An input rotary member 2 and an output rotary member 3 are circumferentially and elastically coupled together via first and second damper mechanisms 4 and 5 arranged in parallel. The first damper mechanism 4 includes first springs 8. The first springs 8 are arranged between the input and output rotary members 2 and 3 for transmitting torque therebetween. Compression of the first springs 8 does not start before a torsion angle reaches a first torsion angle 1. The second damper mechanism 5 includes second springs 13 and a high hysteresis torque generating mechanism 15 arranged in series. The second springs 13 can be compressed only within a range of a torsion angle xcex8AC smaller than the first torsion angle xcex81.

A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a damper mechanism and particularly a damper mechanism for damping torsional vibrations in a power transmission system.
B. Description of the Background Art
Clutch disk assemblies used with a clutch cover assembly in vehicles are generally for the purpose of providing a means for engaging and disengaging the clutch disk assembly to and from a flywheel for transmitting torque. Such clutch disk assemblies also often include members which provide a dampening function for absorbing and damping vibrations transmitted from the flywheel. Generally, such vibrations are most noticeable as idling noises (rattle), driving noises (acceleration/deceleration rattle and muffled noises) and tip-in/tip-out (low frequency vibrations). Clutch disk assemblies having dampening capabilities are usually effective for removing these noises and vibrations.
The idling noises are rattling noises which occur from a transmission when the transmission gears are in a neutral position, e.g., during waiting at traffic signals with clutch pedal off. This rattling occurs due to the fact that an engine torque is in a low RPM engine idling range and engine combustion causes large torque variations.
The tip-in/tip-out (low frequency vibrations) are large longitudinal vibrations in the drive train of a vehicle which occur when a driver rapidly depresses or releases an accelerator. Such rapid changes in acceleration cause a correspondingly rapid response from the drive train in the vehicle, which may be characterized as a stepwise change in torque (as opposed to a gradual or smooth change in torque). When torque is transmitted stepwise to the drive train, transitional vibrations occur. As a result, torque transmitted to the wheels of the vehicle may be reflected or transmitted back from the wheels through the drive train and clutch (an oscillation of the torque). Consequently, the entire body of the vehicle may undergo some transitional vibration. Such vibrations are disturbing to the driver and passengers in the vehicle.
Dampening noises during idling is difficult where no torque is being transmitted through a clutch disk assembly because low torsional rigidity is preferable to dampen such noises. However, in order to dampen other forms of vibration in the clutch disk assembly, a high torsional rigidity is preferable in this region. In other words, for some situation, low rigidity is desirable and other situations, a high rigidity is desirable. A clutch disk assembly has been provided with soft springs (less rigidity) for achieving nonlinear torsion characteristics providing a low rigidity in a first portion of the overall displacement range of a clutch disk assembly, and has also been provided with rigid springs to provide a high level of rigidity in a second portion of the displacement range of the clutch disk assembly. In such a clutch disk assembly, the torsional rigidity and hysteresis torque in the first stage are low so that idling noises can be prevented effectively.
When low frequency vibrations are supplied to the damper mechanism in the conventional clutch disk assembly described above, the damper mechanism repeatedly may undergo torsion or twisting movements (relative rotary displacement between dampening members) over a wide angular range in opposite directions, where the displacement angle may be measured from a torsion free state between the positive and negative displacement ranges. In this operation, the low frequency vibrations may not be damped sufficiently because the characteristics in the displacement range have a nonlinear form.
An object of the invention is to allow effective damping of torsional vibrations caused by torsion in and between positive and negative second stages in a damper mechanism having at least two stages of torsion characteristics.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a damper mechanism includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member disposed adjacent to the first rotary member for limited relative rotary displacement with respect to one another about a central rotary axis. The limited relative rotary displacement is defined by a torsion angle xcex84. Within the limited relative rotary displacement, a first stage of relative rotary displacement is defined by first torsion angle xcex81 that is smaller than the torsion angle xcex84. A first damper mechanism is provided for circumferentially and elastically coupling the first and second rotary members together, and includes a first elastic member arranged between the first and second rotary members for transmitting torque therebetween. However, the first elastic member is not compressed in response to relative rotary displacement within the first torsion angle xcex81. A second damper mechanism is disposed adjacent to the first and second rotary members for operation in parallel with the first damper mechanism for circumferentially and elastically coupling the first and second rotary members together. The second damper mechanism includes a first intermediate member operably disposed between the first and second rotary members for rotating relative to the first rotary member within a torsion angle xcex8AC that is smaller than the first torsion angle xcex81. The second damper mechanism also includes a second elastic member arranged between the first intermediate member and the first rotary member for circumferentially and elastically coupling the first intermediate member and the first rotary member together, the second elastic member having a lower rigidity than the first elastic member. The second damper mechanism further includes a friction mechanism provided between the first intermediate member and the second rotary member for creating friction in response to relative rotation between the first intermediate member and the second rotary member.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second rotary members are formed with corresponding windows. The first elastic member is disposed in both of the windows. The window in the second rotary member has a circumferential length greater than a circumferential length in the window in the first rotary member. The first torsion angle xcex81 is defined by the difference in circumferential length in the windows in the first and second rotary members.
In another embodiment, the second rotary member includes a hub formed with a hub flange and a flange disposed about the hub flange. The hub flange is formed with gear teeth on a radial outer surface thereof. The flange is formed with gear teeth on a radially inner surface circumferentially spaced apart from the gear teeth on the hub flange thereby defining the first torsion angle xcex81.
Preferably, a portion of the first rotary member defines an annular space between the portion of the first rotary member and the hub flange. The friction mechanism, the second elastic member and the first intermediate member are at least partially disposed in the annular space.
Preferably, the second damper mechanism provides vibration dampening throughout all of the limited relative rotary displacement between the first and second rotary members defined within the torsion angle xcex84.
Preferably, the first rotary member is at least partially defined by a pair of plates, a first of the plates being formed with the portion for defining the annular space.
Preferably, the friction mechanism further includes a friction washer disposed between a second of the pair of plates and the hub flange for creating friction in response to relative rotation therebetween.
Preferably, the friction mechanism further includes a friction washer disposed between the first of the pair of plates and the first intermediate member for creating friction in response to relative rotation therebetween.
Preferably, the friction mechanism further includes a friction washer disposed between the hub and the first intermediate member for creating friction in response to relative rotation therebetween.
Preferably, the second elastic member is retained by the first of the pair of plates.
Preferably, the second elastic member is retained by a retaining member that is fixed to the first of the pair of plates.
Preferably, the retaining member is made of a resin material.
Static torsion characteristics of the damper mechanism are as follows. A first stage in the torsion characteristics is defined between zero torsion and the first torsion angle, and a second stage is defined between the first torsion angle and a second torsion angle, which is larger than the first torsion angle. In a range smaller than the second torsion angle within the first stage, the second elastic member is compressed between the first intermediate member of the second damper mechanism and the first rotary member. When the torsion angle exceeds the second torsion angle, the second elastic member is no longer compressed, and the friction mechanism generates a hysteresis torque between the first intermediate member and the second rotary member. This provides the first stage characteristics of zero rigidity and a high hysteresis torque. When the torsion angle exceeds the first torsion angle and enters the second stage, the first elastic member is compressed between the first and second rotary members so that second characteristics of a high rigidity and a high hysteresis torque are achieved.
When torsion occurs in and between the positive and negative second stages of the torsion characteristics, a high hysteresis torque occurs in the positive and negative first stages between the positive and negative second stages. As described above, the friction mechanism operates in the region of the first stage to produce the high hysteresis torque. Therefore, low frequency vibrations such as tip-in/tip-out can be effectively damped.
When the damper mechanism is supplied with minute vibrations of a small amplitude in the first and second stages, no slide occurs in the friction mechanism so that the characteristics of a low hysteresis torque are achieved. In this state, the damper mechanism operates through an angular range substantially twice as large as the second torsion angle.


A graphic device for computer displays (for example, touchscreen style computer displays) with multiple independently operable active areas, each of which can be operated to change a different dimensions. In some embodiments, the dimensions correspond to spatial dimensions in which a selected object in the display can be moved. In some embodiments, the dimensions correspond to spatial dimensions in which the display can be scrolled. In some embodiments, the dimensions correspond to actions performed on real world devices and/or objects (for example, motions of a remote control aerial vehicle, operations of an Internet of Things type video monitor).

