apparatus. As the outboard propulsion unit pivots during the trimming and tilting procedure, the angle of the trim rods of each of the trim cylinder units changes with respect to the swivel bracket. The weight of the propulsion unit is therefore applied to the trim rod through the swivel bracket at various angles throughout the trimming procedure. This leads to a considerable amount of transverse stress being applied between the trim rods and their respective trim cylinders, leading to undue wear and fatigue.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved trim and tilt system that reduces the stress experienced by trim cylinder units during the trimming of a marine propulsion unit.


A temperature measuring device includes a local terminal and a measuring element installed at a predetermined distance from the local terminal. The local terminal includes a first measuring unit for measuring a first human body temperature, a signal processing unit for receiving and converting the first human body temperature, a display unit coupled to the signal processing unit for displaying the converted first human body temperature, and a first interface unit coupled to the signal processing unit. The measuring element includes a second interface unit and a second measuring unit coupled to the second interface unit for measuring a second human body temperature and transmitting the second human body temperature via the second interface unit to the first interface unit, which sends the second human body temperature to the signal processing unit, which converts the second human body temperature and transmits the converted second human body temperature to the display unit, which displays the converted second human body temperature.

Mercury thermometers, aural thermometer guns, electronic thermometers, infrared thermometers and thermometer stickers are common body temperature measuring devices found on the current market. These temperature measuring devices measure the variation of examinee's body temperature by a contact or non-contact mechanism, in order to realize whether the examinee's body temperature is falling within a normal range or not.
In the past days, people measured their body temperature only at the times when feeling uncomfortable or having examination and treatment in the hospital, and the temperature measuring devices they used to measure the examinee's body temperature are those mentioned above, such as a mercury thermometer, an aural thermometer gun or an electronic thermometer. It was quite rare to measure examinee's body temperature constantly everyday except people with special need or inpatients. However, nowadays there are some diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and bird flu would cause fever when patients catch these epidemic diseases, thus readings of people's body temperature measurement become a strong indication to ensure whether the patient is infected or not.
Therefore, during the peak infection period of SARS and bird flu, government, companies and families all treat the body temperature measuring action as a basic step to prevent these diseases from being spread. It is essential to measure body temperature when entering and leaving the building, the office or sometimes even the factory gate, during that period and companies or parents also take body temperature measurement from their employee or children at least once a day every single day.
Thus those contact or non-contact temperature measuring devices mentioned above can be used to measure the examinee's body temperature. However, those devices all require a particular person to operate and measure the examinees' body temperature one by one, which takes a long time to complete. This not only cause inconvenient in work and life, but also affect the working and manufacturing efficiency.
In order to resolve the temperature measuring devices' drawbacks mentioned on last paragraph, a portable temperature measuring device which can be hanged on the chest is provided. The examinee can record and/or report his present body temperature by carrying a portable temperature measuring device himself. But this portable temperature measuring device works as the examinee records his measurement, then report to the measuring person later afterwards, which means the measuring person can not get the examinee's body temperature measurements instantaneously. If the patient is in a fatal condition, this body temperature measuring method might delay the patient's treatment.
Besides, whichever the temperature measuring devices or the portable temperature measuring device, only measure and record the examinee's body temperature at the particular instance. Therefore, the change of body temperature between two previous measurements can only be estimated by measured data, and the change of body temperature after the last measurement is still unknown. In other words, all the conventional temperature measuring devices mentioned above do not have the function of monitoring the change of body temperature.
Therefore, the inventor of the present invention comes up with a temperature measuring device that can measure examinee's change of body temperature from long distance and this temperature measuring device has applied for Taiwan Patent Examination with case No. 92211277. This temperature measuring device comprises a main body and a measuring element. The measuring element is fitted on the examinee's body to measure the examinee's body temperature and the change of body temperature, and then transmits the measured results to the main body and displays on it. In a hospital, for example, the main body of the temperature measuring device can be placed on a station or carried by the clinic, and the measuring element is placed on the patient. By using the measuring unit on the measuring element to measure the examinee's body temperature, and then transmits the measured result to the main body via the second interface unit on the measuring element to allow the clinic monitoring the patient's real-time body temperature and change of body temperature.
Yet the main body of the above temperature measuring device itself cannot measure body temperature, which means while the clinic is monitoring the remote patient's body temperature by the temperature measuring device, the clinic cannot measure others body temperature by the main body they are carrying. Therefore, although the clinic can visit the ward areas examining patients' condition and can monitor the remote patient's body temperature and change of body temperature simultaneously by carrying the main body of the temperature measuring device, they still have to carry another body temperature measuring device in case the patient's body temperature they are visiting needs to be measured. Thus and so, preparing an extra measuring device not only inconveniences the clinic, but also is not economical for the hospital due to increasing the financial load.
Therefore, to provide a temperature measuring device, which is able to measure and monitor the examinee's body temperature simultaneously, to resolve the drawbacks from the conventional temperature measuring device such as spending long time on taking measurements and not able to monitor the examinee's change of real-time body temperature, is quite meaningful.

Body temperature measuring system capable of measuring plural remote temperatures and receiver capable of measuring a body temperature


A motor driving device includes a failure detector detecting the failure of switching elements and diodes of an inverter circuit. When the failure detection unit detects a failure according to which a switching element of a phase C upper stage is not conducting, but does not detect a failure according to which the diode connected is not conducting, a motor is driven using the switching element paired with the faulty switching element and the switching elements of the other phase. When the failure detection unit detects the failure according to which the switching element of the phase C upper stage is not conducting, and detect the failure according to which the diode connected is not conducting, the switching element paired with the faulty switching element is maintained in an off state, and each of the switching elements of the other phase is on/off controlled.

