A post level for determining the orientation of a structure that includes a pair of bubble vials that are secured within the level body in a manner such that, if either one of the bubble vials become broken or otherwise damaged, it can be easily replaced and the level need not be discarded. The body of the post level of the invention includes an upper portion, a lower portion having a first side having a slot, an intermediate portion and a rear surface having an outwardly extending locating shoulder for engaging the structure to be oriented. The post level also includes a bulls-eye level that is mounted on the intermediate portion of the level body and an elastomeric connector cord that is receivable within the slot of the first side of the body which enables the level to be removably secured to the structure being oriented. Additionally, the level includes a plurality of magnets that are connected to the level body for engagement with the structure to be oriented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tools used in the construction industry. More particularly, the invention concerns a specially designed leveling tool for setting posts that has replaceable bubble vials and includes a strategically located bulls-eye level, magnets for removably affixing the tool to posts made of ferrous material and an elastomeric connector cord that is connected to the tool body and functions to expeditiously interconnect the tool with the post.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CRF 1.97 and 1.98
Bubble levels of various designs have been suggested in the past and are widely used by construction workers to determine the orientation of a particular structure or surface with respect to a reference axis. A typical bubble level generally comprises an elongated body that has a pair of opposing, generally parallel working surfaces and includes a plurality of openings having bubble vials permanently secured therein. The bubble vials are typically aligned in different directions relative to the working surfaces and function to indicate the orientation of a structure. For example, one vial may be aligned in a direction perpendicular to the working surfaces, another may be aligned in a direction parallel to the working surfaces and a third may be aligned in an angular direction. Typically, the vial contains a fluid and a bubble, and the user views the position of the bubble within the vial to determine the position of the tool relative to the working surfaces.
A novel and highly useful level construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,372 issued to the present inventor. This patent, which is entitled "Removable Laser Base Attachment for Bubble Levels", describes a bubble level that includes a body, a laser beam generator, and a removable securement. The body has a flat top surface that the level is secured to and a bottom surface that is flat and parallel to the top surface. A laser diode mounted in a module emits a visible laser beam upon application of power from a battery that is controlled by a switch. The module, batteries, and switch are mounted in a through bore in the body. The laser base is removably secured to the bubble level by any manner appropriate to the shape of the level. In one such securement, the level has a T-shaped cross-section and the body has a complementary slot into which the level slides. When the level reference surface abuts the top surface of the laser base, a thumb screw is tightened to frictionally secure the level in the base.


A miniature house no larger than 4 inches in any dimension having a drawer that is extensible from one wall close to the base of the wall. The drawer serves a number of purposes according to the scope of the invention. In one embodiment, a porous pad is positioned in the drawer and serves as a medium for growing miniature plants—preferably mosses and grasses. Means for moisturizing the pad are provided. In other applications, the house is an interesting devoid for dispensing business cards. In another embodiment, the drawer holds watercolors and stamps enabling the user to apply his own arrangement of doors and window.

Miniature houses have been disclosed for use in decorative and other purposes.
For example, D 145,328 discloses a house in the form of a church which is used to store a ring.
D 104,059 discloses a design of a miniature house for decorative purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,211 discloses an educational device related to constructing a small house.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,574 discloses a model house of components for educational purposes.
D 450,357 discloses a house having a unique oriental motif.
D 409,261 discloses a house having an open structure.
D 427,649 discloses a house having a front porch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,211 discloses an educational structure.
A miniature house is useful in some venues because it relates to a yearning that many people have to own their own suburban cottage in the center of a landscaped lot. Children are attracted to miniature houses because they often relate to the child's growth into the responsibilities of the adult world.

Miniature house with multi-purpose drawer


The present connector for liquid-conducting, plug-type connections consists of a hose nipple (2) formed on the coupling (1) and pluggable into the connecting end of a flexible plastic hose (3). The nipple has at its free end a conically widening, beveled plug edge (4) and an adjoining cylindrical shaft portion (5) with several truncated expansions (6) and (7), as well as an annular contact flange (8) at the end of the plug-in area (E) portion. The back side of the first truncated expansion portion (6) has a conical taper portion (9). Between the expansion portion (6) and the taper portion (9) an encircling groove (10) is provided, in which is embedded a gasket ring (11) circular in cross section. In order that the end of the hose or tube can be easily slipped over the nipple and the gasket ring, the surface (M1) of the first truncated expansion portion (6) outwardly at an angle .alpha. of about 45.degree. in relation to the surface of the shaft (5) and is oriented so as to provide a slight clearance (a) past the outer surface (14) of the gasket ring (11). The surface (M2) of the succeeding taper portion (9) has a significantly flatter angle of inclination .beta. of about 20.degree.-30.degree. in relation to the surface area of the shaft (5) and its rearward projection is tangent to the outer surface (14) of the gasket ring.

The invention pertains to a connector for liquid-conducting, plug-type connections and especially to a tube or hose nipple formed on a coupling, which can be plugged into the connecting end of a tube or hose of semi-flexible plastic.
Such hose connectors normally have on their free end a conically widening beveled plug edge and an adjoining cylindrical shaft with several truncated expansions, as well as an annular contact flange at the end of the plug-in area. Here the diameter of the shaft is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the plastic tube, so that the elastically expandable plastic tube fits flush against the shaft once the nipple is plugged in and the truncated expansions dig slightly into the interior wall of the tube such as disclosed in German Patent No. DE 4,413,346 C2.
In order to achieve a better fit of the tube on the connector, tube or hose nipples are already in use, with a conical taper at the back side of the first truncated expansion and an encircling groove between the expansion and the taper, in which is embedded an annular gasket ring round in cross section.
The objective of the invention is to design the connector with its truncated expansion and taper in such a way that the end of the hose or tube can be slipped over the gasket ring without stressing or even slightly damaging the latter with its sharp leading edge.


The present invention provides a system and method for selectively acquiring and targeting online advertising inventory based on users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. In one aspect of the invention, Web publishers are made aware of IP addresses of interest, determined by matching attributes of current Internet users for whom IP addresses are known and targeting attributes of ad campaigns. Then, for each site visitor from one of said IP addresses, publishers choose whether to supply ad inventory to fulfill the immediate demand. Another aspect of the invention provides for targeting of online ads based on updated user IP addresses and some associated personal data provided by ISPs. An embodiment of the invention provides for a localized online advertising network in which ad inventory is selectively acquired from web sites, as required to fulfill immediate advertiser demand, and targeted by user zip code, as registered with users' ISPs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to online advertising systems and methods, and more particularly to systems and methods enabling the acquisition and targeting of online advertising inventory.
2. Description of the State of the Art
The targeting of Internet advertising and content based on the personal attributes of individual Internet users has been a key goal of web publishers and advertisers since the emergence of the Internet as a significant consumer medium. Improved targeting of ads and content provides a more relevant online experience for users and helps to maximize the effectiveness of advertisers' online campaigns.
The degree to which online advertising and content can be targeted is driven in part by the amount of information available to advertisers and web publishers about individual web site visitors. Some of the more common types of information used to target ads and content are: (a) web page context, whereby advertisements are selected and displayed based on their relevance to the context of the web page, such as when an ad for a stock brokerage firm is displayed on the personal finance page of a popular web portal; (b) user-provided information, whereby advertisements and content are selected, or created, and displayed based on information provided by the site visitor during the current or previous site visits such as the terms of his search query, his zip code as entered to obtain local information, or his user registration information, often including age, gender and other personal data; and (c) derived user information, whereby advertisements and content are selected, or created, and displayed based on information derived about a user, without his direct involvement, such as his approximate city of origin, derived using various methods of correlating user Internet Protocol (IP) addresses with approximate geographic locations, or his connection speed.
Existing methods of advertising and content targeting, however, can be limited in scope and accuracy. For example, most sites do not ask users to register, and many of those that do are successful in getting only a small share of users to do so.
Also, popular methods of assessing the geographic location of users based on their IP addresses are limited in accuracy, particularly at the local level. Some existing methods attempt to derive general user location by correlating user IP addresses with registration data from public databases of registered IP addresses and data from various network service companies with equipment broadly dispersed across the Internet. Such methods, however, while reported to be up to 99% accurate in determining users' country of origin, are generally significantly less accurate at the metropolital statistical area (MSA) level and completely ineffective at the zip code level. These methods by their very nature focus on deriving locations of network access nodes rather than end users, which can require quite different approaches. Limitations of such methods are inherent in the nature of Internet Service Provider (ISP) network architectures, where traffic can be consolidated at nodes quite distant from end users and where publicly registered blocks of IP addresses may be allocated by ISPs across broad geographic areas.
While some companies possess potentially valuable profile information for individual Internet users, privacy concerns often restrict their ability to share this information with web publishers and advertisers that might use it to target web advertising or content. In particular, ISPs possess mailing addresses and other information about their subscribers; however, company and industry privacy policies and standards generally prohibit or discourage them from directly sharing such "individually identifiable information" with other companies. ISPs therefore typically use such subscriber data to target ads only on their own content pages.
Meanwhile, most web sites have significant excess ad inventory. Some estimates suggest that over 70% of banner ad inventory goes unsold, generally filled with "house" ads promoting the web publishers' own offerings. Likewise, it has been estimated that only 30-40% of search queries on popular search engines are accompanied by "paid placement" results, in which web links of designated paid advertisers are included with the search results.
Some web publishers choose to sell large allocations of their excess ad inventory to online advertising networks—generally at substantial discounts to their published "rate card" rates—which aggregate inventory from numerous web sites and resell it to advertisers in various cross-network packages. However, this practice is often shunned by the largest of web sites because: (a) the extreme discounting can impact pricing of their premium ad inventory; (b) the allocated inventory can often go unsold or be resold to undesirable advertisers attracted by clearinghouse prices, and/or (c) the advertisements appearing in the provided ad slots are generally untargeted by nature and can thus be perceived as more detrimental to the user experience than can be justified by the additional revenue.
Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a general online advertising network system 100, which typically has an Internet user level 140, a participating web sites level 130, an online ad network provider level 120 and an advertisers level 110. The general online advertising network system 100 typically has the advertisers of the advertiser level 110 providing ad campaigns 111 to the one or more servers 121 of the online ad network provider level 120. The users 141-143 make page requests to, and receive downloads from, one or more servers 131-133 of the participating web sites. Acting on ad tags served by participating web sites, users' browsers then make ad requests to, and receive ads from, the one or more servers 121 of the online ad network provider. General online advertising networks often negotiate blocks of ad inventory from participating web sites in advance, without precise knowledge of, or flexibility to adjust to, immediate demand for that inventory from their advertiser clients. As such, general online advertising networks are often provided with ad inventory that either cannot be filled by quality advertisers or must be sold at significantly discounted prices. As a result, many of the most popular web sites choose not to participate in online advertising networks.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a method whereby IP addresses of individual current Internet users can be reliably correlated with known attributes of those users and then used to target online advertising across the web, thereby providing a more universal means of online ad targeting. There is a further need in the art for a method whereby an online ad network or third-party ad server can selectively acquire ad inventory from web sites for only those site visitors for whom immediate advertiser demand exists. There is also a further need in the art for a method whereby the immediate demand for ad inventory for specific site visitors can be communicated to web sites by an ad network or third party ad server without explicitly sharing information about those users.