The present invention relates generally to the field of user navigation through a computer display and/or user control of movement within a computer display.
Human user control of displayed objects in a computer display is known. For example, arcade style video games in the early 1980s typically included joysticks that were configured so that movement of the joystick would control the movements and/or other actions of a displayed object on the video display of the arcade machine. For example, in one popular game, the displayed object whose movements were controlled by the joystick took the form of a yellow circle with an opening and closing "mouth" which "eats" dots as a primary mission of the game. Somewhat later, mouse devices became a popular way of moving a displayed object called a cursor. A cursor is one form of what will herein be called a "graphic device" because its primary purpose is to facilitate receiving input from human users. Somewhat later, touchscreen devices allowed users to move displayed objects, such as cursor type graphic devices, by making gestures on or near the displayed object.
It is known that touchscreen graphic devices can control parameters other than displayed objects. One familiar example of this would be a displayed object in the form of a slider that can be controlled by a human user's gestures to make the touchscreen display brighter or dimmer. In this example, the graphic device controls an aspect of the display itself, an aspect other than displayed object movement. Another example would be a displayed object in the form of a virtual thermostat that is controlled by a human user's gestures to make the room warmer or cooler—that is, the slider controls a real world heating and cooling system. In this example, manipulation of the graphic device is not controlling any aspect of the display at all.
In some cases, it is not a discrete displayed object that is moved by the user, but, rather, the computer display as a whole. This is known as "scrolling." Typically scrolling involves a virtual display that is larger than the display screen, such that scrolling allows the human user to see various portions of the larger virtual display over time. An example of this would be a virtual display of a ten page word processing document, where the screen and scrolling are such that only half of a page of the ten page document can be seen on the display at any given time—users scroll "up" and "down" through the document while editing it.

Graphic device for controlling displayed object movement and/or screen scrolling

International Business Machines Corporation


A removal clip is provided for disconnecting a fiber optic connector from an array of installed fiber optic connectors. The removal clip includes an engagement portion for engaging the connector and a force transmitting structure that allows digital removal force from a user to be applied at a distance from the connector. The engagement portion may be generally U-shaped and includes opposing latch arms configured to accommodate the body of a fiber optic connector. The latch arms permit the engagement portion to snap attach to the connector. The force transmitting structure may include a beam and a handle extending axially or radially from the gripping section. Also included is an assembly of a removal clip attached to a fiber optic connector.

This Present Disclosure generally pertains to tools or removal devices for disconnecting fiber optic connectors. The removal device accommodates closely mounted fiber optic connectors in that a connector can be removed through the digital action of a user's hand without disrupting or dislodging surrounding connectors.
It is generally known that, from time to time, fiber optic connectors including standard connectors such as MPO connectors may be removed or unmated from another connector or from an adapter. For example, fiber optic connectors may need to be removed from an adapter or another connector for repair, replacement or to be used in a different configuration. These connectors are often mounted in tight configurations with little space between them to obtain high connector density. While removing fiber optic connectors with digital ease is an important consideration, it is undesirable to accomplish this to the detriment of good space management and connector density.
Goals that have been arrived at in accordance with the approach of the Present Disclosure, while maintaining connector density, include the attachment of a removal device to connectors that are unmodified for this purpose, eliminating the use of tools that can be easily lost and providing strong structures with flexible designs that transfer digital force from uncongested positions surrounding the fiber optic connector. The Present Disclosure also recognizes that removal devices should be easy to attach from the fiber optic connectors.
Prior art approaches that either have not recognized the positives that could be gained by seeking to achieve these types of objectives or teach solutions other than those of the present approach include U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,981. This patent describes an attachment and disengagement tool for bayonet type fiber optic connectors. The bayonet connector of this patent comprises a coupling nut with raised knurls and J-shaped bayonet slots. The attachment and disengagement tool has L-shaped recesses to fit around and abut the pattern of raised knurls of the coupling nut of the bayonet connector permitting the tool to attach and disengage the bayonet connector. U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,813 describes a tool for removing and installing fiber optic connectors. The tool has an open-ended socket that receives a fiber optic connector. A rotatable grab element is mounted on the socket. As the grab element is rotated, an end of the grab element rotates inward towards the fiber optic connector, engaging the connector in a gripping manner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,832 describes and requires two parallel arms having tips for engaging corresponding features of a latch mechanism in an SC-type fiber optic connector. Also required is a wedge structure slidably attached to a tapered surface for controlling the force that the two parallel arms apply to the SC-type fiber optic connector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,803 describes a fiber optic connector module having a rear-extending member to facilitate assembly and removal of the module from a connector housing, an adapter or similar structure. The rear extender attaches to a structure by means of at least one attachment arm that moves into the structure by means of guide rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,117 describes a multi-component adapter for an optical connector assembly used to align the connector housings. This patent teaches an adapter with features such as the adapter having a shell and a latch ring or a locking member whereby pressure on the tab causes disengagement of the locking member. This adapter also may be used with identifying chips to align the optical connector assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 7,020,376 describes a tool device that comprises a prying end coupled to a grasping end wherein the coupling members, such as a pair of arms, are disposed to transmit a grasping force to the grasping end. The prying end further comprises a prying protrusion and a vertex coupled thereto that intercouple each pair of arms. The tool can be used on a variety of optical connectors of the types including MPO, MT-RJ, LC, SC and SFP. This patent describes tools for removing connectors from high-density fiber optic applications and describes a pair of gripping jaws that move in response to the movement of a trigger in the handle.
Another prior art proposed tool is a rigid metal wire with a metal tab. Free ends or posts of the metal wire are temporarily placed into opposing holes lying along a common axis of the latch housing of the fiber optic connector. In use, the user lifts up on the metal tab, which then rotates on the axis of the two metal posts. The metal parts of this unit push up against the mating adapter and pry back the latch housing to disengage the fiber optic connector from the adapter to remove the connector.
It has been determined that various characteristics of prior art, such as these patents, have shortcomings and undesirable attributes, results or effects. The present approach has recognized and addresses matters such as these to provide enhancements not heretofore available. Overall, the present approach provides a more fully enhanced result for optical connector removal devices.


A reference circuit can include a reference section that provides a reference value for other circuits of an integrated circuit and can be enabled and disabled in response to an enable signal. The reference circuit can include at least a first node, draw a reference current in the enabled mode, and draw essentially no current in the disabled mode. A pulse start-up section can provides a low impedance path between the first node and a first potential for a predetermined duration in response to the reference circuit being enabled. A continuous start-up section can provide a low impedance path between the first node and the first potential based on a logic state of an enable signal.