For example, with an electric power steering device mounted in a vehicle, an electric motor such as a three-phase brushless motor is provided to give steering assist force according to steering torque of a handle to a steering mechanism. As a device for driving this motor, a motor driving device according to a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control method has been known.
Generally, the motor driving device according to the PWM control method is provided with an inverter circuit driven by a PWM signal with a predetermined duty. The inverter circuit is formed from a bridge circuit including pairs of upper and lower arms where the number of pairs corresponds to the number of phases and where a switching element is provided to each of the upper and lower arms. A current is supplied from a power source to the motor via the inverter circuit and the motor is driven by the on/off operation of each switching element that is based on the PWM signal.
With such a motor driving device, a general control method is to stop the driving of the motor when an abnormality occurs in any of the phases of the inverter circuit due to a failure of a switching element. However, in the case of an electric power steering device, if the motor is stopped immediately at the time of occurrence of an abnormality, the steering assist force suddenly becomes unobtainable, and operation is adversely affected. Thus, motor driving devices allowing continuation of driving of the motor even when a failure of the switching element of any phase occurs are being proposed (for example, JP 2010-826 A, JP 2005-94873 A, JP 2009-71975 A, and WO 2005/091488 A).
According to JP 2010-826 A, a faulty switching element is identified at the time of occurrence of an energizing failure, and a rotational angle range where the energizing failed phase may be energized via a switching element forming a pair with the faulty switching element is identified. Then, driving of the motor is continued by supplying a sine wave current to each phase within the rotational angle range.
According to JP 2005-94873 A, in the event of an open failure (failure during an off state) of a switching element, vector control with a fixed composite voltage vector is performed even in a region where a faulty switching element is used to thereby continue driving of the motor.
According to JP 2009-71975 A, in the case where a failure of a switching element is detected, driving of the motor is continued by operating remaining operating switching elements in such a way that each of the waveforms of output currents of two phases comes close to a sine wave.
According to WO 2005/091488 A, in the event of an occurrence of an abnormality such as disconnection of one phase, target current values of normal two phases are calculated, and a voltage command value generated based on these target current values is given to an inverter drive circuit, to thereby continue driving of the motor.
For example, regarding a three-phase inverter circuit having six switching elements, if one of upper and lower switching elements of one phase fails, there are conceivable a method of continuing driving of the motor using only the four switching elements of the remaining two phases (hereinafter referred to as a "two-phase method"), and a method of continuing driving of the motor using, in addition to the four switching elements, the one normal switching element of the faulty phase (hereinafter referred to as "quasi three-phase method"). JP 2010-826 A, JP 2005-94873 A, and JP 2009-71975 A are examples of the quasi three-phase method, and WO 2005/091488 A is an example of the two-phase method. In the case of the two-phase method, the entire phase where a failure has occurred is separated, but in the case of the quasi three-phase method, only the faulty switching element is separated. The quasi three-phase method has an advantage that the steering performance is improved because there are less ripple components in the motor current compared to the two-phase method.
FIG. 10 shows an example of a conventional motor driving device used for an electric power steering device. A motor driving device 200 includes an inverter circuit 10, a drive circuit 20, and a controller 30. A motor M is an assist motor for providing steering assist force. A power source Vd is a DC power source to be supplied by a battery mounted in a vehicle.
The inverter circuit 10 is formed from a three-phase bridge circuit including six switching elements Q1 to Q6. The switching elements Q1 to Q6 are formed from FETs (field effect transistors), and include diodes D1 to D6, respectively. These diodes D1 to D6 are parasitic diodes between drains and sources of the FETs, and are connected in parallel to the switching elements Q1 to Q6, in opposite direction with respect to the power source Vd (positive terminal). Each of the connection points between the upper switching elements Q1, Q3, and Q5 and the lower switching elements Q2, Q4, and Q6 is connected to the motor M via an electrical path. A current sensing resistor Rs for sensing a current flowing through the motor M is provided between a ground G and the switching elements Q2, Q4, and Q6.
The controller 30 calculates the duty of the PWM signal for driving the switching elements Q1 to Q6 based on a difference between the value of a motor current sensed by the current sensing resistor Rs and a target current value calculated from a steering torque value detected by a torque sensor not shown. The drive circuit 20 generates six types of PWM signals based on the value of duty given by the controller 30, and applies each PWM signal to each of the gates of the switching elements Q1 to Q6. The inverter circuit 10 operates by the switching elements Q1 to Q6 being switched on/off by the PWM signals, and a current is supplied to the motor M from the power source Vd via the inverter circuit 10.
FIG. 11 is a time chart showing the operation of the inverter circuit 10. (a) and (b) show a PWM signal given to the switching element Q1 of a phase A upper stage and an operation of the switching element Q1, (c) and (d) show a PWM signal given to the switching element Q2 of a phase A lower stage and an operation of the switching element Q2, (e) and (f) show a PWM signal given to the switching element Q5 of a phase C upper stage and an operation of the switching element Q5, (g) and (h) show a PWM signal given to the switching element Q6 of a phase C lower stage and an operation of the switching element Q6, (i) shows motor terminal voltage of the phase A, and (j) shows motor terminal voltage of the phase C. With respect to the PWM signal, "H" indicates a high level, and "L" indicates a low level. Moreover, to simplify the description, a phase B is omitted from the drawing.
In FIG. 11, a section T1 between time t1 and t2 is a power-running section. In this section T1, the switching elements Q1 and Q6 are switched to an on state as shown in (b) and (h), and the switching elements Q2 and Q5 are switched to an off state as shown in (d) and (f), and thus, a current flows from the power source Vd to the motor M by a path shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12A.
A section T2 between time t2 and t3 is a lower-stage regeneration section. In this section T2, the switching elements Q2 and Q6 are switched to the on state as shown in (d) and (h), and the switching elements Q1 and Q5 are switched to the off state as shown in (b) and (f), and thus, a regenerative current based on discharge of energy stored in an inductance of the motor M flows through a path shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12B.
A section T3 between time t3 and t4 is again a power-running section, and the switching elements Q1 and Q6 are switched to the on state as shown in (b) and (h), and the switching elements Q2 and Q5 are switched to the off state as shown in (d) and (f), and thus, a current flows from the power source Vd to the motor M by a path shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12C (which is the same as that in FIG. 12A).
A section T4 between time t4 and t5 is an upper-stage regeneration section. In this section T4, the switching elements Q1 and Q5 are switched to the on state as shown in (b) and (f), and the switching elements Q2 and Q6 are switched to the off state as shown in (d) and (h), and thus, a regenerative current based on discharge of energy stored in the inductance of the motor M flows through a path shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12D.
A section T5 between time t5 and t6 is again a power-running section, and the same patterns as those of the sections T1 to T4 are repeated thereafter.
A failure where one of the switching elements Q1 to Q6 of the inverter circuit 10 as described above is fixed to the off (non-conducting) state and would not be switched on (conducting) sometimes occurs. This failure is referred to as an "off failure" in this specification (the "open failure" in JP 2005-94873 A is used synonymously).
In the case where six switching elements Q1 to Q6 to which diodes D1 to D6 are connected in parallel are used, as in FIG. 10, there are two types of off failures. One is a failure where both the switching element and the diode would not conduct (hereinafter referred to as a "complete off failure"). This is a failure that occurs when disconnection occurs on the drain side or the source side of the FET, and both the switching element and the diode are cut off, for example. The other is a failure where the diode is normal, and only the switching element would not conduct (hereinafter referred to as an "incomplete off failure"). This is a failure that occurs when the gate of the FET is shunted to the ground, or the FET itself is broken, for example.
FIG. 13 shows a state at the time of upper-stage regeneration where there is an occurrence of the "complete off failure" at the phase C upper stage of the inverter circuit 10. At this time, the switching element Q5 is in the abnormal (non-conducting) state, and a regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the switching element Q5. Since the diode D5 is also in the abnormal (non-conducting) state, the regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the diode D5 either.
FIG. 14 shows a state at the time of upper-stage regeneration where there is an occurrence of the "incomplete off failure" at the phase C upper stage of the inverter circuit 10. At this time, the switching element Q5 is in the abnormal (non-conducting) state, and a regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the switching element Q5. However, the diode D5 is normal, and the regenerative current flows through the inverter circuit 10 via the diode D5 by a path as shown by the dashed line.
In a state where there is an occurrence of a complete off failure at the phase C upper stage, as in FIG. 13, surge voltage in the positive direction occurs in the motor terminal voltage of the phase C (the voltage at the connection point of the switching elements Q5, Q6) at the timing of switching from the power-running state to the upper-stage regeneration state (time t4). This is because the energy stored in the inductance of the motor M appears as the surge voltage without being absorbed as the regenerative current at the moment of switching off of the switching element Q6 (normal) of the phase C lower stage at time t4. When the voltage value of this surge voltage exceeds the withstand voltage of the switching element Q6, the switching element Q6 is destroyed.
Accordingly, even if there is an attempt to perform driving by the quasi three-phase method described above by switching on/off the normal switching element Q6 of the phase C lower stage in a state where there is a complete off failure at the phase C upper stage, driving by the quasi three-phase method is impossible when the switching element Q6 is destroyed. In this case, switching to driving by the two-phase method has to be performed, but conventionally, there has been no means for determining which of the quasi three-phase method and the two-phase method should be adopted.
On the other hand, in a case where the phase C upper stage is in the state of an incomplete off failure, a regenerative current flows at the time of upper-stage regeneration, and no surge voltage occurs in the motor terminal voltage of the phase C. Therefore, driving by the two-phase method by completely separating the phase C without switching on/off the switching element Q6 of the phase C lower stage is not only pointless, but also undesirable because the ripple components in the motor current would be increased compared to the quasi three-phase method.
FIG. 16 shows a state at the time of lower-stage regeneration where there is an occurrence of the "complete off failure" at the phase A lower stage of the inverter circuit 10. At this time, since the switching element Q2 is in an abnormal (non-conducting) state, a regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the switching element Q2. Since the diode D2 is also in the abnormal (non-conducting) state, the regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the diode D2.
FIG. 17 shows a state at the time of lower-stage regeneration where there is an occurrence of the "incomplete off failure" at the phase A lower stage of the inverter circuit 10. At this time, since the switching element Q2 is in an abnormal (non-conducting) state, a regenerative current cannot flow through the inverter circuit 10 via the switching element Q2. However, the diode D2 is normal, and the regenerative current flows through the inverter circuit 10 via the diode D2 by a path as shown by the dashed line.
In a state where there is an occurrence of a complete off failure at the phase A lower stage, as in FIG. 16, surge voltage in the negative direction occurs in the motor terminal voltage of the phase A (the voltage at the connection point of the switching elements Q1, Q2) at the timing of switching from the power-running state to the lower-stage regeneration state (time t2). This is because the energy stored in the inductance of the motor M appears as the surge voltage without being absorbed as the regenerative current at the moment of switching off of the switching element Q1 (normal) of the phase A upper stage at time t2. The source potential of the switching element Q1 is lowered by this surge voltage in the negative direction, and as a result, the switching element Q1 falls into a semi-on state (an intermediate state between on and off). Thus, a large current based on the surge voltage flows to the power source Vd side via the switching element Q1, and when power loss (heating) due to this large current becomes excessive, the switching element Q1 is destroyed.
Accordingly, even if there is an attempt to perform driving by the quasi three-phase method described above by switching on/off the normal switching element Q1 of the phase A upper stage in a state where there is a complete off failure at the phase A lower stage, driving by the quasi three-phase method is impossible when the switching element Q1 is destroyed. Also in this case, switching to driving by the two-phase method has to be performed, but conventionally, there has been no means for determining which of the quasi three-phase method and the two-phase method should be adopted.
On the other hand, in a case where the phase A lower stage is in the state of an incomplete off failure, a regenerative current flows at the time of lower-stage regeneration, and no surge voltage occurs in the motor terminal voltage of the phase A. Therefore, driving by the two-phase method by completely separating the phase A without switching on/off the switching element Q1 of the phase A upper stage is not only pointless, but also undesirable because the ripple components in the motor current would be increased compared to the quasi three-phase method.

