The present invention is a method and apparatus by which power is controlled in a hybrid electric vehicle such that high levels of performance and efficiency are realized. The present invention includes a method and apparatus developed to optimize the use of energy in a hybrid vehicle application from the hybrid energy storage device. The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful with energy storage devices there the energy state, such as the state of charge, is readily determined by an easily measured attribute. Ultracapacitors and hydraulic storage cylinders are examples of the types of energy storage devices to which the present invention may be applied.

The present invention relates to an environmental friendly vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to hybrid vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
Hybrid electric vehicles include an internal combustion engine and at least one electric motor powered by a battery array. The HEV of the present invention uses an engine in combination with an electric motor. An energy storage device is also used to store energy for driving the electric motor. The engine, preferably in conjunction with a generator (for series drive embodiment or without for a parallel embodiment), and the energy storage device work in combination to provide energy for powering the vehicle motor. A series HEV typically uses an engine with a generator (APU/PPU) to supply electricity to the motor and the energy storage system. A parallel HEV has a direct mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels. The use of electric power substantially cuts down on chemical emissions and vastly improves fuel economy.
In a parallel type hybrid electric vehicle, both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are coupled to the drive train via mechanical means. The electric motor may be used to propel the vehicle at low speeds and to assist the internal combustion engine at higher speeds. The electric motor may also be driven, in part, by the internal combustion engine and be operated as a generator to recharge the battery array.
In a series type hybrid electric vehicle, the internal combustion engine is used only to run a generator that charges the battery array. There is no mechanical connection of the internal combustion engine to the vehicle drive train. The electric traction drive motor is powered by the battery array and is mechanically connected to the vehicle drive train.
Although HEVs have been previously known, the HEV technology of the present invention provides significant advantages of providing a viable HEV technology that allows for a high performance HEV with a unique management of the charge and energy distribution system.
Other features of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and upon reference to the drawings.
In general terms, the present invention includes an energy storage system, the energy storage system adapted to accept energy so as to be capable of discharging and accepting energy through a series of discharge and energy acceptance events, and having a maximum energy state level and an actual minimum energy state level; and wherein the power unit and the energy storage system provide electricity to the electric motor for powering the vehicle; and an energy storage controller programmed to control the energy storage system by setting an artificial minimum energy state level to an initial level above the actual minimum energy state level, and, during a series of discharge and energy acceptance events, to be able to adjust the artificial minimum energy state level such that:
(a) in the case where a discharge and energy acceptance event results in the acceptance of insufficient energy to replenish the energy storage system to the maximum energy state level, the artificial minimum energy state level is raised; and
(b) in the case where a discharge and energy acceptance event results in the acceptance of sufficient energy to replenish the energy storage system to the maximum energy state level, the artificial minimum energy state level is lowered.
The energy storage controller preferably is further programmed to control the energy storage system by restricting the raising of the artificial minimum energy state level beyond a predetermined level below the maximum energy state level. It is also preferred that the energy storage controller is further programmed to control the energy storage system by restricting the lowering of the artificial minimum energy state level beyond a predetermined level above the actual minimum energy state level.
The energy storage system may comprise energy storage systems of any type capable of energy discharge acceptance events such as those selected from the group of: (1) at least one ultracapacitor and (2) at least one hydraulic cylinder. The energy storage system may also comprise an internal combustion engine and a generator adapted to provide energy to the energy storage system, such as electric energy.
The present invention also includes a method of controlling an energy storage system, the method comprising: providing an energy storage system electrically coupled to a power conversion device, the energy storage system adapted to recapture energy from the power conversion device so as to be capable of discharging and recapturing energy through a series of discharge and energy acceptance events, and having a maximum energy state level and an actual minimum energy state level; and the energy storage system providing energy to the power conversion device, and the power conversion device adapted to supply energy to the energy storage system; and an energy storage controller programmed to control the energy storage system by setting an artificial minimum energy state level to an initial level above the actual minimum energy state level, and, during a series of discharge and energy acceptance events, to be able to adjust the artificial minimum energy state level such that:
(a) in cases where a discharge and energy acceptance event results in the acceptance of insufficient energy to recharge the energy storage system to the maximum energy state level, raising the artificial minimum energy state level; and
(b) in cases where a discharge and energy acceptance event results in the acceptance of sufficient energy to recharge the energy storage system to the maximum energy state level, lowering the artificial minimum energy state level.
The present invention also includes a method and apparatus by which power is controlled in a hybrid electric vehicle such that high levels of performance and efficiency are realized. The invention relates specifically to the alternate energy source and optimization of its use.
The present invention includes a method and apparatus developed to optimize the use of energy in a hybrid vehicle application from the hybrid energy storage device.
The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful with energy storage devices where the state of charge is readily determined by an easily measured attribute. Ultracapacitors and hydraulic storage cylinders are examples of the types of energy storage devices to which the present invention may be applied.
The state of charge, or energy level, is proportional to the voltage of the ultracapacitor or the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder. The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly well-suited to hybrid vehicle applications where the hybrid power is primarily utilized during acceleration and deceleration.
The present invention is particularly well-suited to hybrid electric vehicle applications where the hybrid power is primarily used during acceleration and deceleration. The method includes three fundamental features which may be illustrated with respect to a parallel hybrid electric vehicle using storage of the type described above: (1) energy is expended from the hybrid energy storage device at a predetermined rate until a minimum energy level target is reached, whereupon the energy storage device is later replenished with energy from the vehicle. There is an equilibrium of energy expended to that replenished that will result; (2) the minimum energy target is continuously adjusted such that that equilibrium can be maintained at a higher power state of the storage device; and (3) replenishing the energy storage device with both the kinetic energy from the vehicle while decelerating, and with energy drawn from the primary power source of the vehicle during opportune events (i.e., typically when the vehicle is cruising or coasting, such as when moving downhill or otherwise not in need of accelerating power).
In one aspect of the invention, during vehicle acceleration, when hybrid energy is desired, energy is expended from the hybrid energy storage device at a pre-determined rate until a target minimum energy level is reached. Subsequently, during deceleration the recapture of energy from the kinetic energy of the vehicle to replenish the storage device is maximized. The more energy recovered in the energy storage device prior to a given acceleration event, the more energy that can be expended in that acceleration event.
In contrast to earlier methods, the method of the present invention features a system that is self-adjusting and will seek equilibrium with the energy balance of what is expended and replenished. The method of the present invention does not utilize fixed relationships between the hybrid storage level and vehicle state such as, for example, energy level and vehicle speed. Accordingly, changes to the energy and power requirements of the vehicle due to variations in terrain, drive cycle, vehicle weight, tire pressure, and the like will not adversely affect its performance. The hybrid drive following the minimum target level strategy will naturally adjust its contribution to maintain consistent vehicle performance and operator/passenger feel.
The rate at which energy is expended from the energy storage device may be any rate, so long as it is consistent.
The present invention also includes the adjustment of the minimum energy target level continuously so the energy storage device and corresponding power conversion system maintain a higher power state at equilibrium. For the energy storage devices described herein, the power is a product of the potential and flow. Accordingly, for a given flow, a higher potential will provide higher power.
There are two advantages to maintaining a higher potential. First, available hybrid power will be more consistent with peak power despite drive cycles with low vehicle kinetic energy. Second, for powers less than peak power of the system, a higher potential means less flow required. For energy storage devices such as Ultracapacitors and hydraulic cylinders, and the corresponding power conversion systems, lower flow means less energy loss as heat and thus higher efficiency. In addition, lower heat loss means that cooling systems do not work as hard.
In operation, each time the hybrid vehicle comes to rest at zero speed, and accounting for settling time of the storage device, the energy level of the storage device can be evaluated to see if the level has reached maximum capacity. If not, the minimum energy target level can then be raised. If so, the minimum target level can be lowered. This process repeats until equilibrium is reached. Anticipating disruptions to equilibrium will maximize the effectiveness of the strategy.
In another aspect of the invention, the higher energy level of the storage device prior to acceleration, the more that can be expended by way of hybrid assist. Striving for maximum hybrid contribution, two approaches as presented for increasing the amount of energy available prior to an acceleration event, beyond what is recovered during vehicle deceleration with regenerative braking.
One approach is to "siphon" power from the primary power source while it is operating at high efficiency or while it could be made to operate more efficiently. That is, to charge the energy storage system from the primary power source at a nominal rate that is just enough so as not to drastically alter its operation. Examples of operating points ideally suited for siphoning include when the vehicle is cruising at a steady state where fuel economy is relatively high and when the vehicle is stopped with the engine at idle doing little work with fixed operating overhead.
A small siphon charge over a period of time can significantly increase the energy level of the storage device. As a means to preserve storage capacity for the vehicle deceleration with regenerative braking, a target energy level is set below which siphoning is permitted. The target energy level is established in some relation to the kinetic energy of the vehicle.
The other approach is to simulate the drag normally associated with internal combustion engines at closed throttle through the use of regenerative braking. By applying a moderate level of regenerative braking when the operator lifts from the accelerator pedal, the vehicle will decelerate slightly and the energy storage device will be charged at a low rate.
The present invention allows for consistency in the power output during acceleration which is proportionate to apparent power demand.
The method and apparatus of the present invention feature the function of certain algorithms for system control. These algorithms use real-time inputs from the vehicle systems and provide real-time outputs for control of vehicle systems. The principal function of the present invention is to supplement the primary power source in a manner that is relatively transparent to the operator while preserving standard, consistent vehicle performance. This allows for consistent feel to the operator and the passengers as the vehicle accelerates and decelerates.
The present invention features a control algorithm that maintains the state of charge of the energy storage device (such as one or more ultracapacitors) within a pre-determined range as the vehicle proceeds through a number of energy expending and recapture events which may involve net energy loss or net energy gain.
The present invention is an improvement over the technology described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,484,830 and 6,651,759, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and which may be used with hybrid electric vehicles and drive systems as described therein as an example.
In general terms, the present invention includes a hybrid electric vehicle comprising a drive train; an electric motor for driving the drive train; a power unit electrically coupled to the electric motor; an electric energy storage system electrically coupled to the electric motor, the electric energy storage system adapted to recapture energy from the braking of the vehicle so as to be capable of discharging and recapturing energy through a series of discharge and energy recapture events, and having a maximum charge level and an actual minimum charge level; and wherein the power unit and the electric energy storage system provide electricity to the electric motor for powering the vehicle; and an electric energy storage controller programmed to control the electric energy storage system by setting an artificial minimum charge level to an initial level above the actual minimum charge level, and, during a series of discharge and energy recapture events, to be able to adjust the artificial minimum charge level such that: (a) in the case where a discharge and energy recapture event results in the recapture of insufficient energy to recharge the electric energy storage system to the maximum charge level (e.g., the energy discharged in an acceleration and the energy recaptured from braking after that acceleration), the artificial minimum charge level is raised; and (b) in the case where a discharge and energy recapture event results in the recapture of sufficient energy to recharge the electric energy storage system to the maximum charge level, the artificial minimum charge level is lowered.
It is preferred that the electric energy storage controller is further programmed to control the electric energy storage system by restricting the raising of the artificial minimum charge level beyond a predetermined level below the maximum charge level.
It is preferred that the electric energy storage controller is further programmed to control the electric energy storage system by restricting the lowering of the artificial minimum charge level beyond a predetermined level above the actual minimum charge level.
The present invention may be applied to any energy storage system, although, in the case of a hybrid electric vehicle, it is preferred that the energy storage system is a bank of Ultracapacitors, and that this system be used in association with an internal combustion engine and a generator adapted to charge the energy storage system with electrical energy.
Another aspect of the present invention is a hybrid electric vehicle comprising a drive train; an electric motor for driving the drive train; a power unit electrically coupled to the electric motor; an electric energy storage system electrically coupled to the electric motor, the electric energy storage system adapted to recapture energy from the braking of the vehicle so as to be capable of discharging and recapturing energy through a series of discharge and energy recapture events, and having a maximum charge level and an actual minimum charge level having a working range therebetween and which working is defined at its lower end by an artificial minimum charge level; and wherein the power unit and the electric energy storage system provide electricity to the electric motor for powering the vehicle; and an electric energy storage controller programmed to control the electric energy storage system by setting an artificial minimum charge level to an initial level above the minimum charge level, and, during a series of discharge and energy recapture events, to be able to adjust the artificial minimum charge level such that the working range of the electric energy storage system is biased toward the maximum charge level over the series of discharge and energy recapture events.
The present invention also includes a method of controlling an energy storage system, the method comprising: providing an electric energy storage system electrically coupled to the electric motor, the electric energy storage system adapted to recapture energy from the braking of the vehicle so as to be capable of discharging and recapturing energy through a series of discharge and energy recapture events, and having a maximum charge level and an actual minimum charge level; and wherein the power unit and the electric energy storage system provide electricity to the electric motor for powering the vehicle; and an electric energy storage controller programmed to control the electric energy storage system by setting an artificial minimum charge level to an initial level above the actual minimum charge level, and, during a series of discharge and energy recapture events, to be able to adjust the artificial minimum charge level such that: (a) in the case where a discharge and energy recapture event results in the recapture of insufficient energy to recharge the electric energy storage system to the maximum charge level, raising the artificial minimum charge level; and (b) in the case where a discharge and energy recapture event results in the recapture of sufficient energy to recharge the electric energy storage system to the maximum charge level, lowering the artificial minimum charge level.
The method of the present invention thus maintains the charge level of the energy storage device, such as an ultracapacitor, at a level in the higher end of the charge range over time.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many modifications and changes within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