In many integrated circuit designs it can be desirable to provide a reference circuit. A reference circuit can provide a current and/or voltage at a generally known value. Reference circuits can have numerous applications, including but not limited to establishing a reference voltage to detect input signal levels, establishing a lower supply voltage to some section of a larger integrated circuit (e.g., memory cell array), establishing a reference voltage/current to determine the logic value stored in a memory cell, establishing a threshold voltage for some other function.
Reference circuits can be non-biased or self-biased. Non-biased reference circuits can rely on discrete voltage drop devices to arrive at a reference level. For example, a non-biased reference circuit can include resistor-diode (or diode connected transistor) arranged in series between a high supply voltage and a low supply voltage. A drawback to such approaches can be that a current drawn can be proportional to supply voltage. Thus, a higher supply voltage can result in a higher device current (ICC). This can be undesirable for low power applications.
Self-biased reference circuits can rely on transistor biasing to provide a reference current that is less variable in response to changes in power supply voltage. Self-biased reference circuits almost always operate in conjunction with a start-up circuit. A start-up circuit can help establish potentials at particular nodes in a power up (or similar operation) in order to ensure that the reference circuit is operating properly. A drawback to conventional self-biased circuits can be that start-up current paths are never shut-off. Thus, such start-up circuits will continue to draw current irrespective of operational mode. This forces the startup current to be relatively low in order to consume low power and hence limits the speed of a start-up operation.
Reference circuits can also be passive or active. A passive reference circuit can remain in the same state regardless of the integrated circuit device mode. Thus, a passive reference circuit can provide a same reference current while power is applied to the corresponding integrated circuit. Such an arrangement can be undesirable in low power devices or require relatively large amounts of device area. For example, while a reference current magnitude can be reduced by employing large resistors, such large resistors can consume a large amount of area and require additional circuitry to generate a larger, more usable current magnitude (i.e., current multipliers).
An active reference circuit can be placed in an enabled mode, in which the reference circuit can provide a reference value at a more practical level (i.e., a reference current that does not require undue multiplication to arrive at a usable level). However, in a disable mode, the reference circuit can be placed into a state that draws essentially no current. Such an arrangement can help reduce current by placing the reference circuit in the disabled mode when not in use.
To better understand various features of the present invention, a conventional reference circuit with corresponding start-up circuitry will now be described. The conventional example represents a "DC" startup circuit that can place a reference circuit in an inactive or active mode based on the logic state of a mode signal (in this case a chip enable signal) and a reference potential.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional reference circuit designated by the general reference character 500. A reference circuit 500 can include an active bias reference stage 502 and a start-up circuit 504. Reference stage 502 can operate in an enabled mode or disabled mode. In an enabled mode, reference stage 502 can draw a current IREF and IMIRR. Such currents can provide a reference value for an integrated circuit either directly or indirectly (e.g., via further current mirroring). In a disabled mode, disable device N53 can be turned on, pulling Node2 to a low supply voltage VGND, turning off n-channel devices (N51 and N52), and thus stopping the generation of currents IREF and IMIRR.
A start-up circuit 504 can include a sensing leg 506, a pull-up leg 508 and a pull-down leg 510. A sensing leg 506 can determine when a reference stage 502 has achieved a start-up state. Once such a determination has been made, a sensing leg 506 can disable the pull-up leg 508 and pull-down leg 510.
In more detail, initially, a chip enable (CE) signal can be at an inactive level (low). In such a condition, signals CEB/CEB2 can be high, while signal CE2 can be low. As noted above, within reference stage 502 disable device N53 can pull Node2 to a ground, disabling current mirror N51/N52, and thus preventing current from being drawn by reference stage 502. Within pull-up stage 508, device P53 can be turned off by signal CEB2, disabling the pull-up path. Similarly, within pull-down stage 510, device N56 can be turned off by signal CE2, disabling the pull-down path. Within sensing leg 506, with Node2 pulled low, device N59 can be turned off, disabling the sensing leg 506.
A device can enter a start-up state by the CE signal transitioning from the inactive level (low) to an active level (high). Signals CEB/CEB2 will transition from high to low, while signal CE2 can transition from low to high. Within reference stage 502, device N53 can be turned off, enabling current mirror N51/N52. Within pull-up stage 508, device P53 can be turned on by signal CEB2, enabling the pull-up path through device N54. Within pull-down stage 510, device N56 can be turned on by signal CE2, enabling the pull-down path through device N57. Thus, Node1 can begin to discharge, while Node2 can begin to charge.
Within sensing leg 506, device N58 can receive a voltage Vlimit at its gate. This can limit the pull-up potential at the source of device N58. Further, device P54 can receive the potential at Node2 at its gate. As a result, an intermediate voltage Vctrl can be generated at Node3.
As the start-up operation proceeds, the potential at Node2 can continue to rise eventually turning on N59 and turning off P54. Thus Vctrl will be switched to VGND eventually, due to the potential Vctrl applied to the gate of device N54, pull-up leg 508 can be disabled, and the pull-up operation at Node2 can cease. Similarly, as the start-up operation proceeds, the potential at Node1 can continue to fall. Eventually, due to the potential Vctrl applied to the gate of device N57 and Vlimit applied to the gate of NV55, the pull-down operation at Node1 can cease. Ideally, the reference stage 502 is operating in a nominal fashion, having switched from a disabled mode to an enabled mode.
While a conventional arrangement like that of FIG. 5 can provide a start-up circuit that can be disabled, such a circuit can have some drawbacks. First, the operation of the circuit can depend on the control bias voltages Vlimit to work properly. Second, such a circuit may have a minimum CE signal disable time. More particularly, when the CE (and CEB) signal goes to a disabled level, it may take some time for Vctrl to reach the Vlimit level. This time period can be considered a "minimum disable time". If the CE (and CEB) signal goes to an enabled level before such a "minimum disable time", the circuit may fail to properly initialize Node1 and Node2, and the reference stage 502 will fail to operate properly.

Robust start-up circuit and method for on-chip self-biased voltage and/or current reference


A method and apparatus to communicate information using a configurable protocol are described.

Communication networks are becoming increasingly capable of carrying different types of information for different applications. Such networks may rely upon some sort of packet-based technology. Packet-based technologies may vary according to whether they use packets of a fixed or variable length, and are typically mutually exclusive. Consequently, there may be need for techniques to communicate packets of both fixed and variable lengths in a more seamless and efficient manner.

Communicating information using a configurable protocol


An optical waveguide has a semiconductor laser section, an intermediate section, and an optical modulator section on a surface of a substrate. The distance of a surface extending outwardly from and transverse to both sides of a mesa stripe in the semiconductor laser section from the surface of the substrate is larger than the distance of a surface extending outwardly from and transverse to both sides of the mesa stripe in the optical modulator section from the surface of the substrate. The distance of a surface extending outwardly from and transverse to both sides of the mesa stripe in the intermediate section from the surface of the substrate decreases from the semiconductor laser section toward the optical modulator section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide, a semiconductor optical integrated element, and methods for manufacturing the same, more specifically to an optical waveguide and a semiconductor optical integrated element, wherein the reflection of laser beams is reduced at the boundary portion of the optical waveguide, and methods for manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
As an optical waveguide for a semiconductor laser, there are a ridge-type waveguide wherein an upper clad layer is etched to mesa stripes to confine light in the horizontal direction, and a high-mesa-type waveguide wherein not only an upper clad layer but also a core layer and a lower clad layer are etched to mesa stripes.
Since the ridge-type waveguide has a structure not etching the core layer, the defect level of the side of the semiconductor optical element can be reduced. On the other hand, the high-mesa-type waveguide has features of larger light confinement in the horizontal direction and the reduction of electrical capacitance (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-228558).
Since the characteristics of the ridge-type waveguide differ from the characteristics of the high-mesa-type waveguide, these waveguides can be combined in a semiconductor optical integrated element to improve overall characteristics. For example, in a semiconductor laser formed by integrating electric field absorbing optical modulators, the semiconductor laser section is formed of a ridge-type waveguide structure, and the optical modulator section is formed of a high-mesa-type waveguide structure. Since the defect level can be reduced by such a structure, laser characteristics can be improved in the laser section, the electric capacitance can be reduced in the optical modulator section, and high-speed modulation becomes possible.
In the above-described semiconductor optical integrated element, the optical mode distribution of a ridge-type waveguide differs from that of a high-mesa-type waveguide. Therefore, light is reflected at the boundary portion between the waveguides, and the characteristics of the semiconductor optical integrated element is deteriorated. For example, a semiconductor laser formed by integrating electric field absorbing optical modulators had a problem wherein the single-wavelength properties of the laser was deteriorated by the reflection of light at the boundary between the laser section and the optical modulator section.

Optical waveguide and semiconductor optical element


An apparatus for removing a dental appliance can include a body having a perimeter and a pry lip extending from the perimeter of the body. The pry lip includes a terminal ridge surface and an inclined surface disposed between the terminal ridge surface and the perimeter of the body. The apparatus for removing a dental appliance can be incorporated in a dental system which includes a dental appliance and the apparatus for removing a dental appliance. The apparatus for removing a dental appliance can be configured such that it fits within an area defined by an outer edge of the dental appliance. Thus, the dental appliance and the apparatus for removing the dental appliance can be stored within a dental appliance container with an internal cavity that closely conforms to the shape and size of the dental appliance.