Load driving device with failure detection


A method and system for identifying personal context of a user having a portable mobile communication device at a particular location for deriving social interaction information of the user, wherein the user within a predefined range is identified using personal context of the user at the particular location and the identified personal context of the user is assigned with the confidence value. Further the current location information of the user within the particular location is obtained by fusing assigned confidence value. Further the proximity of the user in the current location is estimated by finding the accurate straight line distance between users. Further the two users having similar current location information at the particular location are grouped together with the predefined density criteria. Finally the social interaction information of the user is derived by multimodal sensor data fusion at the fusion engine and represented using a human network graph.

Analysis of a person's behavior has been an important aspect that has a plurality of applications in the field of marketing, organizational development etc. Due to this the field of personal context analysis is gaining wide importance. Specifically organizations employing a large number of employees are concerned to analyze the behavior of an individual for faster and better growth of the organization. The increasing need of analysis in terms of personal context has led to increasing growth in the field of Organizational Behavior Analysis, Workspace Ergonomics Analysis, Discovering the user's physical interaction network, User Studies Analysis, Market Study and Real-time Usage capture etc.
A number of technologies are available in the market for analyzing social behavior of a person using the reality mining techniques and other related aspects such as work cultures which have dedicated software and hardware requirements of the system. Such systems analyze Organizational Behavior based on user context sensing via specially designed devices that incorporate all required sensors. These devices interact with each other and a server to gather information associated with an individual. However, such systems and devices pose a threat as data related to a number of individuals is required to be transmitted to a back-end server for further processing, thereby raising privacy concerns. Moreover, further refinement and data processing at a distant located server leads to heavy transmission costs. Further, such data transmission leads to extra usage of battery power in order to transmit each and every particular sensed detail to the back-end server without processing it.
Furthermore, an additional device is required to be deployed at an extra cost in order to track an individual's behavior. Such a device does not generally has an always-on connectivity to dump the user data collected to the back-end server for further analysis—it needs to be docked to a special data collection station to transfer the data. Also, such available devices do not have provision to connect to additional external sensors over wireless, so the extensibility of the system to newer applications is limited.
Also, current solutions for context recognition and analysis using the reality mining techniques are dependent on wearable sensors and mobile devices for sensing a user's activity, location and proximity with respect to other users. There are different algorithms used to arrive at the conclusion of a user's attributes in the real world. Such results are often inaccurate due to errors in sensor readings and change in ambient environment. Such inaccuracies can cause discrepancies and malfunctioning in the case of ubiquitous applications. Furthermore, the sensors used are very limited in the kind of data they provide and most of the time specialized sensors are needed for deployment.
As a result there is growing need to integrate a personal context analysis system with a more efficient, widely available and user-friendly device which is easy to carry and simple to operate, and thereby eliminating the need for a separate special device or data collection system. There is also a need to process the raw sensory data at the sensing device itself to preserve battery life of the device (radio communication takes up most of the battery life), and thereby also addressing the privacy preservation and data transmission cost concerns.
Moreover, a provision to connect to additional external sensors through existing communication means like USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth will also lead to better grasp of an individual's behavior. Further the personal context analysis will also lead to create a social network based on real life fixations and affinities of the user.

System and method for identifying and analyzing personal context of a user


A combination lid and tray attachment comprising two integrally combined components; a tray section comprised of a bottom surface and sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface, and a lid section pending from the aforementioned bottom surface, comprised of sidewalls and an interlocking projection, whereby the tray section and lid section together facilitate use wherein the lid removably secures by way of the interlocking projections to a container, enclosing its contents to prevent spillage and the tray section provides a means for holding or storing desired articles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a combination lid and tray apparatus designed for attaching to containers. On the one hand, the invention acts as a cover for enclosing and sealing the contents of the container to prevent spillage, and on the other hand, it acts as a storage receptacle to hold or store articles which may be used in conjunction with the contents of the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storing cleansing agents, like Ajax.TM. and Comet.TM., and related products, such as sponges, scouring pads and soap pads, in an organized fashion is widely known to be burdensome and unsightly. Moreover, once cleansers and cleaning tools have been used, it becomes even more difficult to maintain an aesthetically pleasing cabinet or storage facility. Of course, the problem is not limited to cleaning products, but to other containers as well.
The foregoing problems have not been confronted by the prior art, however, there are some related structures presently known. One such structure is the custodial unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,386, issued to Wellington. The Wellington patent describes a portable custodial service unit which is transported on a custodial cart. The custodial unit comprises a trash receptacle with a mountable tray for depositing trash and carrying supplies while cleaning a room. Although the invention is suitable as a trash receptacle and custodial tray, the custodial unit does not address the problem of providing a simple lid and tray for covering commercial cleanser containers to prevent spillage and for holding cleansing articles.
Another structure, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,373,622, issued to Lloyd, comprises a box having a cover with a dovetail groove for attaching a brush. In particular, the Lloyd invention relates to a shoe polish box whereby a brush may be readily attached to its cover. Obviously, this invention is limited in scope in that it is only convenient for brush attachments, as evidenced by the dovetail groove, and it would not be suitable, nor is it intended to be, for holding or storing cleaning articles and for covering cleanser containers.
The Fredette invention, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,193, is directed to a merchandising package, wherein an inverted, transparent, snap-on cup is attached to the top of a container and includes an article that is visible to the prospective purchaser to promote the sale of the main product being sold in the package. The snap-on cup could not be effectively used as a permanent storage receptacle for cleansers because its purpose is for merchandising; its use is only temporary. The snap-on cup is made from fragile plastic, and it is disposable with each purchase. Furthermore, the device is impractical for holding or storage purposes. Regular household sponges and other items can not fit under the cap; wet scouring sponges and steel wool would clog holes in cleanser-style containers, and wet sponges and pads would have a reduced life because they would not be exposed to the air for drying.
While the foregoing structures disclose various designs geared toward specific solutions, none of them solves the immediate problems previously mentioned. The present invention overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings by providing a combined lid and tray attachment that comprises a removable securing lid for cleanser containers and a holding tray that separates the cleansing products from the cleanser container.


Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for providing integrated content recommendations in a graphical user-interface GUI). Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure employ a recommendation request from a client running a GUI for content recommendations formatted to fit within the GUI. An external component determines the recommendations, formats the recommendations to match a layout/look and feel of the GUI and the formatted recommendations are presented in the GUI as an integrated component of the GUI.

