The invention is an adhesive system for applying wrap around labels to containers. The system comprises a hotmelt pick-up adhesive which is active at the temperature which the label is applied and loses its bonding ability after the adhesive sets and an overlap adhesive for bonding the label overlap. At its application temperature, the pick-up adhesive has significantly higher adhesiveness, measured at its application temperature than at its conventional storage temperature. In addition, the adhesive preferably has a greater affinity for the label than for the container bearing the label. Consequently, the label can be easily removed from the hollow body without leaving residues of adhesive. If, nevertheless, a residual adhesive should remain on the hollow body, it can be dissolved by an alkaline solution.

At the present time, casein-based glues are mainly used for labeling hollow containers, for example glass and polyethylene terephthalate bottles. These aqueous formulations are mainly based on a casein component and a tackifier resin along with certain additives. WO 93/03110, for example, is mentioned in this regard. This document describes an adhesive based on casein, water-soluble extenders, fillers and, optionally, other additives, the adhesive characteristically containing resinic acid derivatives and alcohol. This provides for the satisfactory labeling of wet glass bottles, even at temperatures of 15.degree. C. and even if the casein content is well below the usual concentrations of more than 18% by weight.
Unfortunately, the above-mentioned labeling adhesives containing a casein component have the disadvantage that the labels are extremely difficult to remove during cleaning. Thus, the following inter alia is stated in European patent application 503 112, column 1, line 36 to column 2, line 52: "Hitherto, the labels have been washed off with heated wash liquor using large quantities of water. The soil content of the wastewater is correspondingly difficult to handle because not only is it necessary to filter the waste-water to remove cellulose fibers, it is also particularly important to eliminate metal components, more particularly aluminium compounds, from the wastewater where they accumulate to a considerable extent from the print on the labels, i.e. from the pigment components of the labels. The labels are removed in the bottle washing machine using an approximately 2.5% sodium hydroxide solution at an average temperature of 82.degree. C. During this removal process, parts of the paper coating and hence pigments and lacquers from the print on the labels naturally pass over into the sodium hydroxide solution. Labels thus contaminate the liquor with soils which are now classified on the basis of chemical oxygen demand (COD). Breweries have to pay their waste-water dues according to the COD level."
In European patent application 503 112, it is proposed to solve the problem by mechanically removing the label from the empties before washing. This is made possible by inserting a separating layer between the label and the original adhesive layer. The label can thus be removed without tearing. However, the adhesive layer remains on the bottle and has to be removed by wash liquor. Accordingly, the problem of completely removing the labels is not solved.
According to DE-OS 34 34 141, the original adhesive (glue) is replaced by an assembly or fixing adhesive. This adhesive is supposed to have the property of not curing. Accordingly, a label applied to a bottle with this adhesive can be completely removed at any time. What the adhesive consists of is not disclosed. The adhesive is applied over the entire area between the surface of the bottle and the label. However, it is a disadvantage of fixing adhesives that they require a dry substrate.
In their prospectus entitled "Autosleeve", published in 1993, the Automated Label Systems Company proposes a polyethylene wrap-around label for labeling bottles which is drawn over the bottle in its expanded state and, after contracting, applies itself firmly to the bottle. Accordingly, no adhesive at all is used here. The label is cut through with a high-pressure water jet in the same way as with a knife. Apparently the bottle is not damaged. However, the polyethylene label still has to be disposed of.
German patent 34 42 998 describes a process for applying a wrap-around label to a container. In this process, a limited zone of the front part of the label is initially attached to the wall of the container and, after wrapping of the label around the container, a limited zone of the rear end overlapping the front end is joined thereto. A thermoplastic, co-extruded polymer with a foamed layer is used as the label. A viscous, solidifying solution is formed on the foamed layer in the limited zone of the front label by means of a solvent for the polymer for the purpose of establishing a temporary connection between the limited zone of the foamed layer and the wall of the container, which automatically weakens again on evaporation of the solvent, the constituent material of the container being unaffected by the solvent. The disadvantage of this process is that a low-boiling solvent, for example methylene chloride, an aromatic or chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon, has to be used for application.
German patent 34 42 997, which was filed on the same date at the German Patent Office, relates to a similar process for applying a wrap-around label to a container. In this process, however, a thermoplastic polymer alone rather than a thermoplastic co-extruded polymer with a foam layer is used for the label. In this process, too, ecologically unsafe, rapidly evaporating chlorine-containing or aromatic solvents have to be used to apply the wrap-around label.
It is also known that amorphous poly-.alpha.-olefins can be used as a basis for hotmelt adhesives. Corresponding hotmelt adhesives are distinguished by good adhesion to LDPE film and by firm fixing to porous substrates so that they may be used in particular for sanitary articles (diapers or the like). It is known that resins may be added to these basic polymers, saturated resins of low polarity being the most compatible. Compatible resins such as these generally act as tackifiers for amorphous poly-.alpha.-olefins. In addition, it is also known that waxes, such as polyethylene, Fischer-Tropsch or microcrystalline waxes, are also compatible with amorphous polyolefins and also bring about a reduction in viscosity, a change in pot life and reduced penetration. However, the listed examples of hotmelt adhesives show that the poly-.alpha.-olefin always has to be used as the main component, optionally in conjunction with another resin and/or another wax as secondary components.
The problem addressed by the present invention was to provide an adhesive which would be suitable for applying wrap-around labels to hollow containers, such as bottles, cans, etc., and which could be removed easily and completely from the hollow container before cleaning. However, neither the labeling process nor the handling of the labeled containers would be adversely affected in any way and, in particular, labeling would even be possible in high-performance machines.
This problem has been solved by an adhesive system which contains two different hotmelt adhesives, namely one for permanently bonding the overlap zone of the wrap-around label and one for temporarily bonding the label during its pickup.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an adhesive system for applying wrap-around labels which comprises a pickup adhesive and an overlap adhesive and which is characterized in that the pickup adhesive has sufficient adhesive strength for labeling at its application temperature, i.e. an adhesive strength of 0.005 to 0.03 N/mm.sup.2 at 80 to 200.degree. C., and has hardly any adhesive strength after it has set, more particularly at its storage temperature of 5.degree. C. to 30.degree. C.
The adhesive strength of the pickup adhesive at room temperature is so low that the label can be easily and completely removed from the hollow container, preferably without leaving any adhesive residues behind. During application from the melt, the adhesive strength is sufficient to enable the label to be exactly positioned, even at high speeds. Because the adhesive remains completely or partly on the label, there is no longer any need for the complicated bottle washing process required in the prior art where the wash liquor is soiled with label material and adhesive. Accordingly, the washing of reusable bottles is barely affected, if at all, by adhesives or even by label residues.
Whether and how much pickup adhesive remains on the container after delabeling depends to a large extent on its surface characteristics. If the adhesive strength at room temperature is substantially equal to or even greater than that on the label surface, the adhesive will more or less remain on the container, even though its adhesive strength according to the invention is very low. Accordingly, the pickup adhesive is best also alkali-soluble. Otherwise, it is sufficient if the pickup adhesive has hardly any adhesive strength at room temperature, remains on the label and is insoluble in alkalis.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alkali-insoluble pickup adhesive in the adhesive system according to the invention contains 10 to 100% by weight and preferably 30 to 35% by weight of at least one amorphous poly-.alpha.-olefin, 0 to 40% by weight and preferably 5 to 30% by weight of at least one plasticizer based on an aromatic dicarboxylic acid ester, 0 to 50% by weight and preferably 15 to 40% by weight of at least one natural, chemically modified or synthetic wax and typical auxiliaries and additives.
In the context of the invention, an amorphous poly-.alpha.-olefin which is used as a component of the pickup adhesive forming part of the labeling adhesive system according to the invention is understood to be a homopolymer or copolymer of at least one of the comonomers ethylene, propylene and 1-butene or 1-hexene. These monomers are normally polymerized either individually or optionally in the form of a mixture under low pressure in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst. The poly-.alpha.-olefins preferably have a molecular weight of around 30,000 to around 60,000 g/mole.
A plasticizer based on aromatic dicarboxylic acid esters, i.e. the corresponding ester of phthalic acid, isophthalic acid or terephthalic acid, is used as a potential component of the alkali-insoluble pickup adhesive of the labeling adhesive system according to the invention. The alcohol radical in these esters used as plasticizer normally contains 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
Another potential component of the alkali-insoluble pickup adhesive of the labeling adhesive according to the invention is at least one natural, chemically modified or synthetic wax. Any waxes compatible with amorphous poly-.alpha.-olefins may be used for this purpose. The natural waxes may be vegetable waxes, animal waxes, mineral waxes or petrochemical waxes. The chemically modified waxes include hard waxes, such as montan ester waxes, Sarsol waxes, etc. The synthetic waxes used are polyalkylene waxes and also polyethylene glycol waxes. For economic reasons, petrochemical waxes, such as petrolatum, paraffin waxes, microwaxes and synthetic waxes, especially polyethylene waxes with melting points of 85 to 140.degree. C. and molecular weights of 500 to 3,500, paraffin waxes with melting points of 45 to 70.degree. C. and molecular weights of 225 to 500, microcrystalline waxes with melting points of 60 to 95.degree. C. and synthetic Fischer-Tropsch waxes with melting points of 100 to 115.degree. C., are preferably used.