Parallel hybrid vehicle optimal storage system


A method and article for damping acoustic energy caused vibrations comprises forming a damping surface comprising an alloy containing from about 13.5 to about 24.5 atom percent tin with the balance being essentially titanium or a titanium-chromium alloy containing from about 52 to about 56 atom percent chromium, about 8 to about 12 atom percent aluminum, and the balance essentially titanium.

Mechanical damping of acoustical energy is of interest and can be used in many practical applications such as minimizing noise that is distracting or harmful, minimizing vibrations that are damaging to sensitive equipment, and for reducing unwanted acoustic reflections and emissions.
Increased speed of modern machinery and moving parts thereof causes an increase in undesirable vibrations and increases the danger of failure. Another problem particularly associated with modern equipment is the danger of harmful noise the intensity of which is increasing with the growing number of high speed industrial machinery.
The damping or attenuation of acoustical energy is important at both low frequencies from about 0.01 to about 10 Hz and at higher frequencies in the range of 5 to about 20 mHz. Damping or attenuation is the ability of solids to dissipate the energy of mechanical vibrations in materials of construction. Damping capacity is an important property which must be considered in connection with other physical and mechanical properties and characteristics of the materials.
A number of metal alloys have long been known for their ability to attenuate to acoustical energy. These include a variety of molybdenum alloys, copper-zinc alloys, and certain manganese-copper alloys.


An extendable lighting system having a main housing with a bottom wall and upwardly extending side walls. A lamp housing is retractable positioned within the main housing and a flexible diaphragm connects to the main housing above the bottom wall and connects to the lamp housing to create a substantially enclosed space between the diaphragm and the bottom wall. An air passage communicates with the enclosed space.

Retractable lighting systems, particularly landscape lights, are known in the art as can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,628,558 to Iacono and 5,683,176 to Clendenin. These two patents disclose pneumatically operated devices which have an inner housing sliding within an outer housing. In pneumatically operated devices, O-rings are typically used to minimize airflow between the inner and outer housings. O-ring seals have the disadvantage of adding frictional resistance to the sliding action between the two housings. Additionally, O-ring seals must be kept fee of dirt and grit or they tend to fail prematurely. Of course, landscape lights being buried in the ground are subject to extremely dirty and gritty conditions, especially when combined with periodic rain. Moreover, since landscape lights may be installed in low areas, it is quite possible that they will at times be submerged during heavy rainfalls. Given these circumstances, there exists a need for improvements to the various prior art retractable lighting systems.


Surface-treated metallic workpieces such as zinc-plated steel plates are welded with high quality while they are being held in intimate contact with each other. An auxiliary gas including an oxygen gas is ejected from a space (7) around an electrode (1) through a nozzle (8) to a welding point (9) on overlapping surface-treated metallic workpieces such as zinc-plated steel plates (3a, 3b). When the zinc-plated steel plates (3a, 3b) are welded in the atmosphere of the auxiliary gas, the surface layers of zinc and oxygen react with each other, producing a solid oxide such as zinc oxide or zinc peroxide. Therefore, a gas such as a zinc vapor is prevented from being produced between the overlapping zinc-plated steel plates (3a, 3b). The welded joint is of high quality without blowholes which would otherwise blow away molten steel.