This application is a Non-Provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/699,788 , entitled "Integrated Content Recommendation", filed Sep. 11, 2012 , which is herein incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates generally to a graphical user-interface, and, more particularly, to integrating content recommendations into the graphical user-interface.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As the prevalence of electronic devices has increased, content, such as movies, music, images, etc., has largely become available in a digital format, displayable by these electronic devices. Accordingly, digital content players for electronic devices have become very prevalent. Manufacturers of these content players have integrated electronic storefronts into these content players to entice users to purchase additional content from the manufacturer.
One way that users have been enticed to purchase additional content, is through providing recommendations regarding content the user may be interested in, based upon certain features known about the user's tastes. Unfortunately, these recommendations are typically displayed in a static layout (e.g., static color-scheme, background images, etc.) that appears segmented from the rest of the content player, thus creating a segmented user experience.


A method of forming a layer of silicon carbide wherein silicon clusters are dissociated in a gas phase. Silicon clusters may be dissociated by a silicon-etching gas such as a group VII-containing component. A semiconductor device is also disclosed having a layer formed by the methods of the invention.

Epitaxial growth is typically used to form a high quality layer on a substrate. In epitaxy crystal growth, a high growth rate and a smooth surface are desirable. A high capacity of the reactor in which growth takes place is usually also desirable.
At atmospheric pressure, it is difficult to reliably form a quality layer on a large substrate. The surface morphology of a layer grown at atmospheric pressure is usually poor on account of a high degree of homogeneous nucleation. Homogeneous nucleation is the effect you obtain when one or several precursors react and grow in the gas phase to form clusters or micro-crystals of material. Silane can, for instance, decompose thermally and small micro-crystals of silicon will grow if the concentration of silane is high. A reduction in pressure and/or increase of hydrogen carrier flow improves the situation significantly, however, etching of the SiC surfaces due to the hydrogen will increase markedly.
For silicon carbide, the standard precursors are silane and a hydrocarbon together with hydrogen as a carrier gas. Unfortunately, as the reactors have become larger, the need to put in more silane has resulted in a higher degree of homogeneous nucleation, which manifests itself as poor morphology, and, in severe cases, as particles on the surface, often mistaken as particle downfall from the walls of the reactor/susceptor. Very often homogeneous nucleation can be observed with the naked eye (screened by an equal density filter for the intensity) as whisps of smoke in the reactor.
If the concentration of silane is too high (a high supersaturation) it literally "rains" silicon, forming boulders on the substrate surface, or, if the concentration is somewhat lower, the homogeneous nucleation creates a wavy effect on the surface.
These problems may be reduced by adding more hydrogen, going to lower pressure, and/or modifying the inlet of the gases. The addition of more hydrogen, especially in combination with low pressure, unfortunately increases the etch rate of the SiC which reduces the net growth rate. It will also stress the materials inside the reactor, particularly the graphite materials and may create holes in the coating thereby releasing lots of impurities. The high gas flows at low pressure will also increase the size of the pump, pump lines, and cooling of the reactor parts which cost significant amounts of money. The high gas flows also markedly cool the front of the reactor, which often results in a reduced uniformity of the layer. Addition of argon replacing some of the hydrogen can improve the uniformity, however, argon addition tends to amplify homogeneous nucleation problems, making its use impractical for large reactors.
An interesting growth technique referred to as the "chimney technique" invented by Alex Ellison uses a very low flow of hydrogen and a fairly low pressure of 200 mbar. The system is vertical with the inlet at the bottom, but due to the reduced pressure, buoyancy is not a dominant force and therefore the inlet can be from the top equally well. The principle of the technique is that the silane cracks to form silicon clusters in the inlet region. These clusters of silicon are transported via the carrier flow towards the substrate. As the temperature increases (the substrate temperature is between 1700° C.-1900° C.) the silicon clusters dissociate and become available for growth. It is important that the gas is heated enough so that the silicon clusters dissociate. In a horizontal reactor, this method does not work unless the samples are placed upside down. If they are not placed upside down, large boulders created by silicon droplets falling down will be manifested on the surface. Growth rates with this technique were in the order of 10-50 microns/h using minor amounts of silane gas. The doping was also very low, but due to the high temperature, the carrier lifetimes were poor. The morphology was very good on some places but it was unfortunately not uniform over the whole wafer surface.
Accordingly, a need exists to reduce the degree of homogeneous nucleation preferably with lower gas flows and higher pressures while maintaining adequate growth rate and crystal uniformity.

Dissociation of silicon clusters in a gas phase during chemical vapor deposition homo-epitaxial growth of silicon carbide