System and method for selectively acquiring and targeting online advertising based on user IP address


A moving fluid containing pollutants including NOx compounds is subjected to a relatively low-power alternating-current dielectric discharge for a relatively long time duration. In this manner, pollutants are oxidized and dissociated while the temperature of the fluid is kept low enough to prevent the formation of new NOx pollutants.

Polluting agents in exhaust gases generated by internal combustion engines and in stack gases generated by power plants burning fossil fuels have seriously degraded air quality in many locations and created acid rain, smog and a host of other environmental problems. Two pollution components commonly found in exhaust and stack gases are nitrogen compounds such as nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (collectively called NOx), carbon monoxide and various hydrocarbon compounds which result from incomplete or imperfect combustion of the fossil fuels. Although these components are known to cause pollution problems, recent attention has focussed on NOx compounds which are in part responsible for acid rain. Attempts to control, reduce or eliminate the pollutants in exhaust gases have included mechanical, electrical and chemical apparatus.
One known method of reducing pollutants is by means of chemical apparatus such as catalytic converters. Such devices are typically used with internal combustion engines such as those found in automobiles. In a catalytic converter system, engine exhaust gasses are mixed with air and the mixture then passes through a catalyst bed. In the catalyst bed, pollutants in the exhaust gas react with the air in the mixture to produce more complete combustion. Such devices have drawbacks. For example, they restrict the exhaust gas flow and therefore increase the exhaust back-pressure on the internal combustion engine, resulting in reduced efficiency and fuel economy. Further, the catalyst must be replaced at regular intervals to maintain conversion efficiency, thus increasing maintenance expense. In addition, such catalytic converters are not known to efficiently reduce NOx pollutants. Consequently, additional techniques are generally used in conjunction with the converter systems to reduce NOx pollutants. These additional techniques generally take the form of recirculating a portion of the engine exhaust gases through the engine to reduce combustion temperatures. However, these additional techniques further reduce fuel efficiency and economy and require additional equipment.
Other proposals to reduce pollution to a satisfactory level have involved the application of electric fields to the pollutant-containing exhaust gas. Such proposals involve mixing air with the exhaust gases, and then subjecting the mixture to an electric field which may take the form of a spark, an electric arc, electric plasma, a corona or a silent discharge. The electric field must be sufficiently intense and of sufficient duration to create ozone within the exhaust gas which then reacts with the pollutants to dissociate the compounds or to form harmless compounds. Two attempts to use electrical discharge to reduce pollutants are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,188,167 and 3,979,193.
Previously known electrical devices appear to have additional drawbacks. First, because of the intense electric field used in such devices, oxidation of nitrogen may actually increase the amount of NOx pollutants. Second, due to their construction, such devices typically increase exhaust back pressure, thereby reducing fuel economy and efficiency. Moreover, the addition of secondary air requires an air compressor, and this is a disadvantage because of the additional energy consumed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, efficient and economical exhaust gas treatment system in which exhaust gases are treated with a specially selected electric discharge to reduce harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and Nox emissions without producing significant back pressure in the exhaust system.


A code division multiple access receiver estimates symbol values transmitted by different stations by despreading a combined received signal, weights the estimated symbol values by use of weighting factors calculated for the different stations, respreads the weighted symbol values to estimate the interference due to each station, and subtracts the estimated interference from the received signal to produce a residual signal. The weighting factors can be calculated from the residual signal; the weighting factors are calculated so as to minimize the power of the residual signal. The weighting factors are adjusted at certain intervals, preferably at intervals determined from the rate of fading of the received signal.

The present invention relates to a code division multiple access communications receiver, more particularly to a receiver for use in the base stations and mobile stations of a code division multiple access mobile communications system.
Code division multiple access (hereinafter, CDMA) is undergoing intensive development as a technique for using bandwidth more efficiently in mobile communications systems. CDMA uses a spectrum spreading process to enable multiple signals to share the same frequency band. A desired signal is extracted from the shared band by a de-spreading process.
In a direct sequence CDMA system, the different signals are distinguished by the use of different spreading codes. When a signal is extracted, the extracted signal usually contains interference from other signals, due to imperfect orthogonality of the spreading codes and other factors.
A known method of canceling this so-called co-channel interference estimates the signal received from each transmitting station on each transmission path, and subtracts, from the combined received signal, the signals estimated to have been received from stations other than the desired station. The subtractions may be performed one after another in a serial manner, or they may be performed in a parallel manner after all signals have been estimated. In estimating the received signals, it is also necessary to estimate the behavior of the radio channels, which distort the phase and amplitude of the signal on each transmission path from each station.
Accurate radio channel estimation is difficult, however, particularly in the parallel case. Therefore, co-channel interference continues to be a problem in CDMA communications.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to reduce co-channel interference in the reception of a CDMA signal.
Another object of the invention is to improve the estimation of symbol values in the reception of a CDMA signal.
Another object of the invention is to improve the estimation of the radio channels in the reception of a CDMA signal.
The invented CDMA receiver receives a combined signal from a plurality of transmitting stations, despreads the received signal, thereby estimates the symbol values respreads the symbol values, thereby estimates the signals received from each transmitting station, and subtracts these estimated signals as estimated interference from the received signal, thereby producing a residual signal. The CDMA receiver also weights the estimated symbol value by multiplication by respective weighting factors when the estimated symbol values are respread. The weighting factors are adjusted at certain intervals.
The weighting factors are calculated so as to reduce the power of the residual signal. According to one aspect of the invention, the weighting factors are calculated from the values of the residual signal, using a mathematical technique such as the least mean square-method. According to another aspect of the invention, a hard decision is made as to the symbol values before the symbol values are weighted and respread, and the weighting factors are calculated from the differences between the estimated symbol values before the hard decision and the values after the hard decision.
The weighting factors may be used as digital filter coefficients, by convolving the symbol value or values estimated to have been received from the same transmitting station over a certain period of time with two or more weighting factors.
Besides estimating the symbol values transmitted by each station, the invented CDMA receiver preferably estimates the distortion in each transmission channel, and in estimating the signal received from each station (the estimated interference due to the station), the CDMA receiver preferably includes the estimated distortion. In this case, the weighting factors may be applied to the estimated phase and amplitude distortions, thereby indirectly applying the weighting factors to the estimated symbol values.
The CDMA receiver may combine the received signal to allow for path diversity from each transmitting station. In this case, separate weighting factors are calculated for each path, a separate estimated interference value is obtained for each path, and the estimated interference values for different paths from the same transmitting station are added together to obtain the estimated interference due to that station.
The process of estimating the symbol values and estimating and subtracting interference may be carried out in multiple stages, the residual signal output by each stage becoming the input signal to the next stage.
Subtraction of estimated interference may be carried out in either a serial or a parallel manner. In the parallel case, the estimated interference values are subtracted all at once, after the interference due to all transmitting stations has been estimated. In the serial case, the estimated interference due to each station is subtracted as soon as the estimate has been made. In the serial case, when the weighting factors are calculated from the residual signal, the residual signal from which the weighting factors for each transmitting station are calculated may be the intermediate residual signal left immediately after subtraction of that station""s estimated interference. Alternatively, the weighting factors for all transmitting stations may be calculated from the same residual signal, this being the residual signal left after all stations"" estimated interference has been subtracted.

