A process for staining wood, preferably unfinished wood, and/or wood articles from which the finish has been removed, with a stain (oil or water based) containing a plurality of fluorescent dyes and/or pigment, by treating the wood with a bleach to substantially reduce the contrast between the heartwood and sapwood features of the wood grain thereof to the desired degree, and staining the bleached wood with a stain formulation containing a plurality of fluorescent dye or pigment, wherein each fluorescent dye or pigment are absorbed into the wood and produce a uniquely colored stained wood product. The staining process can be repeated, as desired, to attain the stained wood object having a distinctive wood product, in visible light, and a distinctive wood product having a, fluorescent monochromatic appearance, in the absence of visible light. In each instance the color of the stain shall appear in varying intensity depending upon the uptake thereof in the heartwood or the sapwood.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing pre-finished wood articles of manufacture and to pre-finished articles of manufacture. More specifically, this invention is directed to a process for staining wood, preferably unfinished wood, and/or wood articles from which the finish has been removed, with a stain (oil or water based), to produced a multi-colored, pre-finished wood article of manufacture, wherein the wood grain features of the pre-finished wood article have been highlighted in at least two distinct colors, and/or shades thereof, which have at least two shades of a given color, and are visible in both visible light and in the absence of visible light.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural wood can have various shades of a given color, and the intensity thereof varies from the heartwood to the sapwood of any species of timber from which the lumber is cut. Moreover, the grain of a given wood species can appear to have different patterns, depending upon the angle of cut of a section through a piece of timber from which the lumber is cut. Moreover, the appearance of wood for the same species of wood can appear different depending upon the age of tree within a given species. In fact, as wood ages, compounds within wood can oxidize over time producing unexpected reaction (oxidation) products, thereby imparting fluorescent properties to the wood. An early observation of fluorescence in wood was described in 1560 by Bernardino de Sahagún, and in 1565 by Nicolás Monardes in the infusion known as lignum nephriticum (Latin for "kidney wood"). It was derived from the wood of two tree species, Pterocarpus indicus and Eysenhardtia polystachya. The chemical compound responsible for this fluorescence is matlaline, which is the oxidation product of one of the flavonoids found in this wood, Acuña, A. U.; Amat-Guerri, F.; Morcillo, P. N.; Liras, M.; RodriGuez, B. N. (2009). "Structure and Formation of the Fluorescent Compound of Lignum nephriticum". Organic Letters 11 (14): 3020-3023.
The artificial coloring of wood, more specifically, by wood staining, has traditionally involved the preparation of the wood surface, by sanding, the removal of excess colorants from the wood by bleaching, followed thereafter by the application of a water or oil based stain or varnish. This process can typically involve light sanding, and the repeated application of the stain or varnish until the desired color is attained. Often the surface is lightly sanded between applications of successive exposure to a stain; and, in certain instances, can be sanded incident (during) the staining process. After the wood article has received the desired degree of stain, it can be sealed. The sealing process is generally preceded by a light sanding, prior to the application of the sealant. The sealing of the wood surface, (generally with a durable coating such as clear polyurethane based finish), preserves the wood surface from physical damage and reduces oxidation of wood upon exposure to light (marine stains), which can be problematic where the oxidation products, formed within the wood, darken the wood and/or diminish the contrast between stain in the heartwood and stain in the sapwood.
The following patents are representative of the treatment of wood to accomplish a decorative finish, and/or impart a design, through the use of a stencil (U.S. Pat. No. 8,048,517 to Kimball et al., issued Nov. 1, 2011, application of pre-formed designs or strips (U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,295 to Campelle et al., issued Nov. 15, 2011, and various photo assisted creation/transfers of an image pattern to a wood surface (to Lenox et al. issued Dec. 3, 1).
Notwithstanding these prior efforts to provide a finish/pattern to a wood surface, all rely upon traditional processes for applying monochromatic stain for treatment, or alternatively, apply a transfer to such surface, or alternatively, affix a coating to such surface. Moreover, generally all wood stains contain only single colorant, thus, limiting their use and the appearance of the stained product.
Accordingly, there continues to exist a need to enhance the natural appearance of a wood surface without departure from traditional departure from traditional staining techniques.

Process floor staining wood with fluorescent dyes and pigments


In order to provide a compound that shows a strong effect on controlling a plant disease, a triazole compound of the present invention (i) is a compound in which —OH group, —R2 group, and CH2—Ar group are bonded in cis configuration with a cyclopentane, (ii) is (−)-enantiomer or (+) enantiomer, and (iii) is represented by Formula (I):

It is known that certain kinds of 2-substituted-5-benzyl-1-azolylmethylcyclopentanol derivative show an antifungal activity (e.g., see Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
Further, it is reported that some compounds encompassed in 2-(substitution of halogenated hydrocarbon)-5-benzyl-1-azolylmethylcyclopentanol derivative show an anticonvulsive property and an anti-anxiety fighting activity (see Patent Literature 3). Note that Patent Literature 3 does not disclose agro-horticultural agents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: (wherein R1 represents an alkyl group; R2 represents a haloalkyl group; and Ar represents a substituted/unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group or a substituted/unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group.


A COA substrate is provided including a substrate base, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a second metal layer, a color resist layer, and a pixel electrode layer. The surface of the color resist layer is provided with a protrusion and a recess, and the pixel electrode is disposed on the protrusion and the recess. A plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses are provided, thereby increasing the display quality of a liquid crystal display device.

With the development of science and technology, the use of the liquid crystal display devices is becoming more and more extensive. For improving the presentation of colors on the liquid crystal display device, a layer of color film is provided on an array substrate of a conventional liquid crystal display device, so that three primary colors RGB can be realized on the array substrate, and an alignment operation between the array substrate and the color film substrate can be eliminated, so as to get a better presentation of full-colors on the liquid crystal display device. The above technique is called COA (Color Filter on array) technique.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional COA substrate. A pixel electrode 12 is directly formed on a color filter 11. After a backlight passes through the COA substrate, three-color lights RGB are thus formed.
In order to prevent the crosstalk phenomenon when a liquid crystal display device is working, the pixel electrode 12 of the COA substrate will comprise a plurality of regions which are formed with different extending angles, thereby achieving a multi-domain display. As shown in FIG. 1, a pixel electrode region and an interval region 13 must necessarily exist in the COA substrate. When the above-mentioned liquid crystal display device is working, an electric field intensity sensed by the liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the interval region 13 of the COA substrate is weaker, so that the light penetration rate of a display region corresponding to the interval region 13 is decreased, thereby affecting the display quality of the liquid crystal display device.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a COA substrate and a crystal display panel to solve the above technical problems.

COA substrate and liquid crystal display panel

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


Patterned laminated green tape multilayer stacks can be fired while maintaining the dimensions of the pattern by applying, as by screen printing or spraying, a ceramic ink over surface portions of the green tape stack. Complex patterns can be formed in the green tapes by punching openings in one or more of the laminated green tape stacks before laminating them together.

Ceramic multilayer circuit boards have been used for many years for circuits for electrical apparatus. They are made by casting glass and/or ceramic powders, such as low firing temperature devitrifying glasses having a firing temperature below about 1000.degree. C., together with an organic binder, to form a green tape. A conductive metal circuit is formed on the green tape by screen printing. These green tapes may be stacked together to form a multilayer circuit stack. The circuits on each green tape layer are connected electrically by punching via holes in the green tape, which are then filled with a conductive material. The green tapes are then aligned and pressed together, or laminated, and fired to remove the organic materials and to sinter the glass.
More recently, the green tape layers have been aligned on a conductive metal support substrate, to enhance the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of multilayer glass/ceramic circuit boards. The multilayer ceramic green tapes are adhered to the support substrate by means of a bonding glass. Proper choice of bonding glasses can both adhere the green tape layers to the conductive support, and can suppress shrinkage of the green tape during firing in the x and y lateral dimensions. The resultant green tape stack, which shrinks up to about 20% by volume during firing, shrinks only in the z direction, that is, the vertical direction with respect to the support substrate. This eliminates problems of alignment between the green tape stack and the support substrate, and improves via hole tolerances of all substrate features.
When it is desired to pattern the green tape stacks so as to form cavities in the green tape in which, after firing, devices such as silicon chips may be placed, the presence of the support substrate has reduced the shrinkage and deformation of such cavities during firing. A prior art process has been described that shows process steps for making the cavities and for limiting their deformation during firing, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D.
FIG. 1A illustrates a green tape layer stack 22 having a cavity 24 formed therein. The green tape layer stack 22 is supported by a substrate support 26 and has a top layer 28 of a non-sintering ceramic material. This ceramic material can be a high sintering temperature material such as alumina.
A machined insert or cavity plug 29, such as of ceramic of the size of the cavity 24, is placed in the cavity 24 to maintain the size of the cavity during lamination and firing as shown in FIG. 1B.
After firing the laminate stack and removing the insert 29, as shown in FIG. 1C, the sintered layers 32 have shrunk only in the thickness dimension, and the top layer 28 remains intact, still slightly overhanging the fired stack 32. The layer 28 now comprises a powdered ceramic. The cavity 24 has improved dimensional stability, and has about the same dimensions as the original cavity.
FIG. 1D shows the fired green tape stack after removal of the top ceramic layer and the machined insert. The fired stack 32 having a cavity 24 therein is adhered to the substrate 26.
However, although the shrinkage in the x and y directions can be greatly reduced in accordance with the above process, there is still some shrinkage during firing in the lateral dimensions, up to about 3%, and it is difficult to retain both the shape and the size of the cavities formed in the green tape throughout the firing step. Deformation occurs because, during firing, the cavity walls flow inwardly, so that the fired cavity is smaller than the cavity originally punched in the green tape. When a cavity plug, made of a high firing temperature ceramic is placed in the cavity prior to firing in a further attempt to prevent shrinkage, the shrinkage that still occurs in the z direction also contributes to the deformation of cavity walls, and it is difficult to maintain the flatness of the cavity walls and floors because of the flow of resin and glass during the firing step. Ceramic plugs or inserts, when used, have the disadvantages that they must be separately formed, and must be separately removed from the cavities after firing. These requirements add to the number of steps required to make the patterned multilayer printed circuit board, and thus add to the costs of such a process. However, the fired shrinkage is only marginally improved, and some shrinkage still occurs in lateral directions.
Thus a method of improving the dimensional control and deformation control during lamination and firing of multilayer, patterned green tape stacks would be highly desirable.