A sheet finisher includes means for cutting a non-folded edge of at least one folded sheet. Means are used for setting a cutting position in accordance with a preselected length of the at least one folded sheet in a direction of sheet conveyance and a sensed length of the at least one folded sheet in the direction of sheet conveyance. An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus having means for forming a toner image on a sheet in accordance with image data, and the sheet finisher.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet finisher mounted on or operatively connected to a copier, printer or similar image forming apparatus for stapling, punching, jogging or otherwise processing sheets or recording media carrying images thereon and then cutting sheets, and an image forming system using the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is extensively used a sheet finisher positioned at the downstream side of an image forming apparatus for, e.g., stapling a stack of sheets sequentially driven out of the image forming apparatus. Today, even a sheet finisher with, multiple advanced functions including an edge and a center stapling function is available. However, a sheet finisher with such multiple functions is, in many cases, bulky or is limited as to the individual function because of the combination of various functions. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 07-48062 and 2000-153947 each propose a sheet finisher in which a path is switched at the inlet of the finisher to implement an edge and a center stapling function independent of each other. Although this kind of sheet finisher is feasible for a unit configuration and less-option application, combining similar functions is undesirable from the cost standpoint.
Further, in a center staple mode, the above sheet finisher is configured to jog and staple a sheet stack and then fold the sheet stack at the same position. This brings about a problem that the sheet finisher cannot deal with sheets belonging to the next job until it fully folds the sheets of the preceding job, resulting in low productivity.
In light of the above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-118861 and 7-187479, for example, each disclose a sheet finisher of the type jogging and stapling, in an edge or a center staple mode, a sheet stack on a staple tray, which is inclined upward to the downstream side, switching back the stapled sheet stack to another tray positioned below the staple tray, and then folding the sheet stack. In this type of sheet finisher, a folding mechanism is independent of the other mechanisms and enhances productivity while minimizing an increase in cost ascribable to overlapping mechanisms. However, to enhance productivity, the staple tray is located at a high level in order to make the folding mechanism sufficiently long. As a result, two trays are connected together in a "<" configuration and make the entire sheet finisher bulky.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-63031 teaches a sheet finisher configured to fold a sheet stack extending from a staple tray, thereby reducing the size of the sheet finisher. This, however, prevents productivity from being enhanced.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 11-286368 and 2000-86067 each propose a sheet finisher in which a fold roller pair is positioned slightly above the center portion of a staple tray so as to directly fold a stapled sheet stack, thereby implementing the shared use of a tray or reducing the length of a path. However, this configuration not only fails to enhance productivity, but also increases the size of the sheet finisher because the fold roller pair is positioned above the staple tray, which is inclined upward to the downstream side. In addition, a folded sheet stack is driven out of the sheet finisher at a relatively high level, so that the amount of usual edge-stapled sheet stacks that can be stacked is reduced.
Japanese; Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-198613 and 2000-103567 each disclose a value-added sheet finisher additionally provided with an edge cutting function. Such a sheet finisher includes either one of a guillotine type of cutter movable up and down and a shuttle type of cutter customary with, e.g., a facsimile apparatus or a plotter. Conventional sheet finishers each using the guillotine type of cutter or the shuttle type of cutter have the following problems (1) through (5) left unsolved.
(1) The cutter taught in the above Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-103567, for example, is a guillotine type of cutter. Generally, although a guillotine type of cutter is bulky and needs a large-output drive source, it has a sufficient height in a portion for delivering a sheet stack to a cutting portion and therefore does not need special means for insuring conveyance. However, in the case where a sheet stack is directly conveyed to a cutter portion by a roller pair just preceding the cutter portion, conveyance quality is questionable and will be a grave issue in consideration of further size reduction expected in the future.
The sheet finisher of Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-198613 also mentioned earlier includes an angularly movable guide plate just preceding a cutting portion and retractable in accordance with the movement of an elevatable cutting edge. However, this guide plate scheme is not easily applicable to the shuttle type of cutter, because the direction in which a shuttle moves and the direction in which the guide plate retracts would be perpendicular to each other. Further, while the guillotine type cutter allows sheet scraps to be easily dropped because of its movement, the shuttle type of cutter cannot do so and needs a sufficiently large opening for scraps to drop. Moreover, in the shuttle type of cutter, the opening is largest in the vicinity of the bottom dead center of a rotary edge, but slightly reduced at opposite sides of the bottom dead center. It is therefore likely that scraps staying around the rotary edge due to some cause close the opening when the rotary edge retracts.
(2) The shuttle type of cutter is feasible for a small size, power-saving configuration, as known in the art, and will probably be predominant over the guillotine type of cutter in the future. However, the probability of defective cutting increases with the shuttle type of cutter when it comes to small-size configuration. Further, if a sufficient cut margin is not available for structure reasons, then scraps are likely to curl and wrap around the rotary edge, causing an error to occur. When this kind of error occurs during cutting, the rotary edge stops while nipping a sheet stack and makes it impossible to remove the sheet stack. Generally, while the guillotine type of cutter allows such an error to be simply detected if one rotation of a cam is detected, the shuttle type of cutter cannot do so because it moves horizontally.
Other sheet finishers using the shuttle type of cutter are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-62262, 2001-88384 and 5-88271. Among them, the sheet finisher of Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-62262 is configured to reduce the cutting time when a medium has a small width, but does not addresses to an error to occur when a sheet stack is being cut. The sheet finisher of Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-88384 is configured to estimate the time for replacing a cutter and cause a replacement time sensing portion to output an alarm message or an alarm tone meant for the user. Further, the sheet finisher of Laid-Open Publication No. 5-88271 contemplates to promote easy replacement of a sheet stack jamming a path. For this purpose, this sheet finisher determines, based on whether or not a cutter has returned to its initial position within a preselected time, whether or not a jam has occurred. Even when a jam has occurred, the sheet finisher continuously drives the cutter to fully, cut a sheet stack, prepares a magazine adjacent the cutter for removal, and then-displays the jam.
(3) With the guillotine type of cutter, it is possible to make a cut margin noticeably small by adjusting alignment of both cutting edges. On the other hand, if the cut margin is extremely small, then the shuttle type of cutter causes scraps to deform like curled strips and causes them be caught by the rotary edge.
(4) Another problem with the shuttle type of cutter is that the rotary edge has a relatively small diameter, so that a load noticeably varies when the rotary edge starts cutting a relatively thick sheet stack. Consequently, a force tending to shift the sheet stack acts on the sheet stack and causes it to be shifted or scratched. Further, when use is made of a stepping motor, it is likely that the motor fails to follow the sharp change in load and is brought out of synchronism.
(5) The guillotine type of cutter cuts the entire sheet stack in a relatively short time, so that the resulting scraps drop to a position substantially beneath the sheet stack. Therefore, scraps cut away from consecutive sheet stacks are sequentially piled up around the center of the sheet stack because sheets are generally conveyed with the center as a reference without regard to the sheet size. Because a hopper for storing the scraps has a sufficiently larger width than the sheet width, the pile of scraps naturally collapses and can be stored in the hopper in a large amount.
On the other hand, the shuttle type of cutter cuts a sheet stack in one direction over a substantial period of time, so that the resulting scraps hang down from the sheet stack until the sheet stack has been fully cut. Consequently, the scraps fully cut away from the sheet stack drop to a position adjacent a position where the cutting stroke ends and shifted from the center of a hopper. One side of such scraps lean on the wall of the hopper. As a result, the pile of scraps does not naturally collapse and cannot be stored in the hopper in a large amount, as will be described more specifically later. Although the hopper may be provided with a larger capacity or a width sufficiently larger than that of a sheet stack, this kind of scheme increases the size of the entire sheet finisher and makes the use of the shuttle type of cutter practically meaningless.

Sheet finisher including means for setting cutting position image forming system including the sheet finisher


Based on natural language processing of a passage of a first electronic document, a determination is made that the passage indicates an action to be undertaken. In response to this determination and based on an analysis of a second electronic document, the second electronic document is identified as incorporating content preconfigured to allow completion of the action. In response to this identification, the passage is linked to the second electronic document.

The present disclosure relates to natural language processing and, more specifically, to using natural language processing in identifying links that aid action completion.
Within the World Wide Web are billions of linked electronic documents. Each of these documents has a unique identifier known as uniform resource locators (URL) that serves as an address for that document. When one of these documents is related to another of these documents, it may be helpful to link the first document to the second document. One common way to do this is by adding a hyperlink in the first document. Using the URL of the second document, the hyperlink allows a reader of the first document (or other user of the first document, such as a web crawler or a computer system) to obtain access to the second document by selectably clicking on the section of the first document that contains the hyperlink.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Inserting links that aid action completion

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods for coating an implantable medical device, such as a stent, are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for coating an implantable medical device, such as a stent, and a method of coating a device using the system.
2. Description of the Background
Blood vessel occlusions are commonly treated by mechanically enhancing blood flow in the affected vessels, such as by employing a tubular implantable medical device known as a stent. Stents act as scaffoldings, functioning to physically hold open and, if desired, to expand the wall of the passageway. Stents are capable of being compressed, so that they can be inserted through small lumens via catheters, and then expanded to a larger diameter once they are at the desired location.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional stent 10 formed from a plurality of structural elements including struts 12 and connecting elements 14. The plurality of struts 12 are radially expandable and interconnected by connecting elements 14 that are disposed between adjacent struts 12, leaving lateral openings or gaps 16 between adjacent struts 12. Struts 12 and connecting elements 14 define a tubular stent body having an outer, tissue-contacting surface and an inner surface.
Stents are used not only for mechanical intervention but also as vehicles for providing biological therapy. Biological therapy can be achieved by medicating the stents. Medicated stents provide for the local administration of a therapeutic substance at the diseased site. Local delivery of a therapeutic substance is a preferred method of treatment because the substance is concentrated at a specific site and thus smaller total levels of medication can be administered in comparison to systemic dosages that can produce adverse or even toxic side effects for the patient.
One method of medicating a stent involves the use of a polymeric carrier coated onto the surface of the stent. A composition including a solvent, a polymer dissolved in the solvent, and a therapeutic substance dispersed in the blend is applied to the stent by immersing the stent in the composition or by spraying the composition onto the stent. The solvent is allowed to evaporate, leaving on the stent surfaces a coating of the polymer and the therapeutic substance impregnated in the polymer.
As noted above, one of the methods of applying a drug composition to a stent involves spraying the composition onto the stent. The composition can be atomized to produce small droplets. Atomization is used because the droplet size can be made smaller than the size of the stent's structural elements, thus enabling a substantially conformal coating. However, there are potential shortcomings associated with a spray coating process. For instance, many of the drugs and polymers that are applied to stents are toxic when inhaled by humans. As the polymeric drug solutions are atomized, therefore, great care must be taken to avoid occupational exposure to the personnel conducting the process. Hoods, glove boxes, enclosures, and shrouds can be used to prevent toxic aerosol inhalation, but at a cost of decreased efficiency and increased expenditures on equipment. In light of these safety and manufacturing concerns, a stent coating method that avoids atomization of the coating can be advantageous.
Another disadvantage of a spray coating process is that the transfer efficiency can be comparatively low. Only droplets which fall onto the stent's structural elements are incorporated into the coating. If the spray pattern is larger than the stent, much of the spray can be wasted. Moreover, the stent's body can have a number of open spaces or gaps between the structural elements that allow the spray to pass through, and therefore be unused. The components of the coating compositions can be very expensive. For instance, many of the drugs applied to stents are small molecule agents or biologically derived substances such as peptides and gene therapy agents that are very costly. A stent coating method which transfers the coating solution in a more direct manner to the stent structure would therefore have a manufacturing cost advantage.
The dipping or spraying of the composition onto the stent can result in a complete coverage of all stent surfaces, i.e., both luminal (inner) and abluminal (outer) surfaces, with a coating. However, from a therapeutic standpoint, drugs need only be released from the abluminal stent surface, and possibly the sidewalls. Moreover, having a coating on the luminal surface of the stent can have a detrimental impact on the stent's deliverability as well as the coating's mechanical integrity. A polymeric coating can increase the coefficient of friction between the stent and the delivery balloon. Additionally, some polymers have a "sticky" or "tacky" consistency. If the polymeric material either increases the coefficient of friction or adherers to the catheter balloon, the effective release of the stent from the balloon after deflation can be compromised. Adhesive, polymeric stent coatings can also experience extensive balloon sheer damage post-deployment, which could result in a thrombogenic luminal stent surface. Accordingly, there is a need to eliminate or minimize the amount of coating that is applied to the inner surface of the stent. Reducing or eliminating the polymer from the stent luminal surface also means a reduction in total polymer load, which is a desirable goal for optimizing long-term biocompatibility of the device.
A method for preventing the composition from being applied to the inner surface of the stent is by placing the stent over a mandrel that fittingly mates within the inner diameter of the stent. A tubing can be inserted within the stent such that the outer surface of the tubing is in contact with the inner surface of the stent. A tubular mandrel that makes contact with the inner surface of the stent can cause coating defects in spraying and dipping application processes. A high degree of surface contact between the stent and the support apparatus can provide regions in which the sprayed or dipped liquid composition can flow, wick, and collect. As the solvent evaporates, the excess composition hardens to form excess coating at and around the contact points between the stent and the support apparatus. Upon the removal of the coated stent from the mandrel, the excess coating may stick to the mandrel, thereby removing some of the coating from the stent in the form of peels as shown in FIG. 2, or leaving bare areas as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the excess coating may stick to the stent, thereby leaving excess coating as clumps or pools on the struts or webbing between the struts. These types of defects can cause adverse biological responses after the coated stent is implanted into a biological lumen.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for coating an implantable medical device that addresses these concerns and others needs as are apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art.