CDMA receiver with weighted interference cancellation


The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which includes a movable image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a movable intermediate transfer member to which the toner image on the image bearing member is electrostatically transferred at a first transfer position, and a charger for charging residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the toner image on the intermediate transfer member has been electrostatically transferred onto a transfer material at a second transfer position with polarity opposite to charging polarity of the normal toner on the image bearing member. An electric field is formed so that the residual toner charged by the charger from the intermediate transfer member onto the image bearing member and a transfer of a next toner image from the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member are simultaneously performed at the first transfer position. Also included is a controller for controlling so that a relative position of a first toner image transferred to a first transfer material from the intermediate transfer member with respect to the intermediate transfer member and a relative position of a second toner image transferred to a second transfer material from the intermediate transfer member with respect to the intermediate transfer member are differentiated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which toner images formed on an image bearing member are successively transferred onto an intermediate transfer member, and then the toner images on the intermediate transfer member are transferred onto a transfer material collectively.
2. Related Background Art
There has been proposed an image forming apparatus in which toner images formed on a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member (referred to as "photosensitive member" hereinafter) as an image bearing member are firstly-transferred onto an intermediate transfer member and then the toner images on the intermediate transfer member are secondary-transferred onto a transfer material collectively, thereby forming an image. Such an image forming apparatus is useful as a color image forming apparatus or a multi-color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of color component images corresponding to color image information or multi-color image information are successively transferred in a superimposed fashion to reproduce a color image or a multi-color image as an imaged print. According to such an image forming apparatus, an image having less deviation in superimposed color components can be obtained.
In the image forming apparatus having the intermediate transfer member, after the toner images are secondary-transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the transfer material such as a paper sheet, there remains residual toner on the intermediate transfer member. Removal of such residual toner is a technical problem which arises during operation of the apparatus. In order to solve such a technical problem, there has been proposed a so-called "first-transferring and simultaneous cleaning" technique in which a charge roller (as toner charging means) is urged against the intermediate transfer member. And, during next firstly-transferring, by applying, to the charge roller, a bias voltage for charging the residual toner to a polarity opposite to the potential on the photosensitive member, the residual toner on the intermediate transfer member is returned to the photosensitive member at the same time when the next toner image is transferred from the photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member.
In the conventional image forming apparatus having the intermediate transfer member, the first-transferring and simultaneous cleaning is achieved by simultaneously replacing toners having opposite polarity with each other at a firstly-transfer nip between the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member. In the secondary-transferring for transferring the toner images from the intermediate transfer member to the transfer material, although almost all of the toner is transferred to the transfer material, a very little amount of toner remains on the intermediate transfer member as residual toner. Thus, when same images are formed (printed) continuously, since the toner images are successively formed on the same area of the intermediate transfer member, the residual toner on the intermediate transfer member trying to return to the photosensitive member is blocked by the toner being transferred from the photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer member. As the result, the residual toner charged with opposite polarity is gradually accumulated on the intermediate transfer member.
Consequently, when a different image is transferred after the same images were transferred continuously, the accumulated residual toner is transferred onto the photosensitive member while absorbing the toner to be transferred to the intermediate transfer member, thereby generating a ghost image (negative ghost) in the next print image. This is true particularly when mono-color (for example, black) images are printed continuously.

Simultaneous cleaning of residual toner and toner image formation


An apparatus and method for completing an interval of a wellbore while drilling comprises a drill string (52) having a drill bit (30) mounted on the lower end thereof. A completion assembly (50) is positioned around a section of the drill string (52) such that when the wellbore (32) is extended by rotating the drill bit (30) and advancing the drill string (52), the completion assembly (50) does not rotate. The advancement of the drill string (52) and rotation of the drill bit (30) is ceased when the completion assembly (50) has reached the desired interval of the wellbore (32). Thereafter, the drill string (52) is disconnected from the drill bit (30) for retrieval to the surface leaving the completion assembly (50) and the drill bit (30) downhole.

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, its background will be described with reference to producing fluid from a subterranean formation, as an example.
After drilling each of the sections of a subterranean wellbore and retrieving the drill bit and drilling string to the surface, individual lengths of relatively large diameter metal tubulars are typically secured together to form a casing string that is positioned within each section of the wellbore. This casing string is used to increase the integrity of the wellbore by preventing the wall of the hole from caving in. In addition, the casing string prevents movement of fluids from one formation to another formation. Conventionally, each section of the casing string may be cemented within the wellbore before the next section of the wellbore is drilled. Accordingly, each subsequent section of the wellbore must have a diameter that is less than the previous section.
For example, a first section of the wellbore may receive a conductor casing string having a 20-inch diameter. The next several sections of the wellbore may receive intermediate casing strings having 16-inch, 13⅜-inch and 9 ⅝-inch diameters, respectively. The final sections of the wellbore may receive production casing strings having 7-inch and 4½-inch diameters, respectively. Each of the casing strings may be hung from a casing head near the surface. Alternatively, some of the casing strings may be in the form of liner strings that extend from near the setting depth of previous section of casing. In this case, the liner string will be suspended from the previous section of casing on a liner hanger.
It has been found, however, that rig time can be reduced by utilizing the casing string as the drill string for rotating a drill bit. As this procedure, referred to as casing while drilling, does not require the use of a separate liner or casing string to be run downhole after the retrieval of the drill bit and drill string, the time needed to drill, case and cement a section of wellbore can be reduced. Typically, when the casing string operates as the drill string to rotate the drill bit, particularly robust casing must be utilized.
Whether conventionally drilled or after performing as casing while drilling operation, once the well construction process is finished, the various steps of the completion process may begin. For example, hydraulic openings or perforations are typically made through the production casing string, the cement, if any, and a short distance into the desired formation or formations so that production fluids may enter the interior of the wellbore. In addition, the completion process may involve formation stimulation to enhance production, gravel packing to prevent sand production and the like. The completion process also includes installing a production tubing string within the well that extends from the surface to the production interval or intervals. The tubing may include sand control screen sections that are positioned adjacent to the perforated intervals.
It would be desirable to further reduce rig time by minimizing the number of trips downhole required to drill and complete a well. Accordingly, it would be desirable to combine certain aspects of the drilling operation and the completion operation into the same trip downhole. Therefore, a need has arisen for an apparatus and a method for completing an interval of a wellbore while drilling.

Apparatus and method for completing an interval of a wellbore while drilling


A semi rigid container comprising a plurality of generally rectangular side walls and a bottom wall attached to the bottom of each side wall. A plurality of flexible supporting frames are attached to each side wall to expand the container's open top and to brace the side walls into a free standing container for handy storage, transportation or disposal of refuse or other articles. A drawstring is provided along the top of the container for easy closure. The semi rigid container is made by attaching the flexible supporting frames to one or more sheets of flexible material, layering the sheet or sheets, and sealing the open margins of the layered sheet or sheets corresponding to the container's sides and bottom. The semi rigid container can be easily collapsed into a stack of side walls, then coiled into three adjacent loops and inserted into a storing receptacle.