Method to control cavity dimensions of fired multilayer circuit boards on a support


A yarn false twist texturing machine in which an advancing yarn is deflected by a feed yarn guide at a deflection position which is between a heater and a cooling member, and which is at an elevation outside the reach of the machine operator. The feed yarn guide is height adjustable, and it is disposed on a sliding element, which is movable upwards and downwards on a guide rail by means of a linear drive. In the event the electrical energy supply of the machine fails, the linear drive is activated by means of a control device in such a way that the sliding element and the yarn guide move downwardly to a predetermined parking position just below the yarn deflection position, so as to automatically remove the yarn from the heater and thereby prevent yarn damage.

The present invention relates to a yarn false twist texturing machine with a height adjustable feed yarn guide, of the type disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,159 and DE-PS 23 48 322.
The latter document discloses a height adjustable hand rod with a sliding guide and a cable mechanism with guide rollers to bridge the significant operating heights and reach the apex formed between the yarn heater and the cooling member of the machine. In this case, a feed yarn guide is moved from a position which can be reached by the operator, in which the yarn is inserted into the feed yarn guide, to a feed position, the feed yarn guide bringing the yarn into its final path in the heating device by means of a pivoted lever. The mechanism is relatively complicated and calls for long operating paths with regard to the manual operation of the hand rod. In the event of the electrical energy supply of a texturing machine failing, this leads to the yarn remaining in the heater until the operator retracts the yarn guide with the yarn. However, when using high-temperature heaters in texturing machines, the danger exists that the yarn may be damaged prior to removal from the heater.
A heating device is known from EP 0 429 980 in which a height adjustable yarn guide is disposed at the exit of the heater. This yarn guide is activated in the event of the electrical energy supply failing and lifts the yarn from the contact surface of the heater. However, this facility is not suitable for bridging a working height extending beyond the range of an operator when feeding the yarn.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a yarn false twist texturing machine having a height adjustable feed yarn guide, which in the event of the electrical energy supply failing, executes a swift removal of the yarn from the heater independently of the operator. The yarn is thus brought into a position which prevents damage to the yarn from prolonged contact with the heater.

Height adjustable yarn guide for false twist texturing machine


The invention relates in part to a method of constructing a lasting board with contiguous attachment points. A flexible shoe lasting board is formed with extensions beyond the feather edge of the last. The extensions are coextensively formed with the lasting board since they are cut as a single unit from one sheet of material. This method of construction provides greater integrity of the joint between board and extensions than would be present if attachment was required, such as by stitching or cementing. The extensions of the lasting board are useful for securing the shoe to the foot and for securing components to the lasting board.

The following description of the background of the invention is provided to aid in understanding the invention, but is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the invention.
The invention relates in part to a component for the attachment of a sole to an upper to form an article of footwear.
Footwear generally consists of a flexible open bag (known as an upper) for fixing about the foot of a wearer, and a sole attached below the upper. The sole may include an element designed to attenuate shock, generally referred to as a midsole. The sole may also include an element designed for ground engagement, generally referred to as an outsole.
Several methods of attaching an upper to a sole have been developed. In slip lasting, force lasting or tubular construction, a upper is generally extended below the feather edge of the last and stitched to itself to form a bag. In this construction, no lasting board is present. In California slip lasting a lasting board, sometimes called a slip-sock, is stitched to the edges of the upper below the feather edge of the last. The upper is held in shape about the last while a sole is attached.
In string lasting, the upper is drawn about a last by pulling two strings stitched to the lower margin of the upper. The action of gathering the lower margin of the upper below the featherline is followed by the application of a sole to maintain the shoe shape prior to removal of the last. A lasting board is rarely used in this construction. When present, it is used as a rigidity--providing sheet element lying inside the feather edges of the last.
In flat lasting, a lasting board is placed along some portion of the bottom of the last inside the feather edges. The upper is drawn over the last and the lower margin wrapped onto the lasting board where it is secured with cement, stitching, staples, nails, tacks or rivets. A sole is attached to the upper and the last removed.
Moccasin construction uses a lasting board, sometimes called a shankboard, in the heel area inside the feather edges of the last with upper material wrapped under the forefoot. As in other methods, a sole is attached by cementing, stitching, direct injection, vulcanizing, molding or nailing before the last is removed. Rib lasting, flange lasting and Goodyear welt lasting all involve attaching the upper to a flat rigid welt board for attachment to a sole unit usually by cement, stitching or stapling.
These methods of using lasting boards to attach sole and upper elements are shown in art on footwear, for example, Whatley U.S. Pat. No. DES. 309,055 shows a shoe constructed by flat lasting with cement. Several variations on these constructions are taught by the following art.
Conroy U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,228 discloses an inflatable footwear component which includes a linking tube that passes below the last during shoe construction.
Devlin U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,857 discloses a shoe construction in which upper straps are wrapped below a lasting board for attachment.
Fukuoka U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,455 discloses a method for manufacturing footwear in which sole elements are directly injected onto uppers with or without lasting boards present.
Hockerson U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,895 discloses a method of wrapping a foam midsole onto the upper above the feather edge.
Misevich U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,598 discloses a shoe with two separate sole units attached to an upper with a lasting board.
Meyers U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,177 discloses an insert to be placed in a shoe above the lasting board.
Richard U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,531 discloses a shoe construction in which an elastic upper element is wrapped below a lasting board.
Misevich U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,057 discloses a board for inclusion within a sole to alter the torsional rigidity of the shoe.
Robinson U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,630 discloses an ankle support strap for attachment by wrapping below a lasting board or attachment to an upper.
Spademan U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,605 discloses a shock absorbing system which may be attached above or below a lasting board.
Fuerst U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,560 discloses a shoe construction in which a sole is wrapped onto the upper and secured with stitching.
Whatley U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,401 discloses a cushioning element which may be attached between the lasted upper and the sole unit with or without the presence of a lasting board.
The following publication and U.S. patents provide disclosure that aid the interpretation of the present invention: Rokahr, U.S. Pat. No. 1,286,787 (issued Dec. 3, 1918); Hurley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,602,675 (issued Oct. 14, 1922); Eddins, U.S. Pat. No. 1,637,897 (issued Aug. 2, 1927); Cutillo, U.S. Pat. No. 2,070,116 (issued Feb. 9, 1937); Glidden, U.S. Pat. No. 2,147,197 (issued Feb. 14, 1939); Williamee, U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,813 (issued Sep. 9, 1958); Danowsky, U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,232 (issued Jun. 6, 1967); Conway, U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,125 (issued Sep. 2, 1969); Vaccari, U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,016 (issued Jan. 2, 1979); Salomon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,251 (issued Mar. 3, 1981); Schmohl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,161 (issued Aug. 3, 1982); Gamm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,511 (issued Nov. 5, 1985); Tanzi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,316 (issued Nov. 17, 1987); Caberlotto, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,544 (issued Aug. 23, 1994); and Segel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,549 (issued Jun. 28, 1994).


A suction system for a V-type engine includes branch pipes that cross parallel to each other for communicating with cylinders, two aggregate portions disposed inside center lines of opposed banks for aggregating the branch pipes which communicate with the cylinders without regard to the ignition order, two guide pipes connected to the aggregate portions in centers thereof, and a communicating pipe disposed over the branch pipes for communicating with the aggregate portions.