Methods for coating implantable medical devices


Disclosed are a conjugate of a metal nanoparticle including a magnetic core and at least one light emitting material linked to the metal nanoparticle through a linker, wherein the linker has an affinity for a biological material and has changed structure after contacting a biological material, a biosensor including the conjugate, and a method of measuring a concentration of specific biological material in a biological sample using the conjugate or the biosensor.

1. Field of the Invention
A conjugate of a metal nanoparticle and a light emitting material, and a use thereof, are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Resonance of absorbing light at a specific wavelength and have a large extinction coefficient (about 105 cm−1M−1). Accordingly, when the metal nanoparticles are used as an energy transfer acceptor, the sensor including the metal nanoparticles may have sensitivity at a monomolecular level and also an improved transfer-energy rate and increased working distance.
In addition, metal particles have additional merits of being stable and not being photobleached.
On the other hand, a disease may be diagnosed early by detecting a biomarker related to the disease such as genes, proteins, enzymes, antigens, antibodies, and the like at a low concentration existing in a biological sample such as bloods, saliva, or the like. Accordingly, the detection needs a very sensitive biosensor.
A conventional method of detecting genes, proteins, enzymes, antigens, antibodies, and the like in a biological sample may include gel electrophoresis, multistep liquid chromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or a method of measuring a peak shift through spectroscopy by binding a phosphor with a peptide substrate specifically degraded in a protein degrading enzyme. However, these methods need multistep protocols and thus are not economically and timely efficient for screening many drugs to develop a new medicine. In addition, these methods may not be used for early diagnosis of a disease by detecting expression of a specific biomarker in vivo or quantitatively measuring the amount of the expression.
Accordingly, a more sensitive biosensor capable of detecting expression of a specific biomarker in vivo and quantitatively analyzing the amount of the expression is required.

Conjugate of a metal nanoparticle and a light emitting material

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


A bathing apparatus includes an in-line mixing unit and a hand operated injecting unit. The mixing unit is coupled between a water supply pipe and a water dispensing device, such as a showerhead and is in fluid communication with the hand operated injection unit. The injection unit, upon user demand, draws a controllable predetermined quantity of bathing fluid from a standard off the shelf purchased bottle of bathing fluid, such as a bottle of bath oil, and then ejects, upon user demand and in a hands free operation, the drawn bathing fluid, at a user selected flow rate. The ejected bathing fluid passes to the mixing unit which causes the ejected bathing fluid to be mixed within a stream of water being delivered to the water dispensing device.

The present invention is related to bathing apparatus and more particularly, is related to a bathing apparatus which causes a bathing fluid, such as bath oil, shower qel, body wash, liquid soap, or moisturizer to be mixed with a stream of water and delivered to a water dispensing device, such as a showerhead.

Bathing apparatus and method of using same


The invention relates to a water-based preparation to be mixed with blood, containing citrate ions which inhibit coagulation, as well as a method applied at collection of blood from a living organism while adding an anticoagulant substance including citrate ions. The new features of the invention are that acetate, being a physiologic energy source, inter alia for platelets, is included in the preparation and is added to the blood during collection in addition to the anticoagulant substance in order to obtain prolonged shelf-life of the platelet concentrate without increased risk for the donor or patient.