Welding technology for welding overlapping steel plates is finding wide use primarily in the automobile industry. Steel plates used in the automobile are plated with zinc layers for corrosion resistance. Welding apparatuses for welding such zinc-plated steel plates include gas-shielded arc welding and plasma welding apparatuses.
In such a gas-shielded arc welding and plasma welding apparatus, an inert gas is ejected from around an electrode toward a molten pool on a base material, so that the base material is welded in a given gas atmosphere, or an arc column is constricted to obtain a high temperature.
When overlapping zinc-plated steel plates are welded, plated-zinc surface layers sandwiched between the steel plates are evaporated into a zinc gas because the plated zinc layers have a lower melting temperature than the steel plates. The zinc gas is highly pressurized as there is no space it can escape into. When the steel plates are then heated, they are melted, and the zinc gas under high pressure is released into the atmosphere, forcing aside the molten steel. Therefore, the welded joint contains blowholes as marks indicative of the release of the zinc gas, resulting in a reduction in the welding quality.
To avoid the above drawback, it has been customary in the welding of overlapping zinc-plated steel plates to space the zinc-plated steel plates from each other with a clearance therebetween, and a zinc vapor generated from plated-zinc surface layers sandwiched between the steel plates is allowed to escape through the clearance. It is necessary for such a clearance to be as small as possible from the standpoint of a good welding process. The clearance is created by placing a sheet between the steel plates or applying a coating material to the steel plates.
Controlling the clearance between the steel plates in an actual production site has required an extra procedure. Therefore, there has been a demand for a method of welding zinc-plated steel plates while they are being held in intimate contact with each other without any clearance therebetween.

Apparatus for and method of welding surface-treated metallic workpieces


The invention relates to gerotor mechanisms for screw downhole motors used for drilling oil and gas wells, to screw pumps for producing oil and pumping fluids and to general purpose screw motors. The profiles of a rotor (3) and stator (1) are outlined in the end cross section thereof in the form of the envelop of the initial contour of a rack-type tool, which is formed by conjugation of circle arcs when said initial contour of the rack-type tool is run without sliding along corresponding tool circles. The arc radii of the circle arcs of the initial contour are calculated according to determined relations. Said invention makes it possible to improve energy characteristics, increase a life service and producibility, to reduce hydromechanical losses and costs.

Known is a multi-lead screw gerotor mechanism for a screw downhole motor, comprising: a stator having inner helical teeth made of a resilient-elastic material, e.g. of rubber; and a rotor having outer helical teeth, number of which outer teeth by one tooth is less than that of the stator teeth; the rotor axis being shifted with respect to the stator axis by the eccentricity value being half of the teeth's radial height; profiles of the rotor s outer teeth and stator's inner teeth are mutually-enveloping when viewed in the end-face section; and leads of the rotor and stator teeth being proportional to a number of their teeth (see patent RU 2165531, IPC P01C 1/16, 5/04, E21B4/02, 2000).
In the prior-art designs, profiles of the stator and rotor teeth, when viewed in the end-face section, are implemented as the envelopes of the common initial contour of the cycloidal rack defined by the curtailed cycloid equidistance. In this end-face section, thickness Ct of the stator tooth across the mean diameter Dm of the teeth and circular pitch St of these teeth are interrelated according to the following ratio: Ct/St=0.45 0.65; and thickness CN of the stator tooth across the mean diameter Dm, when viewed in the section perpendicular to the stator tooth's screw line direction, and the stator's tooth radial height h are interrelated according to the following ratio: CN/h≧1.75.
A drawback of this known gerotor mechanism consists in that the total diametric interference in the mechanism is distributed among the stator teeth in the manner that the stator tooth projection is deformed significantly more than its space, so that the rotor axis may shift toward the eccentricity decrease and, consequently, the designed kinematics of the gerotor mechanism may be departed from, wear of apices of the rotor and stator teeth may become more intense, the interference in the pitch point zone may weaken, and service life of a gerotor mechanism may become briefer.
Said drawback is partially mitigated in the gerotor mechanism, comprising: a stator having inner helical teeth made of a resilient-elastic material, e.g. of rubber; and a rotor having outer helical teeth, number of which outer teeth by one tooth is less than that of the stator teeth; the rotor axis being shifted with respect to the stator axis by the eccentricity value being half of the teeth's radial height; leads of the rotor s and stator's helical teeth are proportional to numbers of their teeth [patent RU 216603, IPC E21B 4/02, 2000].
The stator teeth's profile, when viewed in the end-face section, is implemented as the envelope of the initial contour of the cycloidal rack defined by the equidistance having radius RC1 of the curtailed cycloid; and the rotor teeth profile, when viewed in the end-face section, is implemented as the envelope of the outer initial contour of the cycloidal rack having radius RC2 of equidistance, which radius is greater than RC1 or obeys the following ratio: RC2=RC1+(0.1 . . . 0.5) E, where E is the generating circle radius being equal to the eccentricity value [see said patent No. 2166603].
Another version of said know design of a gerotor mechanism is such that the stator teeth's profile, when viewed in the end-face section, is implemented as the envelope of the initial contour of the cycloidal rack defined by the equidistance having radius RC1 of the curtailed cycloid; and the rotor teeth's profile, when viewed in the end-face section, is defined by the conjugated circular arcs; the rotor tooth's projection being defined by arc of radius RB, which radius is greater than radius RC1 of the stator equidistance, or interrelates with said radius according to the following ratio: RC2=RC1+(0.1 . . . 0.5) E, and the rotor tooth's space profile is defined by the arc having radius RV, which radius depends on a number of rotor's teeth, inner diameter and eccentricity of said rotor (see said patent No. 2166603].
A drawback of the above-recited design is as follows: as the lateral and diametric interferences, evenly distributed, take place, high contact stresses arise and reach their maximum at minimal angles of pressure, which results in one-sided frictional wear of the teeth (at the left side of the rotor teeth, when viewed from the working fluid delivery side), and the friction forces, that develop in meshing, bring about the moments of resistance that prevent the rotor from rotating about its axis and from its planetary motion, which circumstances impair the energy characteristics of a given mechanism.
The device most pertinent to the claimed invention is a multi-lead gerotor mechanism of a screw hydraulic motor, comprising the following constituents: a stator having inner helical teeth made of a resilient-elastic material, for example of rubber; and a rotor having outer helical teeth whose number is one tooth less than that of the stator's teeth; the rotor axis having been shifted with respect to the stator axis by the eccentricity value being equal to half of the teeth's radial height, the end-face profile of teeth of one of the constituents is implemented as the envelope of the initial contour of the rack defined by the curtailed cycloid equidistance with a shift; and the end-face profile of teeth of the other constituent is implemented as the equidistance of envelope of the first constituent when their centroids are revolved around without slippage, and the equidistance value being half of the value of the diametric interference in meshing (patent RU 2194880, IPC F04C 2/16, F04C 5/00, 20 Dec. 2002].
A drawback of said design consists in that it does not take into account the conditions of sliding of the rotor's helical teeth on those of the stator, i.e. in the zone farthermost from the immediate centre of rotation (from the pitch point), where the sliding speeds are the greatest; and due to the evenly distributed interference there takes place a more severe wear of the resilient-elastic teeth of the stator and that of the rotor teeth's wear-resistance cladding. Another drawback consists in that the operation conditions of the gerotor mechanism are not taken into account (temperature, nature of the loads occurring in drilling of rocks of various hardness and composition); for example for the hot wells having a work temperature over 100° C., use of the gerotor mechanisms having a clearance in the rotor-stator meshing is required. The use, in such wells, of gerotor mechanisms having the in-meshing interference may result in a more severe wear, a sharp fall of efficiency and seizure of a mechanism. Another drawback of the known device is lack of possibility of varying the interference and of correlation adjustment of shapes of the rotor and stator teeth without changing the rotor and/or stator outer diameters, which does not allow to provide a reliable tightness along the contact lines in the gerotor mechanism, with zero interference in meshing.

Gerotor mechanism for a screw hydraulic machine

Obschestvi S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu “Firma Radius-Servis”


A connector assembly is secured to a panel member for electrically coupling with a second connector assembly secured to a second panel member. Each of the connector assemblies includes a contact having a first portion and a second portion disposed at a predetermined spacing from each other. The predetermined spacing of each contact is configured and disposed to receive the second portion of the other contact. The second portions and corresponding first and second portions of the connector assembly and second connector assembly are pivotably connectable.

