A gun is provided with a removable rotary ammunition clip assembly and a slidably mounted barrel to permit the clip assembly to be removed if a pellet jams in a position partially out of the clip and partially in the barrel. The clip assembly is an integral unit and includes a cylindrical loader which is rotatably mounted on the clip housing, an index lever and pawl for rotating the loader, and a transfer bar for translating sliding movement of the trigger into pivoting movement of the index lever. Sliding movement of the trigger moves the trigger link against a hammer for cocking the hammer, and the trigger link moves a hammer latch out of a latching position in which it will engage the hammer to prevent accidental discharge.

This invention relates to guns, and, more particularly, to a gun which is provided with a removable rotary ammunition clip and a sliable barrel.
Pellet guns which are powered by pressurized air or CO.sub.2 gas have been designed with removable rotary ammunition clips. Prior gun designs, have not, however, addressed the problem of clip removal when a pellet jams partially out of the clip and partially into the barrel. Such an occurrence effectively "locks" the clip into the gun. The user finds it difficult to remedy the problem without disassembling the gun or using sufficient force to "shear" the pellet into two pieces. Clip jamming may be less likely in a gun which has a pivoting barrel, but the use of a pivoting barrel creates other design considerations.

Gun with removable rotary ammunition clip


A photo-detecting apparatus includes a photodiode that coverts light into electricity, a reverse-voltage switching unit that switches a reverse voltage to be applied to the photodiode, a current-difference detecting unit that detects a change in an output current of the photodiode occurring due to switching of the reverse voltage as a current difference, a correspondence retaining unit that retains a correspondence between the current difference and a dark current, a dark-current calculating unit that calculates a dark current by referring to the correspondence based on the current difference detected by the current-difference detecting unit, and a dark-current correcting unit that corrects the output current of the photodiode based on the dark current to find a photocurrent obtained through photoelectric conversion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photo-detecting apparatuses and photo-detecting methods using a photodiode and, in particular, to a photo-detecting apparatus and photo-detecting method for detecting the intensity of weak light with high accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the progress of multimedia networks, demands for communication traffics have been dramatically increasing. For this reason, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems for multi-step relay amplification of optical signals by using an optical amplifier serve an important role in economizing communication systems in multimedia society.
A transmission distance assumed in a WDM transmission system tends to be increased with technical advances of WDM transmission systems, and currently is on the order of 35 decibels at maximum. This means that, for example, an input power of an optical amplifier is extremely small, such as −34 decibels with reference to one milliwatt [dBm] even when an output from its upstream optical amplifier is 1 decibel with reference to one milliwatt.
As depicted in FIG. 7, an optical amplifier 1 generally senses an input power and, with that power, a gain of an Er-doped fiber (EDF) incorporated in the optical amplifier 1 or an attenuation of a Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) 3 is determined. Therefore, even a small optical power is required to be detected with high accuracy of ±0.1 decibel [dB].
As for branch ratio of an optical demultiplexer 2 depicted in FIG. 2, the influence of a dark current of the photodiode can be more reduced as more power is branched to a photo-detecting apparatus 10 side. Then, however, the light power of a main signal system is decreased, and an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) after amplification by the optical amplifier 1 is significantly degraded. For this reason, an optical demultiplexer with a branch ratio on the order of 13 decibels down has to be used. At this time, the light-receiving power of the photo-detecting apparatus is extremely small, −47 decibels referred to one milliwatt, which is within a range where the influence of the dark current is not negligible.
If a dark current included in the current to be detected by the photodiode is identified and only that dark current can be corrected, even a small light power can be detected with high accuracy. However, the range of environmental temperature where the optical amplifier is placed is from 0 degree Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius, and is arbitrarily changed depending on the difference in temperature between day and night in one day or the season. The dark current has an extremely high temperature-dependency, and is changed approximately ten folds as the temperature increases within the temperature range. Thus, correction has to be made also in consideration of such temperature characteristics of the dark current.
To simply know an instantaneous dark current, several methods are known, such as a method of temporarily interrupting light power entering the photodiode to measure a dark current and then correcting its amount (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H08-278110, for example) and a method of correcting a dark current by using an auxiliary light-receiving element that generates only a dark current that depends on an ambient temperature with incident light being interrupted (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H08-181348, for example).
However, since it is required to guarantee that the optical amplifier always operates at a predetermined output level in an optical transmission system, the input power is required to be constantly monitored. For this reason, the method of interrupting incident light to directly measure the dark current cannot be applied to the photo-detecting apparatus of the optical amplifier in the optical transmission system.
Moreover, in the method of using an auxiliary light-receiving element, a problem arises such that cost is increased due to the addition of a photodiode. Similarly, also in a method of preparing a thermometer and calculating and correcting a dark current from a relational expression of a dark current to temperature characteristics prepared in advance, a problem arises such that cost is increased due to the addition of a thermometer.
Thus, a challenge is to accurately correct a dark current without increasing cost while always accurately monitoring light power even when a change in environment temperature is abruptly changed.

Photo-detecting apparatus and photo-detecting method


A tracking radar receiver as described herein is relatively invulnerable to image frequency jamming. Partial image-rejection down-converters down-convert RF signals to IF signals in each of various sum and difference receiver channels. Image frequency components of the IF signals exhibit a predetermined amplitude and phase relationship relative to corresponding real frequency components for each of the channels. Thus, phase and amplitude tracking between the various channels is achieved even when image frequency signals are received.

The present invention pertains generally to radar and more particularly to tracking radar receivers. Tracking radar receivers are used to generate angle error signals which indicate a deviation of an antenna""s boresight direction from a desired direction. The present invention additionally relates to electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), and particularly to ECCM techniques which reduce the vulnerability of a tracking radar receiver to jamming signals which exhibit a frequency substantially equivalent to an image frequency characteristic of the receiver.
An image frequency represents a radio frequency (RF) signal which is separated in frequency from a real RF signal by two times an intermediate frequency (IF) in the direction of a local oscillator frequency. When a receiver employs RF gain prior to down-converting an RF signal into an IF signal, or operates in the presence of standoff jamming, noise which may appear at the image frequency adds to noise which appears at the real frequency in the resulting IF signal. Thus, the signal-to-noise ratio after conversion to IF normally decreases by 3 db over a corresponding signal-to-noise ratio which would be possible without the presence of image noise or standoff jamming.
Receiver designs typically utilize image noise reduction schemes to reduce image noise and thereby increase receiver sensitivity. One scheme uses a conventional image-reject mixer. The conventional image-reject mixer nulls out image frequency signals relative to real frequency signals. An object of a conventional image-reject mixer is to maximize image suppression. Image suppression represents a ratio of amplitudes of an image signal input to a real signal input for identical amplitude outputs. As a practical matter, image suppression of greater than 30 db is obtained and preserved over environmental extremes.
Tracking radar receivers may operate in two modes. In a first mode, tracking commands are generated based on xe2x80x9cskin returnsxe2x80x9d of an object being tracked. In this first mode an increased receiver sensitivity increases the receivers ability to generate accurate tracking commands. Thus, it is desirable to employ an image-reject mixer to increase receiver sensitivity. In a second mode, tracking commands are generated based on a received signal, such as may occur when the object being tracked transmits a jamming signal. In this second mode, receiver sensitivity is relatively unimportant since jamming signals exhibit relatively large amplitudes. Tracking radar receivers may contain a plurality of channels, where each channel contains an image-reject mixer to increase receiver sensitivity. However, this structure makes such a tracking radar receiver vulnerable to a particular type of jamming when operating in the second mode.
If the object being tracked transmits a signal at the receiver""s image frequency, the receiver""s ability to generate tracking commands while operating in a track-on-jam mode may be seriously impaired or totally defeated. The vulnerability occurs because the image-reject mixers are balanced at a null condition at the image frequency. Although signal response of the receiver at the image frequency may be low relative to signal response at a corresponding real frequency, inadequate amplitude and phase tracking occurs between the various receiver channels when image frequency signals are received. For example, the image ratio of one channel might be 40 db while the image ratio of another channel might be only 30 db when overall amplitude response of the channels are equal. In this example, a 10 db amplitude response difference between channels exists at the image frequency. This amplitude difference can cause great deviation in tracking signal characteristics and can even cause polarity reversals. One example of such a polarity reversal might be the generation of an error signal which indicates upward movement when a correct error signal would indicate downward movement. Additionally, the phase relationship of signals output from image-reject mixers at the image frequency might substantially differ between the channels causing a similar result.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention concerns minimizing the degradation of receiver sensitivity to image noise while simultaneously maximizing a tracking radar receiver""s immunity from image frequency jamming.
A further object of the invention concerns providing a partial image-rejection down-converter which can be used to adequately separate image frequencies from real frequencies in a tracking radar receiver while remaining relatively invulnerable to image frequency jamming.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are carried out in one form by an improved receiver for a tracking radar. An antenna having a plurality of antenna elements couples to a combination hybrid which produces sum and difference signals from RF energy received at the antenna elements. The sum signal from the combination hybrid is down-converted to an IF frequency in a first partial image-rejection down-converter. Likewise, the difference signal from the combination hybrid is down-converted to the IF frequency in a second partial image-rejection down-converter. A demodulator produces an error output signal using an input signal from the second partial image-rejection down-converter and a reference signal output from the first partial image-rejection down-converter.