In addition, typical auxiliaries and additives may be incorporated in the alkali-insoluble pickup adhesive. These include above all stabilizers of which the function is to prevent the reactive monomers from entering into an unwanted or premature reaction and to protect the polymers against decomposition during processing. Antioxidants are particularly suitable for this purpose. They are normally added to the pickup adhesive in quantities of up to 3% by weight and preferably in quantities of around 0.5% by weight.
In one preferred embodiment, the pickup adhesive according to the invention is also soluble in alkalis, i.e. it saponifies and dissolves completely in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution at 50.degree. C. up to a concentration of 10% by weight within 24 hours, preferably within 3 hours and above all within 20 minutes. Accordingly, the pickup adhesive remaining on the container generally also dissolves during washing in a wash liquor. The wash liquors are generally water-containing media with a pH value of 8 to 14.
A "water-containing medium" in the context of the invention is understood to be a solution, dispersion or emulsion of an organic or inorganic alkaline water-containing substance which is capable of dissolving organic substances containing hydrolyzable or salt-forming groups. Examples of organic bases are alkanolamines, more especially (poly)ethanolamines, while examples of inorganic substances are alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal carbonates and alkali metal sesquicarbonates, but especially the corresponding sodium and potassium compounds. Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are particularly preferred, normally being used in the form of aqueous solutions with concentrations of 0.5 to 40% by weight.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pickup adhesive contains
I. 20 to 98% by weight of at least one alkali-soluble polymer which serves as the backbone polymer, PA1 II. 1 to 70% by weight of at least one resin based on functional hydro-carbon resins and optionally modified natural resins, PA1 III. 0.5 to 30% by weight of at least one plasticizer and PA1 IV. 0 to 3% by weight of at least one typical auxiliary and additive. PA1 a) saturated and/or unsaturated polyesters, above all based on aromatic dicarboxylic acids, such as phthalic acid or terephthalic acid, more particularly from polyesters of phthalic acid, neopentyl glycol and glycerol or pentaerythritol, PA1 b) polyacrylic and/or polymethacrylic acid alkyl esters containing 1 to 18 and, more particularly, 1 to 4 carbon atoms, PA1 c) acrylic acid homopolymers and/or copolymers, PA1 d) vinyl polymers, for example polyvinyl alcohol with a molecular weight above 1,000, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers, polyvinyl ethers, more particularly polyvinyl alkyl ethers containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, for example polyvinyl methyl ether or polyvinyl ethyl ether. PA1 a) hydroabietyl alcohol and esters thereof, more especially esters with aromatic carboxylic acids, such as terephthalic acid and phthalic acid, PA1 b) preferably modified natural resins, such as resinic acids of balsam resin, tallol resin or wood rosin, for example fully saponified balsam resin or alkyl esters of optionally partly hydrogenated colophony with low softening ranges, for example methyl, diethylene glycol, glycerol and pentaerythritol esters, PA1 c) acrylic acid copolymers, preferably styrene/acrylic acid copolymers, and PA1 d) a resin based on functional hydrocarbon resins. PA1 a. transferring a pickup adhesive to at least part of the back of a wrap-around label or to the bottle at temperatures of 80 to 200.degree. C. and preferably 120 to 180.degree. C. in the case of alkali-insoluble hotmelt adhesives based on poly-.alpha.-olefins and at temperatures of 90 to 160.degree. C. in the case of alkali-soluble ester-based hotmelt adhesives, PA1 b. applying the wrap-around label and joining the back of one end to the front of the other end by the overlap adhesive and PA1 c. leaving the wrap-around label to cool.
The backbone polymer essentially determines cohesion and temperature behavior. It is used in a quantity of, preferably, 30 to 70% by weight and, more preferably, 50 to 65% by weight. The backbone polymer is selected from
The resin is intended to tackify the backbone polymer and to improve the compatibility of the hotmelt adhesive components. It is preferably used in a quantity of 1 to 15% by weight or 15 to 70% by weight. The resin is selected from
An alkyl ester of partly hydrogenated colophony is preferably used as the tackifying resin, the alkyl group preferably containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
The plasticizer is preferably present in the hotmelt adhesive in a concentration of 5 to 20% by weight. Suitable plasticizers are monohydric or polyhydric alcohols, preferably glycol monophenyl ether, hexamethylene glycol, glycerol and, in particular, polyalkylene glycols with a molecular weight of 200 to 6,000. Polyethylene glycols with a molecular weight of up to about 1,000 and preferably up to about 600 are preferred. Polypropylene glycol, polybutylene glycol and polymethylene glycol are also suitable. Esters, for example liquid polyesters and glycerol esters, such as glycerol diacetate and glycerol triacetate, and neopentyl glycol dibenzoate, glyceryl tribenzoate, pentaerythritol tetrabenzoate and 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol dibenzoate, are fit for use as the plasticizers. Finally, alkyl monoamines and fatty acids preferably containing 8 to 36 carbon atoms may also be used.
Stabilizers and antioxidants, for example tris-(nonylphenyl)-phosphite, are mentioned as typical auxiliaries and additives.
The above-mentioned components form the alkali-soluble hotmelt adhesive according to the invention. It is insoluble in water, even if individual components should be soluble. Accordingly, it is distinguished for example by high resistance to condensation.
The thermal stability of the hotmelt adhesive according to the invention is sufficient in practice for permanent use (multishift working) at application temperatures of up to 160.degree. C. This is surprising in view of the thermal instability of individual raw materials, for example polyethers and saponifiable polyesters.
The viscosity of the hotmelt adhesive according to the invention, which is at most 1 to 2 Pas at 140.degree. C. (Brookfield, Thermacell RVT II, ASTM D3236-88), is remarkably low in view of the high polar forces of individual raw materials. Accordingly, the hotmelt adhesive according to the invention may be used in a variety of installations.
The adhesive properties of the hotmelt adhesive according to the invention depend to a very large extent upon the composition of the raw materials mentioned above and, accordingly, may readily be adapted to the particular problem to be solved on the basis of specialist knowledge. Thus, permanently tacky hotmelt adhesives can be obtained by a high concentration of plasticizer. Hotmelt adhesives with sufficient tackiness for labeling and with very poor adhesion at room temperature can be obtained by a low concentration of plasticizer, particularly the polyol. Adhesives such as these are suitable as pickup adhesives for wrap-around labels because the labels are thus easy to remove before washing of the container. Because its adhesive properties can be varied by varying the formulation, the adhesive according to the invention is suitable not only as a pickup adhesive for wrap-around labels, but also for bonding paper, board, plastics and nonwovens.
The overlap adhesive used is a standard labeling adhesive with adequate flexibility. It performs an equalizing function in the event of expansion of the bottle through the emission of carbon dioxide from bottles of thermoplastics at elevated temperature. The overlap adhesive contains tackifying resins as its principal component, plasticizers and polymers as secondary components and typical auxiliaries and additives. Compared with the pickup adhesive, the overlap adhesive has more or less uniform tackiness over a broad temperature range of -10 to 200.degree. C. When the overlap adhesive is applied, however, it is important to ensure that it does not come into contact with the container, more particularly the bottle.
If the containers in question, more particularly bottles, do not demand such flexibility, the above-mentioned pickup adhesive itself may also be used as the overlap adhesive.
The containers to be labeled in the context of the invention are in particular hollow containers, such as bottles, cans, drums, tubes or cartridges. They consist essentially of optionally plated or galvanized (metal, for example tin plate or aluminium, glass or thermoplastics,) such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or polystyrene. A polar plastic, more particularly a polyester, is preferably used. Corresponding hollow containers are used in particular for mineral waters and refreshing drinks.
The labels consist on the one hand of (thermoplastics,) such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or cellophane. It is preferred to use labels of a film based on nonpolar plastics, more particularly oriented polypropylene (OPP). In that case, a pickup adhesive based on poly-.alpha.-olefin is preferably used. However, the wrap-around labels may also be based on (paper,) optionally in combination with a polymer. Depending on the material and the production process, the following labels, for example, may be used: simple labels of nonfinished paper, labels of surface-finished paper, high-gloss labels of cast-coated label papers, labels of papers coated with aluminium by vapor deposition and labels of aluminium-lined papers.
The shape of the labels does not have to meet any particular requirements although the labels must be wrap-around labels.
The present invention also relates to a process for applying wrap-around labels optionally containing perforations to containers, more particularly hollow containers, using an adhesive system of the type described above, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
The present invention also relates to a process for removing the wrap-around labels applied in accordance with the invention from hollow containers, characterized in that, after it has been cut through, optionally at the perforations, the wrap-around label is removed from the hollow container by light mechanical force. This is preferably done by removing the wrap-around label from the hollow container by light mechanical force after it has been cut through, but especially by applying compressed air, contrarotating rollers which pull the label off the bottle or water pressure as the mechanical force. Accordingly, the adhesive system according to the invention is particularly suitable for recyclable hollow containers in the sense of returnable containers and general recycling.
Finally, the present invention relates to the use of the labeling adhesive system according to the invention for labeling hollow containers, more particularly bottles of glass, metal and/or plastics, with wrap-around labels.
The adhesive system according to the invention is also suitable for high-performance machines capable, for example, of applying 10 labels per second.