Connector assemblies are required to provide electrical power or electrical or electronic control signals between components, such as computers, printers, auxiliary hardware, etc. Often, these components contain panel members, such as printed circuit boards, which are populated with miniaturized components to provide the desired electrical control. Typically, the connector assembly includes electrical contacts that extend from a housing that is secured adjacent to one end of the panel member. A mating connector assembly is configured for receiving the connector assembly. The operational reliability of the component is directly affected by the integrity of the connection. That is, if there is an insufficient electrical connection between the contacts, the components cannot operate as intended.
In addition, the electrical connector assemblies between adjacent panel members are configured to permit coupling by directing the electrical connector assemblies toward each other in only one direction.
What is needed is an electrical connector assembly that is secured to a panel member, which connector assembly being configured to couple with a second connector assembly that is secured to a second panel member, the connector assemblies capable of being brought into electrical contact with each other from a plurality of different directions.

Connector assembly for end mounting panel members


The invention relates to arrangements comprising combinations of: a mincer providing a stream of minced meat (V); conveying means with an endless band (T) for transporting the stream (V), exiting from said mincer; and, arranged along said conveyor means (T): means for cutting the stream (V) into portions (P) and means for lateral shaping (/), acting simultaneously on both sides of the stream (V) to shape the contour of the portions (P).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for shaping portions of minced meat which can have various shapes, concerning for example reconstituted steaks, standard hamburger steaks, meatballs etc.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, industrially made products of this type are essentially minced meat steaks. During manufacture, the meat issuing from the mincing machine is stored in a hopper, and taken from the bottom of the latter to be introduced under pressure into a chamber with a shaping tray as a base. Since the pressure required for shaping has to be high, the forces acting on the meat in a haphazard manner are very detrimental to the internal structure of the latter. The result is steaks with compact texture, more or less granular, and dry because they have released a lot of exudates.
These products are therefore mediocre in quality, compared to minced steaks prepared in the quality, compared to minced steaks prepared in the traditional way, where the meat exiting from the grid of the mincing machine in threads called "angel hairs" has only been slightly compacted without damaging this thread structure, so well that it retains a relatively light and soft texture together with a maximum of flavor.

Devices for shaping portions of minced meat such as steaks, meatballs etc.


Methods and devices are for providing the delivery of radioactive therapeutics to a cervix using a split ring applicator. The split ring applicator includes a central tandem and a plurality of adjustable split ring tubes that are adjustable laterally in relation to a cervical axis. A radiation dosage is deliverable to a cervical wall by at least one of the plurality of adjustable split ring tubes.

Brachytherapy is a form of cancer treatment in which radiation sources are placed inside a patient's body, e.g., to irradiate a tumor. In brachytherapy, a physician typically implants several radioactive seeds in or around a tumor, thereby providing a higher radiation dose to the tumor than would be possible with external beam radiation therapy. Careful placement of the radioactive seeds is critical to allow for localized and precise irradiation of the tumor.
Cervix applicators using radiation in the treatment of cervical cancer have been in existence since the discovery of Radium in the early 19th century. Historically, Radium sources (sealed sources) were placed in ovoids attached to tubes and thereafter inserted "manually" into vaginal or intrauterine cavities for the treatment of cancer. The insertion of the applicator was associated with significant radiation exposure to the physicians handling the apparatus.
Henschke et al. at Memorial Hospital in New York is believed to have introduced the "Afterloading Technique" in 1960, in which applicators are inserted first and the radioactive materials thereafter. Other isotopes, such as cesium-137 and iridium-192 sources have slowly replaced Radium. Cervix applicators have been developed in many different versions, and one widely accepted today is the Fletcher-Suit-Delclos (FSD) applicator. This applicator consists of two lateral ovoids and one central tandem. The ovoids can be spread laterally and fixed in place. The tandem is floating, and packing is required. Applicators in use today are considered "manual afterloading applicators".
In the early 1980s, High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Remote Afterloading is believed to have been introduced in the United States. These units provided greater protection from radiation exposure to staff and personnel. Applicators were inserted "cold" in specially shielded rooms, and the radioactive sources were inserted "remotely" from control consoles located outside the treatment room. The HDR break-through featured sealed sources much smaller in size than radium or cesium sources and opened new treatment possibilities and with it new opportunities in applicator designs.

Split-ring brachytherapy device and method for cervical brachytherapy treatment using a split-ring brachytherapy device


Within a system-on-chip device 2 having multiple processing circuits 4, 6, 8, one processing circuit 4 may serve to perform diagnostic operations upon another processing circuit 8 by accessing diagnostic data relating to that other circuit. Thus, one processor may, for example, control and perform halting mode type diagnostic or code profiling upon another.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to diagnostic mechanisms useful in performing diagnostic operations upon multi-processing systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide integrated circuits including more than one processor for performing data processing operations all combined within a single integrated circuit. Combining processors in this way reduces cost, reduces power consumption and increases speed. Such highly integrated designs are sometimes referred to as system-on-chip integrated circuits. The processors can take a wide variety of different forms such as general purpose processors, DSP elements, data engines and the like.
When such complex, highly integrated systems are produced there is a strong need for efficient diagnostic mechanism such that bugs within their design and operation can be quickly and effectively identified and such that analysis (profiling) of the software can be carried out. The provision of multiple processing circuits within a single integrated circuit makes such diagnostic operations more difficult due to the increase in complexity whilst maintaining the low package pin count which it is normally desired to dedicate to diagnostic operations.
One known approach to the diagnosis of such systems is to employ serial scan chains to scan diagnostic data into and out of the integrated circuit and through the various processors and processing elements within the integrated circuit. With complex multi-processor systems such scan chains will accordingly become long and this, coupled with the relatively slow speeds at which it is possible to serially scan using such external debugging mechanisms, results in difficulty in rapidly and efficiently performing diagnostic operations upon such integrated circuits. These problems are generally increasing as the complexity and number of processors and processing circuits within integrated circuits steadily increases and the normal operation speeds of those integrated circuits increase whilst the diagnostic capabilities and diagnostic speeds of serial scan chains remain relatively limited. The overhead of a required protocol translator is also a disadvantage.
It is also possible within a multiprocessor system running a distributed operating system that one processor executing a debug thread may send the operating system a request to have another processor provide some diagnostic data regarding its own operation. This requires disadvantageous operating system support and is also intrusive upon normal operation.

Diagnostic mechanisms within multi processing systems


A fresh air heating system includes air intake and discharge chambers, a direct-fired gas burner mounted in a burner chamber in fluid communication with intake and discharge chambers therebetween, and a bypass opening between the air intake and discharge chambers that is selectively closed by a hatch cover having a panel and a peripheral wall extending from the panel. The hatch cover is movable between a first position wherein the hatch cover closes the bypass opening and the panel is positioned substantially horizontal and a second position wherein the hatch cover is lifted away from the bypass opening so as to minimize variations of air pressure differential across the bypass opening; the hatch cover being configured to lift away from the bypass opening when there is a positive variation of pressure between the air intake and discharge chambers, wherein the peripheral wall allows minimizing aerodynamic lift and the inherent reduction of static pressure under the panel when the hatch cover is lifted away from the bypass opening.