Removable dental appliances, such as clear plastic tooth-positioning appliances and retainers, have been used in orthodontic treatments as an alternative to braces and other bonded orthodontic equipment for controlled tooth movement to, and/or for retaining teeth in, a predetermined position. Such a dental appliance can be made so that it is removable to allow a wearer to periodically remove the dental appliance to eat, drink, brush, floss, etc.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,975,893 and 6,183,248 provide an example of such removable tooth-positioning appliances. A patient is typically provided a plurality of appliances which are configured to be placed successively on the patient's teeth to incrementally reposition the teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. The set of appliances given to a patient have geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the initial tooth arrangement, through successive intermediate arrangements and, ultimately, to the final tooth arrangement.
To achieve the movement of a tooth from one position to another position, such a tooth-positioning appliance can be relatively rigid. The stiffness of the appliance provides the re-positioning force necessary to move the teeth and ensures that the dental appliance remains securely placed on the wearer's teeth.
An appliance wearer may remove the positioning appliance frequently throughout the day. The stiffness of the dental appliance and the typically tightly-conforming fit of the dental appliance to the wearer's teeth can make it difficult for the wearer to remove the appliance. Appliance wearers are typically instructed to use their fingers and fingernails to remove the appliances, but they often find removing the appliances to be difficult and in many cases painful.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0258323 is entitled, "Outie Tool for Removal of a Plastic Tooth Positioning Appliance or Aligner (Invisible Braces) From Teeth of a Patient." The "Outie Tool" is a straight rigid barrel with a lever appendage on one proximal end for removing a lower aligner and a hook appendage on the other end for removing an upper aligner. Such prior removal tools can be difficult for many appliance wearers to use effectively. As such, there continues to be a need to provide a compact and convenient tool that is specifically designed to remove a dental appliance from a user's teeth in a safe and effective manner.
It will be appreciated that this background description has been created by the inventor to aid the reader, and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some aspects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein.

Apparatus for removing dental appliance and dental system


An electrical connector having a leadframe assembly and a connector housing is disclosed. The leadframe may include a lead frame and an electrical contact extending at least partially through the lead frame. The connector housing contains the leadframe assembly in each of one or more directions and also allows the leadframe assembly to move relative to the housing in the each direction. After the connector is mounted to a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, the housing is free to move in at least one direction relative to the leadframe assemblies. The connector may also include a contact receiving wafer having a face that at least partially defines an aperture that extends therethrough. A terminal portion of the contact may extend at least partially into the aperture. The faces that define the aperture contain the terminal portion of the contact in each of a plurality of directions and also allows the terminal portion of the contact to move in each direction.

Printed circuit boards ("PCBs") are commonly used to mount electronic components and to provide electrical interconnections between those components and components external to the PCB. One problem with conventional PCBs is flexing. PCBs flex under the weight of attached electrical components when subject to vibrations, assembly, and handling loads. Ultimately, the PCB with attached electrical components are assembled in a chassis, such as in a computer system. Handling and transit of the chassis assembly can cause PCB flexing under the weight of the components.
Additionally, electrical components are becoming increasingly heavy. Electrical components that are attached to the PCB include, among others, the heat sink and fan assembly which is attached to the central processing unit (CPU). These assemblies often are upwards of a pound or more in weight, putting an increased burden on the PCB.
In an effort to increase electrical component density on the PCB, electrical components may be attached to the PCB using BGA technology. A BGA microprocessor, for example, makes its electrical connection via a solder ball on each connector of the BGA of the electrical microprocessor and the electrical contacts on the surface of the PCB. BGA components require a rigid substrate to which they are attached. In effect, these BGA components are soldered directly to the circuit board without intervening contacts or wires. BGA components commonly incorporate tens or hundreds of solder connections between the ball-grid package and the circuit board. Any appreciable circuit board flexing may cause the solder connections to shear, compress, fatigue, and subsequently break.
There is a significant need in the art to provide a BGA connector that has the ability to flex under various loads to minimize stresses imposed on the solder ball connections.


A contact strip includes adjacent contact blade members and at least one pair of adjacent contact blade members each having a horizontal axis and a first of which blade members has a greater developed length than the second of the blade members and a distal extension extending towards the second blade member. The first blade member has a projecting region, the distal extension overlapping the second blade member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a contact strip comprising adjacent contact blade members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Card connectors, such as connectors for electronic circuit cards and smart cards, usually include a switch whose function is to sense the presence of the card and in particular to sense when the card reaches its end of travel position.
Connectors of this kind are described in European Patent application EP 366 513 (ITT) and in French Patent application FR 2 623 314 (ALCATEL CIT), for example. These patents describe a movable blade member spring-loaded in a direction opposite to the translational movement of inserting a card in a card reader, an edge of the card bearing against the blade member and moving it against the action of the spring-loading means.
Each of the travel sensors of the above type have the disadvantage of taking up room on one edge of the card connector, and in particular of increasing its thickness, and of being able to sense an end-of-travel position only in a reader into which the card is inserted horizontally.
An object of the present invention is a contact strip having contacts for sensing the presence of a card or for sensing the end of travel position of a card, whether the card is inserted by translatory movement or by closing a cover pivoted to a contact frame comprising the contact members.

Contact strip and card connector including same


Using a realistic plasmonic model, an optically thick electrically conductive film with subwavelength hole or holes therein is shown to always support propagating modes near the surface plasmon frequency, where cross-sectional dimensions of the hole or holes are less than about λ/2nh, λ being the wavelength of the light and nh the refractive index of the dielectric material in the hole or holes. This is the case even when material losses are taken into account. Based on the dispersion analysis, in both a single hole or hole array designs, propagating modes play a dominant role in the transport properties of incident light. These structures exhibit a new region of operation, while featuring a high packing density and diffraction-less behavior. These structures can be used in near-field scanning optical microscopy, in collection and emission modes, for writing data to an optical storage device, as wavelength-selective optical filters, for multispectral imaging of a sample, as photolithography masks for transferring an image to a photoresist-coated substrate, as light emitters, light collectors and light modulators.

The optical properties of nanoapertures in an optically thick metallic film have been intensely researched in the past several years due to their fundamental importance in near-field optics, and their practical significance to photonic devices and applications, including filters, near-field probes, and optical data storage. For the latest developments, see for example the focus issue in Optics Express 12, 3618 (2004). It is well-known that the transmission characteristics are strongly influenced by the presence or absence of propagating modes inside the apertures. J. A. Porto, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, and J. B. Pendry, Physical Review Letters 83, 2845 (1999); F. I. Baida and D. Van Labeke, Physical Review B 67 (2003). In metallic nanoslits, enhanced transmission has been attributed to propagating transverse magnetic (TM) modes inside the slits. J. A. Porto, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, and J. B. Pendry, Physical Review Letters 83, 2845 (1999); Y. Takakura, Physical Review Letters 86, 5601 (2001); E. Popov, M. Neviere, S. Enoch, and R. Reinisch, Physical Review B 62, 16100 (2000); S. Astilean, P. Lalanne, and M. Palamaru, Optics Communications 175, 265 (2000); P. Lalanne, J. P. Hogonin, S. Astilean, M. Palamarn, and K. D. Moller, Journal of Optics A: Pure Applied Optics 2, 48 (2000); Q. Cao and P. Lalanne, Physical Review Letters 88 (2002). For cylindrical holes, such as those featured in Ebbesen et al.'s original experiments, T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, Nature 391, 667 (1998), the spectral features have been shown to be largely independent of the material used for the vertical walls of the hole. D. E. Grupp, H. J. Lezec, T. W. Ebbesen, K. M. Pellerin, and T. Thio, Applied Physics Letters 77, 1569 (2000); L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, H. J. Lezec, K. M. Pellerin, T. Thio, J. B. Pendry, and T. W. Ebbesen, Physical Review Letters 86, 1114 (2001). Therefore, the prevailing wisdom is that cylindrical holes do not support propagating modes when the hole diameter is smaller than ≈λ/2nh, where λ is the wavelength of incident light and nh is the refractive index of the material inside the hole. W. L. Barnes, W. A. Murray, J. Dintinger, E. Devaux, and T. W. Ebbesen, Physical Review Letters 92, 107401 (2004); W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, Nature 424, 824 (2003). Instead, enhanced transmission is commonly associated with an excitation of surface wave resonances on the front and back surfaces of the metallic film, and an evanescent tunneling process through the holes between these resonances. T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, Nature 391, 667 (1998); L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, H. J. Lezec, K. M. Pellerin, T. Thio, J. B. Pendry, and T. W. Ebbesen, Physical Review Letters 86, 1114 (2001); W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, Nature 424, 824 (2003); A. Krishnan, T. Thio, T. J. Kima, H. J. Lezec, T. W. Ebbesen, P. A. Wolff, J. Pendry, L. Martin-Moreno, and F. J. Garcia-Vidal, Optics Communications 200, 1 (2001); J. B. Pendry, L. Martin-Moreno, and F. J. Garcia-Vidal, Science 305, 847 (2004); H. J. Lezec and T. Thio, Optics Express 12, 3629 (2004).