A robot motion data processing system has a data extraction module for intermittently extracting restoration motion data from a successive input motion trajectory formed for controlling a motion of a robot, and a data restoration module for restoring an output motion trajectory approximate to the input motion trajectory by using restoration motion data extracted from the data extraction module. The output motion trajectory is restored to satisfy a condition that the robot operating according to the output motion trajectory does not exceed a hardware operation limit of the robot.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a robot motion data processing system, and more particularly, to a robot motion data processing system for processing motion data, generated for operating a robot, in consideration of hardware limits.
2. Description of the Related Art
As robots are used in more fields, a "smart robot" is being developed to perform highly-developed operations in more diverse environments, without being limited to an industrial robot having a simple workspace and simple operation patterns.
The smart robot is, for example, a robot (slave) which imitates a motion of a human (master) as it is.
A motion of a human is performed continuously along a trajectory and thus may be expressed as a successive motion trajectory.
In order to allow the slave to imitate a motion of the master most similarly, data about the successive motion trajectory of the master should be split as small as possible and then transmitted to the slave over as numerous times as possible. It is known that data should be transmitted at least 100 times per second in order to obtain real-time synchronization between a source and a target.
In other words, in case of robot motion data for controlling a robot, an amount of information included therein is small but transmission frequency should be high, different from general sound/image data.
For real-time robot control, it is a main technical issue how frequently data can be transmitted per unit time.
This may be satisfied to some extent if a rapid network with excellent performance is constructed. However, there is a limit in aspect of communication technology and hardware in enhancing a transmission velocity of a network.
For this reason, a study for compressing data to reduce an amount or transmission frequency of the robot motion data is being made to realize real-time control.
However, a data restoring method compatible for characteristics of a target, which is a robot operating according to a successive trajectory, has not been proposed so much.

Robot motion data processing system using motion data reduction/restoration compatible to hardware limits

KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of pre-formed bags has a body part and an anchor part for the stack of bags. The anchor part includes a catch means for engaging the stack, whereby the stack of bags depends from the catch means, and may be grasped for removal. A stack restraining member bears against the stack to restrain the stack of bags, but can be deflected against a gravitational restoring force when one side of the first bag of the stack is drawn past it to open the first bag for loading prior to removal from the stack.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dispensers for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, and further relates to novel designs of bags for use with such dispensers.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common practice to provide, for example in supermarkets and other retail outlets, dispensers for dispensing pre-formed bags (e.g. plastic bags) from a stack of such bags. A typical prior art system is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, which shows in perspective view from the front a stack of bags 1 being offered for initial loading onto the dispenser 2. The dispenser 2, which is formed of folded steel, comprises a body part 3 in the form of a frame, from which project forward two prongs 4 and associated outer guide members 5. For safety and to assist removal of the loaded bags, the prongs 4 preferably carry resilient tips 4', typically formed of plastic-coated springs. Half way between the prongs 4, and slightly below their level, there is provided a catch 5, in the form of a folded steel rod of U-configuration which projects slightly forwards from the frame part to which it is secured, and is turned upwards at the base of the U.
The stack of bags 1 comprises a central block 7 formed from tongue-like projections from each bag of the stack, the tongue-like projections being heat-bonded together to form the block. Each tongue is connected to its respective bag by two side webs 8, which can be easily broken, and between the side webs there is a slit 9. The block is provided with a through channel 10, which receives the catch 5 when the stack is loaded onto the dispenser (Arrow A). The engagement of the catch 5 with the block 7 generally anchors the stack of bags 1 to the dispenser 2.
The handle-providing parts 11 of the bags (herein called "handles" or "handle portions" for convenience) extend at each side of the stack 1, and are free from the handles of adjacent bags of the stack. Each handle 11 is provided with a through-hole so that the stack of bags has two further channels 12,13, passing through the stack, one through each of the handles. These two channels 12,13 each receive one of the prongs 4 of the dispenser (Arrows B and C).
According to the prior art system illustrated in FIG. 1, the prongs 4 are spaced further apart than the corresponding channels 12,13 in the handles of the stack 1 of bags in the normal flat condition of the stack. The result of this difference is that, to load the stack onto the dispenser, the handles 11 of the stack must be splayed outwards (see Arrows B and C). This splaying outwards of the handles to permit engagement of the prongs with the channels through the stack has the result that the stack of bags does not hang so deeply from the dispenser as it would do if the handles were not splayed out, and furthermore it keeps the handle portions of the bags out of the way, to assist the loading of articles of shopping into the bags.
The bags are removed from the dispenser one by one, by pulling the front bag of the stack forwards along the prongs 4, breaking the webs 8. Although adjacent bags of the stack are not attached to each other in the regions of the handles, a spot 14 of glue or other adhesive is normally placed between adjacent bags in the central region, just below the slit 9. The glue spot 14 is intended to cause the next bag on the dispenser to partially open when the front bag is removed from the dispenser, so facilitating loading of the next bag. The glue spot is intended to provide a relatively weak bond between adjacent bags, which will break easily when the front bag is pulled from the dispenser.
The prior art dispenser system described above is widely used, but nevertheless suffers from a number of well-recognised disadvantages, which have hitherto proved remarkably difficult to overcome by improved dispenser design. It is these problems which the invention aims at least in part to address and overcome.
More particularly, the loading of the stack of bags, and subsequent removal of individual bags, is awkward and time consuming. The splaying out of the handles to engage the stack with the prongs of the dispenser is at best awkward and at worst requires considerable muscular strength in the arms. It is a two-handed operation, and at the same time the weight of the stack of bags must be supported fully by the operative. Once the stack is initially loaded onto the prongs, it must be pushed to the back of the dispenser, and at that time it is necessary for the central catch 6 to be engaged in the channel 10 of the central block 7 of the stack. That final task in itself is not easy, and can result in breaking of some of the webs 8 connecting the block 7 to the bags, as mentioned above. This breakage of the webs impairs the intended function of the dispenser.
It is only feasible to manufacture stacks of about 50 such bags, due to the configuration of the central block 7. Thus, to load the intended complement of 500 bags onto a dispenser is a slow operation, which can cause delays and annoyance to customers and be tiring and annoying for checkout operatives (leading often to errors and carelessness in the loading procedure). It is known to preload the stacks of bags onto hollow tubes, which are slid over the prongs 4 and then removed to leave the stacks engaged on the prongs 4. However, this solution does not avoid the need to engage the central block 7 with the catch 5, does not lead to substantial time savings overall, is still generally awkward, and are normally only used with prior art dispensers in which the prongs 4 are rigid over their whole length, i.e. do not have resilient tips.
Even if the webs 8 are properly intact in the loaded stack of bags, their function, and the cooperative function of the flue spots 14, have never been particularly satisfactory. What often happens is that, when the front bag is removed from the dispenser, not merely the next bag but the next three or four bags are pulled forward along the prongs 4 and open up to some extent. This effect is generally known as "concertinaing" or "daisychaining". Thus, the checkout operative still has to manually arrange the front bag before it can be used for the next customer.
A further difficulty with the prior art system lies in the awkwardness of the configuration as far as the checkout operative or customer is concerned. The bags are hung vertically from horizontal prongs 4. In many cases this means that the bottom of the front bag, as hanging on the dispenser, is lower than the checkout counter, meaning that the checkout operative or customer has to awkwardly lift possibly heavy items in a back-bending, stretching and twisting movement, before putting them into the bag. Furthermore, after loading of the front bag, the whole bag, full of heavy shopping, has to be pulled horizontally forward along the prongs with the splayed handles 11 stretched tightly sideways, then detached from the dispenser and presented to the customer. These actions, repeated many times during a day, are extremely tiring for checkout operatives, and are potentially damaging to health and fitness in the long-term. Even if the work is done by a customer, such an operation can be difficult and tiring for inexperienced or inform people. At the very least, the prior art dispenser design causes additional difficulties in an already tiring job, and does not assist checkout operatives to bag items in a well-presented and efficient manner.
There is thus a perceived need for an improved dispenser for dispensing pre-formed bags at points of use.

Dispensers for bags, and bags for use therewith


A method and apparatus for accessing a data representation of a model associated with a fluid system, the data representation including at least one interior cell and at least one ghost cell, calculating a physical volume value and physical surface area value for at least one interior cell and at least one ghost cell, generating at least one control volume based on one or more physical volume values, generating at least one control surface based on one or more physical surface area values; substituting one or more of the at least one control volume parameter and the at least one surface area for corresponding elements of mathematical conservation equations representative of the fluid system, and solving the mathematical conservation equations representative of the fluid system.

Analysis of fluid dynamic systems involves the study of complex interrelationships between fluids and systems and volumes through which they flow. Over time, analysis methods for fluid dynamic systems have evolved from methods of observing fluid flow in actual physical models such as those employing cameras, streamers, and specialized lighting, for example, to powerful computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling techniques. CFD provides for the rapid and accurate solution of complicated numerical equations and numerous mathematical representations of the respective physical relationships in order to determine properties of static and transient fluid dynamic systems. Since CFD is based on the solution of equations and mathematical expressions that represent fluid dynamic systems (such as conservation equations, for example), CFD can reduce or even eliminate the need to build and test physical prototypes of fluid dynamic systems. Existing modern CFD models and techniques make it possible to quickly simulate and analyze fluid systems over varying system parameters such as boundary conditions, fluid properties, initial conditions, and fuel-injection strategies, among others, without constructing or using actual physical models to run simulations. This rapid simulation and analysis facilitates accurate and cost-effective modeling, design, development and analysis of fluid dynamic systems.