The present disclosure relates to direct gas-fired heated ventilation systems for industrial and commercial buildings, and particularly to systems which use variable amounts of fresh air.
More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a constant pressure self adjusting burner bypass for such direct gas-fired heated ventilation systems.
Direct gas-fired heated ventilating systems provide heated make-up air to buildings by drawing fresh air into them then exhausting it into a building. Such make-up air is necessitated by the loss of heated inside air through various exhaust fans and chimney flues. The quantity of heated replacement air is usually substantially equal to the exhausted heated air. To prevent infiltration of cold outside air, it is also common practice to provide slightly more make-up air than is lost so that a slight positive pressure is maintained inside the building. The operation of the heated ventilation system is controlled to maintain a selected inside air temperature and a desired building inside/outside air pressure differential. This type of heated ventilation system is commonly called a make-up air unit. Generally, it is not permitted to use a direct gas-fired heated ventilating systems to heat a building because the combustion gases are introduced into the building. It can only be used to heat replacement air.
There are two basic types of direct gas-fired make-up air units (DGF make-up air unit). A first basic type includes a fresh air intake which communicates with a chamber containing a direct gas-fired burner. The burner heats the air as it is drawn or blown over the flame by a blower fan. The heated fresh air and the combustion gases are exhausted into the building. In some of such systems, the amount of air being exhaust out of the building may vary requiring that the make-up air also vary. In some systems, the rotational speed of the blower fan is controlled to vary the amount of heated make-up air generated, and in other systems the blower fan is turned on and off as needed.
An inherent characteristic of known DGF make-up air units is that the airflow velocity at the burner must remain constant to maintain optimum combustion chemistry. To allow variable quantities of heated air to be introduced into the building, the quantity of air heated by the burner is made constant and a variable quantity of replacement air is then shunted passed the burner unheated and then mixed with the fixed quantity of heated air such that the resulting mixture will be at the desired temperature. Example systems of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,150, issued on Jul. 6, 1971 to Weatherston and titled "Gas Furnace" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,352 issued on Apr. 20, 1982 to Dirkes and titled "Internal Recirculation Device".
The second basic type of system recirculates inside air and mixes it with the heated fresh air before delivering it to the inside space. These systems include a recirculating air intake which draws air from inside the building and mixes it with the heated fresh air. With this system type, the airflow through the replacement air blower fan remains constant. Dampers control the relative amounts of each air stream. Examples of this type of direct gas-fired air make-up units are disclosed in the following references:    U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,977, issued on Dec. 24, 1968 to Nelson and titled "Air Control System for Heating Unit";    U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,679, issued on Feb. 7, 1984 to Dirkes and titled "Modular Air Heater";    U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,912, issued on Mar. 4, 1986 to Albritton et al. and titled "Space Heater";    U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,475, issued on Jun. 23, 1987 to Powis and titled "Gas Fired Furnace"; and    U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,074, issued on Apr. 17, 1990 to Brekke and titled "Direct gas-Fired Heating and Ventilation Method and Apparatus".
As mentioned above, the air stream over the direct gas-fired burner is maintained at a constant velocity for optimum combustion. This implies that the pressure drop across the burner be maintained at a substantially constant level. In the above-cited patents this is achieved by controlling dampers that supply air to the burner or dampers that shunt air around the burner. In all cases, the dampers are either controlled by complex interlocking mechanisms, linkages with springs or counterweights or are separately controlled by electronic controllers. Such control methods are disclosed in the following documents:    U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,447, issued on May 9, 1989 to Parker et l. and titled "Bypass Controller and Bypass System";    U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,958, issued on Nov. 2, 1993 to Jagers and titled "Pressure Override Control for Air Treatment Unit";    U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,354, issued on Jan. 28, 1997 to Janu et al. and titled "Indoor Air Quality Control for Constant Volume Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Units";    A known manufacturer of make-up air units, CaptiveAire of Raleigh, N.C., USA, employs vertical spring biased blades on both side of the burner.

Passive constant pressure hatch for fresh air direct fired gas heated ventilation systems


Systems and methods are provided for controlling a double-ended inverter system having a first inverter and a second inverter. The method comprises determining a required output current and determining a desired second inverter current. The method further comprises determining a second inverter switching function, wherein only a selected leg in the second inverter is modulated at a duty cycle, determining a first inverter switching function based on the second inverter switching function, and modulating the first inverter and the second inverter using the first inverter switching function and the second inverter switching function.

In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the power usage and complexity of the various electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles.
Many of the electrical components, including the electric motors used in such vehicles, receive electrical power from alternating current (AC) power supplies. However, the power sources (e.g., batteries) used in such applications provide only direct current (DC) power. Thus, devices known as "power inverters" are used to convert the DC power to AC power, which often utilize several of switches, or transistors, operated at various intervals to convert the DC power to AC power.
Additionally, such vehicles, particularly fuel cell vehicles, often use two separate voltage sources (e.g., a battery and a fuel cell) to power the electric motors that drive the wheels. "Power converters," such as direct current-to-direct current (DC/DC) converters, are typically used to manage and transfer the power from the two voltage sources. Modem DC/DC converters often include transistors electrically interconnected by an inductor. By controlling the states of the various transistors, a desired average current can be impressed through the inductor and thus control the power flow between the two voltage sources.
The utilization of both a power inverter and a power converter greatly increases the complexity of the electrical system of the automobile. The additional components required for both types of devices also increase the overall cost and weight of the vehicle. Accordingly, systems and methods have been developed for operating a motor coupled to multiple power sources without a DC/DC converter while maximizing the performance of the motor by utilizing dual inverter electrical systems.
A significant source of power loss in a power inverter is the loss associated with modulating the switches or transistors (i.e., switching loss). Discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) techniques have been developed in efforts to reduce switching loss in traditional single-inverter systems.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for using discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) in a double-ended inverter system to reduce switching loss without compromising the benefits of a double-ended inverter system. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background

Discontinuous pulse width modulation for double-ended inverter system


A mild hydrocracking process for the hydrodemetallation (HDM), hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydroconversion (HC) of hydrocarbon feedstocks such as residuum feedstocks which provides increased conversion of heavy hydrocarbons boiling above 1000.degree. F. into products boiling below 1000.degree. F. as well as increased yields of middle distillates is disclosed. The process utilizes a catalyst comprising about 1.0 to about 6.0 wt. % of an oxide of a Group VIII metal, about 12.0 to about 25.0 wt. % of an oxide of molybdenum and 0.1 to about 5.0 wt. % of an oxide of phosphorus supported on a porous support comprising precipitated alumina or silica-containing alumina and hydrogen form, acidified, dealuminated Y-zeolite.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a catalytic process for mild hydrocracking of heavy oils. More particularly, this invention relates to a mild hydrocracking process for the hydrodemetallation (HDM), hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydroconversion (HC) of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock boiling above 650.degree. F., such as vacuum gas oil (VGO) and VGO containing a high proportion of vacuum resid (VR) to lighter distillate products boiling at or below 650.degree. F.
In the mild hydrocracking process of this invention a sulfur- and metal-containing hydrocarbon feedstock, such as residue containing heavy oils, is contacted at an elevated temperature with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising a specified amount of a Group VIII metal, such as an oxide of nickel or cobalt, a specified amount of an oxide of molybdenum and, optionally, a specified amount of an oxide of phosphorus, such as phosphorus pentoxide supported on a porous alumina support containing a dealuminated Y-zeolite. In the catalytic mild hydrocracking process of this invention the sulfur- and metal-containing hydrocarbon feed is contacted with hydrogen and the catalyst containing a hydrogen form, acidified, dealuminated Y-zeolite, which has a specified pore size distribution, in a manner such that an increased production of middle distillates and a substantially higher conversion of the 1000.degree. F.+ fraction of the hydrocarbon feed to the 1000.degree. F.- lighter products is achieved over that obtained with the use of prior art hydroprocessing catalysts while high levels of sediment is formation are avoided.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,498 (Ward) teaches a process for mild hydrocracking a hydrocarbon oil having a substantial proportion of components boiling below about 1100.degree. F. which comprises contacting the hydrocarbon oil under conditions of elevated temperature and a hydrogen pressure less than about 1500 psig with a particulate catalyst comprising at least one hydrogenation component, a Y-zeolite having a unit cell size between about 24.40 and 24.64 .ANG. and a dispersion of silica-alumina in a matrix consisting essentially of alumina.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,142 (Steigleder) discloses a highly selective hydrocracking process providing increased yields of middle distillates. The process employs a catalyst comprising a hydrogen form Y-type zeolite having a unit cell size between about 24.20 Angstroms and 24.40 Angstroms, a metal hydrogenation component and refractory oxide support materials. The catalyst is characterized by low ammonia temperature programmed desorption (TPD) acidity strength which may be achieved by dehydroxylation caused by a dry calcination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,200 (Shihabi) discloses hydrocarbon conversion catalysts having reduced aging rates and exhibiting lower gas yield in conversion processes made by presteaming a large pore, high silica zeolite such as mordenite or zeolite Y and base-exchanging the steamed zeolite with an alkali metal to reduce the acidity to a low value.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,454 (Barri, et al.) discloses a process for converting C.sub.2 to C.sub.5 hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises bringing the hydrocarbon into contact with a surface dealuminated zeolite loaded with a gallium compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,533 (Dewing, et al.) discloses a process for selective and controlled dealumination of an alumino silicate zeolite by heating a zeolite having pores filled with coke in air at a temperature of 450.degree. C.-650.degree. C. The partially dealuminated zeolite is useful in toluene disproportionation processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,890 (Dai, et al.) discloses novel treated zeolite, such as Y-zeolite, prepared by treating charge zeolite, such as a dealuminated Y-zeolite (which is essentially free of Secondary Pores), with steam for 5-60 hours at 1000.degree. F.-1500.degree. F. Product is particularly characterized by increased Secondary Pore Volume (pores of diameter of 100A-600A) in amount of as high as 0.20 cc/g and is useful in resid hydroprocessing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,374 (Absil, et al.) discloses low acidity refractory oxide-bound zeolite catalysts, for example, silica-bound ultrastable Y-zeolite, possessing physical properties, e.g., crush strength similar to those of their alumina-bound counterparts, and since low acidity refractory oxide-bound catalysts are inherently less active than alumina-bound zeolite catalysts, the former are particularly useful in hydrocarbon conversion processes in which reduced coke make increased catalyst cycle length. Due to their stability in acid environments, the low acidity refractory oxide-bound zeolite extrudate can be acid treated without unduly compromising structural integrity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,787 (Chester, et al.) discloses an improved method for passivating metals in a hydrocarbon feedstock during catalytic cracking which involves contacting the feedstock with a passivating agent comprising a precipitated porous rare earth oxide, alumina, and aluminum phosphate precipitate. The passivating agent may be coated on a cracking catalyst, such as dealuminated Y-zeolite, Y-zeolite, etc., be part of the matrix of a cracking catalyst, or be added to the cracking operations as discrete particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,531 (Bundens, et al.) discloses a catalytic cracking process using a catalyst comprising a framework dealuminate Y-zeolite which is rare earth and aluminum exchanged.