Effect of the plasmonic dispersion relation on the transmission properties of subwavelength holes

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


Porphyrin complex compounds consisting of at least one porphyrin ligand, optionally at least one ion of an element of atomic numbers 5, 13, 21-32, 37-39, 42-44, 49, 50 or 57-83 as well as optionally cations of inorganic and/or organic bases, amino acids or amino acid amides, are valuable diagnostic media and therapeutic agents.

The invention relates to new porphyrin complex compounds with propionic acid or propionic acid derivative substituents in the 13 and 17 positions of the porphyrin skeleton, pharmaceutical agents containing these compounds, their use in diagnosis and therapy as well as processes for the production of these compounds and agents.
The use of complexing agents or complexes or their salts in medicine has been known for a long time. As examples there can be mentioned:
Complexing agents as stabilizers of pharmaceutical preparations, complexes and their salts as auxiliary agents for administration of poorly soluble ions (e.g., iron), complexing agents and complexes (preferably calcium or zinc), optionally as salts with inorganic and/or organic bases, as antidotes for detoxification in the case of inadvertent incorporation of heavy metals or their radioactive isotopes and complexing agents as auxiliary agents in nuclear medicine with the use of radioactive isotopes such as .sup.99m Tc for scintigraphy are known.
In patent specifications EP 71564, EP 130934 and DE-OS 3401052 complexes and complex salts have recently been presented as diagnostic agents, mainly as NMR diagnostic agents.
These complexes and complex salts are quite well tolerated and guarantee a very complete excretion of ions. But they do not yet optimally meet all the criteria determining the relative effectiveness of an NMR contrast medium, of which above all there are to be mentioned: a great NMR activity (relaxivity), so that the contrast medium in the smallest possible concentrations lowers relaxation rates of the protons in tissue water and other nuclei relevant for NMR, such as phosphorus, fluorine and sodium, in vivo and thus makes possible locating tumors by increasing the signal intensity of the image obtained with the help of nuclear magnetic (spin) tomography; as selective concentration and/or retention of the contrast medium as possible on the target organ or cancerous tissue; adequate water solubility; great effectiveness; good compatibility; good chemical and biochemical stability.
The two first named points are especially relevant for imaging. Since the relaxation rates between the tissues differ at most only by the factor of 2-3 (T. E. Budinger and P. C. Lauterbur, Science 226, pp 288-298, 1984; J. M. S. Hutchinson and F. W. Smith in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging Edit. C. L. Partain et al., pp 231-249, Saunders, New York 1983) and the complexes and complexes salts of said patent specifications generally subject to the drawback that they are distributed only relatively unspecifically in the extracellular space and therefore are not always suitable for detection of pathologically changed tissue, there is a need especially for selectively binding, tumor-specific compounds which can be used in diagnosis.
It has been known for some years that porphyrin derivatives selectively concentrate in human and animal tumors (D. Kessel and T. H. Chou, Cancer Res. 43, pp 1994-1999, 1983, P. Hambright, Bioinorg. Chem. 5, pp 87-92, 1975; R. Lipson et al., Cancer 20, pp 2250-2257, 1967; D. Sanderson et al., Cancer 30, pp 1368-1372, 1972). First attempts to use this class of compounds as diagnostic agents have also been described (J. Winkelmann et al., Cancer Research 27, pp 2060-2064, 1967; N. J. Patronas et al., Cancer Treatment Reports 70, pp 391-395, 1986). With these compounds only the manganese(III) ion has proved suitable as a paramagnetic metal.
But the compounds described up to now are far from satisfactorily meeting the above criteria; their inadequate concentration in the target organ still requires special attention. An improvement of this property should, at the same time, help reduce the existing problems with toxicity and tolerability of previously known compounds.
For tumor imaging with radioisotopes, derivatives of deuteroporphyrin were recently proposed which contain, as additional complexing groups, polyaminopolycarboxylic acids bonded by ethylene glycol bridges on the porphyrin skeleton (Photochemistry and Photobiology Vol. 46, pp 783-788 (1987)). But such porphyrin esters are not very suitable for a parenteral use on patients--especially for NMR diagnosis, since the injection solutions obtainable from them because of hydrolytic cleavages are neither heat-sterilizable nor storable over a sufficient period.
Therefore there continues to be a need, for many purposes, for complex compounds, that are stable, easily soluble, but also better tolerated, more selectively binding, easily accessible over a considerable chemical variation range of substituents (which, e.g., makes possible the incorporation of metals other than manganese or several, also different, metals and thus at the same time also leads to a control of the properties and uses of the compounds) and which are suitable for diagnosis and/or also therapy of tumors.

13,17-propionic acid and propionic acid derivative substituted porphyrin complex compounds, process for their production and pharmaceutical agents containing them


A device fixed to the ground, bait stations such as bait boxes for rats. Such bait boxes which are secured against undesired opening are anchored flush to the ground in such a manner that the unauthorized moving of the bait box is practically excluded. For this purpose at least one movable wedge-like ground-anchor, connected to a tension element is driven into the ground. The opposite end of the tension element is led through an assigned opening at the bottom of the bait box into the bait box. From the interior of the bait box, an authorized person can pull the tension element to move the ground-anchor into an anchoring position and hold the bait box flush with its bottom to the ground, whereby the anchoring of the bait box can be removed only after its authorized re-opening.

The present invention relates to a device to fix bait stations to the ground especially bait boxes for rats which are secured against undesired opening with fixing elements which can be attached to the bait box and driven into the soil to hold the bait box to the ground.
In connection with the fighting of rodents like rats by means of rat poisons outdoors as e.g. in parks, sport grounds, on children's playgrounds and in dike-areas, the public and concerned lawmakers in many states, but especially in the United States of America and in Great-Britain, increasingly ask pest controllers to practically exclude a possible danger through poisoning by the laying of bait in so-called safety boxes of plastic or metal. But the laying of baits in such safety boxes is also insufficient to meet the higher safety requirements if the bait boxes, when inadequately anchored, are wilfully torn off and bait can be shaken out of them. At the same time there is a high risk for pest controllers that the relatively expensive safety boxes are stolen.

Device for the fixing of bait stations at ground level


A method is disclosed of forming a powder metal compact. Powder metal is placed in an annular space of a compaction die tool set in which the annular space has inner and outer cylindrical surfaces that form inner and outer cylindrical surfaces of the powder metal compact. An elastomeric tool has a first cylindrical surface adjacent to a fixed cylindrical surface of the compaction die tool set that is radially fixed and further has a second cylindrical surface, opposite to the first cylindrical surface, that touches the powder metal. The powder metal is compressed to form the powder metal compact by applying an external axial force on the elastomeric tool while maintaining the diameter of the fixed cylindrical surface so as to cause the elastomeric tool to compress the second cylindrical surface of the elastomeric tool against the powder metal.