Method and apparatus for modeling interactions of the fluid with system boundaries in fluid dynamic systems


A method and system detect speech activity. An ultrasonic signal is directed at a face of a speaker over time. A Doppler signal of the ultrasonic signal is acquired after reflection by the face. Energy in the Doppler signal is measured over time. The energy over time is compared to a predetermined threshold to detect speech activity of the speaker in a concurrently acquired audio signal.

A speech-based user interface acquires speech input from a user for further processing. Typically, the speech acquired by the interface is processed by an automatic speech recognition system (ASR). Ideally, the interface responds only to the user speech that is specifically directed at the interface, but not to any other sounds.
This requires that the interface recognizes when it is being addressed, and only responds at that time. When the interface does accept speech from the user, the interface must acquire and process the entire audio signal for the speech. The interface must also determine precisely the start and the end of the speech, and not process signals significantly before the start of the speech and after the end of the speech. Failure to satisfy these requirements can cause incorrect or spurious speech recognition.
A number of speech-based user interfaces are known. These can be roughly categorized as follows.
Push-to-Talk
With this type of interface, the user must press a button only for the duration of the speech. Thus, the start and end of speech signals are precisely known, and the speech is only processed while the button is pressed.
Hit-to-Talk
Here, the user briefly presses a button to indicate the start of the speech. It is the responsibility of the interface to determine where the speech ends. As with push-to-talk interface, the hit-to-talk interface also attempts to ensure that speech is only when the button is pressed.
However, there are a number of situations where the use a button may be impossible, inconvenient, or simply unnatural, for example, any situation where the user's hands are otherwise occupied, the user is physically impaired, or the interface precludes the inclusion of a button. Therefore, hands-free interfaces have been developed.
Hands-Free
With hands-free speech-based interfaces, the interface itself determines when speech starts and ends.
Of the three types of interface, the hands-free interface is arguably the most natural, because the interface does not require an express signal to initiate or terminate processing of the speech. In most conventional hands-free interfaces, only the audio signal acquired by the primary sensor, i.e., the microphone, is analyzed to make start and end of the speech decisions.
However, the hands-free interface is the most difficult to implement because it is difficult to determine automatically when the interface is being addresses by just the user, and when the speech starts and ends. This problem becomes particularly difficult when the interface operates in a noisy or reverberant environment, or in an environment where there is additional unrelated speech.
One conventional solution uses "attention words." The attention words are intended to indicate expressly the start and/or end of the speech. Another solution analyzes an energy profile of the audio signal. Processing begins when there is a sudden increase in the energy, and stops when the energy decreases. However, this solution can fail in a noisy environment, or an environment with background speech.
A zero crossing rates of the audio signal can also be used. The zero-crossings occur when the speech signal changes between positive and negative. When the energy and zero-crossings are at predetermined levels, speech is probably present.
Another class of solutions uses secondary sensors to acquire secondary measurements of the speech signal, such as a glottal electromagnetic sensor (GEMS), a physiological microphone (P-mic), a bone conduction sensors, and an electroglottographs. However all of the above secondary sensors need to be mounted on the user of the interface. This can be inconvenient in any situation where it is difficult to forward the secondary signal to the interface. That is, the user may need to be 'tethered' to the interface.
An ideal secondary sensor for a hands-free, speech-based interface should be able to operate at a distance from the user. Video cameras could be used as effective far-field sensors for detecting speech. Video images can be used for face detection and tracking, and to determine when the user is speaking. However, cameras are expensive, and detecting faces and recognizing moving lips is tedious, difficult and error prone.
Another secondary sensor uses the Doppler effect. An ultrasonic transmitter and receiver are deployed at a distance from the user. A transmitted ultrasonic signal is reflected by the face of the user. As user speaks parts of the face move, which changes the frequency of the reflected signal. Measurements obtained from the secondary sensor are used in conjunction with the audio signal acquired by the primary sensor to detect when the user speaks.
In addition to being usable at a distance from the user, the Doppler sensor differs from conventional secondary sensors in another, crucial way. The measurements provided by conventional current secondary sensors are usually linearly related to the speech signal itself. The GEMS sensor provides measurements of the excitation function to the vocal tract. The signals acquired by P-mics, throat microphones and bone-conduction microphones are essentially a filtered versions of the speech signal itself.
In contrast, the signal acquired by the Doppler sensor is not linearly related to the speech signal. Rather, the signal expresses information related to the movement of the face while speaking. The relationship between facial movement and the speech is not obvious, and certainly not linear.
However, the Doppler sensors use a support vector machine (SVM) to classify the audio signal as speech or non-speech. The classifier must first be trained off-line on joint speech and Doppler recordings. Consequently, the performance of the classifier is highly dependent on the training data used. It may be that different speakers articulate speech in different ways, e.g., depending on gender, age, and linguistic class. Therefore, it may be difficult to train the Doppler-based secondary sensor for a broad class of users. In addition, that interface requires both a speech signal and the Doppler signal for speech activity detection.
Therefore, it desired to provide a speech activity sensor that does not require training of a classifier. It is also desired to detect speech only from the Doppler signal, without using any part of the concomitant audio signal. Then, as an advantage, the detection process can be independent of background "noise," be it speech or any other spurious sounds.

Ultrasonic Doppler sensor for speech-based user interface

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A method of depositing organic material is provided. A carrier gas carrying an organic material is ejected from a nozzle at a flow velocity that is at least 10% of the thermal velocity of the carrier gas, such that the organic material is deposited onto a substrate. In some embodiments, the dynamic pressure in a region between the nozzle and the substrate surrounding the carrier gas is at least 1 Torr, and more preferably 10 Torr, during the ejection. In some embodiments, a guard flow is provided around the carrier gas. In some embodiments, the background pressure is at least about 10e-3 Torr, more preferably about 0.1 Torr, more preferably about 1 Torr, more preferably about 10 Torr, more preferably about 100 Torr, and most preferably about 760 Torr. A device is also provided. The device includes a nozzle, which further includes a nozzle tube having a first exhaust aperture and a first gas inlet; and a jacket surrounding the nozzle tube, the jacket having a second exhaust aperture and a second gas inlet. The second exhaust aperture completely surrounds the first tube aperture. A carrier gas source and an organic source vessel may be connected to the first gas inlet. A guard flow gas source may be connected to the second gas inlet. The device may include an array of such nozzles.

Opto-electronic devices that make use of organic materials are becoming increasingly desirable for a number of reasons. Many of the materials used to make such devices are relatively inexpensive, so organic opto-electronic devices have the potential for cost advantages over inorganic devices. In addition, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, may make them well suited for particular applications such as fabrication on a flexible substrate. Examples of organic opto-electronic devices include organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), organic phototransistors, organic photovoltaic cells, and organic photodetectors. For OLEDs, the organic materials may have performance advantages over conventional materials. For example, the wavelength at which an organic emissive layer emits light may generally be readily tuned with appropriate dopants.
Organic optoelectronic devices such as thin film transistors (TFTs), light emitting diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic (PV) cells, have gained considerable attention of researchers during the past decade. Organic semiconductors can be deposited on a variety of substrates, which potentially simplifies and lowers fabrication costs when compared to inorganic semiconductors. However, the unique processing requirements of organic semiconductors can also limit their application. For example, light emitting devices and PV cells typically consist of thin (<100 nm) films of either conjugated polymers or monomers, sandwiched between conducting electrodes. For full-color displays and multi-transistor circuits, the active organic layers themselves must also be laterally patterned. However, the organic layers are typically too fragile to withstand conventional semiconductor processing methods such as photolithography, plasma processing, or reactive ion etching. Many fabrication and patterning techniques have therefore been developed to address these unique requirements, emphasizing primarily the ease and low cost of processing.
As used herein, the term "organic" includes polymeric materials as well as small molecule organic materials that may be used to fabricate organic opto-electronic devices. "Small molecule" refers to any organic material that is not a polymer, and "small molecules" may actually be quite large. Small molecules may include repeat units in some circumstances. For example, using a long chain alkyl group as a substituent does not remove a molecule from the "small molecule" class. Small molecules may also be incorporated into polymers, for example as a pendent group on a polymer backbone or as a part of the backbone. Small molecules may also serve as the core moiety of a dendrimer, which consists of a series of chemical shells built on the core moiety. The core moiety of a dendrimer may be an fluorescent or phosphorescent small molecule emitter. A dendrimer may be a "small molecule," and it is believed that all dendrimers currently used in the field of OLEDs are small molecules.
Early methods of patterning organic materials involved the deposition of organic materials through a mask. The organic materials may be deposited through an "integrated" mask which is attached to the substrate on which the device is being fabricated, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,443, issued on Jul. 22, 2003, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Or, the organic materials may be deposited through a shadow mask that is not integrally connected to the substrate, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,631, issued on Apr. 10, 2001, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, the resolution that may be achieved with such masks is limited due to a number of factors, including the resolution to which a mask may be reliably fabricated, the buildup of organic material on the mask, and the diffusion of organic material in between the mask and the substrate over which it is being deposited.
As used herein, "top" means furthest away from the substrate, while "bottom" means closest to the substrate. For example, for a device having two electrodes, the bottom electrode is the electrode closest to the substrate, and is generally the first electrode fabricated. The bottom electrode has two surfaces, a bottom surface closest to the substrate, and a top surface further away from the substrate. Where a first layer is described as "disposed over" a second layer, the first layer is disposed further away from substrate. There may be other layers between the first and second layer, unless it is specified that the first layer is "in physical contact with" the second layer. For example, a cathode may be described as "disposed over" an anode, even though there are various organic layers in between.
As used herein, "solution processible" means capable of being dissolved, dispersed, or transported in and/or deposited from a liquid medium, either in solution or suspension form.