Platelet transfusion is an often life-saving form of patient treatment, since platelets are required for normal hemostasis, i.e for bleedings from wounds to stop normally; on the other hand, platelets may appear in too small numbers due to certain diseases and/or treatments. Blood donors may be the source of platelet concentrates for transfusion in two principally different ways, one being conventional whole blood donation and the other being so called platelet apheresis by means of a blood cell separator.
With the objective to make the best possible use of the unique raw material, in modern transfusion medicine it is the routine worldwide that whole blood is separated into its main components, usually according to one of the systems first described by Professor Claes Homaan, M.D., Uppsala, Sweden. In these procedures platelets may be recovered either from the platelet rich plasma resulting from a first step of centrifugation, carried out at relatively few revolutions per minute, or from the so called buffy coat, which constitutes the top layer of blood particles after normal, harder centrifugation of the primary blood bag, in which case the supernatant plasma turns out to be virtually platelet-free.
Especially in Italy and in Sweden, a new important routine method has rapidly been established in order to satisfy the extremely great need for platelets in some hospitals, viz. so called pooling of 1-6 buffy coat preparations, including a small amount of accompanying erythrocytes and also a small volume of plasma, with the ensuing dilution with 250-300 ml of either standard saline solution or of a more complex solution containing carbohydrates and saline, followed by a final step of centrifugation low rotary speed for the elimination of erythrocytes and leukocytes from the platelet preparation.
Platelet apheresis is a procedure within transfusion medicine/blood banking, which has been well established for 10-15 years and which by use of a blood call separator makes it possible for one single donor in 60 to 90 minutes to put a full transfusion dosis of hemostatically active platelets to the disposition of a patient in need. This method of procurement has several advantages for the patient as compared with preparing a so to say pooled platelet concentrate from 4-8 whole blood units from conventional blood donation. Carried out professionally by means of blood cell separators of various kinds, platelet apheresis and similar, more frequently occurring plasmapheresis as plasma donation, are completely safe ventures.
However, platelet apheresis is an expensive procedure, particularly since the shelf-life of platelet concentrates--best stored at 20-24.degree. C. while mixed by rocking horizontally or rotation end over end at slow speed in special plastic bags permeable to oxygen and carbon dioxide--at present is approximately 5, at the most 7 days. The high costs are also caused by the fact that the often strongly variable demands, combined with the requirements for an adequate stock-pile of platelets for emergencies, provoke a great degree of loss from outdating (e.g. in Malmo, Sweden, at a yearly cost of approximately SEK 200,000).
It has recently been demonstrated that the shelf-life of platelet concentrates may be virtually doubled by one single stroke, carried out as the (next to) last step during the preparation of pooled buffy coat concentrates by including acetate into the diluting platelet additive solution, in other words, acetic acid as the salt thereof, neutral or slightly alkaline sodium acetate. Apparently, added acetate can be used as a physiological source of energy in the so called tricarboxylic acid cycle of platelets. This system for the conversion of energy, also called Kreb's Cycle after its discoverer, is found in all living cells.
However, at variance with most other cells (stored), platelets lack the enzyme system, which can transform glucose to acetate for introduction into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Still, glucose is metabolized in a limited way, so called glycolysis the result of which is lactic acid, causing the pH of standard platelet concentrates from apheresis or whole blood to fall with a speed related, inter alia, to platelet number and concentration of bicarbonate. The latter is the most important buffer of plasma. Typically, within 6-8 days the pH of standard platelet concentrates have fallen to below 6.5 or below 6.2, where platelets rapidly loose hemostatic capacity and viability. As pointed out by F. Bertolino, S. Murphy, R. Rebulla and G. Sirchia (Transfusion 1992; 32: 152-156) acetate per se has no buffering capacity but when available to platelets during storage it has a pH-stabilizing affect, apparently because acetate is metabolized in the tricarboxylic acid cycle as acetic acid, oxidized all the way to carbon dioxide and water. In this way, acetate is consumed together with a proton, in other words an acidifying hydrogen ion. It may be derived either from carbonic acid, thus converted to buffering bicarbonate, or directly from lactic acid being converted to virtually nontoxic sodium lactate, the overall affect being that pH may stay approximately at pH 7 for more than 12 days, as reported by these authors and coinciding with our experience at the Blood Transfusion Centre of Malmo, Sweden. It has been stressed, inter alia by S. Holme (Blood Cells 1992; 18:421-430) that maintenance of the pH of platelet concentrates at approximately pH 7 is the singular most important in vitro characteristic of viable, hemostatically active stored platelets. In fact, apheresis platelets stored in citrate (ACD-A) plasma with acetate have proven repeatedly to normalize prolonged Ivy bleeding time 12 days after donation.
From the extensive use of acetate in intravenously applied preparations for fluid substitution and from the inclusion of significant amounts of acetic acid in everyday food it is apparent that (sodium) acetate is a completely nontoxic substance as long as it is not administered so as to produce clearly nonphysiological concentrations, e.g. as in acetate-based hemodialysis, or causing osmotic side effects and the like.
In fact, intravenous drip solutions containing 50 millimoles acetate (in addition to 100 millimoles chloride and 150 millimoles sodium ion, all this per litre), particularly when given intravenously in volumes of several litres, have physiological advantages over so called physiological saline solution in that the acid-base balance of the body is not tipped to the acid side (as shown by Professor Gosta Rooth of Lund, nowadays in Uppsala).
Platelet concentrates, after being prepared by apheresis or in any other way, may then be manipulated for the addition of acetate or other substances, the condition being that it can be done without contamination of the product, especially considering the risk of bacterial growth at the actual storage temperature, 20-24.degree. C. Also if that problem apparently can be solved today by application of expensive equipment for so called "mirror welding" of PVC tubing end to end (Haemonetics/Dupont Sterile Connecting Device SCD 312), or by preattachnent to the disposable kit of tubings, bags etc. for platelet apheresis there is the disadvantage of (concomitant) dilution of the plasma of platelet concentrates, which in turn appears to reduce the shelf-life of platelets.

Preparation and method for production of platelet concentrates with significantly prolonged viabilty during storage

Stiftelsen for Medicinsk-Teknisk Utveckling


A tape-shaped label printing device for use with a plurality of freely detachably mountable ribbon cassettes each housing a different color ink ribbon for printing serially on a tape in a plurality of print colors, the label printing device including: an input unit for inputting characters, symbols, and a variety of commands; a data memory unit for storing input text data; a tape/ink ribbon movement mechanism for feeding in a feeding direction the tape and, in synchronization with the tape, an ink ribbon of a mounted one of the ribbon cassettes; a print unit including a print head for printing on the tape via the ink ribbon; a color range setting unit for setting, to text stored in the data memory unit, a printing target range for each of the print colors: print control unit for controlling drive of the tape/ribbon movement mechanism and the print unit to print, on the tape, each printing target range set by the color range setting unit; and an idle feed control unit for, after each printing target range set by the color range setting unit is printed, controlling drive of the tape/ribbon movement mechanism to feed the tape and the ink ribbon only a predetermined distance in the feed direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape-shaped label producing device for printing characters and symbols on a tape which serves as a printing medium, and more particularly to performing multi-color printing by printing while exchanging a plurality of ribbon cassettes provided with different colored ink ribbons.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application (Kokai) No. HEI-5-34994 describes a tape cassette housing an ink ribbon wound around a ribbon spool and a print tape, which serves as a print medium, wound around a tape spool. A thermal head is used to print marks and characters such as characters and symbols on the print tape via the ink ribbon. This tape-shaped label printing device is suitable for making labels to adhere to file tabs. It includes a keyboard, a display, and a printing mechanism of the thermal printing type, and is configured to print characters, marks, and the like in a variety of font styles and sizes on a printing tape medium having widths such as 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 mm.
The tape-shaped label prepared by printing characters is used not only on the spines of files but can also be adhered to cassette tapes, video tapes, or to their cases. Furthermore, it is conceivable to print character trains by partially changing print color according to recorded content of the corresponding tape or to the category of the tape to obtain a more colorful appearance.

Tape-shaped label printing device having color range setting means


In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a technique of, and system for enhancing the performance of high-speed digital communications through a communications channel, for example a backplane. In this aspect of the present invention, a transmitter includes equalization circuitry to compensate for bandwidth limitations and reflections in high-speed digital communication systems. In one embodiment, the equalization circuitry is designed, programmed and/or configured to introduce intersymbol interference in order to improve the signal integrity in high-speed communications and enhance the operation and performance of such systems. In this regard, the equalization circuitry includes temporally overlapping leading and/or trailing taps (relative to the data (symbol) signal) to reduce, minimize, mitigate or effectively eliminate pre-cursor and/or post-cursor intersymbol interference due to, for example, bandwidth limitations and reflections in high-speed digital communication systems. The amount of equalization may be programmed, adjusted or controlled by varying the positioning of the tap(s), varying the coefficients of the tap(s), and/or varying the pulse durations of the tap(s) (that is, the pulse duration of the equalization signal attributed to the tap).