The use of sintered powder metal (PM) parts has accelerated in the recent past for components difficult to manufacture by other methods as PM components can offer a cost effective alternative to other metal formed components. Some advantages of powder metallurgy include lower costs, improved quality, increased productivity and greater design flexibility. These advantages are achieved in part because PM parts can be manufactured to net-shape or near-net shape which yields little material waste, and which in turn eliminates or minimizes machining. Other advantages of the PM manufacturing process and parts produced therefrom, particularly over other metal forming processes, include greater material flexibility including graded structures or composite metal, lighter weight of the parts, greater mechanical flexibility, reducing energy consumption and material waste in the manufacturing process, high dimensional accuracy of the part, good surface finish of the part, controlled porosity for self-lubrication or infiltration, increased strength and corrosion resistance of the component, and low emissions, among others.
Internal combustion engine manufacturers have sought more efficient, cost effective and viable ways to reduce cost and weight in engines without sacrificing performance and/or safety. One of the largest and most important components of the engine is the cylinder block. In the past, cylinder blocks had been formed from cast iron, which provided strength, durability and long service life. However, as can be appreciated, cast iron is quite heavy. Further, cast iron has a relatively poor thermal conductivity. Consequently, alternatives to cast iron cylinder blocks are sought.
One such alternative is to form the blocks from aluminum. Aluminum is very lightweight and has good thermal conductivity, each of which are desirable features in the engine industry. However, aluminum is relatively soft and easily scratched and thus does not provide the strength, durability and long service life required for use in a cylinder block, particularly with respect to the requirements of the cylinder bores in the block. Further, aluminum has a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion compared to iron, which can increase blowby between a cylinder and piston during combustion at high operating temperatures, thereby increasing emissions.
As an alternative, engine manufacturers have used more wear resistant cylinder liners within the cylinder bores of an aluminum block. Cylinder liners are typically in-cast into aluminum engine blocks to provide improved wear resistance compared to the aluminum bore that is present without the liner. A cast iron, machined cylinder liner is typically used for engines that require a cylinder liner. However, these cast iron cylinder liners have a less than desirable mechanical bond with the aluminum engine block which leads to less than desirable heat transfer properties. Further, features are required on the outside of the cast iron cylinder liner to "lock" in place in the aluminum block, and these features can create an uneven heat transfer from the cast iron cylinder liner to the aluminum block, or undesirable voids or local hot spots can be created between the liner and the aluminum. Additionally, the alloys used in cast iron cylinder liners are not optimum relative to strength and stiffness, resulting in bore distortion during combustion, more blow-by and higher emissions.
The inherent porosity of a powder metal iron alloy part, when in-cast into an aluminum casting, allows the molten aluminum to infiltrate the matrix of the PM part to improve the bond between the surrounding aluminum and the PM part. Allowing penetration of the molten aluminum into the cylinder liner porosity also takes advantage of the desirable machinability of the impregnated PM matrix. Further, the alloys which can be used for a PM part allow for higher strength and stiffness when compared to a cast iron part.
Although PM technology has the potential of overcoming some of the problems with cast iron cylinder liners, production of PM cylinder liners by conventional axial compaction to net shape or near net shape has not been commercially feasible. One reason is that the high length to wall thickness ratio results in excessive difficulties filling the compaction die with metal powder. In addition, compacting from the ends of a part with a high aspect ratio results in an unacceptable density gradient along the length of the cylinder liner, and inadequate green strength of the compact. These problems can be somewhat overcome using cold isostatic compaction plus subsequent secondary manufacturing operations, but can be too costly in comparison with cast cylinder liners.
While the above discussion has been directed to cylinder liners, other devices having a high length to wall thickness ratio, such as bushings, and electric motor stators or armatures for example, have similar problems when attempting to produce these parts using powder metal technology.

Thin walled powder metal component manufacturing


An electrical contactor has a first terminal having a fixed member with at least one fixed electrical contact, a second terminal, and at least one movable electrical contact in electrical communication with the second terminal. A dual-coil actuator is also provided and has a first drive coil drivable to open and close the movable and fixed electrical contacts, and a second non-drive coil feedback connected to induce a reverse flux to temper and stabilize a net flux. Control of a delay time of the opening and closing electrical contacts is thus possible, so as to be at or adjacent to a subsequent or next zero-crossing of an associated AC load current waveform.

The invention may also relate to an electrical contactor of a moderate, preferably direct, current switch which may be subjected to a short-circuit fault condition requiring the contacts to not weld. In this welded-contact fault condition, un-metered electricity is supplied. This can lead to a life-threatening electrical shock hazard, if the load connection that is thought to be disconnected is still live at 230 V AC.
The term 'moderate' is intended to mean less than or equal to 120 Amps.
Furthermore, it is a requirement that the opening and closing timing of the electrical contacts in such a moderate-current switch should be more precisely controlled to reduce or prevent arcing damage thereby increasing their operational life.
It is known that many electrical contactors are capable of switching nominal current at, for example, 100 Amps, for a large number of switching load cycles. The switch contacts utilize a suitable silver-alloy which aims to prevent tack-welding but not necessarily arcing. The switch arm carrying the movable contact must be configured to be easily actuated for the disconnect function, with minimal self-heating at the nominal currents concerned.
The non-weld UC (Utilisation Category) levels demanded are also very challenging, irrespective of whether the switch is closing into or carrying the short-circuit currents. In most cases, the very high current-density during a short-circuit condition at the single-contact touch-point can easily create tack-welds.
It is also known that, to reduce the heating effects of high current, the single movable arm may be split into two. However, this does not overcome the problem associated with simultaneous driving of the arms or blades to open and close together. This can lead to serious imbalances within the contact set and actuator, resulting in shock, vibration and increased contact bounce.
The present invention seeks to provide solutions to these problems.


The present invention provides a device for identifying a tumor site in a subject, the device spectroscopically detecting fluorescence of protoporphyrins present in the tumor site,                the protoporphyrins being protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and photo-protoporphyrin (PPp), and        the device comprising:        a light irradiation unit that converts part of PpIX into PPp;        a spectroscopy unit that separates PpIX fluorescence and PPp fluorescence:        a spectroscopy detection unit that detects the relative fluorescence intensity of the PpIX fluorescence and the PPp fluorescence; and        a tumor discrimination unit that discriminates between the tumor site and a non-tumor site based on the relative fluorescence intensity of PpIX and PPp.

Lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor in gastrointestinal cancers, such as gastric cancer and colon cancer. Accurate diagnosis of the presence of lymph node metastasis is essential to determine appropriate treatment for patients.
For example, the necessity of postoperative adjuvant therapy for many gastrointestinal cancers is determined by the presence of lymph node metastasis (NPL 1 and NPL 2). In particular, when the diagnosis of gastric cancer with intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy shows that there is no metastasis, surgery with reduced lymph node dissection may be selected (NPL 3). For these reasons, rapid and accurate diagnosis of lymph node metastasis would be clinically very useful.
However, no diagnostic technique has been established at present to replace conventional histopathological diagnosis. Routine histopathological diagnosis of lymph node metastasis is performed only on samples obtained from only a single or a few sections; therefore, it is possible to miss some cases of micrometastasis, and its diagnostic accuracy is not sufficient (NPL 4). Moreover, intraoperative rapid diagnosis takes at least 20 to 30 minutes before the diagnosis. It is thus necessary to establish a new, more accurate and rapid approach.
Photodynamic technology using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is currently applied for cancer detection in a wide region including the gastrointestinal region (NPL 5, NPL 6, and NPL 7). 5-ALA is a kind of endogenous amino acid, and when exogenous 5-ALA is administered, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which is a metabolite of 5-ALA, accumulates in cancer cells due to the difference in the activity of metabolic enzymes. The principle of this technology is to detect PpIX, which is a fluorescent material, for cancer diagnosis. The present inventors' group reported very excellent results of the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in a murine model of rectal cancer by a method using 5-ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence (NPL 4). This was the first report on photodynamic diagnosis using 5-ALA for lymph node metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer.
Photodynamic technology using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is currently applied for parathyroid gland detection (NPL 10).
However, lymph nodes in the human body are wrapped in connective tissues. In other words, lymph nodes in the human body contains rich connective tissues. Connective tissues (e.g., fat, collagen, etc.) emit strong autofluorescence in the blue to green wavelength range upon irradiation with blue excitation light. This autofluorescence interferes with the detection of PpIX fluorescence.
It is known that PpIX is photobleached by light irradiation, and that a photooxidation reaction occurs during photobleaching to convert PpIX into another substance called photo-protoporphyrin (PPp) (NPL 8). PpIX has a fluorescence peak at 635 nm, while PPp has another fluorescence peak at about 675 nm (NPL 9).