Method and apparatus for depositing material


It is disclosed a print-head carriage comprising base and a tab with a rotatable connection to the base on a first end, the rotation of the tab defining a closed position in which a second end opposite to the first end is in contact with the base and an open position in which the second end is separated from the base, the base being adapted to receive a print-head along an insertion direction when the tab is in the open position wherein the tab further comprises a latch located at a position remote to the rotatable connection comprising a lever, that separates from the tab in an unlocked position and moves towards the tab in a locked position; wherein the latch comprises a biasing mechanism to bias the latch to the locked position.

In wide format printers, a set of the print-heads are located in a carriage, inside a pen pocket base. In order to make the position of the print-head unique, accurate and repeatable, the print-head should be mechanically and electrically connected to reference surfaces such as datum surfaces. Normally such datum surfaces are located at the bottom of the carriage, therefore, a mechanism should be provided to ensure such mechanic and electric connections.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


This invention pertains to a method of protecting pancreatic xcex2-cells from immune system-mediated cell damage through transduction of the cells with an adeno-associated viral vector encoding cytoprotective genes. These protected cells are suitable for transplantation into mammals and will be protected from rejection by the host. The method also may be used to protect pancreatic islet xcex2-cells in situ for the primary prevention of immune-mediated destruction which leads to Type 1 diabetes. Pancreatic xcex2-cells may be transduced with AAV vectors according to the invention for in vivo or ex vivo gene therapy.

1. Technical Field
This application relates to the field of genetic modification. In particular, the invention disclosed herein provides a method of transducing cells with cytoprotective genes using adeno-associated viral vectors. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment the invention relates to a method of preventing or reducing the rejection of grafted insulin-producing pancreatic xcex2-cells and islets by transduction of the grafted cells with cytoprotective genes. In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a method of protecting pancreatic islet xcex2-cells from immune destruction in a patient to protect against the development of Type 1 diabetes.
2. Description of the Background Art
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that ultimately results in destruction of the insulin producing xcex2-cells in the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes, invading cells, primarily lymphocytes and macrophages, enter the islets and release toxic substances called cytokines which in turn set off an inflammatory reaction. Cytokines and immune signals play an important role in the overall defense mechanisms of the body, but can also be released in an unregulated fashion, leading to pancreatic islet cell damage in Type 1 diabetes or destruction of transplanted islet cells. Cytokines or other immune factors may damage the islets directly by stimulating xe2x80x9cdeathxe2x80x9d signals within the insulin producing xcex2-cells or indirectly by causing other non-xcex2-cells to produce a milieu that is cytotoxic to xcex2-cells. In either case, destruction of the insulin-producing xcex2-cells follows, along with the well known sequelae of hyperglycemia.
Although patients with Type 1 diabetes may be treated adequately with insulin injections or insulin pumps, these therapies are only partially effective. Insulin replacement via insulin or pump cannot fully reverse the defect in vascular endothelium found in the hyperglycemic state. Pieper et al., Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract. Suppl.:S157-S162 (1996). In addition, frequent hyper- and hypoglycemia typically occurs despite intensive home blood glucose monitoring. Finally, careful dietary constraint is needed to maintain an adequate ratio of calories consumed to insulin. This often causes major psychosocial stress for many diabetic patients. Development of methods to transplant functional pancreatic islets into diabetic patients would overcome most of these problems and result in improved life expectancy and quality of life.
The approach taken with this invention offers numerous advantages lacking in prior art therapies currently available and improves the success of known treatments such as islet cell transplantation. Currently, most treatments and therapy of diabetes focus on direct insulin replacement. Unfortunately, transplanted allo- or xenogeneic pancreatic islet cells, like whole-organ transplants, are subject to graft rejection as are other solid organ transplants.
The only viable method currently available in the prior art of preventing transplant rejection involves systemic immunosuppressive therapy, however immunosuppression can have serious, long-term effects on the graft recipient. Research aimed at the protection of transplanted allogeneic human pancreatic islets through genetic manipulation of the transplanted cells likewise has focussed on general immunosuppression. For example, Tahara et al. (Transplantation Proc. 24(6):2975-2976 (1992)) have expressed the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 in cultured cells using both retroviral and adeno-associated viral vectors to resolve the problems caused by the immune response to the transplanted cells. However, this report did not provide any evidence whether adeno-associated vectors could successfully deliver genes to xcex2-cells or to pancreatic islets.
Immune-induced islet cytotoxicity plays a significant role in both autoimmune xcex2-cell destruction in Type 1 diabetes and acute graft rejection after xcex2-islet transplantation. General immunosuppression methods are designed to combat this toxicity. It is known that pancreatic xcex2-cells, whether native or transplanted, undergo inflammatory damage and cell death upon chronic exposure to cytotoxic cytokines such as interleukin-1xcex2 (IL-1xcex2) (Dunger et al., J. Autoimmunity 9:309-313 (1996); Mandrup-Poulsen et al., Diabetologia 29:63-6 (1986)). Cytokine treated islets in vitro demonstrate morphologic evidence of apoptosis such as nuclear condensation, intracytoplasmic vacuole formation, mitochondrial swelling, insulin degranulation, and preservation of the cell membrane when viewed under the electron microscope. (Ling et al., Diabetes 42:56-65 (1993); Fehsel et al., Diabetes 42:496-500 (1993)). A proposed method of circumventing the rejection mechanism without systemic immunosuppression involves introducing cytoprotective genes such as immunosuppressive cytokines into the donor tissue by means of a viral vector. Methods discussed in the prior art have used retroviral (including lentiviral) and adenoviral vectors. See e.a. Tahara et al., Transplantation Proc. 24(6):2975-2976 (1992); Smith et al., Transplantation 64:1040-1049 (1997); Hayashi, Transplantation Proc. 29:2213 (1997); Naldini, Science 272:263-267 (1996); Xi, Neurochem. Int. 22(5):511-516 (1993). Hayashi et al. have suggested adenovirus-mediated transduction of an antisense ribozyme for both the xcex1(1,3)-galactosyl transferase gene and the xcex1(1,2)-fucosyl transferase gene to xenogeneic cells and organs to inhibit hyperacute rejection.
For successful protection of pancreatic islets by genetic transduction, the vector used must be non-pathogenic, must be capable of stable gene expression, should not be inflammatory or cause the expression of immunogenic peptides and of course must be able to infect pancreatic xcex2-cells. All the vector types currently proposed for transfer of genes to pancreatic xcex2-cells lack at least one of the above properties which are desired for use in protection of pancreatic islets by genetic transduction.
Relatively few studies have used viral vectors to introduce transgenes into pancreatic islets. Csete and colleagues (Transplantation 59(2): 263-268 (1995)) showed that adenoviral vectors could effectively transfer E. coli xcex2-galactosidase (xcex2-gal) into mouse islets for up to 10 days in culture and that islet insulin secretion was not impaired by the viral DNA. Gene expression was confirmed by the demonstration of xcex2-gal mRNA and high levels of functional xcex2-gal protein. After 10 days, the xcex2-gal protein returned to pre-transfection levels, indicating that the transgene was not incorporated into the host genome. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer also has been achieved in mouse islets using a xcex2-gal reporter gene by Sigalla and colleagues (Human Gene Therapy 8(13):1625-1634 (1997)). Transduced islets had normal in vitro glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and were able to normalize blood glucose when transplanted into syngeneic and allogeneic streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
In addition, ex vivo gene transfer into mouse islets has been successfully performed using an adenoviral vector with approximately 50% of the islets showing positive staining for xcex2-gal which was detectable for 8 weeks (Smith et al., Transplantation 64(7):1040-1049 (1997)). Gene transfer to human pancreatic xcex1- and xcex2-cells have also been demonstrated using adenovirus-polylysine/DNA complexes with peak levels of expression lasting for 5-7 days (Becker et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269(33):21234-21238 (1994)). There, both polycationic liposome- and adenoviral-mediated gene transfer yielded 50-70% xcex2gal positive cells, but chloramphenicol acetyl transferase activity degenerated after 5-7 days indicating that the transgene was not incorporated into the host genome. In addition, intact human islets showed lower transduction efficiencies than dispersed islet cells, possibly due to fewer cells being exposed to virus. In any case, adenoviral vectors were not capable of long-term, stable integration of genes into the islet cells.
Aside from providing only transient expression, adenoviruses have been shown to cause inflammation which subsequently can cause the same immune-mediated graft rejection which treatment would be designed to prevent. Retroviruses are pathogenic, particularly the lentiviruses. Moreover, for proper integration into the host genome, retroviruses require their natural enhancer/promoter complexes. This may interfere with expression of the inserted gene and also restricts the potential size of any inserted gene.
On the other hand, adeno-associated virus (AAV) has several features that make it an attractive vector for transferring therapeutic or protective genes. AAV is a replication-defective DNA virus with a 4.7 kb genome. This small genome allows for early manipulation by standard recombinant methodology. It is a human parvovirus consisting of three structural genes, rep, lip, and cap, and containing palindromic inverted terminal repeats (ITR). AAV vector is nonpathogenic because it requires co-infection with a helper virus for productive infection, typically adeno virus or herpes simplex virus, but AAV does not require helper virus to become integrated into a host cell genome or to persist in host cells. Without a helper virus, AAV integrates into the host genome and remains as a provirus. AAV transduction therefore can lead to long term, stable gene expression, even in non-dividing cells, a necessary feature since pancreatic xcex2-cells are non-dividing. Replication, packaging and integration of AAV does not require the AAV enhancer/promoter elements for integration into the host genome. Only the natural terminal repeats are required, therefore genes can be inserted along with their own natural regulatory elements, greatly increasing the likelihood of stable wild-type expression. Furthermore, AAV vectors frequently integrate as multi-copy tandem repeats, unlike retroviral vectors, enhancing transgene expression. Importantly, unlike adenoviral vectors, AAV does not lead to inflammation in target cells.
Other advantages to AAV transduction include the fact that DNA polymerase, the enzyme responsible for AAV replication, has a 10,000 fold lower error rate than reverse transcriptase. There is evidence that infection with wild-type AAV inhibits transformation by papilloma viruses and activated H-ras oncogene in vitro, while epidemiological studies suggest that prior infection in humans may confer oncoprotection. AAV vectors have recently been approved for use in clinical gene therapy for cystic fibrosis based on recent observations of long-term in vivo expression of an AAV vector-encoded cystic fibrosis transmembrance conductance regulatory gene in rabbit airway epithelial cells. Flotte et al., Proc. Natl. Acac. Sci. USA 90:10613-10617 (1993).
Wild type AAV is unique among eukaryotic viruses in its ability to integrate site-specifically into the AAVS 1 site of the human chromosome 19. Although AAV vectors do not appear to integrate into the same chromosomal site as wild-type AAV, little is known about the precise mechanism of vector integration. Integration is mediated by the virus-encoded rep78 protein, which recognizes consensus sequences on both the AAV ITR and AAVS1. Rep78 possesses site specific, DNA-binding, endonuclease and helicase activities and is postulated to form a bridge between the wild type AAV genome and AAVS1 to facilitate site-specific integration.
Inhibition of HIV replication and expression has been attempted using an AAV vector. The vector delivered an antisense gene targeting the RNA sequences present in the 5xe2x80x2- and 3xe2x80x2- regions of HIV-1 mRNA (Fisher-Adams et al., Blood 88:492, 1996). Transduced cells showed specific and significant inhibition of HIV LTR-directed gene expression and virus replication. AAV transduction was not associated with any toxicity or alterations of cell viability, growth inhibition or heterologous transcription. This study represented the first use of an AAV-based anti-HIV vector. AAV vectors have been used to express human tyrosine hydroxylase II gene, factor IX, neuropeptide Y, human glucocerebrosidase and arylsulfatase A, the CFTR gene, xcex2-globin and antisense to xcex1-globin. However, it is not known whether AAV can successfully transduce pancreatic islets or isolated beta cells.
Recent reports have demonstrated the use of AAV vectors for sustained gene expression in porcine myocardium and skeletal muscle McLaughlin et al., Virology 162:483-486 (1988); Kaplitt et al., Ann. Thorac. Surg. 62:1669-1676 1996)). Infusion of an AAV vector into porcine cardiac muscle cells as well as coronary arteries has resulted in sustained gene expression for at least 6 months (Kessler et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:14082-14087 (1996)). March and colleagues also demonstrated the feasibility of using AAV as a gene transfer vector for vascular smooth muscle cells (March et al., Clin. Res. 40:358A (1992)). AAV also has been used to deliver genes into kidney cells, neuronal cells, airway epithelial cells, and liver hepatocytes. Larger et al., Exp. Nephol. 6(3):189-194 (1998); Chamberlin et al., Brain Res. 793(1-2):169-175 (1998); Teramoto et al., J. Virol. 72:8904-8912 (1998); Sugiyama et al., Horm. Metab. Res. 29:599-603 (1997)). However, no reports of attempts to transduce pancreatic xcex2-cells have been made, nor has it been shown that AAV vectors are capable of transferring genes to xcex2-cells or pancreatic islets.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for protecting pancreatic islet xcex2-cells from immune system-mediated toxicity by transducing the cells with an adeno associated virus vector having inserted therein genetic material encoding a product which reduces immune system-mediated cell toxicity in the transduced cells. Exemplary genetic material includes DNA which encodes manganese superoxide dismutase, thioredoxin, interleukin-12 antagonist p40(2), glutathione peroxidase, catalase, 15-lipoxygenase, interleukin-10, leptin, interleukin-4, or an antisense or ribozyme which reduces the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, cyclooxygenase 2 or 12-lipoxygenase or any other DNA which reduces immune system-mediated cell toxicity in transduced cells. Pancreatic islet xcex2-cells which may be protected by this method include any mammalian cell, for example, porcine, rat, murine, monkey, primate and human cells. The invention also provides adeno associated virus vectors harboring pancreatic islet xcex2-cell cytoprotective genetic material, such as, for example, the DNA listed above.
In one embodiment, the method of protecting pancreatic islet xcex2-cells from immune system-mediated injury involves providing pancreatic islet xcex2-cells from, for example, a mammal such as pig, rat, mouse, monkey, primate or human, and transducing these cells with an adeno associated virus vector having inserted therein genetic material encoding a product which reduces immune system-mediated cell toxicity in the transduced cells. These transduced cells are optionally transplanted into a mammal and may be an autograft, an allograft or a xenograft. Suitable genetic material which reduces immune system-mediated cell toxicity in the transduced cells includes, without limitation, the exemplary DNA listed above.
In another embodiment, this invention provides a method of preventing rejection of transplanted pancreatic islet xcex2-cells involving providing pancreatic islet xcex2-cells and transducing these cells with an adeno associated virus vector having inserted therein genetic material encoding a product which reduces immune system-mediated cell toxicity in the transduced cells including, for example and without limitation, the is exemplary DNA listed above. Pancreatic islet xcex2-cells from, for example, a mammal such as pig, rat, mouse, monkey, primate or human may be used. The transduced cells are then transplanted into a mammal as an autograft, an allograft or a xenograft.