The present invention relates generally to household products and specifically to a semi rigid container and a method of making and using such container for convenient storage, transportation, and disposal.
A typical household often encounters a need for temporary storage, transportation and disposal of refuse. Regardless of how or where refuse is generated, either at home, in a commercial environment, or in recreational surroundings, a receptacle for gathering, storing, transporting, and disposing of refuse is necessary. Even though the present invention is an ideal container for storing, transporting, and disposing of refuse, the semi rigid container can also be used for other purposes such as storing or transporting clothing, bedding, popcorn, or any other article. Accordingly, the present invention's use should not be limited to storage, transportation or disposal of refuse.
Numerous devices are known in the art to provide effective storage, transportation and disposal of refuse. Typically, a trash bag, a trash receptacle, or a combination of a bag and receptacle is used. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,828 to Irvine which discloses a knock-down roadside trash protector.
However, trash receptacles are voluminous, taking up considerable space such that keeping numerous trash receptacles is impractical for occasional, temporary use during parties or other gatherings. Trash receptacles are also difficult to transport from one area to another, especially for picnics, camping, or other recreational activities. Furthermore, trash receptacles become dirty and smelly if not cleaned regularly or lined with some type of trash bag.
Although a trash bag provides an alternative to cleaning a trash receptacle, a trash bag is not freestanding and depends on a trash receptacle or other bulky support device to brace the bag and expand its opening so that one can easily dispose of unwanted refuse.
Another product, the collapsible container, is freestanding and collapsible, but is intended for repeated and continual use. Although the collapsible container provides a receptacle that will handily store and transport articles, including refuse, the collapsible container contains many pieces integrally connected, thus making it difficult and expensive to manufacture. So much so that disposal of the product after a single or short use is unthinkable.
The semi rigid container of the present invention solves the above-mentioned shortcomings and provides a convenient, freestanding, collapsible, container that is handy for storing, transporting, and disposing of refuse or other articles. The semi rigid container further accomplishes its purpose in an easy to build and cheap to manufacture manner such that it can be disposed of after one or more uses.

Semi rigid container and method of making and using same


A turbine nozzle comprises an array of nozzle blades (1) U disposed circumferentially in an annular passage (4) defined between inner and outer rings of a diaphragm and fixed to the inner and outer rings of the turbine diaphragm. The flow passage is defined between a pressure surface (F) and a suction surface (B) of adjacent ones of the nozzle blades, and a cross section of the flow passage includes predetermined ranges extending along a blade height (h) from the inner and outer diameter surfaces (hub and tip end walls) and defined by a curved line, and another range defined by a substantially straight line.

The present invention relates to a turbine nozzle, and more particularly to a turbine nozzle having an array of nozzle blades disposed circumferentially in an annular passage defined between an inner ring and an outer ring of a diaphragm and fixed to the inner and outer rings of the diaphragm.
It has been recognized in recent years that it is important to improve the performance of a turbine in order to improve energy consumption for mechanical operation or improve the efficiency of power generation in a power generating plant.
In order to improve the performance of a turbine, it is necessary to reduce the internal losses in each of the turbine stages. The internal losses in each of the turbine stages include a blade profile loss, a secondary flow loss, and a leakage loss.
The proportion of the secondary flow loss is large in a turbine stage where an aspect ratio (blade height/blade chord) is small and a blade height is small. Therefore, it is effective to reduce the secondary flow loss for thereby improving the performance of the turbine.
The mechanism of generation of the secondary flow will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 15 of the accompanying drawings, a flow G flowing in between nozzle blades 1 is subject to a force caused by a pressure gradient from a pressure surface F to a suction surface B in each of the nozzle blades 1. In a main flow-away from a turbine end wall, the force caused by the pressure gradient and a centrifugal force caused by the turning of the flow are in balance. However, a flow in a boundary layer near the turbine end wall has a low level of kinetic energy, and hence is carried from the pressure surface F to the suction surface B by the force caused by the pressure gradient as indicated by the arrows J. In a latter half of the flow passage, the flow collides with the suction surface B and rolls up, thus forming a flow passage vortex W. The flow passage vortex W accumulates a low-energy fluid in the end wall boundary layer to thereby generate a non-uniform energy distribution downstream of the nozzle blade. Although the non-uniform energy distribution is uniformized downstream of the nozzle blade, a large energy loss is generated during its uniformization. In FIG. 15, E represents a radial line, and L represents a hub end wall.
Various attempts have heretofore been made to suppress the above secondary flow.
For example, as shown in FIG, 16 of the accompanying drawings, bales 1 are inclined at an angle xcex8 to the radial line E for thereby weakening any blade-to-blade pressure gradient near the hub end wall of the blade. In FIG. 16, reference numeral 2 represents an outer ring, and reference numeral 3 represents an inner ring. Further, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 of the accompanying drawings, nozzle blades 1 are curved at their opposite ends to orient the pressure surfaces F to the end wall. In FIG. 17, U represents an outer diameter surface. In FIG. 18, xcex8t represents the angle between the tangent to the blade stacking line 1 at the tip end wall and radial line E, xcex8r represents the angle between the tangent to the blade stacking line 1 at the hub end wall and radial line E, and h represents a blade height. According to the conventional attempts, while the same blade profile is employed, blade stacking lines are cured or inclined in a direction to weaken the blade-to-blade pressure gradient near the end walls, thereby controlling the secondary flow to reduce the loss.
Another conventional technology involves an inclined or curved surface imparted to a nozzle blade across its entire height for thereby controlling the secondary flow, as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-77801.
In order to control the pressure gradient with the above conventional arrangements, the nozzle blade needs to be largely inclined or curved, and hence efforts to meet such a requirement tend to cause problems in the manufacturing process or in the mechanical strength of the nozzle blades.
Further, according to such curved or inclined blades, a flow distribution at the outlet of the blades is liable to differ greatly from a flow distribution on blades which are neither curved nor inclined.
For example, FIG. 19 of the accompanying drawings shows a graph having a horizontal axis representative of positions along the height of a blade, which are expressed as a dimensionless ratio with respect to the height h, and a vertical axis representative of circumferential velocities Vt and meridional velocities Vm, which are expressed as a dimensionless ratio with respect to the absolute velocity V (=(Vt2+Vm2)0.5). The graph shown in FIG. 19 indicates that flow velocity distributions of an ordinary blade (indicated by the solid-line curves) and those of a curved blade (indicated by the broken-line curves) differ at the opposite ends of the blades.
If nozzle blades are of a curved shape and are combined with conventional rotor blades positioned downstream of the nozzle blades, then flows from the nozzle blades do not match the rotor blades, and the curved nozzle blades may not be effective. In such a case, new rotor blades capable of matching flows from the outlet of the curved nozzle blades are required, and thus such an arrangement cannot meet a wide range of applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a turbine nozzle which is capable of reducing a secondary flow loss and producing an outlet flow that is the same as an outlet flow from ordinary blades, and does not adversely affect rotor blades positioned downstream of the turbine nozzle.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a turbine nozzle comprising: an array of nozzle blades (1) disposed circumferentially in an annular passage (4) defined between inner and outer rings of a diaphragm and fixed to the inner and outer rings of the diaphragm; and a flow passage defined between a pressure surface (F) and a suction surface (B) of adjacent ones of the nozzle blades, a cross section of the flow passage including predetermined ranges extending along a blade height from the inner and outer diameter surfaces (hub and tip end walls) and defined by a curved line, and another range defined by a substantially straight line.
Since the cross section of the flow passage in the predetermined ranges on the pressure surface and the suction surface includes a region defined by the curved line and a region defined by the substantially straight line, the turbine nozzle according to the present invention is clearly different in structure from the nozzle blade disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-77801.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a turbine nozzle comprising: an array of nozzle blades (1) disposed circumferentially in an annular passage (4) defined between inner and outer rings of a diaphragm and fixed to the inner and outer rings of the diaphragm; a pressure surface (F) in each of the nozzle blades facing the tip end wall of the turbine diaphragm in a predetermined range in the meridional direction of the nozzle blade and in a predetermined range between the tip end wall and a midspan of a blade, and the pressure surface facing the hub end wall of the turbine diaphragm in a predetermined range between the hub end wall and the midspan of the blade; a suction surface (B) in each of the nozzle blades facing the hub end wall of the turbine diaphragm in a predetermined range in the meridional direction of the nozzle blade and in a predetermined range between the tip end wall and a midspan of the blade, and the suction surface facing the tip end wall of the diaphragm in a predetermined range between the hub end wall and the midspan of said blade.
Here, the predetermined range may comprise a range corresponding to at least 30% of a meridional width (Cx) of the nozzle blade from a leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade in a meridional direction (x). The predetermined range may comprise a range corresponding to 20 to 40% of the blade height (h) from the hub end wall (L) of the nozzle blade (1), and a range corresponding to 20 to 40% of the blade height (h) from the tip end wall (U) of the nozzle blade (1).
In the above predetermined ranges, the pressure surface (F) of the nozzle blade (1) is arranged to face the tip end wall at the tip end wall side, i.e., is curved to face the tip end wall, and is arranged to face the hub end wall at the hub end wall side, i.e., is curved to face the hub end wall, and the suction surface (B) of the nozzle blade (1) is arranged to face the hub end wall at the tip end wall side, i.e., is curved to face the hub end wall, and is arranged to face the tip end wall at the hub end wall side, i.e., is curved to face the tip end wall.
A line (1p) on the pressure surface and a line (1s) on the suction surface along the height of the nozzle blade (1) have central portions (S) which are preferably defined by substantially straight lines except for the range (C1) corresponding to 20 to 40% from the hub end wall (L) along the height (h) of the nozzle blade (1) and the range (C2) corresponding to 20 to 40% from the tip end wall (U) along the height (h) of the nozzle blade (1). Specifically, a line on the pressure surface (F) and a line on the suction surface (B) in the cross section of the flow passage in an arbitrary meridional position in a range of at least 30% from a leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade along a meridional width (Cx) of the nozzle blade have central portions which are preferably defined by substantially straight lines except for the range (C1) corresponding to 20 to 40% from the hub end wall (L) along the height (h) of the nozzle blade (1) and the range (C2) corresponding to 20 to 40% from the tip end wall (U) along the height (h) of the nozzle blade (1).
The cross section of the flow passage is defined by a line on said pressure surface (F) and a line on said suction surface (B) in a meridional position within a range of at least 30% from a leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade (1) along a meridional width (Cx) of the nozzle blade (1), each of the lines comprising a substantially straight line in a central region of the nozzle blade.
The distance (Sh) from an intersection (Pt1) between the line (C1) on the pressure surface or the suction surface and the hub end wall (L) to an intersection (Pc1) between an extension (SE1) of the central portion (S) on the pressure surface or the suction surface defined by the substantially straight line and the hub end wall (L), and the distance (St) from an intersection (Pt2) between the line (C2) on the pressure surface or the suction surface and the tip end wall (U) to an intersection (Pc2) between an extension (SE2) of the central portion (S) and the tip end wall (U) have a maximum value at the leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade, and at least 4% of the blade height (h) in a position at 30% of the meridional width from the leading edge of the nozzle blade.
The maximum value of the distances (Sh, St) at the leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade (1) should be preferably in the range of from 5 to 15% of the blade height (h).
If the distance between the intersections from the leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade to a position at 55-65% of the meridional width is represented by Sh or St, the nozzle height is represented by h, and the ratio of the meridional distance from the leading edge (1f) of the nozzle blade to the blade width (Cx) is represented by xcex9, then the following equation should preferably be satisfied:
St/h, Sh/h=xcexa3Anxc2x7xcex9n
where An represents a coefficient and n is an integer of 0 or greater.
In the above equation, a higher-order term which is substantially zero is negligible. In other words, n is an integer of 0 or greater which is of a numerical value including all higher-order terms that are not negligibly small.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example.