The present invention relates to a suction system for an internal combustion engine.
It is preferable that suction passages for an internal combustion engine for an automotive vehicle meet the following conditions: excellent intake efficiency in a wide range of rotation ranging from low speed to high speed and, for a multiple cylinder engine, uniform distribution of air and mixture among cylinders.
Referring to FIG. 11, there is shown a previously proposed suction system for a V-type opposed six cylinder engine which is disclosed, for example, in JP-A 60-69255.
As shown in FIG. 11, there are arranged two aggregate portions or surge tanks 75, 76 for aggregating branch pipes 73, 74 which communicate with cylinders of left and right banks 71, 72. The two aggregate portions 75, 76 are disposed in parallel with a crankshaft, each having an end at which a throttle valve 77 is mounted.
With such a known suction system, however, since the throttle valve 77 is mounted at the end of each aggregate portion 75, 76, the suction passages connecting the throttle valve 77 and the intake valves of the cylinders have different lengths, resulting in a dispersion of the intake efficiency of the cylinders in a range of low speed rotation in which resonance supercharging is carried out.
Further, since the aggregate portions 75, 76 are disposed on center lines of the banks 71, 72, respectively, ignition plugs also disposed on the center lines of the banks 71, 72 cannot be mounted and detached without removing the suction system from an engine main body. Furthermore, due to the above construction, there is a design restriction in that an engine hood line of the vehicle has a center portion higher than a side portion.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a suction system for an internal combustion engine which contributes to an increase in the intake efficiency with a restricted overall height of the engine.

Suction system for internal combustion engine


Disclosed is a light emitting diode structure including a Constructive Oxide Contact Structure contact layer. The light emitting diode structure comprises a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the substrate, a lower confinement layer formed on the buffer layer, a light emitting layer formed on the lower confinement layer, an upper confinement layer formed on the light emitting layer, a Constructive Oxide Contact Structure contact layer formed on the upper confinement layer whose conducting type can be P-type, N-type, or I-type, a first electrode, and a second electrode (transparent electrode). The transparent electrode is formed on the Constructive Oxide Contact Structure contact layer as an anode of the light emitting diode. The first electrode is formed on the lower confinement layer and is spaced apart from the light emitting layer, the upper confinement layer, the contact layer, and the transparent electrode. The first electrode is used as a cathode of the light emitting diode.

Gallium nitride (GaN) based blue light emitting diode has been industrialized on large scales worldwide since a group of Japanese researchers made a breakthrough in Gallium nitride (GaN) based extension technology in 1993.
A conventional Gallium nitride (GaN) based light emitting diode structure, shown in FIG. 1, is constructed on a substrate 10 made of a material such as Al2O3. The light emitting diode 1 includes, sequentially from bottom to top, a nucleation layer 12, a N-type doped conducting buffer layer 14 made of N-type doped Gallium nitride (GaN) which makes a subsequent crystalline growth more smoothly and easily, a lower confinement layer 16, an active layer 18 for light emission, an upper confinement layer 20, a contact layer 22 made of P-type Gallium nitride (GaN), and a transparent electrode 24 as an anode of the light emitting diode 1. The lower confinement layer 16 and the upper confinement layer 20 have opposite doping types. For example, when the lower confinement layer 16 is made of N-type doped Gallium nitride, the upper confinement layer 20 is made of P-type doped Gallium nitride (GaN). The transparent electrode 24 is usually made of a N-type doped material such as Indium Tin oxide, Cadmium Tin oxide, or an extremely thin metallic material. In addition, an electrode 26 as a cathode of the light emitting diode 1 is formed on the buffer layer 14 and in a region spaced apart from the lower and upper confinement layers 20 and 16, and the active layer 18.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a light emitting region of the light emitting diode 1 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a forward bias is applied on the transparent electrode 24 and the electrode 26 of the light emitting diode 1 and causes the light emitting diode 1 to become conductive. An electric current flows from the transparent electrode 24 to the active layer 18. As the P-type Gallium nitride (GaN) contact layer 22 according to a prior art has a limited carrier density and a high contact resistance, a current spreading effect of the electric current is inferior. From FIG. 2 it is also apparent that the transparent electrode 24 covers only a section of the contact layer 22 and the electric current flows through a region only as wide as the width of the transparent electrode 24. Accordingly, the light emitting diode 1 has a restricted light emitting region and the active layer 18 is not fully exploited. A light emitting efficiency of the light emitting diode 1 is thereby significantly reduced.
In summary, a high density P-type contact layer cannot be effectively formed in a light emitting diode structure according to a prior art due to a limitation from the contact layer's physical property. This not only increases a production cost but also reduces a yield rate of the light emitting diode. Furthermore, a large part of an active layer of a light emitting diode structure according to a prior art is not fully exploited. A light emitting diode structure according to a prior art thereby cannot provide a high light emitting efficiency. In addition, the transparent electrode and contact layer are of opposite doping types in a light emitting diode structure according to a prior art. A junction may be formed between the transparent electrode and the contact layer, and hence an operation of the light emitting diode may be affected.
Therefore, improving a contact layer's physical property can enhance a light emitting diode's light emitting efficiency. In Taiwan Patent No. 156268, a Strained Layer Supperlattice (SLS) structure is used as a light emitting diode's contact layer to enhance the light emitting diode's light emitting efficiency. Taiwan Patent Published No. 546859 also discloses a Gallium nitride (GaN) based light emitting diode with a digital penetration layer to make an ohmic contact and thereby reduce a resistance between a Indium Tin oxide layer and a P-type Gallium nitride based contact layer. It is well-known that a superlattice structure can reduce dislocations. This idea can also be applied to growth of GaN where dislocations tend to bend at the interfaces. Conventionally, the superlattice structure of AlGaN/GaN was used to reduce the cracks and dislocations in a thick GaN layer which can be formed as an upper confinement layer disposed on the light emitting layer. Despite these prior efforts do increase a light emitting efficiency to some extent, a satisfactory level is not yet to achieve.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to obviate the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related arts to improve a light emitting efficiency of a light emitting diode.


An automatic VOC concentration control apparatus is capable of adjusting the concentration of VOC in a catalytic device under a predetermined value. The automatic VOC concentration control apparatus includes a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port for introducing and discharging VOC vapor, respectively, one or more cooling tubes for cooling the VOC vapor introduced through the inlet port, and one or more porous members for holding droplets of VOC liquid thereon as the VOC vapor is condensed into liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalytic apparatus for treating VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) vapor generated in an image forming apparatus using liquid toner for printing, and to discharge a harmless gas. The invention is also directed to an automatic VOC concentration control apparatus capable of controlling the concentration of the VOC vapor introduced into the catalytic apparatus not to exceed a predetermined value. The invention is further directed to an image forming apparatus having an automatic VOC concentration control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus using liquid toner for printing transfers an image developed by the liquid toner on a photoconductor to a print medium, and then feeds the image-transferred print medium through a high temperature/high pressure fixing apparatus, so that the transferred image is fixed to the print medium. In the process of fixing the image to the print medium, the organic compound of the liquid toner is vaporized by the high temperature, whereby VOC vapor is generated. Since such VOC is harmful, it shall not be discharged to the atmosphere as it is. Accordingly, a conventional wet type image forming apparatus has an apparatus 5 for turning VOC vapor generated in the image forming unit 3 into harmless gas and then discharging the harmless gas, as shown in FIG. 1. Typically, a VOC vapor treating apparatus in an image forming apparatus 1 is a catalytic apparatus. The catalytic apparatus decomposes VOC vapor into harmless gas that includes CO2, H2O or the like using catalyst such as platinum and discharges the harmless gas to the atmosphere.
Such a catalytic apparatus is designed on the basis of the maximum amount of VOC vapor which is expected to be generated in an image forming apparatus during use. However, since the maximum amount of VOC vapor is not always generated while printing, the efficiency of the catalyst is poor. That is, since it is necessary to use an amount of catalyst more than that capable of treating an average amount of VOC vapor expected to be generated, the capacity of the catalyst exceeds the normal requirements, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs of an image forming apparatus.
However, if such a catalytic apparatus is designed on the basis of an average amount of VOC vapor generated in order to save the costs, there is a risk that the catalytic apparatus may discharge VOC vapor to the atmosphere without fully treating the VOC vapor introduced into the catalytic apparatus when the generated VOC vapor exceeds the predetermined average amount. In addition, since the catalytic reaction for decomposing VOC is an exothermic reaction, the catalyst may overheat, degrade and lose its capability if it decomposes VOC vapor exceeding the design capacity of the catalytic apparatus. Therefore, there is a problem in that the life span of the catalyst is reduced.