Adhesive system for sticking all-round labels


A microprocessor is connected to a first memory space through a first bus and to a second memory space through a second bus. The microprocessor includes a processing unit that includes a program bus and a data bus, and an interface unit connected, on one side, to the program bus and to the data bus and, on the other side, to the first and second buses. The interface includes a switching circuit for connecting the program bus and the data bus, respectively, to either the first bus or the second bus, in accordance with respective requests for accessing the program and data sent by the processing unit.

At present, microprocessors can have one of two memory connection architectures. In the first architecture, known as the Von Neumann architecture, the microprocessor is connected to the memories as a whole through a single address and data bus. As a consequence, the microprocessor can only access, at a given time, one data element or one instruction code.
To speed up program execution, a second so-called Harvard architecture was developed, in which the microprocessor could simultaneously access an instruction code and a data element, which are accordingly stored within different memories. The Harvard architecture requires the provision of a microprocessor having two different buses, one of which is dedicated to program access and is connected to the memory including the program, and the other is dedicated to data access and is connected to the data memory.
In this manner, the microprocessor may read an instruction from the program memory and perform a read or write operation from/to the data memory during the same clock cycle. As the result, a Harvard architecture microprocessor needs fewer clock cycles for executing a program than a Von Neumann architecture microprocessor. However, the Harvard architecture has some drawbacks, in particular, in terms of the flexibility of using memories connected to the microprocessor.
Specifically, this architecture requires storing, within predefined and separate respective memory areas, program instructions and non-modifiable data, including operational parameters or parameters that have to be stored in a non-volatile manner. The Harvard architecture cannot be used in a microprocessor connected to only one non-volatile memory and one volatile memory. Moreover, the Harvard architecture does not allow program instructions to be stored within the volatile memory, for example, for test purposes. Also, the Harvard architecture does not allow a program to modify itself by writing executable instruction codes as data into a memory.

Harvard architecture microprocessor having a linear addressable space


A press brake for bending a sheet-shaped work between an upper tool and a lower die and a method of bending the work are provided. In the method, at first, bending angles at plural positions of the work are measured by a trial bending. Next, based on the bending angles obtained, an engagement positional relation between the upper tool and the lower die is corrected to achieve accurate bending of the work at a target bending angle in order to carry out the method, the press brake includes a control unit for calculating a D value of a distance from a bottom of the lower die to a tip of the upper tool.

As schematically shown in FIG. 6, a conventional press brake comprises a upper apron 7 (alternatively referred to as a upper table or a fixed table) fixed on a left and right side frame 5L, 5R respectively mounted on a base 3, and a lower apron 9 (or referred to as a lower table or a movable table) provided so as to oppose the upper apron 7, the lower apron being vertically movable.
Hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R are provided on the left and right sides respectively to move the above lower apron 9 vertically. At appropriate positions of the lower apron 9, crowning cylinders 13 are provided to compensate for a downward curve in the lower apron 9 generated at the time of bending a sheet-shaped work W.
The same Figure shows a case in which two crowning cylinders 13 are provided, however crowning cylinders may be provided in the center of the lower apron 9 or the upper apron 7. That is, the crowning cylinders may be provided in an arbitrary number, and may be provided on either the upper apron 7 or the lower apron 9.
An upper tool 15 is installed on the bottom of the upper apron 7 and a lower die 17 is installed on the top of the lower apron 9.
According to the above-described construction, hydraulic oil is supplied to the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R. As a result, the lower apron 9 is raised so as to engage the upper tool and lower die 15, 17 appropriately, such that the work W is bent and processed by the upper tool and lower die 15, 17.
When the work W is bent as described above, the upper apron 7 is inclined to curve so as to protrude upward and the lower apron 9 is inclined to curve so as to protrude downward. As a result, the bending shape of the work W becomes so-called "ship-shaped" so that the center portion thereof tends to be loose.
Thus, to correct the curve of the lower apron 9, a pressurized oil is supplied to the crowning cylinders 13 and the curve is corrected in a trial and error manner to make the upper and lower aprons parallel to each other, which consumes a significant amount of time.
Moreover, the bending angle of the work W can be arbitrarily set by controlling the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die 15, 17. To control the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die 15, 17, the ascent stop position of the lower apron 9 can be arbitrarily set.
That is, as schematically shown in FIG. 7, hydraulic pumps P are connected to the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R. With respect to the connection of the hydraulic pump P to the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R, separate hydraulic pumps may be connected thereto separately or a single hydraulic pump may be connected thereto through branching.
A connecting oil path 19, connecting to the hydraulic pump P and the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R, is connected to a branch line 23, which is connected to an upper limit valve 21.
In the above upper limit valve 21, a valve 21V is pressed by a spool 21S against the pressure of a spring SP to control the degree of opening between the valve 21V and the seat SE, so that hydraulic oil flowing from the branch line 23 to a tank T is controlled.
The above upper limit valves 21 are provided on both sides of the lower apron 9 to control the ascent stop positions of both sides of the lower apron 9. To press the spool 21S of this upper limit valve 21, levers 25 are provided swingably in the vertical direction on both frames of the press brake 1 and one end of the lever 25 is in contact with the top end of the spool 21S.
Then, corresponding to the left and right levers 25, vertical guides 27 are provided on the frames of the press brake, and nut members 29 are provided so as to move vertically freely along the guides 27. A screw pestle 31, provided in parallel to the guide 27, is engaged with this nut member 29. On the top end of this screw pestle 31, a cap 33 which contacts the other end of the lever 25 is provided.
To rotate the screw pestle 31, the frame is equipped with a servo motor SM having a rotary encoder E as a position detector. The rotary shaft 35 of this servo motor SM and the bottom end of the screw pestle 31 are spline-engaged with each other for the screw pestle to be vertically movable.
Then, a contacting member 37 capable of contacting each of the left and right nut members 29 from below is provided on each of the left and right sides of the lower apron 9.
Thus, if the lower apron 9 is raised by supplying a hydraulic oil to the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R, the contacting members 37 provided on the left and right sides of the lower apron 9 make a contact with each of the nut members 29 on both sides, so that the left and right screw pestles 31 are raised.
If the left and right screw pestles 31 are raised, the caps 33 swing each of the levers 25, so that the levers 25 press the spools 21S in the left and right upper limit valves 21. If the spools 21S are pressed, an opening is produced between the valve 21V and the seat 21SE in the upper limit valve 21, so that a pressurized oil is discharged from the branch line 23 into the tank T.
As the ascent of the lower apron 9 progresses, the opening between the valve 21V and the seat 21SE is increased gradually. Then, when the force of raising the lower apron 9 by pressures applied to the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R is balanced with a sum of the weight of the lower apron 9 and a load used for the bending processing of the work W, the ascent of the lower apron 9 is stopped.
When the ascent of the lower apron 9 is stopped as described above, if the nut member 29 is moved upward by controlling the servo motor SM appropriately, the nut members 29 separate from the contacting member 37, so that the lever 25 is rotated counterclockwise by the action of the spring S. As a result, the opening between the valve 21V and the seat 21SE in the upper limit valve 21 is squeezed by the action of the spring SP. Consequently, pressures in the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R rise so that the lower apron 9 is raised further.
Then, if as described above, the contacting member 37 makes a contact with the nut member 29 so as to enlarge the opening of the upper limit valve 21, the lower apron 9 stops ascending as described previously.
Conversely, when the contacting member 37 is in contact with the nut member 29 such that the lower apron 9 stops ascending, if the servo motor SM is rotated inversely to the direction mentioned above to intend to bring down the nut member 29, the screw pestle 31 relatively rises because the nut member 29 is in a contact with the contacting member 37 such that it does not go down. Consequently, with respect to FIG. 7, the lever 25 is rotated clockwise.
If the lever 25 is rotated clockwise, the opening of the upper limit valve 21 is enlarged further and the pressures in the hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R drop so that the lower apron 9 descends. If the lower apron 9 descends so that the lever 25 returns to its original position, the lower apron 9 stops descending.
That is, by adjusting the vertical position of the nut member 29, it is possible to stop the lower apron 9 at a desired ascent position. By controlling the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die 15, 17, it is possible to bend the work W at a desired angle.
Meanwhile, the left and right hydraulic cylinders 11L, 11R can be controlled separately and the transverse inclination of the lower apron 9 can be controlled.
When the bending processing of the work W is conducted with the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die 15, 17 controlled as described above, the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die 15, 17 can be calculated theoretically according to the bending angle of the work W.
However, when the bending processing of the work W is conducted, a deformation (deflection) may occur in the left and right side frames 5L, 5R of the press brake, the upper and lower aprons 7, 9, the upper tool and lower die 15, 17 and the like. It is therefore necessary to correct for the deflection.
Preceding examples regarding correction of the deflection are found in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-100820 (hereinafter referred to as preceding example 1), Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 3-54013 (preceding example 2), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-26226 (preceding example 3).
The above preceding example 1 has disclosed an apparatus in which the amount of deflections of the side frames at the time of actual bending processing is detected to calculate an applied pressure and an appropriate amount of correction is calculated to control the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die.
Further, the preceding example 2 has disclosed an apparatus for setting a deformation correction coefficient, based on an assumption that the amount of deformation of the side frame or the upper tool and lower die is parallel to the magnitude of pressure applied to the work, and controlling the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die by using the deformation correction coefficient.
As in the preceding example 2, assuming that the amount of deformation is simply in a parallel relation to an applied pressure, a deformation correction coefficient must be obtained corresponding to the type of the upper tool and lower die or a combination thereof each time, so that there is a problem in improvement of the operation efficiency. Further, if the bottom end of the upper tool bites into a work (see lines 4-5 of the left column on page 6 of the preceding example 1), even if the deflection is corrected with an assumption that the amount of deformation is simply in a parallel relation to an applied pressure, there is a problem in improvement of bending accuracy.
According to the preceding example 3, by following a correction pattern based on a reference curve indicating a relation between the bending angle of the work and a D value for controlling the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die, the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die is controlled when the bending processing of the work is conducted. After the bending processing, an actual bending angle is measured, and based on this measurement result, the correction pattern is shifted to a new correction pattern following the reference curve.
As regards the above correction pattern, biting of the tip of the upper tool into the work is considered. Further, by measuring actual bending angles of the work, a new correction pattern is produced and then, the engagement positional relation between the upper tool and lower die is corrected based on this new correction pattern. As a result, the accuracy in bending is improved, thus this technique is preferable.
However, the correction pattern based on the above reference curve is a fixed pattern, and if any error is contained in this correction pattern, a new correction pattern obtained by the above shift also contains an error, which is not preferable in term of improvement of the accuracy in bending.
Further, a conventional bending processing apparatus equipped with a control unit for calculating and controlling the D value of a distance from the bottom of the die to the tip of the punch is well known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-20927. This invention is constructed according to the following experimental formula based on a limited database to obtain a final D value. EQU D(A)=D.sub.1 +(.delta..sub.1 +.delta..sub.2 +.delta..sub.3 +.delta..sub.4 +.delta..sub.5)
In the above formula, D.sub.1 is a geometrical D value. For general purpose, various factors are included, for example, .delta..sub.1, .delta..sub.3 are mechanical system deflection, .delta..sub.2, .delta..sub.4 are material property and .delta..sub.5 are other factor.
By the way, the aforementioned conventional control system lacks general purpose functionally because it depends on a limited database and sometimes does not correspond to diversified conditions. For example, if an experimental formula derived from this database is utilized for work thickness and materials other than those obtained from actual experiment, no satisfactory precision can be obtained.
Particularly, this database is incomplete because it contains only the tensile strength parameter as a means for expressing material property. Further, to secure a desired bending accuracy, at each time of correction, the parameter is modified. Thus, the frequency of trial bending increases so that necessary tact time is prolonged.