Tumor site or parathyroid gland identification device and method

Kyoto Prefectural Public University Corporation


A push-pull control assembly which is lockable with respect to translational movement includes a rod received with a tube with a control cable attached to the rod and a collet received on an off-centered portion of the rod. The collet includes a raised ridge received within a keyway on the interior channel of the tube whereby the collet does not rotate but is free to translate within the channel. By turning the rod either clockwise or counterclockwise, the collet is wedged against the channel by the off-centered portion of the rod to lock the rod and thus the control cable against further movement. A key may be provided in addition to the collet to modify and limit the available translational movement of the rod.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a control assembly which may be locked along its range of translation. More particularly, it concerns a control assembly using a locking collet whereby locking rotational movement of a rod received within a tubular body serves to lock the control against translation and thereby fix a relative position of a control cable operatively connected to a control actuator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of control assemblies for actuating remotely located operating mechanisms are well known in the art include various types of levers and the like to which control cables are attached. In some operating environments, it is desirable to use push-pull types of controls for ergometric reasons or to differentiate critical control mechanisms from one another.
In some circumstances, it is desirable to provide push-pull control assemblies which can be held at different positions along their length of travel. Once such example would be in the area of throttle controls wherein a particular engine speed may be selected by the operator. An alternative use for such controls would be to set the position for a snow blower discharge chute. In such instances, it is desirable for the operator to be able to choose among an infinite number of settings within the operating range, rather than being forced to engage the mechanism at one of several preselected positions.
It may be appreciated that once the operator has determined the desired position of the control, such as by obtaining desired engine speed, he may wish to lock that control in position to avoid undesired slippage causing a change in the operating characteristics of the equipment. It may also be appreciated that simplicity of operation and reliability for maintaining the setting so selected, are important characteristics for the design of such a control mechanism.
One design for a control assembly providing locking characteristics is currently known as a "flattened rod". This design consists of a round tube with an oval inner hole and a rod attached to a knob, the rod having a flattened portion, approximately 1" long at the center of the rod. When the rod is rotated, the flattened portion comes in contact with the oval interior surface of the tube, and thereby wedges itself against the reduced dimension along the minor axis of the oval inner surface. This prevents the rod from longitudinal translational movement. One problem with this type of device lies in the necessity of providing close tolerances for the oval interior surface of the tube and the flattened portion across the width of the rod flattened area. If the flattened area ends up slightly wide by a few thousandths of an inch, the control fails to lock. On the other hand, if the flattened area is a few thousandths too narrow, the rod will spin and will not lock against the oval interior surface of the tube. In addition, this design for a control is sensitive to vibration and unlocks very easily. Furthermore, the ratio of rotational torque to longitudinal pull force is approximately 1 to 2 (1 lb. of torque force to 2 lb. of sliding force). Thus, the operator must exert excessive torque to the knob in order to get a fairly high locking force for the rod even when the flattened rod design is constructed according to design specifications.
Another existing design involves the use of a metal collet for locking the control rod in place. This design consists of a tube with a threaded internal section which receives therein a rod over which a threaded metal collet and a slanted collet is positioned. The slanted collet stops against a step on the inside of the tube. The threaded collet is positioned on top of the slanted collet and when the rod is rotated, the threaded collet rotates against the slanted collet, wedging the rod against the slanted collet. This in turn prevents the rod from longitudinal movement. One disadvantage of this metal collet-type of control is that it locks only in the clockwise direction and must be loosened by turning the knob in the counterclockwise direction. Another disadvantage of this type of control is the low torque to longitudinal force ratio, such that once the slanted collet begins to wear, the control begins to slip. Thus, it is not durable and has a relatively short operational life.
Accordingly, there has developed a need for a push-pull type of control assembly of a simplified design not subject to strict tolerances, which provides an acceptable torque to longitudinal force ratio, is durable and provides not only a widely selectable range of positions, but is also reliably lockable along its range of travel.


The present invention provide a method for producing 2-cyclohexene-1-ol which comprises using a catalyst containing an inetermetallic compound of palladium and lead and/or bismuth when cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide is subjected to hydrogenolysis to produce 2-cyclohexene-1-ol.. If the catalyst of the present invention is employed, it is possible to obtain the desired 2-cyclohexene-1-ol at a high selectivity with a much simpler reaction system than the prior art and, in addition, to inhibit the hydrogenation of coexisting cyclohexene sufficiently.

As a method for producing 2-cyclohexene-1-ol by hydrogenolysis of cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2536/1966 reports a hydrogenolysis method using metallic palladium and a compound of lead or bismuth as a catalyst, which is carried out in the presence of a liquid hydrocarbon solvent, a hydrophilic solvent of lower alcohols and an organic base at about room temperature. As described below, however, the catalyst does not exhibit high activity by itself, and the activity of the catalyst is only 84% at maximum though improvement in the activity is attempted by adding a hydrophilic solvent and an organic base.
Incidentally, in Example 1 of the above reference, it is described that 2-cyclohexene-1-ol is obtained at a yield of 84% by hydrogenolysis of cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide with a metallic palladium/lead acetate catalyst using cyclohexene as a liquid hydrocarbon, ethanol as a hydrophilic solvent and quinoline as an organic base. On the other hand, Example 1-2 of the reference exemplifies the same reaction as Example 1 except that the organic base is not employed. The yield of 2-cyclohexene-1-ol is 63%.
In Example 5 of this patent publication, the reaction for obtaining 2-cyclohexene-1-ol is carried out by changing the amount of ethanol. As a result, too much reduction in the amount of ethanol causes the aggregation of the catalyst and deteriorates its activity. These disclosures show that it is essential to combine the hydrophilic solvent such as alcohol with the organic base in this method.
Further, the specification of this Japanese patent publication discloses that ethylenic hydrocarbon such as cyclohexene is inactive in a reduction reaction by hydrogen when used as a solvent. In the above Examples, however, the hydrogenation ratio of cyclohexene as a solvent is not disclosed.
Bull. Soc. Chim. France, 1964(6), P1302 contains an article of the inventors of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2536/1966.
Although the content of this article is almost the same as that of the Japanese patent publication, it further discloses that the hydrogenation ratio of cyclohexene is less than 1% when cyclohexene is employed as a solvent. However, a specific value of the hydrogenation ratio is not indicated.
Izvest. Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R., Otdel. Khim. Nauk 1958, P133 exemplifies a method for hydrogenolysis of cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide in an ethanol solvent using Raney nickel, platinum black and palladium black as a catalyst. However, the resultant product is only cyclohexanol having hydrogenated double bonds.
All the conventional methods have been carried out in the presence of a hydrophilic solvent such as alcohol, and preferable ones have been all carried out in the presence of a hydrophilic solvent and an organic base. Particularly, the methods wherein 2-cyclohexene-1-ol is obtained at a relatively high yield have been all carried out in the presence of an organic base such as quinoline using a catalyst comprising metallic palladium and lead or bismuth. However, the presence of plural components in the reaction system makes the separation of the product unduly complicated. Especially when 1,3-cyclohexadiene is produced by the dehydration reaction of the resultant 2-cyclohexene-1-ol using an acid catalyst, a special treatment such as rinsing is required since the acid catalyst is poisoned if the organic base remains even in a very small amount. Therefore, the use of organic bases is not industrially preferable.


The present invention is built upon an active network framework and an ontology-based information hierarchy, and, in addition to the features found in current network models, it provides a symmetrical framework for information filtering and binding in the network. Queries from information requesters are directly routed to relevant information sources and contents from information providers are distributed to the destinations that expressed an interest in the information. The query packets and content packets can carry commands that are executed at the active network nodes encountered by the packets as they traverse the network.