Automatic VOC concentration control apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same


A driving control apparatus of kimchi jar and method thereof, temperature value of temperature sensor and state-changed temperature of water are compared to correct an error against temperature detected value of the temperature sensor and to drive a compressor according to the corrected temperature detected value, thereby maintaining accurately the temperature in the chamber as the refrigerated storage temperature to optimally store kimchi in refrigeration even though there is generated an error at the temperature detected value due to an erroneous temperature sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a kimchi jar, and more particularly to a driving control apparatus of a kimchi jar and a method thereof by which temperature in the jar is accurately detected to drive a compressor and to optimally store the kimchi in refrigeration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a refrigerator equipped with a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber is used to store frozen food, refrigerated food or kimchi in respectively appropriate temperatures. Meanwhile, when kimchi and refrigerated food are stored together in a refrigerating chamber of a refrigerator, odor generated from fermentation of the kimchi causes an interior of the refrigerating chamber to be filled with bad smell and leaves other refrigerated food to be permeated therewith, harming intrinsic smell of the refrigerated food, which necessitates kimchi to be stored in a separate jar.
Furthermore, although a kimchi jar containing kimchi should be buried underground for adequate fermentation and flavor thereof, it is very difficult in an environment where most people live in an apartment, row house or the like to bury the jar underground.
Researches and other studies on kimchi stored in a separate container such as kimchi jar are carried out vigorously, and a conventional kimchi jar is illustrated in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conventional kimchi jar includes a body 10, a door 20, a manipulating unit 30 equipped with a plurality of keys for establishment of various functions and execution thereof and a chamber 40 for storing the kimchi.
Now, operation of the driving control method of a kimchi jar thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
First of all, when kimchi is stored in the chamber 40 of the body 10 and a refrigerated storage after fermentation is selected through the manipulating unit 30, a fermentation temperature (preferably 25 degrees celsius) set up in the chamber 40 for established fermentation period is maintained to ferment the kimchi.
Next, a compressor motor is driven to circulate refrigerant, and air in the chamber 40 is heat-exchanged and cooled by an evaporator disposed in the body 10, such that an interior temperature in the chamber 40 maintains an established refrigerated storage temperature (preferably, approximately zero degree celsius) to thereby store the kimchi in refrigerated fermented state.
Meanwhile, FIG. 2 illustrates a state change of water, where it can be noted that temperature does not change during a predetermined period of time (T) from water-freezing zero degree celsius to a time of state-change of the water.
However, there is a problem in that kimchi cannot be properly fermented or stored in refrigeration because a temperature sensor installed in the chamber is fixedly established at a low temperature state and as time goes by an error is generated on the temperature detected through the temperature sensor, resulting in inaccuracy in detection of the inner temperature in the chamber.
By way of example, when an actual temperature of zero degree celsius is detected as below zero degree celsius (Ts0.degree. C.) due to malfunction of the temperature sensor, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the overall inner temperature of the chamber detected by the temperature sensor is lowly sensed due to a temperature difference (.tangle-solidup.T1), thereby causing an improper fermentation and refrigerated storage of the kimchi.
Furthermore, when the temperature of zero degree celsius (Ts0.degree. C.) is detected higher than actual zero degree celsius due to malfunction of the temperature sensor, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the overall inner temperature of the chamber detected by the temperature sensor is highly sensed due to a temperature difference (.tangle-solidup.T2), again causing an improper fermentation and refrigerated storage of the kimchi.

Driving control apparatus of kimchi jar and method thereof


Disclosed are a mobile communication terminal including two lamps and a method for providing GPS services using the terminal, so as to promote users' convenience while providing various kinds of services. The device and method aim to support increasingly-diversified services of mobile communication terminals and particularly to allow the two lamps to be applied in providing services such as a GPS service which need to provide information indicating two navigation directions. Two lamps for incoming call notification are mounted on the external of the terminal. Each of the lamps is composed of a light emitting element. A display controller is provided inside the terminal for controlling the two lamps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal and a method for providing services for the mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a display device of a mobile communication terminal and a method for providing services for the mobile communication terminal, which promotes users' convenience while providing various kinds of services.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram showing the configuration of a general mobile communication terminal. Referring to FIG. 1, a controller 100 of the mobile terminal performs and controls processes for implementing various functions including a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, as well as a telephone communication function and a wireless Internet access function. A memory 102 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a flash RAM. The ROM stores various reference data and micro codes of a program for implementing the processing and control by the controller 100. The RAM serves as a working memory of the controller 100. The flash RAM provides a storage region for storing various updatable backup data including multimedia data.
A voice processing section 104 connected to the controller 100 performs processing for telephone communication, voice recording, and outputting of an incoming call notification sound, etc., through a microphone MIC and a speaker SPK. A display section 106 displays received data or information desired to be currently displayed. A key input section 108 includes number keys from 1 to 10 and various function keys such as a menu key, a call transmission key, a delete key, a call termination/power-off key, and volume up/down keys, and special keys such as * and #, and provides key input data according to the user's selection to the controller 100. A wireless communication module 110 performs processes for receiving and transmitting wireless signals from and to a mobile communication network through an antenna.
Notably, mobile communication terminals of the prior art include only one lamp for incoming call notification. The function of the lamp is limited to display for incoming call notification and display of a call connection status. Thus, the mobile communication terminals of the prior art cannot support services of mobile communication terminals that are increasingly diversified. For example, a GPS service called "Nate Drive" is currently provided by a service provider "SK telecom" in Korea, which provides GPS information through voice prompts and visual prompts via a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen of a mobile phone. However, the GPS information voice prompts may be confused with or obscured by peripheral sounds, such as music or noise caused by vehicle operation. The LCD screen of the phone is too small to provide additional navigation direction information because there is already lots of existing information, such as a map to be displayed on the LCD screen. Thus, it is necessary to develop a new unit for indicating navigation directions in a mobile communication terminal. If a lamp for incoming call notification is used as a separate display section, other than the voice and the LCD screen, for providing services such as a GPS service which need to provide information indicating two navigation directions, it will be possible to provide a GPS service with an improved visibility.

Mobile communication terminal including two lamps for incoming call notification and method for providing GPS services using the same


The invention concerns an acidic butter oil-in-water emulsion of a lipophilic substance capable of imparting, improving or modifying the flavor properties of a composition to which it is added. These emulsions are particularly stable due to the presence of a combination of high methoxyl pectin and whey protein in their continuous phase, which combination acts as an emulsifier and a stabilizer of these emulsions. These systems can be advantageously used for the flavoring of various food applications, in particular for dairy products. The emulsion can be used as is or can be dried to a powder prior to such use.

Oil-in-water emulsions have been widely used as flavor delivery systems in the food industry, especially in the area of soft-drinks and beverages. However, their limited thermodynamic stability, which means that they always tend to separate into their two original liquid phases on standing, represents the biggest drawback in application and has the consequence that such delivery systems always need to be improved. A solution provided by the prior art consists in using bulk thickeners such as for instance vegetable gums or seaweed extracts in the continuous phase of the emulsion. However, this alternative always increases the viscosity of the emulsified system which may be a limiting factor for a further use of the emulsions in such applications.
The prior art also reports the existence of many oil-in-water systems suitable for the preparation of dairy or dairy-like products. In these systems, the discontinuous phase generally consists of both oil and a fat. The latter include either animal oils or fats, such as milk fat or butter oil and vegetable fats and oils, which are known per se in the food industry. Most often, the aim pursued in preparing such emulsions is to provide products which, as for the dairy-like products to be prepared therefrom, show the greatest possible similarity with natural milk. These systems, together with milk, wholly, or partly skimmed or reconstituted milk, can be processed to dairy or dairy-like products. In these emulsions, a whey protein ingredient is used as it is known to have good emulsifying properties.
Furthermore, it is reported in an article from Einhorn-Stoll et al. that polysaccharides play as well an important role in emulsion stabilization. More particularly, the authors report in two articles, namely in Nahrung 40 (1996), Nr. 2, p. 60-67 and Nahrung 42 (1998) Nr. 314, p. 248 and 249, a system in the form of a sunflower oil-in-water emulsion. They study the influence of the addition of high molecular weight polysaccharides, namely HM pectin, low methoxyl (LM) pectin and amidated pectin in whey protein emulsions. Einhorn-Stoll et al. conclude that, due to the formation of complexes between the protein and the free carboxylic groups of the pectin, LM pectin (having a low degree of esterification and therefore many free carboxylic groups) is more adapted than HM pectin for stabilizing these emulsions. In other words, the content of this document guides towards the use of LM pectin for stabilizing whey protein emulsions.
However, the experimental results provided by the above-mentioned articles are, as stated by the authors themselves, very different and inhomogeneous. Besides, the emulsions disclosed therein have a dispersed phase consisting essentially of a vegetable oil.
Now, the system of the present invention is different in several points from that disclosed in this prior art. In fact, the invention provides a delivery system for a lipophilic, optionally volatile substance, typically a flavor, which needs to be stabilized in a system such as an emulsion in order to be effectively released in a final application. Therefore, contrary to the emulsions described in the above-mentioned prior art, the dispersed phase of the system of the invention comprises, together with the oil, a substance capable of modifying the organoleptic properties of a composition to which it is added, typically a flavor ingredient or composition. Furthermore, the oil on which is based the dispersed phase is not from a vegetable origin, but from an animal origin.
Therefore, given the composition differences existing between the system object of the present invention and that disclosed in the prior art, in particular by Einhorn-Stoll et al., it was basically not very likely that the results reported by this document could be used in a system such as that of the invention. However, even if one had tried to use the results taught by the mentioned articles, this person would have been guided to use LM pectin as an emulsifier of a system containing whey protein.