Use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver genes


Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a radiation therapy system for the acquisition of volumetric imaging with advanced trajectories. Embodiments include a device for applying diagnostic and therapeutic radiation to a target volume disposed in a patient subject, wherein volumetric imaging is acquired with advanced trajectories without displacing the patient subject. In one embodiment, a radiation therapy device is provided comprising: a gantry with a radiation source and a plurality of independent robotic arms mounted to the gantry, wherein an X-ray source is attached to an end of one robotic arm; and an imager attached to an end of another second robotic arm.

Radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer is well known. Typically, radiation therapy involves focusing a beam of X-ray radiation into a target volume to diagnose an afflicted area or monitor a tumor or lesion. A beam of high energy x-ray radiation or electron radiation ("therapeutic radiation") is subsequently directed into the monitored area to treat the area. The area is further monitored to ensure an appropriate positioning of the therapeutic radiation beam. Radiation therapy devices are commonly equipped with linear accelerators used to generate either (or both) electron radiation or X-ray radiation.
A typical configuration for a radiation therapy device includes a radiation source for emitting the therapeutic x-ray radiation, an X-ray source for emitting the X-ray radiation for imaging and one or more imaging devices corresponding to a radiation source for receiving incoming radiation after passing through the target volume. The beams collected by the imagers are used to generate a display (i.e., one or more images) of the targeted volume.
Newer technology and advanced techniques allow for improved image collection. A recent development in the field of computerized tomography is the use of a cone-beam computerized tomography system. A cone beam computerized tomography system is similar to that of a conventional computerized tomography system, with the exception that an entire volumetric image is acquired through rotation of the source and imager. This is made possible by the use of a two-dimensional (2D) imager. A plurality of two dimensional images at various angles is collected. From these two dimensional images, the cone beam computerized tomography system reconstructs three-dimensional images according to various methods and algorithms.
In conventional computerized tomography systems, one or more 2D slices are reconstructed from one dimensional projections of the patient, and these slices may be combined to form a three dimensional (3D) image of the patient. In contrast, in cone beam computerized tomography, a fully 3D image is reconstructed from a plurality of 2D projections. Cone beam computerized tomography offers a number of advantages, including: formation of a 3D image of the patient from a single rotation about the patient (whereas conventional computerized tomography typically requires a rotation for each slice); spatial resolution that is largely isotropic (whereas in conventional computerized tomography the spatial resolution in the longitudinal direction is typically limited by slice thickness); and considerable flexibility in the imaging geometry.
Radiation therapy subjects typically receive treatment in a supine position. Traditional configurations consist of an overhead radiation source directing radiation into a targeted volume within a prone subject positioned directly below the radiation source. Unfortunately, diagnostic imaging performed during the application of radiation therapy to a target volume from a single angle and direction may often be ineffective. For example, diagnostic imaging from conventional computerized tomography systems may be obscured by other content (e.g., anatomy) within the target volume.
In recently developed radiation therapy devices, the structures supporting the radiation source have become configured to be capable of rotation along one axis (typically, around the target subject). Even more recently, radiation therapy devices with a plurality of supporting structures each attached to a radiation source or imager configured to rotate around the same axis have been developed. FIG. 1 depicts a conventional radiation therapy device with two rotatable gantries, each supporting a radiation source. FIG. 1 includes a first gantry attached to a therapeutic radiation source, a second gantry attached to a diagnostic radiation source, a multiple-energy imaging unit for receiving radiation passing from both radiation sources, and a couch upon which the patient subject is positioned. The gantries and affixed radiation sources rotate around the subject to generate a volumetric image.
However, the solution of rotating one or more support structures around a single axis for diagnostic purposes restricts the volumetric imaging acquisition process to very limited trajectory shapes. For example, a support structure which rotates around a shared axis is capable of only circular, spiral and spherical trajectories. Unfortunately, volumetric imaging along a single axis of rotation may be incomplete. Furthermore, rotatable gantries typically rotate along a fixed circumference and may not be adjustable. Accordingly, this prevents images from being acquired at a greater proximity ("zooming") which would allow for a greater resolution of a smaller target volume.