A surgical tool including first connecting elements, contacting elements, and conductive elements. The contacting elements are configured to contact nerve tissue of a patient. The conductive elements extend from the connecting elements to the contacting elements. The conductive elements have respective insulative outer layers. The insulative outer layers isolate the conductive elements from each other. The first connecting elements are configured to connect to and receive monophasic stimulation pulses from second connecting elements on a modular stimulation module. The modular stimulation module is configured to connect to the tool and other tools via the second connecting elements. The conductive elements are configured to transfer the monophasic stimulation pulses from the connecting elements to the contacting elements.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
A nerve of a patient may be stimulated by applying current to the nerve via a mono-polar stimulation probe. The mono-polar stimulation probe may include a stimulating electrode tip. A surgeon may touch a location on a patient with the electrode tip to provide a voltage and/or current to a location on the patient and stimulate nerve activity and as a result a muscle response (or muscle activity). A return (or anodal) needle may be attached: via a wire, to the mono-polar stimulation probe; and to the patient away from (i) sensors, and (ii) an area being stimulated. The sensors can include electrodes that are attached to the patient and used to monitor the muscle activity. Although the mono-polar stimulation probe is capable of providing deep focused penetration of applied current to a nerve, the mono-polar stimulation probe restricts movement of a hand of surgeon due to the attachment of the mono-polar stimulation probe to the return needle.
To eliminate use of the wire and return needle, a concentric probe, a side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe or a tri-polar stimulation probe may be used. The concentric probe includes an anodal (or central) electrode that extends within cathodal electrode. The anodal electrode is isolated from the cathodal electrode via an insulative shield around the anodal electrode. Although the concentric probe eliminates need of the wire and return needle associated with the mono-polar stimulation probe, current density and current tissue penetration is low.
The side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe and the tripolar stimulation probe are similar. The side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe includes two tips (an anodal electrode and a cathodal electrode). The tripolar stimulation probe has three tips (two cathodal electrodes and a single anodal electrode). The anodal electrode is positioned between the two cathodal electrodes. The tripolar stimulation probe is approximately 30% larger in size than the side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe due to the extra (or third) electrode.
The side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe has a single anodal electrode and a single cathodal electrode. Electrical current flowing through the two electrodes may be directly or indirectly applied to a nerve to stimulate the nerve. A negative electrical current may be applied to the nerve via the cathodal electrode (referred to as a cathode or negative electrode). The nerve resists excitation at the anodal electrode (referred to as an anode or positive electrode). This is a result of negative current from the cathode reducing voltage outside a neuronal cell membrane of the nerve, causing depolarization and an action potential. The anode injects positive current outside the neuronal cell membrane, which leads to hyperpolarization. Preferential cathodal stimulation refers to a reduced amount of current (one third to one quarter) needed to elicit a motor response of a muscle when the cathode is used as the stimulating electrode. The amount of current applied when the cathode is used is less than an amount of current needed to elicit a motor response of a muscle when the anode is used as the stimulating electrode. In order to stimulate a nerve using the cathode: the cathode may be attached to a stimulating needle or catheter; and the anode may be used as a current returning electrode and be attached to or in contact with the skin of the patient via a return wire.
When a surgeon uses a side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe, orientation of the electrodes of the side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe relative to a nerve influences an evoked response associated with the stimulation of the nerve. A nerve action potential evoked by the stimulation differs depending on the orientation of the electrodes relative to the nerve. The cathode of the bipolar stimulation probe must be placed distally along a nerve to evoke a proper response. In placing the cathode distally along the nerve, the cathode, relative to the anode, is directed away from an axonal head (or cell body) of a nerve and toward axon terminals of the nerve and/or a target muscle. If not oriented properly, no response or an improper response (e.g., an erratic signal or signal with low signal strength) may be generated.
Although electrodes of a side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe must be oriented properly relative to a nerve to obtain a proper response and to minimize an amount of current applied to receive a proper response, the electrodes may be improperly oriented for various reasons. For example, a surgeon may not be aware that the electrodes of the side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe needs to be oriented properly relative to a nerve. As another example, a surgeon may not be aware of an orientation of a nerve and as a result may not be aware of where an axonal head or a distal end of a nerve exists. For this reason, the surgeon may not be able to determine a proper orientation of electrodes of a side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe. As yet another example, a surgeon may not be aware of an orientation of electrodes of a bipolar stimulator on a nerve because of anatomical variation of nerves of a patient. Also, a surgeon may inadvertently change an orientation of electrodes of a side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe by simply rotating the side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe in a hand of the surgeon. These human factors may result in the side-by-side bipolar stimulation probe failing to evoke a proper response from a nerve. As a result, a surgeon may inadvertently resect nerve tissue that is thought not to be nerve tissue due to a negligible muscle response and/or lack of a detected muscle response.

System and method for omni-directional bipolar stimulation of nerve tissue of a patient via a surgical tool


Devices and methods for treating, preventing from growth, and neutralizing microorganisms in cutting fluids using high-frequency, low-energy ultrasound.

The cutting of metals and other hard materials is often carried out with the use of a cutting tool to provide a desired shape, size or surface to the workpiece. When cutting these hard materials, frictional heat can burn the cutting tool and make the machined surface of the workpiece rough. Furthermore, thermal expansion lowers the accuracy of the shape and the size of the workpiece and the tool, thereby causing various other problems. To help alleviate the above problems, a cutting fluid is often employed during cutting.
Oils are commonly used as a cutting fluid when cutting metals and other hard materials. One disadvantage of using a straight oil as a cutting fluid is that it usually has to be used at low temperatures because high temperatures can cause the production of fire and smoke. To help overcome this problem, an oil-water emulsion cutting fluid having sufficient lubricity and cooling properties, can be used as a cutting fluid.
Unfortunately, cutting fluids, especially water-based cutting fluids, are susceptible to bacteria and other microbial propagation. Bacterial colonies often result in unpleasant odors, deterioration of the cutting fluid, and serious health hazards. In general, there are two types of bacteria that grow in cutting fluids: aerobic, which multiply in the presence of oxygen, and anaerobic, which propagate in the absence of oxygen. While the anaerobic types can result in unpleasant odors through the production of hydrogen sulfide, they typically do very little actual damage to cutting fluid itself. However, the aerobic type seriously degrades fluids, causing corrosion inhibition and loss of lubricity. Furthermore, the bacterial lifecycle while "eating" the fluid concentrate also results in the deposition of various acids and salts. This can cause extensive rusting/corrosion of both moving machine parts and the material being machined.
To prevent these accompanying problems, biocides have been added to cutting fluids. In practice however, these agents are of limited usefulness. In addition to costing more money, there are limits on the amount of biocide which can be incorporated into the cutting fluid. Furthermore, these agents are often ineffective, degrade over time, and replacing them can be expensive. In addition, these agents and substances often lower the quality of cutting fluid.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an effective and new method of treating cutting fluids, that can provide uniform protection, or substantially uniform protection with time, without the use of large amounts of biocides .