Flavored oil-in-water emulsions for food applications


The invention discloses a method and a device for identifying pathological pictures, wherein the method comprises: obtaining sample data including a positive sample that is a pathological picture of malignant lesion and a negative sample that is a picture of normal tissue or a pathological picture of benign lesion, with a lesion area marked on the pathological picture of a malignant lesion; dividing the sample data into a training set and a testing set; training a deep neural network model using the training set; testing a trained deep neural network model using the testing set; adjusting parameters of the trained deep neural network model according to a testing result; identifying the pathological picture using the trained deep neural network model. The invention can improve the efficiency and accuracy of pathological picture identification.

At present, the pathologist needs to identify and judge the biopsy tissue suspected of nasopharyngeal tumor, to determine whether it is neoplastic, normal or inflammatory; malignant or benign; nasopharyngeal carcinoma or other lesions? Pixel numbers of the length and the width of a pathological picture are both tens of thousands. In order to identify the pathological picture, an expert with extensive experience in nasopharyngeal cancer is generally required to make a careful observation. Not only the whole process is time-consuming, labor-consuming, and experience-depending, with a not very ideal accuracy achieved, but also there may be a risk that doctors with different experiences make different identification conclusions on a same pathological picture.

Method and device for identifying pathological picture


The invention relates to a method for carrying out gear shifting in a twin-clutch gearbox comprising at least two gearbox input shafts which are respectively coupled to the engine by means of a clutch. According to the invention, after recognizing a desire to change gear, the clutch associated with the active torque transmitting gearbox input shaft is opened until the slip limit is reached and the engine torque is controlled according to the type of shifting in order to achieve the vehicle acceleration desired by the driver.

The invention relates to a method for carrying out gear shifting in a twin-clutch transmission comprising at least two transmission input shafts, each of which is coupled via a clutch to the engine.
Twin-clutch transmissions are known from vehicle technology. A twin-clutch transmission preferably has two transmission input shafts, each of which is coupled to the engine shaft via a clutch. With the method for carrying out gear shifting, it is possible to change from one gear ratio to the next higher or lower gear ratio in a twin-clutch transmission without interrupting the tractive force.

Method for carrying out gear shifting in a twin-clutch gearbox

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


A milling drum adapted to be rotated in a cutting direction about an axis defined by the cylindrical surface of the drum. A plurality of pairs of overlapping recesses in the cylindrical surface of the drum. A tooth or cutting bit with a base configuration matching a first of the pair of the overlapping recesses, and a lower portion of a side surface including a retainer engagement feature. A retainer has a base configuration matching a second of the pair of overlapping recesses, and a side surface including a tooth engagement feature. A fastener secures the retainer in the second of the overlapping recesses so that the tooth engagement feature of the retainer engages the retainer engagement feature of the tooth or cutting bit to hold the tooth or cutting bit in the first of the overlapping recesses.

This invention generally relates to the field of rotary driven cylindrical cutter devices and scarifiers for use in roadway surface milling. More particularly, the present invention is directed to tooth and retainer inserts for such rotary driven cylindrical cutter devices and scarifiers that can be used on equipment for modifying the surface of an existing road, and in particular, to equipment for smoothing areas of existing pavement by removing bumps, upward projections, and other surface irregularities, removing paint stripes, and milling shallow recessed to receive roadway edging and marking tape.
In general, roadway surface milling, planing, or reclaiming equipment disclosed in the prior art includes a rotary driven cylindrical comminuting drum which acts to scarify and to mine the top portion of the asphaltic road surface in situ. Road planning machines are used to remove bumps and other irregularities on the surface of a road, runway, taxiway, or other stretch of pavement. This planning effect is typically achieved by grinding the paved surface so that the grinding depth may vary slightly, but the surface produced by the grinding unit is more level than the original surface. The road planning machine typically includes a grinding unit that is powered by an engine or motor. A tractor is attached to, or integral with, the grinding unit for propelling the grinding unit against the paved surface in a desired direction.
In some prior art devices of this type, a plurality of cutter bit support members are connected by bolts or by a weld to the curved surface of a drum or to flighting fixed to a drum surface. The plurality of the support members can be arranged end-to-end so as to form a more or less continuous helical pattern. The top surface of the helically arranged support members may be elevated above the curved surface of the drum. The top surfaces of the cutter bit support members can include angled openings into which conventional cutter bits are received. The cutter bits can be a conical cutter with preferably a tungsten carbide tip or the like. The tip can have a variety of shapes.
One example of a cutter bit holder and drum is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,979 to Latham. Here, the drum surface omits any flighting, but includes a plurality of spaced recesses arranged in a preselected pattern, each recess being defined by a generally circular upper edge and including a bottom surface depressed below the driven member rotatable surface. Each cutting bit holding element has a body portion having at least one aperture receiving the cutting bit and a lower portion having a generally cylindrical outer surface sized to be received in only one of said recesses. The lower portion has a reference lower end abutting the recess bottom surface with a locating element engaging the cutting bit holder element lower end with a niche within said recess for orienting the cutting bit holder with respect to said cutting direction. When the cutting bit holding elements are situated within the recesses, they are secured in position by means of a weld line joining the cutting bit holding element to the surface of the drum in a line outside of the upper edge of each recess. In the event of wear or catastrophic failure of one or more of the cutting bit holding elements, the worn or failed element must be removed from the assembly. Replacement of the holding element requires the use of a cutting torch, and the welding of a new support member in place. This is a time-consuming repair job which results in considerable expense to a mining machine operation, and results in a decreased rate in mining.
Despite the availability of such devices, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus having a cutter bit insert for a milling drum, preferably without flighting, that is capable of removable attachment to the drum, yet is resistant to loosening upon rotation of the milling drum. There is also a need for a cutter bit a cutter bit having low profile above the drum so that the total diameter of the drum including cutter bits is less than about 18 inches. There is also a need for a cutter bit that can be quickly removed from the drum and replaced so that the down time experience during cutter bit replacement is minimized.


The disclosure provides a chain type stepless transmission, including: a box, a pair of active cone discs including a fixed cone disc and a moving cone disc, a pair of passive cone discs including a fixed cone disc and a moving cone disc, an input shaft, an output shaft and a chain, there are a group of pulleys in the middle of each pair of passive cone discs and in the middle of each pair of active cone discs respectively, and the number of the group of pulleys may be an arbitrary value, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. In the stepless transmission, the fixed cone disc and the moving cone disc then transmit power from the input shaft to the output shaft through the chain, thereby realizing a high power of power transmission and a high torque.

Since the most successful stepless transmission in the past was a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which transmits power by using a frictional force between a cone disc and a steel belt. A limitation of such a CVT limits a widespread use of the stepless transmission, while the present invention provides a stepless transmission which transmits power by using a pair of active cone discs, a pair of passive cone discs, a chain, and a chain wheel.


A device for the extrusion of plastic profiles with an extruder for the melting and delivery of a plastic material and with an extrusion die for defining the profile geometry, wherein a profile slot corresponding to the profile to be extruded and being defined by an outer periphery and by at least one arbor is provided in the extrusion die. The profile tuning is made easier by having a means for operational change of the profile slot""s thickness provided in at least one predetermined area between the arbor and the outer periphery as well as a means for cooling selected areas of the extruded profile provided at the exit of the die.