Radiation therapy device with freely customizable source and imager motion trajectory


A method and apparatus for shaping a solid antiperspirant stick composition. The antiperspirant composition is produced in a generally cylindrical form having an oval or elliptical cross-section and the method and apparatus disclosed herein form the exposed end of the stick into a domed shape. A shaping mechanism comprises three shaped and heated cutting edges, each of which is arcuately oscillated with respect to the end of the stick within the plane of the major axis of the oval or ellipse. One pre-cut cutting edge is oscillated in one direction and makes a cut partially into one side of the exposed end of the stick. Rough cut and finish cut cutting edges are then arcuately passed through the end of the stick in the opposite direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to devices for forming predetermined shapes in the ends of solid cylindrical articles of manufacture. More particularly, the invention relates to a cutting device for shaping one end of an oval cross-sectioned cylindrical solid antiperspirant product into a domed shape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to produce antiperspirant and other cosmetic and toiletry products in a form or shape adapted to comfortably apply the product to selected parts of the human body. While the invention is suitable for a variety of products which are moldable into a selected solid shape and used by being rubbed against a surface, this particular invention relates to shaping solid products such as antiperspirant or deodorant compositions. Solid forms of antiperspirant or deodorant products are generally produced by molding a liquid composition into a cylindrical solid stick form having a variety of cross-sections, usually circular, oval or elliptical. The stick is molded within a tubular dispenser shell which defines the cross-section of the product. Some mechanism is provided for advancing the stick from the shell and for retracting it after use.
This advancing/retracting mechanism comprises a platorm for holding one end of the stick and a means f or moving the platform relative to the container shell to expose the other end of the stick for use. While the product may simply be pushed from the shell, it is generally advanced by having the platform threaded on an axially positioned threaded rod which is rotated by means of a knurled knob. It is desirable that the end of the stick protruding from the shell and to be applied to the body be comfortably shaped, for example, generally hemispherical in the case of round sticks and domed in the case of oval or elliptically cross-sectional cylinders.
The dispenser shells may be filled using either the top-fill or the bottom-fill method. The bottom-fill method entails inverting the shell with a cap in place, filling it from the bottom with liquid product and then inserting the platform and its associated advancing components into the bottom of the shell so that the product supporting mechanism may set into the stick before it solidifies.
The top-fill method is simpler and more inexpensive than the bottom-fill method and requires fewer parts. In the top-fill method, the product container shell is entirely assembled except for the cap and liquid product is poured into the container from the top and sets into the supporting platform which is already inserted in the bottom of the container.
In both top-fill and bottom-fill methods additional steps need to be taken if the final product is desired to have a shaped exposed end. In a bottom-fill method, the desired shape may be produced by a shaping fitment which stays in the cap of the product and is removed by the customer prior to use. Alternatively, the product container could be filled with a shaped mold in place of the cap. The mold would then be removed after the product solidifies.
Producing a shaped exposed end with a top-fill method is more difficult and requires trimming or cutting the end of the solidified product into the desired shape. With known cylindrical antiperspirant sticks having a round cross-section, the exposed end may be trimmed using, for example, an arrangement of hemispherically shaped cutting edges revolving about the cylindrical axis. However, there is no known way to easily shape the end of a top-filled product if the cross-section of the cylindrical form is oval, elliptical or anything other than circular.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to produce a method and apparatus for trimming into a desired shape the end of a solid cylindrical form. It is a further object of this invention to produce a method and apparatus for shaping the end of a solid antiperspirant product having an oval or elliptical cross-section and forming the end into a generally domed shape having an arcuate surface profile along both major and minor axes of the oval or ellipse.

Method and apparatus for shaping antiperspirant sticks and similar products


A press brake tool holder having a horizontally elongated body having a support plate, and a horizontally elongated clamp having upper and lower portions and pivotally attached to the body between the upper and lower portions so as to capture between it and the support plate the upwardly extending shank of a brake press tool. A handle-operated cam shaft is carried by the body and is linked to the upper portion of the clamp by cam follower elements which provide a rigid linkage. Clamps may be thus mounted to both sides of the body, and each can be independently operated when the other is removed. The clamp is mounted to the body by means of mounting pins having articulating heads that are slidingly received in slots in the body, the slots having enlarged entryways enabling the clamp to be removed from or attached to the body by sliding the clamp with respect to the body to align the articulating heads with the slot entryways.

Press brakes commonly are equipped with a lower table and an upper table, one of which, commonly the lower table, is vertically movable toward the other table. Forming tools are mounted to the tables so that when the tables are brought together, a workpiece between the forming tables is bent into an appropriate shape. It is common for the upper table to include a male forming die having a bottom workpiece-deforming surface of a desired shape, such as a right angled bend, and for the bottom table to have an appropriately shaped and aligned die so that when the die is brought together with the forming tool, a workpiece between the two is pressed by the forming tool into the die and thus is given an appropriate bent shape. The forming tools and dies commonly are horizontally elongated so that workpieces of various widths can be accommodated.
It often is necessary to exchange forming tools and dies when a different bending operation is to be performed. The dies, commonly resting on the bottom table of a press brake, are readily removed and exchanged for others. The forming tools that usually are mounted to the upper table of a press brake often are not easily replaced. Forming tools usually are held by a C clamp or other holder to the horizontally elongated bed of the upper table. Once the clamp has been loosened, the forming tool can, in some instances, be removed downwardly, and in others, must be removed by horizontally sliding it from the clamp. If a long forming tool is to be replaced, it becomes difficult to slide the forming tool from its clamp because of the proximity of neighboring clamps and forming tools which may themselves have to be removed in order to complete the tool exchange process.
Because long forming tools can be quite heavy, when a clamp is loosened to the point that the tool can be removed by moving it downwardly, a tool may slip and fall, causing potential injury to press brake operators.
Several press brake holders have been devised in an effort to facilitate the exchange of one forming tool for another. For example, Treillet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,255 discloses a tool holder that is attached by means of a C clamp to the bed of the upper table. Through the use of a camming mechanism, the upwardly extending shank of a forming tool is captured between a pivotable clamp and a portion of the holder, the shank and clamp having cooperating surfaces enabling the tool to be readily inserted in the holder. A locking cam is employed to lock the clamp against the forming tool. Kawano, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,514, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,407, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,902, and European patent publication 0 644 002 A2 show tool holders of the same general type in which a pivoting clamp is employed to receive the shank of a tool between it and the mounting plate of the holder. In each of these patents, the holder is equipped with a threaded mechanism operated by a lever that pivots from side to side to lock and unlock the clamp, force being transmitted from the lever to the clamp via a spring structure.
It remains difficult to remove a forming tool from a press brake holder, for the reasons stressed above. Care must be taken to avoid dropping press brake tooling as tools are exchanged in a press brake holder, and care must also be taken during attachment of a tool holder to the upper table of a press brake inasmuch as loosening of the clamps currently employed to hold a press brake holder to the bed may permit the holder to fall of its own weight. Moreover, with certain tool holders for forming tools, the force which the clamp exerts against the holder to maintain it in position varies along the length of the clamp; this, in turn, may cause unintentional movement of the forming tool with respect to the tool holder.


A composite multilayer material is described, which exhibits a relatively high specific load carrying capacity and relatively low wear. The composite multilayer material for plain bearings comprises a backing layer, a bearing metallayer (1), a first intermediate layer (2) of nickel, a second intermediate layer (3) of tin and nickel together with an overlay (4) consisting of copper and tin. The overlay (4) comprises a tin matrix (5), into which tin-copper particles (6) are incorporated, which consist of 39 to 55 wt. % copper, the rest being tin. At high temperatures, as occur in the case of plain bearings used in internal combustion engines, the tin migrates into the second intermediate layer (3) therebelow, resulting in concentration of the tin-copper particles (6).