Method of bending workpiece to target bending angle accurately and press brake for use in the same method


A tissue resection guide for use with a datum includes a base releasably engagable with the datum. The tissue resection guide has a first frame fixed relative to the base and the first frame has at least one integral first guide path that is sized and configured to at least partially capture and guide a first tissue resection tool relative to the first frame.

The present invention generally relates to surgical instrumentation and methods for such procedures such as, for example, a total joint replacement within a patient.
Various endoprosthetic devices are known for repairing or replacing joints in a patient. Specifically, it is known to use an endoprosthesis to replace a damaged ankle joint. The ankle joint is a comparatively small joint relative to the weight bearing and torque the joint must withstand. These factors have made the design of total ankle joint replacements technically challenging. Total ankle replacement has been investigated since the 1970's with initially promising results, but the procedure was essentially abandoned in the 1980's due to a high long-term failure rate, both in terms of pain control and improved function. However, researchers have continued to investigate new designs, which can be broadly subdivided into constrained and unconstrained designs. Constrained designs offer the advantage of greater stability, but with decreased mobility and increased stress at the bone implant interface, potentially leading to a greater risk of early loosening and failure. Unconstrained designs provide improved range of motion in multiple planes, but at the expense of stability. Early devices investigated were implanted with cement fixation, which in recent years has given way to cementless designs. One such cementless, non-constrained mobile bearing device that has proven to be successful is a total ankle replacement. An example of the total ankle replacement, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,130 and is commercially known as the S.T.A.R.® or the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement System.
Total joint replacements, such as the S.T.A.R.®, have been implanted to repair damaged joints using a combination of cut guides and free hand cutting and shaping to sufficiently prepare the bone contacting the total joint replacement.
It would be desirable to reduce the amount of measuring, free hand cutting and/or re-mounting of cut guides to the remaining healthy bone structure to efficiently and accurately prepare the resected tissue surface receiving the total joint replacement with repeatable results and minimum bone removal.

Surgical instrumentation and methods of use for implanting a prosthesis


Under the present invention, when a request for a certificate is made, a set of (mapping) rules are used to identify an appropriate directory and any other information sources, and to retrieve information for the certificate therefrom. The directory name is then transformed using the set of rules for use in the certificate. Thereafter, a template for the certificate is developed using the set of rules. The template and the request are then communicated to the PKI, which will generate and return the certificate. Upon receipt, the present invention can verify that the certificate actually includes the transformed name.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to name transformation for a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Specifically, the present invention provides a way to transform a directory name or the like into a name suitable for a PKI certificate.
2. Related Art
A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) enables users of a basically unsecured public network such as the Internet to securely and privately exchange data through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. The PKI provides for a digital "certificate" that can identify an individual or an organization and directory services that can store and, when necessary, revoke the certificates.
The PKI assumes the use of public key cryptography, which is the most common method on the Internet for authenticating a message sender or encrypting a message. Traditional cryptography has usually involved the creation and sharing of a secret key for the encryption and decryption of messages. This secret key system has the significant flaw that if the key is discovered or intercepted by someone else, messages can easily be decrypted. For this reason, public key cryptography and the PKI is the preferred approach on the Internet. (The secret key system is sometimes known as symmetric cryptography and the public key system as asymmetric cryptography). In general, a PKI includes: (1) a certificate authority (CA) that issues and verifies digital certificate. A certificate generally includes the public key or information about the public key; (2) a registration authority (RA) that acts as the verifier for the certificate authority before a digital certificate is issued to a requestor; (3) one or more directories where the certificates (with their public keys) are stored; and (4) a certificate management system. The precise workings of how public and private key cryptography are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be restated herein.
As useful as PKI technology is, it is not without its drawbacks. For example, within an organization, individuals' contact information is frequently stored in a directory (e.g., an Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory). Public key certificates are often stored in the same directory, in support of applications such as secure email. However, the directory names associated with individuals are often not well suited for use in certificates since directory names tend to be locally significant, often including intra-organizational information such as department, employee serial number, etc. As such, this information is often not suitable for externally-visible names. In addition, the use of X.509 certificates imposes additional restrictions on the contents of names that appear in certificates (e.g., they must be valid X.500 names, and for maximum interoperability should contain only well-known common naming attributes). Therefore, a user's directory name is often not suitable for use as a name that would appear in the user's certificate.
Verisign has a mechanism to address this problem in their CA that requires that names be broken-down into their component parts by the requestor, and sent to the Verisign CA. Upon receipt, the Verisign CA re-assembles them in an appropriate order to form a (CA-chosen) name. Unfortunately, this mechanism does not support the use of industry-standard certificate request structures (e.g. PKCS#10 and/or PKIX Certificate Template) for specifying the name, and is not suitable for sites that wish to use CAs from multiple vendors. Most other CAs require that the requester construct an appropriate PKI name prior to submitting a request.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a system that is capable of providing a name for a PKI certificate that complies with any rules and/or restrictions. Specifically a need exists for a system that can transform a name of a directory or the like for a certificate requestor into a compliant name that can be used in the certificate.

Name transformation for a public key infrastructure (PKI)

International Business Machines Corporation


Apparatus and Methods for imaging magnetic fields and for using images of magnetic fields in the authentication of magnetic stripe cards or documents are disclosed. The systems described provide an increased tolerance for misalignments of magnetic reading heads. One preferred embodiment of the invention includes sensing circuitry for sensing an image of the magnetic field using an array of magnetic reading heads and sampling circuitry connected to the sensing circuitry.

The invention relates generally to the imaging of magnetic fields and more specifically to methods and apparatus for generating images of magnetic fields and for extracting information from images of magnetic fields.
The storage of data in magnetic media such as magnetic tapes, magnetic disks and magnetic stripes has become ubiquitous. One common application involving the storage of digital data in a magnetic medium is the storage of information on magnetic stripe cards. Magnetic stripe cards are commonly used in financial transactions and as a form of identification in conjunction with security systems.
The creation of duplicate magnetic stripe cards is a considerable security concern in magnetic stripe card applications. A duplicate magnetic stripe card that contains the same digital information as an original magnetic stripe card cannot be distinguished from the original on the basis of the digital data stored in the magnetic stripe alone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,881 to DeLand, Jr. et al. describes a system for distinguishing between an original magnetic stripe card and duplicates of the original by using the underlying magnetic characteristics of the materials used in the construction of magnetic stripe cards. The underlying characteristics of the magnetic stripe are virtually impossible to reproduce and measuring these characteristics provides a way of determining whether a magnetic stripe card is an original or a duplicate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,881 to DeLand, Jr. et al. is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure.
The system described by DeLand, Jr. et al. verifies the characteristics of the magnetic stripe by taking a number of samples using a single fixed magnetic reading head. These samples are then used to generate a one dimensional array of data. The system compares the array of data to a reference array and uses the correlation between the two arrays to determine whether the card being read is an original.
The contents of the array of data for a given magnetic stripe can vary depending on the alignment of the magnetic head that is used to generate the array. Therefore, the correlation between the data array and the reference array required to make a determination that the card being read is an original must be lower in systems that tolerate substantial magnetic reading head misalignment. The lower the required correlation the less ability the authentication system has for distinguishing original magnetic stripe cards from duplicates.