The present invention relates to a device for the extrusion of plastic profiles with an extruder for the melting and delivery of a plastic material and with an extrusion die for defining the profile geometry, whereas a profile slot corresponding to the profile to be extruded and being defined by an outer periphery and by at least one arbor is provided in the extrusion die.
Profiles used in the fabrication of window frames made of plastic are made by extrusion, whereas plastic granules are melted in an extruder and led to an extrusion die provided with a profile slot which corresponds to the geometry of the profile to be extruded. After having passed the extrusion die, such a profile is first sized in dry sizing installations and then submitted to a first cooling phase before it is ultimately cooled down in a water bath or in a spray tank.
An essential part of the measures implied in the production of an extrusion line for a new profile is the tuning. Nowadays, even with the most sophisticated calculating and simulation methods, it is not possible to delineate all the relevant actions taking place in an extrusion die or in an extrusion tool in such a precise manner so that an extrusion tool may be designed in a purely constructive way. In practice it is necessary to first produce the extrusion die and the tools in a first version and then to submit them to a tuning procedure. The tuning, which is made with the original material of the subsequent profile production, analyzes the deficiencies of the manufactured profile and improves it by slight changes operated on the extrusion die and on the extrusion tools. Measures taken during the tuning phase are for example minor alterations in the geometry of the component parts or changes in the temperature distribution within the component parts by additional heating, cooling or insulating. Since, to make such alterations, it is necessary to dismantle the corresponding tools and to finish them accordingly, tuning implies a very complicated procedure.
Thanks to the technological development, the progress that has been made these last years in the field of the productivity of tools is big. It was thus possible to considerably lower the costs for the production of tools. Since however the tuning procedure has essentially remained the same, it still bears considerable saving potential. It is therefore necessary to reduce the number of tuning courses in particular. This desire is particularly urgent with tools intended to be utilized for small or smallest piece numbers. Prototype tools for example are designed for only a few hours of production so that experiments may be made with new profile geometries or with new materials. Such prototype tools may be manufactured in a simple way and at low cost, since they do not require high production speed or long durability. Since the experimental runs are usually executed by skilled personnel, it is not necessary either to optimize them for use or to make them tolerant to operating errors. These very tools however would in particular need extrusion dies which do not or hardly have to be tuned.
A profile tool for an extruder is known from EP 0 593 892. The prior art profile tool has temper elements arranged in its flow channel by means of which the melted plastic material may be heated in a controlled way in some areas of the flow""s cross section. This makes it possible to compensate irregularities due to geometry when the material is passing through the profile slot. With these measures however, it proved very difficult to intervene to good purpose in the production of the profiles. On one hand, the flow conditions between the heating elements and the profile slot itself cannot or only insufficiently be predicted so that it is difficult to decide in which area purposeful heating should take place. On the other hand, the reaction of such a device is very slow, so that the effects of an alteration made can only be fully observed after a considerable lapse of time. Even for persons skilled in extrusion it is extremely difficult to proceed to tuning according to this teaching.
It is an object of the present invention to develop the device described above in such a manner so that the measures implied in tuning can be kept as simple as possible.
According to the invention, a means is provided for the operational alteration of the thickness of the profile slot in at least one predetermined area between the arbor and the outer periphery and another means is provided for cooling selected areas of the extruded profile at the exit of the die. If, for example, in a tuning course, deficiencies in the profile are realized to possibly originate in a too high flow velocity of the material in a determined section of the profile, this very section of the profile slot in the extrusion tool may purposefully be reduced in size. Since this intervention may be made during the extrusion procedure, the measures implied are minimal. If, on the other hand, it has been noticed that the flow velocity of the material in a profile section is too high and that it cannot be influenced by altering the profile slot, the friction resistance in the subsequent sizing tool may be increased by purposeful cooling. Thus, the corresponding profile section is slowed down. These measures will be encountered in particular in complicated profile sections like lining grooves or ribs or profile overhangs.
A particularly simple and advantageous solution is characterized in that the means for altering the thickness of the profile slot is designed in such a manner so as to deform elastically the outer periphery. In this way, ridges or striae are avoided in the extruded profile on the contact surfaces of possibly mobile members.
A particular advantage consists in having at least one part of the outer periphery constituted by a thin-walled web that is mobile for the alteration of the profile slot""s thickness. A particular fine tuning may thus be achieved. The means for altering the thickness of the profile slot is preferably designed as a pressure screw acting upon the outer periphery. With regard to construction, this solution is particularly simple and adequate for prototype tools.
It proved to be sufficient to provide the even profile areas having a bigger surface with a variable profile geometry, in order to come, in most cases, to satisfactory solutions. That is why the means for altering the profile thickness is arranged in an even profile area having a big surface.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery is designed in such a manner so that it may be cooled down section after section. As already described above, to achieve profile tuning by thermal influence is already state of the art. The disadvantages of the known solutions, like the slowness of reaction and the difficulty to foresee effects may however be considerably reduced thanks to different measures. In this way, not only the flow resistance of individual profile parts is influenced in the subsequent dry sizing but a certain effect is already produced in the extrusion die. A particular advantage consists in having the means for cooling selected areas of the extruded profile provided, in the area where the profile exits the extrusion die, with nozzles oriented toward the profile and through which air may flow. Cooling by air flow has the advantage that no specific coolant is utilized which would have to be disposed of or recycled after use. It is particularly advantageous to have the nozzles provided together with a device for cooling air to a temperature below the ambient temperature. This method proved to require considerably less air so that a possibly undesired thermal influence on the extrusion die may be reduced.
A particularly compact and stable assembly is achieved by integrating the nozzles in the extrusion die.
On the other hand, improved flexibility is achieved by fastening the nozzles on a front side of the extrusion die. In this solution, the parts surrounding the extrusion die are also submitted to less cooling.
If necessary in order to achieve increased gloss of predetermined parts of the profile""s surface, means for heating selected areas of the profile may additionally be provided at the die""s exit. The easiest procedure is to have the corresponding profile sections blown with hot air.

Device for the extrusion of plastic profiles


The present invention concerns a beverage preparation machine (1) having a tank (2) for containing a food-grade fluid, said tank comprising: (i) a reservoir body with side, bottom and top walls, (ii) at least one filling opening, (iii) at least one dispensing opening comprising a dispensing valve for establishing a fluid connecting between said machine and said tank, said tank having a weight WE when less than 5% of its total volume is filled, and a weight WF when at least 5% of its total volume is filled with fluid, said valve being reciprocally movable between a first position where the tank has a weight WE and the valve is open and a second position where the tank has a weight WF and the valve is closed characterized in that said machine comprises a switch disposed in the vicinity of at least one wall of the tank (2), so that: —when the tank has a weight WF said tank is in a first position so that it contacts said switch, and —when the tank has a weight WE said tank is in a second position, away from said switch, said machine further comprising a user warning means that is actuated when the switch does not contact the tank wall so as to warn the user that the tank needs a refill.

Beverage preparation machines are well known in the food science and consumer goods area. Such machines allow a consumer to prepare at home a given type of beverage, for instance a coffee-based beverage, e.g. an espresso or a brew-like coffee cup.
Today, most beverage preparation machines for in-home beverage preparation comprise a system made of a machine which can accommodate portioned ingredients for the preparation of the beverage. Such portions can be soft pods or pads, or sachets, but more and more systems use semi-rigid or rigid portions such as rigid pods or capsules. In the following, it will be considered that the beverage machine of the invention is a beverage preparation machine working a rigid capsule.
The machine comprises a receptacle for accommodating said capsule and a fluid injection system for injecting a fluid, preferably water, under pressure into said capsule. Water injected under pressure in the capsule, for the preparation of a coffee beverage according to the present invention, is preferably hot, that is to say at a temperature above 70° C. However, in some particular instances, it might also be at ambient temperature. The pressure inside the capsule chamber during extraction and/or dissolution of the capsule contents is typically about 1 to 6 bar for dissolution products, 2 to 12 bar for extraction of roast and ground coffee. Such a preparation process differs a lot from the so-called "brewing" process of beverage preparation—particularly for tea and coffee, in that brewing involves a long time of infusion of the ingredient by a fluid (e.g. hot water), whereas the beverage preparation process allows a consumer to prepare a beverage, for instance coffee within a few seconds.
The principle of extracting and/or dissolving the contents of a closed capsule under pressure is known and consists typically of confining the capsule in a receptacle of a machine, injecting a quantity of pressurized water into the capsule, generally after piercing a face of the capsule with a piercing injection element such as a fluid injection needle mounted on the machine, so as to create a pressurized environment inside the capsule either to extract the substance or dissolve it, and then release the extracted substance or the dissolved substance through the capsule. Capsules allowing the application of this principle have already been described for example in applicant's European patent n° EP 1 472 156 B1, and in EP 1 784 344 B1.
Machines allowing the application of this principle have already been described for example in patents CH 605 293 and EP 242 556. According to these documents, the machine comprises a receptacle for the capsule and a perforation and injection element made in the form of a hollow needle comprising in its distal region one or more liquid injection orifices. The needle has a dual function in that it opens the top portion of the capsule on the one hand, and that it forms the water inlet channel into the capsule on the other hand.
The machine further comprises a fluid tank—in most cases this fluid is water—for storing the fluid that is used to dissolve and/or infuse and/or extract under pressure the ingredient(s) contained in the capsule. The machine comprises a heating element such as a boiler or a heat exchanger, which is able to warm up the water used therein to working temperatures (classically temperatures up to 80-90° C.). Finally, the machine comprises a pump element for circulating the water from the tank to the capsule, optionally though the heating element. The way the water circulates within the machine is selected via a selecting valve means, such as for instance a peristaltic valve of the type described in applicant's European patent application EP 2162653 A1.
When the beverage to be prepared is coffee, one interesting way to prepare the said coffee is to provide the consumer with a capsule containing roast and ground coffee powder, which is to be extracted with hot water injected therein.
Capsules have been developed for such an application, which are described and claimed in applicant's European patent EP 1 784 344 B1, or in European patent application EP 2 062 831.
In short, such capsules comprise typically:                a hollow body and an injection wall which is impermeable to liquids and to air and which is attached to the body and adapted to be punctured by e.g. an injection needle of the machine,        a chamber containing a bed of roast and ground coffee to be extracted,        an aluminum membrane disposed at the bottom end of the capsule, closing the said capsule, for retaining the internal pressure in the chamber, the said membrane being associated with piercing means for piercing dispensing holes in the said aluminum membrane when said internal pressure inside the chamber reaches a certain pre-determined value,        optionally, means configured to break the jet of fluid so as to reduce the speed of the jet of fluid injected into the capsule and distribute the fluid across the bed of substance at a reduced speed. It is critical for the user to know when the water level in the machine tank is too low to prepare a full beverage.
GB 2140286 A is a British application to Alfredo Cavalli published Nov. 28, 1984. It discloses a beverage preparation machine comprising a water tank. The machine comprises a switch and a spring-mounted pivot lever mechanism which is linked between the tank and the switch. When the tank contains sufficient water, the tank presses onto one end of the sprung lever mechanism, and the opposite end of the lever presses onto the switch. When the tank is empty, or at least does not contain sufficient water, it is sufficiently light to be lifted by the sprung lever mechanism, and the lever end in contact with the switch is moved away from said switch so that the machine sends a signal to the user of the machine, for warning the user that a tank refill is needed.
This existing solution is quite expensive and complex: it uses a spring-mounted lever mechanism that can break after a certain number of usage cycles, so that the beverage machine may require maintenance. This requirement is particularly important as Moreover, the spring-mounted lever is expensive as it requires specific parts which are manufactured separately, and then assembled.
Other systems were developed in the art, to avoid the above mentioned problems. Such systems use sensors which measure the water level through ultrasonic detection or through a floating magnet inside the water tank and a sensor in the lower part of the tank, which detects when said magnet is moved down sufficiently as water is pumped from the tank.
Such systems however involve electronic parts which are costly and may also break so that they require maintenance. Additionally, such magnetic or ultrasonic sensors require energy to function, which is undesirable, as it increases the overall energy consumption of the machine.
Having regard to the existing art, it is an objective of the present invention to provide the consumers with a beverage preparation machine which is able to detect when its water tank is not sufficiently filled, while involving a detection system which is as simple, cheap, and reliable as possible.