This invention relates to a system and method for providing high-speed digital communications through a communications channel, and more particularly to an equalizer for communications systems implemented in wired type environments, for example microstrip, stripline, printed circuit board (e.g., a backplane) and cable.
Communications systems are continuing to increase the rate at which data is transmitted between devices. The increase in data rate presents a challenge to maintain, enhance or optimize the ability to recover the transmitted signal and thereby the information contained therein. Thus, in general, increasing the rate of transfer of data tends to adversely impact the fidelity of the received signal.
For example, high-speed digital baseband communications systems often encounter debilitating signal reflections and signal dispersion as the rate of data transfer increases. Signal reflections are often due to mismatches of impedances between the impedances of the devices (whether the devices are connected in a point-to-point or bus configuration), and/or mismatches of the impedance of the communications channel and termination resistors.
Signal dispersion, also known as intersymbol interference, may be caused by bandwidth limitations of the communications channel. Dispersion in many situations is due to two primary effects, namely, dielectric loss and skin effect. The effects of dielectric loss are often limited or minimized in communications systems, for example, wired systems, through careful design of the conductor insulator.
In backplane environments, however, intersymbol interference caused by dielectric loss may be difficult to eliminate, or sufficiently or adequately limit or minimize. In this regard, dispersion of the transmitted signal may be observed in the time domain as a symmetric broadening of that signal. This broadening of the transmitted signal produces both pre-cursor (before the pulse peak of the signal) and post-cursor (after the pulse peak of the signal) intersymbol interference.
Dispersion effects attributable to skin-effect tend to be observed predominately as post-cursor intersymbol interference. Although the debilitating effects caused by skin-effect may not be dominant when compared to effects of dielectric loss, skin-effect may be a source of dispersion to be addressed at higher transmission rates.
In short, pre-cursor and/or post-cursor impairment, whether due to skin effect or dielectric loss, must be addressed as transmission rates increase.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, conventional high speed digital baseband communications systems often employ circuitry, for example, a finite impulse response filter ("FIR filter"), in the receiver to equalize the transmitted signals in an effort to address, or compensate for the effects of dispersion and reflection of the transmitted signal and/or the sensitivity of the system to that distortion or reflection. Such circuitry typically includes a one or more taps having fixed or pre-programmed "positions" and coefficients. These taps are typically "trailer" or "trailing" taps and, as such, the equalization circuitry address only post-cursor signal distortion.
In pre-emphasis equalization implementations (i.e., equalization circuitry and techniques implemented in the transmitter), the equalization circuitry also includes "trailer" or "trailing" taps to provide an equalization signal that is produced after transmission of the information signal. The pre-emphasis equalization circuitry, like the equalization circuitry implemented in the receiver, is designed to address only post-cursor signal distortion.
For example, in the backplane environment, conventional communications systems employ an FIR filter having fixed or pre-programmed tap positions and coefficients in the transmitter. The taps are positioned to compensate for post cursor intersymbol interference.
Regardless of where the equalization circuitry is implemented, the duration of the equalization signal and the relative position or placement of the tap(s) of the equalization circuitry are selected or designed to avoid interference with the signal representative of the transmitted information. As such, at the transmitter, there is no temporal overlap between the equalization signal and the information signal. In this way, the equalization signal is less likely to interfere with the pulse peak of the transmitted signal (i.e., the symbol or data signal).
Thus, while conventional equalization techniques may address, or compensate for the effects of some of the bandwidth limitations and reflections in the system, the ability of such techniques to provide sufficient compensation for high-speed communications may be limited. Moreover, not only may the conventional techniques be unsuitable to provide adequate compensation for the debilitating affects on the integrity of the transmitted signal in high speed communication systems, but the operation and corresponding impact of conventional equalization circuitry may not be adjusted as the environment of those systems change (for example, due to changes in temperature, operating conditions, data rate, and device parametrics due to, for example, aging). That is, after design and manufacture, conventional equalization circuitry and techniques have limited flexibility when implemented within a particular environment or an environment that varies over time. This may severely limit the usefulness of such equalization circuitry and techniques when implemented in environments that change dramatically over time.
Notably, incorporating more complex equalization circuitry, for example, an FIR filter having many taps, tends to add cost, complexity and power consumption to a transmitter, receiver and/or transceiver. In addition, conventional pre-emphasis tends to suffer from over-equalization at the boundaries of the symbol (data signal) and may exhibit large parasitic capacitances thereby degrading the performance of the system. Such over-equalization may impact successive symbols or data signals, thereby contributing to the debilitating effects of signal reflections and dispersion. Accordingly, there is a tendency to implement equalization circuitry and techniques having a minimum of complexity and taps; however, such circuitry and techniques often are unable to provide sufficient compensation for high-speed communications systems.
Thus, there is a need for improved digital communications systems and techniques in order to enhance the performance of, for example, high-speed digital communication systems through a communications channel, for example a backplane. There is a need for improved equalization circuitry and techniques that are capable of compensating for bandwidth limitations and reflections, improving the signal integrity in high-speed communications, and overcoming many of the shortcomings of conventional circuitry and techniques.

System and method of equalization of high speed signals


Disclosed is a flexible top vehicle with its flexible top so disposed as to open or close both the forward portion and the rearward portion of a roof opening separately. The flexible top is disposed at the roof opening portion and it has a forward slider disposed at its forward end portion and a rearward slider disposed at its rearward end portion, thereby capable of opening the forward and/or rearward portion of the roof opening of the roof by folding or extending the flexible top from or to both end portions thereof. The forward slider is engaged with a forward stopper mounted on a member of the vehicle body, thereby closing the forward portion of the roof opening with the forward end portion of the flexible top, and vice versa. When the flexible top is extended to its maximum length and closes the entire length of the roof opening, the distance between the forward and rearward sliders is set to be smaller than the distance between the forward and rearward stoppers. This acts to maintain the flexible top at its maximum extended length, in which the flexible top is under forward and backward tension, thus keeping the flexible top from extending or otherwise loosely hanging downward due to a rise in temperature or to other causes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible top vehicle or a canvas top vehicle, or a vehicle with a flexible top or with a canvas top, and, more particularly, to a flexible top vehicle in which the flexible top composed of a flexible member is so disposed as to open or cover a roof opening of the roof by folding or extending the flexible top from or to both end portions thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A canvas top vehicle, or a flexible top vehicle, is known which has a roof opening at a central portion of a roof of the vehicle body, which is surrounded by a front header, a rear header, and roof side rails and which has a canvas top or a flexible top, composed of a flexible sheet material, disposed so as to be foldable or windable to thereby open or cover the roof opening of the roof.
Such a canvas top vehicle is designed such that the canvas top or flexible top is generally accommodated in a backward position of the roof. The flexible top disposed at the roof opening of the roof of the vehicle body is arranged such that a rearward end of the flexible top is fixed to the rear header of the roof opening and a forward portion of the flexible top is folded or extended in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, thereby transferring the flexible top rearwards or forwards and opening or closing the roof opening of the roof of the vehicle body. More specifically, the roof opening is fully closed by bringing the front end of the flexible top into abutment with the front header of the roof opening, thereby extending the flexible top to its maximum extent and covering the roof opening thereof to a full closed extent with the flexible top. When the front end of the flexible top is transferred backwards toward the rear header of the roof opening, the forward end portion of the flexible top is folded or wound in order from its front end thereof. When the flexible top has been folded or wound up to a position in the vicinity of the rear header, the roof opening is almost opened.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 37,531/1986 discloses such a canvas top vehicle as having the construction as generally described hereinabove, which is further designed such that the flexible top in a folded or wound state is extended forwards from its front end to its maximum extended length by manual operation. This technology improves appearance and sealing performance between the roof and the flexible top due to tension applied to the flexible top in a closed state in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Likewise, U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,011,473 discloses technology which involves tilting a front end of the canvas top upwards when the canvas top is opened from the state in which the roof opening is full closed or tilting the front end of the canvas top downwards when the canvas top is fully closed. This technology relates to tilting the front end of the canvas top downwards and forcing the front end thereof to be engaged with a sealing member disposed on the front header of the roof opening, thereby ensuring sealing performance between the front end of the canvas top and the front header thereof. On the other hand, when the front end of the canvas top is tilted upwards from the state in which the canvas top fully closes the roof opening and as a consequence the front end thereof is disengaged from the sealing member, the forward end portion of the canvas top can smoothly be transferred backwards. The technology of tilting the front end of the canvas top upwards or downwards, as disclosed in this U.K. patent specification, is based on manual operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,372 discloses another type of a canvas top car, which is so designed as to allow its canvas top to be opened or closed from or to both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. More specifically, both of a forward end portion and a rearward end portion of the canvas top can be opened, thereby opening both the forward portion and the rearward portion of the roof opening of the roof. For the canvas top vehicle of this type, the canvas top in a folded or wound state is disposed in a central position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. This type of the canvas top vehicle also can provide passengers seated in the back with open feeling over their heads as well as those seated on front seats.
It is to be noted, however, that the canvas top vehicle of the type capable of opening the canvas top from both of the front and rear ends suffers from the disadvantages that, when the length of the canvas top is set, for example, so as to correspond to a distance between the positions in which both forward and rearward ends of the canvas top are fully closed, i.e., to a length between a forward stopper and a rearward stopper for locking the respectively front end and rear end of the canvas top, and when the canvas top is extended in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body to its maximum length so as to fully close the roof opening of the roof, the canvas top may hang loosely because the canvas top may be transformed to a size longer than its original size due to a rise in temperature or for other causes. Such a transformation of the flexible top can impair or spoil appearance and sealing performance.