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a composite multilayer material for plain bearings, comprising a backing layer, a bearing metal layer, a first intermediate layer of nickel and a second intermediate layer of tin and nickel together with an overlay consisting of copper and tin.
2. Related Art
Composite multilayer materials with the structure comprising steel backing/lead-bronze/overlay of lead, tin and copper have proven very reliable and to have a high mechanical load carrying capacity. Such composite multilayer materials are described in Glyco-Ingenieurberichte 1/91, for example.
The electrodeposited overlay in particular is a multifunctional material, which, inter alia, takes on the following tasks:
embeddability with respect to foreign particles
running-in or conformability of sliding counterparts
corrosion protection for the lead-bronze
emergency running properties in the case of an oil shortage.
The bearing metal also contains certain emergency running reserves in case the overlay is completely worn away. However, these bearing designs, which have proven effective for decades, today still contain quantities of lead, principally in the overlay. A common alloy consists, for example, of PbSn10Cu2, a nickel intermediate layer being provided as a diffusion barrier between the bearing metal and the overlay.
These known layers exhibit low hardnesses of around 12-15 HV, and therefore exhibit good embeddability and are insensitive to scuffing. However, for the same reason they have only limited load carrying capacities and are often no longer suitable for the loads imposed by new engine developments, particularly in the field of diesel engines. The layers are also unsatisfactory because of the environmental significance of the heavy metal lead.
Hard layers are also being used in ever increasing numbers in heavily loaded bearing systems, such as for example aluminum-tin layers with hardnesses of around 80 HV deposited by PVD methods. These methods make such layers substantially more costly, however. The bearings are highly wear resistant, but are scarcely embeddable and are therefore generally combined with counter-shells in the form of soft, lead-containing layers.
Pure tin is not suitable as an overlay, since, with a hardness of around 10 HV, it is even softer than the conventional lead alloys and thus is incapable of absorbing the loads which arise in main and connecting rod bearings. Alloys containing copper have therefore already been proposed, to make tin layers more resistant by increasing hardness.
DE 197 28 777 A1 relates to the production of a lead-free bearing with an overlay of SnCu, the copper content varying from 3-20 wt. %. With the aid of a methylsulfonic acid electrolyte with grain-growth inhibiting additives, a layer is produced which has at least the properties of conventional standard lead-based ternary layers. In order to produce a further improvement in wear resistance, it is intended that hard material particles dispersed in the bath be incorporated into the layer.
DE 197 54 221 A1 proposes to deposit cobalt in addition to tin and copper, in order to achieve a further increase in mechanical load carrying capacity and to prevent embrittlement of the coupling layer between overlay and nickel diffusion barrier layer, since the cobalt reduces the tendency of the tin to diffuse into the nickel. However, this addition of cobalt to the alloy complicates the deposition process, which may reduce process reliability.
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a composite multilayer material with a tin-copper-based overlay, which material simultaneously
exhibits a higher specific load carrying capacity and lower wear than conventional lead-based layers
is conformable and allows the embedding of dirt particles
does not require co-deposition of further components or dispersoids
and is more economic to produce than the materials produced by PVD methods.
This object is achieved with a composite multilayer material, the overlay of which comprises a tin matrix into which tin-copper particles are incorporated, which consist of 39 to 55 wt. % copper, the rest being tin.
Studies have shown that, with this layer structure, the bearing stabilizes itself after running-in on the initially still soft layer through heating during operation and forms a surface with good fatigue strength.
The particles are intermetallic phases, which have previously been deemed disadvantageous in overlays and consequently avoided. It has been shown, however, that these tin-copper particles markedly reduce wear on account of their hardness, wherein it has surprisingly emerged that, at temperatures from approximately 120xc2x0 C., increased tin diffusion occurs into the tin-nickel layer underneath. Through migration of the tin out of the overlay, the tin-copper particles become increasingly concentrated. The thus changing overlay exhibits a high load carrying capacity and high wear resistance.
It has emerged that, at high temperatures and after very long operating periods, for example after 1000 hours, the tin content is so markedly reduced that the tin-copper particle fraction predominates in the overlay.
The content of particles per unit area, relative to any cross-sectional area, is preferably 5 to 48%. This content increases over a lengthening service life as a result of tin migration and may amount to up to 95% after a service life of more than 1000 hrs. If the particle content is below 5%, the properties of the overlay are determined solely by the tin, which does not perform adequately alone. Above 48%, the formation of relatively large conglomerates of particles can no longer be avoided, and these finally take over the role of the matrix, which then no longer exhibits sufficient embeddability and conformability in the running-in phase owing to the high level of hardness.
The diameter of the particles preferably amounts to 0.5 to 3 xcexcm. Particles which are too large, having an average diameter of over 3 xcexcm, result in non-homogeneous layer properties, which influence the properties of a plain bearing made from the multilayer material, particularly in the running-in phase. Particles which are too fine, having an average diameter of below 0.5 xcexcm, increase the initial hardness too markedly, hinder the supply of tin to the tin-nickel layer and thus further stabilization of the bearing and exhibit reduced corrosion resistance with regard to hot engine oil.
It has additionally emerged that the second intermediate layer should be so adjusted, with regard to both layer thickness and tin content, that it is able to absorb tin migrating from the overlay. The migration rate of the tin and thus the modification of the wear resistance and load carrying capacity of the overlay as a function of time may be adjusted by means of the thickness and tin content of the second intermediate layer.
It is preferable for 30 to 40 vol. % of the second intermediate layer to be nickel and the rest to be tin, which corresponds approximately to an atomic ratio of 1:1. The thicker is the tin-nickel layer, the more tin may be absorbed from the overlay. The wear resistance of the overlay increases relatively rapidly in this instance.
A ratio of from 2 to 4 has emerged as the preferred ratio of the overlay thickness to the thickness of the second intermediate layer.
The layer thickness of the overlay is preferably from 5 to 25 xcexcm. The overlay may be applied by electrodeposition.
The layer thickness of the second intermediate layer is preferably between 2 and 7 xcexcm.
The layer thickness of the first intermediate layer of pure nickel is preferably from 1 to 4 xcexcm. The nickel layer also contributes to the equilibrium-determined growth of the tin-nickel layer, in that the latter is not only fed with tin from the overlay thereabove, but also with nickel from the first intermediate layer. In this way, the 1:1 ratio of tin to nickel in the tin-nickel layer is maintained. The bearing metal may be selected at will. It has emerged that the bearing metal layer does not have any direct effect on tin migration from the overlay and thus has no effect on concentration of the tin-copper particles. The bearing metal layer may consist, for example, of a copper alloy with a copper content of from 50 to 95 wt. % or an aluminum alloy with an aluminum content of from 50 to 95 wt. %. Copper-aluminum, copper-tin, copper-tin-lead, copper-zinc, copper-zinc-silicon, copper-zinc-aluminum, or copper-aluminum-iron alloys may be used as bearing metals.
Production of the composite multilayer material according to the invention may proceed as follows.
The two intermediate layers of nickel and tin-nickel are applied chemically or electrochemically in a first stage to prefabricated plain bearings, especially bearing shells, comprising the steel and bearing metal composite. The sliding layer is then deposited by electroplating. A binary alkylsulfonic acid electroplating bath is used for this purpose without brighteners and grain-refining agents and with the addition of non-ionic wetting agents, free alkylsulfonic acid and a fatty acid glycol ester. Coarse deposition of the tin-copper particles is attributable to the fact that no grain-refining agent is used, as is used to achieve the most finely divided possible grain structure desired according to the prior art.

Composite multilayer material for plain bearings


A semi-automatic foot-pedal device is provided, which comprises a panel and a pedal-connecting component connected with the panel. The pedal-connecting component comprises an upper bracket, a left bracket, a lower bracket, a right bracket and an elastic unit; when the pedal-connecting component is in a closed state, the panel moves away from the upper bracket to transform the pedal-connecting component into an elastically spread state under a force on the panel in a downward direction; when the pedal-connecting component is in a spread state, the panel moves towards the upper bracket to transform the pedal-connecting component into an elastically closed state under a force on the panel in an obliquely-upward direction. The semi-automatic foot-pedal device of the present disclosure has a novel structure, and does not need a conventional motor system, so it saves the electric power and is safer to use.

For some automobiles that have a high chassis, electric pedals are typically mounted on the frames thereof to make it convenient to get on and off the automobiles. When people are to get on or off such an automobile, the electric pedal will extend out automatically to make it easier and safer to get on and off with the help of the pedal. The conventional pedals are generally electric pedals, each of which comprises a pedal body, a pedal bracket, a passive arm, an active arm and a motor. The passive arm and the active arm are hinged to the pedal body and the pedal bracket respectively, an output shaft of the motor is connected with the active arm, and the active arm is driven by the motor to enable the pedal body to extend out or retract. When the motor fails due to such factors as the rain, the pedal may become incapable of extending out or retracting and this will affect the normal use of the pedal.
To solve the aforesaid problem, a stationary pedal has been proposed in the prior art, which comprises a panel and a pedal bracket connected with the panel. However, the stationary pedal is spread at any time regardless of whether it is used and the height of the panel relative to the ground can not be adjusted, which makes it inconvenient to use the pedal. Specifically, if the pedal bracket is too long, it may often happen that the pedals of the automobiles that have a low chassis collide with the uneven ground; and if the pedal bracket is too short, then the height of the panel relative to the ground is too high and it is inconvenient for those who are short to use the panel.