A process for scheduling operations using a cost function is provided. A number of scheduling options are determined for an operation and a cost is computed for each scheduling option. The process then schedules the operation based on a computed cost.

The present invention generally relates to computer processing and more specifically to instruction scheduling using a cost function.
Instruction scheduling involves assigning operations from an original sequence of operations to specific functional units at specific times in a way to make efficient use of hardware resources. The scheduled operations produce the same result as executing the operations sequentially in an original order but the operations may not be scheduled in that original order. The goal is to efficiently use hardware resources and retain the original result that would be obtained by executing the operations sequentially.
Instruction scheduling operates by scheduling an instruction that is executed for each clock cycle of a processor. Each instruction includes a slot for each functional unit of the processor where an operation may be scheduled. The instruction scheduler then schedules operations for functional units during a clock cycle. Typically, instruction schedulers attempt to schedule operations where a minimum number of instructions are used and operations are scheduled for as many functional units as possible in each instruction used.
The process of instruction scheduling orders operations in a scheduling order list, which is typically a list of operations in the order the operations should be executed if they were executed sequentially. Starting from the first ordered operation, the instruction scheduler determines the first functional unit earliest in time that may be able to execute the operation. When the first functional unit is found, the instruction scheduler schedules the instruction for that functional unit at that time. This process is repeated sequentially for each operation in the list.
The above approach may work when scheduling a small amount of functional units. However, when a large amount of functional units need to be scheduled for a given instruction or clock cycle, problems with the schedule result. For example, a resulting schedule may introduce delays in executing the operations, produce resource contention, and inefficiently use the resources.
Also, in one example, a resulting schedule is likely to result in excessive movement of data among function units. The excessive movement may result in delays in the execution of operations due to exhaustion of resources for data movement. The delays then increase the need for temporary data storage, which possibly exhausts data storage resources. In addition, the excessive data movement requires more time and power. Thus, the resulting schedule produces delays, uses resources inefficiently, and requires more power.

Method for estimating cost when placing operations within a modulo scheduler when scheduling for processors with a large number of function units or reconfigurable data paths


An electric connector having at least one substantially striplike contact element includes a housing having a wall, a portion of the contact element extending from within the housing through the housing wall to the outside of the housing, and being formed thereat as a first flat contact extending along an outer side of the housing wall, the housing wall having, outside the housing, a recess formed therein and exposing at least parts of the contact element portion extending through the housing wall, the exposed contact element portion being formed at least partly as a second flat contact, and the recess being formed as a plug-in opening for a contact spring capable of contacting the second flat contact, the recess extending around the at least one contact element and having a portion thereof free of any contact element and formed so as to receive one of a pin and a strip of a counterconnector to be connected to the electric connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric connector including at least one substantially striplike contact element of which a portion extends from within a housing through a housing wall to the outside of the housing, and is formed thereat as a flat contact extending along an outer side of the housing wall, the housing wall having, outside the housing, a recess formed therein and exposing at least parts of the contact element portion extending through the housing wall, the exposed contact element portion being formed at least partly as a second flat contact, and the recess being formed as a plug-in opening for a contact spring capable of contacting the second flat contact.
Electric connectors of this general type are installed in mobile or cellular telephones, amongst others, so that they are able to be connected to automobile installation kits, hands-free facilities, chargers, earphones, microphones, and so forth.
Many embodiments of electric connectors which may be used for the purposes mentioned hereinabove have become known heretofore.
One possible embodiment of an electric connector which is usable for the aforementioned purposes has been described, for example, in the published European Patent Document EP 0,586,971 A1. The fundamental principle of such an electric connector is illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B shown herein. The relevant electric connector being, respectively, the upper or first connector identified by a reference numeral 110 in the illustrated connector arrangement. The first connector is connectable to a respective counterpart illustrated at the bottom of the aforementioned figures and formed as a second connector, the first and the second connectors being shown in unconnected condition in FIG. 6A, and in connected condition in FIG. 6B.
In the example of the aforementioned European patent document under consideration, the first connector is installed in a mobile telephone or cellular phone or the like, and the second connector is an integral part of a charger or the like.
The first connector has a striplike contact element, one end of which, in the example under consideration, is soldered, for example, by an SMT soldering method, to an electric printed board provided within a housing, i.e., a mobile housing and, simultaneously, a connector housing, and the other end of which extends outside the housing and forms thereat a flat contact that can be brought into contact with a corresponding contact spring of the second connector.
The contact spring of the second connector, in the unconnected condition of the connectors illustrated in FIG. 6A, partly projects out of a housing part, namely, the charger and, simultaneously, the second connector, through an opening formed in the latter. The salient part of the contact spring, i.e., the part thereof projecting from the housing, is pressable downwardly by pressure acting from above according to the representation in FIGS. 6A and 6B, in particular, due to elastic deformation of the lower part of the contact spring.
The pressure on the contact spring of the second connector may be exerted, for example, by pressing down thereon or, in the case of an appropriate dead weight, merely by placing the latter on the first electric connector or, more precisely, on the appliance or device containing the first electric connector. In the condition illustrated in FIG. 6B, the contact element or, more precisely, the flat contact of the contact element of the first connector, and the contact spring of the second connector are pressed against one another, thus making it possible to achieve a reliable electrical contact, if the contact springs and the contact locations, respectively, thereof are suitably constructed and oriented.
Mechanically loose electric connections, which are producible by the use of contact elements of this type, can be employed advantageously, in particular, when an appliance or device containing the first connector is only temporarily electrically connectable to and disconnectable from, respectively, an appliance or device containing the second connector, at any time without force, and primarily by merely laying the one on the other and lifting the one away from the other, respectively.
The mobile or portable telephones or cellular phones, also referred to hereinafter as mobiles, which are under consideration herein, require connecting possibilities which permit them to be connected quickly and easily to convenient automobile installation kits, desk charging stations, hands-free facilities and the like.
On the other hand, with regard to many appliances, in addition to the aforedescribed connection system which permits mechanically loose connections, there is a need for a further connector system which permits mechanically fixed connections, such as, for example, a plug connector system or the like, so that electric connections can be made permitting the formation of a mechanical connection between the connectors to be connected, which cannot unintentionally or easily be separated.
In the mobiles under consideration, this is necessary so that simple automobile installation kits, chargers, earphones, microphones and the like can be connected.
It is believed to be readily apparent, and does not need to be explained any further, that the aforementioned connection systems are suitable, respectively, only for a quite specific purpose, namely to make either a mechanically loose or a mechanically fixed connection, and are unable to serve as even only an approximately equivalent replacement for the other connection system, respectively. On the other hand, the provision of several possibilities of connection for the input and reception, respectively, of the same signals requires a relatively large amount of space, and this runs counter to the constant endeavor to reduce the size of articles of all types.
An electric connector by which both mechanically loose and mechanically fixed connections can be made has become known heretofore from the published European Patent Document EP-A-0 701 303. Electric connectors of this type, though of small size, may have a large number of contact elements contactable by various kinds of counterconnectors. It may prove to be problematical, however, to contact the contact elements reliably and gently therefor and for the electric connectors under all circumstances.