Mild hydrocracking process using catalysts containing dealuminated y-zeolites


An apparatus and a method of printing catalyst on an electrolyte membrane are disclosed. The apparatus may include: a printer head provided with an ink chamber formed in the printer head so as to store an ink, an injecting hole formed at a first side of the printer head so as to inject the ink in the ink chamber, and a piezoelectric element mounted at a second side opposite to the one side of the printer head thereby injecting the ink through the injecting hole; and a vibrator generating ultrasonic energy through vibration and applying the ultrasonic energy to the ink injected through the injecting hole so as to disperse the ink uniformly.

A fuel cell system generates electricity by converting chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy.
The fuel cell system generally includes a fuel cell stack generating electrical energy, a fuel supply system supplying a fuel or hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack, an air supply system supplying oxygen gas in air as an oxidizing agent of electrochemical reaction to the fuel cell stack, and devices for managing heat and water radiating heat generated from the reaction in the fuel cell stack to an exterior of the fuel cell system and controlling an operating temperature of the fuel cell stack.
In other words, the fuel cell system generates electricity by electrochemical reaction of the hydrogen gas as fuel and the oxygen gas in the air and also produces heat and water as by-products of the reaction.
The fuel cell stack which may be applied to a fuel cell vehicle includes a plurality of unit batteries arranged in sequential order. Each unit battery includes a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) disposed at the innermost part thereof, and the membrane-electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane for transferring hydrogen ions and catalytic layer at each cathode and anode respectively attached at each side of the electrolyte membrane so as to react the hydrogen with the oxygen.
In addition, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) is positioned at an exterior portion of the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), or the exterior portions where the cathode and the anode are positioned, and a separator including a flow field for supplying the fuel and the air each respectively to the cathode and the anode and exhausting water generated by the reaction is positioned at an exterior of the gas diffusion layer.
The hydrogen and the oxygen are ionized by a catalyst at each catalytic layer of the electrode, such that the hydrogen undergoes oxidation reaction so as to generate a hydrogen ion and an electron, and the oxygen ion at the cathode undergoes a reduction reaction with the hydrogen ion transferred from the anode so as to generate the water.
Since the hydrogen is supplied to the anode or alternatively "oxidation electrode" and the oxygen or air is supplied to the cathode, or alternatively "reduction electrode", the hydrogen supplied to the anode is ionized into the hydrogen ion (H+) or proton and the electron (e−) by the catalyst of the electrode layer. Subsequently, the hydrogen ion selectively passes through the electrolyte membrane which may be a cation-exchange membrane and may be transferred to the cathode. Simultaneously, the electron (e) is transferred to the cathode through conductors such as the gas diffusion layer and the separator.
Therefore, the hydrogen ion supplied to the cathode through the electrolyte membrane and the electron supplied to the cathode by the separator react with the oxygen in the air supplied to the cathode by an air supply so as to generate the water.
At this time, current is also generated by flow of the electrons through an external electric circuit or conducting wire driven by transferring of the hydrogen ion to the cathode. When the water is generated by the reaction, heat is also generated as reaction product.
In the related arts, the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) is manufactured by attaching the catalyst on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). Decal method or catalyst spraying method has been typically used to attach the catalyst on the both surface of the electrolyte membrane.
For example, in the Decal method, the catalyst is attached on the electrolyte membrane through thermo compression bonding after attaching the catalyst to a resin film. Since the membrane-electrode assembly manufactured through the Decal method has a thin catalyst layer, area between the catalyst and reacting gas may increase but manufacturing process may be complicated thereby increasing manufacturing cost and time.
In other examples, an ink containing the catalyst may be sprayed according to the catalyst spraying method. However, a homogeneous catalyst layer having uniform thickness and density may not be obtained. In addition, since the ink may be applied several times by spraying, manufacturing time may increase.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Apparatus and method of printing catalyst on electrolyte membrane


Described herein are Dirofilarial exhalant signatures and methods of detecting a Dirofilaria signature in a non-blood biological sample, such as exhalant, that can be used to detect Dirofilarial infection in a subject, such as a canine.

Heartworm infection and disease is diagnosed in domestic and non-domestic canines in all 50 U.S. states and in areas outside of the United States. A 2019 study conducted by the American Heartworm Society (AHS) revealed that while no state is free of heartworm disease, dogs in the South, particularly dogs in the Southeast were most often affected. Indeed, the top five affected states according to this survey were Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama. These states have been in the top tier of affected states since the AHS began tracking incidence data in 2001. In 2019, almost 10 percent of dogs tested for heartworms in Mississippi were positive and just under 8 percent of dogs that were tested for heartworms in Louisiana were positive. Rounding out the top 10 states based on incidence data were Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Moreover, the number of veterinary practices surveyed that reported seeing heartworm cases has increased since the last AHS survey completed in 2016, which 26 percent of veterinarians observing and reporting an upward trend in cases and 57 percent of veterinarians reporting there has not been an observable change in the number of cases they see each year. Those that did report an observed decrease also reported an corresponding increase in the use of heartworm prevention. Those reporting an upward trend in cases also reported a corresponding influx of heartworm-positive patients into their practice area and poor prevention compliance (e.g., missing or skipping doses).
Heartworm disease in dogs (and in other hosts where they can be pathogenic such as cats and humans) is caused by Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis). Detection of heartworms is typically done by detecting blood circulating D. immitis antigen, which has been in clinical practice for over three decades. This may also be coupled with a blood smear evaluating for the presence of circulating microfilariae. However, these methods are not failproof. Indeed, circulating D. immitis antigen may not be available for detection and can only be exposed with heat treatment of the sample, which was well documented in the 1980's (see e.g., Little et al. 2018. Parasites & Vectors. 11: Article No. 186); heat treatment of samples is not necessarily standard practice in clinics. Further, although the clinical antigen detection tests are very specific for circulating female D. immitis antigen, the sensitivity of these tests can vary widely (see e.g., Little et al., 2018 at e.g., Tables 2 and 3) due to variances in the platform for a given antigen test, test performance characteristics, and the age and number of female heartworms present (tests are only specific for female heartworm antigen) (see e.g., Atkins, C. E. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2003. 222:1221-1223; Courtney et al. Vet Parasitol. 2001.96:317-322; Lee et al., Vet Parasitol. 2011. 177:381-391). Repeated evaluation of the same test(s) has also been observed to yield different performance characteristics due to differences in specimens included in the analysis, test kit version, procedures used, and method of heartworm infection verification (see e.g., Courtney, C. H., 2001. Comparing the performance of heartworm antigen tests in dogs. In: Soll M D, editor. Recent Advances in Heartworm Disease Symposium ′01. Batavia, Illinois: American Heartworm Society; 2001. p. 105-10). Further, all current antigen and microfilariae tests require a blood sample. This increases the expertise required to screen for infection and inherently limits who can perform such a test. For example, although it may be desirable for non-veterinary personnel to at least obtain samples to be sent to a veterinarian for analysis, such as animal shelter personnel, animal rescue organization personnel, law-enforcement, and the like, because a blood draw is required for current testing methods, such an approach is impractical simply because of the skill required to obtain a blood sample. Further, many animals may display behaviors that make a blood draw impractical in settings outside of a vet clinic, particularly for those not skilled in animal-handling.
Although current diagnostic tests based on circulating blood antigen have helped make great progress in the identification, treatment, and awareness of heartworm disease, there are still limitations and drawbacks to these tests that provide barriers for wider, easier, and/or more frequent implementation. Thus, there exists an urgent and unmet need for alternative and/or improved diagnostics for heartworms in dogs and hosts.
Citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such a document is available as prior art to the present invention.