Method and apparatus for generating images of magnetic fields in at least two dimensions


In one example, a method performed by a processing system in a telecommunications network includes acquiring live footage of a event, acquiring sensor data related to the event, wherein the sensor data is collected by a sensor positioned in a location at which the event occurs, extracting an analytical statistic related to a target participating in the event, wherein the extracting is based on content analysis of the live footage and the sensor data, filtering data relating to the target based on the analytical statistic to identify content of interest in the data, wherein the data comprises the live footage, the sensor data, and data relating to historical events that are similar to the event, and generating computer-generated content to present the content of interest, wherein when the computer-generated content is synchronized with the live footage on an immersive display, an augmented reality media is produced.

Augmented reality (AR) is an immersive technology in which the real-world environment is enhanced or augmented with virtual, computer-generated objects. For instance, an AR game might superimpose images of virtual objects, such as characters, over an image of a real-world environment. Alternatively, an AR information system might present a computer-generated overlay over an image of a real-world object, where the overlay contains information about the real-world object in text, graphical, and/or other form. Thus, unlike other forms of immersive technology which may replace the real-world environment completely with a virtual environment, AR media simply alters or augments a user's ongoing perception of the real-world environment by blending the real-world environment with virtual objects.

Automatic generation of augmented reality media


A system for reducing the power consumed in modems while maintaining maximum data throughput that includes logic for detecting when data is not being transmitted across an established modem connection and turns off all modem functions not required to maintain the connection. A protocol between the local and remote modem is run using logic running at lower clock rates to maintain the connection. Existing error correction and data compression protocols as well as distortion compensation functions are turned off during this period. When data is again to be sent, the clocks are returned to their data transmission operating frequency and the function previously turned off are turned on.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to modems for use in computers. More particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for minimizing the power consumption of a modem while maintaining maximum data throughput.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Modems are data communications devices that provide connections for computers into the public switched telephone network. A sending modem converts digital signals generated by a host computer to analog signals for transmission over telephone lines. A receiving modem then reconverts the analog signals back to digital signals which are then passed to the receiving modem's host.
In battery powered computers such as lap top PC's, battery life is a critical concern to users and therefore to system designers. In addition so called "green" desk top computers are now being designed that place a high priority on minimizing power consumption. In the past, computers and particularly laptop computers have been designed to automatically power down into a low power state after a certain period of inactivity. If the laptop was using a modem at the time of automatic powerdown, the computer automatically hung up the modem. That is, the connection through the telephone system was dropped.
While this is a good power saving technique, it makes for slow data transfer in the cases where the user is interested in reconnecting to the same remote modem. This is because of the long time required to make a modem connection. First, the number of the destination modem must be dialed. Next, the destination modem rings and after several rings, the line is picked up. Next, a signal exchange called a "handshake" takes place that establishes the parameters of a communication. This process takes considerable time. In addition, modern high speed modems have distortion compensation features that make this process even more time consuming. All transmitted signals are susceptible to distortion. For example, some distortion is introduced by the medium itself such as signal attenuation. Some distortion is due to outside interference such as background noise, storms, emf from machinery, multi path transmission interference, etc. All of these factors result in nonuniformities in the amplitude and phase characteristics of the transmission channel. With data transmission, distortion is more of a problem than with voice since the human brain can deal with a considerable degree of distortion and still capture the message. Not so with computers and data transmission. Each time a new call is made, the distortions are different than in the previous calls. The problem is exacerbated if one or both of the communication points is mobile since this causes the distortion to change--sometimes radically--in very short periods of time. Modern modems have dealt with this problem by adding adaptive distortion compensation. That is, logic and circuitry are added to the modem that compensates for less than ideal amplitude and phase linearity in the received signal. Furthermore, the compensation is adaptive in that it adjusts itself to changes in the distortions as they are measured at the receiving station. But, each time the telephone line is dropped, the training of the adaptive circuits must start over. This also takes considerable time. Moreover, it may not be possible to reconnect at all because the line is now busy. Thus, the strategy of disconnecting has a high penalty of reduced throughput.
Thus, current modems do a poor job of both maintaining data throughput and maximizing battery life.

Method and apparatus for minimizing modem power while maximizing modem throughput


A compressor (21), a heat exchanger (30), a demoisturizer (22), and an expansion device (23) are duct connected in that order to form a heat source-side system (20). The compressor (21) draws and compresses outdoor air and exhaust air for ventilation. The compressed air is subjected to heat exchange with air for conditioning in the heat exchanger (30). The compressed air is demoisturized in the demoisturizer (22). Thereafter, the compressed air is expanded in the expansion device (23), changes to low-temperature air, and then is expelled to outside the room. On the other hand, the conditioning air is delivered, through an inlet duct (43), to the heat exchanger (30). The conditioning air is a mixture of supply air for ventilation and air in the room. The conditioning air is subjected to heat exchange with the compressed air in the heat exchanger (30), whereby the conditioning air is heated. Further, the conditioning air is humidified in a humidifying part (42). Thereafter, the conditioning air is supplied into the room for effecting room heating.