Provided is a method of providing warm air to the intake of a engine of a vehicle to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of said vehicle. The method includes the steps of:. transferring warm air directly exiting a radiator to an air intake of an engine using a variable vane which flexes and rebounds to continuously adjust an amount of warm air being supplied to said air intake in response to various engine loads; PA1 allowing said variable vane to flex and rotate an air deflection surface of said variable vane to a position which supplies an increased volume of warm air to said air intake as a warm air load against said air deflection surface is increased; and PA1 allowing said variable vane to rebound and rotate said air deflection surface to a position which supplies a decreased volume of warm air to said air intake as a warm air load against the air deflection surface of said variable vane is decreased. The invention also provides an apparatus for practicing the method.

There have been many attempts to increase the efficiency of motorized vehicles and thereby decrease the harm to the environment. One method has been to supply heated air to an intake manifold. The following patents describe the known methods for supplying heated air to the intake manifold of an engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,376,294 relates to an air intake system for internal combustion motors. The air intake system includes a pipe which is used to draw hot air from around the engine, in particular the exhaust manifold, and introduce the hot air into the intake manifold. If the engine gets too hot, the pipe can be turned to draw cool air from the fan until the engine is cooler. This intake system has the drawback that hot air from the exhaust manifold is too dry for efficient burning in the engine. Furthermore, this system is unable to react to different supply continuously variable amounts of warm air as the air demands of the engine vary.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,203,407 relates to an air cleaner assembly for a tractor. The air cleaner is combined with the radiator in one piece. The air flows through a conduit over the top of the radiator and into the air cleaner. The intake is shaped such that heavy dust particles pass through the radiator and not into the conduit. The air being supplied to the air intake of the engine has not passed through the radiator.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,558 discloses a preheater for carburetor inlet air. The preheater uses coolant from the engine. The preheater is used during the engine warm up cycle to prevent icing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,522 discloses a mechanism for heating air using the exhaust manifold of an engine and the hot coolant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,607 discloses a hot-air intake system of an internal combustion engine. The hot-air intake system uses air heated by the exhaust manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,084 relates to a valve for apportioning preheated air and non-preheated air to an internal combustion engine. The valve is operated by a thermostat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,124 discloses a clamp used to transfer hot air from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,473 discloses an automatic air intake temperature regulator apparatus and method. A shutter is opened and closed based on the temperature of the air entering the air intake.
It has now been found that the fuel efficiency of an engine is not only affected by the temperature of the air entering the intake manifold, but also by the amount of moisture in the air. It has also been found that air heated by the exhaust manifold of an engine is usually too hot and dry, and therefore the efficiency of the engine is decreased. Thus, in general air heated by the exhaust manifold has the wrong concentration of gasses, such oxygen and water vapor, for efficient combustion.
The above mechanisms for supplying heated air to the air intake are complicated and expensive. Furthermore, conventional mechanisms do not continuously adjust the amount of heated air based on the air requirements of the engine as the motorized vehicle is operated.
There is a need for an uncomplicated and economical apparatus which is capable of supplying warm air having adequate moisture to the intake manifold of an engine. There is also a need for an apparatus which is capable of continuously adjusting the amount of warm air supplied to the engine based on the air requirements of the engine as the vehicle is being operated.

Method and apparatus for supplying warm air to an air intake of an engine


Systems and methods for a conferencing system. Responsive to a new conference request received at a conference orchestration service, participants of the conference and participant regions for each determined participant are determined. A mixer topology is generated that specifies an assignment of each determined participant to at least one input channel of a plurality of mixers. A mixer state manager generates the mixer topology based on the determined participant regions and at least one regional association of a mixer. Media of each determined participant is routed to the assigned at least one input channel according to the generated mixer topology by using the conference orchestration service. The mixer state manager generates the topology responsive to a request provided by the conference state manager. The conference orchestration service receives the generated mixer topology from the mixer state manager via the conference state manager.

In recent years, innovations in web application and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) have brought about considerable changes to the capabilities offered through traditional phone and communication services. In some distributed or cloud-based telephony systems, the routing of audio, video, or other media files can be determined or limited by the location and/or availability of the appropriate computing resources. In the case of conference calls, the size of the conference, the quality of the media communication, and capability to support all regions can be limited and can be resource prohibitive. In some cases, conferencing systems are replicated in different regions. But such solutions do not solve inter-regional communication issues, and further creates division in infrastructure, which can complicate maintenance and further improvement. Thus, there is a need in the telephony field to create a new and useful system and method for managing conferencing in a distributed communication network. This invention provides such a new and useful system and method.

System and method for managing conferencing in a distributed communication network


A polyester composition is disclosed that is particularly suitable for filament. The composition is formed of polyethylene terephthalate; polyethylene glycol in an amount sufficient to increase the wetting and wicking properties of a filament made from the composition to a level substantially similar to the wetting and wicking properties of cotton and other cellulosic fibers (natural or synthetic) but less than the amount that would reduce the favorable elastic memory properties of the polyester composition; and a chain branching agent selected from the group consisting of trifunctional alcohols and acids and tetrafunctional alcohols and acids that will copolymerize with polyethylene terephthalate, the chain branching agent being present in an amount sufficient to raise the melt viscosity of the polyester composition to a level that permits filament manufacture under conditions that are substantially the same as those under which filament can be formed from unmodified polyethylene terephthalate.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of yarns and fabrics and in particular relates to an improved modified polyester composition that is particularly useful for forming blended yarns from polyester and cotton.
Blended fabrics formed of polyester and cotton have found wide acceptance for fabrics, particularly for clothing. Generally speaking, a xe2x80x9cblendedxe2x80x9d fabric of polyester and cotton is formed by spinning a blended yarn from cotton fibers and polyester staple fibers. The blended yarns are then woven or knitted into the appropriate fabrics. Each of these materials brings certain advantages and disadvantages to a fabric. Cotton is, of course, formed almost entirely of pure cellulose with a typical length of about one inch, but with variations in length from about a half and inch to over two inches. Mature cotton fibers are characterized by their convolutions so that under a microscope, cotton appears as a twisted ribbon with thickened edges. Cotton is light in weight, absorbs moisture quickly and easily, and has a generally favorable texture (xe2x80x9chandxe2x80x9d) when woven into fabrics. Cotton lacks, however, certain strength characteristics and elastic memory, and thus garments formed entirely of cotton require regular laundering, pressing, and in many cases starching, between wearings by the ordinary user.
Polyester is strong, light in weight, and has excellent plastic memory characteristics. Polyester is crease-resistant, quick-drying, retains its shape in garments, is abrasion-resistant, and requires minimum care. Because of its synthetic nature, however, polyester has a generally unacceptable appearance (at least for most garment purposes) when initially formed as a filament. Accordingly, polyester filaments require texturizing in some fashion to produce acceptable characteristics of appearance, hand, and comfort in yarns and fabrics.
Accordingly, blends of cotton and polyester have found wide-ranging acceptance because of their combination of the desirable characteristics of cotton with those of polyester.
The characteristic advantages of polyester are such, however, that efforts continue to develop polyester filament, yarns and fabrics that more closely resemble those of cotton, silk, rayon, or other natural fibers. The use of polyester microfibers is one example of this, with the filaments being of such small diameter that they offer exceptionally good esthetics and hand, while retaining all of the benefits of polyester.
A number of chemical modifications have been carried out on polyester to attempt to obtain the desired properties, but such treatments can produce unwanted or unexpected characteristics in the modified polyester. For example, polyethylene glycol can enhance certain polyester properties such as dye uptake, but can decrease other properties, particularly the melt phase characteristics of the polymer, that make it quite difficult to form into acceptable filaments on a continuous commercial basis. In this regard, it will be understood that polyester filament is made in significantly large amounts around the world, and that if modified polyesters are to gain commercial acceptance, they must be essentially compatible with commercial techniques for melt-spinning, texturing, yarn spinning and fabric forming techniques; i.e., weaving and knitting.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist for enhanced polyester compositions that have properties as close as possible to those of cotton and other natural fibers while retaining the advantages of polyester.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a polyester composition that has certain properties substantially similar to those of cotton, while retaining the favorable properties of polyester.
The invention meets this object with a polyester composition comprising polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene glycol in an amount sufficient to increase the wetting and wicking properties of a filament made from the composition to a level substantially similar to the properties of cotton, but less than the amount that would reduce the favorable elastic memory properties of the polyester composition, and a branching agent in amount that raises the melt viscosity of the polyester composition to a level that permits filament manufacture under substantially normal spinning conditions.
In another aspect, the invention comprises polyester filament formed from the composition.
In yet another aspect, the invention comprises yarns formed either entirely of polyester or of polyester and cotton blends.
In yet another aspect, the invention comprises woven, nonwoven or knitted fabrics formed from the polyester or blended yarns according to the present invention.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become clearer based on the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Polyester modified with polyethylene glycol and pentaerythritol