Device and process for treating cutting fluids using ultrasound

Ashland Licensing & Intellectual Property LLC


The implant includes two side walls resting against the vertebral end-plates and an intermediate wall joining the supporting walls. The implant can be deformed for insertion between the vertebrae to be treated to restore the attenuated mobility of the vertebrae, and includes mounting elements mounting on the vertebrae. The side walls have a curved shape, whose convexity is oriented towards the outside of the implant; the intermediate wall has a curved shape, whose convexity is oriented towards the outside of the implant such that it does not form any pronounced angles with the supporting side walls. The supporting side walls and the intermediate wall, have a partially oval shape; and the mounting elements are configured such that the implant can be mounted on the vertebrae.

It is known to use intervertebral implants to restore the anatomic intervertebral space between two vertebrae. However, the existing implants are not completely satisfactory, in particular as regards the treatment of cervical vertebrae by anterior approach route, either because they do not restore perfectly the intervertebral space, or because they form obstacles to the movements of the vertebrae, or because they induce risks of insertion in the vertebral plates, or because they are difficult to implant, or because their durability or the anchoring thereof is questionable.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,916 describes a fusion cage slit laterally to enable the application of stresses on a graft contained in the wedge and/or for restoring anatomic mobility between two vertebrae.
This implant is not intended for treating cervical vertebrae by anterior approach route, and the implant according to the invention does not comprise any lateral slot.
There is also provided, by the document WO 01/62190, an intervertebral implant comprising a U-shaped body seen laterally, i.e. showing two lateral branches resting against the vertebral plates and a posterior "wall". This body is deformable elastically for the insertion thereof between the vertebrae to be treated and to enable restoration of the mobility of the vertebrae, and forms protruding tabs for the attachment thereof to the vertebrae.
This implant is estimated as not satisfactory from the point of view of the restoration of an intervertebral space with mobility of the vertebrae. Indeed, the screw attachment of this implant is considered as not suitable for such a restoration, taking into account the risks induced of a vertebral fusion by growth of the bony cells, which may result in immobilisation of the vertebrae. Moreover, the resistance of this implant to the repeated stresses transmitted by these vertebrae is considered as questionable.
The purpose of the present invention is to remedy these shortcomings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to a pyrotechnic gas generator (1) intended especially for motor vehicle safety.

The present invention relates to the field of pyrotechnic gas generators. More precisely the invention relates to a pyrotechnic gas generator comprising a solid charge of plastic-bonded powder of the xe2x80x9cLovaxe2x80x9d type which can be employed especially in protective devices using an inflatable cushion.
Pyrotechnic gas generators intended to inflate protective cushions must supply a desired quantity of gas in a very short time, of the order of at most a few tens of milliseconds, without presenting any risks of explosion due to an untimely increase in the pressure within the generator.
Conventional pyrotechnic generators generally comprise a solid charge consisting either of a propellant powder based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, also called a double-base powder, or of a propellant powder based on sodium azide.
Both these propellant compositions exhibit the advantage of being easily ignitable and of having high rates of combustion. Since double-base powders also have a rate of combustion which is not very dependent on pressure in the functioning range of motor vehicle safety, these compositions therefore do not present any risk of explosion of the generator, related to a runaway of the rate of combustion following an overpressure within the generator. Sodium azide-based compositions have rates of combustion which are more pressure-sensitive. Various safety measures have been proposed to avoid the risks of explosion of the generator with these compositions. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,415 it has thus been proposed to equip the generator with an auxiliary safety valve which opens when the pressure inside the combustion chamber exceeds a predetermined value, this auxiliary valve not being the standard exit orifice for the combustion gases.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,962 it has also been proposed to equip the exit orifice for the combustion gases with a nozzle comprising prefragmentation lines so as to permit a widening of the gas exit section in the event of overpressure within the generator.
Finally, for generators with multiple and successive combustion chambers, patent EP-A-0 404 572 has proposed to equip the generator with nonreturn valves to prevent a chamber from being repressurized by another one.
However, conventional double-base compositions or those comprising sodium azide exhibit major disadvantages to a person skilled in the art. In fact, double-base compositions have a mediocre stability over time as a result of the phenomena of nitroglycerine migration, which are difficult to overcome and to control. Furthermore, sodium azide-based compositions produce large quantities of solid residues which must be filtered before the gases enter the inflatable cushion.
For these reasons people skilled in the art have been attempting for several years to abandon these conventional compositions, in order to employ compositions based on plastic-bonded powders which consist chiefly of an organic binder and of an energetic filler and which present the twin advantage of being chemically stable over time and of not producing solid residues when the energetic filler is properly chosen. Such compositions are also known by the English name of xe2x80x9cLovaxe2x80x9d powders because of their low vulnerability to mechanical or thermal shocks.
However, the use of plastic-bonded pyrotechnic charges presents a person skilled in the art with a double problem. On the one hand these compositions have rates of combustion which are sensitive to the surrounding pressure, and the generator must be equipped with safety devices against overpressures, but, on the other hand, these compositions are difficult to ignite and are very sensitive to any fall in pressure at the moment of ignition. The safety measures referred to above, all of which rely on the use of gas exit orifices which are calibrated from the outset for normal functioning during combustion, cannot therefore be applied with these new charges because they run the risk of resulting in their extinction when they begin to function.
To control the problem of the ignition of such charges, patent EP-A-0 570 347 has proposed a generator whose exit orifice is equipped with a valve that can close again in the event of a fall in the internal pressure during the ignition, so as to prevent the extinction of the charge. This solution is technically very tricky to control so as to be reliable within the functioning period of a few milliseconds that are required for motor vehicle safety; it is costly and, above all, it absolutely does not control the problem of risks of overpressure during combustion once the ignition is successful.
A person skilled in the art who attempts to employ plastic-bonded solid pyrotechnic charges does not therefore have available, at the present time, a generator which guarantees, within the essential time requirements demanded by motor vehicle safety, both a good ignition of the charge and the absence of risks related to internal overpressures during the combustion of the charge.
The objective of the present invention is precisely to propose such a generator. The invention therefore relates to a pyrotechnic gas generator intended especially for motor vehicle safety and comprising a hollow body provided with a gas exit opening, an ignition device and a pyrotechnic charge of xe2x80x9cLovaxe2x80x9d type, consisting chiefly of an organic binder and of an energetic filler, the rate of combustion of the said charge reaching a predetermined minimum value when the pressure to which it is subjected is higher than a value Po, characterized in that the said gas exit opening is closed by a device for discharging gases, comprising a component which has passing through it a cylindrical orifice closed by a cover which is ruptured when the internal pressure Pc of the generator is higher than the said pressure Po, the initial diameter of the said cylindrical orifice being calculated such that the instantaneous fall in pressure within the generator when the said cover opens should be lower than the difference Pcxe2x88x92Po, the said component being furthermore made of a material which can be eroded under the effect of the flow of the combustion gases of the said charge.
Thus, by virtue of the invention, the ignition of the plastic-bonded charge is ensured in a closed vessel which opens outwards, by bursting of the cover, only when the internal pressure of the generator has exceeded the threshold pressure Po which ensures a predetermined minimum rate of combustion. Furthermore the initial diameter of the cylindrical gas exit orifice is calculated such that after opening of the cover the internal pressure of the generator should not fall back below this threshold pressure. The generator according to the invention thus avoids the risks of extinction of the charge on ignition. Subsequently, in the course of functioning, the risks of overpressure within the generator are eliminated by the fact that the section of the orifice for discharging the combustion gases increases progressively owing to the erosive effect of the latter.
According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention the said erodable component is in the shape of a cylindrical ring which has a central cylindrical orifice. This erodable ring will be preferably also made of a resin chosen from the group consisting of polyamides, polyethers and polycarbonates. The said resin may be filled with glass fibres or carbon fibres.
According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention the said hollow body consists of a cylindrical casing one end of which consists of a substantially planar wall and the other end of which is closed by a closure ring supporting the ignition device. The said closure ring will advantageously be fixed by crimping in the open end of the said casing. Also advantageously the said gas exit opening is a central cylindrical opening carried by the substantially planar wall. In a particularly preferred alternative form the said cylindrical gas exit opening has, from the outside of the generator towards the inside of the latter, an outer part of large diameter, a middle part of small diameter and an inner part of intermediate diameter, in which is placed the cylindrical ring whose central cylindrical orifice must have an initial diameter smaller than that of the middle part of the gas exit opening. In this embodiment the device for discharging the gases consists simply of the opening of special geometry, of the erodable ring and of the cover described a little later. This ring will in general be adhesively bonded to the inside of the inner part of the cylindrical gas exit opening. It should be noted that in this embodiment the central orifice of the erodable ring can at most reach the same section as that of the middle part of the gas exit orifice. This embodiment thus permits the use of materials which are very easily erodable, since the erosion of the ring is limited by the structure of the gas exit opening.
Also advantageously, in this embodiment, the cover initially shutting off the gas exit orifice consists of a metal sheet fixed by adhesive bonding, by welding or by brazing against the internal surface of the said substantially planar wall. This metal sheet may be given the shape of a crimped or spun component which will be held in place in the crimping of the casing on the closure ring.
According to a third preferred embodiment of the invention the preferred plastic-bonded pyrotechnic compositions for forming the pyrotechnic charges of xe2x80x9cLovaxe2x80x9d type are either those based on oxygen-containing thermoplastic binder, on ammonium nitrate as oxidizing filler and of glycidyl azide polymer as plasticizer, and described in patent application FR-A-2 713 632, or those based on silicone binder and on a mixture of ammonium perchlorate and sodium nitrate, as described in patent application FR-A-2 728 562.
As a result of their structure and as a result of the use of plastic-bonded pyrotechnic charges, the generators according to the invention exhibit both a very high reliability of conservation over time and a very high reliability of functioning. Furthermore the generators according to the invention do not produce, or produce only a very small amount of, solid residues; they therefore do not require any complex filtering systems. Furthermore these generators exhibit a lower sensitivity during firings at elevated temperature, that is to say firings performed at +85xc2x0 C. The generators according to the invention can be employed directly as pyrotechnic generators intended to inflate protective cushions for the occupants of a motor vehicle, or indirectly as pyrotechnic components of more complex generators, for example so-called xe2x80x9chybridxe2x80x9d generators incorporating a reserve of gas under pressure.