Dirofilaria volatile organic compound signatures and uses thereof


A method operates a nonvolatile memory apparatus. The method includes performing a first write operation to store first data in first to third memory cells; and performing a second write operation to store second data in the first to third memory cells in which the first data has been stored, wherein, as a result of the first write operation and the second write operation, each of the first to third memory cells has one of first to third states.

1. Technical Field
Various embodiments relate to a nonvolatile memory apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for storing data in a memory cell.
2. Related Art
A nonvolatile memory device may retain stored data even though power is turned off. Nonvolatile memory devices include a flash memory devices such as NAND flash or NOR flash memory devices, FRAM (ferroelectric random access memory) devices, PRAM (phase-change random access memory) devices, MRAM (magnetic random access memory) devices, and RRAM (resistive random access memory) devices.

Nonvolatile memory apparatus and operating method thereof


A battery reservation device (10) includes an input acceptance component (11), a battery number acquisition component (12), and a rental number and capacity calculator (15). The input acceptance component (11) inputs from the user information related to the total power amount of the battery packs (1) that is desired to be rented. The battery number acquisition component (12) acquires information related to the number of battery packs (1) that are installed in a vehicle (20). The rental number and capacity calculator (15) calculates the number and capacity of the battery packs (1) that are rentable at each battery station (30) on the basis of information related to the number of battery packs (1) acquired by the battery number acquisition component (12) and the total power amount of the battery packs (1) inputted to the input acceptance component (11).

Recent years have seen systems constructed in which battery packs installed in a vehicle such as an electric motorcycle or an electric bicycle are used and then exchanged at a battery station where charged batteries are available.
When battery packs are thus rented out, a system is sometimes used for reserving a battery pack rental at a battery station.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a rechargeable battery management device for a portable medical device, in which it is determined whether or not a doctor can make his rounds using an electric vehicle, on the basis of the amount of power required to use the medical device, the amount of power required to travel to the destination, the current remaining battery charge, and so forth.

Battery reservation device and battery reservation method


A honing tool characterized in one form by an elongated rectangular cup element or holder having a bottom interior surface, a bundle of closely packed relatively short discrete generally parallel abrasive containing filaments secured in the holder, and a layer of instant gel adhesive securing all of the filaments at one end face of the bundle to the bottom interior surface of the holder. To make such a honing tool, a measured bundle of uniformly closely packed nonwoven, generally parallel discrete filaments is formed. A holder is supported and a measured amount of gel adhesive is placed in the bottom interior of the holder so that a layer of such adhesive completely covers the bottom of the interior of the holder. The bundle is then promptly driven into the holder so that all of the filaments at one end of the bundle are in contact with the adhesive prior to the curing of the adhesive. The adhesive is then cured. In another form a rectangular bundle of abrasive containing strips is formed, each having a slit or scored lateral edge. The plastic strips may be formed into bundles by ultrasonic welding through the unslit or unscored root portions of each strip. The bundle is driven into the holder to be secured by the gel adhesive in the same manner. In either form there is produced a rectangular or oblong honing tool which is provided with relatively short fingers closely packed not only within the holder but also at the working face. The improved tool has a somewhat soft or flexible working face as compared to a conventional honing stone or clad steel tool and will not contaminate the surface being honed. The tool provides an improved surface topography whether used as a finish hone or in a tertiary operation.

A honing machine is commonly used for finishing a bore in a workpiece. When a workpiece, such as a cylinder, is bored out, the boring tool leaves V-shaped grooves in the surface of the cylinder wall, much like those on a phonograph record. The sharp peaks of these ridges are rounded off by honing the bore. The typical honing machine uses a set of honing tools spaced around a machine head and fed progressively outwardly against a generally cylindrical internal wall of a workpiece while the machine head is simultaneously rotated within and reciprocated along the workpiece. In this manner, the working face of each honing tool is forced into engagement with the wall under selected honing pressure to abrade and finish the wall.
The specific honing tools usually include a honing element secured in a holder. This honing element is commonly a one-piece element, and in fact is usually referred to as a "honing stone". Examples of such honing elements are described in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,829,299; 2,980,524; 3,352,067; 3,154,893; 3,132,451; 4,528,776; 4,555,875; 3,972,161; and 3,918,218. In the latter two patents, a plurality of cutting filaments are embedded in a matrix, however the resulting honing element is nonetheless a one-piece relatively rigid element.
In the course of honing, it is common for chips or burns to be knocked loose from the cylinder. Because of the solid structure of most honing elements, no clearance is present between the wall and the working face of the honing element. These chips may wedge themselves between the working face of the honing element and the wall. Although a liquid is usually flushed through the bore during honing, such has little effect on the wedged chips. Eventually, either the wall or the honing element must give, resulting in the damage of a honing element or stone and/or the scarring of a bore of what may be an expensive cylinder.
It is also not uncommon for a rigid honing tool to embed a hard abrasive grain in the surface being honed. If this contamination occurs, excessive piston ring wear results, which in an internal combustion engine leads to "blow by" which results in environmental problems.
Also many bores such as engine bores have lateral ports. Conventional honing stones or tools cannot radius or finish the edges of such ports. Thus a need remains for an improved honing tool providing improved surface finish.
During recent years, to correct these problems and to improve upon the final finishing results, a second honing head was added to a few high production automotive engine block lines directly after the rough and finishing honing operation. The honing tools used were superabrasives plated on very fine wire filaments, lightly filled, and fine abrasive nylon brushes. Results of this added operation have been questionable based upon quality improvements and economic justification.
A second head brush hone using very fine spaced bristles may be seen in European Patent Publication 0 247 572. A post hone brushing machine is also seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,202. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,996 there is illustrated a machine using tufted spaced bristles in combination with a high pressure spray or jet to remove metal nap after honing. In a related patent, an option of using bristles in ring holders is disclosed as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,014.
Also recently used in post honing second station operations are honing tools of the type shown in the parent application of Scheider and Warner, Ser. No. 07/508,060, entitled "Abrasive Filament Honing Tool And Method Of Making And Using The Same", filed Dec. 14, 1989. The tool of this copending application comprises tightly packed nylon-abrasive filaments which form a dense and compact slightly yieldable face. Such tool has been performing adequately in post honing, second station operations to improve honed surfaces.

Abrasive filament honing tool and method of making and using same


A clutch assist mechanism for reducing the amount of application force required to actuate a hand clutch of a vehicle. A clutch lever of the hand clutch is pivotable about a pivot axis and the vehicle includes a handle grip. The clutch assist mechanism includes a telescopic bar having a terminal end. The telescopic bar is movably mounted to the hand clutch generally parallel to a longitudinal hand clutch axis. The terminal end is movable between a withdrawn position and an extended position. The terminal end is located a first distance from the pivot axis in the withdrawn position and a second distance from the pivot axis in the extended position. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A mounting mechanism movably mounts the telescopic bar to the hand clutch.

The present invention relates to a clutch assist mechanism for a hand clutch and, more particularly, to a telescopic bar mounted to a lever of the hand clutch to reduce the amount of force required to actuate the hand clutch of a vehicle.
Conventional hand clutches include a pivotable lever mounted to the vehicle, typically the vehicle handle adjacent a handgrip. For example, a motorcycle typically includes a pivotable lever mounted to one of the handlebars adjacent the handgrip. The pivotable lever is biased to a relaxed position, pivotably distanced from the handgrip. To actuate the hand clutch, the pivotable lever is grasped by a user's fingers and pulled or pivoted toward the handgrip to pull on a hand clutch wire and actuate the clutch. When the hand clutch is actuated, the clutch is disengaged such that the gear of the vehicle may be changed. The pivotable clutch lever has a fixed length and the wire often encounters resistance when sliding through a protective sheathing that the wire is housed within. Accordingly, as the wire encounters increasing resistance, the force required to actuate the clutch by pulling with a user's fingers often increases. In addition, the wire often encounters additional resistance as the vehicle heats up during use. On long trips, the increased force required to actuate the hand clutch and frequent shifting often fatigues a rider's hand and may lead to rider error or physical damage to a rider's hand or arm.
It would be desirable to construct a hand clutch that is able to vary the amount of force that a user is required to apply to the lever to actuate the clutch. The clutch assist mechanism of the present invention provides a telescopic bar mounted to the hand clutch lever to vary the amount of force required to actuate the hand clutch.