The present invention relates to an air cycle air-conditioning apparatus employing air as a refrigerant for effecting heating and, more particularly, to a heating capacity improving scheme.
There has been conventionally known a refrigerating apparatus of the air cycle type employing air as a refrigerant. One example of such an air cycle refrigerator is shown in xe2x80x9cJAR HANDBOOK, FUNDAMENTALS, Fourth Editionxe2x80x9d, published by Japanese Association of Refrigeration, pp. 45-48. Further, there is disclosed in xe2x80x9cJune Issue of the AIRAH JOURNAL (1997)xe2x80x9d, pp. 16-21, published by The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating a heating apparatus capable of performing heating by using an air cycle refrigerator as a heat source. Hereinafter, a description of this heating apparatus will be given below.
As shown in FIG. 3, the heating apparatus has a heat source-side system (a) and an exhaust heat-side system (f). The heat source-side system (a) is formed by sequential connection of a compressor (b), a first heat exchanger (c), a second heat exchanger (d), and an expansion device (e), for performing an air refrigerating cycle. On the other hand, the exhaust heat-side system (f) is formed by sequential connection of the second heat exchanger (d), a humidifier (g), and the first heat exchanger (c).
In such an arrangement, when the compressor (b) is driven in the heat source-side system (a), exhaust air for ventilation is compressed in the compressor (b). The compressed air flows through the first heat exchanger (c) and then through the second heat exchanger (d), undergoes expansion in the expansion device (e), and is expelled to outside the room. On the other hand, in the exhaust heat-side system (f), supply air for ventilation from the outside of the room flows through the second heat exchanger (d), the humidifier (g), and the first heat exchanger (c) in that order, during which the supply air is heated by heat exchange with the compressed air in the heat source-side system (a) in both the heat exchangers (d, c) and humidified in the humidifier (g). Then, the heated, humidified supply air is supplied into the room for effecting heating.
However, the heating apparatus stated above suffers problems such as insufficient heating capacity and therefore fails to properly provide room heating. This problem will be described. In the heating apparatus, only the exhaust air for ventilation is let to flow to the heat source-side system (a). The amount of such ventilation is determined by, for example, the number of people present in the room (for example, 4 m3/hr for every 1 m2 of floor space), independent of the heating load. And, in most cases, only a flow of exhaust air for ventilation is insufficient for the purpose of achieving a heating capacity in proportional to the heating load. However, it is impossible for the heating apparatus to provide a flow of air at increased flow rates to the heat source-side system (a), therefore giving rise to lack of heating capacity.
Bearing in mind such drawbacks, the present invention was made. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to ensure that an air-conditioning apparatus which performs heating by making utilization of an air cycle provides sufficient heating capacity.
According to an arrangement of the present invention, together with exhaust air for ventilation, air from the outside of a room (outdoor air) is let to flow to a heat source-side system which generates heat by making utilization of an air cycle, for achieving an increased air flow rate in the heat source-side system.
More specifically, the present invention provides a first solution means that is directed to an air-conditioning apparatus which heats room air by an air cycle employing air as a refrigerant for performing air-heating. The air-conditioning apparatus of the first solution means comprises a compressor (21) which draws in air from the outside and the inside of a room for compressing the drawn air, a heating means (30) which heats air for conditioning formed of at least air from the room by heat exchange with the compressed air compressed by the compressor (21), and an expansion device (23) which provides expansion of the compressed air which has undergone the heat exchange in the heating means (30), wherein low-temperature air, expanded and lowered in temperature in the expansion device (23), is expelled to the outside of the room, whereas the conditioning air heated by the heating means (30) is supplied into the room.
Further, the present invention provides a second solution means according to the first solution means, wherein the air that is drawn into the compressor (21) from the inside of the room is exhaust air that is expelled from the inside of the room for ventilation.
Further, the present invention provides a third solution means according to the first solution means or the second solution means, wherein the conditioning air is formed of air from the room and supply air that is supplied from the outside to the inside of the room.
Further, the present invention provides a fourth solution means according to any one of the first to third solution means, the fourth solution means including a demoisturizing means (22) which has a separation membrane, the separation membrane being formed such that water vapor in the air is allowed to pass therethrough from a high partial pressure of water-vapor side to a low partial pressure of water-vapor side thereof, for separation of water vapor contained in the compressed air without causing the water vapor to undergo condensation.
Further, the present invention provides a fifth solution means according to the fourth solution means, wherein the separation membrane is composed of a polymeric membrane and formed so as to allow water vapor to pass therethrough by water-molecule diffusion in the membrane.
Further, the present invention provides a sixth solution means according to the fourth solution means, wherein the separation membrane has a large number of pores having a size equal to a molecule free path and is formed so as to allow water vapor to pass therethrough by water-molecule capillary condensation and diffusion.
Further, the present invention provides a seventh solution means according to any one of the fourth to sixth solution means, the seventh solution means including a depressurizing means (36) which provides depressurization of one of the sides of the separation membrane in the demoisturizing means (22) so as to ensure a difference in partial pressure of water-vapor between both the separation membrane sides.
Further, the present invention provides an eighth solution means according to the seventh solution means, wherein a part or all of moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) is supplied to the low-temperature air from the expansion device (23).
Further, the present invention provides a ninth solution means according to the seventh solution means, the ninth solution means including a moisturizing means (42) which supplies moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing mans (22) to the conditioning air in the heating means (30).
Further, the present invention provides a tenth solution means according to any one of the fourth to seventh solution means, wherein a part or all of moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) is supplied, together with the conditioning air, into the room.
Further, the present invention provides an eleventh solution means according to any one of the fourth to sixth solution means, wherein the demoisturizing means (22) is formed so that one of surfaces of the separation membrane is brought into contact with the compressed air whereas the other of the surfaces is brought into contact with the conditioning air, whereby water vapor contained in the compressed air will travel to the conditioning air.
Further, the present invention provides a twelfth solution means according to any one of the first to eighth solution means, the twelfth solution means further comprising a moisturizing means (42) which supplies moisture to the conditioning air in the heating means (30).
Finally, the present invention provides a thirteenth solution means according to the ninth solution means or the twelfth solution means, wherein the moisturizing means (42) supplies moisture to the conditioning air through a moisture permeable membrane.
In the first solution means, the compressor (21) draws in air from the outside and the inside of a room. In the compressor (21), the drawn air is compressed, thereby changing to high-temperature, high-pressure, compressed air. This compressed air is subjected to heat exchange with air for conditioning in the heating means (30). Then, the conditioning air heated by the heating means (30) is supplied into the room for effecting heating. On the other hand, the post-heat exchange compressed air is expanded in the expansion device (23) and changes to low-temperature air, thereafter being expelled to the outside of the room.
Further, in the second solution means, exhaust air for ventilation is drawn into the compressor (21). That is, the operation of heating is performed making utilization of the exhaust air.
Further, in the third solution means, supply air is heated together with room air by the heating means (30) and thereafter supplied into the room.
Further, in the fourth solution means, the demoisturizing means (22) removes moisture from the compressed air compressed by the compressor (21). At that time, the demoisturizing means (22) is provided with a specified separation membrane, so that the moisture in the compressed air is separated from the compressed air in the form of water vapor.
Further, in the fifth or sixth solution means, the separation membrane is formed by a given process so that it allows water vapor to pass therethrough.
Further, in the seventh solution means, depressurization provided by the depressurization means (36) ensures a difference in partial pressure of water-vapor between both the sides of the separation membrane. That is, one surface of the separation membrane comes into contact with the compressed air and the other surface thereof is depressurized by the depressurizing means (36). Accordingly, the partial pressure of water-vapor of the other surface of the separation membrane is held lower than that of the compressed air.
Further, in the eighth solution means, moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) is expelled to the outside of the room, together with low-temperature air.
Further, in the ninth solution means, moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) is supplied to air for conditioning by the moisturizing means (42). At that time, the moisturizing means (42) provides a supply of moisture to the conditioning air which is being heated in the heating means (30).
Further, in the tenth solution means, moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) is supplied to air for conditioning and delivered, together with the conditioning air, into the room for room humidification.
Further, in the eleventh solution means, one surface of the separation membrane is brought into contact with the compressed air whereas the other surface thereof is brought into contact with the conditioning air. Accordingly, in a running condition that the conditioning air is lower in partial pressure of water-vapor than the compressed air, moisture in the compressed air travels to the exhaust air without any external action.
Further, in the twelfth solution means, the moisturizing means (42) provides a supply of moisture to the conditioning air. At that time, the moisturizing means (42) supplies moisture to the conditioning air which is being heated in the heating means (30).
Finally, in the thirteenth solution means, moisture is gradually supplied, through a specified moisture permeable membrane, to the exhaust air by the moisturizing means (42).
In accordance with the above-stated solution means, the compressor (21) draws in air not only from the inside but also from the outside of a room, therefore ensuring a sufficient flow rate for the compressed air. That is, it is possible to ensure a flow rate for high-temperature, compressed air that exchanges heat with conditioning air in the heating means (30). Because of this, it is possible to ensure an amount of heat that is applied to the conditioning air in the heating means (30), thereby achieving a sufficient heating capacity.
Further, in accordance with the second solution means, heat held in the exhaust air for ventilation is recovered and the recovered heat is utilized to heat the conditioning air. As a result of such arrangement, it is possible to provide protection against the increase in heating load caused by ventilation.
Further, in accordance with the third solution means, a mixture of room air and supply air serves as air for conditioning. This makes it possible to supply, after heating low-temperature supply air from the outside of the room, the supply air into the room, thereby improving comfortability of the person present in the room. Furthermore, in the present solution means, the conditioning air temperature is lowered to a further extent in comparison with the case in which room air serves as conditioning air. Because of this, the compressed air temperature is further lowered by heat exchange with the conditioning air in the heating means (30). This reduces the drive input of the compressor (21), thereby providing an improved equipment efficiency, i.e., COP (coefficient of performance).
Further, in accordance with the fourth solution means, it is possible to demoisturize compressed air and then deliver it to the expansion device (23). Here, the temperature of the low-temperature air from the expansion device (23) becomes considerably low (for example, aboutxe2x80x9415 degrees centigrade). Because of this, if a large amount of moisture is held in the low-temperature air, this causes the moisture to freeze in the low-temperature air. If moisture freezing occurs in the low-temperature air, this produces the following harmful effects. That is, the moisture is emitted in a snow-like form to the outside of the room together with the low-temperature air or the moisture builds up in a passageway for blowout, resulting in clogging the passageway. On the other hand, with the present solution means, the compressed air is demoisturized and thereafter expanded, so that it is possible to perform operations without suffering from the above-described harmful effects.
Further, in accordance with the fifth or sixth solution means, it is possible to positively form the separation membrane with a specified function.
Further, in accordance with the seventh solution means, it is possible to ensure, in any running operation condition, a difference in partial pressure of water-vapor between both the sides of the separation membrane by the depressurization means (36), thereby making it possible to separate water vapor from the compressed air at all times by the demoisturizing means (22). This positively provides protection against the occurrence of harmful effects due to the freezing of moisture in the low-temperature air, as described above.
Further, in accordance with the eighth solution means, it is possible to expel water vapor separated from the compressed air to the outside of the room, together with low-temperature air. This eliminates the necessity to provide a structure for the processing of separated water vapor, thereby achieving structure simplification.
Further, in accordance with the ninth or twelfth solution means, it is possible to perform room humidification by supplying moisture to the conditioning air. In this case, when the supplied moisture evaporates, it takes away heat for latent heat from the conditioning air. Because of this, if no measurement is taken, the temperature of the conditioning air will fall. However, with the present solution means, there is provided a supply of moisture to the conditioning air in the heating means (30). Accordingly, it is possible to give, by heat exchange with the compressed air, an amount of heat for a latent heat of vaporization of the supplied moisture to the conditioning air. As a result, while maintaining the temperature of the conditioning air delivered from the heating means (30) into the room at a specified value, it is possible to perform conditioning air humidification. Particularly, in accordance with the ninth solution means, it is possible to utilize moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) for room humidification.
Further, in accordance with the tenth solution means, it is possible to utilize moisture separated from the compressed air by the demoisturizing means (22) for room humidification.
Further, in accordance with the eleventh solution means, it is possible to supply water vapor separated from the compressed air to the conditioning air in the form of water vapor. That is, when humidifying the conditioning air, no supplied moisture will be evaporated in the conditioning air. Therefore, the present solution means eliminates the necessity to supply an amount of heat for a latent heat of vaporization of the moisture to the conditioning air from the compressed air, in the heating means (30). Because of this, even when the compressed air and the conditioning air exchange the same amount of heat in the heating means (30), it is possible to heat the conditioning air to further higher temperatures. As a result, while maintaining heating capacity at high level, it is possible to perform room humidification.
Finally, in accordance with the thirteenth solution means, moisture is gradually supplied to the conditioning air, thereby ensuring that the supplied moisture is evaporated positively in the conditioning air. This therefore prevents moisture incapable of being evaporated from being emitted in the form of liquid droplets into the room, together with the conditioning air.