Pyrotechnic gas generator with plastic bonded charge

Abstract: The generator (1) includes a pyrotechnic charge (12) of plastic-bonded powder of xe2x80x9cLovaxe2x80x9d type and a gas exit orifice (14a, 14b) closed by an erodable ring (15) which has a cylindrical orifice (16) shut off by a cover (17). The rupture pressure of the cover (17) and the initial diameter of the orifice (16) are determined so as to avoid the initial extinction of the charge. In the course of functioning the diameter of the orifice (16) increases to avoid the risk of overpressure within the generator.

Abstract: The generator (1) can be employed in a protective device using an inflatable cushion.


An air filtration assembly for selectively eliminating smoke from an area includes a housing that may be coupled to a support surface. A motor is coupled to the housing. A fan is operationally coupled to the motor. The motor moves the fan. An actuator is coupled to the housing. The actuator is operationally coupled to the motor so the actuator selectively actuates the motor. A filter is coupled to the housing. The filter is operationally coupled to the fan. The fan draws air through the filter so the filter removes smoke from the air. A screen is operationally coupled to the housing. The screen is selectively extendable from the housing.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to air filtration devices and more particularly pertains to a new air filtration device for selectively eliminating smoke from an area.
2. Summary of the Disclosure
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that may be coupled to a support surface. A motor is coupled to the housing. A fan is operationally coupled to the motor. The motor moves the fan. An actuator is coupled to the housing. The actuator is operationally coupled to the motor so the actuator selectively actuates the motor. A filter is coupled to the housing. The filter is operationally coupled to the fan. The fan draws air through the filter so the filter removes smoke from the air. A screen is operationally coupled to the housing. The screen is selectively extendable from the housing.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.


A detecting element for detecting a target substance in a sample includes a substrate having a pore, in which a thickness direction of the substrate corresponds to a depth direction of the pore, and plurality of metal structures disposed in the pore. The plurality of metal structures have a ring shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detecting element to which plasmon resonance is applied, a detecting device, and a method of producing the detecting element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a sensor utilizing localized plasmon resonance using metal fine particles has been attracting attention.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-268592 discloses an invention in which mutually isolated metal particles are formed in a plurality of pores in anodized alumina to form a plasmon resonance device. In the device, by utilizing the pores in the anodized alumina, the metal particles can be regularly placed independently with an arbitrary uniform size in arbitrary arrangement, to thereby improve and stabilize sensor sensitivity.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-279364 discloses a sensor chip with the aim of providing a sensor having low optical noise and high sensitivity. The sensor chip includes a holding member having a plurality of micropores independent of each other along a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface, and metal fine particles held independently of each other in the plurality of micropores, and is characterized in that the holding member is formed from a transparent dielectric with uniform density.
However, in the inventions disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-268592 and 2004-279364, the number of the metal fine particles held in one pore is actually one, and thus there has been a limit of the amount of gold particles held on a chip. Therefore, there has been a limit of the number of gold particles per unit area. Moreover, when it is attempted to form a plurality of metal fine particles in one pore, the metal fine particles come into contact with each other. Thus, the dimension and shape of the metal fine particles are likely to become nonuniform. In order to improve and stabilize sensor sensitivity as a plasmon resonance device, it is important that metal fine particles isolated from each other are provided in uniform size.
Moreover, the patent documents disclosing the above prior art technologies do not describe the shape of metal fine particles in detail. More specifically, the above-mentioned patent documents neither describe nor suggest the point of achieving an improvement in sensitivity by controlling the shape of gold particles.

Detecting element, detecting device, and method of producing the detecting element


A variety of maple tree which combines compact growth, dense branching, a narrow upright growth habit, glossy foliage, and bright fall color.

In 1983, I initiated a program of selection and improvement in the species Acer truncatum. I obtained seed and seedlings from several sources that were planted out for evaluation. As part of this program, in March of 1988, I selected four particularly nice seedlings which I planted into a trial block in a nursery in Boring, Oreg. After several years of evaluation, I determined that one of these trees, which I designated Acer truncatum 'D' (unpatented) was the best in terms of foliage quality, form, and fall color. I allowed 'D' to develop seed from open pollination in the block with many other selected seedlings of Acer truncatum. In October of 1992, I collected this seed from Acer truncatum 'D' and grew them in a seedbed in Boring, Oreg. From this seed, I obtained 58 seedlings which I planted out into a nursery row in Boring, Oreg. in April of 1994. From these 58 seedlings, I selected the best eight to be saved and transplanted in 1997 for further evaluation. The remaining seedlings of this group of 58 seedlings were destroyed. Several years after picking the seed, the parent tree Acer truncatum 'D' was destroyed when the block was cleared due to crowding and my evaluations had determined that the selected seedling trees were superior to the seed parent 'D'.
Of the eight selected seedlings that were transplanted in 1997, I selected the best single tree in August of 1998 which I designated as Acer truncatum 'JFS-KW187'. My attention was first drawn to 'JFS-KW187' because of its very dense, compact, form and its strongly upright growth habit. I later discovered that this 'JFS-KW187' tree had superior fall color. In August 1998, I began asexual propagation trials by budding from the original 'JFS-KW187' tree onto Acer platanoides rootstock. From this vegetative propagation, I obtained six trees which I compared to the original 'JFS-KW187' tree. Subsequently, I vegetatively propagated additional small trial plots of six to twelve 'JFS-KW187' trees in 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009. All of these trial trees were destroyed after evaluation except for one 'JFS-KW187' tree that was planted into a long term trial block in 2011 in Boring, Oreg., and eight other 'JFS-KW187' trees that were saved to become a future propagation source in a stock block in a nursery in Canby, Oreg. in 2013. My original tree of 'JFS-KW187' was moved to a long term trial block in Boring, Oreg. in February, 2002.
This asexual propagation in Boring, Oreg. by budding on Acer platanoides rootstock has shown that the characteristics of my new tree are firmly fixed in successive generations. Testing, evaluation, and comparison of Acer truncatum 'JFS-KW187' trees has convinced me that my new tree has superior form and appearance for landscape use.


A system (10) for managing a capacity extreme at a first entity (12) in a supply chain includes a planning application (36) that receives status data for at least the first entity (12) reflecting the capacity extreme at the first entity (12) and generates a plan (34) according to the status data. A manager application (44) receives the plan (34) and, according to the plan (34), automatically initiates at least one service in an attempt to resolve at least a portion of the capacity extreme through interaction with one or more other entities (12). The manager application (44) selects the service from among a plurality of available services based on a monetary value to the first entity (12) of a resolution expected to be available using the selected service relative to other services.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to commercial transactions, and more particularly to extreme capacity management in an electronic marketplace environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Companies often experience cycles in which the companies have either excess capacity or under capacity over an extended period. As an example, a manufacturing company may manufacture more products than it has orders for, resulting in an excess capacity situation. Alternatively, a manufacturing company may manufacture too few products to meet its orders, resulting in an under capacity situation. Similar undesirable capacity mismatches may occur with respect to wholesalers, retailers, and other types of companies that must endeavor to match their capacity with demand. Relatively short term excess or under capacity may often be addressed using a factory planner or other planning engine to bring capacity in line with the demand within one or two planning periods. For example, a factory planner may cause a decrease in production in one or more subsequent periods to offset excess capacity in a current period, such that by the end of one or two periods the excess capacity has been eliminated. Alternatively, under capacity in a current period may be addressed through increased production for one or two subsequent periods. Once capacity returns to the desired level, the manufacturing of products may continue as before.
Such techniques often have a number of inadequacies. First, taking a factory as an example, decreasing or increasing production to address capacity issues may require operating the factory under less than optimal conditions. The likely result is increased overhead or other indirect allocation of resources, which negatively impacts the bottom line. Second, although a planning engine may be able to provide notification when the capacity is far above or below what is necessary to match demand, the planning engine will be unable in general to provide a solution for resolving the capacity extreme. The company is left to find an acceptable solution on its own. Doing so typically requires experienced personnel to devote valuable time in finding other companies to accept the excess capacity or provide the under capacity. Even experienced personnel may not be aware of all potential buyers or suppliers or, more importantly, the buyers and suppliers that have compatible capacity at the particular time. These and other deficiencies have made previous techniques for addressing capacity extremes inadequate for the needs of many companies.