Clutch assist mechanism including kit and method of utilizing mechanism


An automated transaction machine such as an ATM (10) is provided. The ATM is operative to digitally sign electronic documents (42). The ATM may be in operative connection with a storage server (32). The storage server is operative responsive to the ATM to maintain electronic documents (42) in a data store (34) in association with the user's digital safe deposit account (40) and/or a financial account (48) such as checking, savings, debit, or credit account. The storage server is further operative to store a private key (44) of a user in association with the user's digital safe deposit account and/or financial account. The ATM is operative to cause electronic documents to be signed using the private key associated with the user. The ATM is further operative to output the electronic document on a display device (18) of the ATM where the user may view and edit the electronic document.

As an increasing number of individuals own or have access to personal computers, more and more individuals are generating electronic documents. Examples of electronic documents include electronically filed tax returns, contracts for goods or services ordered online through the internet, e-mail, word processing documents, or any other type of document that has a digital form. Some electronic documents are of a type that the individuals involved in generating, sending or receiving such documents might prefer to have the documents maintained as secure and confidential for long periods of time.
Unfortunately, many personal computers have insecure configurations. With the increasing popularity of the Internet, many personal computers are vulnerable to being accessed remotely by hackers on the Internet. Further, many home personal computers are not configured with passwords and as a result anyone with physical access to the personal computer such as a friend, a child care giver, or a relative may accidently or intentionally gain access to sensitive electronic documents. Although cryptography software exists to encrypt private electronic documents, many individuals do not have the technical skill to install and configure encryption software correctly on their personal computers. Consequently, there exists a need for a system and method of protecting personal electronic documents which can be more easily used by individuals.
Electronic documents belonging to individuals are often stored on a hard drive of a personal computer. For example, consumer tax software typically generates electronic tax return documents which are stored on a hard drive. Word processors often store electronic document files in a common directory on a hard drive. E-mail received by and sent from a personal computer is also often stored on a hard drive. Unfortunately, over time personal computers may encounter software and/or hardware problems which destroy computer files stored on a hard drive. Unless the individual proactively and regularly performs backups of computer files located on the hard drive of their personal computer, important, difficult to replace, personal electronic documents may be lost due to a hardware or software problem. Even if the documents are backed-up on removable media such as a tape, portable disk or CD, the portable media itself may become corrupted, unreadable, obsolete, or lost. As a result, there exists a need for a system and method of storing important personal electronic documents which can preserve the integrity of the documents for long periods of time.
With the enactment of electronic signature laws at the state and federal levels, individuals are likely to encounter more opportunities to generate and electronically sign electronic documents. Many electronic signature systems use public key encryption methods to generate and validate electronic signatures. When signing an electronic document an individual uses a secret private key to generate a digital signature for the electronic document. Such a private key is generally associated with a public key. Another party may use the public key to authenticate the electronic document and digital signature. Such public keys are often distributed as part of a digital certificate which is digitally signed by a trusted third party certificate authority.
Although the digital certificate and public key may be publicly disclosed to the world, the private key must remain a secret to prevent forgeries. When a person wishes to digitally sign a document, the user must employ a computer program which has access to the private key. As with encryption software, many individuals do not have the technical skill to successfully install and use digital signature programs on their personal computers. Consequently there exists a need for a system and method of digitally signing electronic documents which can be easily employed by individuals.
In general, when a digital signature program belongs to a person using the program, that person may have reasonable assurance that the person's private key will be kept a secret by the program. In addition the person has reasonable assurance that the electronic document being signed corresponds to the electronic document that was read and reviewed by the person. Unfortunately, if the digital signing program belongs to an untrusted party, the individual has very little assurance that a private key inputted by the individual will remain a secret and/or that the electronic document that was read and reviewed by the individual is the actual document being digitally signed. As a result there exists a need for a system and method of protecting the confidentiality of private keys used to digitally sign electronic documents. There also exists a need to provide a system and method of digitally signing electronic documents which provides additional assurance to individuals that the process is a safe substitute for signing paper documents.

Automated transaction machine digital signature system and method


A polymer includes a monomeric repeat unit represented by Formula I:

The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art to the present technology.
Environmental contamination by epoxy resins and bisphenol A, the primary component of most epoxy resins, is an increasing problem. However, the full measure of this problem remains unknown. Epoxy resins are increasingly used to make moldable plastics and numerous consumer products including toys and electronics. Epoxy resins are also incorporated into more substantial goods such as airplane fuselages. Most epoxy resins are made from bisphenol A which is itself produced from the condensation of acetone and phenol. Consequently, the epoxy resins from discarded products that accumulate in landfills can leach bisphenol A, phenol, and other toxins into groundwater and contaminate drinking supplies. There is an increasing need to prevent such environmental accumulation of epoxy resins and bisphenol A.
At present, the extent of environmental contamination by epoxy resins and bisphenol A is unknown because there is not a convenient and inexpensive means to track goods that contain these substances. In particular, the commercial producers of products lack a viable means to determine how much of their products are properly incinerated or recycled and how much of their products are disposed in landfills.

Abstract: In Formula I, R1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, or heterocyclyl; R2 is alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl; R3 is alkyl, OH, halo, or alkoxy; R4 is alkyl, OH, halo, or alkoxy; Y is absent, C(O), C1-C4 alkylidene, or C1-C4 alkylideneamino; L is alkylidene, alkylidene-O-alkylidene, alkylidene-S-alkylidene, alkenylidene, cycloalkylidene, arylene, heteroarylene, C(O)O, or C(O)S; n1 is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and n2 is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.


A catheter balloon having a base layer formed of a high-strength polymer and one or more covering layers formed over at least one surface of said base layer of the same flexible polymer or different flexible polymers having a elongation at break close to that of said high-strength polymer and being more flexible than said high-strength polymer, and has a wall thickness of 25 .mu.m or thinner.. A balloon having a base layer formed of a high-strength polymer and one or more covering layers formed over at least one surface of said base layer of the same flexible polymer or different flexible polymers more flexible than said high-strength polymer, and has a wall thickness of 25 .mu.m or thinner, said covering layer or covering layers together bearing 10% or more part of the bursting stress of the balloon.. A balloon catheter, especially blood vessel dilating catheter, equipped with any of the above balloons.

This invention relates to a catheter balloon and a balloon catheter using the same balloon, more specifically to a balloon for being attached to a catheter and used to dilate a stenosed part of a tubular organ such as a blood vessel and a balloon catheter using the same balloon, especially a blood vessel-dilating catheter.
In recent years, dilatation of a diseased part (stenosed or occluded part) in coronary artery by a catheter equipped with a balloon (blood vessel-dilating catheter) is more and more widely used as a method of treating cardiac infarction and angina pectoris.
A blood vessel-dilating catheter generally consists of a tubular catheter body, a dilating balloon attached to the distal end portion of the tubular catheter body, and a hub attached to the proximal end of the tubular catheter body.
For the material for the dilating balloon, polyolefin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, for example, are used.
Of polyolefin, low-density polyethylene (LPDE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), straight-chain low-density polyethylene(LLDPE), and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer are used.
Although a balloon made of an olefin has a good flexibility and can be welded to the tubular catheter body, the resistance to internal pressure is comparatively small, and the change of diameter against a change of inflating pressure (compliance) is large.
A balloon made of PET generally has a high strength, and hence a high resistance to internal pressure and a small compliance. However, the balloon is stiffs, and the tracking capability (capability of a balloon to advance along flexures in a tubular organ) is low. If the wall of the balloon is made thin so as to increase the tracking capability, the resistance to internal pressure becomes low, and the balloon becomes pinhole prone.
A balloon made of a nylon or a polyamide has intermediate properties between the properties of a balloon made of a polyolefin and those of a balloon made of PET. If the wall of this balloon is made thin, the balloon becomes pinhole prone. If the wall of this balloon is made thick, on the other hand, the tracking capability becomes inadequate.
To solve these problems with conventional catheter balloons, especially a catheter balloon made of PET, a multilayer balloon made of PET as the base layer and polyethylene or other plastic for an additional layer is disclosed in Patent Application Lay-open Gazette No. 1991-205064 and Patent Application Publication Gazette No. 1994-507101. These balloons were proposed in order to improve the weldability of a balloon made of PET to a tubular catheter body or to increase the resistance to pinholes. To increase the flexibility and the strength of the balloon simultaneously is not intended.
In the balloons disclosed in the above gazettes, the PET layer must be thick to obtain a balloon with a high strength (resistance to internal pressure), the balloon becomes stiff and the tracking capability of the balloon decreases If the PET layer is made thin to obtain a flexible balloon, the strength of the balloon decreases and the balloon becomes pinhole prone.
The object of this invention is to provide a new improved balloon which has an adequate strength (resistance to internal pressure) and is flexible enough to give a satisfactory tracking capability.