The invention relates to a packaging made up of at least one inner, containing an alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage based on anethole, in which the inner foil of said packaging is made up of a film of polyamide including aromatic units.. The packaging is preferably intended to contain weakly alcoholic beverages and the polyamide results from the polycondensation of meta-xylylenediamine with adipic acid.

The present invention relates to a new packaging containing an alcoholic or nonalcoholic aqueous beverage based on anethole.
It also relates to a process intended to limit the loss of anethole present in an optionally alcoholic solution in contact with the wall of a packaging made of polymer material and to the use of a polymer film for the production of a packaging in contact with optionally alcoholic anethole solutions in order to limit the loss of anethole in contact with the wall of the packaging.
Aniseed-flavored beverages contain anethole or para-propenylmethoxybenzene, predominantly in trans form (higher than 96-97%). Anethole has the special property of being very poorly soluble in water (<50 mg/l) and soluble in alcohol. In the presence of water anethole becomes cloudy, whereas in a water/alcohol solution of high alcohol content (of the order of 45% by volume) anethole remains in the dissolved state.
In the case of alcohol-free or weakly alcoholic beverages (4-9 vol %) an emulsifier is resorted to because anethole is no longer soluble.
When aniseed-favored beverages are stored, considerable degradation appears in the course of time, especially under the effect of:
light (cis-trans isomerization), PA1 oxidation in the presence of light, PA1 interaction between anethole and the packaging material. PA1 multilayer plastic bottles of the PP/B/PA and PET/B/PA type.
While it has been possible to overcome the abovementioned first two disadvantages with the aid of packages which are opaque to the ultraviolet and which act as a barrier to gases, this is not so with regard to the third point relating to the loss of anethole in contact with the packaging material.
In fact, in the case of the conventionally employed packaging made of polymer (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate) a very large loss of flavor (up to 100%) is observed in the course of time in contact with the polymer walls, and this prevents aniseed-flavored beverages from being marketed in plastic packaging.
This problem is still more sensitive in the case of alcohol-free or weakly alcoholic beverages based on anethole, in the case of which the loss in contact with polymer is still more rapid.
A number of scientific observations illustrate the particular behavior of this compound:
Anethole has a low coefficient of solubility in water but a high coefficient of solubility in polymers. This phenomenon is all the more important in the case of beverages containing little or no alcohol. This induces a considerable electrostatic interaction with the surface of the polymer and the adsorption of anethole onto the latter.
Furthermore, the affinity of anethole for polymers is such that an absorption phenomenon takes place, due to insertion of this compound between the polymer chains. It therefore involves a dynamic adsorption/absorption phenomenon.
In addition, anethole exhibits a high tendency to polymerize to polyanethole. This polymerization of a cationic type is promoted by the highly nucleophilic nature of the methoxy group. This phenomenon takes place especially in the case of polymers derived from styrene, maleic anhydride or acrylonitrile, which are commonly employed as packaging for beverages. This is due to the fact that anethole reacts with the molecular chains of these polymers.
However, anethole can also react with the residual monomers, given the well-known reaction of copolymerization with styrene (T. Higashimura et al., Journal of Polymer Science: part A.1, vol. 10, 85-93 (1972)) or the terpolymerization with maleic anhydride and acrylic monomers such as acrylonitrile (T. Kobuko et al., Macromolecules, vol. 3, No. 5, September-October 1970, 518-523).
For all these reasons, at the present time no plastic packaging for anethole-based beverages is known.
A bottle made of a crushable aromatic polyamide has indeed been described in the Derwent abstract AN-92319511(39), but this document merely indicates that the bottle may contain beer, sparkling beverages or juices. This bottle is furthermore taken to be similar to PET bottles which, as is known, are unusable in the case of anethole-based beverages.
This is why at the present time aniseed-flavored beverages are packaged in glass bottles.
It is therefore desirable to propose new packaging made of polymer material enabling the inertness performance of glass to be attained or approached.

Packaging containing an alcoholic or nonalcoholic aqueous beverage based on anethole


A self-propel accessory provides an easily attachable optional drive function for a platform device. The platform device is supported by a device frame including a wheel at a rear end and a post at a front end. The self-propel accessory includes an accessory frame attachable to the device frame via a bracket, a driving wheel connected to the accessory frame, a motor operatively coupled with the driving wheel, and a handle connected to the accessory frame. The accessory frame is pivotable between a disengaged position and an engaged position, and a weight of the platform device biases the accessory frame toward the disengaged position.

The invention relates to a self-propel accessory and, more particularly, to a self-propel accessory provided for a platform device, where the platform is supported by a device frame including a wheel at a rear end and a post at a front end. The self-propel accessory includes a driving wheel that, when engaged, lifts the device frame post from a support position to enable a controlled drive with the accessory wheel and the frame device wheel.
A portable mast lift has been developed as an alternative to a conventional ladder. The mast lift includes a platform that is raised and lowered on a mast using a rotary power source such as a hand-held drill or a dedicated power pack (see, for example, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2008/0314690 and U.S. Pat. No. D570,071).
The portable mast lift is primarily made portable by virtue of the low material weight of the device. The supporting structure includes a device frame with a wheel at a rear end and a non-wheel bracket or post at a front end. The "post" could be a wheel or other suitable supporting structure. When it is desired to transport the device, with the platform in the lowered position, the operator can tilt the device back on the wheel, thereby lifting the post from the ground. With the post off the ground, the device is easily manipulated on the device wheel (not unlike a hand truck).
It would be desirable to provide an easily attachable self-propel accessory that is cooperable with such a device to facilitate transport of the device. Ideally, the accessory would enable the operator to transport the device without requiring the operator to leave the platform.


This disclosure discloses an array substrate, and a production method, a display panel, and a display apparatus thereof. Particularly, this disclosure proposes a method of producing an array substrate, having the following steps: providing a substrate having a drive transistor region and a switch transistor region thereon; forming an preset layer for active layer on a side of the substrate; patterning the preset layer for active layer to form a drive active layer and a switch active layer, wherein an orthographic projection of the drive active layer on the substrate is located in the drive transistor region, an orthographic projection of the switch active layer on the substrate is located in the switch transistor region, and a carrier concentration in the drive active layer is less than a carrier concentration in the switch active layer.

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) are main drive elements in current liquid crystal display panels and active-matrix driven organic light-emitting display panels, and properties of thin-film transistors will directly influence display properties of display panels. At present, in a display panel having thin-film transistors, a part of thin-film transistors are used as drive transistors (DR TFTs) and a part of thin-film transistors are used as switch transistors (SW TFTs) in an array substrate. The threshold voltages of drive transistors and switch transistors are of important influence for the display quality of display panels.
However, current thin-film transistors, and production methods thereof, display panels, display apparatuses, and the like are still to be improved.

Array substrate, and production method thereof, display panel, and display apparatus

Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.


A motor protector (1, 1A) for connection in a circuit for supplying electrical power to a motor (36) to be protected includes first (S1), second (S2) and third (S3) switches in a housing member (2, 3). Each switch (S1, S2, S3) uses a snap-acting bimetallic member (8, 11, 13) for opening and closing electrical contacts (4a and 5a, 8a and 8b; 17 and 27; 18 and 30) of the respective switch. The switches (S1, S2, S3) in the housing member (2, 3) are connected as part of the circuit supplying electrical power to the motor (36) being electrically connected in series with one another so that the opening of any one of them will stop the flow of power to the motor (36) to be protected.

Typically, in a motor used in a compressor of an air conditioner, a motor protector is provided for sensing abnormal heat generation or extraordinary electric current that would be produced in the case where the rotor of the motor has been restrained or where an excessive load has been added to the rotor.
Such a motor protector 101 as is known in the art is shown in FIG. 18. This motor protector 101 has an adjusting screw 103 centrally located in an open ended cylindrically shaped base 102 typically made of an electrically insulating material such as resin. A disk-shaped snap acting bimetal disk shaped element 104 is installed at one end of adjusting screw 103 internal to base 102 with movable contacts 105 and 106 mounted at both edges of the bimetal disk 104.
A pair of fixed contacts 107 and 108 are positioned near an inner wall of base 102 so as to be able to contact the movable contacts 105 and 106. One of the fixed contacts 107 is connected to a heater 109 which in turn is connected to connecting terminal 110. The protector is positioned so that in an electrical circuit providing electric current to a motor (not shown), the current will flow from the fixed contact 108 to a connecting terminal 110 through the bimetal disk 104, fixed contact 107 and heater 109.
When the rotor of the motor has been restrained by some reason or when an excessive load has been added to the rotor of the motor, the ambient temperature surrounding protector 101 rises and/or an excessive current (which is greater than normal) flows through the bimetal disk 104 which results in the bimetal disk 104 increasing in temperature and snapping over as is shown (dotted lines) in FIG. 18. In such conditions, the movable contacts 105 and 106 and the fixed contacts 107 and 108 separate and the power supplied to the motor is cut off thereby protecting the motor.
Such a protector has proven very useful in operation, however, there are certain instances when an improved motor protector device would be desirable.
For example, in conventional motor protector 101, only one bimetal element (one switch) is used to effect protection, both at the time when the rotor has been restrained or at the time of an excessive load, thereby requiring the temperature for the snap-action of the bimetal 104 to be set at a high temperature level (in the range between 140 and 160 degrees centigrade).
Also, in the case of the prior art motor protector used with the motor of a compressor of an air conditioner, etc., the elevation of the temperature of the motor stemming from a leakage of the cooling gas is not detected thereby possibly causing problems with protection of the motor.
Still further, in motor protector 101 of the prior art, if the fixed contacts 107 and 108 and the moving contacts 105 and 106 are welded together by electrical arcing and melting of the contact material, the electric current will not be cut off to the motor even in the case where the rotor is restrained thereby creating a potentially dangerous situation. Also, there is a possibility of bimetal disk 104 no longer performing its function as it comes to the end of its mechanical life which could create a dangerous situation.