Vehicle and semi-automatic foot-pedal device thereof

WINBO DONGJIAN AUTO ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A method for regulating an injection molding process in which process setting variables of an injection molding machine are controlled via a regulating module, which receives data from a process-internal sensor system of the injection molding machine, data on the fabricating sequence of the injection molding component parts from an external sensor system and/or data on the quality of a fabricated injection molded component part from an online component part control, evaluates these data in a quality prognosis module and, as a function of the data evaluation, performs a change in the process setting variables of the injection molding machine, because of the change in the process setting values, the working point of the injection molding machine being changed so that the quality features of the injection molded component parts fabricated using the changed working point lie within the specified tolerances of the quality of the injection molded component parts.

The injection molding process is an established method for the primary forming of plastic component parts in industry. It is frequently used in larger productions. So far, fundamental, quality-monitoring measures have been integrated into injection molding machines. Because of changes in the process and because of external influences on these, however, even using the same machine parameters and process parameters, component parts may be produced that have different qualities. Up to now, preponderantly only changes in the process signals have been recognized when, for example, a previously defined envelope or tolerance for process characteristic variables are exceeded or undershot. In this case, the corresponding component parts are rejected via a quality gate. This functionality is integrated into most of the current injection molding machines. This process valuation is relatively inaccurate, however, since the quality features are not directly valued, and it does not enable regulation of the process. An adjustment of the machine parameters requires the intervention of an operator, and as a rule, takes place only after scrap has already been produced. The adjustment of the injection molding parameters takes place according to the experience of the operator, since the quality factors of the component part, depending on the component part, act differently on individual machine parameters.
German document DE 101 204 76 A1 discusses a hybrid model and a method for determining the properties with respect to fabricating an injection molded part which is made up of one or more neural network and having rigorous models which are interconnected. The rigorous models are used for imaging submodels that are operable using mathematical formulas. The neural submodel is used for imaging processes whose connection is present only in the form of data, and which are not able to be modeled rigorously. By the combination of the methods, the prognosis of process times and processing properties during the injection molding of plastic molded parts is supposed to be clearly improved. The method described supplies prognoses based on characteristic features of the process and of the material to be processed to form thermal and rheological processing properties and for the cycle time. However, no regulation takes place, in DE 101 204 76 A1, of the process with respect to quality features of the fabricated injection molded parts.
In DE 102 417 46 A1, a method is discussed for quality valuation and process monitoring in cyclical production processes, a distinction being made between a setting phase I, a setting phase II and a working phase, and a quality valuation taking place of the products fabricated in the cyclical production process with the aid of a set of quality features, an automatic working point optimization, a generation of a first training data set, an automatic selection of characteristic variables and a self-generating process model going into the first setting phase, which is taken over into the working phase. Besides the process model, the latter includes a quality valuation module and a process monitoring module and, at inadmissible deviations, provides for random sampling in a setting phase II, which leads to generating an additional training data set, having subsequent renewed characteristic variable selection and adjustment of the self-generating process model, which is thereafter taken over into the working phase. The quality valuation and the process monitoring take place, in this instance, in separate phases or cycles, that are required in addition to the actual injection molding process, whereby the overall method sequence takes very much time and is very costly.

Method for regulating an injection molding process


A wheeled mount for handheld tools with a frame having an upper and lower region, a pair of handles attached to and projecting away from the upper frame region, an 5 axle attached to the lower frame region, a pair of wheels in contact with a generally horizontal surface and further fixed to the axle and a handheld tool positioned on or within and secured to the lower frame to position the attachment of the handheld tool in contact with the generally horizontal surface thereby creating a stable three point contact for the wheeled mount for handheld tools. An operator can safely operate and move the wheeled 10 mount for handheld tools in a manner similar to using a hand dolly.

This invention relates generally to the field of handheld tools and more specifically to mounts for holding portable grinders, needle gun scalers or other handheld tools safely against a generally horizontal surface such as a deck or floor. In particular, the wheeled mount for handheld tools is configured to allow a user to stand substantially upright while operating a handheld tool located near a generally horizontal surface, like a deck or floor, in a safe manner.
Portable grinders, also known as an angle, side or disc grinders, and needle scalers are handheld tools used for cutting, grinding, polishing and removing rust or other scale like material from a surface. These handheld tools are typically powered electrically, by onboard internal combustion engines or using compressed air, although electricity or a compressed gas is more common. In the case of a portable grinder, the power source drives a geared head at a right angle on which is mounted an attachment such as an abrasive disc, cut-off disc, grinding stone, sanding disc, wire brush wheel, buffing/polishing pad or similarly featured rotating apparatus. In the instance of a needle gun scaler, a bundle of very fine chisels or "needles" is moved back and forth along its longitudinal axis by a piston, typically under pneumatic power, although electric motor or internal combustion engine drives are known. The needle gun scaler forces the needle bundle against a work surface, such as a floor or deck at variable speeds up to about 5,000 times per minute.
Typical portable hand tools, including grinders and needle gun scalers have a trigger in a barrel handle distal to the power head housing. Usually a series of threaded holes formed in the power head housing allow a threaded handle to be screwed into the power head, giving operators a two handed grip on the portable hand tool. With the typical needle gun scaler, operators typically place both hands on the handle barrel. Controlling the movement of a typical handheld tool with a two handed grip is relatively simple when the operator is not required to stoop, bend or kneel. However, two handed control of portable power tools, such as grinders or needle gun scalers operated near a generally horizontal surface is challenging and dangerous, because operators must stoop, bend at the waist, kneel or lay on the horizontal surface. Without a proper stance and secure two handed grip on the portable hand tool, operators can lose control of the handheld tool causing serious injuries. Even with a proper two handed grip, keeping an abrasive disc, cut-off disc, grinding stone, sanding disc, wire brush wheel, buffing/polishing pad, chisel or bundle of needles at a desirable angle to and in contact with a generally horizontal floor level surface is difficult. As such, operators can be easily injured if the proper angle is not maintained or if the operator becomes fatigued, which occurs easily when squatting, sitting or laying near the portable hand tool.
Therefore there is a need for a new and novel apparatus for maintaining control over a handheld tool, like a grinder or needle gun scaler, by keeping the handheld tool in the proper orientation to a generally horizontal surface while simultaneously allowing an operator to stand upright and away from the handheld tool, including providing the advantage of being easy to manufacture and operate.


A system and method are disclosed for decreasing the number of duplicate library copies loaded into memory without endangering the security of applications in a runtime environment. In a preferred embodiment, applications in the runtime environment may be provided with a delegation classloader that identifies any libraries referenced by the delegation classloader's respective application. The delegation classloaders then delegate the task of providing the referenced libraries to a distinct software component. In a preferred embodiment, the distinct software component may be another delegation classloader or other loader adapted to look at a single library or a small set of libraries. These “atomic” classloaders can be freely shared by multiple applications since they do not expose any application's internals. Each atomic classloader preferably loads one copy of its associated library or libraries into memory. This single instance of shared library code is made available to multiple applications without requiring explicit cooperation between applications or endangering their security.

Object-oriented programs, such as those written in Java, often incorporate classes or other resources that reside in existing libraries. The Java environment provides a means for loading such libraries on demand at runtime.
Runtime loading of library code in Java is achieved using software objects known as "classloaders." Classloaders are adapted to obtain referenced library code, organize the code into classes (if necessary), and make the code available to software that references the library.
When library code is needed multiple times by a Java program, its classloader loads the library only once and caches it for future requests. A single Java runtime environment, however, often runs multiple applications at the same time, each of which is typically provided with its own classloader. Moreover, larger applications may instantiate multiple classloaders for different program components. When two applications or components require the same library code, their classloaders each load a copy of it into memory. This duplication requires additional memory and may significantly affect system performance.
A typical prior art scenario illustrating this problem is depicted in FIG. 1. Shown in FIG. 1 is a Java runtime environment 100 that contains an application server 102 built on top of an object request broker (ORB) 104. Several applications 106 are deployed in application server 102. One or more of applications 106, such as application 106c in the particular example of FIG. 1, may also be containers for other applications 108. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a security provider 110 running in the same Java runtime environment 100, and built on top of an encryption engine 112.
As is further shown in FIG. 1, each application 102-112 in environment 100 is provided with its own classloader 114 adapted to serve resources required by its respective application. Moreover, in the exemplary scenario of FIG. 1, each application 102-112 references the same XML parser library, xml.parser.jar. Consequently, at run time, multiple copies of this XML parser library are loaded into memory, one by each classloader 114. As noted, this duplication consumes memory and negatively affects performance.
One possible approach for solving this problem might be to provide a single classloader for two or more applications. The shared classloader could examine the source code of both applications and identify all libraries referenced by both. It could then load a single copy of such common libraries for use by both applications.
This approach, however, suffers from several drawbacks. First, if the first and second applications require different versions of the same library, the classloader may load a version of the library not compatible with one of the applications.
Second, sharing a classloader in this way permits each application to load all classes and resources of the other application. Consequently, if one of the applications is malicious, it may harm the second application by, for example, creating instances, making invocations, or examining data of the second application.

Memory efficient classloading to reduce the number of class copies