1. Field of Invention
This invention is related to searching for information, specifically to an architecture for searching for information contained within a computer system or within a plurality of interconnected computers. The present invention is embodied in a network architecture, a system, a method and a computer program product for searching for information contained within a plurality of interconnected computers.
2. Description of Related Art
As usage of networked computers continues to rapidly increase, more and more information is accessible at an ever-growing pace. However, such an information explosion makes it ever harder for users to find what they are looking for. In particular, certain fundamental problems exist in the current Web that make the information retrieval process lengthy, inflexible and human dependent:
Only the computers at the network edges participate in content storage and user interactions. Information retrieval paths (and thus delays) are usually long (e.g., a user has to go through several possibly remote search engines before reaching the site of interest).
Because documents generally have no semantic structures, information retrieval processes are hard to automate. Users must manually sift through the search results, many of which are irrelevant.
The commercial operational model of the search engines and portal sites dictates the lack of an open, standard interface among the competitors. This means that it is virtually impossible for users to specify customized searches (e.g., searches which aim at specific categories with special requirements on category related fields).
Given the xe2x80x9ccrawlingxe2x80x9d operation model of the search engines, the coverage of any single engine is greatly limited. It has been reported in the literature that less than thirty percent of the material available on the Web has been accessed by search engines. Further, it is extremely time-consuming, if not impossible, for these engines to respond to information updates, resulting in a large percentage of stale links in their indices.
FIG. 1 illustrates the current search operational model. By way of example, the current search operational model treats the Internet as a packet routing black box and puts most of the intelligence outside the network. A client explicitly requests an information item in the form of a Uniform Resource Location (hereinafter xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d).
As shown in FIG. 1, multiple client stations are linked across the Web via routers (not shown) to various servers. The servers contain information that is desired by the client stations. However, a search engine is usually necessary for the client stations to discover the information that is contained on the servers.
Search engines and portals such as AltaVista(copyright), Yahoo(copyright), and Infoseek(copyright) are used as the major means to find information on the Web. These search engines work as indexing databases that are built through exhaustive probing of content providers. Such an operation model, although it successfully helped the Internet reach its current status, has been proven to be inadequate in discovering information. As discussed above, a more desirable search operational model should have the necessary structure and mechanisms for information routing.
Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional routing table is built upon reachability information that is relatively stable and manageable. As data packet 10 traverses through the network, it consults the routing table at each router. When the packet reaches the first router 11, the router reads the packet header, and consults its routing table 16 for the appropriate link. This process is repeated at the second router 13. The data packet 10 provides no information other than its destination, and the router nodes take no further action other than to route the data packet to its desired destination.
Generally, search engines operate by constructing a large database containing links to documents or pages present on servers connected to the Internet. To reach a particular page or document, one must follow the links from a particular starting point. The path to a particular page or document is lost if a link in the path is inoperable or otherwise removed. Building a table of reachable information at each node is impossible not only in terms of space, but in terms of time: by the time such a table is constructed, the information may already become obsolete.
If an information provider wants to inject information into the Internet, the location of that information must be registered with a search engine in order for the search engine to return to that information. The search engine, however, may overlook that particular information due to the sheer size of the Internet, or the search engine may refuse to register the information in its database for some reason.
A more flexible search operational model utilizing more effective and more efficient information discovery schemes is desired. Ideally, a new search operational model operates as follows:
Users specify to the system their interests in different levels of complexities and possibly in domain specific details.
Such specifications are then automatically directed to the relevant information locations.
The retrieved information may optionally be processed by user supplied operations such as comparison, combination or other more complicated decision making methods.
Finally, the results are sent back to the user for display.
The essence of this ideal model is a concept called xe2x80x9cinformation routing.xe2x80x9d In short, xe2x80x9cinformation routingxe2x80x9d is an extension to the traditional network routing functions with information discovery mechanisms. An xe2x80x9cinformation routingxe2x80x9d capable network thus can route not only packets with specific destination addresses, but those that only contain the specifications of their interests.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and limitations of the prior art, and has a further object to provide the capability to search a plurality of interconnected computers and the files stored thereon, and to provide a search response tailored to the search request.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of information routing, the method comprising a step of providing a plurality of information provider nodes, wherein each node has a plurality of stored information thereon, and providing a plurality of information requestor nodes. The method further provides a plurality of active network nodes that are connected to a subset of the information provider nodes, a subset of the information requestor nodes and a subset of the active network nodes. The method further includes creating content ontology instance trees and query ontology instance trees on each of the active network nodes. The method includes injecting information content packets that contain content data and content routing data to the stored information located on the information provider node that injected the information content packet. The method further includes modifying content ontology instance trees at active network nodes traversed by information content packets by inserting content data and content routing data contained within the information content packets into a branch of the content ontology instance trees.
Next, the method further includes injecting information query packets containing query data and query routing data to the information requester node that injected the information query packet, and the method includes modifying query ontology instance tree at active network nodes traversed by information query packets by inserting query data and query routing data contained within the information query packets into a branch of the query ontology instance trees. The method also includes establishing an information route between an information requester node and an information provider node, the information route created after an information query packets searches a content ontology instance tree at an active network node, thereby reaching an information provider node, or an information content packets searches a query ontology instance tree at an active network node, thereby reaching an information requestor node.
It is a still a further object of the invention to provide a method of creating an information route in a plurality of active network nodes, wherein each active node containing content ontology instance trees and query ontology instance trees. The method includes receiving an information content packet at the active network nodes, and the information content packet includes residual content data. The method further includes updating the content ontology instance trees at the active network nodes with the residual data from the information content packet, and searching the query ontology instance trees to determine the next hop for the information content packet.
The method further includes receiving an information query packet at the active network nodes, wherein the information query packet includes residual query data, and updating query ontology instance trees at active network nodes with query data from the information query packets. The method includes searching the content ontology instance trees in order to determine the next hop for the information query packet.
The above objects are further achieved by a computer system adapted to creating an information route amongst active network nodes, each active node containing content ontology instance trees and query ontology instance trees. The computer system further includes a processor, a memory including software instructions adapted to enable the computer system to perform certain steps.
Those steps include receiving an information content packet at the active network nodes, and the information content packet includes residual content data. The steps further include updating the content ontology instance trees at the active network nodes with the residual data from the information content packet, and searching the query ontology instance trees to determine the next hop for the information content packet.
The steps further include receiving an information query packet at the active network nodes, wherein the information query packet includes residual query data, and updating query ontology instance trees at active network nodes with query data from the information query packets. The steps include searching the content ontology instance trees in order to determine the next hop for the information query packet.
The above objects are further achieved by a computer program product for enabling a computer to create an information route amongst active network nodes, each active node containing content ontology instance trees and query ontology instance trees. The steps further include software instructions for enabling the computer to perform predetermined operations, and a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions.
The predetermined operations include the receiving an information content packet at the active network nodes, and the information content packet includes residual content data. The operations further include updating the content ontology instance trees at the active network nodes with the residual data from the information content packet, and searching the query ontology instance trees to determine the next hop for the information content packet.
The operations further include receiving an information query packet at the active network nodes, wherein the information query packet includes residual query data, and updating query ontology instance trees at active network nodes with query data from the information query packets. The operations include searching the content ontology instance trees in order to determine the next hop for the information query packet.
It is a still a further object of the invention to provide a network of nodes for information searching. The network includes information provider nodes, each having a plurality of stored information, and information requestor nodes. The network further includes active network nodes, each active network node connected to a subset of the information provider nodes, a subset of the information requestor nodes and a subset of the active network nodes. The network further includes ontology instance trees, each one the active network nodes having content ontology instance trees and query ontology instance trees, wherein each content ontology instance tree contains content data from information content packets and each query ontology instance tree contains query data from information query packets.
The network further includes an active node service package at each one the active network nodes for processing commands embedded within the information query packets and the information content packets.

Method and apparatus for active information discovery and retrieval


A microdispensing ophthalmic pump is provided for repeatedly delivering doses as small as 5 microliters within an angular operating range. The pump basically comprises a reservoir, a dispensing cap, an actuator and a pump body with a pump mechanism disposed therein. The pump mechanism is regulated by a limited-travel inlet check valve and a biased-closed outlet check valve. A failsafe mechanism is formed between the actuator and dispensing cap to prevent operation of the pump outside the operating range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fluid medicine delivery device, and, more particularly, the invention is directed to a microdispensing ophthalmic pump for delivering a microdose of ophthalmic fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,435 (hereinafter "the '435 patent)", entitled "OPHTHALMIC DISPENSING PUMP", discloses a manually operated dispensing pump capable of delivering a precise quantity of ophthalmic solution to the surface of an eye in a desired spray pattern with an impact pressure on the eye that is comfortably tolerable by an individual and was issued to a co-inventor, Ben Z. Cohen, of this patent. The '435 patent is incorporated by reference herein, including the extensive discussion of the shortcomings of the prior art. The spray pump of the '435 patent is a substantial improvement over the prior art, capable of delivering doses of ophthalmic fluid such as 50 microliters in the previously described manner. However, often a dose of much less than 50 microliters of ophthalmic fluid may be required to be delivered in the manner described above. Since a reduction in the size of a dosage inherently decreases the impact force exerted by the dose onto an eye, the administration of fluid by the '435 patent would be even more comfortably tolerable than that disclosed therein with a reduction in the size of the dose the '435 pump could deliver. Also, some medications can have toxic effects, even at doses as small as 50 microliters, and so doses of less than 50 microliters would be better tolerated.
It is a primary object of the subject invention to provide a manually operated microdispensing pump for delivering a microdose of ophthalmic solution as small as 5 microliters.
Also, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a manually operated microdispensing pump capable of repeatedly administering a full and proper microdose as small as 5 microliters.


A modular vehicle body includes a pair of outer frames. An inner board space with a fixed width is defined between the outer frames. Each outer frame includes a front side board and a door sill. The front side board includes a main board provided with a vertical board having a predetermined width. A first flange is provided on a side of the vertical board. The door sill includes an inner board provided with a horizontal board having a predetermined width. A second flange is provided on a side of the horizontal board. The inner board is fixedly coupled to the main board. The first flange and the second flange form an outer edge. A width between the outer edges of the pair of outer frames is set to correspond to a width of a vehicle body.

Generally, each kind of vehicle has a different vehicle design with different wheelbases and different widths, and the body of the vehicle must be redesigned, which greatly increases labor costs. Each redesign requires a new strength verification, which is time-consuming, and the vehicle body needs to be re-molded, resulting in a significant increase in manufacturing costs.

Modular vehicle body and method for manufacturing modular vehicle body