In a roller screw (1) having a screw shaft (2), a plurality of rollers (4) that roll on a flank face (21a) of the screw shaft; and a cage (3) that rotatably houses the plurality of rollers, a plurality of roller groups (40) each having a plurality of rollers arranged at equal intervals while contacting with the same flank face along a spiral groove of the screw shaft for one lead are provided, and the plurality of roller groups are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the screw shaft. With this configuration, the size of the nut portion in the axial direction of the screw shaft can be prevented from being bloated, and the load distribution in a circumferential direction of the screw shaft can be uniformized.

Ball screws are frequently used in a feed drive mechanism for machine tools, and a hydraulic drive system is frequently used in a feed drive mechanism which is subjected to a high load such as mold clamping in an injection molding machine. Further, in recent years, in the latter case, an action for replacing a hydraulic pressure with an electric operation is accelerated from the viewpoints of a reduction in power consumption or an improvement in maintenance property, and an improvement in a high-load resistant performance is required even in a rotation/linear motion conversion mechanism such as a ball screw mounted on an electric linear feed device.
Under the above background, a roller screw disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-169205 has been developed. In this roller screw, a rolling body on the screw shaft is changed from a ball to a roller so that a contact area of the screw shaft and the rolling body (roller) is increased, and a curvature of a roller rolling surface is decreased (diameter is increased) to reduce a contact stress between the roller and the screw shaft.


Described here is an automated robotic device that isolates circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or other biological structures with extremely high purity. The device uses powerful magnetic rods covered in removable plastic sleeves. These rods sweep through blood samples, capturing, e.g., cancer cells labeled with antibodies linked to magnetically responsive particles such as superparamagnetic beads. Upon completion of the capturing protocol, the magnetic rods undergo several rounds of washing, thereby removing all contaminating blood cells. The captured target cells are released into a final capture solution by removing the magnetic rods from the sleeves. Additionally, cells captured by this device show no reduced viability when cultured after capture. Cells are captured in a state suitable for genetic analysis. Also disclosed are methods for single cell analysis. Being robotic allows the device to be operated with high throughput.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cell isolation, including the isolation of cells from peripheral circulation, labeling cells of interest magnetically, and using an automatable apparatus to immobilize and isolate viable labeled cells for further testing and culture.
2. Related Art
Background
Utilizing current technologies, it is possible to count the number of circulating tumor cells present in blood from breast cancer patients and predict disease outcome [1,2]. However, due to the lack of additional information about the population of circulating tumor cells, current methods do not offer insights into directing treatment or developing novel therapies. Current targeted treatments based on breast cancer subtypes, e.g., Her2/neu or estrogen receptor (ER) status, only focus on the subtype of the primary tumor [3,4,5]. Recent studies have shown that a portion of breast cancer metastases have different Her2 and ER status compared to the original primary tumors [6,7,8,9]. By analyzing the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for their genetic characteristics, one can target treatment not only to the primary tumor, but also to cells that may contribute to and serve as surrogate markers of metastases, thus improving survival in women with metastatic disease.
CTCs can be collected through a relatively non-invasive blood draw. However, isolating, purifying, and characterizing these cells has proven challenging. Several current technologies allow for isolation and counting of circulating tumor cells from patient blood samples. Additionally, the expression of two or three biomarkers can also be assessed. However, while the CTCs are enriched during these protocols, they are often heavily contaminated with blood cells, may not be viable, or the RNA may be severely compromised, making it difficult to reliably measure gene expression or simultaneously measure the expression of large numbers of genes. Described below is a robotic device which allows one to obtain completely purified, living CTCs. In combination with multiplex qRT-PCR, genes from single CTCs isolated from the blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer were analyzed for expression levels. Thus, current techniques partially purify CTCs from blood, but there is still residual contamination with other blood cells. Some techniques also fix and permeabilize the CTCs, making them unsuitable for downstream microarray analysis or in vitro and in vivo biological studies.
CTC biology is still poorly defined because most studies assess only CTC burden. The characterization of CTCs is a nascent field; isolation of CTCs specifically for multigene molecular analyses, in contradistinction to counting, is challenging for multiple biological and technical reasons. The cells are fragile, likely a result of mechanical stresses on CTCs in the blood stream and chemical effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Moreover, CTCs are extremely rare. For example, 81% of metastatic breast cancer patients will have less than ten CTCs in a 7.5 cc tube of blood containing about 1010 blood cells. Technical factors that impede CTC gene expression analysis in currently available platforms include cell fixation and permeabilization, immobilization, and, most importantly, blood cell contamination. CTC fixation and permeabilization performed prior to fluorescent labeling of CTCs can structurally modify RNA and impact cell viability. CTC immobilization on substrates such as glass slides, filters, or microposts limit single cell manipulation. Finally, even after enrichment, CTCs may be contaminated by thousands of leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs) that confound expression analysis, requiring bioinformatic techniques to subtract non-CTC gene expression. Thus, direct simultaneous analysis of many gene targets in single human CTCs has yet to be performed.
Certain commercial technologies use immunomagnetic enrichment. Commercial products include the CellTracks® AutoPrep® System and CellSearch™ Circulating Tumor Cell Kit (Immunicon Corporation, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.), MACS® separation technology (Miltenyi Corporation, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), and the RoboSep® automated cell separator (StemCell Technologies, Vancouver, Canada). With these techniques, the epithelial cells in the blood are labeled with magnetic particles attached to an antibody targeted to an epithelial cell surface marker, usually EpCAM. The blood is processed and external magnets hold the epithelial cells at the side of the tube, while the other blood cells are diluted and pipetted out or eluted through a column. The remaining epithelial cells are then available for immunocytochemical analysis, again amidst 1000-10,000 WBCs. Because of heavy mononuclear cell contamination (whose nucleic acids or proteins would overwhelm any subsequent molecular analyses of the CTCs), most analyses stain and count cells, or limit characterization to one to two immunostains.
Specific Patents and Publications
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,518 to Giaever, issued Jul. 20, 1976, entitled "Magnetic separation of biological particles," discloses a method and apparatus in which the particular cell population that is to be separated from a mixed population is contacted with small magnetic particles or spheres which are first provided with a monomolecular coating of antibody to this select population. As the metallic particles enter the field created by a coil at the bottom of the vessel, they are captured and immobilized while liquid is unaffected and leaves vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,125,964 to Luxembourg, et al., issued Oct. 24, 2006, entitled "Purification of antigen-specific T cells," discloses a method to capture, purify and expand antigen-specific T lymphocytes, using magnetic beads coated with recombinant MHC class I molecules. The inventors used attachment of biotinylated MHC Class I molecules on Aaidin-coated magnetic beads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,084 to Liberti, et al. Apr. 6, 1993, entitled "Apparatus and methods for magnetic separation," discloses a magnetic separation apparatus and methods for separating colloidal magnetic particles from a non-magnetic test medium in which the magnetic particles are suspended. The separator comprises a container holding the non-magnetic test medium, one or more magnetic wires disposed substantially within the test medium in the container and an external magnet (illustrated at 31 of FIG. 1 of the patent) for producing a magnetic field gradient within the test medium. According to the method of the invention, the container holding the test medium is positioned in the separator, producing a magnetic field gradient operative to cause the magnetic particles to be attracted to the areas surrounding the magnetized wires and to adhere to the wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,144 to Bienhaus, et al., issued Nov. 17, 1998, entitled "Method of magnetically separating liquid components," discloses Method of separating a component of a liquid from other components by immobilizing the component to suspended magnetic particles in a vessel, immersing a magnetic device into the vessel while the device is separated from the liquid by means of a protective sleeve made of a non-magnetic material. The protective sleeve is selected such that its outer surface is always spaced apart from the inner surface of the vessel by approximately the same distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,810 to Korpela, issued Oct. 22, 2002, entitled "Magnetic particle transfer device and method," discloses a pipette like device for transfer suitable for capturing and releasing microparticles binding an immobilized substance, which includes a magnet as well as either an extendable membrane, shapable membrane or magnet's coating such that the membrane or coating pressing tightly against the magnet's surface separates the magnet from the microparticles but does not substantially weaken the magnetic field directed at the microparticles (See FIGS. 1D and 1E of the patent).
US 20070251885 by Korpela et al., published Nov. 1, 2007, entitled "Method and a Device for Treating Microparticles," disclose a method for handling microparticles in such a manner, that at least two treatment steps are performed for microparticles in the same vessel without moving the particles to another vessel. This can be brought about by moving the magnet inside the ferromagnetic tube in such a manner, that it can be completely inside the tube, whereupon the efficiency of the magnet is insignificant or nonexistent, or it can be partially or completely outside the tube, whereupon the efficiency and the collecting area of the magnet are in relation to the protruding part of the magnet.

Apparatus for magnetic separation of cells

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University