Extreme capacity management in an electronic marketplace environment


A method and device for establishing link are provided. The method for establishing link is applied to an Ad-Hoc network includes: generating, by a first electrical device, a first part of a service set identifier according to a user's name and a network-card address; generating a second part of the service set identifier according to the first part of the service set identifier, a private key and a first algorithm; generating the service set identifier according to the first part of the service set identifier and the second part of the service set identifier; generating a link password according to the service set, the private key and a second algorithm; and establishing, by a second electrical device, a link with the first electrical device according to the service set identifier, the private key, the first algorithm and the second algorithm.

Field of the Invention
The disclosure is related to establishing a wireless link for Ad-Hoc technology, and, more particularly, to establishing a wireless link by Service Set Identifier (SSID) and password which are generated by a user's name and network card address.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, because of the rapid development of wireless communications, it has become more and more popular for users to use electrical devices and mobile devices to transmit information and data by wireless networks.
Wireless network architectures can be divided into AD-Hoc wireless network architecture and Infrastructure wireless network architecture. AD-Hoc wireless network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) transmission mode. In the AD-Hoc wireless network architecture specified in 802.11, a device or work station can directly process peer-to-peer (P2P) transmissions without going through an access point (AP). Namely, AD-Hoc wireless network is a kind of peer-to-peer network without a wireless access point. For, AD-Hoc wireless network architecture, when electrical devices install wireless network devices (e.g. a network card), the wireless connection between electrical devices can be established by the wireless network devices. The principle of AD-Hoc wireless network architecture is that one computer is configured to establish a peer-to-peer link, and other computers will establish network links and share files with each other through the peer-to-peer link.
However, in traditional AD-Hoc wireless network architecture, the user needs to set the AD-Hoc wireless network with complex settings. The user needs to open multiple windows to complete the AD-Hoc wireless network settings by setting the options in the windows. As a result, it is not convenient for the user to use the AD-Hoc wireless network. In addition, when the user doesn't want to continuously use the AD-Hoc wireless network, he needs to close the AD-Hoc wireless network and release the IP address by setting the options in the windows again. Therefore, if the user forgets to close the AD-Hoc wireless network, the power of the system will be wasted. Therefore, how to make the setting of the AD-Hoc wireless network become simpler and more efficient is worthy of discussion.

Method, system and device for establishing link


A heat transfer system for use in cooling and dehumidifying an interior space while rejecting heat to several alternative sources. The system incorporates three primary heat transfer coils in a mechanical refrigeration cycle to provide comfort cooling to an interior space while rejecting heat to one of two primary condensing mediums. In addition the heat transfer system of the present invention functions by transferring heat from the atmosphere to a pool, thereby functioning as a pool heater. In a first operating mode heat transferred from an interior space to the ambient atmosphere. In a second operating mode heat is transferred from an interior space to pool water. In a third operating mode heat is transferred from the ambient atmosphere to pool water. A refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger is disclosed having a gas trap for isolating corrosive gases from the metallic heat exchanger components, and further including a sacrificial zinc anode for corrosion protection. A novel control system is disclosed using first and second desired pool water temperature set-points for maximizing system efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical heat transfer systems, and more particularly to a comprehensive and versatile heat exchanger and heat pump and related apparatus for, among other things, selectively cooling domestic air space and/or heating domestic and/or swimming pool water.
2. Description of the Background Art
Mechanical heat pump systems are well known in the art for absorbing heat from one medium and transferring the heat to another medium. In a conventional mechanical refrigeration system a pair of heat exchangers are fluidly connected in a refrigeration circuit, through which a cooling or heating medium (hereinafter "refrigerant") flows. According to the circulation direction of the refrigerant, one heat exchanger functions as an evaporator and the other heat exchanger functions as a condenser.
A common commercial embodiment of mechanical refrigeration is found in residential and commercial air conditioning systems. Such systems may be either "packaged" wherein all of the necessary components are packaged in a single unit, or "split" systems wherein the evaporator is separated from the compressor and condenser.
Furthermore, the need for heating domestic potable and swimming pool water is well recognized in the prior art. In warm climates the use of a swimming pool may be limited to those months where the ambient temperature is sufficient to warm the swimming pool water to a comfortable level. In colder climates, swimming pool water must be continually heated in order to provide comfortable aquatic recreation. In addition, there exists a number of other needs and uses for warmed water including domestic hot water and water used for irrigation.
A number of references are directed to providing a mechanical system capable of heating a water source. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,216, issued to Holmes, discloses a combination air conditioner and pool heater. U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,396, issued to Takahashi, discloses an air conditioning hot-water supply system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,472, issued to Guilbault et al., discloses an add on heat pump swimming pool control. U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,479, issued to Doctor, discloses an apparatus for heating, cooling and dehumidifying the enclosure air from an indoor swimming pool while simultaneously heating or cooling the pool water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,128, issued to Leniger, discloses a swimming pool heating system which utilizes a pump that is used for heating heat transfer fluid which is circulated through the primary coil of a heat exchanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,529, issued to Babbit et al., discloses a mechanical refrigeration system for selectively heating swimming pool water. Babbit et al. discloses three operating modes for selectively transferring heat. In the first mode, heat is transferred from the atmosphere to pool water. In the second mode, heat is transferred from a conditioned space to the atmosphere. In the third mode, heat is transferred from the conditioned space to pool water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,338, issued to Poteet, discloses a heating and cooling system for heating pool water while providing means for cooling or heating the interior of a building. Poteet discloses a system including a compressor connected through suitable conduits to a first condenser located in a swimming pool, a second condenser, and an evaporator located in a conditioned space.
However, there are a number of inherent disadvantages present in the prior art systems. Specifically, the prior art systems fail to disclose pool water heat exchangers having means for preventing heat exchanger corrosion. In particular, when water flow in prior art refrigerant-to-water heat exchangers is interrupted, air pockets may form in high points within the tubing system. When this happens, chlorine gas escapes from the pool water and cohabits the air pockets. It has been found that accelerated corrosion of the metallic heat exchanger surfaces, such as copper-based metals, occurs at the interface of the chlorine gas, pool water, and copper tubing, leading to failure of the system. It is apparent that active corrosion occurs at an accelerated rate along boundary lines separating fluid and gas resulting in a measurable electrical voltage generated by corrosion which consumes the host metal. Over time, the copper tubing experiences repeated insult at the boundary layer where the tubing, air, and water intersect, resulting in an electrochemical half-cell effect which generates an electrical voltage while consuming the copper tubing. The problem is most pronounced in refrigerant-to-water heat exchangers wherein at least a portion of the water therein drains away from high points during periods when the circulating pump is de-energized, leaving an "air gap" in the highest point(s) in the pool water conduits. The repeated insult which occurs at the interface of the pool water/chlorine gas/copper tubing surface is driven by the half-cell effect which creates a voltage, in turn consuming the copper. Ultimately, such corrosion causes failure of the heat exchanger tubing, thereby causing loss of refrigerant and further allowing water to contaminate the refrigerant system resulting in catastrophic system failure. Thus, for a system to be sufficiently reliable and commercially feasible, there still exists a need for a heat transfer system having a corrosion resistant heat exchanger.
In addition, the presence of multiple heat transfer coils in heat exchangers having varying capacities, in a common refrigeration system, results in system problems in connection with maintaining and balancing the refrigerant charge. This problem is further compounded in system configurations wherein there is substantial distance between the various components (i.e., long conduit runs).
Furthermore, other systems fail to disclose control schemes that maximize energy efficiency by minimizing pool water pumping requirements in association with system operation. In addition, the systems of the background art fail to disclose the use of multiple thermostatic set-points for maximizing use of the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger as a condenser thereby resulting in increased system efficiency. The present invention is directed toward overcoming these and other disadvantages in the prior art.